TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2298, 5 May 1868, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Philosophical Ikstituti. - A general meeting of this institute will be held in the side room of the Literary Institute Buildings, at htlf past seven this evening. All members are particularly requested to attend ,li lE/TI E /T D 1 ,BTRICT -Tlie seat for this dhtrict in the Assembly is not likely logo begging, as we hear that either Mr Moorhouse or Mr Rolleston will ask the electors' consent to Ins election.

Frbuiold Und Socmtt. - The usual meeting of the Canterbury Freehold Land society will be held in the Old Town Hull, this evening com iiencing at 8 o'clock! Loft lii J lminm li'i« been transacted, a ballot will take place Prater Meeting. - the 'united prayer meeting will be held in the Methodist Free Church, bt Asaph street, this evening, at 7 o clock. Ihe Rev. T K. Fisher will preside, and the Rev. M. Baxter »aire expected to address the meeting. Chribichdboh Artillert. - The shed erected for storage of the guns promised to tins battery by the Defence Minister is now •ompleted ; and, information of the same having been forwarded to Wellington, the him may be expected by the nextorfollowing steamer.

Licensing Mekong.—The annual licensing meeting will De held at the Resident Magistrates' Court this morning, commencing at 11 o'clock.

Tub Metropolitan Race Meeting.— Hie programme for the New Zealand Metropolitan meeting of 1869, as arranged .by the UJ.u at their meeting on Saturday, will be found in our advertising columns. hoiREE at Kaiapoi.—The annual Presbyterian soiree will take place in the church, Scwell street, this evening. Tea will be ou the table at 6 o'clock, and on its conclusion several addresses, interspersed with vocal music, will be delivered. FooTBAiL—We hear that the first match this season is to bo arranged between the members of the several boating and cricketing clubs in Cliristchurch, the challenge proceeding from the former. The first general meeting of the Foot Ball Club is called for to-morrow at half-past four p.m. at White's Hotel.

Clergtman fob thh Malvern Hills District.—We are informed tlmt news was received from the Bishop of Christchurch, by the last mail, that he had secured a clergyman for the Malvern Hills district—the Uev F. Pember, M. A., of Christchurch, Oxford. Mr Pernber has been serving a Cure in Lincolnshire, and is highly spoken of by his present J {eot or>aß an active and zealous clergyman, Mr Pember, who is married, intends leaving Mglaad i n August. We understand that the Bishop's Commissaries are engaged in making preparations for his reception in the district.

Debtobs and Creditors AcT.-His Honor Mr Justice Gresson held a sitting under the old Debtors and Creditors Act, at the Town Hall, yesterday. R e Charles Cecil Rookes.His Honor approved of the deed which had win executed between the debtor and the requisite number of his creditors. Dr Foster, on behalf of Mr Slater, appeared for the 7u\ j Geor S e Corßer Saxtou - - The debtor had been made insolvent on the petition of William Mardoo, a creditor. The debtor had absconded, and the case stood adjourned, in the hope that Mr Joynt might be able to serve the sequestration order. Mr Joynt now stated that he had been unable to find out the whereabouts of the debtor, and he would therefore abandon the petition, ai the creditor had no hope of making anything by it. This terminated the business under the above act in Canterbury. iNQUEar.-An inquest was held at the Hospital, yesterday afternoon, before J. W. Coward, Esq., Coroner, and a jury, on the body of Arther Monson, who died on Saturday last. Mr Powell deposed to deceased being brought to the hospital on the 20th of April, suffering from an injury to the right arm, which, from its appearance had evidently been caused by a circular saw. He had, with the assistance of Mr Prins, made an examination on the following day, and it was considered that an attempt might safely be made to save the arm. Symptoms of blood-poison, however, made their appearance and deceased gradually sank until Saturday last, when he died. He had made a post mortem examination of the body, and found all the organs healthy, nothing appearing to throw additional light on the cause of death The Coroner remarked, that the accident having occurred at Le Boi bay, it would be necessary to make enquiries there as to the cause of it. With the view of affording time tor this, he would adjourn the inquest until Tuesday,the 12th inst. Sx Mary's, Meriule,-A meeting of the congregation of St Mary's, Merivale, was held in the Church on Friday evening last, the Lev L, Moore, M.A., in the chair. The accounts, as presented by the treasurer, Mr W, H. Lane, and adopted by the meeting shewed receipts on general account, of £260 Ms lid, and an expenditure of £271 13s 9d, leaving a debit balance of £lO 13s lOd, which will be more than covered by pew rents due but not collected. The receipts on account of Sunday school were £7 8s lOd, and the expenditure £llos 4d, leaving a balance in hand of £5 18s 6d, sufficient to pay for books ordered from England and shipped per Gainsborough Ihe treasurer, to whose exertions the above satisfactory state of the finances is entirely due, was thanked for his valuable services and requested to continue them. It was resolved that a special effort be made to free the Church from the debt of £3OO, with a view to secure the services of an assistant minister. A subscription list was opened on the spot, and £l7O collected, of which Mr W. H. Lane gave the munificent sum of £IOO. Since then other subscriptions have been received, amounting to £7O, leaving only £6O to complete the required sum. Rifle Association.—A special meeting of the Council of this association was held at White's Hotel last evening for the purpose of arranging the presentation of the prizes recently fired for at Hillsborough. Mr Tancred occupied the chair. Several letters relative to the late prize meeting were read also the report of the sub committee. Attention was drawn to the very Btringent conditions imposed for Mrs Weld's Cup, and it was resolved that a resolution asking Mr Human to modify them by adopting any position at all the ranges and reducing the minimum number of points to 84 should be discussed at the next meeting It was resolved that in the company competition, ties should be decided according to the regulations of the National Rifle Association, the individual scores being compared singly. A proposition to award the International prize to the Irish team, on the ground that no minimum pull of trigger was mentioned in the programme, was negatived, and it therefore falls to the English squad. It was resolved that in the opinion of the Council the reputation of the L V A Corps is in no way affected by the discreditable conduct of one of the members of the if*™ meeting. It was also resolved tnat the Council express its unqualified disapprobation of the unfair conduct of Gunner Craigie, formerly a member of the LVA in tampering with the lock of his rifle at the recent prize meeting. A vote of thanks was recorded to Colonel Packe for his attendance at the meeting, and for disqualifying gunner Craigie from taking a prize. It was recommended that at the next general meeting a resolution should be submitted, empowering the Council to expel anv member guilty of misconduct. Accounis amounting to £25 6s 4d were ordered to be paid. Lieut. Pavitt, Ensign Papprill, and bapper Barnes, were appointed as a committee to order the cups fired for at the late meeting, and to arrange for their presentation.

