NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1837, 12 January 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Assault on a Witness, —Just before eleven o’clock this morning, as J. Johnston, one of the witnesses in the rioting cases at present under adjucafion, was proceeding to the Supreme Court, he was accosted in tho vacant space adjacent to Mr Joynt’s new offices by a stranger, who wanted to know if he was one of the witnesses. On his replying in tho affirmative, the stranger said he should never get to the Court, and assaulted him. Mr Johnston who, unfortunately has only one leg, having lost one through an accident, finding himself in a bad case, drew his wooden leg and smote his adversary in what is popularly known as the “ breadbasket.” A friendly Samaritan, who was passing by, remarked upon the cowardice of striking a cripple, and forthwith “ went for ” tho aggressor, who was handled rather roughly. Mr Johnston, who had to keep his appointment at the Supreme Court, and was, moreover, not in a position to pursue, then proceeded on his way. Mr Johnston, wo believe, can identify the man who attacked him.

Acknowledgment. —On taking his seat in Court this morning his Honor Mr Justice Johnston said that, os the Court rose very hurriedly on Saturday, he had omitted to discharge the jury formally and to tender to them the usual courtesy of thanks for their services. He now did so, tendering the thanks of the Queen and the colony for their services during a very interesting period. Of course they were discharged by due effect of law, under the Jury Act, as having served their term, but he regretted that he should have omitted to have tendered them the thanks of the colony. The Ohozktb. —lt will be seen by reference to our shipping column that Captain Pergusson, of the ship Margaret Galbraith, from London, passed close in to Gough’s Island and the Crozet Group, but he saw no signs of life on either. A Tint Toy. —The smallest engine in the world is said to bo in the possession of Mr John Penn, of Greenwich. It stands on a threepenny piece, although it really covers less, for its base only measures three-eighths of an inch by three-tenths. So small are some parts that they require a powerful magnifying glass to see their form. The whole weight of the model is lees than a threepenny piece. It works admirably, and when working its crank shaft performs from 20,000 to 30,000 revolutions per minute. The Intkepbotincial Match. The cricket match between Canterbury and Otago was commenced at Dunedin on Saturday, Particulars of the first day’s play are published in this issue. The Gladstone Piee. —Messrs Hawkins and Martindale’s contract for reclaiming the frontage to the westward of the Sorewpile Jetty has made good progress during the recent very quiet time in shipping business. The absence of shipping at the Gladstone Pier, and consequent stoppige ot railway traffic past Officer’s Point, afforded them a much better chance of pushing the work ahead than must be the ease during the season which has just opened. From this out their operations will be more or less subject to interruptions by passing trains in transit to and from the pier. It is well that their undertaking has been advanced sufficiently to give them a partial remedy against these disadvantages, and that where but a month or two since they were enabled only to have one lino of rails between the breastwork and the loading ground, they now have five, with a corresponding increase in the number of workmen. During the quiet period referred to advantage has also been taken of the opportunity by the Harbor Board to have the alterations completed in respect to the Gladstone Pier sheds. Particulars of these have been published, and the present wool season, followed by the still busier grain season, will afford ample opportunity for testing the value ot the changes made. The impression already obtained is favorable. At present there are four English ships discharging miscellaneous cargoes into the new sheds, namely the Southesk, Waitara, Euterpe and the Hereford, and no detention is experienced, as cargo requiring examination by the Customs officials can at all times be discharged from the ships into the sheds. With a good supply of rolling stock, and the completion of the plate-laying on the outer extension of the pier, a more complete range of berths for ships, whether for loading or discharging, than the Gladstone would afford • ould not be desired.

Lysteb’s Opeba Company. —This popular opera troupe, numbering fifty-two performers, arrived by the steamer Wanaka on Saturday from Dunedin, and will open at the Theatre Royal this evening in Verdi’s grand opera “Un Ballo in Masohera.” Particulars of the cast appear in the announcement of the performance. A notice to subscribers is also published. Model Yacht Race. —A model yacht race was arranged to take place on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m., but at that time there were only one or two of the competitors present. Towards five o’clock, however, a race “ for fun ” was started, in which Mr Hutchinson won. A Model Yacht Club is proposed to bo formed, the boats now being sufficiently numerous for that purpose. Harvesting Nobtheen District. —After the splendid weather of the past week harvesting of oats will become general to day in the Kowai, Eyreton, and Waikuku districts, in all of which there will be good returns. Of the tenders sent in for tying and stooking prices range from 6s to 9s an acre. The latter, though a full price, will be fairly earned in some of the hee.vy crops, though the probable price of oats will hardly pay the farmer to give this price for that cereal. The wheat crops in Ashley county will be ready for harvesting should the dry weather continue in about a fortnight. Several capital hay crops were secured last week.

