NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4288, 28 April 1879, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Outwabd Sak Fbaboihoo Mahi.—This mail, due at London JunelOth,was despatched by the s.s. Wanaka for Auckland on Saturday Tas Native Lahds Cottbt.—This Court will, it is understood, only be formally opened to-day in the Oddfellows' Hall, and thereafter adjourn to hold its sittings at Kaiapoi.

A PrrFAii. —There is a pitfall in Manchester street, at the corner of Martin street, which certainly requires the attention of the works committee. It consists of s> drain which has bees broken in, and remains as a trap for the unwary. Already several have had narrow escapes of broken limbs.

Thb Batb Boli.- —The City Council will hold a special sitting this evening, for the purpose of completing the burgess-list for the ensuing year. At the ordinary meeting thereafter the works committee's report on the estimated expenditure for the ensuing year will be submitted. Maxtkbn Watbb Baob.—The engineer's report in connection, with this matter was brought up at the last meeting of the Selwjn County Council, and his recommendations for the payment of So. 3 contract adopted. It was also resolved to proceed with No. 4 contract, subject to the consent of private owners concerned in the route being obtained. .'■"■'

Eahgiosa Wathb Suppiy.—At the meeting of the Borough Council on Friday evening it waa resolved that etepa be taken to test the water supply scheme proposed by tie Mayor (Mr Blackett.) Should the project be satis* factory, it is expected that an excellent supply will be obtainable from the Ashley at a high level, and the force, through the mains will be sufficient to throw a jet in case of fire over the highest building in the borough. Sir Blaeketfc contends for his scheme that it ie not a" costly one,. and, may be undertaken within present meaca of the municipality. ;y s , -, ;

Thb GAisrr.—There mi a capital home at ".the Gaiety on Saturday evening, when the panorama of- the Busso-Turkish war was again exhibited. EnTKKTAIFHBNT AX ABHBTTBTOH. " Bla^lbwlfc' , a troupe consisting of the Minstrels, and Mr John Mar•hall, g&T6 a very eneoeeaful entertainßjenfe at the Asaburton To*n Hall on Saturfay evening, to an excellent house. ~ SpOßsnre.—The nominatione for the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechases, which were received on Saturday evening, promise good sport. For fie Maiden thee are- fifteen nominated, for the Grand National Handicap sixteen, while twelve oame forward for the Hunt Grab Cup. " - - ~ Gams Lioehses.—Mr Farr, the hon. secretary of the Acclimatisation Society, received a "Gazette" from the Government on Saturday notifying the - fact. that .the. season for ehootiDg cock pheasants wonld be j from the let of May to the 31st, inclusive, from lunrue to sunset, and that the open season for oouraing hares would be from Ist of May to. the 31st of July; The fee for shooting "pheasants is fixed at £2 10s, and that for ooursirig at 10i per dog, the feo to be paid by the owner. licensee may be obtained from Mr Farr. .. - ; CoiBBrDOB Eibctios. —It is understood that an influentially signed requisition will today be presented to Mr John Grigg of Longbeach, requesting him to contest the seat for Coleridge against Mr George Hart, the only other candidate at present in the field. Mr George Leslie Lee, Esturning Officer for the electoral district, gives notice that the nomination of candidates will take place at the Road Board Office, South Eakaia, at noon on Thursday, the Bth May, and the poll, if necessary, on the f allowing Thursday, Ma/ 15th. Thb liLireioiaeTß.—There was a day performance on Saturday at the Theatre Soyal, which was fairly attended. evening the usual one was given, the Katie King mystery and the clever bird cage triok of Chevalier Thorn, eliciting loud plaudits. To-night is advertised as being for the benefit of Chevalier Thorn, who really deserves the compliment of & crowded house. Aβ it is also the last night but two, no doubt those who have not yet seen the clever illusions of Chevalier Thorn will .take this opportunity of doing so.

