NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XXI, Issue 2327, 16 January 1873, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Bangitoto was off Hokitika last evening, but as she could not be tendered till this morniug we are unable to publish latest European and Australian news, no doubt brought by her.

Yesterday there was a fresh in the Waimakariri. The water from the south branch was backed up into the north brauch at Kaiapoi, but it did not rise very high. At the junction of the south and north branches of the river made through Mr Lock's land the current has recently set in with so much force towards Messrs Shaw and Co.'s wool works and the land adjoining, that it will be necessary to place groins to divert the stream. The bank in many places has lately been washing away piecemeal. It will be some time, however, before the willows planted by the Borough Council are 6trong enough to resist the stream should it make its way up to them. Some steps will have to be taken to protect the properties threatened, and we believe the sooner the work is done the better.

A meeting of the Rangiora Literary Institute Committee was held on Tuesday evening last in the new library, whither the books, &c, had been conveyed from the Road Board office. Present—Messrs A. H. Cunningham (president), Johnston (treasurer), Keir (hon. sec), Boyd, Hunnibell, Stalker, Merton, Thorne, Good, and Dr Downes. A letter from Mr D. Craig, forwarding an interim policy of insurance, was read. After some discussion it was decided that the chairman make further enquiries before next meeting as to the rate at which the New Zealand Company will insure the Institute against all risks. The question of lighting the rooms in the evening was deferred. The committee decided that the charges for the hall be 30s for the first evening, 25s each consecutive evening (including lighting), and 25s for day entertainments, &c. Mr E. R. Good was appointed to manage the letting of the hall. It was decided that the other rooms could not be let with it on Monday evenings. It was resolved that tenders be invited for making seats, a sample seat to be exhibited at next meeting for the committee's approval. A unanimous vote of thanks was passed to the Mandeville and Rangiora Road Board for their kindness in allowing the members of the Institute the use of their office. The committee adjourned till Tuesday evening next.

Yesterday an. accident which might have been attended with fatal consequences, happened as the Alhambra was leaving port for Wellington. Without notice the captain got under weigh while several boats were still alou D Bide, some of them containing luggage belonging to passengers. The result was that two boats were swamped, and another broken, thereby tumbling the contents of the boats into the sea. We are informed that Mr Butterworth's traveller estimates his loss at about £150.

A special general meeting of the Kaiapoi fire police to elect a captain is appointed to be held on Friday next, at 8 p.m. The Mayor will also attend for the purpose of swearing in persons who may be desirous of becoming members of the fire police.

The usual monthly sittings of the Supreme Court in its bankruptcy jurisdiction will take place to-day before his Honor Mr Justice Gresson, at the Court House, at 11 a.m. The list is a somewhat lengthy one.

The argument in the cab case took place yesterday in Chambers, when Dr Foster appeared for the Corporation, and Mr Garrick contra. The learned counsel on either side addressed the Court at great length, and his Honor reserved his decision on the matter.

We learn that the sum taken for entrance money at the Vienna Exhibition, which closed on the Bth instant, amounted to within a shilling or two of £120. Since its close, those in charge have been busily occupied with packing up the exhibits which are to be sent to Vienna, and yesterday the whole of the cases, amounting to 28, were shipped by the Alhambra for Melbourne, whence they will be forwarded to London via Suez. By the same ship one case was also forwarded by the Bank of New Zealand containing gold specimens and jewelry.

There was an improved attendance at the second representation of " Miriam's Crime " and the " Enchanted Isle," at the Theatre Royal last evening. Two new pieces are announced to-night, in both of which Miss Anstead and Mr Eytfes will appear.

A cricket match will be played on Saturday next between two elevens selected respectively from the establishments of " The Press" and "Lyttelton Times." The sides are not yet definitely arranged.

