TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1266, 21 July 1864, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Tim City Couvouation lius been mudo glad by tho advent of a veritable turtle, which was yesterday cut up and lnude into the oft-counterfeited article —genuine turtle-soup. Shades of Gog and Mugog 1 the city smacks of the turtle aroma all down High street, and the Council Chamber has assumed ft Guildlmlly look already. Fancy pictures the aldermen rushing to the howl, to quiet those ardent longings for green fat of which their stomachs have so long been deprived, and which must have been a bereavement hard to bear when it is considered that turtle is as necessary to an alderman as milk to an infant. Somebody has said that the stomach has a wonderful influence tipon the mind. So we may anticipate that things will go smoothly at the City Council for some weeks. Even the drainage scheme may be passed without a dissentient by men who have changed in a day from " the rage of the vulture " to ,l the love of the turtle," and by the assi-| milation of their food are becoming unctuous, green, and jfat. Robes, and chains, and mazarine gowns must now follow, and our Corporation behave in all things as such. Of course the 20th of July will be duly entered by the Town Clerk, in the archives as a Hed-Letter Day, on the recurrence of which the Council will again look for Calipash and Calipee. 1 Volunteer Rifle Corps.—No. 2 Company met for drill in the Foresters' Hall last eveniilg, when about 40 members fell in. The election of petty; officers took place, I colour sfe'rgeant, 2 sergeants,' and 2 corporals being chosen, subject to the approval! of the Major commanding. At a Committee Meeting held after drill, 16 new members were elected. The Company now musters about 65 men. No. 1 Company has requested Mr. FitzGerald to take the post of Captain. Freemasonry.—The appointment of officers in the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canterbury for the year took place on Tuesday evening. The Hon. J. C. Watts Russell being Provincial Grand Master, and Dr. Donald'having received the office of his "Deputy since the lamented death of Archdeacon Mathias, Brother James Grant was appointed P.G.S.W., and Brother Cyrus Davie, P.G.J.W., for the ensuing year; The other Offices, seventeen in number, were also filled up with a few exceptions._ Medical Mesmerism.—Captain G. H. Wilson, in whose hands the science of Electro-Biology, as yet so little understood by the general public, and so much sneered at by some, is turned to the best of alii uses, the benefit of his fellow-creatures, gave a lecture last night in the Town Hall, Lyttelton.' Captain Wilson's reputation as a mesmerist, both practical l and theoretical, brought together a large assemblage l of the townsfolk, wlio Were the more gratified be- j cause their opportunities for "witnessing v tM pheno-, mena have been comparatively' few. We_ have! attempted to describe the subject of Capt. Wilson's lectures and the practical illustrations which he ; gives of its truth so often that we do not here repeat the trial. Another lecture of the series will be given, in the same place! this evening. It is obvious at each successive lecture that the number of those who abandon sneer and incredulity for belief is rapidly! increasing, and for the best of all reasons, those who : «ee the facts cannot help admitting their truth.

Acclimatization Society. —At mid-day on Tuesday last, Mr. Barker, the Government Gardener, in company with the workmen now engaged in the formation of the grounds of this society, planted their first tree v implying as this- did-the commencement of an important undertaking, likely to effect a vast improvement in the appearance of the domain and city, it was thought a fitting occasion for a little deviation from the ordinary routine of every; day life. Accordingly a fine healthy specimen of an English oak of four years growth, and standing about 10 feet high, had been,selected, and was,duly planted; during which proceeding "three hearty cheers were giVen by the workmen, who struck up the well known song---" Brave old Oak." A fine piece of iyy was then planted at the bottom of the oak, And entwined around its stem. : The workmen then joined heartily in the last two. verses of the 'song Known by the name of " the Oak and the Ivy " ending thus "Let us copy the oak and the ivy green ; And like Britons join hand in hand; As firm as our oaks may our sons be seen, In the cause of their native, land. May our daughters fair like the ivy share The arms of the parent tree ; May we all unite in our strength and might, tfor home and liberty."

