TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2220, 1 February 1868, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

AGRicur/nntAr, Extort Company. A meeting of the shareholders o£ this company will be held at the offices, Colombo street, this afternoon. Tha business on hand i 3 to consider whether business shall at once be commenced, and if so, to at once elect a set of working directors.

Art-Union of London.—By the Panama mail, the agents of the above, Messrs Ileywood and Co., received the engraving for the present year, which is an exquisitely executed one, entitled " Pity." The following Lyttelton subscribers were fortunate enough to obtain prizes Messrs Ellisden, liayner, D. Davis, Buchanan, and R. Davis. Acclimatization Society.—Tho usual monthly meeting of the Council of this Society was held yesterday, at their room at the Mechanics' Institute, at 2 p.m. The following were present: Messrs G. L. Lee, chairman; Davie, and Johnson. In consequence of the small number of members present, the meeting was adjourned until Friday, the 7th inst. Rifle Match.—A match will be fired between the Engineers and No 2 Battery of the Lyttelton Artillery to-day. Each squad of Competitors will fire upon their own ground, and the ranges are fixed at 300,400, and 500 yards, eight men a side, with five shots at each. The position will be any, and the aatno conditions will be observed as are named for the General Government District prizes,

PolytixiinicKntektainmrnt.—Last night this instructive entertainment was given in the New Town Ilall, but owing probably to other attractions there was only a very limited attendance. The first part of the programme comprised a descriptive recitr.l of the theory of Astronomy, illustrated by rotatory diagrams of the heavenly bodies. The second part in addition to a number of mechanical scenes and local views, included a number of beautiful chromatic dissolving views, which in themselves alone were worthy of better patronage. The entertainment will be repeated this evening. Tub Volunteers.—Liat night the usual monthly parade of the Cliristchurch volunteers took place in front of tho Drill Shed, under Lieut.-Col. Pucke, who has recently succeeded to the command vice Lieut.-Col. Reader, transferred to Wellington. About 130 men were under arms in all, and aftar the rifles and accoutrements had been inspected, a series of battalion movements were gone through. The parade occupied about one hour and a-half, but it is greatly to be regretted that more men were not present. Notwithstanding tho threatened imposition of lines, there was but a slight increase on previous musters, and a large number have thus incurred a penalty,

Lyitulton Volunteer Arth-lkuy,— The detachment of No 1. Batteiy already told off, will parade at 3 p.m. on Monday next at the drill-shed, and proceed to Battery Point to practise tiring Royal salutes, in order to be enabled to give 11, H. 11, th" Duke of Edinburgh a fitting 1 eception 011 his arrival in this province. The Adjutant's parade of both batteries will also take place 011 tho f*me day at 7 p,m, The committees recently appointed by both batteries with a view of amalgamation, having concluded their labours, a meeiiug of the members of both batteries will be held on Wednesday next, at 7 p.m., in the new hall of the Colonists' society. The business to be brought forward will be the reception of the report of the committee; to accept the resignations of the whole of the officers and non-commissioned ollicers of both batteries, which have been tendered, and to elect ollicers and non-commissioned officers for the newly-formed battery. MAOisTuitiAi,.—Yesterday, at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Cliristchurch, before C. C, llowen, Esq., R.M., Elizabeth Melntyre was charged with having been drunk and disorderly, and also with having used obscene language. Constable M'Cium proved the charge against, the prisoner, whom he found intoxicated in Market sqyare on the previous day, Mis Worship fined her 20*, and cautioned her against indulging in drink for the future. A man was brought up on a warrant charged with horse-stealing. Inspector Pender produced the warrant under which the prisoner wax arrested, and asked for a remand for the purpose of procuring further evidence, The application was granted, and the prisoner was remanded until Monday next. At the Lyttelton Court, a man named Newton was charged 011 remand, with having assaulted his brother. After hearing the ovidence tlio Resident Magistrate dismissed the case, recommending the parties to live separately if they could not agree.