Robbbby AT Rakaia. —For some days past the town of Bakaia has been visited daily by men of all descriptions on the look out for work, so many men arriving that numbers of them have been unable to find sleeping accommodation at the hotels and lodging-houses, and, as a consequence, they have had to pass the night under the gorso hedges. On Friday night one of those men was robbed of £4O, the thief cutting out the man’s pocket with some very sharp instiu ment, probably a razor. The man, who was drunk, was in the company of a woman, who was brought up on Wednesday last on a charge of vagrancy The woman was apprehended by Sergeant Pratt on Saturday morning, and taken to Ashburton. Her husband, who was also with them, is not to be found. A man known as Piccolo Charley was also apprehended with the woman. Woodknd School. —On Friday the children attending this school received their annual treat in Mr B. Bailey’s paddock, where the afternoon was pleasantly spent in competing for toys and enjoying the luxuries provided by parents and friends. Paupers in Hospitals. —The attempt, says the “ Wellington Post,” to board out the pauper patients in the hospital which was made some time ago, has turned out a complete failure, as not a single one of them has as yet left the comfortable quarters in Pi pi tea street. The matter requires more serious consideration than it has hitherto received. Sons op Temperance —This body will hold a public installation of officers in the Temperance Hall.Gloucebteri-treet, this evening, after which a short entertainment Will be given, to which all are invited.

Leeston Peksbyteeian Church. —The annual meeting of this congregation was heid on the 6th inst. The Kav. J. W. Oree, who occupied the chair, opened the meeting with devotional exercises, and congratulated the congregation on the number who had attended. Mr Anderson, treasurer, submitted the financial statement, from which it appeared that the total receipts for the year amounted to £257, and the total disbursements £229, leaving a balance to credit of £2B. After some discussion the report was adopted. On behalf of the ladies, who had undertaken the furnishing of the :-.ew church, the chairman read a report, in which several gifts from friends were acknowledged, and a statement of accounts, which showed that £42 10s 61 had been received from all sources, and £4l 12s Id expended, leaving a balance in hand of 18s si. On tho motion of Mr Scott, seconded by Mr McLauchlan, the report was adopted, and the thanks of the congregation conveyed to the ladiet. The following committee was elected for the ensuing year ; —Messrs J. McLauchlan, D. bceU, John Munson, D. Killahan, S. C. Doyle, J. McYinnie, and J. Mutlson. After a few remarks from the chairman, the meeting was closed with the Benediction. Trafalgar Suetivohs, October 21st (says an English paper) was the seventyfourth anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. The surviving officers are : —Admiral of the Fleet, Sir George Rose Sartorius, K. 0.8., who is now in his 90th year, and fought as a midshipman on board the Tonnant ; Admiral Robert Patton, now in his 89th year, who was a midshipman in the Bellerophon j Admiral William Ward Pereival Johnssn, who entered the navy July 2nd, 1803, and was on board tho Victory at tho time of the battle ; Commander Francis Harris, a recipient of tho naval pension, who was midshipman in the Tomeraire ; Commander William Vieary, now in his 87fch year, who was midshipman in the Achilles, and is in receipt of a Greenwich Hospital pension ; and Lieutenant-Colonel James Tyumore, also a recipient of a Greenwich Hospital pension, who was midshipman of the Africa. Peksbyteeian Church Accommodation. —A notice appears elsewhere to the effect that a meeting will he held at the Oddfellows* Ha’l, Montreal street North to-morrow evening, to consider how to obtain additional church accommodation for that neighborhood.

M. Bisohofsoheini, the Paris banter, has offered to erect un« present to the State an observatory near Nice. It will cost 1,500,000 francs.

German astronomers report tbeir recent observations for the first time of a Vermillioncolored spot upon the planet Jupiter, covering about one-fiftieth of the disc, an area equal to the continent of Europe. The Russian commander of a fortress in which a number of Nihilist prisoners were confined has committed suicide, after only a fortnight’s service, from sympathy with the sufferings of the prisoners, which he was powerless to relieve. A Pullman’s car, fitted up with a dining and smoking room, is about to be placed by the Great Northern directors on the lire between London and Leeds. Travellers leaving either Loudon or Leeds after breakfast will, it is stated, be able to roach their respective destinations before two o’clock, transact their business in the afternoon, and dine on their return journey by trains leaving either end of the line about 5 p.m. It is expected, the St. Petersburg journals say, that in the end of the year 1879 the steps already taken will result in placing from 10,000 to 15,000 additional cavalry under the Russian colors in Central Asia.

