NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3308, 8 November 1883, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The banks in Timaru will be closed to-morrow, it being the Prince of Wales’ birthday. Attention is directed to a property tax advertisement in another column.

Mr Richard Laishley, solicitor, Auckland, has resigned the Chairmanship of the Board of Education, to visit America, England, and the Continent. He goes credentialled by the Government to report on the various educational systems of the countries he may visit.

Auckland bookmakers pay away about £4OOO over Martini-Henri’s double victory. Major Walmsley, managing director of the New Zealand Pedigree Stock Company, says he believed Martini-Henri’s performances would be equalled by a colt now in the possession of the Company, by Musket—Onyx.

The University of New Zealand hasj appointed the Rev William Gillies,of Glasgow University, supervisor of the forthcoming junior scholarship and matriculation examinations in Timaru. The High school will probably present eight candidates. The examinations begin on Monday 10th Dec, and will continue over nine days: The standard of matriculation is taken as equal to the D classification, and apart from this many teachers in future will no doubt avail themselves of this University certificate as adding to their qualifications and status.

According to “ Truth ” an old gentleman has just died in Prance at the ripe age of seventy, leaving behind him a log-book o f all he has drunk for the last fifty years. His habits in this respect were very regular, his daily allowance being four litres of wine C seven pints), a couple of glasses of absinthe before his three meals, and twelve petits verres of cognac, rum, or some other spirit, "to drive away despondency,” The total for the half century thus comes to :—Wine, 127,827 pints ; absinthe 109,566 glasses ; spirits, 219,132 glasses. The old gentleman boasted that he had never had a day’s illness in his life,

Another joke at the lawyers expense. A witness at the R.M; Court yesterday, remarked that he had found certain "sheepskins hidden away amonga lot of lawyers.” There was a general smile, and even Mr White’s grave features relaxed. " Bush lawyers I suppose you mean 1” remarked His Worship; to which the witness assented. Sheepish lawyers are not unknown in the profession, and a great authority once denounced the lawyers of his day as wolves in sheep’s clothing. Some time ago it was stated that the young man named J. C. Smyth, employed as a clerk in the Anckland branch of the Bank of Australasia, had levanted the bank thereby losing a considerable sum. Information was given to the police, and Sergeant Bulford was despatched to Melbourne whither he had gone to bring him back. Sergeant Bulford has written to Superintendent Thomson, stating that Smyth is still in custody, but that his solicitor had made an application to the Supreme Court of Victoria that he be brought up under a writ of habeas corpus and tried there. The Chief Justice to whom the application was made has ruled the application cannot be heard except by a full Bench, which does not meet till the 21st inst. Mr Fischer, accused’s counsel hold that as Smyth went to Melbourne in the employ of the bank, he is nob a fugitive and cannot be brought under the provisions of the Fugitive Offenders Act.

A lady writes thus to one of the daily American papers : —“ lam a milliner, and I have made between 1500dol and 2500d0l a year in my business for some time past. I married four years ago. My husband is kind and good-looking, but be never learnt a trade, had no profession, and could not average 500dol a year. I loved him, however, but I saw it would not do to depend on him, so I kept on with my business. After a time I think he got a little lazy, and as " e were both away during| the day, we could not keep house, and got sick of boarding. Finally, I proposed that he should keep house, and I would run the business and find the money. We have now lived very happy in this way for two years. My husband rises and builds the fire,gets breakfast, and I leave at 7.-15 for my place of business. He does the washing and ironing and the cleaning, and I do not know of any woman who can beat him. He is as neat as wax, and can cook equal to anyone in town. It may be an isolated case, but 1 i.hink the time has now come when women who have husbands to support should make them do the work ; otherwise they arc luxuries wc must do without.”

The entries for the Oamaru Agricultural Show this year number 792, being 49 more than last year. Raynor, of Adelaide, has challenged Scott to walk 48 hours for £BOO ; the match to take place in Adelaide, Scott to be allowed £SO for expenses. The!| gPnblic Works Department have accepted a local tender forgthe erection of a new goods shed at Dunedin, in place of that destroyed by fire, for £6835, The Dunedin Presbytery yesterday, passed a resolution regretting the death of the Rev. Dr Begg, of Scotland, and expressing appreciation of bis worth. A child named Holmes, at Oamaru, pohoned itself on Tuesday, by sucking the heads off wax matches. The inquest resulted in a verdict of accidental death.

The Union Steamship Company claim salvage to the amount of £SOO for services rendered by their steamer Rotorua, in towing the barque Oabarfeidh, off Barrett’s reef, near Wellington. A public meeting was held in Dunedin last night to protest against a proposal which is to come before the Education Board to divide Dunedin into five school districts with separate Committees, instead of one as at present. There was a good attendance, and the resolutions submitted were carried unanimously. There is to be a review at Oamaru tomorrow, in which the following corps will take part—O Battery, N.Z.A. (Timaru); I Battery, N.Z.A., (Oamaru); No. 1 Company,Oamaru Rifle Battalion (Oamaru); No. 2do (Hampden); No. 3do (Otepopo) ; the Oamaru High School Cadets and Oamaru North School Cadets. At the quarterly meeting of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, the Chairman stated that the resolutions re bills of lading had been forwarded to Sir Wm. McArthur and Messrs Mnndella and Thos. Bussell, who were to represent the Auckland Chamber at the London Conference. Letters had also been written to the Australian Chamber of Commerce, to know what the Australian law is respecting seizure of vessels.

Yesterday at the Supreme Court in Banco at Wellington, the case Clark v. Union Steam Shipping Company was argued. This was a case in which the Union Company appealed from the decision of the Resident Magistrate at Gisborne, in a case heard there on the 18th September last, damages to the extent of £4O, together with costs, having been given against them on account of injuries sustained by the plaintiff, a passenger from Weßington to Gisborne by the steamer Manapouri. After hearing Counsel Judge Richmond reserved judgment.