NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5074, 12 December 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Thb Elbctions.—A Press Association message informs us that the additional returns received for the districts still incomplete do not affect the position of the candidates already telegraphed. Some additional returns are given this morning, and it may be assumed, therefore, that these, together with those published on Saturday, form a complete list, so far as the names of the candidates sctually eleoted are concerned. liifOBTKD Stock.— The Lady Jocelyn brings a shipment of Southdown, Hampshiredown, Lincoln, and Leicester ewes and rams and a bull for Messrs E. Wilkin and Co., and a pedigree greyhound for Mr Q. H Moore. Ihtbecolohiai, Weatheb Exchange — Sydney, Friday—Fine weather prevails over South Australia, with N.W. wind, and in New South Wales the wind is light B.W. A moderate depression is passing Hobarfc; wind N.W. Barometer:—Portland, 29.8; Hobart 29.6; Sydney, 29 9. Labobbt.—A woman named Ellen Norton wss arrested on Saturday charged with the larceny of a book entitled "The Life of Christ," valued at £2 103, the property of William Panton, and which she states that she has left somewhere os security for the sum of one shilling, which she borrowed upon it. Happy Hoxms.—The Huts and Mr W. Kerby left on Saturday by the Penguin for Wellington, where they intend having a short rest previous to opening in Wanganui. We believe it is the intention of this talented company to shortly visit the Middle Island and play in the principal towns previous to their departure for Victoria. Maitdbvuxe akd Banqioba Dbaixaqb Distbiot.—-A meeting of the Board of Conservators was held at Bangiora on Saturday. Present —Messrs Mulcock (chairman), Boys, Duncan and Young. Tenders were opened for widening the main drain, and that of W. Lynsky at £138 10s was accepted. Mr Luxton, sen., and Mr W. Luxton waited on the Board requesting certain works, with which the Board could not comply. SiTPBBMB Cotjbt.—His Honor Mr Justice Johnston, who returned from the North on Saturday moraing.held a sitting in Chambers at noon, and disposed of a good deal of business which was brought on in view of hie projected departure for Timaru to-day. The list included several applications under the Debtors and Creditors Act, applications for probate, for letters of administration, and for settlement of issue*, Ciaretuxb.—An entertainment in aid of the funds for repair of the Kaiapoi Island church wae held here on Friday evening. Tea, provided by lady members of the congrega, tion, was served in Mr J. Hey ward's granary, and a large number sat down. An entertainment was held in the distriot school room, at > which the Key. D. O. Hampton presided. The music, comprising songs and glees, was furnished by a number of ladies and gentlemen from Kaiapoi. The receipts from the entertainment were about £10. Bttsawat at Kaiapoi.—On Saturday a spirited horse, attached to a dray belonging to Mr Cameron, of Saltwater Creek, upon which was a light whale boat known as the Isif, bolted. Although the man in charge stuok to the horse in good style, the crisis came near the end of Case street, when the dray capsized through the load shifting, and the boat falling off first the hone rolled into it. Xh e craft became a complete wreck, upon which there was neither a policy for '' total lose "or "particulw average." The manwa* somewhat scratched, and the horse and vehicle sustained but slight damage. The wreck was, however, left in the road for the rest of the [day, greatly to the diseomforfc of persons driving put.