CeHBTBBIBB ASS EbOBBATION EEBBBVEB. — A sum of over £1600, forming part of the £2000 set apart for cemeteries and recreation reserve*, has been apportioned by the Selwyn Council aa follows:—For the Heathoote, recreation - ground, £50; Lincoln, cemetery £40, recreation ground £70 j Springs, cemetery £40, recreation ground £70; Templeton, cemetery £40, recreation ground £70 j Kirwee, cemetery £50,Irecrealion ground £50; Kimbe'rley," cemetery £50, recreation ground £25 ; West Melton, cemetery £50, recreation ground £60; Weedbh, cemetery £50? Greendale, cemetery £25, recreation ground £50.; Hororata, cemetery £60, recreatiqa ground £150; Duneandel, cemetery £50; Ellesmere, cemetery £200, recreation ground £200; Kowai Pass, cemetery £40, reoreation ground £70 ; Eaafc Malvern, cemetery £40, recreation ground £70; Coalgate, reoreation ground £20; South Malvern, cemetery £40, recreation ground £70. - ' St. liTtke's MBBTnre o* Pabibhtokbbs. —We have been requested to correct one or two errors that appeared in our report of St. Luke's parish meeting. The . Bey. Mr Lingard did not say, in speaking of the Kaitangata Fund, that it would be against the rules of the church for an offertory to be made for such a purpose, but that the churchwardens' and himself thought the church offertories should not be taxed with such objects, however worthy they might be, as, if the practice were once begun, it would be continually and th'e"" offertories would be considerably disarranged; that euch objects called for individual charity, and in that way it was hoped they had all done what they could in the case in question. The j amount of ten shillings on the Mayor's list, referred to in connection with the same fund, - was not granted out of the Ohuroh Parsonage Fund, but was an offering that had been placed in the alms-box of the ohurch, ticketted " Kaitangata Belief." Mr Lingard tried to impress. upon the meeting that the rumour that the cemetery was about to be closed as soon as the new one was opened, was erroneous, and explained the very necessary steps that would have to be taken before it could be closed in anyway. The vote of thanks to Mr Withnall was for five stained glass window panes and not" frames," ac erroneously printed in our issue of Friday last.

Zbaiahdia.—-On Tuesday evening, Messrs ' Willis . and Seymour's grand panorama, Zealandia, will be exhibited at the Oddfellows* Sail. The exhibition proper comprises - two panoramas and a diorama, ' the painting of whioh has occupied the well; known artist, Mr .J. S. Willis, for the last \ fifteen months. Those who haye seen it are lavish in their praise of its artistic merit, and of the striking fidelity of its illustrations. A number of the pictures possess historic interest, and the series of views as they progress are veritably a niotorial history of the progress of the colony of New Zealand. In consequence of the great number of scenes which the panorama embraces, it forms two nights'entertainment. The first half of it comprises the entertainment of Tuesday night. Amongst the most prominent of the scenes are views of the Bay of Islands, Kawau, Auckland in 1848 and at the present day, the wreck of the Orpheus in the Manu* kau, Taranaki, death of Major Yon Tempsky, French Poas, Otira Gorge, Mount Cook in a snowstorm, Lyttelton and harbor, and a number of other interesting views. The second part of the panorama, whioh will embrace Wellington and the public buildings of Christchurch and Dunedin, will be exhibited in about six weeks' time.

Footbail—The member* of the 0.F.0. mastered in strong force on Oranmer square on Saturday afternoon, to contest the match Nortk- t South of Oashel streets. Shortly after th* oommenoement of the game the ' Northerners, who numbered eonre half-dozen in excess of their opponents, worked the ball well into the quarters of the Southern side ; bat the latter, who were all playing well on the ball, defended their goal in a very plucky manner, and time after time took the ball from oloie on to their own line down into mid-ground. Just before the close of the ; first spell Anderson, who was playing for the North in capital form, seized the ball on its coming through a scrimmage, and ran in and secured a touch-down, which was afterwards converted into a goal by a kick from Hartland. : Bhortly after this the Southerners worked the ball well into their adversaries' igronnd, and ' through » smart bit of play on the part of Boulton, obtained what appeared to be a touch-down, bat on an appeal to the captains of either side it was disallowed. Flay was again resumed, and continued without any further definite results till just at the olose of the third spell, when a lucky kick from Williams added another goal to the credit of the North side. In the last spell : both sides played up hard on the ball, but no alteration was made in the score till about fire minutes before the close of the game, whea Stringer got hold of the ball and made a dart through his opponents to behind the Southerners' line, whioh resulted in Hartland's kicking another goal for the North, the match ending in favor of the latter side by three goals to nothing. Though the South side ; were unable to scare, the game throughout was very plaokQy contested by them, Boulton, Ollivier, and Lewin being particularly ener,getio forward, whilst Aback and Ootterill did good service as backs. On the North aide Anderson and Mathias played well as backs, that of Anderson being particularly good. Stringer also played well, and at times appeared in something like his old form. Among the forwards Erans, Hartland, and ShirreS were the most prominent, and exerted themselves to the utmost throughout the game.

