TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2375, 3 August 1868, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Bonouoii Council.—Tlie meeting will be held at G o'clock, this evening, in consequence of the public meeting in the Town Hall. Thuatue Hovai,.—The variety Troupe appeared for the first time in Christchnreh on Saturday evening last. There was a moderate attendance. iJutTiis and Deaths.—The births of 97 children were registered in the Christchiu'ch district during the month of July, 18C8 Males, 49 ; females, 48. The deaths during the same period were 23. Sunday School Union.—ln consequence of the public meeting in the Town Hull this evening, the monthly meeting of the committee will be postponed to Monday evening, the 10th insi.

Tun Weather.—'Yesterday was the most wintry day that wc have had (luring the Bcsisou. From an early hour in the morning, snow fell in large quantities, and there was also n fall of rain and bdlstoncs at intervals. Towards evening, the weather became more settled. Kaui-oi Ploughing Match.—The following were the remaining decisions:—Swing Glass.—lst, i'fl, Wm. Birnie, Ikrrowinan plough ; '2nd, £2 10h, George Traill, do do; 3rd. XI Ills, D. Coutts, Anderson plough. Hoys' Class—lst, i! 4, William Burnett, Kectley plough ; 2nd, £2 IDs, Arthur Ellis, Keel ley plough ; 3rd, £1 ins, liergan, juii,, Homsliy plough; 4th, highly coiiiinriided, Kdward Dull'al, Keel ley plough. All the competitors in iliis class used wheel ploughs. Pootiiam,,—A mutch between old and present Volunteers and membcra of the Clinstehurch Football Club was to have been played on Saturday last, but (lie former did not put in an appearance, and a game between pick-up sides, selceied by Messrs Cotirell and T, Moore, was substituted. The weather was anything but inviting, and only about twenty look part in Ihe play, which was made very diflleult by a strong sou' west wind. A new and lighter hall was used whilst, the first two goals'wero kicked. These, by reason of the influence of Ihe wind on the ball, were decided so quickly - half an hour and live minutes respectively—that Ihe old bail was substituted for the third goal, which was mil finished. Play commenced ill three o'clock, and terminated at five, each side having one goal to their credit, and Ihe third remaining undecided.

lIaVIIU IntoiNATIONAL Mauiti.mic I'xiii-iiition.-Tlic town of llavro is essentially a purely commercial city, Ho little is thought of or done for the comfort or amusement of those who may by chance select it as a summer watering-place, and so entirely

are tlio Interests, and even the amusements, of tho inhabitants bound up in the clmngoß and fluctuations of cotton and other produce, that despite its many natural advantages, it was anungenlal soil on which to sow, In 1868, tho Idea of an International Marltlmo Exhibition. It Is so much tho moro to tho credit of its energetic projector and of its administration that, despite the sneers of many, the earplugs of others, and tho luk'.l- - of tho largo majority, it has slowly but surely worked its way onward, till it tins at length secured tho tardy, but unqualified, recognition and iippr;ibati(m of nearly every one. It is only quite latoly that tlio higher authorities, who lmd merely given it up to that timo an ofllciiil patronage, recognised that It must already be considered as a whole a buccosh, and have came warmly to itß support. Afti'r having been compelled lo muko additions to tho original plan, tlio administration _ have finally been obliged to refuse applications for space, and the number of exhibitors amounts to about 3500. The building, with ull its adjuncts, garden, Sic., is last approaching completion, hut there is an unfortunate delay on tho part of exhibitors—und particularly of those from Great Britain —ill sending forward their goods, and, unless tlioy ate quick in so doing, they will he liable lo bo put to great inconvenience through their own neglect. The exhibition will lie opened on the Ist of June by the Minister of Commerce and Agriculture; and, as there is no central space in the building sufficiently large to hold the persons who will bo invited to attend, the inauguration ceremony will be held in a large hull belonging to tho Dock Company, which is capable of holding 8,000 persons. It whs at one time hoped the Emperor would coine to the opening, but, although ho lms promised to visit it, it will he at a later period, The price of admission to the Exhibition is fixed at If, and 25f a season ticket, rumilies can also subscribe at reduced rates. The original scheme of an Inhibition exclusively maritime has little by little expanded, so that now, under the head of importation and exportation, there will be many things exhibited which, if not strictly appertaning to ships and shipping, will, at least, be more attractive to that large portion of the public who are not particularly or personally interested in purely nautical matters. The large salt water aquarium will in itself be worth ut visit, and, in addition to attractions and those of the Exhibition in general, there will he races on the 19th and 20th, a regatta on the 2(ith and 27th of July, and ull the various outside umusements which invariably spring up on such occasions. Among these latter one of the most interesting will be the bullfights, for which the permission of the authorities lms been obtained, and a bullring is being constructed behind the Exhibition large enough to hold 14,000 persons. The " Corridas," which will commence about the middle of Juno, will be carried on by a Spanish company, with bulls of a famous breed from Navarre, and they will be in all respects the same as are held in Spain, with the exception that the animals will be" etnboladas "—that is, hare balls of wood on the tips of their horns, and will not be killed except the public desire it. By these alterations the repulsive features of a bullfight will be got rid of, at the same time that all the feats of skill and agility for which the Spanish toreros are famous will be fully exhibited.