NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XVIII, Issue 2490, 24 April 1871, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

We are requested to call attention to the meeting of the Athletic Sports Committee, to be held this evening at White's hotel at 7.30. We understand that the champion pedestrians have applied to the U.C.C.C. for the use of the cricket ground on May Bth, and that a meeting will be held at White's "hotel at 5 o'clock this evening to consider the application. The inspection of No 5 C.R.V., took place on Thursday evening last under Lieutenantr Colonel Packe. There were thirty-three rank and file on parade under their officers—Captain Beswick and Lieutenant Craig. The Colonel complimented the corps, on their efficiency and the cleanliness of their rifles and accoutrements. The conference of the Canterbury Sunday School Union, postponed" on account of the inclemency of the weather from Tuesday last, will take place in S. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Lichfield street, on Thursday evening next. The opening football match of the season took place on Saturday last in Latimer square between two scratch sides selected by Messrs Rutherford and Gordon respectively. A capital game ensued, both sides struggling hard for victory. Not a goal, however, was secured until just before five p.m., the appointed hour for conclusion of play, one of Mr Gordon's side secured a well-kicked goal. We are requested to direct attention to the meeting of the Kaiapoi Popular Entertainment Committee, which takes place at the appointed hour this evening, at the Institute. We may further state the committee will gladly receive the names of ladies or gentlemen who "will give readings or music. A meeting of the committee of the Temperance Bazaar and others engaged in the performance on the occasion, will be held at the Temperance Hall, Gloucester street, this evening, at seven o'clock. "The Flowers of the Forest," a drama familiar as household words to. piay-goers, j was produced on Saturday evening jit the I

Theatre Royal. Both Mr and Mrs Steele, in the respective characters of Ishmael and} Cynthia, were excellent, but were not at! all adequately supported by some of the other characters. Miss Forde played Star-J light Bess, and although the part is totally unfitted to her, she made the best of it. The farce of "Poor Pillicoddy," in which Miss Matthews and Mr Searle created much amusement, concluded the performance. Tonight "The Time arid the Hoar," a drama very much resembling " Black Sheep," but to our mind superior, will be produced. On Saturday last we had the pleasure of seeing Messrs J. G. Harris and A. E. Bird i take their preliminary canters over the quar-!ter-mile course on the U.C.C. ground. Of course the men arc a little out of form, owing , to the somewhat lengthened sea voyage from I Auckland, but still their style of going on Saturday gives promise of great things when they are in their accustomed fettle. The style of running '.of the two men differs very greatly, Bird running with a smooth, gliding step and immense stride, and altogether his style is very perfect. After running three or four times round : the quarter-of-a-mile, he put on a magnificent spurt for about a hundred yards, going like a steam engine. Harris is also a very pretty runner, differing from Bird in his style in that he has somewhat of a high action, but for his distance, although far from being in form on Saturday, it would take a very good man to head him. Added to his many capabilities, he is also an excellent jumper, having won several hurdle races in Melbourne, and the ease with which he negotiated the much-dreaded water jump on Saturday shows that he has not lost any of his excellence in that department. There is another point about these men which our amateurs would do well to imitate, and that is quickness in getting away when the start is given,—a feat which has to be seen to be appreciated. Both men will be at work on the cricket ground this afternoon between 4 and 5 o'clock. A general meeting of the Canterbury Rowing Club was held at White's Hotel on Saturday last, Mr Herdson in the chair. There were also present Messrs Denham, Thomas, Stedman, Hellicar, J. Callender, A. .Callender, Westenra, Douglas, Webb, C. Revans, Balfour, Winter, and Mounier (hon. sec.) The preliminary business being concluded, a discussion ensued relative to the advisability of ordering one or two new boats from England. The general opinion appeared to be that it was unwise to incur any further expenses than were actually imperative. It was further deemed necessary to liquidate the promissory note held by Mr George Gould from five members of j the club. The following resolution was proposed by Mr Thomas, seconded by Mr Balfour, and carriad unanimously, viz.