CHRISTCHURCH.

Saturday Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 109, 11 August 1877, Page 7

CHRISTCHURCH.

FEOJI OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.

August sth.

The week was well commenced by a martial city councillor who rejoices in the name of Captain, or Councillor, or Mr Hawkes, as the case may be, according to place and circumstances. As Captain Hawkes, at the head of his company of volunteers, he is a very great man, and must have impressed the Governor during his late visit by the excellent appearance of himself and company of veterans. In the present state of affairs, when we expect the visit of a Russian fleet ©f ironclads at any moment (they would probably advance by way . of the Heathcote Valley and the Ferry 1 Read- Drain), we are somewhat nervous ; but when we look at the gallant vols. commanded by the captain aforesaid, we feel re-assured, and consider Christchurch safe. As Mr Hawkes the auctioneer, there are few men better fitted for their business, and he gets off a tremendous quantity of goods at excellent prices as quick as any other man I know. But it is as Councillor Hawkes that the gentleman in question shines. When in his place in : the Council Chambers (a dilapidated:set of buildings that ought to have been burnt down or buried years ago), who so full of the flowers of rhetoric and poetry as he—-who so graceful aad polished a speaker —who. so determined to set his face against anything or anybody that affect the citizen’s pocket—and who so dignified as he in his rebukes to the “gentlemen of the Press?” —I beg his pardon, “ the persons employed by the papers ” —as he puts it. Yes ! quite a storm in a teapot at the last meeting of this Sapient Body. It seems that a meeting had been held to give instruction to the Christchurch delegate who was to appear at the Wellington Conference, and the Council considered it would be advisable to have the question discussed in committee, the Mayor promising that the newspapers should be furnished with a paragraph afterwards; upon which the reporters of course vamosed. At a subsequent meeting the same thing occurred, and the paragraphs were not supplied by the Town Clerk as promised; upon which certain letters from the indignant citizens appeared in print, and at the last meeting of the Great and Learned Council (capital letters, is you please, Mr Printer), the Mayor asked the members of that Distinguished Body, if the Town Clerk should supply the reports referred to; upon which the Mighty Hawkes jumped up and made a most violent attack upon the reporters, saying that being “ persons employed by the newspapers,” they ought to have gone back at the end of the meeting and copied the minutes. It’s really wonderful, Mr Editor, what a lot some “ people ” know about other “ people’s ” business —particularly Press men’s business. I gave you an instance of this last week. Ho doubt Councillor Hawkes would like to have kept the reporters dangling about outside the Council Chambers, kicking their heels in the cold, until His High Mightiness thought proper to call them in after two or three hours’ spouting. However the papers took it up, very properly defended their representatives, and made it lively for the Council in general, and Councillor Hawkes in particular. Possibly when this gentleman is proprietor of a newspaper, he will be in a position to instruct his employes what to do—his present advice on subjects of which he is entirely ignorant is alike uncalled for and impertinent.

But, really, we can afford to forgive him, when we consider what an excellent joke He made at the same meeting. It appears that in the vicinity of the sacred Cathedral of this city—the building of which has been going on any time these twenty years, the foundation stone being laid in 1864, after ten thousand pounds had been spent on. the foundations themselves —well, I say, that in the vicinity of this building, there have for a long time been stationed advertising boards. Some persons, however, now think the time has come when they should he removed from this holy ground, and Councillor Hawkes, in advocating these views, made use of the remarkable words—“ How, that the Cathedral is so rapidly approaching completion.” How, as the outside walls are not, by a long way, finished, and as for years past only about two men and a boy and a wheelbarrow have heen employed on them—and as, moreover, of late, I think the two men have been knocked off, and the boy and the barrow alone remain to carry on the work in a dreary *aste of docks, which luxuriantly grow on what will no doubt one day be the floor of Jhe building— the assertion that our Great Cathedral is “ rapidly approaching completion ” is decidedly amusing, though it is still more decidedly a long way from the truth. We had a somewhat curious case in Court last week. A doctor in this city (Dr Campoell) brought an action to recover the sum of about £6OO, being the principal and interest on a deposit receipt and promissory fl ote that had been given to him by a dying man who was a patient of his. The Reuters ef the deceased disputed the vaa S.ift under all the circumstances, the medico consequently brought his cross-examination of the plain~j. y Mr Joynt elicited some very extrafacts, and on the second day the unsel for the doctor asked to withdraw ne case from the jury and accept a non*