Sir John Suiale, the Chief Justice of Hong Kong, has made an important declaration with regard to so-called domestic slavery amongst the Chinese. He declares all slavery in whatever form illegal, and takes blame to himself with every other Government officer for allowing the forms of slavery openly existing there to gain the dimensions they have. The number of slaves in Hong Kong is variously estimated at between 10,000 and 20,000. The “ Hochi Shinbun ” hears that the Japanese Naval Department has authorised the construction of fifty steam launches, each oipable of carrying a cannon—probably a 16-pounder field piece. They are to he used, it is thought, for the protection of the coast.

As the present time Canada possesses 6134 miles of railway actually working, 721 partially made and in work, and 1041 in course of construction. The number of steamers plying on the lakes and the St. Lawrence :s 450, together with thirty deep sea steamers of 2000 to 4000 tons. The whole mercantile navy of the Confederation amounts to 1,310,463 tons.

A fifth cruiser has been ordered by the committee of the Russian Volunteer Fleet, at the works of the Forges ot Ohantiers, Marseilles, where the Nijni Novgorod cruiser was fitted. The new ship will cost 2,500,000 f. It is to ho called the Yaroalaf.

A “ Standard” telegram from Constantinople says that the question of the admission of Christians into the Turkish army has been discussed at a Council of Ministers, and that there was a majority in favor of adopting this measure. As a consequence of this decision the children of non-Mussulmans will be admitted to the Military School, whence hitherto they have been excluded. The American Polar exploring vessel Jeannette arrived at St. Lawrence Bay on the 25th September, and sailed for Cape Sardze Kamen after taking in coal. It is believed that there is a prospect of an open winter in the Arctic Sea this year. It is announced that the project of a memorial to Sir Rowland Hill, abandoned by the Lord Mayor, who had only received subcriplions in support of it to the amount of £IOO, has been taken up by an influential committee of citizens of London, headed by Messrs Rothschild, Messrs Copestako and Co., Mr S. Morley, M.P, &3. The recent experiment made at Woolwich with the new 80-ton gun was highly successful. After a careful trial this monster cannon has been found competent to pierce a vessel coated with 32in. of iron. No ironclad carries anything like such mail as this, nor is it probable that such ponderous armour can be successfully floated. The “ Budapesth Courier ” announces that the commission charged with ascertaining the amount of losses, public and private, occasioned by the catastrophe of last March at Szegedin has nearly completed its labours. The amount of private losses ascertained is set down at 11,200,000 gulden (about £500,000). The total will probably amount to 12,000,000 gulden, or about £6OO 000. It may interest our readers (says “Natur:.”) to know the elevations which at present are reached by inea of railway in different parts of the world. The Appennine railway reaches its highest point at an elevation of 617 metres above sea level; the Black Forest railway ascends to 850 metres, the Semmering lino to 890, the Caucasus line to 975 metres. The St. Gothard tunnel is 1154 metres above sea level; the railway across the Brenner reaches 1367 metres ; the Mont Cenis ra'lway ascends to 1338 metres j the North Pacific line to 1652, the Central Pacific to 2140, and the Union Pacific to 2513 metres. The highest of all is the line acres 3 the Andes, which roaches an elevation of 4769 metres.

The “Penang Gazette” hears from Burmah that the repute of the newly-diaoovo.ed sepphire mines in Siam has become so great that as many as 500 Burmans and Shans applied for British passports in o:.e day. Madame Nilsson was engaged for twelve performances in Spain, to be given during wedding festivities of King Alphonso, for which she was to receive 90,090 fr.

The tusk of ivory sent by Oetewayo into the British camp as a peace offering was 7itin length, and about half a yard in circumference at ti e girth. The electric light has been employed for military and naval purposes in Germany—among others for lighting up the ground lying iu front of a besieged fortress, for the illumination of ships at sea, and notably for carrying on work under water. The Bavarian Government has adopted a system of orthography arranged by the late Professor Raumer and a committee of experts, and it is to be introduerd into all the schools, so as to put an end to the complaints of difference in spelling.