TOWN & COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXI, Issue 7221, 22 April 1884, Page 4

TOWN & COUNTRY.

Juror Fined, George Mitchell, a juror, summoned to attend the Civil sittings of the Supreme Court yesterday, did not answer when called, and was fined 40s, “ unless cause be shown.” Sydenham Borough Council. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Sydenham Borough Council was held last evening. The business was of an unimportant nature. A report appears elsewhere. Harvest Thanksgiving. A harvest thanksgiving service was held in Holy Trinity Church, Lyttelton, on Sunday last, when the Church was tastefully decorated, and the sermon, a very appropriate one, was preached by the Rev W. A. Pascoe, incumbent at Avonside.

Pbeethouoht Hale. —Mr Charles Bright delivered another lecture in the Freethought Hall, Worcester street, last night, taking for his subject, “ Ingorsoß at home, and on the platform.” Mr Webber took the chair, and there was a good attendance, the hall being fairly well filled. Absconders prom Burnham. Two boys, named Edward Jennett and Beaufill, who escaped from the Burnham Industrial School, were captured yesterday morning at St Albans by Constable Plewellyn. Jennett has frequently absconded from the school, and has more than once been at large for several days, as on the present occasion.

A Contumacious Juryman. —At the inquest upon the body of John Eosewell yesterday, the police stated that a man named Edwin Garland had refused to give his name when summoned to serve on the jury, and had not put in an appearance at the Hospital, where the inquest was 'to take place. They had ascertained the man’s name from his employer. The Coroner, Dr Coward, said that he would fine the defaulter 10s, as a punishment for his conduct.

Inquest.— An inquest on the body of John Eosewell, who was found dead in Hagley Park on Sunday afternoon, under circumstances which tended to show that he had shot himself, was held at the Hospital at 3 p.m. yesterday, before Dr Coward, Coroner, and a jury of which Mr W. A. Knapman was chosen foreman. The witnesses examined were James Eosewell, brother of deceased; Mrs Crozier, with whom he lodged; Arthur Bennetts, who found the body; Constable Crockett; J. B, Williams, salesman at Messrs Plaisted and Co.’s, where deceased purchased the revolver with which he shot himself; and Dr M'Clure, who made a post mortem examination of the body. All the facts adduced in the evidence have been mentioned in these columns. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased had committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity.

Theatre Eoyal.— Mr Dunning’s Eoyal Comic Opera Company appeared at the Theatre Eoyal for the last time yesterday evening. The opera given was John Crook's “ The King’s Dragoons,” which was only performed for the second time, and on this occasion for the benefit of Miss Ivanova. Many of those who heard for the first time the many pretty numbers which the composer has scattered everywhere through his score must have regretted that at least one other opportunity was not afforded them of becoming further acquainted with this pleasing opera. It is, without doubt, as far as the music goes, one of the best in which the company have appeared since they arrived in Christchurch. The bSndficiaire was enthusiastically encored in her first ballad —“ Sang a Maiden, Oh! so Sweetly,” one of the most taking morqeaux. Mr Appleby also had to repeat his rustic song. Miss Leaf again played in a most pleasing manner. The incidental “ aisthetic dance” was called for again._ After the opera a short concert was given, Misses Stanley and Ivanova respectively singing “The Storm ” (Hullah) and “Good Night, Beloved ” (Balfo). Mr K. Aston delivered a student song by Lacomo in capifal stylo, and the audience seemed really inclined to hear it again, but the singer was not disposed to accede to the request. Mr Appleby created a great effect with his excellent recitation of Matheson’s “ Little Hero,” which he had given before on Good Friday, and Mona Loredan sang “ Come into the Garden, Mauds.”

