NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XVIII, Issue 2491, 25 April 1871, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Yesterday, at two o'clock, we counted no fewer than thirty-two horse drays standing along Charles street, Kaiapoi, unloading or waiting to discharge loads of grain. Each dray load would average 120 bushels. A meeting of the Athletic Sports Committee was held yesterday evening, at White's Hotel. Present—Messrs. Keade, Cotterill, Colin Andrews, Gordon, and Digby (hon. sec.) In the absence of Mr Wynn Williams, through indisposition, Mr Keade took the chair. In reference to the protests against Tulley, in the boys' races under seventeen, it was decided that Sheath and Duncan be requested to attend the next meeting of the committee to decide the protest. The sub-committee being unable to bring up their report relating to the prizes, it was decided to let the matter stand over till next meeting. The meeting then adjourned till Friday evening next. The Timaru and Gladstone Gazette gives the following account of the arrival of Mr BrUce's road steamer into Timaru on Saturday : —On Saturday morning last when it became known in Timaru that the Thomson's road steamer, belonging to Mr J. Bruce, would arrive during the day from Waimate, from about eleven o'clock the town was on the gui vice for a first sight at the iron monster. Mr Garrow's brake, with several gentlemen, started from Timaru about half-past ten for the purpose of meeting the engine near the Saltwater Creek, but had to proceed along the road, and when near the Pareora it was sighted, being at a standstill for want of coal, the supply taken in from the Waimate beiug exhausted. Attached to the engine was a long truck, containing three cords of firewood, whilst a short distance ahead was another truck containing about the same quantity of firewood, also brqnght up by the engine, but detached on account of the steep gradient of the hills when nearing Timaru. A supply of coal being obtained, steam was quickly got up, and the engine and its freight proceeded along the road, and when near the Saltwater Creek, it was met by several persons from town, curiosity having drawn them thither. Two carriages were attached to the truck containing firewood, and the vacant space on either side of the front wheel was occupied by a great many persons, and thus it entered Timaru amid the cheers of a numerous assemblage of people, who followed it along the streets,

When turning the comer of Church street the engine got stuck in the gutter, close to the Old Bank Tavern, and the truck had to be detached from the engine, only, however, causing about ten minutes' delay. On its being extricated, and the truck again atsached, it was once more put in motion, and it arrived without any further mishap at Mr Cliffs timber yards. We hear that a piece of quartz containing gold has been found at the Malvern Hills, and that application will be made to have the ground on which it was found reserved. The Christchurch Artillery will march out this evening, and, by the kindness and courtesy of the officer commanding the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry, the fine band of that corps will head the Artillery on the occasion, when it is hoped, the latter will muster strongly. A meeting of the Temperance Bazaar Committee was held last evening in the hall when several matters connected with the forthcoming bazaar were discussed, and eventually the sub-committee was appointed to make proper arrangements. After the meetingdispersed the "Trial of John Barleycorn " was rehearsed, aud excited roars of merriment, amusing those who were in the hall to listen to it. The erection of the new lodge for the Volunteer Lodge 1.0.0.F.,M.U., is being proceeded with rapidly. The building is 40 x 24, and contains a large lodge room 32 x 23. and two ante-rooms with a passage between. The roof is an open one, and the building is plastered to the wall plates. Altogether the building is a very creditable one to a young lodge. The contract has been taken by Eankin and Greig for £203, and the site is near the Crown Hotel, Montreal street south. A meeting of the instrumentalists of Christchurch was held last night in Spensley's Mr J. Ollivier in the chair. The meeting was convened for the purpose of making arrangements for the increased practice of instrumental music. A series of draft rules were brought up, and the following gentlemen were appointed to bring them forward at next meeting in proper shape, viz. :— Messrs J. Ollivier, A. Lean, B. Button, T. Lee, and W. E. Mitchell. The "Time and the Hour," a drama by the author of " Black Sheep," was produced at the Theatre Royal last evening, and went exceedingly well throughout. We regret that pressure on our space prevents a lengthened notice in this issue, but as it will be repeated this evening we shall take another opportunity of noticing it. The farce of the "Area Belle" concluded the performance. The anniversary sermons in connection with the United Methodist Free Church were preached on Sunday last, in the morning by the Rev. J. J. Pendray, and in the evening by the Rev. M. Baxter. In the afternoon the Eev. M. Baxter addressed the scholars and parents, after which several of the children recited well-selected pieces very creditably, and also received reward books from the hands of their president (Rev. T. R. Fisher), who made appropriate remarks to each scholar on their receiving the prize. The music, instrumental and vocal, on this occasion was very good, and great praise is due to Mr Tompkins for the great interest he has taken in training the children. The collections were considerably more than on any former occasion. These services will be followed by a tea-meeting this evening, followed by a public meeting, which will be addressed by the Eevs. M. Baxter, J. J. Pendray, and others. The Timarit, Herald publishes the census of the town of Timaru, from which we learn that the total population of this town is 1481, being an increase of 391 since 1867. A meeting of the committee of the U.C.C.C. was held at