CHRISTCHURCH NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2612, 6 April 1904, Page 23

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS NOTES.

(Feom Our Own CoKKEarosDEKT.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 22.

After a lot of incubation the City Council hatched a very addled resolution last night, in which it requested the owners of Lancaster Park not to allow a large mob of sacrilegious cyclists to whizz violently round and round it on Good Friday. Then the City Council sat back and felt that it had done its pious duty hy mankind. The sanji? resolution has been passed by other bodie^. entitled to quite as much weight as ths socratic gentlemen who constitute the City , Council, and their representations have had 1 about as much effect as Dr McCarthy's bombs on the weather at Broken. Hill, or Mr Scddon's remarks about the glanderect yellow man; and, recollecting that ilir arrangements for these sports have all beer made, the City Council might have savsc itself a lot of trouble if it had kept quiet. The fantastic decisions of oih^ justices are getting too frequent. Yesterday three justices were asked to allow the bail previously fixed by a magistrate in an arson case, and after much grave, mistrustful consultation, counsel offered to spring 100 per cent, and ooi-sent to double the bail. The police were quite willing, but the cautious bench demanded an extra surety.. Counsel patiently explained that this would inflict great hardship on the accused, and the incredulous bench became more' suspicious than ever. Evidently they were quite convinced that a counsel who fought so hard in the interests of a common accused person was not to be trusted. They announced with great dignity that they were not children, and knew what they were doing, and if counsel was 6« anxious there was nothing to prevent him going bail for his client himself. A wearyclerk of the court pointed out that counsel was legally prevented from doing anything of the kind, and the disbelieving bench at once became confirmed in the idea that tho court officials and the police were in league with the prisoner and his counsel, and flounced out of court, declining- to amend its decision. March 23. The keen rivalry existing between two young men concerning the same lady was responsible for an assault ease which >as heard at the court this morning, when William Anthony was charged with having assaulted Frederick Louis Tizzard. Tho prosecutor gave evidence that on Saturday evening, March 19, he was walking along Martin's lane, Hiihnorten, with the girl, when the defendant came up to him from, the rear, struck him on the face, knocked him down, and hit him several blows. The defendant explained that he was supposed to bo going with the girl, but ever since Tizzard had come into the- locality matters had gone! all wrong. He happened to be in Martin's lave on the Saturday evening, when he saw Tizzard with his arnj round the girl's waist. He said that that was a nice game, and, in the heat of the moment, "' gave him one." He had previously offe-red "to meet" Tizzard, but the lattei would not give him a chance, and the Saturday night was the first time he had come across him. The justices fined the defendant £2, and ordered one-half of the fine to go to the prosecutor.

Passengers by the West Coast coach have had an adventurous trip. They left Reefton on Friday morning, and on reaching Moana the rain began to come dowi» in torrents, and before reaching Jacksons every carriage was deluged with water. When the Otira was reached it wai found that there were six inches of watev in. the station yard, which had to be waded through by the passengers to the hotel. The weather still continuing bad, it wa» found impossible to proceed any further, and the passengers remained at the Otira till Sunday morning. They left there at 9 a.m. on Sunday, and on reaching tho Otira Gorge, a little above the waterfall, the whole of the road was found to be swept away. Coaches were to have met the passengers there, but the damage to the roads further on was so great that Messrs Cassidy and Co., who had to open up a completely new track, did not connect till 4 p.m. on Monday. All the passengers in the meanwhile had to walk down the Bealey" (Jorge to the Waimakariri, over frightfully bed roads, the coaches having to take to tho river beds. The Beaky was reached at 6 p.m. on Sunday, and a start was made for" Christchurch at 7 a.m. on Monday. '±he passengers had to get out and walk several times during the journey owing to slips on the road. The coach arrived at Spring' field at 2.30 p.m. on Monday. Mr Dunbaf calculates that it would take six months tc put the road in thorough repair, though 50 men were- Pir.ployed. He mentions thaf Cassidy and Co. deserve eveiy credit for the way in which they are endeavouring tc carry out their contract under the difficult circumstances.

— Prison&rs in Franc© are permitted to pay one vkit to dying parents^