This New Cemetery-—past night the City Council adopted a recommondatton to declare tho now cemetery p . PIIEBBLKTON LumABY.-A COMort . followed by a dance, wanton in the Probbleton schoolroom, on Friday evening, m aid of the funds of tho local library. Tb* result was satisfactory. ....... , Supreme Court.—! »o civil sittings of tho Supremo Court began yesterday, before his Honor Mr justice Johnston, and though some half a dozen cases on the list were adjourned or otherwise disposed of, there still remain a sufficient number to occupy the Court for more than a week. A report of yesterday’s proceedings will bo found on tho usual page. Temperance Union,— A mooting of tho Malvern Branch of tho Canterbury Temperance Union was held in the schoolroom, Glen tunnel, on Friday evening. There was a fair attendance, and Mr R. P. Polo occupied tho chair. During tho evening speeches were made by tho Chairman, Rev P. W. Jones, and Mr J. .Tebson, sonr., and met with hearty reception from those present. Weather Exchange. Now Zealand : Overcast, with passing showers in extreme north, but generally fine with moderate southerly winds and uniform high pressure. Australia: Fine ; pressure steady j westerly wind on east coast, where rain has fallen, but has now cleared off; south easterly winds on south coast. Barometers—New Zealand : Russell, Wellington and Bluff, 30’3; Australia, “Sydney, 30’0; Portland and Hobart, 304; Albany, 30’1.

St John’s Temperance Society.—The usual fortnightly meeting of the Temperance Society organised in connection with the parish of St John the Baptist, was held in the Church schoolroom yesterday evening. There was the customary large attendance, and the room was crowded with adult and juvenile members of the Society. Addresses were delivered by Dr Bussell, and also by Mr P. W. Isitt, and the recitations and songs by ladies and gentlemen, friends or members of the Association, which form a pleasant feature at these r6unions, were not omitted. Leithfield School.—The annual treat in connection with the district school at Leithfield took place on Friday. The proceedings began with tea, followed by a concert, after which an incident of a very pleasing character took place, that of pre senting the retiring mistress of the school. Miss May, with an address and a marble clock. The presentation was made by Mr Eoberts (Chairman of the School Committee), prefaced by a few pithy remarks in his usual happy style. Miss May suitably replied. The proceedings were wound up with a dance. Pictures for the Museum.—Mr George Gould, with his usual liberality, instructed Dr von Haast to buy some pictures of Canterbury artists for our infant art gallery, and that gentleman has chosen the following pictures: —No. 9, Harbour of Salfaloa, Samoa, by E. Beetham; No. 23, Evening Glow, Lyttelton Harbour, by J. Gibb; No. 113, Ancient Staircase, Normandy, and No. 119, Street in Bayeux, Normandy, both by Thomas Cane. We need scarcely add that this selection is an excellent one, and that we are glad that these pictures have been secured for the public collection. Woolsack Town Board, —An adjourned meeting of the Board was held last week; present—Messrs O’Neill, Coles, Ticknor, M'Diarmid, York, and J. H. Hopkins (Chairman). A letter was received from the Library Committee, stating they could not alter terms as to letting room for Board meetings. The Board accepted the terms offered. A tender for metal and shingle was accepted ; metal at 6s 3d per yard, shingle at 3s per yard. The Clerk was instructed to invite tenders for a piece of ground suitable for Board .premises, tenders to be in by May 1 next. Messrs York, Coles, M'Diarmid,. and Hopkins were appointed a deputation to wait on Major Atkinson as to rating under the Act of 1882. Eesolved —“ That the Manager of the Tramway Company be written to, calling h’£ attention to the large metal being put between tram lines in the district.” After doing other business of a routine nature, the meeting ended. The adjourned annual meeting of the shareholders of the South Pacific Petroleum Company will be held at Mr Arenas’ Cafe de Paris, Cashel street, tomorrow evening, at 7.30. A meeting of the Board of Governors of Canterbury College will he held on Monday, at 3 p.m.

