NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2808, 2 May 1872, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

7 Oh Wedhesday lastachildof Mr Witham _ on the North road near Woodend, f ell- down--stairs sustaining a compound fracture of the left = arm. pf Trevor,' who was sent "for, attended to the little sufferer.. -We are informed that all the principal storekeepers of Rangiora have agreed to close theirrespective places of business every evening (Saturdays. ; excepted),, at 8. p.m. instead of 9 as heretofore..

Immediately on the Rev. W. H. Cooper completing a mission through the Ashburtoni district, he is to proceed to Hokitika to takes charge of the district during the absence of the Yen. the Archdeacon of Westland.

The opening of the new Church of St. Michael's will take place this day, at 11.30 a.m.. when the!.Holyi Communion Will be celebrated, and a sermon preached by the. Right Rev. the Primate, .'.'.

The rate roll of the City Council, for the year 1872, is now open for inspection at the Council offices. Those desiring to make objections will have to lodge notice of the same with the Town Clerk, seven days before June 7th, on which day appeals will be heard in the Resident Magistrate's Court.

The Diocesan Synod is to assemble on the 29th inst- when some very important questions will, we understand, be brought under consideration, a thorough reform in church matters is felt by some to be wanted, and many members of Synod are determined to endeavor to bring about a better state of things than at present exists.

Rev. E. Bailey wishes us to contradict a statement made by ns yesterday to the effect that he is going to Hokitika, and that Archdeacon Harper is coming here. It is rumored however, that the rev. gentleman has positively sent in his resignation of the incumbency of St. John the Baptist's Church and parish, and that the Lord Bishop has accepted his resignation, which is to take effect on 31st December. It is also reported that Mr Bailey has been offered a charge in the district of Norwood, London.

The announcement made in our issue of yesterday that an exchange had taken place between the Yen. Archdeacon Harper and the Rev. Ebenezer Bailey was founded on an arrangement made by those clergymen to exchange duties for three weeks during the sitting of the Synod, we are informed that there is no foundation whatever for the report that Archdeacon Harper is about to leave Hokitika, where he has so endeared himself to the people that his loss would simply be irreparable.

After allowing for the delay in the departure \o£ the last mail, the San Francisco steamer is now overdue. She should have reached Auckland on the 26th. The following was the state of her Majesty's Gaol for the month of April: - Confined for trial at the Supreme Court, 3 ; undergoing hard labor, 58 ; imprisonment, 4; debtors, 11. Total, 76. Discharges-Tried at the Supreme Court, 1; before the Magistrates, 3 ; debtors, 5. Total, 9. The following is the state of the Christchurch Gaol for the same month :—Undergoing hard labor, 40; imprisonment, 2. Total, 42. DischargesTried before-the Magistrates. 14. We regret to learn, says the Herald, that •whether thatched or unthatched, the late continuous rains have penetrated and done serious injury to the corn stacks. Of course the damage in the case of the unthatched stacks is much the greater, but we were informed yesterday by an eye-witness that he saw a thatched stack, of which it was necessary to throw aside the outside sheaves of every layer of the roof before it could be threshed. This does not say much for our colonial thatchers. In a recent number of the Engineer we j find the following paragraph :—Agents have arrived in London from South Wales to secure the services of one thousand men in the construction of a'railway in New Zealand. The men required are skilled mechanics and steady laborers, such as masons, bricklayers, carpenters, engineers, • wheel-. wrights, platelayers, and excavators. They will have their fares paid out to New Zealand, and their wages will go on from date of sailing, and other privileges., This will probably relieve to some extent the seriously depressed state of the London buildingtrade. The time of departure will be about six weeka hence. A tea meeting in connection with the Presbyterian Church at Prebbleton, took place on Tuesday night, and in spite of the inclemency of the weather there was a large attendance. The Rev. C. Fraser occupied the chair. There were several visitors from town, among which we noticed Mr John Anderson, and the Rev. Mr Douglas, Speeches, were delivered by the JElev.'Mx. Kssd,ja,ndi Messrs Anderson, Douglas, and Lawrey. During the. evening; several anthems were sung by the Lincoln phoir very nicely. ,Mt Anderson proposed a vote of thanks tortfae: ladies providing'tea, ' Mesdames Blythe, Prfebble, Craighead, and Boyd. This was 1 seconded by Mr W. Lawrey. We understand about £9 were collected.

