TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2930, 31 May 1870, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Theatre Royal. There was a very meagre attendance at the Theatre last evening. Miss Gassy Mathews, who is an old favourite with Christchurch playgoers, and deservedly so, takes her benefit this evening, and we have no doubt that she will have a bumper house. Fire at Cheviot Hills. — A Marlborough contemporary of May 14 has been informed that a few days previously a fire took place at the woolshed, Cheviot Hills, when the stable was consumed, including seven draught horses, and a quantity of valuable property. Board op Conservators. —The Board met yesterday, at 12 o’clock, all the members being present. The Biard decided to call for tenders for debentures, increasing the rate of interest offered to 8 per cent, per annum. The Board then adjourned to Saturday, the 4th June, at one o'clock. Stbam Threshing Company, —ln the New Zealand Gazelle of May 26 the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies for the Province of Canterbury notifies that he has registered a memorandum of association, establishing a company, with limited liability of the shareholders, entitled “ The Pioneer Steam Threshing Company, Limited.” The object for which the company is established is expressed to be threshing grain. Rifle Association.— The dinner given in connection with this Association will take place at the Music Hall, Cathedral square, this evening, and promises to be a great success. The price of tickets is very reasonable, and there will doubtless be a very large attendance. In consequence of the liberal subscriptions that have been made, the Association will be enabled to place a capital dinner on the table, and the fact of Mr Morton being caterer, is a sufficient guarantee that it will be served up in excellent style. Mr Wynn Williams, as president of the Association, will occupy the chair.

Criminal Sitting*.— The Criminal Sitting* of the Supreme Court will commence at eleven o’clock on Wednesday, the Bth inst., and not on the Ist, as is generally supposed. Waimate,— The nomination for the Provincial Council took place on Thursday. Tbe proceedings were very quiet, there being no opposition, and Mr Buckley, tbe late member, was duly re elected. Inquest. —An inquest touching the death of David W. Turner, late Master of the ketch Folly, which was wrecked on the Kaipoi bar, on Friday last, was held yesterday before C. Dudley, Esq, coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr E. A. Lock was chosen foreman. The evidence given was substantially the same as that elicited on the body of Robert Campbell, seaman of the same vessel, on Saturday last. After a short deliberation the jury returned a verdict of “ Accidentally Drowned.” Serjeant Mulliu conducted the examination. Christy Minstrels. —Last night’s programme was decidedly the beat of the season; and notwithstanding the two counter-attrac-tions, there was a fair attendance in all parts of the bouse. Mr Rainford was encored in moat of his selections, and Mr Carroll had a like compliment paid to him for his singing of the “ Hen Convention.” The Golden Shoe Dance, notwithstanding that it has so often been performed by Mr Carroll, was loudly applauded ; and Mr Bent kept the audience in an almost continuous roar of laughter throughout the burlesque, which brought the entertainment to a close. Mr Bent possesses a rich fund of natural humour, and those who have seen him once cannot fail to desire to repeat their visit. Changes in the General Assembly.— The following changes in the personnel of the House of Representatives have occurred during the recess. The late representatives of the Auckland constituencies of Mongonni and Parnell—Messrs T. Ball and Major Heaphy—have been succeeded by Mr T. B. Gillies, Superintendent of Auckland, and Mr Reader Wood. The Superintendent of Taranaki, Mr F. A. Carrington, succeeds Major Brown for Omata. The Otago constituencies of Bruce and Caversham are now represented by Messrs J. C. Brown and J. Mclndoe, successors to Major Cargill and Mr A. J. Burns. There is reason to believe that all the new members will support the Fox Government. Three out of the five have distinctly said they will. Dr. Featherston.— The Wellington 1> dependent of May 28 has the following : —We are sorry to learn from private advices that during his stay in London Dr Featherston has been suffering severely from sciatica and bronchitis. At the time of the departure of the mail he was anticipating an immediate journey to Wales in company with a gentleman interested in the proposed railway to Cobden and Westport, in the Nelson province. The object of Dr Featherston’s journey was to see and acquaint himself with the working of the narrow gauge railway which has of late excited so large a share of attention in the engineering world. Dr Featherston at the time of the departure of the mail had not come to any terms with Mr Kennard relative to the patent slip, Mr Kennard showing an evident disinclination to move in the matter. The Bellringers. —lt is much to be regretted that this company have visited Christchurch under such disadvantageous circumstances. Their entertainment is worthy of good support, but the public have been surfeited with amusements of late, and nothing short of the extraordinary will at present secure large audiences. The bellringers do not aspire to such a distinction as this implies, hut their practised skill is productive of considerable admiration and most pleasing music. To those who have come here from the old country, the latter has a peculiar charm, more especially when the chimes are being played. None should neglect this opportunity of hearing them, and the many beautiful compositions which the company render. Last night almost every item on the bill was encored, and it is much to the credit of the performers to say that, although the house was a very indifferent one, they readily responded to each call. The singing was also very successful, several encores being demanded. Sporting. —The Wairau race came off on Wednesday, May 18, near Mr H. Redwood’s Mill. The principal events were the Wairau Plate of 40 sots., entrance 2 sovs., two miles, which was won by Mr H. Redwood’s hi m XXX, beating Mr Stafford’s Lacenfeed, and Mr W. Robinson's Golden Eagle ; tbe Hurdle Race of 20 sovs., entrance 1 sov., won by Mr Taylor’s Gamester; and the Blenheim Handicap of 30 sovs, with a sweepstakes of 3 sovs, one and a half miles, won by Mr Stafford’s Lacenfeed, beating Mr Redwood’s Misfortune, and XXX. The Consolation was won by Misfortune. The writer of turf gossip, in the Australasian of May 21, says :—For the Melbourne Cup Manuka is all the rage, and 100’s to 6 are readily snapped up. His position is rapidly advancing in spite of his leg; the public do like risky goods. One of the most respected bookmakers said the other day when chaffed about the high price of his double events, “ Sir, the public would sooner take a double event than a single one at the same price.” For the Metropolitan and Cup, Tim Whiffler, Manuka, Florence, The Earl, Bylong, Duke of Montrose, Sir John, Barbarian, Moselle, the Ida colt, Baron, Little Dick, Glencoe, Croydon, Trump Card, Coeur de Lion, Milesian, Farmer's Daughter, Lapdog, and The Roe, have all been backed outright for the events for which they are supposed to be going, at prices ranging from 500 to 10 to 500 to 40.

