NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XVIII, Issue 2668, 17 November 1871, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

♦ . The Resident Magistrate acknowlcges the receipt of os from C. W. Sharpe, expenses allowed in case Hartnell v. Crowe. The usual meeting of the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society will be held this afternoon at 3 p.m. The Excelsior Minstrels gave a performance in the Colonists' Hall, Lyttelton, on Wednesday eveniug, and one last night, the hall being well filled on both occasions. This evening they will appear at Kaiapoi. The majority of the members of the House of Representatives of this province and Otago arrived in Lyttelton last night by the s.s. Phoebe. A special train left Christchurch at eight o'clock, and returned shortly after nine p.m. Our correspondent at Akaroa informs us that the harbor there is absolutely swarming with fish, and no one takes the trouble to catch them. He also informs us that two Leicester wetheri, which have just been shorn by Mr Shadbolt, have produced fleeces weighing aad liilbs respectively. They were bred by Mr Inman of German Bay. We have been shown a very ingenious kerosene burner, the invention of Mr A. Noble, of Lichfiefcl street, in this city. By a very simple contrivance the use of a wick is entirely done away with, and in its place a brass tube, perfoiated near the top, serves as a burner. All that is necessaiy to do is to heat this tube md screw it into the lamp, and apply a light, when a spLudid flame is obtained. " The nanner in which Mr Noble constructs his tule is at present a secret, as he intends patenting it. With a few slight | alterations, whicl he proposes making, we j think his lamp wil be a vast improvement on those at present in use. A special meetiig of the members of the Lyttelton Boatin| Club was held at the Royal Hotel, Lyttilton, on Wednesday evening, and there w;s a capital attendance of members. Beveralacting and honorary members were proposed and elected. Mr P. Cunningham, vice-preident occupied the chair, and after some discussion it was resolved to ask Mrs H. P. M. Aynsley to come over to Lyttelton and christen the new four-oared outrigger that isbeing built by Mr Harrison, for the club. The President (Mr H. P. M. Aynsley) and the Vice- President having given prizes to be competed for by the members of the club, it wasresolved to have the competition immediately after the christening. Crews were chisen for the boats, and we have no doubt bit that there will be a good afternoon's enjoyment. A match will \>e played this day on the U.C.C.C. ground between the College and Eleven from H.HS. Basilisk, commencing at one o'clock. The opening match of the U.C.C.C, commenbedon October 21st, will be continued to-j_orrow, commencing at half-past one o'clock. The following are the sides : —Secretary'* side: Wood, Maples, Condell, Cotterill. Stevens, Mainwaring, Mason, Bridge, Pearce, Souter, and Scott. Treasurer's side : Blakiston, Beauford, Dickinson, Loughnan, Lee, Miles, Ollivier, Reade, ; Savill, Anson, Ford, and Parkerson. \. match will also be played between thf Times and the Second Eleven of the C.dC. The Eleven of the C.C.C. will be selected from the following:— J. H. Wilson, Griffifc, Cohn, Matbias, Brownell, Sheath, Nalder, Murray, Coombes, Miles, Greenwood, Nichols; Hall, and Miller. The match will commence at half-past one o'clock. .; The usual fortnghtly merting of the Christchurch Colonsts' Society took place last evening, at the 'White Hart Hotel, Mr G. W. Hall in the clair. There were present Captain Bullock aul Messrs Bullock, Nairn, Ick, Wheeler, Benjetts, Shanley, Travers, .McNicoll, F. C. Hal, and Ffrost. The resolution of the evering was by Mr Nairn —" That a dxty on corn and flour would be to the advantage of New Zealand, and that it would equalise the taxation between tbe North aid Middle Islands." It was seconded by Mr F. C. Hall. Mr Ffrost spoke against the resolution. Captain Bullock moved an amendment that the word not be inse.ted. In a very able speech he contended that a tax upon corn and flair was an unfair and injurious method ?f taxation, false iv principle, and detrinental to the interests of the mass of the peopfe. He cited the example of America, and sail that their protective duties were a notorbus failure, and that a principle which hal proved inoperative there, could not be beieficial in New Zealand. Mr Shanley seconded the amendment. Mr Nairn replied in a lengthy speech. The amendment was carrbd by one. A free discusion ensued on a ibtice of motion being made by Mr H. Hall for the next meeting. Mr Hall finally wthdrew his motion. Mr Ffrost moved—" Tiat the secretary write to the patron of the s«iety(Mr Rolleston) to obtain for its use copis of Hansard and the Acts of the Assembß" Seconded by Mr Bullock and carried. Mr Nairn gave notice of motion for the nextmeeting—" That paid magistrates are let fitied for carrying out the judicial business of thecountry." The meeting then adjourned. The committee Oj the Chamber of Commerce met at their rooms, Cashel street, at three o'clock yesterday. Present — Messrs Palmer (chairman), Warner, Lane, Dynocfc, Cobb, Nathan JJoatgomery, and Co£er. The minutes o l

