TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2591, 26 April 1869, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Parish Gathering. The annual meeting of the parishioners will be held in the Colonists’ Hall, on Wednesday evening. The choir of the church will be present, and sing some pieces of music. Fatal Accident. —On Saturday afternoon, a child aged 16 months, belonging to Mr J. B. Dale, was run over on the North Town Belt, and killed. An inquest will be held to-day.

Magisterial.—At the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court, on Saturday- last, James Clifford, John Murphy, and John Carr, were charged with having been drunk and disorderly, but being their first appearance, they were discharged with a caution. Smallpox. —By our latest file from Melbourne, we notice that a case, which appears to be one of small-pox in a mild form, has occurred at Torquay, in the north of Tasmania. The sufferer is a child. The subject lias created some little anxiety in the island, vaccination having been very much neglected. The disease is still prevalent in Victoria.

Oamaku. —The people of Oamaru being desirous of a visit from his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, forwarded a telegram to his Honor the Superintendent, asking him to request his Royal Highness to call in at Oamaru on his way to Dunedin. His Honor sent hack a reply yesterday, stating that it would depend altogether on circumstances whether Captain Montgomerie would call on the way down the coast.

Meat Preserving. —Mr George R. Hyde, who comes from Melbourne with specimens of preserved meat from the establishment of the Victoria Meat Preserving Company, was a passenger to Lyttelton by the Rangitoto yesterday. The meat, which is preserved in a raw state, will be opened for inspection at Messrs Miles and Co.'s, from 10 o’clock to-morrow morning. If sufficient inducement offers, Mr Hyde will commence operations in this province. Theatre Royal. —The Licensed Victuallers gave a performance at the theatre on Saturday evening in aid of their widow and orphans’ benevolent fund. The pit and stalls were crowded, and there was also a numerous attendance in the dress circle. The curtain rose to a grand tableau representing Britannia, the company singing the National Anthem. This tableau was capitally managed, and cheers for the Queen were given by the audience on the fall of the drop-scene. Mrs Long afterwards sang “Maggie’s Secret,’’ and was applauded ; and Mr Long also sang “ The Englishman.” The curtain then rose to the burlesque entitled the “ Illustrious Stranger.” The members of the Association never acted so creditably, and Mr Barnard was very successful as Bowbcll, keeping the audience in almost continued roars of laughter. We have seen professionals sustain the part with less credit. The Gourlays were to have concluded the entertainment, but they were obliged to leave by the Plucbe. It was announced that his Royal Highness was to honour the entertainment with Ids presence, and a special box was erecte i in the centre of the dress circle. A guard of cavalry was in attendance, and it was not known until ten o’clock that the Prince could not attend. The fact was made known totheaudicuceby Mr J. H.Thompkins, but in a few minutes afterwards his Royal Highness entered the Theatre, and was received with every expression of loyalty. A hornpipe was substituted for the part to have been taken by the Gourlays, and the performance closed about II o’clock.

The Children’s Fete Th« "* piciously begun at the Drill shed ! ? VT' evening, was continnoH , Friday with the view of allowing who were unable to obtain admSsfet? previous evening. Everythin,, non very well, and the 3 a PaSSed ,)ff indebted to Messrs Parr, Stans^T?"* 11 * Seager, and others, for the trouble tv , . ns ’ taken in all the arrangements ak 7 haT(! children and 200 adults were i b ° Ut 300 Saturday evening. We have been ° U to state, in connection with the of Friday evening, that Kate girl who had been selected to n, r gan ! t , lle Bible to the Duke of Edinburgh thf ‘ avoidably prevented from doing so’ A m-, an " had to be made rather hurriedly, and itTn on Mary Florence Willis, of the Adding school, who acquitted herself very^St"

The Duke op Edinburgh and • Mr large number of person., of them from long distances, assemble! } ttetownon Saturday /„ of the general committee's programme I ted Saturday for «, LST.i' H.R.H. to the north. They were nf „ 1 of greatly disappointed. Under the samTim pression, three triumphal arches had h erected an address prepared by the Boron!!! Council, and arrangements made for a , treat. The two first were useless, but th ktter was carried out. About 400 schrl i children, from the Kaiapoi Church fe. leyan and private schools, and aenorj nnmi from Woodend, were regaled in r way. Most of the childrenwere with hand flags. At the concluJorf treat, they were addressed by the R P , f w® W Wlllock „d ,h.u Anthem. A large number of Maori! congregated in the town, and during the day danced the war dance two or three “ Much the same occurences took nlae P !,« ' giora The following are the were to have been presented by Kaiapoi!] Rangiora respectivelv«To hi= w , Highness Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh X &c. We, the Mayor and Councillors of the Borough of Kaiapoi, most respectfully h , to offer to your Royal Highness, on behalf of ourselves and burgesses, our heartfelt C J gratulations on your safe arrival j n th ; colony of New Zealand, and more especially on your passing this borough, and visitin'* this portion of the province of Canterbury We trust that your visit to New may be a source of much pleasure and satisfaction to yourself, and also a lastin',, benefit to the colony at large. We a l-f trust that your visit may prove a fur! ther assurance of the loyalty and attach ment to our beloved Queen, her person he! throne, and all the august members of’ her royal family, which exists amongst all classes who have made this colony their adorned home.” “To His Royal Highness ]‘rin Ce Alfred Ernest, Duke of Edinburgh. Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, kc &c. May it please your Royal Highne«,We, the inhabitants of Rangiora and it' vicinity, hail with pride and satisfaction your Royal Highness’ arrival in the colony of New Zealand, and we desire most gratefully to acknowledge the distinguished honour your Royal Highness has paid to us in visiting the district of Rangiora, and chiefly because it affords us the opportunity of personally expressing our deep devotion and loyalty u Her Most Gracious Majesty the’ Queen We are deeply sensible that there is but one feeling pervading the hearts of the people of Canterbury in their appreciation of your Royal Highness’ visit, but to us it is a cau-t of rejoicing that we are privileged to ask you to convey to Her Gracious Majesty our prayers, that while continuing to enjoy the choicest blessings of Heaven in the preservation of health and happiness, she may be long spared to adorn the Throne by a’peaceful reign over her vast kingdom. We feel confident that your Royal Highnevoyage will be 1 attended with the most beneficial results, in connecting more strongly the bond of union between the colonists and the Mother country, and we earnestly trust that your Royal Highness may, after a successful voyage, be blessed with a happy return to England.”