NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7796, 16 November 1886, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

A clergyman has been elected Mayor of Tauranga. Councillor T. Cain has been eleoted Mayor of Melbourne. The legalisation of the totaliaator has increased betting. Mr. Gordon, mining engineer, has been instructed to return to Wellington. The Ly-ee-Moon Relief Fund Committee have a balance in band of about £5500. Mr. W. A. Brown, auctioneer, of Christchurch, died somewhat suddenly a few days ago. A case of scarlet ferer in Dundonald-street has been reported to the Sanitary Inspector, Mr. Goldie. The Mayor of Sydney has made arrangements with the Union Bank for floating the loan of £330,000 in the London market. At the Lancaster Park intercolonial tennis tournament, a number of the courts were provided with the patent "North" tennis poles. The sum of £60,000 has been voted for the construction of a telegraph line from Wyndham to Derby via the Kimberley goldfield. _ 1 On the day preceding the opening of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Show the express from the Sooth brought about 1500 people, Mr. and Mrs. George Cooper, farmer, of Sonthbridge, Canterbury, celebrated their golden wedding a few days ago. Mr. Cooper is said to be as nimble as any of his fifty-three grandchildren. The Hon. S. Lyttelton, who is one of the best amateur singers in London, sang three solos at an organ recital in the Canterbury Cathedral a few days ago. The question of strengthening the Australian Naval Squadron has been engaging the attention of the Premiers of the various colonies for some time past. Over £36,000 ,was put through the totaliaator at the late Christohurch racing meeting, and yet the Canterbury people are still talking about "severe commercial depression." Rabbits are evidently present in large numbers on the Oroua Downs, Waaganui district, when one individual took £10 15s, representing 430 skins, from the Babbit Association there a few days ago. "Secularists," says Cardinal Moran, " who refuse the teachings of Divine faith m the pursuit of truth are like astronomers who would throw aside the telescope to study the heavens with tke naked eye." The Waikato News (Cambridge) has an article heartily approving of the resolution passed by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, "that the County Councils be entitled to send representatives to that body." The annual meeting of the New Zealand Congregational Union will take place in Christchurch during the present month. The Union has not met in Christohurch for four years. The last meeting was held in Timaru. The last session of the Parliament of New South Wales is said to have produoed the largest and most sensational Hansard and the smallest statute*book ever contributed by » legislative body to the literature of any country. Amongst the requests for speoial prayer sent in at Trinity Church, Napier, a few Sundays ago, was one from an individual with very far-reaching sympathy for "editors of newspapers." The blessing desired in this case, however, was not their oonverison, if such were needed, but that they might use their powerful influence aright. Dion Bouoicault and company returned to New York from England on the 12th of October, never, he says, so far as he is concerned, again to leave it. As usual, in his interviews, he gives the old country a parting kick, and, with fulsome words of praise, holds out bis arms to embrace the new. Tremendous efforts are being made in the South Western States to extirpate the pest of the English sparrow. A report, published by the Department of Agriculture on October 17, puts the estimated loss to rice planters in the Carolinas from these birds, at from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 dollars annually. Captain Jekyll, the governor ,of the Brisbane gaol, who was suspended by the Queensland Government, in consequence of his having been fined in the Police Court for assault, has been reinstated in his office, with a reprimand. Captain Jekyll, it will be remembered, horsewhipped Mr. Bernard, the former governor of the gaol. •* A Jewish bazaar is to open in the Garrison Hall, Dunedin, on the 22nd instant-, and very extensive and elaborate preparations have been made in view thereof. It will be interesting to see whether the Jews resort to the Christian method of gambling to raise money for purposes connected with the temple of Jehovah. The Wanganui Herald says that at the drill hall there a few nights ago a major and adjutant went throught the drill with the books in their hands 1 They differed from the drill instructor, and after each movement the men were halted, and the order given "stand easy," while the officers discussed the point. In the Supreme Court, Christohuroh, tho other day, three partners in a well-known firm—in faot, the entire firm—were summoned on the jury panel, and two of them were ballotted to serve. However, by a j friendly arrangement with the counsel on I either side it was so fixed that only one partner oat «l the three had to serve,