NEWS OF THE DAY

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2398, 9 December 1881, Page 3

NEWS OF THE DAY

Earthquake.—A smart shook of earthquake was felt this morning at twenty minutes past five o’clock. A slighter shook followed about five minutes later. No damage has resulted. Our Lyttelton correspondent writes : “This morning at about half-past five o’clock a sharp shook of earthquake was felt at Port.

B.M. CotJBT. —This morning (before Mr Hellish), John Staff was charged with, and pleaded guilty to, stealing from John Smith, at Phillipstown, two shoe brushes and a cashbox containing 2s in coppers, total value 13sThe Magistrate said prisoner had been to him a few days before, and represented that he had been making a living by blacking boots, having at the same time a pair of brushes in his pocket which had never been used. Mr Hellish then expressed an opinion that prisoner was no good. The present offence was not in connection of any great amount, but that was not prisoner’s fault; no doubt ho thought to make a haul when he took the cash box. As, however, there were no previous convictions recorded against him, he would bo only sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment.

Back Horses soe Atjcklahd. The Arowata yesterday took Mr Lance’s Envy filly and Mr Bates’ Poet for the Auckland meeting.

The Damns. —The Perseverance Lodge of Druids held its usual fortnightly meeting in the lodge room, Bt. Mary's schoolroom, Addington, on Tuesday, There was a fair attendance of members. The secretary reported that the anniversary tea and concert was a success financially. There were two candidates proposed to become members of the lodge and order. It was announced that next lodge night would bo a summoned meeting night. After the usual business the lodge was closed in dueform by the A.D,

The Elections. To-day the polling throughout the colony for the election of members to the new Parliament is taking place, and seems to be causing an unusual amount of interest. In Christchurch and at the different polling plaoee in its immediate vicinity there is a very keen interest being r manifested in the probable results of the various contests, and, judging by the large numbers of “ free and independent electors who had paid their contributions into the ballot box up to the time of going to press, the total votes polled to-day bids fair to be considerably in excess of those recorded op any previous like occasion. Ordinary business throughout the town is almost entirely suspended, and the supporters of the different candidates are particularly active and using every endeavour to seek out and induce everyone to go to the poll and “do their duty,” to themselves and the country. Though there is a total absence of hired vehicles to take the electors to the scene of the contests, private conveyances are running in all directions, and anyone who wishes it can bo driven to the polling booths just as cheaply as though the Corrupt Practices Bill was already a dead letter. Though most of tho candidates will probably have tho satisfaction or dissatisfaction, as the case may be, of knowing to-night their relative positions on the poll, the official declarations will not take place till noon tomorrow. Bazaak. —The bazaar effort of the Primitive Methodist Ohuroh bas realised over £IOO. This evening the balance of the goods will be sold by auction in the ohuroh by Mr H. Bennetts. In another column a list of some of the orticles to be sold is advertised. Oxfobd.—On Sunday last, at the conclusion of Divine service in St. Andrew’s Church, East Oxford, the Kev. J. Sheldon, incumbent, presented Miss Woodfield with a purse of sovereigns. In making the presentation the rev. gentleman said ho had great pleasure in handing Mies Woodfield tho purse from the congregation, as a small token of tho pppreoia'ion of her almost gratuitous services as organist for many years, and regretted that tho ohuroh was losing for a time her valuable help, Spbinqston Temperance Sooibtt. —The above society held their first public meeting on Wednesday evening, when Mr W. Lawrey read an interesting paper on the “ Testimony of Travellers,” which was veiy highly appreciated. After some discussion on the evils of intemperance, in which Mr B. Wills and Mr Q-aorgo Beast took a prominent part, six came forward and took the pledge. Hearty votes of thanks wore accorded to _Mr W. Lawrey for his paper, and to Miss Wills, who presided at the harmonium, and the meeting was closed in the usual way. South Malvebn.—The Baptist Ohuroh anniversary was celebrated on Sunday, when Mr Glanvillo conducted tho services. On Monday the church was crowded at the tea meeting, and also at the public meeting. Addressee were delivered by Messrs E. Pole (chairman), Levick, Lewis, Ford, Qrindrod, and S. Ford. Selections of sacred music were well rendered by the choir, Mr Bobison being the organist. Votes of thanks were passed to the ladies, the speakers, organist, and choir, and the chairman. The proceeds of the offertories on Sunday and the tea meeting amounted to about £l4.

Abhbueton Fibb Bbioadb. —A monthly meeting waa held on Wednesday evening, Ooptain Dolman in tho chair. _ The following donations have been received since the recent fire in Willis street, which destroyed Cookeon’s stables and Tait’s saddlery premises, the buildings known as Saunders’ Buildings having been saved by tho efforts of tho brigade :—Mr Bevans (Bank of New Zealand), £lO 10s ; Messrs Poyntz and Co., £5 5s ; Mr B. Alcorn, £2 2s ; Mr 8. W. Alcorn, £2 2s; New Zealand Insurance Company (through Messrs Jameson ondßoberts), £2l; Messrs Albert Boberts and T, Chambers, £3 Lieut. Dolman and treasurer Parkin were appointed delegates to attend the annual conference at Timaru on January 9th. Abhbueton Distbict Couht. —Yesterday, before his Honor Judge Ward, the following oases were beard: Wilkin and Carter v George Benniaon, claim for £2OO. Mr Branson appeared for plaintiffs; no appearance of defendant; judgment given for plaintiffs, and immediate execution granted. In bankruptcy orders of discharge were granted to W. Fergus and O’Connor (Mr Branson); D. Evans and Stephen Stokes (Mr O’Beilly). Be Bobert Little, a debtor, an application was granted at Mr O’Bully’s request for an order nisi, calling on George Hutchinson to show cause why ho should not deliver np the property of Bobert Little, bankrupt, to the Clerk of the Court, Ashburton, and further to show cause why he had not allowed the bankrupt to retain £25 worth of furniture and personal effects. In probate—Re Mary Smith, deceased. Mr Crisp’s application was granted that letters of administration might be granted to H. T. Smith.