White's Hotel yesterday at five o'clock. Present—Messrs Blakiston, Cotterill, Dickinson, Ollivier, Reade, and Stevens. Mr E. C. J. Stevens in the chair. A letter was read from Mr Cohn, consenting that the bat presented to him should be competed for at the opening match of next season. A letter was read from Mr A. R. Guinness, of Greymouth, requesting to be informed whether a match could be arranged with Westland for next season, upon terms similar to those upon which the annual match with Otago is played. The secretary was directed to forward .a copy of the letter to the Secretary of the Christchurch Cricket Club, requesting him to lay it before his committee, and stating that the U.C.C.C. were favorable to the establishment of the match, but desired to have the opinion of the C.C.C. before replying to Mr Guinness's letter. A letter was read from Mr J. G. Harris, business manager to the champion pedestrians, applying for the use of the ground for sports to be held on or about the Bth May next. The secretary was directed to reply to the effect that the use of the gronnd would be granted upon payment of £5 5s for the first day, and £3 3s for any subsequent day for which the ground might be required. The meeting then adjourned. The following opinion upon the question raised by Mr G. B. Bartou has been given by Professor Hearn, L.L.D.,of the University of Melbourne :—"'l do not .think that there can be the least doubt that Her Majesty may pardon before or after conviction ; that the powers of the Governor are limited by his commission and instructions ; and that under these instruments the Governor exercises the power of pardoning after conviction, and nothing more.—W. E. Hearx.—The University of Melbourne, March 24th, 1871." A fish preserving establishment has been started at Pelorus Sound. The Marlborough Press gives the following particulars regarding the new enterprise :—The fish is preserved in tins, containing 21bs. each, in a somewhat similar manner to the imported article. Large quantities of preserved fish are annually imported into the colony, and considering the excellent fish abounding on our coast, we cannot see why the undertaking should not meet with success. Messrs Finnic and Co. will shortly have a large supply of preserved moki, which they say they will be able to place in the retail market at one-half the price of imported fish. A meat preserving establishment is also to be started in the same neighborhood. Threshing is progressing, says the Daily Times, in the Oamaru district. There are eleven machines at work,* and grain is coming in freely, there being at the moment a brisk demand for both wheat and oats. It appears that the damage to the crops will not prove so serious as was anticipated, and the yield on the whole is turning out a fair average— something like twenty-five bushels of wheat and forty-five to fifty of oats ; though in many cases, of course, it exceeds this. The wheat is on the whole very fine, except possibly one-fourth of the quantity, which was exposed to the warm rains of last month while in the field, and this is all more or less injured. As prices are better than at the same period last year, and wages much lower, it is to be expected that the farmers, as a whole, will do better than last year.

"A petition which curiously illustrates the absolute trust and confidence of a certain class of good citizens in the legislative function is," says the Xew York Tribune, "now before the General Court of Massachusetts. It represents that the ancestors of the petitioners, when they landed in this country, fixed their abode upon the bauks of the Neponset River because of the abundance of fish therein; that the supply had never failed in any time of gloom or distress, but proved an ever-present help in ' the war of 1812, the tariff struggle, the crises of 1837 and 1857:' but the petition goes on to declare, in language so quaint as to deserve literal quotation, that ' when the troubles came on caused by the bombardment of Fort Sumter, the fish in the water of the Nepouset quietly departed, and from that time we have been deprived of our hereditary luxuries.' The loyal and fish-loving population therefore look naturally to the Legislature to cause the finny truants to come back to their ancient swimming-grounds, or give a reason why. It is an old and honored maxim of the unwritten constitution of England that Parliament can do anything but make a man a woman ; and our agitators are somewhat weakening the force of this exception by insisting that a legislative fiat may make women into men. But it must be a mountain-moving faith that inspires these dwellers by the Neponset to ask the General Court to use its influence to induce the erring menhaden to return and be eaten as of old. Mr Agassiz once set all Boston to eating fish by declaring it was a diet that went largely to the production of brain. It really seems as if stopping the fish supply resulted in a condition of hopeless cerebral vacuity." Sir Cracroft Wilson's troubles in the matter of thistles have excited the commiseration of even the London press. The Echo says : —" in the colony (sic) of Lyttelton, New Zealand, they are much troubled with thistles, which increase and multiply with the proverbial rapidity of ill weeds, so that laws have to be passed against them. Under these laws a gentleman was lately convicted for not keeping down the thistles on his land, and though he pleaded that he had kept men at work for ten days mowing the thistles, and had ten donkeys on his estate for no other purpose than to eat off the tops of the plants, yet he was fined 5s a day so loug es thistles should remain. Now, if this will not keep down the weeds nothing will, and the result of a conquest of thistles, in the struggle for vegetable existence, would of necessity bring about such an encouragement of asses in the colony that the dreaded New Zealander of future days might probably be a creature who, after contemplating St Paul's Cathedral ruined by Prussian shells, would trot off to the more congenial contemplation of Hampstead Heath."