NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2811, 6 May 1872, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The quarterly meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce will be held on Wednesday nest, at 3.30 p.m. The St. Alban's choir will give Mozart's Twelfth Mass on Thursday evening next, at the Chapel, when they will be assisted by several musical friends from Christchurch. The Provincial Council will resume its sittings to-morrow evening at five p.m. There will be no sitting on Thursday, as that day has been set apart for a general thanksgiving for the restoration to health of fI.K.H. the Prince of Wales. A serious accident occurred on Saturday night to a man named Mr A. Ainsley, in the neighborhood of the Town belt. He slipped into a creek, breaking his leg, and dislocating his ankle. Dr Patrick was sent for, and attended to the patient. In the Eesident Magistrate's Court at Christchurch, before C. C. Bowen, Esq., R. M. James McClure, for drunkenness whilst in charge of a team, was fined 20s. William Mcllraith, for being drunk and disorderly, was fined 10s. We understand that a petition from the schoolmasters who have not received the minimum salary required by the Education Ordinance, 1871, is in course of signature for presentation to the Provincial Council, and will be presented, if possible, on Tuesday» the 14th. There was a moderate attendance at the Theatre Eoyal on Saturday evening at the representation of the drama "All that Glitters is not Gold," and the burlesque of " Perdita." Both pieces were fairly played. At a meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club, held on Saturday at Tattersall's, the date of the Metropolitan meeting was fixed for Thursday, Fridaj, and Monday, 7th, Bth, and llthNovember next. Mr E. G. Griffith was appointed secretary to the club, in the room of Mr Studholme, resigned.

A slight error occurred in our notice of the tickets issued on Saturdays on the Northern line. The single ticket issued on that day will be available for the return on that day only, but the ordinary return ticket issued on Saturday is available up to Monday night.

A meeting of the concert committee of the Canterbury Rowing Club will be held at Coker's Hotel, at eight o'clock, this evening. The concert will take place at the Oddfellows , Hall on the 16th instant, and from what we can learn of the programme, it promises to be one of the best yet given.

We are glad to learn that the chrysanthemum show projected by the Christchurch Horticultural Society for Tuesday next, gives every promise of being a success. The committee have taken .what appears to us a wise step in dividing the prize schedule into two parts, the first for nurserymen and gardeners, and the second for amateurs, one prize being given for the best collection in each division. Messrs Travers, Nairn, and Collins have been appointed judges for the occasion.

We would remind our sporting readers that the nominations for the Handicap Hurdle Bace and the Victoria Handicap in connection with the Queen's Birthday Ilaces will close this evening at eight o'clock at Tattersall's. The weights for these two races will be declared about the Bth instant. We understand that these races will be very successful, as the open races are likely to fill well. Special services in connection with the series how in course of being held at S. Michael's Church, were held yesterday, when the Eight Rev. the Primate preached in the morning on the Holy Communion and the Communion Office, and the Very Rev. the Dean preached in the evening on Holy Baptism and the Baptismal Office. The week day services will be resumed this evening, when the Bey. F. .Knowles will preach upon " Catechising and the Catechism." At the Christchurch Mutual Improvement Association on Friday evening last, Mr Connal read a paper in favor of compulsory education. A spirited debate followed, it being contended" by the opposition that how ever desirable and proper such compulsion might be in the abstract, yet it was impracticable, because no British community would tolerate the system of police surveillance necessary to cany it out. A meeting of the committee of the Presbyterian congregation at Rangiora was held at Sinclair's Hotel, on Friday evening, the Rev. W. M-Gregor, in the chair. Until about two months ago the Presbyterians .of Eangiora and neighborhood, although a numerous body, have not had the opportunity of attending a place at worship of their denomination, but when the Rev. W. M ; Gregor iras appointed to the temporary charge of the Kaiapci district, he undertook to hold a service at Rangiora every Sunday afternoon, and has been conducting them in the Oddfellows' Hall until a church can be erected. A congregation having been formed, com