— " That an order be forthwith sent to Mr Salter, of Oxford, to build and forward to Canterbury one pair-oared racing boat, to carry a coxswain, the boat to be outrigged, and that it be left to Messrs Salter to build the fastest boat they can turn out without any restrictions as to measurement or timber to be used. The boat to be forwarded in time to arrive in Lyttelton not later than the Ist October, 1871. Two pairs of oars to be forwarded with the boat." A message was read by the captain from the Union Rowing Club, stating that the members of the club were anxious to wind up the present season with a ball or supper. The idea of a ball was utterly scouted as impracticable, and one of the. strongest reasons adduced was the fact that there was really no public room at present in Christchurch capable of containing the number of people that would be present upon such an occasion. Some members present advocated a supper to be held, and the attendance confined strictly to members of boating clubs. Another proposition was that the boating and cricketing clubs should combine to have a supper, which proposition of course could not be determined at the present meeting. A committee was afterwards appointed to confer with the officers of the other boating clubs in Canterbury as to the most popular and convenient method of winding up the season, such committee consisting of Messrs. Mounier, Denham, Douglas, Balfour, and Hellicar. After further routine business had been transacted, the usual vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, and the meeting adjourned. A meeting of the Union Rowing Club to wind up the business of the past season was held at White's Hotel, on Friday evening, when there was but a medium attendance. Mr R. P. Crosbie was voted to the chair, and Mr Walter Ollivier, the hon. sec, on behalf of the Working Committee, read a report of the practical working of the club, of which the following is a synopsis. The season was opened on September 24,1870, by a procession of boats, the club being well represented ; all their boats being manned. At the Kaiapoi regatta on December 16 the principal event was the second competition for Messrs Shaw Saville and Co.'s challenge cup, for which the Lurline was entered, but made no show in the race, owing partly to thc coxswain's want of knowledge of the course. On the same day the Lurline showed third in the sweepstake race. A regatta was held on the Avon on December 26th, ijvhen the Lurline took second place for the cup, and afterwards won the four-oared sweepstakes. At the Lyttelton regatta, January 2nd, the rowing gig events were twice postponed, owing to the weather, and did not eventually come off. A supplementary regatta was held on the Heathcote Estuary waters on February .28, the Undine only taking third place for Mr Maxwell's cup, but making a good second in the champion pair-oars. The Lurline crew, in the Heathcote Club boat, came in second in the four-oared race, a scratch crew in the Lurline boing third. It is, therefore, satisfactory that the club has had an average success during the season, more particularly when it is remembered that only two | boats were at all fit to compete, and these ■ against outriggers. The committee have, j however, ordered a new four and pair, which I may be expected by the first ship of the season from England, aud also a light pairoar skiff from Sydney, for practice. Thc crews have been selected from Messrs Fooks. Jameson. Gain. Dudley, Wood, and Dartnell; Anderson and Crowley, coxns. Thc club has sustained a severe loss on the intended departure of the commodore (the Rev J. 08. Hoare) for England, but is pleased that the testimonial cup presented to him by the club will be held by him as a reminiscence and testimony of its members. The treasurer, i Mr R. Allen, submitted a balance sheet showing a credit of about £17 for the I season, which was passed as satisfactory, and after a vote of thanks to the chair the meeting adjourned to the first week in i September, fc

A noteworthy event in connection with sporting matters in Canterbury took place on Saturday evening last. A gentleman wellknown in connection with the turf here. made a bet of -£100 with Bird, one of the English pedestrians, that he could not run twenty miles within two hours. The bet was promptly taken up on behalf of the English ped by Mr J. G. Harris of Victorian celebrity, and £20 a-side staked at once. The match is io come off on June 24. or if the weather is unfavourable, within a week after that date, the '"convincing ground " to be within five miles of Christchurch. The articles of agreement have been drawn up and signed by both parties, two well-known gentlemen having been appointed as time-keeper and referee respectively. A second deposit of £30 a side is to be made with the