A meeting of the members of the PhihDsp.*| phical Institute of Canterbury} w«aheld.last evening, at the .Literary Institute; Present —ilis Honor Judge Gresson, president; Dr j Haastj .vice-president 5 Dr L. Powelij- hohi : sea.; and Messrs Fereday, Browning, Armstrong, Hall; Carruthers, and Dr CbwaroV The following books were'laid on the table, " _he Organization of Trilobites, deduced -from their living affinities," with a systematic review of the species hitherto 5 described ; by Hermann Burmeister, M-.D.-Ph.D.*;- "Tim Fishes of New Zealand." Catalogue. with _)iagnoses of,the^Species,, by F. W. Hutfon. The following papers' were then read—" On Seven Spiders of the genus Salticiisy being a firsjt contribution to the Arachflology of New Zealand ;";and ?' Note on the Musical Organs of the Cicada," by Dr Powell. Ah interest--••• Ing discussion ensued by the members, the lasj; mentioned subject being illustrated with! - the microscope. The'rkeeting then adjourned. A phblic' : meeting''was held _at _ on JTh"uTsday, 25th April, for taking steps for" thej building church 1 at mat*which the following, gentlemen were present: — Rev. J..-%. Willmer, Messrs Loe. Gillett, Lawrence, Lee, Taylor, 5_ Quih, Durant, &c. TnCßev. J W. Willmer was I voted to'the'chaih x The chairrnanrhen'exi'l pfamed,the object of the: meeting, raise : fnndß for the [erection of: aL<suitable i church for Leeston, and : c_lled on the meet- j Mg fbf .an. expression, of/6pimbh to' t%; i rgearis of attaining the object ml : view T , Ii was proposed ( by, Mc, J. W-., Wilpaer, and seconded by Mr That. Mr J. J Loe act. as treasurer, and Mr tiunn as secretary.' l . Proposed by Mr B. Gillett, and seconded by Mr Lawrence —- "That the following gentlemen be requested 'to : act as a working committee to. carry put. the objects of the meeting, viz:—The Rev J. : W; Wilmer, Bjlessrs Stuckey, Woodman; Gardiner, Moule, Prankish, Gillett, Sandrey, : Mporhead, Lawrence, Lunn, ! Choimondely, ' Docker, Maws'oh, Lee,Bennet, and Mincheher." Mr Lkwrehce and Mr Gillett were ; 'asked to write to or call on a number, of.ladies,, asking their, assistance m getting up a.ig^it;/auction for raising funds.. .Resolved, ■•• ; Tha ; t. th^next f ni.etiijg,be held a* : Mr<<Loe'a .hotel; Thars- ; day, .9th May, 1872."; The Secretary was requested to write tb.mfembers of committee

who may not be able to attend, to . forward their subscriptions on that: date, that the meeting; may report progress. : A subscription list was opened, and a sum amounting to £60 14s was promised in the room.

r Tho annual inspection by : the Government Inspector of the Artillery corps" took place yesterday. The members of the Christchnrch Battery; were inspected by .Lieut.-Colonel H&rington in Christchurch, and a gun detainment with" the Howitzer and the 1 Armstrong gun, left Christchurch by;the midday train, and on arriving at Lyttelton proceeded to limber up and con? by their guns to Battery Point. At 3 p.m., Lieut.-Colonel Harington, Colonel Packe, Captain Bird, and Lieutenant Craig arrived, and also the remainder of the gun detachment. On arriving at the ground, orders were given to commence the firing. The Christchurch guas were under command of Captain Bird (Armstrong), Lieut. Craig (Howitzer), Capt. Giraud (the Lyttelton Armstrong). There -were two ranges—one, the target, at the reef; the other, a target marked by tbe men belonging to H.M. Brisk on the rocks" at the Island, distance about 3200 yards. The firing on the whole was very good. We are sorry to state that an accident occurred to the Christchurch Armstrong gun. On the last charge being fired it blew out the vent-piece. Fortunately it went in the direction of the reef and fell into the sea about 200 hundred yards off the gun. The number of rounds fired were— Christchurch Armstrong, nine rounds ; Lyttelton Armstrong, ten rounds ; Christchurch howitzer, twelve. The scores had not been made up when our express left. After the firing had concluded, Lieutenant-Colonel Harington inspected the Lyttelton Volunteer Artillery, and complimented them highly on their firing. Heafterwardsinspectedthe Orphanage boys, "and spoke in theTiighest praise of their discipline. . We may add that the Lyttelton Volunteer Artillery band was on the ground, and Surgeon Rouse was also in attendaace.