Loud Ltttui.ton.—Wulfortl's Mm of llw Time. (iimiiiinH the following brief nntim of our vi-itor:—Tim IIIkIi! Ilnn. (ieoi'iii! William Lord Lyttellon, « son of tlio third biiron. was burn in London in 1817. lie was educated lit Trinity Collckc, Ciimbi'iiltfe, where Ins (rriiiliiiitinl in Ilu; highest classical honours in 18118. III! wan of Stuto for tlui Colonies from Junuiuy to .1 nly, IHHi lio is Lord Lieutenant of Worei'.slei'shire, and lligli Steward (if llewdlcy ; and lie unsuccessfully stood for llioolllco of lli»h Steward of Ciimliriil(,'« Ihiivm-sity in [His opponent on ilmt occasion wns the Into Lord Lyndbnrst, ivlm liml taken a similar decree to Lord Lvlk'lt'in in 17! M.] In 18(i 1, h>> «'»« nominated a member of tlit; Parliamentary Commission iip|ininted to impiiro into tlio imiiiii!,'i)iiiiMit of public scliook Lord l<yttelton bus also tiikon mi active interest ns a peer of Parliament in colonial (|nustions, and in udvotMliui; the revival of the active powenuif Convocation and tlio extension of tlio Kpiscopatc, The Aii.antSh.kwohm,—Alotlcrbns been addressed to tliellou tlio of Now '/milii'iil, by Messrs Asselin and Bra 'y, of llrisliiini!, on tlio aubjoot of llio Ailiuit Hilkworin. This is stated to lie n iniicli Imnlier variety limn the ordinary mulberry silkworm, and promises to Ijccoiuo ut valuable awjuisi-

tlnn to tlio colony. Mourn Aasclln and Brady offer to place gratuitously, at the disposal of lilh Hxcelloney tlio Governor, unci tlio Superintendents of tlio vurioiiH provln«es, such a quantity of tlio Ailant silkworm us may lio Hiilllck'nt to supply any demand for it, The only stipulation that thoy make Is, that tlio slock shall not ho given to any person for tlio mero purpose of amusement, hut only to tluse who can satisfy tlio authorities that tliey have mado sufficient preparation for Its reception, and can glvo information as to tliu food, &c., which they have provided for the silkworms, W« understand that in th» event of the Canterbury authorities accepting the offer of Messrs Asselin and lirady,Mr Jlislop has undertaken to furnish fifty <t£ the ailanlhuntrees, on which the worms feed.

TiiF-vm; Uovai,.—- Lust evening vtuh appointed for the benefit of Mr B, N. Jones, the performances being under tlio patronage of Lord Lyttelton, the lion G. H, Lyttelton, and Mr Selfe, who were present. The first piece was Kotzebue's well-known play of " The Stranger." The drama Is, as Thackeray hus well remarked," probably one of the dreariest theatrical productions extant, yet one which from early associationg, and its touching moral of lovo and forgiveness, exercifics n moral influence upon tlio imagination of almost every one of us." The piece, considering it was the first time of its representation, was free from any great mlreiemp.i, and was evidently appreciated by the audience. Miss Bowring acted the heroine with much feeling', the idea of a woman, bearing about her the consciousness of a guiltjr secret, which embitters her whole life, and which she is forced to conceal beneath a rail of simulated cheerfulness, being excellently rendered. Miss Shcpparde took tlio part of the Countess with vivacity, tempered by a sense of dignity, which only gives way to a hurst of womanly feeling, when she recognizes in the gentle retiring Mrs Ilaller, her erring friend of happier (lays. Mr J. 11. Steele, as the Stranger, exactly realized the impersonation of a man naturally warm-hearted and affectionate, but wliobc better nature lias become soured through a morbid synicisim, the natural result of the grievous wrong which lie has sustained. I'eter the lubberly servant, whs well taken by Mr B. N. Jonej. The other characters were very creditably sustained, and tho house was well filled in every part, Legal.—ln Chambers, yesterday, in the case Bannatyne v. Jiartruin, a summons had been served by the defendant, calling 011 the plaintiff to show cause why judgment and execution should not be set aside oil the ground of irregularity. Mr Garrick moved, Mr p'Oyly contended that the affidavits filed in support did not shew any irregularity in the judgment or in the writ of Ji fa i SS ued upon it, The application should have been to set aside the writ, and not the subsequent proceedings, which were perfectly regular. After hearing Mr Gar ick in support of tho summons, His Honor made an order to set aside the judgment and execution, with costs. Mr D'Oyly thereupon applied for an order to restrain the defendant from bringing an action for trespass. His Honor aaid he could not make an order of this nature until it was shewn to satisfaction of the Court that no substantial damage had been done. Ilis present impression was against Mr D'Oyly, but lie was not disposed to decide a case of this kind on general recollection. Had Mr Garrick anything to say on the point ? Mr Garrick said the application came upon liirn by surprise, and he had to request a postponement in order to argue the point. His Honor ordered the matter to stand over. Davis v. Simson—Dr Foster applied for leave to appear and defend. Leave granted. He Spencer Arthur Percival. Mr Cottrell applied for leave to tax the costs of the debtor's insolvency in terms of the notice. Order made. Barnard v. Mundy and Another. In this case a rule nisi was granted on the 27th September last, directing the amount of execution to be paid into Court, to abide decision 011 the application by defendants to sat the judgment and execution aside. This application was not insisted on, and his Honor, on application, made an order to the effect that the money in the hands of the Court should be paid to the plaintiff, with costs. He William Gourlav, deceased.— Probate was granted to the widoiv nearly three months ago, hut objected to by Mr Bowron, Stamp Commissioner, because it bore date utter the date of the order. Mr Slater renewed his application for probate, and his Honor made the order as prayed. Ke James Alexander Wallace, late of Ilagley Lodge, clergyman, intestate.—Mr Duncan, for Mr Harper, applied that the sum of £B3 5s Gd, standing to the credit of the estate of tho deceased, in an account called the Public Account of New Zealand Public Trust Fund, should be paid out to the curator, Mr DeGourbel, and for leave to relinquish possession of the said real estate, and to pay over the same to the owner. The application was ordered to stiud over. Iu Bankruptcy, an order of adjudication was made in the matter of En-en C. M'Millan, on the application of Mr Slater —creditors to meet at the Registrar's Chamber at 11 o'clock on Monday, February 111. In Banco, the case Johnstone t. Deans' Trustees, ciune 011 for argument. Mr Garrick, instructed by Mr Johnstone, appeared for the plaintiff; and Dr Foster, instructed by Mr Duncan, for defendants. This was a demurrer by defendants to plaintiff's declaration, claim£looo damages for diversion and abstraction of the water of the river Avon flowing past his premises, and also alleging the verdict obtained in a former action between the parties; and further claiming an injunction to restrain defendants from continuing to divert and abstract the water. Defendants contended that the declaration was bad, inasmuch as it did not allege the right of the plaintiff to the water; andfiuther, that it was not the presumption of the law of New Zealand, tlvit the soil of the river over which the water flowed, or any part of it, belonged to the plaintiff. A very lengihcned and able argument followed between Counsel on both sides, His Honor reserved his decision.

