NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XVI, Issue 2154, 14 March 1870, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Heavy rain fell in the northern districts from ten p m on Friday till about the same hour on Saturday morning.

A Total Abstinence meeting will be held this evening in the Temperance Hall, Gloucester street, at 7 30.

At a meeting held at Duvauehelles Bay on March sth, Mr Piper in the chair, it was resolved to hold the next Duvauehelles Bay Fair on the 16th of March.

We understand that the firing of the Northern C.R.V. for the district prizes did not take place on Saturday, in consequence of some slight mistake about the date. The weather also partly interfered.

An accident which fortunately was unattended by serious results occurred in Lyttelton harbor on Saturday afternoon as the steamer Wellington waa leaving for the North. A boat in which were Mr G. Messiter and his son (as boatmen), and Mrs G. Tayler and Messrs Plummer, S. Sinclair, and Moss (as passengers), was in the act of leaving the vessel as Bhe was getting under weigh, when suddenly the steamer went full steam ahead, and before the boat could be got dear the screw caught her bows, smashed it, and cap* sized the boat bottom upwards. The pawn*

gers attempted to get on to tho bottom, and the boa* ri-hted, and then it was found that Mrs Tayler had been underneath when the boat turned. Most fortunately she floated, and Mr Plummet at ouco swam to her, and supported her in the water until tho arrival of a boat from the Princess Alice, which had promptly put off to tho rescue. Tho steamer had in tho meantime backed astern, and had lowered a boat to render assistance. The whole of the passengeis and the boatmen were safely conveyed on shore in the Princess Alice's boat, and they desire to return their heartfelt thanks to Mr Payne and his crew for their prompt and timely aid.

The competitive firing, for representatives to proceed to Dunedin, to compete for the colonial rifle prizes, which was to have taken place on Saturday, at Hillsborough, was, on account of the unfavorable weather, postponed until Wednesday next.

The fairs at Kaiapoi during the current year are to be held monthly instead of quarterly, and the entrance fees for all descriptions of stock have been abolished. The fair yard is an excellent one, well fitted up with sheep and cattle pens, as well as drafting yards. We trust the district will accord their support to the market which it is now proposed to establish for the sale of its stock.

The Theatre has cause to congratulate itself. On Saturday the floor was crammed, and there was beside a very good attendance in the circle. "Aurora Floyd" was repeated. We must repeat our satisfaction at the general completeness with which the drama was represented. The great want at the Theatre Boyal is a drawing room scene. In saying so we do not wish to be exacting, we are aware there must be many drawbacks to be encountered by a travelling company entering on a stage so dilapidated as that the present management has been obliged to occupy—there must have been many things to do—a good deal of money to be left behind in the theatre, but notwithstanding, we cannot but regret each reappearance of the queer dawdy piece of stage conventionalism which does duty as the interior of a lady's drawing room —we

hope Mr Willis will take our suggestion at his earliest possibility. The wood scene was spoilt for want of sufficient light. The illumination at the crisis of the assassination was an effect, which althongh violent, may pass on the boards —but there should always be a certain distinctness in the background for the information of the spectators—and so as to secure their appreciation of what follows. The head servant again, of the family, who proposes to the lady's companion should, we imagine, be out of livery. The livery servant who holds his arms in puppet like fashion from his sides as played the other evening was not a whit more an exaggerated caricature

than we have seen at the Btaymnrket—but at the same time although a traditional rendering, it was very unnatural. And since we are 'in a critical mood we will venture to go further than our ordinary limit, and with perfect respect submit that Mrs Mellish would hardly think of

travelling by the mail train with only a lace shawl over her head, although such a picturesque drapery is often prettily assumed for a meeting out of doors. The performance of "Aurora Floyd " will well bear criticism on little details. As played, the drama ii as good a thing as we have ever seen played in Christchurch. To-night the piece is repeated, with a new burlesque. Mr McGruar, of the Otago Botanical Gardens, desires the " Daily Times" to state that the seed of the flax plant does not require a hot-wator bith before being planted, as stated by a writer in the " Southern Cross." He believes that soaking the seed in water heated to 110 degrees would have the effect of

destroying its germinating qualities.

The following native intelligence is given by the " Hawkea Bay Herald " of the 4th : — Major Ropata, Ngatiporou chief, with 450 of his followers —said on all hands to be a splendid body of mcn —left Patutahi on Tuesday last, en route for Waikaremoana. They go on the principle of good pay if they take or otherwise give an account of Te Kooti and Kereopa, and none if they don't. They are perfectly satisfied with the arrangement, and are very sanguine of success.

The " Nelson Examiner" is glad to hear thare is a probability of Flying Jib, from Wanganui, paying Nelson a visit at our forthcoming visit, and also Kaiser, from Auckland, which will add greatly to the interest of the

races. Flying Jib is a very promising young horse, a son of Wetsail, who as a three-year-old ran the fastest mile races evet witnessed on our course, beating Camden, 10, Cassandra, and Ruby. Mr Hunt's Kaiser, it will be remembered, won all his races at Auckland in January last. We learn from the " West Coast Times' that a young man, named Frank Morphy, who has lately been holding the appoint of assistant bailiff in the Resident Magistrate's Court, was arrested on a charge of embezzling the sum of £40. The circumstances under which the charge is made are somewhat peculiar. It appears that a person named Daws, who at one time resided at Ross made a hasty departure from that place, being indebted to several persons, and amongst others to Messrs Cuming and McKay in the sum of £17. Messrs Cuming andCo,having judgment against Daws, took out a warrant for his arrest, and as the steam yes sel in which he took passage (intending we believe to proceed ultimately to England) was going round the ports before proceeding to Melbourne, Mr Cuming iuduced tbe bailiff of the court to send to Lyttelton, to meet Dawa on tie vessel's arrival there. The prisoner Morphy was accordingly despatched to Lyttelton, and on his return he reported that Daws had left the steamer at Wellington and had not gone round to Lyttelton at all. Subsequently a friend of a resident at Ross met Daws in Melbourno and the latter in course of conversation recounted how badly he bad been used by Mr Cuming, who had sent after him to Lyttelton, and had thus increased the debt of £17 to £40. This conversation was related by the person to whom Daws spolie, in a letter which he wrote to his friend at Ross, and led to Morphy being taxed with having received money from Daws, and having misappropriated it to his own use. We believe tl at the prisoner has to some extent admitted the charge.