The Lyttelton Times. MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1868.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2339, 22 June 1868, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1868.

Broken METAL.-The tenders for carting broken metal for the City Council, must be sent in to the clerk before 4 o'clock tc-dav.

The Qdeen's Accession.—Saturday being the anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession no business was transacted at the S-ipreme Court offices.

Readings at Lyttemon.—The first of a series of readings for the winter, will take place on Friday evening next, at 7 o'clock. Mr J. OlHvier will give the first reading. Vocal music will vary the evening's entertainment.

Kaiapoi iNSTiTDiE.-The general annual meeting of this institute will take places at the library of the institute on Friday next, at 8 p.m. The business before the meeting will be to receive the secretary's report and to elect officers for the year ensui tg, Winter _ Readings.—The second of a series of winter readings will come off in St John's schoolroom, Latimer square, on Wednesday evening next. The entertainment will be diversified by vocal and instrumental music.

Drain Road.-TMs road is still under water in many parts, and an immense tract of the adjacent land is still flooded. We fear it will be entirely out of the question to crois a large portion of the Rangiora Swamp next year, unless the question of drainage receives a speedy solution,

Embeklemest.—We regret to learn that a person holding an onerous position in Christchurch under the General Government, absconded on Friday last, and was apprehended in Otago yesterday morning, on a charge of embezzlement. The accused will be brought up at the Resident Magistrates Court on Wednesday or Thursday next. Sheep Wobried.-A farmer on the Ferry road, named Hosser.had upwards of 40 sheep destroyed during Friday night, and a further number of about CO have disappeared altogether from the farm. The mischief has evidently been caused by dogs, and the latter flock are supposed to have been driven away, after the first had been worried. No clue has yet been found as to the whereabouts of the missing sheep,

The Avcn Road Board,-The nomination of candidates to fill the vacancies caused by the recent resignation of four members of this Board will take place at the office on the Papanui road at noon <o-day, The circumstances under which the retirement of the members occurred having also given much dissatisfaction to the ratepayers it is expected that the proceedings will be characterised by more than usral warmth.

The Carandinis.—Madame Carandini and company, having completed their short tour through the northern part of the province, will re-appear at the Town Hall, tonight. A programme, in slrict keeping with the taste which has alwafs characterised the arrangement of piccas in entertainments by these artistes, is published; and. should tho weather continue fine, larger attendances than at any of the performances in the foie pTrT of the present week, may be fairly expected, RICCARTON AND FeNDALL TOWN ROAD.— We call attention to a notice which appears elsewhere, to the effect that a road leading from the Riccarton to the Fendall Town road will be shortly closed. We believe that this course has been adopted owing to the Government not having fulfilled a promise alleged to have been msde to the owners of the property. It is to be hopod that the parties to the original agreement will speedily come to an understanding, in order that a serious public inconvenience may be obviated.

The Carandtos at LEirr.FiELD.-These popular a-tis'cs gave a a-.cart on Friday evening, in the new room, pfc Paget's Hotel. The room was well Piled, and the audience, by their frequent applause, shewed their full appreciation of the merits of the performers. The encores, though perhaps too numerous, were in eery case willingly re,,, tied to. Amongst other capital pieces we may mention the" Lady of the Lea," the " Beware" and the lovely trio "Ti prego," which we.e all beyond praise. It will he long tefo-e the dwellers at the Kowai will be able to enjoy such another treat as was piovided fir them by these talented ladies. Fatal Accident.—James Adams, a farmer resi ling at Sonthliridge, died from the effects of injuries which he received on Thursday evening last. It appears that he was enguged in ploughing, and tint while yoking the horses he fell on one of the plough irons, on his right side, breaking one of his ribs. Medical aid was immediately sent for, but Adams expired before it arrived. bn!f-an-hour after the occurrence. An inquest was held nn the body on Friday, before J. G. Lee, Esq, Coroner. Dr Christie gave evidence to the effect that the shattered portion of the rib had penetrated the lung and caused hoemorrbage. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death."

Ageicdmural,—The late wet weather will we believe, make a very material difference in the quantity of wheat to be sown tin's year in the Northern District of Canterbury. By the time several large tracts of low-lying land which were in course of preparation for this cereal, get again into good working condition, the season for sowing with any chance of succets will be past, and many will put in spring corn instead. Wheat sowing is very forward on the Moeraki and Mount Grey Downs, owing in a great measure to the fact that the farmers there could not get machines to thresh their corn, and consequently they have got on with their more legitimate winter work. Where they could get threshing machines, want of ready money and that unaccountable aversion to thatching peculiar to the colonial farmer, have caused them to thresh out. This..and the delwyof the gram, lias driven them so far backward with their wheat sowing, that their chances of good crops and freedom from rust (for it is the early corn which escapes th's) are very seriously diminished. Steeplechases.—The programme for the second Grand Provincial Steeplechase Meeting has been published, and the 6th of August —the anniversary of H.R.H. Prince Alfred's birthday—is announced as the day on which the races are to come off. Notwithstanding the diminished support which races mow receive in the way of subscriptions, the stewards have succeeded in providing: suf flcient and valuable events to prove attractive to owners of horses, and the names of the official* are in every way calculated to indue.' the opinion that the meeting will be properly and efficiently conducted. The first item on the card is the Grand Provincial Handicap, value 100 sovs, and over about three and-a-ha'f miles of fair hunting country. The second is a Selling Steeplechase, value 40 sovs, distance two miles; and the third a Unci: Race, of 10 sovs, over one and-a-half miles of the same course. Messrs F. IT. Briltan and J. Stace have kindly placed portions of their land, a'out a mile fiom Cliristeliurch, at the disposal of the stewards, and its nature is certainly such as will test the merits of the horses and pluck of the jocks. Nominations for the first event must be made to the Secretary, atTattersall's, on or before the 18th of July, and for the second not later than 9 p m on the third of