mittee was appointed to canvass the district for subscriptions towards building a church, and the members of the congregation have been so liberal with their donations as to warrant the committee in taking immediate steps to purchase a site and commence the building, as over £150 have already been collected. They have secured a quarter-acre section of land at a cost of £40, situated near the Church of England, and trustees have been appointed, to whom the same is to be conveyed. The committee has-decided to pay a proportionate share with the Kaiapoi and Cust districts of the stipend of their minister, the llev. W. McGregor, who has lately been appointed to those places. On Friday evening the plans and specification of the proposed church were laid before the meeting, and adopted : and it was decided to advertise for tenders for the erection of the building, which is to be i>Oft. by 22ft. The committee are to be congratulated upon the success that has attended their efforts, as there is every prospect that in ttiree or four months the congregation will have a neat little church of their own. A scratch football match was played on Cranmer square, but owing to it being the 4th of the month several of the regular players were unable to attend. This was unfortunate, as Saturday was a splendid day for this healthy game. A slight breeze blew from the south-west. This gave the side which had the south goal an advantage. Amongst the players we noticed members from the newly formed club at Woolston. We may here mention that we expect to be able to witness some good games between these clubs, for although this is the first season of the Woolston, yet they have amongst their members men who are well known in the football world. Messrs Gordon and Mainwaring were captains of sides. The former won the toss and chose the south goal. Mr A. Ollivier then kicked off from the centre for the opposite side. The ball was kept all the first half-hour near the north goal. At twenty minutes to four Mr Anson, by some good play, touched the ball down behind his adversaries' goal; thus, according to the new rule, he was allowed to bring the ball straight out at least twenty-five yards, and take a place kick, which he did and secured a goal for Mr Gordon's side. The sides then changed goals, the winning side now having the disadvantage of the wind, but they defended their goal till about seven minutes before the time for closing, when Mr H. H. Loughnan by a splendid kick, secured a goal for Mr Mainwaring's side. We are informed that the match next Saturday will be between Boatmen and Cricketers who are members of the club. This match will not exclude members who do not belong to either a boating or cricketing club, as they will be picked in on both sides. A general meeting of the club was held on Saturday, Mr Mainwaring presiding. The following were elected members of the club—Messrs GBarker, F. Barker, D. O. Turner, — Smith, and J. H. Wilson.

The cost of the prosecution of Cyrus Haley has, by an order of Chief Justice Arney, been made chargeable on the convicts' property, under the provisions of the " Convicts' Property Act."

The G~ey River Argus says Maning has accepted Dan Tvvohill's challenge, and is prepared to run him any distance from 100 yards to a mile, in a week or a month. He has deposited £10 in our hands as a proof that he means business, and is ready to sign articles at any time that Dan Twohill may choose.

The Wa.nga.nni Chronicle says :—" As a peripatetic Minister Julius Vogelhas had no rival in the annals of New Zealand, and we can only hope the large amount swallowed up for travelling expenses of himself and secretary may at least bring in some adequate results in the future, if not at the present time."

The Southern Cross says :—" We understand that Miss Yonge, the authoress of " The Heir of RedclyfEe," is engaged upon a life of the late Bishop Patteson, to whom she was nearly related. The proceeds of Miss Yonge work, ' The Daisy Chain,' were devoted to the Melanesian Mission.

The Wairarapa correspondent of the Evening Post writes :—" Tenders, I understand, will shortly be invited for the erection of the largest woolshed of any that have as yet been built in the North Island. The quantity of timber that will be required is something enormous, as it is proposed to make shearing sheds large enough to hold 12.000 sheep at one time. This will save a great deal of expense at the time of shearing, as no delay need then take place on account of the state of the weather. This large building is to be erected at the Hunangaroa station, the property of the Hon. G. M. YVaterhouse, who is one of the largest landowners in the district."

The following are the terms of the resolution passed by the French Assembly for the abrogation of the commercial treaties with England and Belgium : —" The Assembly, considering that, without returning to the economic system which existed anterior to 1860, it is necessary in the present situation of the country to revise the Customs tariffs, decrees as follows:—Article 1. That the Government be authorised to give notice of withdrawal iv convenient time from the treaties with England and Belgium. Article 2. That the present tariffs shall remain in vigor until new tariffs are voted."