To-day is the last day for receiving ten. ders for clearing the River Avon, and we hope, should a suitable tenderer come forward, that no delay will take in the commencement of the work. The present state of the river is a thorough disgrace to the authorities, and has done more than anything else to induce that want of energy which is now so conspicuous in our boating men. When the river is again made passable for practice, no doubt the esprit de corps which during past seasons has been so noticeable will again revive.

The nisi prius sittings of the Supreme Court will open on Monday next, when two special jury cases will be tried, viz., Dalton v Connor and Another (new trial) and Partridge v Culliford. The former case was heard at nisi print last session, but a new trial was granted on several grounds.

We understand that action will be taken by some of the residents in the Little River Road Board District to oust the present Board, under the provisions of the Roads' Ordinance, the date of the annual meeting not having been correctly stated, and ratepayers who had candidates to propose thereby being prevented from so "doing. The case will come on for hearing before the Resident Magistrate of the district, he being the

p-erson under the Ordinance before whom such r-ases are to be heard. As this is the first case of the kind which baa considerable interest is felt in the result, the decision in it forming a precedent to guide future proceedings in regard to Eoad Boards.

Amongst the passengers by the s.s' Phoebe, from the North yesterday, was a gentleman whose name in connection with circus matters in the Australian colonies is as familiar .as household words. We allude to Mr Rowe the veteran circus proprietor, who has arrived ill Christchurch as the agent iv advance of Chiaroni's circus, which has been performing in Auckland with »«h»a<*e* The company, which is the largest that has ever visited the colonies, will leave Auckland by the Pbobe on her wtarotrip, W .

A meeting of the Tonic Sol-Fa Association will be held this evening, in the Foresters' Hall, when the Rev W. J. Habeas, 8.A., will preside. An adjourned meeting of the Council of the Acclimatisation Society, was held yestei* day. The draft annual report was read by Mr Fereday, and after some discussion, approved of, with a few alterations. The general meeting for the election of a new Council, was fixed for Tuesday evening next, at half-past 6even o'clock, at the Literary Institute. The Wellington correspondent of the " Daily Times" states that Mr John Brogden, M.P., is shortly expected to visit this colony. It will interest many of our readers to learu that the veritable whitebait is obtained in large quantities during the season from the Wurdiyaloak river, the only outlet to the Lake Korangamite, the largest expanse of saltwater within the boundaries of Victoria. We beg to acknowledge the receipt of Mr Chapman's New Zealand Almanac, Nautical and Commercial New 2ealand Directory for 1873. It appears to be carefully got up, and contains a large amount of information. It is published in Auckland.

The Sydney correspondent of the " Argus" writes—Mr Parkes obtained leave to introduce his bill for making the Upper House elective. He wanted to make a statement explanatory, but Mr Bobertson insisted that if this was done he should claim the right to make a speech, and rather than provoke a debate at an inconvenient time, Mr Parkes allowed the bill to go to the public without comment and let it speak for itself. It is printed in full in to-day's " Herald." It allows the existing life nominees to hold their but provides for the election of new members, to the number of thirty-six at first, and forty-eight afterwards. The colony is divided into twelve districts, made by grouping the existing electorates. Each district will return three and ultimately four, members. These members must be thirty-five years of age, and be on the Council electoral roll. Voters are to be twenty-one years of age, five years resident, and must have been for six months freeholders or householders, or Crown lessees, or shall be University graduates, or members of the legal, medical, or clerical professions. Each voter is to be supplied with a certificate ; the nomination is to be in writing, by at least ten duly qualified electors; and to prevent dummy nominations, the candidate has to give a bond of £100, to be forfeited in case he should not receive the stipulated minimum of votes. The duration of office is to be dependent on the member's popularity. Where only three are elected, the candidate that tops the list is to sit for six years, the second for four, and the third for two. When four members are elected the first on the list will sit for eight years. As a check upon deadlocks, there is a provision that upon every dissolution of the Assembly twelve seats shall be vacated in the Council, and these seats are to be determined by lot; so that, as no one will know who is to pay the penalty of an obstinate resistance to the Assembly, a moderating spirit may prevail.