the previous meeting were read and confirmed. A letter was read from Mr Rolleston, stating that he had written to Mr Vogel requesting that copies of telegrams of the arrival and departure of vessels from the various ports should be posted at local offices, and that he would forward an answer as soon as received. A letter was also read from Mr C. Lemon, general manager of the Telegraph Department, stating in reply to a letter from the Chamber to the Commissioner of Telegraphs, that telegraphing the arrivals and departures of all vessels to be posted at local offices, would cause considerable loss of revenue, besides engaging the wires to an objectionable extent. The chairman said that the Provisional Trustee had called upon him, at the suggestion of Mr Brodie, in reference to the Bankruptcy Act, and advised that as it was very low down the list, the chairman should telegraph up to Wellington with a view to expediting the passage through the House. In compliance with it, he telegraphed to Mr Richardson, but had been informed that there was little chance of the Act being passed, and since then he learnt that it had been discharged from the list altogether. The question of revising the list of mercantile charges and rules of the Chamber, was considered, and on the motion of Mr Cobb, it was resolved that Messrs Inglis, Banks, Twentyman, Palmer, and the mover, be appointed a committee, for the purpose of making such revision with a view to getting new copies printed ; the committee to report to the Chamber at next meeting. This concluded the business to be brought before the committee, and the quarterly general meeting of members was then held. Mr Palmer continued in the chair, and the additional members present were—Messrs Craig, Aynsley, and Anderson. The minutes of the general meeting were read and confirmed. The hon. WRobinson was proposed by Mr Palmer, and seconded by Mr J. A. Bird, and elected a member of the Chamber. The Chairman said that that concluded the general business of the meeting, but before the Chamber separated it would be advisable to consider whether any alterations should be made in the list of papers. There were very few on the table at the present time, and it was very advisable to add to their number. Mr Montgomery suggested that the sub-committee of the Chamber should take the subject into their consideration, and report as to what additions were advisable. This suggestion was adopted, and the meeting terminated. A meeting of the committee of the Presbyterian Extension Association was held on Tuesday night, the Rev C. Fraser in the chair. There were also present the Revs A. F. Douglas and McGowan, Messrs Milne, Anderson, Dymock, Macpherson, Watt, Sutherland. Craig, Duncan, Fyfe, and Paton. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. The treasurer in submitting his report, stated that £42 had been received during the month, chiefly from the Christchurch district. The business arising from the last minutes was then taken up. The Rev A. F. Douglas reported that he had communicated with the Rev Mr McGregor in terms of the resolution passed at last meeting, and he had received a note in reply, signifying Mr McGregor's acceptance of the offer of the association. The secretary reported that they had complied with the instructions of last meeting as to printed forms and furthering of the cause generally throughout the province. The Rev A. F. Douglas then took the chair while the Rev C.Fraser moved thefollowing resolution, .of which he gave notice at last meeting— " That a sub-committee be appointed to consider the expediency of establishing a small quarterly or monthly magazine in connection "with the association, and to ascertain the cost of publieatioh." This was seconded by Mr Macpherson, and carried. The following were appointed to enquire fully into the matter and to report at next meeting—Revs« Fraser and Douglas, Messrs Macpherson, Dymock, and Craig. A letter was read from the Rev. Mr Free, intimating his arrival in the colony, and offering his services to the association. The Rev Mr Douglas said that he knew the gentleman at home and that he considered his arrival at the present time is most opportune. Messrs Duncan and Anderson also spoke highly of his pulpit ministrations so far as they had had an opportunity of judging since his arrival in the colony, and Mr Macpherson passed a high eulogium on bim from what he had heard of his life and usefulness on board ship. It was then resolved, on the motion of Mr Duncan, seconded by Mr McGowan, that the Rev Mr Free's services be accepted by the association for one year certain after the usual Presbyterian formalities have been complied with. A letter was received through Mr Sutherland intimating the formation of a branch association at the Ashburton Gorge, and the donation of sufficient land from a resident there for the establishment of a church and school. The President also desired to intimate that he had been promised a site in tbe towuship for the same purpose. It was reported that Raugiora, South Selwyn, and Ashley Bank bad been visited since last meeting wiih the most gratifying results. The convener of the Leeston, Southbridge, and Brookside districts (the Rev C. Fraser) was requested to arrange as to the most convenient time for a deputation from the association being received at these places. The Rev. Mr Douglas, as Moderator of the Session of the Kaiap n Presbyterian Church, requested the association to grant him for a month the services of the Rev. Mr McGregor, for the districts of Kaiapoi and Rangiora. Agreed to. It was also agreed that the Rev. Mr McGregor occupy the pulpits of St. Andrew's and St. John's Churches respectively on the first two Sundays after his arrival, to enable the Incumbent of these charges to do association work in the outlying districts. Some , discussion then took place as to altering the night of meeting, and it was ultimately decided to defer the consideration of that matter until December 12th, being the second Tues- j day of that month. '

The Southern Cross has the following :— The Bible which was handed to insolvents at the Supreme Court yesterday to be sworn upon was in such a torn and shattered condition that, to keep the pieces together, it had beeu found necessary to secure them by means of a length of red tape wound round the covers, breadth and lengthways. Had a witness wished to open the book, as witnesses sometimes do to be certain what they are swearing by, there would have been no alternative but, to use a nautical expression, to "cut the lashings,'*- One of the legal gentleman present expressed himself to the effect that tie Bible was presented to iv«

solvents in its present broken state as being emblematical of their shattered fortunes ; whilst another thought—but this could not have beeu possible—that the book bad come to its present condition by the amount of very bad swearing, which, from his knowledge, it had bei-n subjected to. It appears that before another Bible can be obtained a requisition must be sent to head-quarters, and that is about to be done. We learn from a contemporary that the formation of a new line of telegraph for establishing communication direct from Melbourne to Europe is proposed. The proposal is to lay a submarine cable from Cape Otwav to King George's Sound. West Australia ; to take up the communication thence by land lines to a point on the west coast of that colony at or near Champion Bay or Capo Cuvier, as may be found mnst suitable, and from thence by submarine cable to Java Head, connecting Siugapore for the present by the existing communication between Batavia and Singapore, but ultimately by another cable direct from Java Head to Penang, joining there the cable and land system of India aud Europe. The proposal has been submitted to the Victor! au Government, but in the evcut of their decliuiug to take up the matter, the promoter, Mr J. C. Fleming, intimates that a compauy, to be known as the Anglo-Victorian Submarine Telegraph Company, with a capital of £600,000, would be projected in London to carry out the work.