CoKTBADIcnoir. —Wβ have been requested by the Bey. H. C. M. Watson to contradict the rumour to whioh currency has recently i been given that he is about to iMume this e&fcorehip o! the " Telegraph , ' newspaper. B.M. Corar.-—The charge list thia morn* jog will include one cue of drunk and disorderly, one of larceny, a charge of assault, -jne charge of breach of the Licensing Act, end six police Bummone esses, of the ordinary description. AB3ATOT.—A man named Isaac Bart will m&ke his appearance at the Betident Magit. Urate's Court this morning, charged with having committed a violent aesaalt upon another man by striking him on the head with a pair of garden shears. ACOTDEHT.—On Saturday a man, namsd Butler, was admitted into the hospital ioffering from a scalp wound and injuries to his baok, caused by his being thrown down and kicked by a team, of which he had the one, bolting on the morning in question. He is doing as well as can be expected. Mbbcahthb.—Wβ ("Daily Times") are enabled to state that the business carried on in Dnnedin by the firm of Messrs Cargills, Gibbs and Co., will be transferred on January Ist to a joint-stock company specially formed in London for the purpose. The partners of the present firm will continue the management—Mr Gibbs in London, and Mr Joachim in Dunedin, along with Mr E. B Cargill as chairman of the Local Board. We cannot state the name of the company until a prospectus arrives from London. Ellbsmekb Anhtjal Spobts.—The adjourned meetiDg of the committee was held at Spring's Hotel, Leeston, on Thursday. The attendance was moderate. Mr F. Jameson was voted to the chair. The Chairman stated that since last meeting a meeting had been held at Southbridge, at which it tree decided to hold the annual sports on the recreation ground, and that a deputation from Southbridge had been appointed to arrange for them to amalgamate. Mr Taylor, as one of the deputation from Southbridge, explained the views of his oommiUee. After some discussion, it was deoided to amalgamate with Southbridge and the rest of the district in holdirg the usual sports on New Year's Day. It was decided that the Leeston committee meet the Socthbridge committee and arrange a programme, &o. A very handsome cup was handed to the committee by Mr Watkine, which had been presented by Messrs Mason, Struthers and 00. A hearty vote of thaaks was aocorded them for it. Complimbktaby Dutobb. —On Saturday evening last a complimentary dinner was given by a number of his friends to Mr James B. Thornton, M.A., at the White Hart Hotel, upon the occasion of his leaving this city to take up the profession of the law in Dunedin. About thirty gentlemen were present, amongst whom were several of the professors and students of the Canterbury College, the principal members of the scholastic profession, with other personal friends of the guest. Letters of apology were received from Professors Brown and Cooke. The ohair was filled by the Rev. James Gumming, the vice-chair being oooupied by Mr T. W. Btringer. Ample justice being done to the excellent spread provided by Mr Sheppard, and the oustomary loyal toasts having been drunk, the chairman propaaed the health of the guest of the evening. In his remarks he referred eulogistically to the high honors aohieved by Mr Thornton in the Canterbury College to the reputation he had acquired in the educational department of this district, auguring a successful career and a high position in the profession he was now about to adopt. While regretting his loss here, Mr Gumming was quite sure that the abilities and social qualifications of their guest would soon gain for him a large circle of friends in his new sphere of life. The toast was received with the greatest enthusiacm, and was responded to In eloquent and feeling terms by Mr Thornton. A number of other toasts were given, and some exoellent songs were sung by Meter* Divies, Towle, de Montalk, Stringer, Jamieeon, and others. Thb Fiji Tbadh.—Mr Edmonds, a gentleman who has been engaged in trade in Fiji, and is now on a visit to Dunedin, informs us (" Daily Times ") that in his opinion there will be a good market for Mew Zealand flour there. At present Adelaide flour is worth £15 per ton net, delivered at Fiji, besides the duty of abont £1 per ton. He considers that Dunedin ought to make efforts to open up direot communication with Fiji, bringing fruit, sugar, coffee, tobacco, &c, as return cargoes. He is convinced from the rapid progress of Fiji that the trade will grow into importance. Butter is worth about 2s per lb. in Fiji; cheese, about Iβ 2d ; bacon, Is6d; and there is a considerable demand for all these. Potatoes are worth about £7 per ton. Suv» will after the Ist January next be the capital, and is an excellent port; the trade of the Islands will, in Mr Edmonds , opinion, be centred at that plaoe. The Eewa Sugar Company have erected plant at enormous expense within thirty miles of Suva, and will next yes? turn out several hundred tons of sugar equal to the best Mauritius. Sad Oasb op Drowhihg.