We learn that the severe gale on Tuesday has done some considerable damage on the Peninsula. A number of large trees have fallen across the roads in various parts, and in Akaroa itself the fruit trees have lost a large portion of their crop.

The following notification regarding the non-delivery at Post-offices on Sundays appears in the "General Government Gazette":—Notice is hereby given that from and after the first day of January, 1873, all post-offices in New Zealand will be closed on Sundays. When mails arrive on Saturdays, after the ordinary hour for closing, a delivery will be made from the window for one hour during the same evening, and mails arriving on Sundays will be sorted early on Monday morning, and be ready for delivery by the ordinary hour for opening the offices.

A Melbourne contemporary says:—According to intelligence received via Sydney, the condition of affairs in Fiji isnot over satisfactory. Statements are made that the officials of the Government are encouraging the natives to rise against the planters in theßa district, while the settlers are agitating in favour of annexation. Tbe correspondent of the " Sydney Morning Herald " makes the remarkable assertion that the Fijian Government intend to invoke the interference of America and Germany " against England's interference in Fijian affairs."

The Wellington " Evening Post" understands that the question of getting up an inter-provincial cricket match between Wellington and Canterbury is being mooted among cricketers in that city. Our contemporary suggests that the race week would be a suitable time for holding the match.

A telegram in a Wellington contemporary gayg. The A.S.N. Company advertise that they will place a new line of steamers between Australia and the southern ports of New Zealand in March next.

A curious accident happened last evening to a little girl about seven years of age, the daughter of a hawker, named Brighting. It seems the child was swinging upon the iron railings outside the store of the Messrs Bishop, when owing to giddiness, she let go her hold and fell, her head coming into violent contact with the ground, causing partial insensibility. The child was taken home by some bystanders, and Dr Patrick was at once sent for. He found her suffering from convulsive fits, brought on by injuries she had sustained abput the head. Restorative remedies were applied with partial success, and hopes are entertained of her recovery.

A notice of motion will come on for discussion before the City Council on Monday night next relative to the borrowing of a further sum of £6000 upon debentures secured upon a special rate for the purpose of carrying out the drainage works, commenced shortly before the late Mayor (Councillor Sawtell) took office. The first issae of debentures has been most satisfactory as regarded the amount of money coming forward and not the slightest difficulty will be experienced in placing the second instalment so soon as the necessary forms are gone through-

The Lincoln Township fair was not held yesterday owing to the harvest. Neverthe.less a great many gentlemen concerned in the sheep and cattle trade were present. We are sorry to say that the rain has done a considerable amount of damage in this and surrounding districts. Little grain has been actually ruined (though there are some uut»n«

but a great deal has been discolored. Tyerg have been and are still scarce, but we think this is principally owing to the earliness of the harvest, and that in a few days men will pour in from the neighbouring mining dis. tricts and all embarrassment from this source at any rate will cease, The rain that hag done harm to the grain farmer has had th» opposite effect upon the grazier. The grass has taken a most wonderful spring, and vegetation generally looks considerably refreshed. We believe that efforts are being made to organise a crew representing some of the metropolitan boating clubs, to compete at the forthcoming interprovincial regatta, and that there is every likelihood of the matter being brought to a successful issue. We hope so at all events, and that the boating men of Canterbury wiU throw off the unaccountable apathy which appears to have taken possession of them, and go into the matter with that spirit and vigor for which our province has already made itself renowned. If something is not done, the laureli won by the Lyttelton crew last year will be wrested from us, and we feel certain no boating man with a bit of spirit in him would like to see this. It is likely that a meeting will shortly be called for the pose of considering the matter in all its details, and if so, let boating men come forward in a body, and putting all minor matters on one side, work unitedly with the one end in view, vir.: that of sending our best men to Wellington to compete for the prize, We learn from the " Wellington Independent " that preparations for the forthcoming Interprovincial Regatta may be now said to be complete, with the exception of one hitch, which it is to be hoped is only of a temporary nature. It ia (says our contemporary) a pity that the Star Club, usually so energetic and successful in all its arrange, ments, has been disappointed in regard ta a crew for the forthcoming regatta. Instead of being in a position to chootr from ample material, so as to turn out. at least a couple of crews, circumstance! have so conspired that even the on crew which was counted upon and announced as formed has been broken up. To make an entirely freßb effort to secure suitable men so late in tit day is not very encouraging, but it ib to U hoped it may be done even now. With two splendid boats it will never do to cry peccari. The Wellington Rowing Olub seem to have been favored by fortune so fir, They have already a number of good rowing men as members of their club, and the services ot some good outsiders proffered; and . there is nothing to prevent them entering r - two outriggers for the grand race. On January 14, the Wellington, the boat which repre-, aented the province at the Regatta, was to be sent ont to Porirna, when' * a crew will practice in her till the eventfillJ; day. Another crew will take all the prao tice possible in the new boat brought out bj < the Celosno.