After this the workmen were hospitably entertained by the liberality of Mr. Grosvenor Miles, one of the governors of the Domain Board, the workmen during the entertainment singing with mirth and iollity such songs as " Woodman Spare that Tree," " Rule Britannia,'" and " Men of Merry England," ending with the National Anthem. After which, %\\ resumed their work with a determination that the planting thus favourably begun should have a satisfactory termination. , Church 01? England, Kaiapoi*—-A public meeting of the parishioners was held in the Parish Church, Kaiapoi, on Tuesday evening, for the purpose of appointing a churchwarden vice J. Reston resigned, and also to consider what means should be adopted for the maintenance of Divine Service in the Church. The miuutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, the Rev. W. Willock proceeded to read Mr. Reston's letter resigning the post of churchwarden; when, Mr. J. Hey wood being proposed by Mr. J. Beswick and seconded by Dr. Dudley, was appointed to the vacant office. In consequence of Mr. Willock representing the extreme desirability of raising funds to defray the arrears due on the building fund, &c., Mr. J. Birch moved—" That consisting of the Vestrymen, Church wardens, Messrs. Gilkison, Dudley, T. Anderson, J. A. Shaw, W. P. Wilson, G. C. Black, and the mover, be appointed to raise by subscription the sum of £100 to defray all outstanding expenses ; and, that they report progress at a vestry meeting to be held this day fortnight." Mr. Dudley seconded the motion, which was carried._ Mr. Birch hoped, in conclusion, that the first available funds would be employed in insuring the church. The meeting then separated. Mandeville Farmers' Club.—ln consequence of the date already fixed for the annual ploughing match of this club being found to fall on the same day as the Christchurch Steeplechase, it has been decided to postpone the match until the 11th of next month. Testimonial to Mr. W. White. —A public meeting of the subscribers to the fund for presenting a testimonial to Mr. W. White in appreciation of his energy and enterprise in successfully bridging the Waimakariri and otherwise facilitating the traffic on ■ the North road, was held on Saturday evening last at the Kaikainui Hotel, Kaiapoi, R. Hickman, Esq., in the chair, when it was decided that the proposed testimonial should consist of a gold watch and chain, to bepresentedatthe supper succeeding the ploughing match of the Mandeville Club on Thursday evening i the 11 th of August next. The Exhibition. —We are requested to mention for the information of exhibitors, that the produce and manufactures of other countries may be exhibited, as well as those of New Zealand, provided they are duly entered and classified as such. It is further to be understood that the Local Committee will

beav all the expense incurred in forwarding to the Exhibition and arranging the articles entrusted to them in this province, and will return the same to their owners if not disposed of in Dunedin. Under these circumstances, there is no excuse for not contributing. . „ Princess Theatre. —" Our American Cousin was played last night to a crowded house, and was very successful. The principal characters were capitally sustained by Miss Aitken, Messrs. Richardson, Shiels, Newton and Carey. Mr. Hall was a capital specimen of the rough uncouth Vermonter, thrown by accident into high and refined English society. The burden of the piece rests chiefly upon the characters of Asa Trenclmrd and Lord Dun-, dreary, the contrast between them being ludicrous in the extreme. Mr. Ilall kept the house in a roar of laughter by the Yankee eccentricities of the former, which are, however, mpre than compensated for by the excellence of his heart. The great pressure upon our space and the length of the; piece' compel us to defer a more extended notice until our next impression. ' Artesian Well for Kaiai'Ol.—We are glad to hear that the public of Kaiapoi, being determined to remedy the inconvenience caused to the inhabitants by the frequent, freshoa in the Waimakanri, have decided upon sinking an artesian well in Charles street, The amount required. for this purpose is to be raised by public subscription. We are informed that a goodly siim has already been subsonbed, and that negociations for the sinking aro to be commenced forthwith.

The North Road.—We are informed that Messrs. Fairweather and Wilson have at length come to terras with Messrs. Cobb Co. relative to the .conveyance of passengers on this road, and that the former will cease to run immediately ou the carnage of the mail being transferred to the latter. Refractory Seamen,—Twelve of the seamen to the ship Ivanhoe, recently convicted and sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment. for disobedience of orders, were brought up before, the Resident Magistrate at the Police Court, Lytjtelton, on Tuesday, and sentenced to nineweeka' itriprison-

niunt with hard labour, for refusing duty on the whip after being put on hoard hy tlio police. Suhi'iciouh.—A foiv ttiivu ago, u mail who pave his lifimo us .Joseph Hutteriicld, and professed to be going northward u» a volunteer for one of the military corps, was landed from the steamer on account of his health, and taken to Lyttelton Hospital. He expired a few minuted after his admission; and on examination a net of skeleton keys and other implementH appropriate for housebreaking were found on his person and in his traps.