TOWN & COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXV, Issue 7863, 19 May 1886, Page 4

TOWN & COUNTRY.

City Council.— An ordinary meeting of the City Council was held last night. A report of the proceedings will be found on another page. Boabd!— "lrK. MTTaylor has resigned his/ position as representative for Sydenham on the Christchurch .District Drainage Board. New Wesleyan Church. is given in our advertising columns of the laying of the foundation atone of a Wesleyan church at Eiccarton on Monday next, the Queen's Birthday, at 3 p.m. * Kaiapoi Eiples. —A Church parade of this Company has been arranged for Sunday next, at the Wesleyan Church. The sermon will be preached by the Eev J. A. Luxford, and special hymns will be sung. Acknowledgment, The Eev Father Ginaty desires to gratefully acknowledge the receipt from “ Practical Christianity ” of five pounds sterling and ten pairs of blankets for the immediate relief of sufferers by the recent floods. The Mystery of the Broken Window. — This Timsru mystery has been cleared up by Detective Kirby, who has discovered the person who accidentally did the damage, and who has agreed to pay the amount claimed for the breakage. The Halbwell Election. —The Court of Enquiry to hear the petition against the recent Halswell Eoad Board election sat yesterday morning, and was adjourned till to-morrow afternoon. A report of what was done appears elsewhere in this issue. Funeral Notice. We have been requested to draw special attention to an alteration in the date of a funeral. The burial of Mr W. G. Woodford's child was announced to take place to-day, but another son having since died, the funeral of both will take place on Friday, May 21, as advertised.

Southern Cross Petroleum Company, Limited. —The Directors of the Southern Cross Petroleum Company have received their weekly report from Eotokautuku as follows :—Depth of bore on Friday last was 503£t, the drill being 331 ft in advance of the pipe, the rock standing splendidly, a slight trace of oil showing, with a free flow of gas. So Much the Worse fob the Lawyers. —The case of Miles, Archer and Co. v. Hoare ct uxor, which has been before the< Courts for some time, was brought to ai conclusion on Monday in the Court ol Appeal, by the defendants’ motion for a new trial being dismissed with costs. The 3 Attorney-General, with him Mr Joynt,! appeared for the defendants in support of the motion, and Mr G. Harper for the; plaintiffs. I Cookery Classes. —The ladies of thei Women’s Temperance Union have followed! up the good work begun by Mrs Dudley! Ward in her recent lectures on cookery® and have established a class for giving ii| f struction in cooking. The class meets every Tuesday evening in the Blue Eibboh Hall, Worcester street. It is satisfactory to learn that the attendance is numerous, and that the members evince strong practical interest in the work, the importance of which, from many points of view, can scarcely he over-estimated. Parishioners’ Meeting. —An adjourned meeting of the parishioners of St Stephen’s, Ashburton, was held on Monday evening, to elect churchwardens and vestrymen. There were only twelve parishioners present, and the Eev E. E. Otway presided. The rev Chairman announced that Mr G. Jameson had consented to act as clergyman’s churchwarden, and Mr F. T. Mayo was elected the people’s churchwarden. The following vestrymen were elected: — Messrs Littlecot, Bland, Mayne, Townsend, Paul, H. Gates, and Thomas. After a considerable amount of discussion, and backing and filling among motions and amendmehts, the following was agreed to, as a means for the time, at least, of disposing of the question of pew rents:—" That .£1 Is each be charged for the first two seats taken by one person, and that 10s each be charged for any additional seats taken by the same person.” After the usual compliment to the chair, the Benediction closed the meeting. Wreck of the Taiaboa. —The late Captain of the ill-fated Taiaroa, in conversation yesterday with one of our staff, expressed the opinion that sufficient weight had not been given, in the judgment and the newspaper criticisms passed upon him, to certain contentions of his defence. Captain Thompson especially and strenuously denied that he had ever left the steamer in the carpenter’s charge. He was on deck and about until six o’clock, he went below, leaving the steamer in the mate’s charge. As regards the alteration of the course at 4 p.m., he had this done himself, and was satisfied by subsequent observation that the vessel was keeping, the altered course correctly. Until five o’clock he saw the land plainly, and knew exactly where he was as regarded it. At no time was the shore a lee shore, because the wind was rather off than on to the coast. He did not heave the lead, because, as the chart shows, there axe no soundings along the course from Cape Campbell to Waipapapa; the water is too deep. He holds that the steamer was in her proper course when he went below.

Cantata. —A performance of the sacred cantata, " Esther,” was given on Monday night at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Kaiapoi, by the members of the Kaiapoi Choral Society, in aid of the Wesleyan Organ Fund, Mr E. Blakely conducted. Miss Wilson presiding at the piano, Mr B. W. Blakely at the organ. The orchestra, which consisted cf nearly twenty performers under the leadership of Mr Heap, was decidedly one of the beet heard in Kaiapoi. They contributed, besides the cantata music, the “ Priest’s March ” (Mendelssohn), “ Grand March of the Israelites ” (Costa), and a beautiful selection by Pleyel, all of which were played in a most enjoyable manner. The vocal parts of the cantata went v4ry nicely, the steadiness of the choruses showing careful training. The various characters were by the same ladies and gentlemen as at the previous performance. Some sacred solos, si mg at the beginning of the concert, were much admired, particularly those sung by Mi«b Blakely and Mr S. Johnston, of Christchurch.