The Duke of EDiNBimGH.-Tlie Ausira, ri° f , Aprillßßayß: ~ lfthe Au S tralka colomei have reason to be grateful to H H H eDukeofEdmbnrghfoUnet „gS than another, it is for his conduct ate he attempt upon his life, and just pri„ r 0 departure. His last behaviour, under trviS circumstances, was as gracious and « tensed lum. By every means in his power he endeavoured to prove to the colonies that the act by which he h»d suffered had eS none of the pleasurable recollection" of hi, visit, 01; of the enthusiasm with wl>i"| K everywhere been received, whilst at £ same time, his convictions of the loyalty of Her Majesty s subjects in this of her dominions remained as deeply roote -be ore. Perhaps one of the most pi as „! em.niscencesofthelastfowdaysofEk s the marked manner in which he endeavou ed to shew hu appreciation of the learned 2 defence of the would-be assassin S''' demonstrated not only by MRU n „ •„ , prmte and princely hospitality, before the Bailing of tl/GZel Aspinall, at the special request of II l\ H w «« h» guest on board, and for some two hour! had the honour of a private and friendly con rersation with him, during which h rh with great good taste and an admirable an' precmtion of the difficult position hooceupied, remarked-witli regard to O'Karrelltliat whilst lie could not personally interfere with tie operation of the law, he should be glad if the execution of the sentence were postponed until the matter had been referred to Her Majesty, especially as by the law of England the punishment of death was not inflicted for the crime which the wretched man had committed. On the day the Galatea left H.R.H. also received Mr Aspinall's adieus in the most gracious manner. A good lesson

this for the /weurfo-aristocrats of Sydney, some of whom were so supremely snobbish as to black-ball Mr Aspinall, when put up for olection at one of the Clubs.

A New Doctrine of Kesponsibiutt.— The Manchester Guardian is responsible for the following :-An amusing story is told of the first essay at diplomatising among the Yankees by our new Minister at Washington. Before quitting London he met an American gentleman whom lie did not recognise as a member of the ultra-ltepublican party, and to whom lie praised Mr Johnson highly for his administrative vigour and skill. Finding no response, he modified his tone, and said, "At all events, all must admit that he does wonders for an entirely self-made man." "It may be so," was the rejoinder,"but if he be self-made, I will say that it relieves God Almighty of a grave responsibility." Hungarian Grain.—lt appears from a report issued by the Hungarian Minister of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works, that in 1867 Hungary exported 11,430,000 quintals of wheat, 2,5)4,000 quintals of oats, and 2,457,000 quintals of other cereals. These totals, which are of very unusual magnitude, refer only to the quantities of grain carried by the Austrian and South Austrian Railways, the Danube Steam Navigation Company, and boats toived by horses. They do not accordingly afford an altogether complete idea—although the approximation is a close oneof the commerce of Hungary with other countries in the matter of grain. San FiuNcisco.-Tlie trade reports of San Francisco ihew that in 1867 it was the second commercial port of the United States in the volume of trade. Its foreign imports were 15,000,000 dols; imports by the way of the Isthmus, 36,000,000) and, besides this, 212,200 tons of goods were imported from the Atlantic coast in vessels passing around Cape Horn. Its exports were 63,000,000 dols, of which 40,500,000 dols were treasure, and 12,500,000 dols in wheat and flour. The corn crop of California for 1867 exceeded the value of the gold product. One hundred and sixty-one vessels loaded with wheat were despatched to Europe.