The Inter-Colonial Conference. —The Melbourne Leader of May 21 says : —The Intercolonial Conference, proposed so long ago by the Government of New Zealand, is to take place in Melbourne towards the close of June. It is to be hoped that ere that time the Victorian Legislature will have tolerably well disposed of the business in hand, so that our representatives may be duly prepared to protect our interests in the Conference, the representatives of three other colonies having had the advantage of a rehearsal in Sydney two or three months ago. From our experience of the Intercolonial Postal Conference, when, moderately speaking, some of the Sydney delegates sought to give an imaginative colouring to the conclusions arrived at, a faithful record of the proceedings will be indispensable, and no sentimental consideration should prevent Victoria from taking high ground, and inexorably holding thereto. How the programme to be submitted to this Conference has expanded since the first broaching of the idea. First, the main, if not the only point was to discuss the best means of promoting the sale of Australasian wool in the United States; but now it is understood that the delegates will have to discuss the important questions of intercolonial free trade and the right of the colonies to manage their own commercial interests, intercolonial postage and postal and telegraphic communication with Great Britain, the general relations between the colonies and the mother-country ; and so on. It certainly promises to be one of the most important episodes in the annals of Australasia ; and so much the more necessary is it that all the dramatis personce will be thoroughly up to the mark. There is the question of the Fiji Islands also to task the intellect of the delegates. That’s a matter which the colonies must endeavour to settle, or it may settle them to an awkward extent some day or other. Tempting as it is to know that there is a cluster of resourceful islands going a-begging for some protector, we are not aware that there is any desire to adopt an Australian Monroe doctrine and go in for unlimited annexation; but this is not the point. The question is how to avert the contingency of the Fijis being appropriated by some foreign and possibly hereafter hostile power, converted into a naval or military station, or still worse, into a convict depot. Neither I’russia nor any other European power seems to be in hot haste to grasp the prize, but there is no calculating upon the action of our acquisitive American cousins, who are so avid of land that one might imagine in some far off lime a transatlantic expedition to annex and colonise the moon. It is manifestly the interest of the entire Australian group that the Fijis should be brought under the Protectorate of the British flag, if we take only negative advantages into account; but then, there are

numerous >nd postttvs advantage* in the futon trod* tbol will oprlng op with the island* under Britlib or rotber colonial influence. Our only fear is that eome complication may a rite before tbe colonies have urged the Imperial authorities to act.