TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2973, 22 July 1870, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

3orough Schools Bill.— The City Council will hold a special meeting at ten o’clock to-day, to consider the proposed Education Bill. Lecture. —The Rev. R. S. Bunn delivered a lecture on education at the Kaiapoi Wesleyan schoolroom, on Wednesday evening. The rev. gentleman seemed thoroughly conversant with the subject, and illustrated it in a manner that did him great credit. During the lecture, he reviewed the various systems of education in force in the Australian Colonies and New Zealand. At the conclusion, a unanimous vote of thanks was accorded to him. Courtenay Farmers’ Club. —The anniversary of the Courtenay Farmers’ Club was celebrated on Tuesday evening, July 19, by a supper and ball at Watson’s Halfway House. About 100 sat down to an excellent supper. After the tables were removed, dancing commenced and was kept up with great spirit till about 6 a.m. on Wednesday. There was a very good attendance of welldressed ladies. Provincial Government Accounts.— We have received the Treasurer’s Statement of receipts and expenditure for the quarter ending June 30. The receipts on Ordinary Revenue Account were £63,971 16s, including £34,145 13s Id for pasturage rents, and £17,895 6s 5d for railways. The expenditure amounted to £31,646 17s 9d. The rece pts on Land and Works account were £12,346 11s Id, including £5078 Is 6d from land sales,£s7os Is 7d transferfrom Ordinary Revenue Account, and £331 9s 7d rent of Education Reserves. The expenditure amounted to £13,491 18s lid, but as there was a credit balance of £5669 lis lOd from the previous quarter, the balance at the end of June was £4524 14s to credit on this account. The total credit balance at the end of the quarter was £125,250 3s 7d.

The Temperance Movement. The Temperance Committee holds its usual weekly meeting at four o'clock this after-: noon, at the City Council Chambers. The Waxworks. —There was a large wttendanoe last night, which was the last of the series of exhibitions in Christchurch. To-night the collection will be opened in Lyttelton. Theatre Royal.—The performances at the Theatre last evening were for the benefit of Mrs S'eele (Miss Adelaide Bowring), and there was a capital house, the dress circle being crowded. The amount of patronage bestowed on such an occasion was nothing more than a just recognition of Miss Bowring’? dramatic skill ana ability, which have been amply displayed during the short season that is now drawing to a close. The curtain rose to the four-act sensational drama of the « Hidden Hand,” in which the benefleiaire appeared as Lady and Mr Steele as Lord Penarvon. To judge from the applause accorded to it, the piece passed off satisfactorily. The performances concluded with ; the farce of “ The Loan of a Lover. Horticultural Society.—A meeting of the committee took place last mght at White’s Hotel. Mr Wynn Williams presided. The exhibitions for the ensuing seaboo were fixed to be held ou December 1G and February 13. It was resolved that an extra show should be held on the day of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s exhibition, subject to their approval. The secretary was instructed to communicate with the secretary of the association thereon, and in the event of a favourable reply Messrs Norman, West, and Milne were appointed to draw up a list of prizes. The secretary was also instructed to get the mem- , bers’ tickets printed and distributed. The usual vote of thanks to the chair terminated the meeting. Fatal Accidents.—On Tuesday last, the son of Mr James Rolls, farmer, Lincoln, went with one of the men into a field where he was given a match to burn some rubbish, but not returning, a search was made, and he was found face downwards, in a ditch containing about two inches of water, quite dead. He was subject to fits, and as there were no signs of struggling it is supposed that, being attacked with one, he fell into the ditch and was there suffocated.