Chzkksb Diamohds.—M. Fauvel, who has lately been investigating the mineral wealth of the distriot of Shantung, gives some interesting particulars concerning the existence of small diamonds and the method of collecting them adopted by the natives. The stones are .mostly very minute, varying in size from millet seed to a pin's head, though occasionally larger ones are met with. One recently, as large as a pea, was brought to Ohefoo, and sold to a mandarin there. The mode adopted for collecting the diamonds is very canons. Men with thick straw shoes on walk about in the sand of the valleys and streams of the diamond mountain* of Ghinkangling, some fifteen miles south-east of Yichow-foo. The, diamond s, which are ragged and pointed, penetrate- the straw, and remain there. The shoes are then collected in great numbers and burnt, the diamonds being searched for in the ashes. As is the case with amethysts and rock crystal in the* Lao -Shan, the priests in the temples in the Ghinkangling are the principal dealers in these email diamonds. From them they are bought by<glaziexa at the large fairs held every year at Chuchow, Esichow-foo, Hwang-hsien. They are not to be found in shops, and are packed in quilla.

Mise TiiiT AxDßßwe.—This lady left by the train on Saturday for Port, en route to Auckland, whence she purposes starting for San Francisco. Miss Andrews has been offered an engagement by Hiscocks and Hayman, but it is understood that she will carry out her original intention of visiting America.

Thb Emperob Wihtak.—A home oo*» respondent writes:—On the 22nd of March the Kmperor'a eighty-third birthday will be celebrated, while on the 11th June next the "Golden Wedding" will come off, that is the fiftieth, anniversary of the weddiojr-day of oar Imperial" pair. Although the Emperor has expressed a wish that all costly entertainments, and especially all presents to him might be avoided and the money intended for them be employed rather for benevolent purposes, there are to be some splendid entertainments: ' One of them ii to be a caroussel or tournament, performed by ladies and gentlemen of our highest nobility, and if report speaks true that entertainment will surpase anjthujg"of the kind ever seen here!, before.

Wondbbitl Shootikq.—The following is from "Land and Water" : —"Captain Bogardua on tho Bth and 9th instant undertook to break in two days 6000 glaw balls thrown at fifteen yards'rise from a trap. He wagered 1000 dollaro even that to accomplish this task he would do so without having to fire at 6200 balls ; 500 dollars to 1000 dollars that not more than 6100 should be used ; and 100 dollare to 1000 dollare that they would be broken without a miss. The match lasted two days, and Bogardns broke ,5680 balls without a miss, and only missed thirteen out of the whole 6000. His thnmb was much burnt by the heat of the barrels, caused by such continuous firing."

Victobiak Politics. —In its April eummary for Europe the "Argue" eaye : —ln politics the month has been barren of events of interest. Public dinners have taken place at Baringhup, at which Mr Service spoke, and at Caulfield—on the occasion of the opening of the railway between Oakleigh and Melbourne—and at Myrniong, at which Sir Bryan O'Loghlen and his colleagues put in an appearance. Both the Opposition and Ministerial speakers,' however, have confined themselves to generalities, as both are anxious, before committing themselves to any programme for the future, to learn the result of Mr Berry's visit to Great Britain, and so far no definite intelligence is to hand. At Emerald-hill a remark made by Mr Service, attributing to Sis Bryan O'Loghlen the phrase "a nation of serfs," led to an amusing correspondence. Sir Bryan O'Loghlen published an indignant disclaimer, but he was shown-to have made the statement in an election address, ,? At the Caulfield dinner, Mr Woods, the -Minister of Bailways, somewhat astonished his hearers by a fervid address in favour of anisted immigration—a policy to which the Liberal party has been strenuously opposed —and there were those who thought that the millennium was about to be inaugurated. It appears, however, that the Government are desirous of arranging, if pbeeible, for a direct line of steamers between here and England in connection with the mail service, and this is their way of notifying their policy.. : ' ■

HOBTICTTIiTTJBAIi SOOIBTY.—At the tlSnal monthly meeting of the: Christchurch Horticultural Society to-morrow evening -a show of chrysanthemums end outdoor grapes mil M made, for which prizes will be awarded. Citt Council.—The ordinary weekly meeting of the City Council will be held this evening at seven o'clock. . . ;. . Sydhnham BoßouaHOoxrKOii..--Thenßual meeting of this body takes place this evening. ' 1.0.0.F..M.U. — The anniversary of the Loyal Woodend Lodge ifl to be celebrated on Thursday, May Bth, by a dinner and ball at Conway's Wbite Crane Hotel. Tai lapx7 Public Libbabt.—The annnal meeting of the subscribers to this library will take place at eight o'clock to-morrow evening,, St.Mabt's, Mbbitalk.—The first parowiial entertainment in connection with this church will be given ia the parish schoolroom, Papanui road, at eight o'clock to-morrow evening.