American Libraries.—A Boston paper says that Mr Charles Francis Adams, Minister to England, is possessor of the largest private library in Boston. It contains 18,000 volumes, and includes those that belonged to his father and grandfather. The late Theodore Parker's library, bequeathed to the Boston Public Library, contained 10,000 valuable, and some of them rare books. The library of the late Abbott Lawrence (10,000 volumes) has been sold and scattered, as also has beeu that (7,000 volumes) of Ruf us Choate. The libraries of Edward Everett and W. H. Prescott, each containing about 7,000 volumes, have been preserved by their families, as also has that of Daniel Webster containing 5,000 volumes, chiefly on law! Mr George Livermore, of Cambridge, is believed to have had the richest library in old Bibles and Biblical works in the world ; at his death nearly all his books (4,000) were bequeathed to Harvard Uni ersity. A Maori Reform Association in Auck-tAND.-It will be seen, says the Southern Cross of a recent date, that a meeting of the Maori and European Reform Association is to be held in the hall at Orakei. The advertisement is signed Keihana Reweti,as secretary. At first we were quite puzzled to guess what might be the objects of the Association. It might be an Association to reform the morals of both races, and, as there is abundant room for that, everybody would of course wish it all success. However, from a gentleman who, i we presume, Bpeaks with authority, we are enabled to satisfy the public curiosity. The objects of the Association arc certainly sweeping enough. They are:-The equal good government of the Maori and the European population, by making the common law apply to both; the furtherance of all efforts at financial reform; the better representation of the Maoris and Europeans of the Northland m the Legislature of the country; the dissemination among the Maoris of a popular knowledge of the laws, and of the principles upon which they are framed; and the dissemination among Europeans of a popular knowedge of the usages, customs, and existing laws among the Maoris, so that the perplexity which exists on both sides regarding many matters may be done away with. Mk Goldwin Smith and America.—The New York Tribune publishes a letter from Mr Goldwin Smith, in which that gentleman states the reasons of his going to America. He says:-" It was not by me that my intentions were made public; but as they have become public, and as certain journals which pounced rather eagerly on the report gave a somewhat inaccurate version of it, lam much obliged to you for affording me an opportunity of stating the truth. I am going to devote myself to the study, and, if after due study, I feel equal to the task of the composition of American history. With this view I shall probably take up my abode in the United States in the course of the summer. At what place must depend partly on the exigencies of my study. I must be where there are books and records, and where I can obtain permission to use them. My undertaking necessarily implies a prolonged residence in the country where it must be carried on. But lam not going to seek naturalization in America, or to cast off my allegiance to my own Sovereign and my native land. I shall be a candidate for no citizenship in America but that of the republic of letters, In the present state of English affairs I can imagine, though I do not anticipate, the oc- [ currence of a crisis which will render it incumbent on the honour of every Englishman to share, though he might be unable to influence, the destinies of his country." Vital Statistics of the United Kingdom in 1867.—The names of 1,026,422 living children were enrolled on the registers of the United Kingdom during the year 1867, against 1,013,070 in 1866. The birth rate per 1000 of population in 1867, was 35.85. The number of funerals in 1867 was 634,054 against 665,859 in the previous year. The death rate per 1000 of population in 1867 was 21'96. In calculating the birth rate and death rate of the United Kingdom a correction has been made in the Irish returns, by the authority of the registrar-general of Ireland, for defective registration. It has been assumed that the births and deaths in Ireland for the year 1867 were in the same proportion to population as the births and deaths in England. The registered births and deaths in Ireland were 144,306 and 93,930 respectively; the corrected numbers on ihe above assumption were:—births, 199,160; deaths, 122,168. The natural increase of population on the corrected numbers for the United Kingdom was 1,147 daily, and the difference between the emigrants—who left the kingdom at the rate of 537 daily—and the natural increase on the corrected numbers was 610 daily. The resident population of the United Kingdom in the middle of 1867 was estimated at 30,157,473, that of England and Wales amounting to 21,429,508, of Scotland to 3,170,769, and of Ireland to 5,557,196.