TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1467, 24 August 1865, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Chamber of Commeiicb.—A meeting of tho Committee of the Chamber of Commerce will be hekl this day, at their rooms, in High street, for the purpone of electing a secretary in the place of Mr. Wheeler, who has resigned the situation. llksjoknt Magibtiiate'h Court.—The business at this Court, as far as regards the criminal cases, is becoming almost a sinecure. Yesterday there was only one case —that of a person who, being convicted of having been drunk and disorderly, was fined £5. Several debt cases were disposed of, but they were of no general interest. Accident.—Yesterday afternoon an accident happened in the river Avon, near the Victoria Bridge. Two horses, harnessed to a dray, bad been driven into the river for the purpose of being watered. As the driver was turning the team, the dray was upset, and the horses nearly drowned. By the exertions of the by-standers they were rescued, after some risk. Creditable to Canterbury.—Mr. Cecil Allen Coward, from Christchurch, has passed his matriculation examination for the bar at the Temple. He was the only one of the candidates who was not sent back for a faulty Latin translation, and was congratulated by the Examiners, who told him that he was a credit to New Zealand. Mr, Coward was a pupil of the late Rev. C. Alabaster. Prisonehs from Hokitika. —About nine prisoners, in charge of police constables arrived by the s.s. William Miskin, sent for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court in this province. A large quantity of goods was also landed from the same vessel, the result of some of the robberies in which the prisoners were concerned. Total Abstinence Society.—We understand that the members of the Total Abstinence Society intend taking measures for building a hall for their use as a place of meeting. A bazaar is proposed to be organised, with a view of defraying the expenses. A subscription has been started, and the cooperation of the ladies of Christchurch is solicited in furtherance of the project.

Chuistchdkch Mutual Protection Society.—A meeting of the members of this society was held last night, at the Lyttelton Hotel, at seven p.m. Mr. G. Allen occupied the chair. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Mr. Wynn Williams, the honorary secretary, stated that since the last meeting of the association, Mr. Ollivier had joined it, and had paid in the sum of a guinea as his subscription to the fund. The following resolution was put and unanimously carried—" That, in the opinion of this meeting, it is necessary to take immediate steps to test the validity of the City Council Ordinance." Mr. Williams proposed the annexed resolution, observing that money had been expended in a manner not contemplated, and that it was necessary to have information with regard to such expenditure—" That Mr. Travers be retained and instructed to apply to the Supreme Court for a quo warranto, calling upon the chairman and members of the City Council to show by what authority they take upon themselves the duties of chairman and members of a City Council for the city of Christchurch." Mr. Oswald seconded the motion, which was carried.

Stained Glass. —The use of this beautiful material is now coming into general employment in the province. Some little time ago we chronicled the putting up of a stained glass window in Lyttelton Church, in memory of the late Miss Andrews. The cost of stained quarry lights, imported from England, is, we understand, very little less than that of plain glass windows manufactured here, and the bright sunlight we enjoy here considerably heightens the effect of coloured glass. The Freemasons of Canterbury have determined to erect, by subscription, a painted window as a memorial to the late Archdeacon Mathias, in the chancel of the Church of St. John the Baptist, in Latimer square, Christchurch. The design is to be executed by Messrs. Bury and Mountfort. It is to be wished that the building committee for that chuich had at their disposal funds available for furnishing the church altogether with stained quarrylights. Some beautiful specimens of stained glass windows have been received by these gehtlemen for the Roman Catholic church at Brackenridge. These arrived by the Indian Empire, and are executed to the order of Mr. F. A. Weld. Three lancet windows will be placed behind the altar of the church. The centre one contains the figure of the Redeemer of mankind, after the deposition from the cross, and bears the legend, " Mater dolorosa ora pro nobis," in legible-me-diaeval characters. On the right is the figure of St. Joseph, holding the lily, emblematical of the holiness and purity of the Blessed Virgin, with whom he was united in marriage. Here also the legend, " Sancte Josephe ora pro nobis" appears. On the left is a representation of St. Philomena,with the legends generally attached to her likeness. The side windows of tho chancel, nave, and porch are filled in with coloured quarry light h, of a very neat and chaste design,enriched with borders and painted bunds. Tho windows are formed of Chance's rolled plates, of a very strong description. Messrs. Heaton, Butler, and Bayne, of London, supplied the windows.