August. The Hack Race entries can be made any time before the Btart, and it may be remarked that in every case the Grand National Steeplechase Kules will be strictly adhered to. '

TEimuviis.-.ne New Zealand Advertiser of June 16 says:-Telegraphic communication is open between Wellington and Napier! Atnnout2 o'clock this afternoon we learn that the first signals ever received by the telegraph wire from the province of Hawke's Biy were taken clearly and steadily. Auckland GoLDFiEu>s.-The Auckland Free Press of June 13 says :—The Taianaki, which arrived yesterday in the Manukau, brought sixty diggers, who have come from Hie West Coast to try their fortunes at the Thames. Diggers elsewhere have up to this time been rather shy of the Thamei, but we think we may now expect considerable numbers to arrive. Many miners now on the West Coast resided formerly in Auckland and will be glad to have an opportunity of returning at this season to a more genial climate.

An Interesting Event.-Tlib Melbourne correspondent of the Otaco Daily Times says:—The approaching maru'age of his Excellency the Governor's eldest daughter with Mr C. Bright (of the well-known raercantile rnd shipping firm of Bright Brothers and Co.) is one of the chief topics of conversation and gossip among what may be called the " upper ten " of Victorian moiety. The whole ceremony and it 3 surroundings will, I hear, outvie anything of the kind which has occurred in the colonies. The bride-elect is described as a most amiable aad accomplished lady, and Mr Bright is in the prime of life, wealthy, and of first-class public and private reputation. He belongs to a Bristol family which has long been favourably known in commercial circles, and the Victorian firm has influential connections in London. Liverpool, and other ports. I have heard very startling and interesting accounts of the size, cost, &c, of the wedding cake, of the bride's trousseau, of the magnificent dresses of the train of bridesmaids, and all the rest of it. let us hope that the ceremony will pass off with eclat, and that the young couple will live long and happy. Bisbop Selwyn,—ln the Suez telegram received a few days ago, it was stated that "Bishop Selwyn had raised great trouble in Lichfield, where Popish practices are condemned." The following extract from the London correspondence of the Argus is doubtless a more correct statement:—The late Bishop of New Zealand bids fair to become one of the most active, apostolic, and popular diocesans in England, The synodical movement, intended to train clergy and laity combined to habits of self-government, was referred to last month. The scheme has encountered a good deal of opposition, but with his untiring energy, the bishop will assuredly curry his point. The Manchester Examiner lately reported a characteristic piece of procedure on the part of the bishop while opening a new iron church at Talk-o'-th -Hill. The building erected at the cost ol the )ad ; es of Linley Wood, is intended for the collier population, but for the occasion admission was by ticket, and the collier population were thus s.mt out. Greatly to the amazement of the respectables, the bishop, without vouchsafing any warning, on leaving the chancel during singing the hymn before toe sermon, passed through to the porch, and preached to toe people outside, bareheaded. He reminded tbeni of the great catastrophe of 1866, and of the dangerous character of their occupation; he urged that, as the soil was undermined with them, so was life undermined by sin and death, and pressed on them to seek the only refuge from death eternal. The circumstance of coming outside to address them, and his lordship's earnestness and sincerity, made a deep impression on his hearers.

Very Curious.—The Argus is responsible Mr the following : A curious story has reached us from an outlving district, for the truth of which we are able to vouch. In the middle of the night a lady who was on a visit to the house in question—a perfectly isolated one-heard a slight noise ai of something falling down the cnimney. She did not think much about it at the moment, and, recalling the occurrence, what was her horror to see what she fancied at a glance was a good sized black snake stretched out under a chair. She managed to get to the door without stepping on the ground, and called out for help. A servant gtrl rushed to Uie spot, to whom the frightened lady pointed out the intruding descendent of Eve's first tempter. The girl shrieked in her turn, and very shortly the whole household, more or less hastily inhabited, arrived on the spot. One gentleman, when asked to tackle the reptile, declined on the score of having no Wellington boots ; while another asserted that, Wellingtons or bluchers, he did not feel himself equal to the undertaking. At length, the eyes of all turned on a young gentlemen who happened to be visiting the station, and who, being one of the volumeer defenders of his country, felt himself, as it were, compelled not to shrink from the task. However, not caring to come to close quarters willi a formidable looking snake more or less than less warlike people, he procured a clothes prop from the back garden before commencing a battle. Armed with this domestic lance, he ventured into the room, and, mounting on a chair, dealt the snake a violent blow with the thin end of the prop, It seemed to be a particularly lucky hit, as the reptile never moved after it. Emboldened by his success thus far, he caught the creature on the end of the pule, and, bringing it into the full glare of the light, it was discovered, to the discomfiture of the occupant of the room and the amusement of the rest, that the innocent cause of all the uproar was the U'icoilcd chignon of the lady, which had slipped off the dressing table during the night. Peace was restored to the establishment, and tite lady appeared at breakfast with her hair short and crepe.