The New Zealand Herald says—A movement has originated with our local importers for establishing a freight company, owing to the enormous freight' charges which Auckland merchants are compelled to pay to Messrs Shaw, Saville and Co. We have no doubt a freight company could be easily formed in Auckland, and that, with active agents in London and Auckland, it could do a great deal of good. But we question if such a company would meet the requirements of the case. Shaw, Saville and Co., with their extensive connection and virtual monopoly of the New Zealand trade, would be formidable rivals in London; and we can imagine circumstances under which that firm would have the New Zealand merchants fairly at their mercy. A much better plan would be to form a company, and purchase half-a-dozen good iron ships, and lay them on the line between Auckland and London. The company would * of course, have a London agent ; and full cargoes both ways could be absolutely assured. This being the case, there need be no risk of loss uncovered by assurance, and as the company felt its ground, it could easily add to its fleet. In this way, and in this way only, can we see the possibility of shakingoff the Shaw-Saville incubus. If it be true (and we believe it is) that the freight on any one of their ships—the Caduceus for instance—on a single voyage, would buy the ship itself, there is so much greater encouragement to establish an Auckland line. Some years ago a threat to run a line of vessels from Auckland to London caused Shaw, Saville, and Co. to send out a better class of vessels than they had been in the habit of doing ; but when it is possible to send New Zealand produce more cheaply to England by Victoria —paying steamer freight ; to Melbourne, and by sailing vessel thence to ' London —than it can be shipped direct from Auckland or any other New Zealand port, the necessity for a change is apparent. This, certainly, would be a legitimate investment. The tendency of trade now is in the direction of obtaining our supplies from Australia, instead of direct from England, the sole cause being the excessive rates of freight. We trust to hear more of ibis matter,

The Sydnry Empire publishes some correspondence between the Admiralty and the Colonial Office, relative to the retraction by Captain Palmer of the charges against the New ."South Wales Government contained in his book, " Kidnapping in the youth Seas." The Earl of Kimberley, in a despatch to the Earl of Belmore, says , —"l have read with satisfaction the statement made by Mr. Robertson on behalf of himself and the other gentlemen who were members of the Government of New South Wales in lStfy. and I request that your lordship will inform Mr. Robertson that in my opinion his statement completely exonerates the Government of the colony from the charges brought against them by Captain rainier in the work in question. The Colonial Secretary encloses in his despatch a comtnu'iicatton from the Lords of the Admiralty to the Colonial Ottice. in which, •• while they much regret that Captain Palmer should have published strictures on the conduct of the officers of the New South Wales Government which were altogether unfounded, they are satisfied that in all his proceedings in that colony when he was in command of H. 11.5. Kosario, and in his subsequent publication of his account of what had taken place, Captain Palmer was actuated with an honorable zeal for the public service." From later Mauritius papers received by the barque Thomas Brown, the Argus has particulars of the storm which visited the island on the 15th February, and its effect upon the sugar plantations. The Commercial Gazette of March 4, says:—" The cyclone passed very near this island, but not near enough to do any damage worth noticiug either in town or country. The shippiug in our harbor also escaped without damage ; not so, however, several vessels at sea, which have since put in here with damage. Those which most suffered were the William Fairbairn and Paola Revello, both bound to Bombay, and the Staffordshire. The last vessel experienced serious injury. The other vessels that felt the cyclone more or less were the Gefle, Oleander, Ivanhoe, Misser, Gryfe, Marpesia,and Odalisk. The plantations have not materially suffered ; all that can be said is that they have been somewhat retarded. Fortunately, we have had frequent rains in most parts since the hurricane, and the plant is now rapidly recovering. There is yet another mouth to be passed before we can say we are beyond the danger of a cyclone which in a few hours may change our prospects by heavily diminishing the production of mouths of persevering aud intelligent industry. If the April mail leaves with favorable intelligence, we may then consider our position for the present is good, and that a crop considerably above that now completed will be made in 1872-73. If all goes well, it is not too much to expect that 140,000 to 150,000 tons of sugar will be made next crop."