—Another fatal accident occurred in the district on the same day. The wife of George Hawkins, a ploughman in the employ of Mr F. C. Mullin, and but recently confined, fell into the fire whilst putting a pot of meal thereon. Mr Hawkins was away from home at the time, but was attracted by the screams of his daughter, and ou proceeding home found his wife sitting upon a chest with both arms severely burnt up to the elbow. He dressed the wounds and pat her to bed, and next morning she said she was no worse. On returning from his work at one o’clock, however, she did not speak in answer to his questions as to how she was, and he then drove her down to the hospital. When taken in every attention was paid to her, but she died in about half-an-hour afterwards. An inquest on the latter will be held at noon to-day. St. Michael’s Entertainment. The usual fortnightly entertainment was held in the church schoolroom last night, and was even a greater success than the preceding ones. The very Rev. the Dean presided, and nearly every seat was occupied. The programme had evidently been prepared with care and judgment, the result being universal enjoyment by the audience. The items comprised pianoforte duetts from “ Norma ” and “II Tancredi,” Messrs Zinckgraff and Deacon. Readings, “ Ten Thousand a Year,” Mr Lean; “ Calgrave’s Arabian Travels,” the Dean; “The Frenchman at the Proverbs,” Mr Restell; “ The Bells ” (E. A. Poe), Rev. W. H. Cooper. Recitations,“ Charge of the Light Brigade,” Rev. W. H. Cooper-. “ Hamlet’s Soliloquy on Death,” and “Mark Antony’s Soliloquy on the body of Csesar,” Mr Bradwell. Songs, “ The Pilgrim Father,” “ On the bridge at midnight,” and “ A Che La Morte ” (encored), Mr Poster. Pianoforte solos, “ The Ge! trade Waltz,” and “ La Carillo,” Miss Hirrison. Mr Bradwell’s recitations were well appreciated, and Mr Restell’s reading was provocative of considerable mirth. It is a most amusing composition, and the broken English peculiar s French emigres was given with most perfect mimicry. “ The Bells ” was beautifully read, and “ The Charge of the Light Brigade ” was also most effectively given. Mr Poster’s singing, and Miss Harrison’s playing, were leading features of the entertainment. Leithfibld Book Club.—A concert was given in aid of the funds of the club on Tuesday last, having the additional attraction of a programme including prominent musicians from Christchurch and Eaiapoi. A large audience assembled in the large room of the Royal Hotel, which is specially fitted up by Mr Paget for entertainments of this kind. The programme comprised the instrumental overtures “ Fra Diavolo,” “ Don Giovanni,” and “The Caliph of Bagdad,” by Messrs Biinz, Zinckgraff, Coombes, J. Thomson, and G. P. Hewlings; a cornet solo, selections from“ La Somnambula,” Mr .Coombes; a violin solo, No. 6 of De Beriot’s Airs, with variations, by Mr Biinz; a trio, selections from “ Norma,” by Messrs Thomson (flute), Bird (flute), and Zinckgraff (piano); the songs “ The Village Blacksmith,” Mr F. Bull; “I’m waiting at your window, Kattie Darling,?’ Miss Brown; “Robinson Crusoe” (comic), MrWoledge; “The Swiss Girl,” Mrs Morris; “Think on me” (Lachner), by Miss Brown; Mr Coombes playing a cornet obligato. “ The Lugger,” Mr Rivers ; “ The Turmit Hoer,” Mr Paget; "Complaints and their remedies,” (comic), Mr Woledge. The glees, “ Glorious Apollo,” and “ Carnovale,” by Miss Brown, Mrs Morris, Messrs Woodhouse, Rivers, and Bull; the quartette, “ Hark, ’tis the Indian Drum,” Miss Brown, Mrs Morris, Mr Woodhouse, and Mr Rivers ; the part song, “ The Cuckoo sits on the Poplar Tree,” Miss Brown, Mrs Morris, Messrs Woodhouse, Rivers, and Bull. The duett, “ Onward, Onward,” Miss Brown and Mr Morris, and the song “ The Vagabond,” by Mr.Woodhouse. Each item was loudly applauded, and in almost every instance the acknowledgement was fully deserved. The instrumental selections, more especially the overtures, were particularly noticeable, as also tha singing of the ladies and Mr Woledge’s inimitable comic contributions. Mrs Coombes’ solo on the cornet was encored. Mrs Morris received a like compliment for her song and the National Anthem terminated one of the most successful re -unions ever held in the district.

