TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2344, 27 June 1868, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Football.—A scratch match will be played to-day on Latimer square, weather permitting, at the usual hour.

Waimakariri Embankment.—Tenders are invited for additions to the Upper Waimakariri embankment. Specifications can be seen at the Engineer's office, and tenders must be sent in before noon on the Ist of July.

The Comins Session.—We direct the attention of our readers to the telegraphic summary of a very important speech delivered by Mr Fox, upon his election for the liangitikei seat in the General Assembly. Acknowledgement.—Mr R. C. Rose of the Bank of New Zealand, Kaiapoi, desires through our columns to acknowledge the receipt of £l, sent anonymously in aid of the wife and children of the unfortunate mau Ross, lately drowned in the Waimakariri. Road METAt,.-Tenders are invited by the Provincial Government for carting road metal on to the Hagley Park roads. Specifications can be seen at the Provincial Engineer's office, and tenders must be sent in to the Secretary for Public Works before noon on Monday next. Financial Reform Association. The adjourned meeting of the committee of this Association was held at White's Hotel last evening, The chair was occupied by Mr E. C. J. Stevens. The committee continued their inquiries into the Colonial estimates, and the volunteer department is the only one remaining for their decision. It was resolved that a special meeting be called for Tuesday next, to adopt the President's report, and fix a day for the public meeting. It is expected that all the members of the committee will attend. The Cabandinis.—A crowded house last

testified the estimation in which the Misses Carandini-for whose benefit the concert had been announced—are held by the public of Christchurch. The hall was filled to the back row of aeatß, and noticeable amongst the audience were several members of the Yeomanry Cavalry, and about thirty members of the Cavalry Cadet Corps, Major Wilson, with his characteristic generosity,, had invited them to be present, and was personally in charge, Any detailed remarks upon the programme, and the manner in which it was carried out, would be almost impossible on this occasion. The various pieces were all more or less applauded, whilst many were greeted with a perfect furore, especially those rendered by the f air6ene/?ciares. The demands for encores wire so frequent that it was impossible with any regard to a reasonable termination of the entertainment, to comply with thera. The audience would not, however, be denied in some instances, and a response was several times somewhat unfairly exacted. On conclusion of the programme, Mr Sherwin announced that Madame Carandini would take a benefit on Monday evening, after which the whole company joined in singing the National Anthem. New Court House.—We are glad to know that the conplaints both of the grand and petty juries at the last criminal sittings of the Supreme Court, have not been without effect. The Government has issued instruc-

tions for the production of a suitable plan, and the building will be proceeded with at so early a date from the present time that itwill be finished before the December sittings. The structure recommended by the Provincial Council sometime ago will not be adhered to on the ground of expense; but every care will be exercised to erect such a building as that referred to by Mr Justice Gresson in reply to the foreman of the grand jurynamely, one of wood, after the style of the court house at Hokitika, which will not cost more than £2OOO or thereabouts.

It is to be regretted, notwithstanding the large immediate outlay, that the authorities hare not determined to erect a permanent building of stone, instead of wood, on the site in Durham street, purchased by the Government for that purpose. A wooden structure will answer present requirements, but the time will come, and at no distant date either, when it will be found necessary to replace it by one of a more lasting character. A properly designed wooden Court-house, however, will he a luxury, considering what inconveniencies judge, jury, legal profession, witnesses, and the representatives of the press hare had to put up with for years past. The Sheriff has frequently asserted that the hiring of the Town Hall, cost the Government £2OO a-year j and considering the period over which this aura has been paid, the total would have gone a long way towards providing a building to be used exclusively as a Supreme Court. A hall in which a concert is held one night, a public meeting the next, a tea meeting the evening after, and a quadrille assembly on the fourth, is not a fitting place in which a Judge of the Supreme Court should preside. The experiences of the past are a sufficient guarantee that the new Court-house will be both complete and comfortable in every particular. Lecture.—Mr John Armitage delivered a lecture on " Richard Watson," in the Wealeyan church, Durham street, last evening. The chair was occupied by the Rev J. Aldred. The lecturer commenced by observing that among the many things—good, bad,. and indifferent—which are said of Methodists, the remark is often made that they do not forget to dwell on their own excellencies. Without staying to inquire into the truthfulness or otherwise of this statement,

he might venture to say that it does not hold good of the present series of lectures, for out of seven, only one was of a denominational character. And the subject had been chosen with the intention that it should be so, purely for the reason that it appeared to be a duty the Church of Christ of every denomination owed to its departed worthies, to call to mind at stated times, their excellencies of character, and wonderful doings in God's cause. It was considered right that a nation should treasure the memory of her most distinguished sons; aud Englishmen would be thought unfaithful to their country if-? they did not gratefully remember that she numbered among her sovereigns an Alfred and a Victoria—among her soldiers a Wellington and a Havelock—among her statesmeu, a Chatham and a Peel—and among her philanthropists a Howard and a Wilberforce. Equally unworthy would that Episcopalian be who should forget Hugh Latimer or Jeremy Taylor—that Independent who should overlook his John Home or John Owen—that Baptist who should be indifferent to his John Bunyan or William Carey—or that Methodist who should cease to venerate his Adam Clarke or Richard Watson. It was with the Tiew, then, of perpetuating a lively recollection of one of that list of distinguished names in Methodism that he prop ised to glance at the incidents in the

jife of Richard Watson. He was born at Burton-oii-Humber, in Lincolnshire, on February 22,1781, and was one of a family of eighteen, only four of whom lived beyond the years of childhood. At school, he evinced great talents; but his parents apprenticed him to a carpenter at the age of fourteen, when he had readied the extraordinary height of six feet two. His habits, in early life, were of a rather loose character, but he afterwards became religiously inclined, and

preached his first sermon at a village named Bontliby, a few miles from Lincoln, on the day after he was fifteen years old. Henceforth he became in truth a youthful evangelist. His fame spread rapidly, and his services were in great request. In the year 1796 he was duly received into the work of

the Wesleyan ministry, his circuits being Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Castle Donnington, Leicester, and Derby, and was taken into full connexion when in his 20th year. In the year 1801 he severed himself from the Wesleyan connexion, through his having read Dr Watts' '•Treatise on the Glorified Humanity of Christ," and some persons who were not overstocked with either charity or intelligence, set it down as true that he had become an Arian. He married soon after, and joined

the Methodist New Connexion, of which body his wife was a member. Watson became a local preacher, and in two and a half years was taken into the regular miuistry. His connexion with this body lasted until 1812, when he joined the Wesleyans, and had the town of Wakefield assigned him by the Con-

ference. He was stationed at Hull from 1814 to 1816, when he became one of the missionary secretaries at London, and after acareer of varied and vast usefulness, died on January 8,1833. The lecturer dwelt at considerable length on the ministrative career of Richard Watson, and to the various works which he produced. The discourse was attentively listened to, and frequently applauded, and a vote of thanks was returned to the lecturer at its termiuation.