The Late Suicide.— The Coroner's, yesterday found a verdict of “ Tempos. Insanity" in the case of Mr Davenpt, who committed suicide on Monday. \ Elsewhere in this issue will be found the greater part of the Argus’ special cable message from London on the occasion of the opening of the Exhibition, and the Otago Daily Times’ report of the late blasting fatality in Dunedin. Parliament - Out op Session. Mr Brown received a vote of confidence at Lawrence, the Chairman declining to receive an amendment that Mr Brown should not support the Government unless he reduced the Estimates by .£240,000. Chamber op Commerce.— The quarterly general meeting of the members of the Chamber of Commerce will be held at 2.30 p.m. to-morrow. This meeting will be the first held in the new rooms of the Chamber in the Australian Mutual Provident Society’s buildings. Good News. —Half-a-dozen samples of bread, procured from the shops of various bakers in town, were recently submitted by the Inspector of Weights and Measures to Professor Bickerton for analysis. The Professor’s report thereon is a satisfactory one, he having failed to find any trace of alum or other adulteration. St John Ambulance Association.— Nearly 50 persons were present at the lecture given in the Provincial Council Chamber last night under the auspices of the St John Ambulance Association. The lecturer was Dr Moorhouse, who discoursed on “ Fractures, and How to Heal Them.” At the conclusion of the lecture a vote of thanks was passed to Dr Moorhouse, on the sfmfeton of Mr Ashley. f Societies, Clubs, &c. —A meeting of the fcommittee of the Kaiapoi Institute was fteld last night, Mr H. Kevell presiding. A f letter was read from Mr E. H. Parish, of jQsford, in reply to one written by the secretary, stating that he would be pleased to give a dramatic performance for the benefit of the Institute, on a date to be fixed. It was resolved that the thanks of the Committee be sent to Mi Parish for his kind offer. After some routine business had been disposed of the meeting terminated.

Alleged Imposition. —It is stated that some person has been going round the St Albans district selling packets of stationery labelled “ American Novelty Company,” representing that the contents- had been given by Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs and others, and that he was selling with the authority of the Mayor of Christchurch, in order .to raise funds for the relief of the sufferers by the floods. Several persons who would not otherwise have purchased were induced to do so, in the belief that they were contributing for the benefit of the distressed. It may be as well to warn the charitable that they should be careful not to allow themselves to be imposed upon. Parliamentary Union. —The Christchurch Parliamentary Association is not dead. It has been sleeping during the recess, but is now, it seems, about to awake to vigorous life. A meeting of the Cabinet was held recently, at which the draft of the Governor’s Speech was submitted and approved, and the Ministerial policy decided upon. What the nature of this policy will be, it is premature to say. It may be premised, however, that sufficient matter will be furnished to form the substance of many an animated debate. Among the measures introduced will probably be one for the institution of a Colonial Navy. It is stated that a considerable number of “honorable members” have stated their intention of entering the House this year, and entering heartily into the business of the session. St Leon’s Circus. —Favoured by a fine evening, the circus enjoyed a large share of public patronage last night. The tent was i well filled in all parts, and the performance, which consisted of the same excellent programme that was presented on Monday, passed off most successfully. The inspecrie was |Morgan, business agent for St Leon’il Bpircua, handed to the Mayor of Christ* phurch JESO 16s, being the gross pro* peeds of Monday night’s performance of Ithe circus, generously given by the Messrs St Leon for distribution amongst the charities of Christchurch. 'The whole | of the expenses in connection with the pernor man ce were borne by the proprietors, land no deduction whatever made from the ffiotal receipts. In accepting the donation, ’■ s|he Mayor expressed his gratitude to Messrs ■ *st Leon for their remarkable kindness and «enerosity. The circus and menagerie will *e open again this evening. by the morning train The Audited accounts of the Selwyn County Council, for the year ending March 31, can be seen ai the Council Chambers, Christchurch, or at any Boad Board office in the County, A special meeting of the Christchurch Drainage Board will be held nt the Board's office, Hereford street, Christchurch, on June 14, at S p.m. The Progress op the Transcaspian Railway.— This railway is now in regular running order as far as Askabad, and is finished as far as Giaurs, a place almost 25 miles further on in a south-easterly direction. From Giaurs it will be carried to Merv, a distance of about 80 miles as the crow flies, and the line along this stretch is being rapidly completed, the necessary bridges and stations being in full process of construction. From Merv the line will be taken on to Bourdalik, east to the Amu Daria, the line of route being in process of preparation. The complete length of the line will he 660 miles, of which 370 miles may be said to be practically completed. Between Merv and the Amu Daria the line will run through an absolutely waterless sand desert for close upon 120 miles. The attempt will, however, be made to get over the present absence of water by making artesian wells along the line of railway.