—Yesterday morning, about eight o'clock, a sad accident occurred in the Eiver Heathcote, near the Racecourse, Ferry road, by which a man named Thomas Kerr and a lad named John Biohard Campbell (whose friends reside in the Ferry road near the old Bt«am Wharf) were drowned. It appears that a number of lads are in the habit of bathing in the Heathcote at this point, whioh ie highly dangerous, as a little distance therefrom the river deepens to about 14ft, and, yesterday morning, after bathing, the lad Campbell came out of the river, mounted his horse, nude as he was, and rode it into the water to the deep part in question. When the animal found itself getting into deep water, it threw the lad from its baok, and made for the bank. It was soon discovered that the boy could not swim, neither could any of the lads on the bank, and they at once raised the cry that Campbell was drowning. At this junoture Kerr, who was also unable to swim, ventured to the lad's rescue, but the boy immediately grasped him by the legs and rendered him powerless to save, and imperrilled his would-be rescuer. A third man, named John Smith, a resident of Woolston, did all in his power to save the two, but finding he was himself in danger, was compelled to abandon them to their fate, and they were consequently drowned. Subsequently Constables McDevitt, Little, and Wbittey, went to the spot with a boat, and prooeeded to drag the river. Both bodies were recovered before noon, but it is almost needless to add that life was extinot. An inquest will be held to-day. A SiCB Sort op Doctor.~A correspondent from the country writes to the Sydney " Bulletin" to say that the doctor up his way (who is also the visiting surgeon of the gaol) has never been sober within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. If called in to see a patient, he gives them the choice between black draught and camphor julep, whioh are all the drugs he possesses. Usually, before administering the dose, he stealthily tosses up a halfpenny—heads for "blaok strap," and tails for the julep. The last sur gieal operation he performed with a hand-saw and an oyster knife; and when he was recently called in to bleed a man, commenced to bore a hole in the upper part of his arm with a pair of scissors. It is said he hat no diploma, but when taunted with not possessing the necessary authority to practise, he produces two documents—one of which is a sailor's discharge, and the other an old publican's license. It is hardly needful to state that the health of the prisoners at the gaol, of which he it the medical officer, is excellent. Nose of them ever by any chance send for the doctor. Dobs Fasmiks Pat.—Judging from the farming experiences of Mr W. Warnes, as told by himself, the English land laws certainly need reforming. Since 1870 and 1876 respectively, he has been tenant of two small farms on the estate of Mr Bagge, near Lynn, Norfolk, of the total extent of 220 acres. His losses alone during that time have been remarkable—namely, two flocks of sheep, worth £1600, five horses, worth more than £75 apiece, and on one of the farms four years' crops by the overflow of a river. Consequently he has given up the farms, after having, as he alleges, improved them to the extent of £3000, and in corroboration of that statement it is mentioned that they are the only farms within fifty miles that will let at the old rents. Mr Warnes made a claim on his landlord for £120 for one special improvement rendered necessary by the overflow, but it was rejected, apparently in no very friendly spirit. The last act of the landlord was the seizure of his tenant , ! furniture for the unpaid rent, although there was at the moment £2000 of stock on the farm, and the landlord was about to become indebted to the tenant under the valuation for the sum of £500. — Home papar.

As ExcrrnfG Chasb. —The Dunedin " Herald " gives an account of an excitiDg soene in Princes etreet on Friday afternoon. AObinaman named Sab. Lee of Kaikorai, was unloading a dray at the warehouse of Mr Bew How, in Stafford street, opposite the polling booth for Oity South, when the horoe began to move, and *eh Lee trying to stop it the bridle came off. Thie frightened the hone, which dashed away into Princes street, among the tram rare and a cumber of other vehicles, threading ita' way, however, without colliding. When it got ai far as VI alter street it suddenly turned round and went back Prince 8 street in the opposite direotion, again passing between other vehicles and clearing the way of pedestrians with great rapidity. In the course taken the horse and vehicle described several circles, during one of wbicn the animal got on tbe pavement by Mr Spedding's, and brought the cart into collision with an express backed against the path, which waa swung round without being injured. Many efforts were made to stop the horse, but as there wag nothing on ita bead to hold by this was difficult. At length, when opposite Liverpool street, a young man eaoghfc hold of its mane, and presently was seen to be on the ground among the bone's feet, the dray passing over him. The excitement now was great, it being thought the man muet be killed. A few yards further on the horse turned round again, and began to come back along the etreet, but being now pretty well spent, a number of men, by holding to the tail of the cart, were able to stop it. Simultaneously the man rose, shook himself, and found beyond a few scratches on hie ekin and clothing he was uninjured, and everything boiDg then safe, he asked the Chinaman to " shout" a pint of beer, which John immediately did. Papanui.—A meeting will be held at the Library this evening at 7.30, to form a cricket club. WOODKND HOKTICULTTJBAL SOCIETY. — The spring show be held in the schoolroom on Thnrsdfty nest. EsccssiON to Littls Akaloa. —As will be aeon on reference to our advertising columns tbe Kaiapoi tradesmen's picnic takes place on anniversary day. The ticket 3 are nearly a'l cold out, and the affair promises to be a success. The local brass band will accompany it. Akaroa Regatta.—Entries close on Wednesday. The full programme appears elsewhere. Excursion to Little Biveb. —An excursion train will leave for Little River on Anniversary Day. For particulars ccc advertisement. Concert.—A farewell concert will be tendered to Mr and Mrs Edmonds at the Presbyterian Church, Sydenham, on Wednesday evening.