CHRISTCHURCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 1343, 25 August 1877, Page 6

CHRISTCHURCH.

August 7th. A case of considerable importance as bear* ing uperi the bankruptcy law was , brought before Mr Justice Williams last week. It appears that a debtor (one Thomas Andrew) filed a declaration of insolvency in the ordinary courae, and the first meeting of credit : tors was fixed. At that meeting no one - attended but a gentleman who held the proxies for several creditors. He- voted - himself to the chair, moved that he be appointed trustee, ' seconded and carried the resolution. Mr -Beattie, who represented.- , Messrs Butterworlh Bros., of your city, aiio creditors, afterwards attended, and desired, to have his proxy admitted, the authority being by telegram. The chairman declined • to receive the proxy, as not being duly' attested by affidavit, and also declined, on ' the ground of the additional expense incurred, to adjonrn the meeting, as requested', by Mr Beattie, in order to -enable him to perfect his proxy. Under these circumstances, an application ,was made to the Supreme Court; to set aside the proceedings of the first meeting ; and an order was obtained by a solicitor acting for Mr Beattie, calling upon the holders of the proxies to ' show cause why the proceedings should not be set aside. The counsel who appeared* to show cause against the order submitted that, under the Act all the proceedings were perfectly regular. The proxies represented the , creditors, and therefore hiß client was fully entitled to use them as he felt disposed. ' The certificate of appointment has been < signed by the Registrar of the Court, and the acceptance of the trusteeship had also been gazetted. The counsel in support of • the order contended that the Court had ' ample general powers in bankruptcy, outside the Statute, which wonld enable it to remove, . a trustee if it thought fit. It was for the Court to say. whether under this case of self appointment it considered it was for the benefit of the general body of creditors. He contended that the adjournment asked for should have been given ; and as to the expense, the creditors aa a body would have had to bear it. His Honour deferred giving judgment, stating that it was highly necessary that the practice in this matter should be settled, and he would take an opportu- . nity of conferring with Mr Justice Johnstone on the subject. There had been considerable difference of opinion expressed on- the . subject of these creditors' meetings, Judge - Gillies having ruled one way and Judge Johnstone another. I hope to let you know the result in my next, as the decision bn the - subject will most probably have a general bearing throughout the Colony. A consignment of 200 volumes of standard works has just arrived from England as an , addition to our Reference Library, and they certainly are an admirably selected lot, including 54 volumes of the Hakluyt Society. The Acclimatisation Society in the usual way appear to have found out their mistake in their indiscriminate selection of rangers all over the country. They have had as many aa 140 appointed, but now they have unanimously agreed to give them all marching orders. They will, I presume, use more caution, in the re-appointments, and nob allow the title of ranger to be, an in many instances no doubt it has been, another name for a licensed poacher. Sinbad, the sporting editor of the PreßS here, has lately been on a visit to Mr Redwood at Spring Creek, He states in a report

of the horses that the juvenile contingent are looking healthy and wall, and that Mr Redwood .informs him that he has pursued a different plan with them ihis year, inasmuch as he.hu not treated them to so many. oats. He find* from experience that if the young ones ftraiorced on a too liberal , scale, they become to gross that it ie almost a matter of. impossibility td fednce their superfluous bulk except at the expense of their legs. . Let' Otago breeders take this hint as coming from an undoubted authority. Sir Cracroft Wilson is • moving in the matter of amending the Game Laws, and •is inviting sportsmen and others to forward suggestions. I wish him every success in the undertaking, and hope that something may be done 1 during this present session of the Assembly, as the existing laws are anything oat sati*factory. At^ a recent meeting of an up-country agricultural and pastoral association an offer was n\ad»by Messrs H. Matron and Co. to contribute theaum of £5 5a towards a premium of fifty .guineas to; be awarded to the owner of the best kept farto in the district. This is certainly an admirable idea, and I have no doubfr that the requisite funds will be forthoomirig. • ■ While_ppnstant.j^av.elties_ are being., pro-l' duceJAftt the theatre, they appear from some inßcrfiabii^awou'tofailia'" fetching'"- anything lUce'deceitf audiefices.'l am sure every credit is due to Mr Hoskins for the trouble he takes in introducing, high class talent, and Ifc certainly does "riot, speak very highly in favour of the playgoing portion of our community that his efforts are not better appreciated. However,. I trust that they may see the error of their .ways, and no longer reader themselves so conspicuous by their continued absence; It is true that as a rule the pit and stalls, are fairly, filled, but the dress circle, often shows a beggarly array of emptyßeata, Mr and Mrs Tavares are here, and opinions; greatly, differ as to their, conceptlon.of;Som&of the parts, in which they have. appeared.; JUijl.care.to, say here. is that if,tke» playing ig uneven, their failings, only assist in, bringing out in bolder relief their? i successful representations, and to my mind the latter are in a considerable majority. ...,.- Hie. locale of the model farm in connection with the College has been decided upon, and it is situated in the Lincoln district* '- The legal conveyance is to be prepared as soon as possible, and I hope soon to hear that business baa been commenced. -.-...■ ... A consignment of fifty pairs of prairie hens has been ordered from America. < ■ The importation of these .birds," I am informed by good, judges, will not be, altogether desirable; bat perhaps it maybe as well to give them «,. trial. ; AtaH events,, I don't expect: they, will be worse than, the rabbits, for the extirpation of which a correspondent to, a local journal recommends the introduction of, the rattlesnake/! J( ,- . , , WiHk refereoce to the stock market, a Christchorchfirm reports that at the. last sales in beef competition was very brisk, some of 1 the trade being, entirely out of supplies.!- Biddings were very lively, 35s per 1001b being the .average price, whilst in many instances that figure was topped. They look; for good values .being obtained throughout the entire season, and hope to be able :to ,quote<4os as the:ruling price before long. Of sheep they, mention a sale of some 2-tooth Leicester wethers at 17s 6d and 18s as topping the market, and- state that there is a capital demand for prime wether mutton, especially merinos, wjth it only, a few coming forward, and that there is also;an unlimited demand, lor all classes of store stock.,