The "Timaru Herald" of the 15th reporhf that the annual congregational meeting o(, I the Presbyterian Church, Temnka, was held ', in tbe church, Temuka, on Monday last, tha <» Rev G. Barclay in the chair. The meeting having been opened with prayer, the minuta: of the former meeting were read and co&"' firmed. The following financial report wul read and adopted, the position of the cburcr financially being considered satisfactory :-' Total income, £67415s 8d; total expenditure,.' £684 Os 7d; leaving debit balance £9 4s Hi , > The receipts were as follows : — Jan. 1, 1872, 19s 6d; church £117 13s 6d; seat rents, £34 5s ; contri-|( buttons to Sustentation Fund, £239 6s Id;** balance Harmonium Fund, £2; procecdlfe of last Boiree, £59 10s 8d ; second don*l| tion, R. Wilson and Co, £1 Is ; cash bot-m, rowed for erection of manse, £220 ; toH|& £674 15s Bd. Expenses—Advertising, £Bjjp kerosine, rope, &c, £2 5s ; interest on debt, £14 Is 8d ; choir seats, £4 9s ; clcin.; « ing church, £5; bell, £6 ; ministei 1 travelling expenses, £14 ; carpenter tt?'i|soiree, &c., &c, £2 7s; interest on debt, £4 7s; insurance on manße ai»V,.\ church, £7 4s; minister's stipend, 1873; a,# £340; ditto 1873 £5; contractor, mani.-f £271 6s lid ; total, .£684 0s 7d. G»- . neral Fund Account—Receipts, £305 6»j - expenditure, £412 18s Bd. Debit balancA £17 8s Bd. Manse account—Receipts, £211 10s 8d ; expenditure, £271 6s lid. CredS balance, £8 3s 9d. Proposed by Mi G«| and seconded by Mr Anderson—"Thatl joint and bererai bona be given to Mr Jaw Hay for money borrowed for manse, id - that it be signed by as many of the congip tion as were willing." All those presew ! once stated their willingness to sign ta , l £ bond, and it was resolved to leave to carrying ont of the details to theTem«l>.?| committee. The election of a coming.; tee for the ensuing year was then ceeded with. Out of twenty the following gentlemen were elected || Messrs John Hay, William Stewart, I'% F. Gray, J. Mutch, John "i J. Blythe, 8. Currie, T. O. Plante, Woodhead, E. H. Brewer, B. Down, Taylor, and J. Anderson. Mr Mutch «%| elected secretary and Mr Plante the ensuing year. A hearty vote of thi*|ffi was passed to the late committee for t#;|| service*. It was resolved— " That the ter be requested to take the with a view to the election of elders." fl* If meeting was then brought to a close, tfl«B*;% Mr Barclay pronouncing the benedick ;j£ The meeting was a very successful one,* ~ v f[ considering that harvest operations are J** '' very general, was very well attended, {' r