A writer in the Daily Times says:—A medical correspondent of the London Standard has recently made a suggestion which should commend itself to Mr Vogel. It is that the labels on bottles of beer should require a Government stamp, the amount of which the writer proposes should be £d ; the stamp to be effaced on the bottle being sold. The reasons for the projiosals are two, viz., to raise revenue, and to prevent the passing off of vile compounds, as bner brewed by Bass, Allsopp, &c. The idea is favorably regarded by several of the English papers, and the Pall Mall- Gazette says that if it is not taken up by the public in their own interest, the great brewers, for the sake of their reputation, should agitate for it. This is a chance for Mr Vogel to raise revenue by stamps without rendering necessary the obnoxious provisions introduced into the Stamp Act last session, aud which have been condemned by everyone, his own colh-agues included. Mr Fox, also, might be expected to support such a measure as a pis aller, supposing the Permissive Bill to be rejected, or even as a corollary to it, supposing it to be passed. If he cannot succeed in stopping the trade altogether, he can in this way soothe his conscience by making it pay duty, and at the same time protect those infatuated enough to drink beer from having even worse mixtures imposed upon them under that name.

The Alexandra correspondent of the Southern Cross gives the following account of the extraordinary conduct of a militia officer on parade :—The muster for the Militia in this district for training and exercise took place on the 12th inst., under the inspection of our late member of the General Assembly. Captain Macpherson. After drill each man received 4s for his attendance. I am soz-iy to say a very unpleasant occurrence happened on parade. While Captain Macphersou was calling the roll, he called the name of one of our settlers twice, and was answered in the usual manner, " Here." This did not please our new officer, who stated that every man' must answer, " Here, sir." He again called the delinquent's name, who answered by saying, " I have already answered to my name twice." Captain Macpherson then in a most threatening manner said, " If you do not answer to your name when I call it once more, I will send for a policeman, and have you marched off to the lock-up." The person after this kept silence when his name was called. A policeman was sent for, and down in a great hurry came the subinspector of police here, John Ross Watts, in a most ostentatious manner displaying a pair of handcuffs, which he handed to the policeman in charge of the prisoner, and which he- appeared by his gestures to think should at once ornament the wrists of the person in charge. The constable had fortunately more discretion than his superior, and did not use them. I say fortunately advisedly, for the lookers-on at this arbitrary proceeding wanted but this to make their already excited indignation to burst forth in a way that, would have been most probably very unpleasant to the parties concerned. The sub-inspector after this put all the men on duty he could find, down to the cook, and for the remainder of the time the parade was watched as if it was a number of Hau Haus instead of a body of respectable settlers doing their duty at the call of the Government. The prisoner was afterwards brought up and discharged, and has, I think, good grounds for an action at law against our officer for false imprisonment, for why should a man under arms be handed over to the civil power for committing (if he did so) a military offence ? This affair has caused a great deal of ill-feeling here, although not much sympathy is felt for the sufferer, as they say he was one of the strongest supporters here of Captain Macpherson on his ' election for the General Assembly ; therefore it serves him right. With reference to the expenditure of the General Government, the Thames Guardian says:— To keep the pot boiling at the present rate an amount of taxation will have to be imposed, which the colonists will be neither able nor willing to bear much longer. As soon as the Parliament meets it will be the duty of the House to insist upon a well adjusted scheme of financial reform. During the interval which will occur between this time and the meeting of the Assembly the electors should request their representatives to meet them and give a pledge of support to a more economical administration of public affairs. * * The former Ministry was charged and not without reason, with extravagance, but certainly the present occupants of the Executive Benches beat their predecessors hollow in this particular, and as the revenue is diminishing, we can less afford the burdens they are pleased to impose upon us. New Zealand may now boast of bein<? the most heavily taxed colony in the British dominions, and yet in the face of all this the authorities seem to expect a steady flow of immigration to our shores. Were public affairs administered here with wisdom and economy the country would so increase in prosperity that population would be attracted withoif't the adventitious and expensive svstevn of keeping an agent at home at a cost of about £2000 a year to entrap Scandinavian immigrants. The climate and natural resources of New Zealand ought of themselves to attract a steady stream of immigration from the old ooiuitiy, but people at home will naturally seek homes where they can get land more easily, and be liable to less taxation than in the Britain of the South under its present Government."