stake-holder iv a fortnight's time, and the final deposit of £50 on the evening before the match. Bird is perfectly confident as to his capability of performing the task, and at the same time i the backer of the old scythe-bearer has many supporters. | There was the usual good attendance at the meeting of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association on Friday evening last, the Rev A. R. Fitchett in the chair. After the consideration and disposal of several business matters, Mr Munnings read a paper on the " Lawfulness of the accumulation of wealth." He condemned everything in the shape of mammon worship ; but considered that it is our duty in the various relationships of life not only to use diligence in meeting present wants, but also in laying up for the future ; and that a man did wrong in the sight of God if he neglected to seize the legitimate opportunities of so duing should they present themselves. The opener was followed by others, who went further into the matter of the accumulation of great wealth. Some against it ou the ground of the evils that so constantly attend it, and because they conceived the principle so entirely opposed to the teaching of the New Testament; while, on the contrary, some were of opinion that it is not opposed to the spirit of the Bible, and that it is essential as matters now exist in the world for capital to be accumulated, otherwise those great enterprises could not possibly be carried on which afford employment to the teeming millions who thereby obtain honorable means of support, instead of becoming, as they otherwise would, demoralised degraded paupers. At the conclusion, it was announced that Mr Waters would next week read a paper on " Changes of climate: and their probable causes as taught by geologists." It is not often a youngster is met with who possesses the presence of mind aud pluck shown by a lad named Alfred Ashton, living j in the neighborhood of the Moorabpol Falls. He was out (says the Ballarat-Evening Post) in the forest with a number of woodcutters, and was playing a few yards distance from them, on Thursday, when he was bitten on the extreme end of the finger of the left hand by a snake, which he mistook for a piece of charred Avood. The youngster at once ran to the men, and laying his finger on a log near at hand, asked one of the number to cut it off. at the joint. This was demurred to at first, but upon the brave little fellow saying that if they did not do as he wished he would do it himself, one of the men severed the poisoned portion. The lad bore the operation with great firmness, merely ejaculating " Oh my," as the axe's edge passed through the member. The little sufferer is progressing as nicely as any one could wish. A terrible narrative comes to us in the Burmah papers. The ship Nouvclle Penelope lately left Macao with a large cargo of coolies. Soon after leaving port the coollea mutinied, murdered the captain, officers, and crew, ran the vessel ashore, made their way back to Macao, and there re-engaged on board other vessels. One of these was the Hankow, wliich soon sailed with 550 coolies on board. When five days out, these attempted to mutiny and murder the officers, but after a fierce fight they were driven back to the forecastle, where they deliberately set fire to the ship. The captain and officers managed to get out the boats and left the burning vessel. Meanwhile, the British ship Jounpore came in sight and took off about 100 coolies, but to have saved more would have imperilled their own safety, so some 400 were left behind to their terrible fate. A number of the mutineers of the Nouvelle Penelope have been captured, and fifteen of them were beheaded in one day near Macoa. A special reporter of the China Mail describes the execution in all its horrible details. The executioner, we read, "is a self-possessed, active, managing fellow, who goes about his. work in a most energetic and direct manner. As we have said, he rolls up his sleeves with a determined sort of air; he is none of your namby-pamby men, but a veteran executioner, who has rolled I away his 5000 heads, and attained to a distinguished rank — is possibly at the head of his profession." Having described \ the preparations, the account proceeds: —"The bloody work begins. An assistant lays hold of the arms of the front rank, and the Jaunty Man v the executioner) points his sword over the neck to take aim. A dull 'thud,' a heavy fall, a swashing sound, and a head rolls under the body, wliich has fallen forward. You no sooner j recover from this horrible thrill, and the j crimson spouting from the headless trunk is still transfixing your gaze, when the Jaunty Man (now in his element) is seen wading through amongst the bodies as in a cabbage" bed, making ready for the- second victim. You turn away in