TOWN AND COUNTRY NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVI, Issue 951, 21 December 1861, Page 4

TOWN AND COUNTRY NEWS.

On Wednesday evening last, about eight o'clock, the town of Lyttelton kas alarmed by a cry of * fire.' It appears that a boy-while playing with his companions threw a righted fuse over a gorse fence close to the railway shaft in London street, which immediately ignited, and forborne time placed the houses in- the immediate neighbourhood in jeopardy. Fortunately there was but very little wind, and that from the north-east. A few minutes after the fire broke out, a number, of persons had assembled and by their [exertions the progress of'the flames was arrested, and the damage confined to a few palings and some* gorse. The unprotected state of the towiv from damage by fire cannot he enforced upon the inhabitants too strongly or too often. We have no protection worthy of the name, the only engine in the place being unserviceable. While on the subject of fires it might be aswell to remind the police, that there .is an Ordinance in force forbidding gorse fences in towns within certain distances of dwellings, under fixed penalties. We are glad to see that the Police Ordinance is to be amended so as to meet the difficulty which appears to stand in the way of compelling importers of sheep to bury their dead in the neighbourhood of towns. While the Government is looking into this matter we would suggest another point for their consideration. The shores of our harbour are lined with stinking carcases at the present moment, thrown overboard; from ships, contrary, we believe, to the harbour regulations, which require the bodies of cattle or horses to be towed out to sea. It is reported that the master of the Aurifera, a canny scott, indifferent to smells, but careful of the siller, rather than go to the expense of hiring a steamer to take the dead bodies out to the heads, has a long line of putrefying carcases hanging on, onion fashion, by a rope from the stern of his ship. Of course, as they advance a stage they drop off, and arc floated ashore. Does the harbor master know of this ?

" Drink fair Sairey."—lt is reported, that on the morning after the Government were defeated on the matter of the Kowai coal reserve,. the .Waste Lands office was ' rushed' by honorable members - who had kept the matter ' dark' since the previous night, and were thus enabled to be first on the list. No do.ubt the proceedings of the honorable gentle- . men were perfectly legal in this case, but the public "has a right to expect that sufficient time should elapse between an important change of this kind - being made arid the period of its taking effect, to enable all alike to start fair. -

■ Late on Wednesday night the consideration of the : Kowai Coal Reserve was laid before the Provincial Council and rejected. . On Thursday, at the sitting of the Waste Lands Board, Mr. F. Thompson applied j for 2614 acres of this reserve for Mr. J. B. Sheath, ■tendering in payment £5,228, which was held con- ; ditibnally, no notification having then been forwarded from the Council.

On Christmas Eve the vocal department of the Musical Union will give a concert in the Market Hall. The programme promises well, several pieces of a popular character being introduced.

' His Honor Mr. Justice Gresson will proceed most likely during the vacations to hold the Circuit Court at Dunedin. There are already eleven cases on the criminal side. His Honor will sit in Chambers at 11 o'clock on Monday next previous to his departure. In the case Back v. Hall, his Honor Mr. Justice Gresson, in Chambers yesterday, gave judgment upon a demurrer argued at the previous sitting, the effect of;which is that the Ilesident Magistrates have power" to issue execution. Our limited space prevents our giving the particulars in full, but we hope to do so in our next issue. : .v

Mr. J. Coe of Gloucester street, Christchurch, has received the sum of £79 17s 4d from the Northern Insurance 'Company, through' Mr. F. Thompson, as remuneration for loss sustained by the fire which occurred on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 13. * Mr. Bethel Ware and Mr.'.J. Shackleton conducted the valuation, which appears to ho perfectly satisfactory to all parties concerned. Tho ICth inst. (the anniversary) was a marked day in Timaru. Tlie ladies and gentlemen in and around the neighbourhood, gave a'"treat to tho school children, inviting also their Mends. A spacious marquee was erected for tho purpose, and a'most lihoral entertainment given to them; the remainder of tho afternoon was spent in foot races, scrambles, and

other games. Tho days' amusements wore conclurlcd by tho singing of the National Anthem. Everybody seemed in good humour, and tho day passed off very pleasantly.

A prospecting party has returned to Timaru from tho Mackenzie country unsuccessful in their search for a payable gold Held.