NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5137, 20 February 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Pbbbbytbbiak Absbmbly.— The session of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church will be resumed to-day. Thk Govbrsob's View —Aβ will be seen by notification elsewhere, Lady Gordon will be "at home" at Merivale, tomorrow and following Tuesdays after 4 p.m. B.M. Oouet.—The charge-sheet at the B.M. Court comprises two persons for arson, tit for drunkenness, eight eiril oases, and twelve police summons eases of the ordinary description. Ohoka. —Mr J. Guild, one of the largest land holders here, has recently sold his farm of 1165 aores to Mr Isaao Wilson, who proposes cutting it into email farms, and selling it by auction. Cathbdbal Obgait.—lt is expected in leis than three weeks to hare this instrument ereoted, tuned, and properly regulated. At present it is still in an unsatisfactory state, and the effeot of the stops, eingly or collectively, c&nnot be judged. BM. OotTBT. — For a first offence of drunkenness, a man, who said his dissipation was the result of his attendance at a picnic, was fined ss. In Brown tJEojc*, £20 2* 7d, judgment was given for plaintiff in default of the attendance of defendant. litpobtkd Bams —The Hon. W. 8. Peter receive! by the steamship Alhambra, which arrived at port yesterday, fifty rams (merinos) from the flocks of the Hon. B. B. Smith, Bundaleer Btation, Adelaide. The shipment arrived in first class condition. Dbuids, Bangioba.—At the usual session of the Bud of Hope Lodge on Thursday evening, Dr. Gray, a reoent arrival in the borough, was appointed medio&l officer out of a list of seven applicants. A fraternal visit was paid to the lodge on the part of Amberley members of the same society. Akbbuby.—ln the Amberley B Bi. Court on Thursday, before F. Courage, Esq, J. P., Charles Hamilton was charged with travelling on the railway line without a ticket, and also with having been guilty of disorderly conduct. He was fined £5, or in default one month's impruonment, with hard labor. Kowai Boas Boabd.—The polling for three members for this Board took place on Stturday, with the following result:—B Brietow, 131 1 J. Stewart, £129; J. Cameron, 113; D. Bobertaon, 113; T. Donplas, 87; M. S. Campbell, 72 ; O. G. King, £70. The Beturoing Officer refused to give his casting vote until he had made a farther scrutiny of the ballot papers. Ashbd-btok Chbbsb Faotobt —The direotorn of the Cheese and Butter Faotory Com* pany have deoided to cable to Mr Bowron in England to engage the servioes of a married couple to be employed by the company, and to arrange with Government for their passages to this colony. Mr Bowron i* also being empowered tt purchase needed appliances. Drainage Boabd Elbotioit —Mr Beetham, 8.M., delivered judgment on Fiday in the petition against the return of Or. Prins as a member of the Drainage Board for the district of Ohristchuroh north-west. He decided in favor of the petitioner, and declared the election of Dr. Prins void, aed Mr J. E. Parker duly elected. The judgment is given in iull in another column.

Aooidbnt at Port —On Saturday evening a workman named Stirling, a late arrival from Dnnedin, while working on the roof of the large grain shed now in course of erection ou the eastern breastwork, overbalanced and fell upon the ground beneath, some 35 r t below. Hβ was carried to the casual ward, when Dr. Maodonald, his attendant, found he had fractured three of hit ribs. ABHBUBTOS WOOLLHB FAOTOBT. —The provisional directors have decided to accept Mr Fooks' offer of a site on Alford Forest road, a mile and a half from the town, Mr Fooks agrees to make the race, and bring in the water. The company purohase four and a half acres of land, with the option of taking the remainder of the block of ten aores. Hobticultubax SoCistt.— A meeting of the committee of the Sydenham Horticultural Sooiety was held on Saturday,when the arrangements were completed for the Autumn Show, whioh it is decided to hold in the large sohoolroom, Selwyn street, early next month, due notice to be given by advertisement. A mag• niScent trnss of geranium (Mr. Armstrong's seedling), was exhibited by Mr. Beattie, measuring upwards of a foot. U.A.OD —The usual fortnightly meeting of the Mistletoe Lodge, held on Thursday eveniog, was largely attended by members and visitors. After disposing of the rontine business the Lodge adjourned for harmony and refreshment?, a very enjoyable evening bHng spent by all present. The exeoutive (fficars were appointed to attend, the next district meeting, full power to act being given them on behalf of the ledge.