Tin: Danish Wust India Islands.—The Panama Mercantile Chronicle of Nov. 24, saysA report comes from Vienna that the United Stales Government it treating with that of Denmark for the purchase of the Virgin Islands, and that the sum ottered is 8,1)0(1,(100 dollars in gold. If the bargain is struck, we shall get three islands of some little size—St. Thomas, Santa Cruz, and St. John, and several others of no importance. The group was discovered by Columbus 011 his second voyage in 1494. Between Florida mid these islands lie the four pirces of manifest destiny Cuba, the Bahamas, San Domingo, and Porto liico. Santa Cruz is the most important, having an area of 78 squiiro miles, ami a population, in I MO, of 211,729. St. Thomas comes next, with 27 square miles, mid 13,G(iG inhabitants. St John has 22 square miles, and a population of 2,228. Santa Cruz is about 20 miles long, from two to six miles wide, generally llat, well watered, moderately fertile, unhealthy, and subject to droughts, hurricanes, and earthquakes. About two-fiths of the land is planted with cane, and the annual sugar crop varies from 12,00(1 to 40,000 hogsheads. The cultivation of cotton, indigo, and coffee has dwindled to almost nothing. The harbour of tlm eapitill town, Christiunstadt, has a had entrance, ami is full of shoals. St, Thomas is about twelve miles long, less than three miles wide, rugged, bare of woods, parched and sterile, The area of cultivated lands is only 2.100 acres, half of which is given to sugar. The tree port of Charlotte Amalia is the centre of a large trade. The annual importation is estimated at 5,000,000 dollars, and the number of ships touching at the port, in 18,50, was 2l'J(i. St, John U about twelve miles long, four miles wide, very uneven, with little water and a poor soil, Small crops of sugar and cotton arc raised, and some care is given to the raising of live stock. There is good anehoriige at Clirislianshorg. I'miuo Opinion in ICnound. Taiuis lVnne, in his new volume, says" I have told you what public opinion is worth in Knglaml. Dous it not mi certain occasions make its power too greatly felt? I fear it does. In franco, public opinion is the asylum iu which freedom, limited out of institutions, llnds shelter; in Hngland, it is the fortress where despotism, hunted out of institutions, S'Uiictimcs fixes its abode. Why k< ep it secret, or how deny the fact ? Public opinion in Ungland is a power which in truth has nothing in common with that which govern-