Tbibute to an Authoress’ Works.— The late Mr Arthur Wells, of Nottingham, who died a short time since, left .£15,000 to the London Missionary Society. The Eev B, Paton, Principal of the Congregational Institute, Nottingham, who knew Mr Wells intimately, attributes this munificent gift, in large measure, to the donor’s interest in the works of Miss GordonCumming—“ At Home in Fiji,” “ A Lady’s Cruise in a French Man-of-war,” and “Fire Mountains,” —which bear striking and impartial testimony to the wonderful influence exerted by Christian Missions in the South Sea Islands. The Arabs at Tamanibb. —One of the special correspondents who described General (Graham’s engagement with the Arabs at Tamanieb says:—ln searching the bushes where the fight took place we have come upon a few badly wounded Arabs, who have been cared for to the best of our powtr. They say that the bulk of their men iere unaware that they had to fight Englishmen until they saw their faces in the battle; only their chiefs knew and had hiiden the fact from them. They had no wisl,they say, to fight the English. They have (no quarrel with us, only with the Turks and Egyptians, who have oppressed and trampled upon them. L’ Affaire Mackay. —All Paris has been talking of \|bat, in their pithy way, the French call an “affair.” Mrs Mackay, wife of the Veil-known Bonanza King, had a portrait painted by the great artist Meissonier.! The portrait finished, and exhibited atthe annual salon, Mrs Mackay declared thaji it was not at all like her, and refused! to receive and pay for the picture. Liters were exchanged, and at last Mr Mtckay sent the money claimed (£2800) and; burnt the picture. What a Vandal! wap the cry. It is this same American wio last year took it into his head to hire.the Arc de Triomphe, in order to illuminatl it by electric light to enhance the splendo r of the f6to he was to give in his hotel, faturally, he was refused; but the Yankee was not at all disconcerted. You refuse ip let me the Arc de Triomphe, he said, thin I’ll buy it of you; and it was with th< greatest trouble in the world Mackay waskuade to understand that the thing was oit of the question. This is the way the storf is told, but it is probably merely an invention of the lively Gaul. Mr Mackay b too shrewd a man, and has lived too long in France to make any such blunder _ The Government Life Assurance Department.—l’he Wellington correspondent of the South Australian Register is responsible lor the following“ It has been discovered that the New Zealand Life Insurance has been, on the whole, a gigantic mistake. The Department has been so much more expensively worked than is the case with the general run of life insurance companies that, as lives now come to\ fall in, the Department is found to'be a losing concern. In the next session aproposal will probably be made to hand overthe business to some wellapproved Company, The Government will, as a matter of coumo, hold itself responsible for the risks whiclf have been accepted and are still maturing.! It is contended that the Government has no more right to take up life insurance business than it has to go in for covering marirto risks or for starting woollen factories oT flourmills- -As evidencing how expensively the Department has been worked, the returns ask for show that * xf omj aissioner, whose work is nil, and whose responsibiliti is next to nil, receives £BOO a year; that the Actuary, who works upon tables already|provided for him, re-