The Examiner concludes its report of Mr Richmond's meeting held the other evenimj at Nelson, by saying—" A vote ofthapks W* Mr Richmond was carried by acclamation." This is a very different statement from the evidently oue-sided.. one forwarded by Gre*> ville's ageiit, which ran as .follows —"Mr Hunter Brown" moved a vote of thanks, but the meeting broke t»p before it was seconded or put." "-v.. Last night, aftc/the usual weekly meeting at St. Paul's Presbyterian -Church, Mr William Henderson, in the name of the ladies of tbe congregation, presented the Rev. A. F. Douglas, their minister, with a handsome white marble timepiece, with figure and shade, bearing the following inscription engraved on a gold plate:—•'Presented to the Rev. A. F. Douglas by the ladies of St. Paul's congregation, in token of their respect for him as their pastor." The timepiece was ! supplied by Messrs. Coates and Co., and we understand it was in Paris during the siege; its maker was uufortunately killed the day after it was completed. His Honor the Judge sat in Chambers yesterday specially to hear the case of Thomas Bullock, an adjournment from the last bankruptcy sittings. ' .After hearing tbe evidence of the bankrupt on examination by Dt Foster, who appeared to oppose the final order, .being granted, .His Honor made ; ,an -order:of suspension for twelve calendar months. Under the rule laid down by His Honor in bankruptcy cases, this: implies withdrawal of protection, withont.suchbjeihg specially applied for by the opposing solicitor. An application by the counsel for the bankrupt for a continuance of protection was refused by His Honor. The following are the boundaries of the Lyttelton Educational District, as proclaimed in the Provincial Government Gazette of April 30 :— Commencing at the south-west corner of section 2087 ; thence in a northerly direction by the western boundary of said section and section 2824; thencein a northerly direction I>y the Native Reserve to the ::dividing range.; thence in an easterly direction by the Bummit of the said dividing range to : a. point due nortli of the west pojint, Gollan'B.Bay ; aud thence in a straight lib e_to the beachat west pomt r Gollan'sßay; thence westerly Jjy high, water mark to the starting pointi-- '_'-. ". ' Our correspondenJ;>tlLt_eßtC» .says : —The "pubb\c;sen ice is falljng into here.; Since Friday evening no mails have arrived ,at Southbridge (I believe the letters 'onTyi >were brought up on . Sunday morning), but ,- xlo papers Itave 1 appeared, so we know nothing Of what is going - cm 'east of • the Selwyn;

' although the passengers come over tbje new : Selwyn bridge by Leesfcon - and Southbridge : rbad, yet the mails are. not brought over. Dq the .authorities know*.rMsX Surely it-is negligent to leave the; mails Wheh passengers can come over the new railway bridge half-a-mile further up "the river than the ford? ; : '-.-..■: : ■ ' ■ ■■-.■■■)

>:'., The programme issued by the Popular Amusement Association for the first; enters tainme_t..of the Beason as published•"«lse:where l is of such an attractive .nature,'that we anticipate .a crowded - house.,, We have .been requested to.atatc.that arrangements Ayill be made for opening the doors at ! an early hour, when.members of the committee, will., be ijo.', a^end^nee', tq seat visitors. chair will be taken at hal&past fieven o'clock Honor Mr Justice Gressbn; : Who will .«deliver r the inaugural' aadrbss.' 'Thete wilj[ only be 'two' readings, and those' by-Mr CC. Bowen and the Rev. C. Fraser, thbaremainder of the programme -being composed of songs by Miss A. S.Taylor, MrsDigby, Rev. E. A. Li-bgat_;„nd*MrAppleby;"' 'cbheeftina solpsby Miss •L.Taylot, and'selections by a band composed of_ Messrs".,.Biinz, Parker, Button r and Spensley. With an excellent programme, we__lpbk fbrward to a very excellent evening's entertainment; j \i.i '"''With reference to the accident at the T'eh.uka, to elsewhere, thasays;i^T_he.ie.n3ju^^

' fond, who was drowned on Sunday whilst attempting to reach the suspension bridge over the Temuka, have been recovered. The body was found by Mr $£xaea in a gravel pit man was last seen, on partially covered in with the, shjngle wbiqh. filled' in the bit., There was a' mark on the forfehead and nose, supposed tb have been mii flicted by & kick from when it and itsjrider turned pver in, J;be~ river, y Bradford was said to have .been a, firsttclass swimmer, 1 -and the prpTbabiUtiea .are tha'fche must have, been so struck" by the horse, or he would: : have swam /to; shprq. . A n omquest? willipro-j I bably be held to-day. ~..-,. ; ; m; : r"- ;-.:/. The New Zealand fiajSrrrlt £ecm&., a pity- that-there should ( b_ist i_ '' A'ticklana'' such a parcel of pot-hunterSithat the Acclimatisation Society should. feel called upon to interfere in thfe matter'of shbbtihg hen pheasants. For our own "part we fail to..un., derstatidhow any man cslaimihg the designa,-. tion of sportsman should so far forget himself as tojnajke a jpractice of .killing, bena ; at thesateetime we are fully aware that such, a practice obtains; It rriight. be that common sense and nopes of future sport would raise, the cry of '.'w.are ben !" but like a Twbed trout-fisher, numbers appear to be the great consideration of the Auckland shooter; and the bag must be filled, at the expense of all considerations. "'■•■"•"'■