Bllbsmebb Annual Spobts.— The annual meeting was held at the Royal Hotel, Southbridge, on Wednesday evening. There was a largo attendance, and Mr Hanley occupied the chair. The Chairman stated that the first business of the meeting would be to appoint a day on which to hold the annual sports, and then to proceed to the election of officers. In reply to a question, the Chairman stated that he believed there was credit balance of over £7 from last year, and that the subscription list on the table showed another £35. On the motion of Mr Desborough, seconded by Mr Willis, the 2nd of January was fixed for holding the annual sports. Considerable discussion took place as to the action of theLeeston committee having arranged sports to be held on the 2nd of January. Mr Martin (a member of the committee) stated that the Leeaton committee would bo only too glad to amalgamate. Therohad evidently been a misunderstanding, but ho was sure if delegates were appointed to attend their meeting on Thursday evening than the matter would be amicably settled. The election of officers was then proceeded with, with the following reesnlt. Patron— The Hon. John Hall; president, Mr B. Lookhead; vice-president, Mr L. Y. Dosborough; secretary, Mr John Taylor; treasurer, Mr B, G. Staveley; committee of management, Messrs J. B. Campbell, A. Cameron, T. Wauchop, W. Stewart, D. Kelloghan, B. Webster, E. Phillips, O. Willis, GK M'Olure, J. M'Kellar, H, J. Unwin Messrs Taylor, Smithson, Willis and Donald were appointed as delegates to attend the meeting at Leeston. On the motion of Mr Desborough, seconded by Mr Harbottle, it was decided that the usual variety of sports be held on January 2nd. Mr John Taylor stated that some residents in the district had arranged for a handicap trotting match to come off on the racecourse on January 2nd, and had up to the present time received considerable support. They hoped in this one race to be able to give away about £SO in prizes. He would suggest that, as it would be self supporting, that to bring it under the management of the sports committee, a small sum be voted towards the race. It was decided to do so, 2i per cent, of the gross stakes to go to the funds of the Ellesmere sports committee. A vote ot thanks was passed to the chairman, and the meeting adjourned.

Sir Julius Benedict has, I understand, agreed to write some incidental music for Shakespeare’s “ Borneo and Juliet,’’ which Mr Irving proposes to revive at the Lyceum Theatre in the course of the forthcoming season.

“ Sweetheart, Good-bye,” is the title of a cew comedietta by Mrs Fairburn (Miss May Holt) that has been accepted by Miss Dolores Drummond for production at the Theatre Koyal, Scarborough. For a number of years Spanish pyrites has been imported by chemical manufacturers in Germany, some of whom sold it, after roasting it, to English copper works, as there was only one establishment in Germany, at Duisburg, which could work the pyrites. The “ Oesterreichische Zeitachrift ” reports that the second works is about to be built near Hamburg, for the purpose of extracting the copper from the material, which hitherto brought only low figures in England. There was, perhaps, never a more_ extraordinary suicide than that of a police employee in the Prussian village of Hohemolaen, who, a few weeks ago, drove a three-inch nail into his forehead with a curtain rod. The surgeons had difficulty, with the exertion of their whole strength, in getting the nail out. Xn his last book the late Dean Stanley said : “ Let us be firmly persuaded that error is most easily eradicated by establishing truth, and darkness most permanently displaced by diffusing light; and then, while the best parts of the High Church party will be_ preserved to the Ohurch by their own intrinsic excellence, the worst parts will be put down by the pacific process of creating in the Church a wholesome atmosphere of manly, generous feeling, in which all that is temporary, acrid, and trivial will fade away, and all that is _ eternal, reasonable and majestic will flourish and abound.”

The explorers have recovered all the bodies except one from the maudlin seam of the New Seaham Colliery. Thirteen of them were brought up out of the pit on August 87th. It was a year on the Bth September since the explosion occurred. A second in* quest was hold to take evidence, after the opening of the seapj, as to the origin or the explosion. A verdict similar to that given at the first inquest was returned—namely, that how or where the explosion occurred there was no evidence to show. The baobab tree of South Africa may be barked or burned out without injury to the tree, and it continues to live and grow for some time after it is out down, A great jewellery robbery has been committed at Belfast. Mr Carter, the representative of a London firm, while transacting business in the town, loft his jewellery case, containing articles of the value of £2OOO, in the luggage room of his hotel. When about to start for Dublin ho sent the porter to the room for the case, but it was nowhere to bo found. A queer wager was recently made among Berlin sportsmen, the question in point being as to how long a rider could sit on a horse standing still without falling asleep. A wellknown sportsman made a bet that ho would keep awake twenty-four hours on a horse standing at his crib in the stable, ana won it. The assertion was made in a public meeting in Manchester by the Chairman of the Board of Trade, that there were numerous working men in northern England who had come back to labor in that country after having served in the mills of America, because they found they could do much better in the old country than they could in the new.