ceives £6OO a year; and that the Inspector of Agencies last year received over £2OOO in commissions. Public feeling reaches to strong indignation against the Department and demands large modifications or total abolishment.” A Cotton Merchant’s Difficulties.— 1 Banger, the Liverpool cotton merchant, whoso operations in " corners ” were popu- ■ larly supposed to have made him a millionaire, was hopelessly involved when finally forced to suspend. All ho could offer his creditors was a beggarly composition not amounting to a shilling in the £. Ho first offered £SOOO, but, as might be expected, the projiosition was rejected with indignation. At length the following scheme was agreed to: —Sixpence in cash within fourteen days after the date of the approval of the scheme, and threepence within twelve months from that date, secured upon the promissory notes of the debtor. The debts were £817,000. The only opposing creditors wore the International Dank of London, represented by Mr Gair, who said ho opposed on the ground that the scheme was not to the benefit of the creditors, but only for the debtor. The Court, however, approved the scheme. Tai-I'ino the Clouds. The fearful drought in the interior of Australia has stimulated the inventive energy of some of the Melbourne people, one of whom, Mr E. S. Haines, has submitted drawings of a device for producing a fall of rain from moisture-charged clouds to the Government. The apparatus is very simple. A captive balloon inflated with about 800 cubic feet of hydrogen is sent up into the clouds, carrying at some distance below it a barrel containing about 501 h of dynamite. When it has reached the proper elevation the dynamite is exploded by means of an electric spark conveyed along a wire communicating with the earth. The effect of such a concussion, it is argued, would be to cause an immediate downpour from the rain - charged clouds. By a peculiar mechanical arrangement the balloon would collapse at the moment of explosion, and return uninjured to the earth, ready to be inflated again. In New South Wales the contrivance is to he immediately tested. The drought in that Colony is producing calamitous results among the sheep and cattle, and it is stated that the want of water is rendered more annoying by the frequent appearance at night of heavy rain-clouds, which disappear from the sky by morning. It is thought that such localities present a favourable field for trying the invention. If the results are encouraging the apparatus will probably he tested by the Water Supply department in Victoria also. General Gordon in Eetieement. — Gordon Pasha evidently belongs to a sturdy race. He was residing in complete retirement in a country village with his sister, in order to recruit his strength, just before he was appointed to his official position under the Government to proceed to the Soudan. The doctor’s orders were formal. He was not to be disturbed by any matter of business, no letter or newspaper was to be delivered into his hands, and no visitor of any kind admitted to his presence. The treatment was successful, for strength of mind and body gradually returned to the hero, until at length, after some few days passed in this peace and quiet, the only anxiety left upon his mind was the uncertainty in which he remained with regard to the intentions of the Government towards him. So much was he pressed by this disquietude that he expressed his determination to start immediately for London, when, to his surprise, a whole bundle of telegrams was placed in his hands by his sister, who had possessed sufficient strength of mind to keep them from her brother’s sight until his strength had returned. During the whole time that Gordon had lain prostrate the Government telegrams had been coming in rapidly, sometimes at the rate of two or three a day, hut the brave and faithful sister weuld not suffer one of them to be handed to him, lest the emotion dreaded by the doctor should be produced.

The Pams Library. —The French National Library is asserted to be the largest in Europe. Stock has just been taken of its contents, and the number of volumes has been found to reach the large total of 2,500,000. The manuscripts are bound in 953,000 volumes, and the coins and medals number 144,000. The library possesses, in addition, 2,000,000 engravings, filling 500 volumes and 4000 portfolios. If one or two other European collections approach it in size, none of them rival it in age. The nucleus of the library is said to have been formed as far back as the time of Charlemagne, and its real origin dates from the reign of Charles the Wise, who commissioned Grilles Mallet, his valet de chamhre, and an excellent scholar besides, to make the first catalogue in 1367. This list, which embraces only 900 volumes, is preserved in a glass case. There is, unfortunately, no modern catalogue, and the absence of this almost indispensable adjunct to a great library is much felt by students who have extended researches to prosecute. A Sickening Sight. —A horrible discovery was made at Southsea, near Portsmouth, England, in the house occupied by aMr Martell, a retired customs officer. He was in receipt of a pension of .£IOO a year, Mid was also the owner of considerable property. His wife recently injured her legs severely, and the man was suffering from dropsy. Food was handed to the couple through the window occasionally, and matters went on in this manner for several weeks, until one day the chief constable was notified that he had better look after that particular house. When it was entered by the police the stench inside the place was sickening, and it was immediately disinfected. The police surgeon was called in, but was unable to examine either Mr or Mrs Martell, owing to their indescribable condition. v The kitchen in which they lay was in semi-darkness, and was thick with accumulated dust and filth. There were also five or six cats in the room. Mrs Martell was stretched helplessly in a broken chair, while the husband, who had also little clothing upon him, was upon the floor, having apparently fallen out of an old chair. The other rooms in the house were in an equally dirty and chaotic- condition. There was plenty of furniture, but it was piled loosely about, while clothing and rubbish were scattered in the passages, and upon one of the tables was found seven or eight pounds of putrid beef. The old couple were wrapped in blankets and conveyed to the workhouse, where they were examined by Dr O’Connor, the union medical officer, and as Mrs Martell was ascertained to be dangerously ill, it was decided to take her deposition. In this pestilential house were four sovereigns, besides silver and coppers.