AsHßtrßTOif DIBTBIOT Licnronrg OoKHITIBES — Far Mjant 8 Jmeri, Mr Danoen Cameron, being the sole oandidate, has been declared duly elected. For the borongh of Ashbnrton, Meura Oeo. H. St. Hill, J. Iresi, H. T. Winter, A. S&underf, J. Grifw, B. Aloora, 8. B. P>yot*, T. Bullock, W. α-avin, and A. On bare been nominated- 9or A»bbarton diitriet, Metin B*. HiH, Irets, Andrew*, McLean, Q-'igy, Winter, Pjynts, and W. H. Ziueh. For Upper Athburton, Messrs Harper, Baine, McLean, Stitt, Builock, and Clark. Ai»LK&«> Absow.—A fire occurred on Satardcy. about 1230, at Hilhnorton, near the Lunatio A»ylum, by which two cottages were contained, the one being occupied bj James Wright *nd the other by a Mrs Turner, a none, who was from home at the time. Owing to the raspiototu cirenmeUneet, James Wriiht »nd hi» wife, Marguet, weie «rrefted at five o'clock on the erening of Saturday. It ieeaid that Wright , * bonie we* iniured to »t« **&»*, **>* Uiat other obargwof , like n»tBM «m pendwf againrt t>,e prieoaeTS.

Euonov PsrmoHf Corar.—The jademeit of the Court in the case of W. P. Cowlishaw ?W.E Pilliet, heard during last week before their Honors, will be given at three o'clock this afternoon.

Fxeb.—At 1.15 a.m. yesterday morning I the Lichfield street fire bell rang out an alarm, and it was discovered that the engine shed at William Hunsley's sawmill*, Colombo ■ street, near Vincent's brewery, was on fire. The Fire Brigade were promptly on the spot. It appears that the engine fire was put out at 5 p.m., and at 11.45 p.m. Mr Hunsley went through the premises and found it apparently all right. In about an hour after an alarm was raised by an employe of his named Edmund Simmons, and it was discovered that j a pile of shavings and sawdust near the i engine was on fire. The fire had caught the rafters of the engine house, but was extinguished by a few bnokets of water. It is presumed that the fire was oommunioated by the heated brickwork of the furnace to the ohavinge. The insurances were £800 in the Union and Hamburg-Magdeburg offices. The damage done*will be covered by an outlay of £5.

Oddfsixowb aitd thb Exhibition. —A meeting of Oddfellows belong to the Christchurch district, was held in the Oddfellows' Chambers, luoh field street, on Saturday evening, Bro. G. M. Woodford, P.G.M. in the chair. It was unanimously resolved to co.opera f e in the forthcoming exhibition, Bro. Woodford being appointed to represent the district on the citizens' committee. The district offioars, together with Bros. Leahy, Thomson and Tennal, and the N.G.s of the various Lodges were appointed as a eub-oommittee to assist in the matter. The distrust officers, together with Bros. Leahy, Thomson and Vennal, and the N.G.s of the various lodges were appointed as a sub-committee to assist in the matter. It was also resolved to invite the cooperation of the Lyttelton and Ashley districts.

Nobth Oahtbebubt Oalbdokiah Socibtt. —A meeting of ttaU society wai held at McLean's hotel on Saturday evening. Pro•ent— Mesara A. McDona'd (in the chair), Cameron, McKay, Q-eddif, Olsen, Qibb», Lewton, Diok, Lister, Hunter, MoMorran, Kemp, Campbell, Duff, Gutbrie, Hosssok, Anderson, Moßetb, Forbes, Christian, Green. The Chairman reported that the programmes had been printed, and had given general satisfaction. The plaoe of the gathering was then disoutsed, and on the motion of Mr J. Cameron, seconded by Mr J. Geddis, it was carried that the offer of Mr MoMorran of a paddock be accepted. The following were appointed a ground committee — Messrs Cameron, McKay, Hunter, Forbes, MoMorran, MoNaught, Gibbs, McDonald. Judges were then appointed for the different events. It was agreed that the privileges be sold by Messrs Bean and Co. on Maroh 6ihThe ohairman was asked to inquire further re band. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated one of the largest meetings ever held in connection with this society. Feozbk Mbat nr Lokdow.—By the Orient in July last 4000 caroases of mutton were conveyed to Lrndon, cool and comfortable. A leading offioial oi the Frosen Meat Export [ Company placed a private mark on six of the carcases, and asked one of the engineers of the refrigerating room to look after their diepee al. Hβ did so, and saw them sold to a I retail butcher in Oxford street at s}d per lb.