" As some misapprehension has arisen as to the paragraph in the English news announcing that 2000 cans of Australian meat had been condemned, we quote," says the Si'itt.'i An.itraliin- "the following report of the proceedings at Guildhall in reference to the mailer: —' Mr Baylis. the solicitor to the Commissioners of Sowers, applied to Sir Thomas Gabriel to condemn about 2000 cans of Australian preserved meat, which was lying at Brook's wharf, in Upper Thames street. He stated that there was no dispute about the facts. Messrs Cousviis. Keushaw, aud Co., were highly respectable gentlemen, and admitted that the meat was uutit for human food, but they disputed the right of the Commissioners of Sewers to sei/.e. it. Formal evidence was given as to the fact that there was between three and four tons of melt lying at Brook's Wharf, whie.li was totally unfit for human food. Mr Cousens admitted that, the meat was bad. but said Unit they contracted with a person who took .ill their bad meat for mauure, aud that the meat iv question was put aside to be sent to him for that purpose. The contractors paid the owners (for his firm were not the owuers (£3 per ton for it, aud he objected to the Commissioners of Sewers seizing it, aud putting the proceeds into their own pockets. In this case it would be particularly hard, because the meat was not intended for human food. There had been at least half a million of cases arrive here from Australia, each on an average containiug twenty tins. It was the custom to opeu the cases cm their delivery on the wharf, examine the tins, take those which were bad and put them by for manure, and those which were good were put back again into the case for sale.' "

The Dunedin Star says-—About the most interesting report laid on the Council table is that by Professor Black on .Stewart's Island. By way of appendix* he refers to the discovery of a new aud very delicious eating fish, recently found in the island, in these terms :—"While in Patterson inlet, we received from the Bluff a basket of fish that had been driven ashore there in immense numbers, covering the beach, we are told, for miles. They were, it appears, pursued by large herds of porpoises ; and when in their efforts to escape these, they approached the suiface of the water, it was. only to be pounced upon by the mutton* birds, which hovered over them in dense clouds, and literally covered the sea over a large area. The fish measure 3£ to 5 inches in length. It is closely allied to the English sprat. Rarengula sprattus, if not a variety of it. Iv flavor our party considered it quite equal to the European sardine. From the abuudauce of this fish at certain seasons off the coast off Stewart'B Island, its excellent quality aud the facility of curing it, it should become, at some future time, the staple of an important industry.

A good deal of talk was indulged in here at the time about the outre report of the Queen's speech published iv the Americau papers. The explanation is found in the following paragraph, published in an English paper : —" On Tuesday morning New Yorkers were congratulating themselves that they were reading the Queen's speech before it was delivered. The fact is that the mana-' ger of the New York Associated Press had telegraphed a parody of the speech published in the Pall Mall Gazette on Monday evening, believing it to be a genuine document, aud well worth the £250 which the message cost. There was some danger of mischief in the United States, seeing that this fictitious speech expressed the hope that we should uot have to pay the Government of Washington a larger indemnity than the French had had to pay the Government of Berlin. That sentence must have puzzled the cute Yankees, and perhaps have made them suspect the authenticity of the document which had been ' cabled' at such a cost. If it did not, then hopes must have been excited which, by this time, have been sadly dashed."

The present very warm and unseasonable weather, says the Paris correspondent of the /'all Mall Gazette, February 21, apropos of the August comet, is regarded with mysterious apprehension by those credulous pursons who dread the coming comet. If they were to turn to their favorite astronomer, Arago. they would find that a long , course of delica-te thermomet.rical observations has proved the fallacy of the earth's temperature being modified by the vicinity of a pomet, as the caloric or luminous fays emitted by those erratic bodies are less intense than those which reach us from the moon. The heat of thu weather should, therefore, not add to the alarm at present felt. As far as the chances of a comet striking the earth are concerned, Arago says that on the discovery of one of those nebnlons globes the chances are 281.000,000 to 1 that it will not come into collision with us. The savant adds that if the earth were dashed against, and its motion in space destroyed, the consequences would be most deplorable, as everything not adhering to its surface, such as animals, water, &c, would set off from it at a velocity of twenty miles per second. Arago was opposed to the theory that the moon is an old comet which has moulted, and which became a satellite of the earth by venturing within our attraction, but he thought it possible that an immense comet may some day pass between us and the sun and carry us off to act the part of a moon, when instead of completing our revolution in 365 days, we should, if caught by such a comet as that of 1680, take 575 years travelling over an ellipse of startling magnitude."