"Nature" states that Mr Darwin* coming work On " Expression in Man &L& Animals " bids fair to be of a more pop character than any of his other publication j It will commence with a statement of * "r-j general principle of expression—that 86XW& „/| able actions become habitual in - v with certain states of the mind, and performed, whether or not of service, in ofe( ( | particular Case. Tuis'wiU be the case of expression of the various £inotv||| in man and the lower animals. The meaß *§f expression in animals will then be dißCß**||| and the special expressions of animals man, such as the depression of the the mouth in grief, trowing, the firm C of the mouth to express determination, tures of contempt, the dilation of the P from terror, the causes of blushing, & %u§§ conclusion, the bearing of the subject spoken of on the specific unity of t h ? J*2l| of man \ the part will be discussed will and intention have played intbea< _StS ment of various expressions. UQ 4 tqe 4 u of their acquisition by will be referred to. Seven heiiotypSPg® reproduced tarn photograph! wUJ JU^B

The Poverty Bay "Standard" Wt!1 V « have been favored with a sample bottle of the petroleum oil which abounds in the district some thirty miles west and north of flisborne, on land recently occupied by Captain Bead. It is somewhat dirty m appearance, and burns in its primitive state with a sharp lurid flame, emitting an unpleasant odour! We have confident hopes of this industry being added to the increasing products and wealth of the colony before long, as the purification of oil by a process known to the trade could easily be accomplished. We do not see why a company should not be formed to raise the capital necessary to this end." In an obituary notice of the late King Charles XV. of Sweden, the " Observer"says: __" His Majesty was bora on the 3rd of May, IMS and succeeded his father, Oscar L, on the Bth of July, 1859. In 1850 he married the Princess Louisa of Orange, who died on the snth of March, 1871. His Majesty's reign V been tranquil, and the wave of European politics has scarcely made even %s echoes heard in his quiet kingdom. S!» jn matters domestic he has been ■f _ 0 f the keenest of all possible ref i_ers In 1866 he remodelled the Swedish Constitution. There were then four Chambers, c for each of the four estates-nobles-rlerev burghers, and peasants. Taking Eng, fflPubto model, and mostly fortified by the Hegelian philosophy, the King sent the four Houses to the right-about, and replaced them by two, an upper and a lower, practically answering to our Lords and Commons. Not"content with this, he also deprived the nobles of absurd right of trial by their peers in the Forum privilegiatum, putting Sweden in this respect in advance of England herself and three years later he established annual Parliaments, and passed a Reform Bill which practically gave his subjects household Bnffrage. He has also, for a while at any rate, abolished capital punishment by refusing to sign any death warrants—a mode of cutting the Gordian knot which has not occurred to other sovereigns, and which in England, where the record is the sheriff's warrant, would be impossible. His Majesty was also a writer upon philosophical and political sobjects, and certain articles on the Schleswig Holstein questions, attributed to his pen, were far from well received at Berlin. He has but one daughter, who is married to the Crown Prince of Denmark ; and his crown descends to his brother, Prince Oscar, who has four sons by his wife, the Princess Sophia of Nassau." Says the " Spectator:"—" A lady, whose letter is published in the ' The Times.' gives an interesting though somewhat sensational account of an accident in the Mont Cenis" tunnel on the 6th October. The French train was just in the centre when it ran into a goods train—which bad, we presume, been delayed by overloading-, the amount of goods traffic being amazing — the engine burst, temporarily destroying the perfect ventilation of the tunnel, and ' several' passengers were killed. The remainder were detained for five hours without light and with insufficient air, aud in momentary expectation of injury from engines sent for their relief, an expectation shared by the officials. The train was at last extricated, and the accident, of course, was no worse than any other tunnel accident; but so deeply had the imagination of the passengers been struck by the horror of being crushed in the centre of the earth, as it were, that when they arrived again at Modane, women fainted, men wept, and many of both sexes were too prostrated to walk, and will not recover for months. As it chanced, the present writer passed through the tunnel exactly four hours before the accident. The distance was traversed in 21 minutes, and so perfect was the absence of smoke or smell that the windows were never closed."