Next day (says " ") be paid a visit to the shop, and saw the marked caroases hanging up. He inquired how they sold this mutton. The reply was, "Best Sooteb, fir, 13d per lb." That Scotch mutton was bred and fattened at Oooketgedong, Urana, N.8.W.! CommbboiAl Thbatibs. —In the new edition of bis excellent little book, "Free Trade and Protection, , ', which has been to a considerable extent rewritten, Mr Fawcett has a very pertinent chapter on "Commercial Treaties." After vindicating the polioy which recognises the consistency of these treaties with free trade, he goes on to instance the good done by the treaty oonoluded with France in 1860. H* takes the woollen trade, as being the most obstinately protectionist of any in France. In 1859, the year before the treaty with England, Franoe imported £100.000 worth of woollen cloths and yarns, and exported £7,000,000. Her excess of exports was I therefore £6,900,000. Sixteen years later, and under Mr Cobden'a treaty, her imports of these goods amounted to £3.700 000; but so far was this increase from limiting the export trade of Frenoh manufactures, that it had risen to £14,000,000 -or, in faot, to double the figures of 1859. An approaoh (•ays the "Pall Mall Budget") towards freedom of exohange was, in other words, a great stimulus to (he export business of Frmoe. Thb Last op hbb Bach. — Some five years ago a good deal of moralising (says a Home paper) was indulged in over the death of what was supposed to be the last of the Tasmanian aborigines, Qaeen Traganini, otherwue known as Lalla Bookh, who enjoyed a pension of £80 a year. It would seem, howevsr, from a statement by a correspondent of the " Colonies," that we have not yet seen the last of the Tasmanians, there being still ona survivor, Fanny Cochrane, who is in receipt of a pension of £24. Wβ fear that none of our colonies have mnoh to boast of in their treatment of the natives dnring the early settlements, but the brutal butchery of the Tasmanians by the English emigrants, and that not many years ago, surpasses anything on record in any other colony. The work was so thoroughly done that there is now only one doubtful survivor. Probably Canada, putting aside the first seizure of the land, has acted with more justioe to the natives than any other English colony, and that is probably owing to the fact that it was for long a Frenoh oolony. There, at all events, the natives are on the whole prosperous and on the increase. In one recent settlement of Sioux refugees from the United States the people have taken to agriculture, having raised a considerable neirber of acres of various orops, and reared a good many head of oattle. They seem to be self supporting. Beeent investigations both in the United States and Canada seem to show that the Bed Man is by no means doomed to extinction, but is in faot increasing slowly in numbers.

A Suspicious Cash.—An extraordinary poisoning case at Landsborouga is recorded by the "Ararat Advertiser," by whioh no less than five persons narrowly escaped death. It is reported that " a young woman named Jessie Mair brought home to her mother's house a tin of white powder, whioh she called baking-powder, and suggested to her mother the advisability of making some ioor.es with it. This was done, and two lads of the name of Hallow having dropped in jutt as the scones were oooked, and they were invited to sit down with the family and eat them, bat no sooner had some of the soones been swailowed than fits of vomiting simultaneously attacked those who had partaken of them. Suspecting that something was wrong, Mrs Mair threw the remainder of the scores outside, when a number of fowls were immediately killed through eating the poisonous stuff. The remainder of the powder was then thrown into the fire, and medical assistanoe obtained for the sufferers, five in number. With the exception of severe internal pains for twenty-four hoars, no evil effects have been felt by the poisoned ones, and they are therefore out of danger. The strangest part of the affair is that the young woman referred to above, refused to e»t the ■cones after advising her mother to make them. The polios are now endeavoring to ascertain where Jessie Mair got the powder that so nearly effeoted a most disastrous tragedy."

that so nearly exfeoted a most disastrous tragedy." Fxct.__-.iom to Akaloa--The p.s. Titan will make - cheap excursion trip to Little Akaloa and back next Sunday. Canteb_-_-_.t Collioi.—A meeting of the Board of Governors of the Canterbury College will be held at 3 p m. to-day. Citt Counct- —The ordinary meeting of the City Council will teke place this evening at seven o'clock. Psbmakbnt Tsvxa-n-tKNT Association.— The annual meeting of the above will be held in Mr Charles Clark's rooms on Thursday next, at 7.30 p m. fcT. Mab__. MsßrvALß.—lt is notified elsewhere t. at the new organ recently built by Mr Jenkins, for Bt. Mary's, Merivale, will be opened by a choral service to morrow evening at 730 p-m. The Cathedral chow, under the Pro* center at_t tbe Cathedral organist, have promised their services for the occasion. The prooersional. hymn will be 274, the Magnificat nnd Nona Dunittis will be taken to Garrett in D, while the anthem will be Macfarrea's M A Day in "Yhy Courts." At the conclusion ot the service Mr Wells wiU play three or four pieces from '.he great masters. Among thoae members of tbe prof naion in -he provinces who sent to Mr William Holland on ths occasion of his benefit at Drury I lane, wishing him snootes, was Mr Henry Irving, who forwarded something mora substantial than good wishes in tha form ef a eh. .gai tax 210.