disgust, and your ear is then pained with a second dull sound, half hollow and half solid. This head rolls some distance from the body, having been severed by. a clean cut; and the helpless trunk follows it, trying to catch it with the stream of its own life's blood.". There is a great deal moTe of this, but the rest may be well omitted. The writer is even fonder of blood than Mr Swinburne. The Dunedin Evening Star gives the following account of the Port Chalmers graving dock :—This beautiful structure has been finished some weeks ago, so far as the original contract is concerned. The pumping machinery is complete, and to Messrs Connor and M'Kay every credit is due for thc energy and skill displayed throughout the progress of the work. There is, however, something yet to be done before the ■ dock is available for receiving vessels. The dredge is con- J stantlv at work deepening the channel to the necessary soundings, and the contractors have undertaken the additional work of drawing the piles of the coffer dam and removing the I packing of earth that supported them. This is now nearly done. It is to be regretted that from some cause, probably want of funds, a very important part of the work will be left unfinished. It was reported a few days ago that the water made its way through the embankment. This was not exactly true, but it is true that, instead of a stone fencing to the end wall exposed to thc wash of the bay at the entrance of the lock, it has been decided to leave a portion of the piles of the coffer dam, backed by well-puddled clay, as a protection to the works.' This will, no doubt, answer tlie purpose at present, but the work will have to be done effectually at some future time at a greater expense. Since the pile-drawing process commenced, water has been admitted into the dock, which now presents the appearance of a magnificent swimming bath. When the coffer dam was formed, the eon» tractors in the first instance drove a single row of piles grooved into each other, aud

packed with straw in the grooves to make them water-tight. The advantage of the plan is now apparent, as tho straw has swollen, j and is as free from any sign of decay as on • the day when it was inserted in the grooves. Some alterations are visible in the buildings in the street line facing the dock. No doubt j improvements in that respect will rapidly! follow the demand for necessary artizanship. By favor of a frieud. in Florence, the I Argus has received a copy of L'ltalle of the 29th of January, two days later than its English files. A somewhat remarkable i article has appeared iv Le Nouvelle Presse of I Vienna, bitterly inveighing against thc hard conditions imposed upon France by Count Bismarck. They are characterised as repug- j uant to every human sentiment, aud de- j nounced as a brutal defiance cast iv the teeth of the neutral powers. Under such circumstances,- it is added, peace can only be an armistice of brief duration, and it is prel dieted that the new German Empire will find ' itself environed on all sides with enemies. Considerable excitement has been occasioned lin Rome by the fact of the Prussian Minister, Count Yon Arniin, who was acci edited to [ the Papal Government, having paid a cerej monious visit to the Prince Royal of Italy at the Quirinel, as it is looked upon as a deli- ' berate snub offered to the Pope by Prussia. On the 27th of January, La Liberta, of Rome, published a manifesto from Father Hyacinthe to the Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church. He congratulates them on the fact of the overthrow of the two absolutisms—the Napoleonic Empire and the temporal power of the Papacy—which have hitherto weighed so heavily on the church and the world. He refutes and ridicules thc doctrine of infallibility, indicates the Bible as the guide of the people, and advocates the abolition of sacredotal celibacy. The Italian Senate terminated on the 28th of January its discussion on the removal of the capitol, which was decided upon by a large majority. The Oomunal Council of Rome proposes the construction of a new quarter of the city on the Esquline-hill ; the tenements are to be | built upon the plan of the model lodging I houses in England, with a market, fountaiu, and public baths. It is also in contemplation to commemorate the unification of Italy by the erection of a grand national monument. The Levant Herald publishes an article, which is believed in Constantinople to have been officially inspired, deploring the fact that for the last thirty years Turkey has been dependent for its safety upon the ambition of the other powers and upon their peculiar views with respect to the maintenance of the equilibrium in Europe ; but the time has now arrived, says the Herald, when Turkey must rely upon its own resources for its own defence.