Births and Deaths — The Unioers Itlustre of May 14 publishes some interesting statistics with regard to the number of births and deaths that occur per annum over the wo-Id. From these it appears that the half of mankind does not exceed the age of 19 years, and that one only in every 10,000 attains the age of - 100 years. In fact (.says the Unioers Illustre ), of 1000 children, there remains at the end of a year 870 ; at the end of three years, 600; at the end of five years. 684 ; ten years, 540 ; thirty years, 446 ; sixty years, 226 ; ninety-five years, 9 ; and ninetyseven year.-, 1. 37,037,037 individuals are born per annum ; 101,471 per diem ; 4228 per hour ; and 70 per minute. Against ti.ese figures, 33,333,333 individuals die each year ; 91,324 per day ; and 3803 per hour. Finally, 65 persons die per minute, and consequently the population of the globe increases at the rate of five persons a minute. Veterans op tub First Empire. —The Unioers I (lustre of May 14 has the following: —On the morning of the 3th May, the anniversary of the death of Napoleon 1., there re-appeared, as in former years, in the Place Vendome, a certain number of old uniforms, woru by the last representatives of the armies of the First Empire, more or less fresh in appearance, recalling by their shade and cut the time when the flag of France was carried triumphantly over Europe, from Austerlitz to Jena, from Jena to Eylau, to Friedland, to Wagram, to arrive bn the disastrous battlefields oi Leipaig and Waterloo, where defeat even was insufficient to blemish its glory. These old veterans came to the Place Vendotne to hang bouquets, immortal crowns, or leaved branches on the railings of the column. We have remarked with sadness that death has cruelly thinned their ranks; this year thirty-seven only assembled at the rendevous. In the morning an anniversary mass was celebrated at the Hotel des Invalides, and also at the Tuileries,where the commemoration mats

vu performed In the “«h»pellid»i,palais,” in the presence of the Bttfperof and Empress .the Prince Imperial,member* of-thelmpe-rial family and officers and functionaries of their Majesties’ household. By a singular coincidence the 6th of May Is also the anniversary of the birth of the Empress, who was born at Seville on the 6th May, 1826. A Hew Projectile . The Pall Mall Gazette says ;— Captain Ericsson announces, in a communication to the American Army and Navy Journal, that he has perfected the system of submarine attack by which be can destroy the largest ironclads ever built. The resistance of the water is so great that explosive projectiles have always proved failures hitherto wheu designed to strike below the water-line. Captain Ericsson Is confident that he has devised a projectile which will overcome the difficulty caused by this resistance. It is an elongated shell, charged with SOOlbs of dynamite, and shot fromal6-inoh gun at such an elevation as to enter the water near the hostile vessel, and strike the hull anywhere below the water line. It is fitted with a percussion cap, which explodes upon very slight impact against the bull, so that the velocity of the shell when it reaches its destination need not be high. The gun is carried on a swift armoured boat, protected by a turret. Captain Ericsson intends to make a formal offer to test this invention. He is ready to fit out at his own cost and risk a fast screw vessel with two 15-inch guns of the kind described, if somebody else will furnish the ironclad to be experimented upon. In the i politest terms he does this country the honour [ to single out the new British ironclad Devasi tation as one of the most splendid specimens of an armoured war vessel which can be produced, and challenges her to come out and encounter his torpedo. Volcanic Eruption in Mexico. —The Mexican correspondent of the San Francisco Bulletin gives particulars of the recent eruption of Ceborneo. About 15 miles north of Ahuacatlan is situated the mountain of Ceboruco, which, on the 22nd of February, burst forth into five distinct volcanoes, vomiting ashes, sand, and large rocks with such violence and continuity as to cause the depopulation of the surrounding country. A white smoke is visible throughout the day; at night a blue sulphurous light, with occasional flames, crowns the summit of the sierra ; at intervals of 10 or 15 minutes puffs of, apparently,, vapour are emitted with a sound like that of blowing off steam from a‘boiler, followed by a dull roaring noise and trembling of the earth. The liquefied rocks and earth run like creeks of water. The eruption if continued, will endanger the town of Ahuacatlan. The inhabitants of the towns and villages in the vicinity could not breathe from the effects of the fine ashes which cover the ground and roofs of houses to the depth of over one inch. The fires are extending in the direction of Uzeta and Tequepeban, Jala is in imminent danger. In close proximity to the present eruption the remains of an old extinct crater are distinctly visible, evidently having in its day far exceeded the powers of the late outbreak; a stream of lava, two miles wide by 12 miles long, presenting, at a distant view, the appearance of a wide carriage road, descends from the old opening and terminates on the road, which creates a hollow, rambling sound when passed over by the stage coach. To date of the Ist of April no cessation or diminution had been perceived; on the con trary, it was presumed to be augmenting in force and extent. The Indians in the neighbourhood believe it to be a vast gold and silver mine, and that the imps of darkness are having a grand production of metals; they profess to see black people in the blue flames making merry over their productions at night. Slight tremblings of the earth have been experienced at Tepic.