A correspondent supplies the Australasian with the following, extracted from German sources :—lt seems that there is reason to believe that the locality from which Solomon, nearly 5000 years ago, obtained, through Phoenician navigators, so much gold, ivory and precious stones, has at last been rediscovered, as it appears from letters of Professor Petermann, the celebrated geographer of Gotha to his scientific friends. The Portuguese in the 16th century found ancient relics of gold mines near Sofala, together with ruins of building?, which, according to . the traditions of the natives, originated from the Queen of Sheba. Even written works were said to exist there from that remote period when the buildings were constructed. After the Phoenicians, the voyages were continued by the Arabs to Sofala for gold, such voyages at that time occupying often three years. The Berlin missionaries at the outstations of the Trans Vaa). had heard of these ancient extensive structures within the last [ew years, but it was reserved to the wellknown traveller, C. Manch, actually to reach the locality towards the end of 1871. The first ruins were found at Zimbabye in 20ceg. 14min. S. andSldeg. 48min. E., therefore about 200 miles due west of the harbor of Sofala. Herr Mancb. found alluvial gold at once. The ruins are in some instances 30ft. high, loft, thick, and 450 ft. in diameter. All hitherto s=ean were b:iilt of cut granite (!) without the use of mortar, and the ornamentations are in the Phoeuician style. The preseut aborigines of the spot occupy the country only since 40 years, and keep these relics sacred. Iron implements have alao been found. Other ruins at no great distance to the N.W. had not yet been visited. Among them is an obelisk, according to the sayings of the natives. The country is lovely with elevations 4000 feet-above the sea. It is well watered, fertile, and densely populated by industrious and peaceable tribes, who cultivate rice and corn, and possess cattle, shqep, and goats. It is remarkable that a locality, comparatively so near to Delagoa should have remained so long concealed to scientific investigation and commerce. The diamond fields of South Africa, at no great dietance, will give additional access to these mysterious regions. It is right to add to the foregoing that in an article in a German paper Kiepert expressed doubts about the surmised identity of the ancient buildings and mines discovered by Mancb. with those of Ophir, and he declares himself, from -a linguistic point of view, in favor of Lasseu's opinion, | according to which Ophir must be sought in India, probably Abkira. Whatever conclusions the final exploration of this new archreologic region may lead to, the discovery of the latter is a glorious contribution to knowledge, historical, philologic, and geographical,

Thc^/v7>« R ivrs the following pnrtipnln regarding the formation of a ,w?» ,C ? ars company in Melbourne :-There n p,, c £? our advertising columns to-diy t]/ Ul pectus of an important maritime un<W.',£ 0S " It is proposed to form a company"' tn T called the. -Soufh Pacific Steam N:uW>' Company,' in order to purchase tI, P nS ° n , Australian sn-anu-rs, nine in number l t present owned by Messrs M'Meckan I>,\J wood, and Co.. and employed trading boUvl Melbourne and the various Austrian \t\ New Zealand ports. The price at which McS M-Meckan, l'.lackwood and Co.. who! about to ret-re from business, offer th'p property, which includes goodwill, premise* ami stores. ,*_ £I«.\000. and the' amount oi capital required to fior,; the comr. anv ;' £200.000. This sum it is proposed to Lhl n L'o.ooo £10 shares, on which £fi will at on £ be called, aud iv addition to issue debenture for £.-.0.000, bearing 0 per cent, interest Messrs M'Meckan and Black wood are will' ing to take £50.000 of the purchase money in shares of the company, or £30.000 in shares and £20,000 in debentures. It'is estimated that, the net earnings of the nine steamers will amount to at least £38,000 per annum, which will give a return, after pa y ing interest, insurance, and other charges' of I;") per cent, per annum on the capital. Looking forward to the rapid extension of stnam communication in this quarter of the world the projectors are confident that a successful career is opeu to n company such as they propose to form. J