NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3304, 3 November 1883, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The recent examination of the Fairlie Creek School by Mr Gurr has resulted in a very favorable report. The Committee intend insuring the School buildings in the Liverpool London and Globe offices for £4OO,

Messrs H. R, Eobinson R.M., and W. Moody sat yesterday at Waimate as an Assessment Court to clensify properties liable to be rated from tbo Waimate Eailway Company’s line between Waimate and Waihao Downs. 'Jho Court having heard evidence and all particulars, intimated that they would take time to consider indvidual liabilities and fix rates.

Mr Bryce has gone on an inland tour. The Governor will be present at the Agricultural Show, Christchurch.

An elderly unknown was picked up yesterday in a fit at Auckland, and died a few minutes after reaching the police station, The Wesleyans have every reason to be satisfied with the result of their bazaar. The promenade Concert was very successful and £334 in all had been realised np to 10 o’clock last night,

At the Supreme Court New Plymouth yesterday, Boswell charged with fraud, and Weir with making false declarations were d : scharged, the Judge holding that no offence had been proved in either case.

The imports of the colony for the quarter ending September 30, 1883, amounted to £1,957,108 as against £2,464,690 for the corresponding quarter of last year. The exports during the same period were £1,109,146 and £1,077,068 respectively. Among the chief creditors in the estate of Michael White and Co., bottlers, at Auckland, are Speight and Co., brewers, of Dunedin, £SB ; Scarlett and Co., brewers, Christchurch, £l4O, The assets are set down at £2090, principally book debts. The Timaru Hospital returns for October are as follows Patients treated during the month ; Males, 28 ; females, 9; total, 20. Bemaining under treatment: Males, 14; females, 3; total, 17. Out patients treated during the month ; Males, 20; females, 16; total, 36.

Another fire is reported from Cambridge (Auckland), by which Brown’s furniture warehouse,Fretnell’s forge, Hitching’s shoemaking shop and Armabold’s dwelling house were destroyed. £16,000 of the damage (the whole extent of which has not yet been ascertained) is covered by insurance in the National end Sonth British offices,

A deputation yesterday waited on the Chief Commissioner of Waste Lands protesting against the regulation of the Board by which licenses to prospect are refused within a mile of the area already licensed. Mr Baker requested the depu* tation to wait upon the Board at its next meeting.

Her Majesty the Queen has by an Order in Council declared that the part of the Fugitive Offenders Act of 1881, passed by the Imperial Parliament shall apply to New Zealand and the Australian colonies on and after the Ist of January next. His Excellency the Governor has issued a proclamation to this effect,

The case of McGregor v. Boyd was continued yesterday at Wanganui. Further witnesses for the plaintiff were oalled to prove the undue influence exercised by the defendant over the late John McGregor, and that he was mentally inoapacitated from transacting the simplest business affairs, and from understanding what was said to him. The plaintiff’s case is far from being closed, and it is anticipated the trial will last several days longer.

The work of shingling Grey road is now being carried out by the Council’s men, to the delight of the residents, who were dismayed at the prospect of having to trudge through yellow mud .after every shower of rain. The roadway at the rear of the railway station has been laid down in broken metal. It is rough enough at present but when it binds in there will be a good roadway.

The Waimate County Council intend suing immediately for all outstanding rates. Mr Jackson was appointed, at last meeting rate and dog-tax Collector and Registrar. At the same meeting the Council resolved to draw the attention of the Levels Road Board to the unsafe condition of the Pareora bridge. They also accepted tenders as follows :—Contract No 514—D. Grant, £45 ; No 516—Fritz Werges, £4l 17s Id ; No 517—J. Frost, £67 10s ; No 518—J. Frost, £lll 16s ;No 519—J. O’Donoghue, £53 6s; No 520—J. Frost, £34 ; No. 488— J, Donoghue, £443 18s. The “N.O, Times” pays a tribute to the stability of our breakwater, which we trust will be appreciated by Mr Goodali and Messrs Jones and Peters. Our contemporary says : —One thing that strikes the stranger who pays the harbor works at Timaru a visit is the absence of any apparent injury to the breakwater, notwithstanding the heavy seas of last winter. Much of this immunity from injury may be due to the fact that the wall, as it at present stands, meets heavy seas at an angle that diverts their force shorewards. The wall has certainly no appearance of having received any kind of damage from the winter storms.

The Rev Mr Layard, the Church of England curate at Tinwald, on Thursday afternoon accosted a gentleman and exclained “ I want to fight you.” The accosted person replied, “We are only supposed to fight against the devil.” Mr Layard retorted by saying “ I am the devil,” and immediately struck his companion a violent blow in the face. He was arrested after committing other insane acts, such as putting his fist through a window, and was last night sent to the Sunnyside Asylum The unfortunate gentleman had gone out of his mind.

A specimen of Wellington municipal amenities appeared in our issue of yesterday. Here is a specimen of journalistic courtesies. The “ Post,” has the following in a sub-leader. The reader will appreciate the delicate satire of the writer in retorting on his big brother Our morning contemporary, with its usual polished courtesy, accuses us of making “ false” assertions and of publishing “discreditable and wilful falsehoods,” adding that the “ Post” does this “ habitually for its own dirty purposes.” Wc decline to follow our contemporary’s bad example, but could wo bring ourselves to descend to such low and coarse abuse we might retort very cogently upon the “ Now Zealand Times” its accusation of inveracity.

The Bishop of Dunedin, in his Synodical address the other day, stated that two Wesleyan clergymen had joined the Anglican Communion, and taken up ministerial work therein in his diocese, In yesterday’s “ O.D. Times,” the Rev, Mr Berry, Wesleyan minister of Dunedin, threw a bomb-shell],into ecclesiastical and religious circles, by boldly stating (1) that theseceders were probationers not ministers (2) that the Bishop had intrigued with them clandestinely, and lured them from Wesleyanism (3) that by the terms of their agreement, these young men having partly completed their training at the expense of the Wesleyan body, were bound, in seceding, to refund the money expended on their behalf, and had now rsfused to do so. Mr Berry then asks whether these facts are creditable to the Bishop or the young men. The letter is so pungent and so forcible that it will probably cause a good deal of commotion in the Episcopal bosoms.

A telegram reached us on Thursday from New Plymouth stating that a man named Edward Smith, brother of Mrs Williamson, widow of the late Superintendent of Auckland, had expired suddenly at the hospital whither he had been taken from Hawera. It is now authoritatively denied from Auckland that the deceased was any relation of Mrs Williamson.