Mr W. G. Kemp, M.R.C.P., and M.R.C.S., of this city (says the Wellington " Evening Post") sends to the "British Medical Journal," an account of six cases of rheumatism, in which kerosene appears to have acted almost as a specific. The dose is a tea-spoonful in a wine-glassful of water every other night. It produces no unpleasant symptoms, no loss of appetite, and has no effect upon the bowels or kidneys. Mr Kemp says:—"Although kerosene cannot be called a specific for rheumatism, I think that cases Cited are quite sufficient to induce medical men to give it a fair trial. lam unable to find any symptoms caused by taking kerosene. The great objections with many persons taking it are the unpleasant taste and Bmell. Some have taken it in water or milk, but I have lately heard a patient say he could take it best with salt ; a pinch of salt being put into tbe mouth and allowed to dissolve, and the oil then swallowed nixed with this bnlk of water. lam not aware of the remedy having ever been used internally ; but I trußt some medical men will be found who will give it a trial, and record the result of their oases. Externally, it is of great use in cases of burns, whether severe or slight; it seems to relieve pain more than anj other application, especially if resorted to as soon as the injury is received. I have known cases of severe burn to heal up rapidly under its use alone." The following incident in the life of Brassey is related by his biographer :—One incident which occurred during the progress of the Cracow and Lemberg line is too curious to be omitted. A large sum of money had to be paid on a certain day to the workmen, who could not be reached except by passing through a tract of ■ country occupied by the Austrian and Prussian armies, then engaged in the campaign of 1866. There was nothing for it but to put a rickety old engine upon the line, for the regular engines had all been seized, and run for it, taking the chance of being shot by the patrols of each army alike. Ofenheim, Mr Brassey's Austrian agent, undertook the perilous duty; but who was to drive the engine, especially considering that it was on the cards that the rails themselves night have been damaged? "If you will come," said Ofenheim to the reluctant driver, "I will give you so many hundred florins, and if you are killed I will provide for your wife and family." Thus tempted, the man agreed, and they dashed through the outposts of Prussians and Austrians who were too much amazed to think of firing at them. The story i reached the ears of the Austrian Emperor, who sent for Ofenheim, and asked him, " Who is this Mr Brassey, for whom men are to be found who work with such zeal, and risk their lives V After hearing what Ofenheim had to say the Emperor forthwith sent Brassey the Cross of the Iron Crown.

M. Gambetta's speech has (says the " Spectator ") shown us a part of the nature and extent of which we had no adequate notion. There seems to be no manner of doubt that the Russian Minister of the Interior, M. TimaacMeE, after having paid M. 2hiers a <riat of private congratulation, returned soon after H. Gambettals Grenoble speech to say that he mnst withdraw in part that conpatolation if M. Gambetta's oratory were to be permitted, and worse still, that if france were to be turned into the (foyer) focus of revolution. .Russia and other Powers would be compelled to smother the flame ( u &tovff,eraient cc foyer?*) That is asserted and re-asserted by the 'f Times " correspondent in Paris, and he declares that two other Powers held (also privately) the «*ae language, while the French Government has only said in denial that no official representations have been made on the subject, which is no 4oubt true. What a revelation we have here as to the weakness of BmropeJ No doubt it is perfectly true that Russia, Germany, and Austria equally fear scything like an outburst of French Radicalism, and think it might lead to terrible resalts in their own political world—but their panic must be severe indeed, if they are really proposing to themselves to threaten inlernatioual interference to extinguish any Bach outbreak. Why, that is sheer fuel to flames! What could be more stimulating to any genuine Liberalism than to be told that it should speak only under peril of foreign invasion? If Sir Charles Dilke could g§c Germany or Russia to make any such inti* *o*tion to Great Britain, his party, from insignificant and feeble collection