merits arc wont to arm themselves withal against nughi thru iimioyH them ; but which r 11U 011 tlie thinker aid philosopher, discouraging or mtMj chastising every bold initiative, clipping the wings of every fl ,,i r i t t | lttl would M ri " rnt° unknown r^onvu,, 1 promising the joys of gra tilled ambition only l() wiloarc; J/ n . tent to walk in beaten p iU | lH J'ublic SET? N y^ H \ Woolohmwlwii I, t* ,f 1 lll(:ru I w ' 11 bu mv " k «l "gainst him no text of law ; before no court will ht he taken j there will ho started after him no poiicc-olllcers, no gcnd.irmes; but lie will run the risk of dying for want of air, and of disappearing crushed by the weight of iudifference or of scorn, In franco, when \f Inmdhon launched his hook, La Propria, c cat tc Vol, ninny were wroth, many cried , out (iKiuiißt it, Imt all that only gave the work (threat success. In Kngland, neither ministers, nor lawgiver*, nor judges, nor policemen would have had to mix themselves | Jip mi the matter; but the hook would prooalily have lound no one curious to read it, IL°wi '"f, toll,l,,lish k ' a, "l pfrh*|in no out who Would agree to print it. To sacrifice your own opinions to public opinion U in 1; ranee considered a blamuible weakness on \i 1. 0 !..' 1 ! "' lltH:ia "' 1,1 K»Kl»nd, hit Majesty 1 übhc Opinion smiles on such sacriJ'ccs as the homage due to himself. * * • I lie inevitable result of this too absolute swar of public opinion is to pass under the dull gauge of uniformity, not only ideas, but as e», usages, habits, Even in the smallest tnlles people in hngland are not entirely their own masters. I know a Frenchman who wnnot without discomfort keep his hat upon his head. Well, he litis never chanced to go up the street, hat in hand, without immediately becoming the jest of passers-by, ouch, too, was the lot of every foreigner without ii moustache before the Crimean w«rthat is to say, before the Irishman Russell had written to the 7 imes (whose correspondent ho was) that besides the bearded warriors Bent forth by Lutetia, the smoothskinned men of Albion produced upon the lurks the effect of rope-dancers. At that time, whoever broke the laws of respectability with reference to his upper lip and chin, made himself liable to be refused employment in any warehouse, if he wished to learn a trade • to get no pupils, if ha was a teacher; to tout for customers if lie opened a shop. Education in E.N'gi.anij,—The first periodical congress, convened in pursuance of a resolution of the Scholastic Registration Association, was held at the .Midland Institute, Birmingham, recently. The Her Dr Colli/ Bromsgrove, occupied the cluir, and among those present were Mr George Dixon, M.P., Dr Hodgson, the liev. Dr Wilkinson) rector of St. Martin's, Birmingham; the Iter C. T. Wilkinson, the Rev G. D. Boyle, Vicar of Kidderminster; the Rev Nash Stephenson, &c. In the course of his opening speech, the chairman said the object of the congress was to indoctrinate the people of Birmingham and the Midland Counties generally with the views of the association. Numerous meetings had been held in Loudon in order to induce among schoolmasters a knowledge of this important subject, and to impress upoii them the necessity of scholastic registration. lie went Otl to remark that in spite of what his friend Mr Robert Lowe said the other day at Edinburgh, lie still had a strong belief, not ia the monopoly, but in the excellence of the classics as a main org,in of education (hear) —he would not say an exclusive one—and the greater part of Mr. Lowe's arguments, and also Mr Farrar's, who took the same line, was based on the notion that they claimed ail exclusive regard for the classics. Where did Mr Lowe hiniself get his great ability in speaking—his wonderful command of language, the aptness with which lie could illustrate any subject, political or literary, if not from the stores or the classics ? He (Dr (,'oliis) would be bound to say that, although that gentleman had spent a laborious and studious life, the years in which he laid the basis of his subsequent greatness were those he spent at Winchester aud Oxford. The Rev James Ridgway read a paper on the subject as to '■ How far is the science of education capable of developement by the more specific training of educators, aud by such measures as the institution of a special faculty of education in the Universities of Great Britain and Ireland ? " Dr Hodgson read a paper prepared by Professor D'Arcy W. Thompson, the title of which was " What is a schoolmaster ? " Mr Barrow Reele, lion. sec. to the association, read a paper on the subject " How far will the proposed Scholastic Registration Act tend to raise the standard of education throughout the country, and promote the interests and efficiency of the scholastic profession ?" A fourth paper was read by the Rev. Joshua Jones, D.CL, principal and dean of the chapel, King William's College, Isle of Mas, "On the training of teachers for the upper and middle-class schools." The congress then adjourned, and re-assembled later in the day, when the following resolutions were set down for discussion :—l. " That education is entitled, as much as medicine, divinity, or law, to be regarded as a distinct profession, aud that liberal culture ami special training are as much required by the educator as by the physician, the lawyer, or the divine." 2. "That a Scholastic Registration Act, by giving to teachers a legally recognised position, would tend to increase their efficiency and, consequently, to improve their social status; while, by discouraging unqualified persons from engaging in the business of teaching, it would gradually raise the standard of education throughout the couutry." 3.'' That, as the need of special training for teachers, of both sexes, is now practically recognised in the case of schools for the poorer classes, a similar provision ought, a fortiori, to be made for teachers in schools of the middle and upper classes, involving as these do a greater variety of subjects, and a greater depth and breadth of instruction."