suit. Tills course; was adopted, mueti) I believe; to tlie 1 chagrin" of" Mr JoyM/who had no doubt made up his mind, in his address to the jury, to make it warm for. the plaintiff. * •• ... •u < We feel rather sorry down, here that “ Hookey” Walker, the “ trance-medium,” did not grace Christchurch with his presence. The public were quite r prepared;,to have given him a hearty reception, and I have no doubt he would have been, just as happy to have seen the last of us as he was of the Wellingtonians. But I suppose we must bear our disappointment. After a display of undoubted brilliancy, the coursing season is over, and the members of the newly-formed club can now rest on their laurels. An unfortunate (who, by the way, -was not a member of this , aristocratic party) was fined 40s the other day for haying “slipped” (inadvertently, he said) a dog, which immediately made a grab at a hare and broke its back and the unfortunate now says there is neither law nor justice in Christchurch. But in the words of the immortal Mr Shakespeare, in his play of “ I Believe You, my Boy,” I say there just is. We have had a lock-out in the boot-trade, and at a meeting of shoemakers the other day, about a hundred and twenty banded (some of them having been before disbanded by a firm in town named Lightband and Co.) themselves, together and formed a Union. They all resolved to stick by one another, and so, of course, they will—as long as it suits them. But I suppose the old result will ensue —it will be a question of supply and demand, and: I fear that capital will be too much for labour. It has hitherto, unfortunately, proved itself to be so in most instances in this Colony. Anri speaking of the unemployed reminds me that there was a monster meeting of unemployed on Saturday (yesterday) morning in the Market Square—no it’s a Triangle, but it doesn’t matter. About 250 were present, and a chairman having been elected and taken possession of a box, they proceeded to business in a most orderly manner. A committee of five was appointed to wait upon the Mayor and then the meeting quietly dispersed to meet again to-morrow morning. One thing the meeting determined on very decisively, and that was to have nothing to do with the well-known John McLaren, who, it appears, i 3 on his way to Christchurch as a delegate from the working men of Dunedin. I trust the working men of Dunedin will take no offence at this, as the real character of this “working men’s” champion has preceded him here, ana he is likely to get a warm reception if he pokes his nose in where it’s not wanted.

A local industry that is worthy of mention has just been started here on a small scale. It is a piano manufactory, and is likely to be a success. There is some talk of floating it as a company. The Chief in the concern demonstrates very clearly (to himself) that the profits of the concern if properly carried on will be very large. But I’m afraid it will be difficult to remove the prejudice that is sure to exist against colonially-made pianos. The ensuing races though still some months distant, seem to have brought a large amount of “talent” together. How these gentlemen manage to spend their time between the various races in the Colony is best known to themselves, but they always dress well and seem to have plenty of cash. Perhaps they get regular remittances from home. Let us hope so. Professor Bickerton commenced a course of lectures yesterday, ©n Agricultural Chemistry. They are likely to be largely attended by farmers and settlers who come into town on Saturdays. It is proposed to have them once a month, and they are to last from eleven to twelve in the morning. They will no doubt be the means of doing much good for the class for whom they are specially intended. We have been having some splendid weather, though very cold at night and early morning. As soon as the spring commences, the asphalting of the city will be begun on a very extensive scale. During the week Mr and Mrs Tavares have been playing to a moderate business at the Theatre Royal, in conjunction with Mr Hoskins’s dramatic company. The pieces in which they have so far appeared are “ London Assurance/’ “ Ker Hoodling,” “ Richelieu,” “The School for Scandal,” and “Hamlet.” It is very amusing to read the daily notices in the morning journals. They are about as diametrically opposed as they can possibly be. To-morrow “ The Overland Route ” —a piece new to Christchurch —will be produced; and on Thursday, Mr Tavares giveshis splendid impersonation of “ lago,” for his benefit. “ Hot Guilty ” (another new piece) will be the next novelty. The Rose Brothers have been playing in the various country districts with considerably more success than greeted them in Christchurch. The Gaiety is unoccupied, and is, I believe, to be had altogether by any company desirous of distinguishing itself, if the terms bid are only high enough. The Mr Hooper to whom I referred in my last, as being about to commence an action against the New Zealand Sun, has actually arrived, and has, I am credibly informed, demanded through his solicitor (Mr Joynt) a published apology on a scale of “ unparalled magnificence ”—as the theatricals would say. If they refuse, why then, stand clear ! for it will be guerre a Voutrance , which means in the words of rare old Ben Jonson, “ go in, and may the best man win.”.