NEWS OP THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume XV, Issue 1496, 26 January 1872, Page 3

NEWS OP THE DAY.

Mb. Wm. Babnicoat, a prominently successful student at Nelson College, has been appointed assistant master in the Bishop's School hera. A Chabaotebibtio Entbbtainmbnt, under the management of Mr. W. Horace Bent is announced for Monday evening at the Assembly Booms. Mr. Bent is well-known as being exceedingly clever in his bumorious sketohes and characteristic delineations, and with the assistance of other talsnt, he is able to offer a programme sufficiently attractive to draw a pod how*.

Fibe jlt Wblhngton.—An excursionist informs us that at 10 o'clock on Tuesday evening last, a fire occurred at Wellington, when the general store of Mr. Josephs, situated on the reclaimed land, was partially destroyed. The amount of damage done, our informant was unable to ascertain. It was reported that a man, who was assisting at the fire, met with a severe accident, and hnd a log broken. Nelson Excttbsionists to Wkujngton.—The Nelson excursionists to the Wellington regatta returned on Wednesday night, after fourdays' absence, three of which were spent in Wellington. Leaving Nelson on Saturday afternoon, they arrived at Wellington early on Sunday morning, after a delightfully calm passage up the Sound by moonlight, and across the Straits by early morn. Sunday being a fin 3 day, those who were so disposed had a capital opportunity of viewing the principle places of note in the Empire City and its suburbs; but on Motitlay, the day appointed for the regatta, the wind became so high and boisterous that it was neither pleasant nor safe to be about, especially near the wharf, and the regatta had to be postponed, after a most unsuccessful attempt to carry out the programme. The Wellingfconiana had evidently made arrangements for, and relied upon, competition from Nelson and elsewhere, and that failing, some six or seven races had to be omitted, which of course tended to mar the interest likely to have been takon iv the sports. The Independent, in accounting for the absence of Nelson boats, implies that the Wellington crews made so great an impression at our late regatta, that we were afraid to take the field against them ; but this we think is a somewhat mistaken view of the case, with all due respect to the powers exhibited by the Wellington men. Although the excursionists bad to leave before the regatta programme could be concluded, they apparently enjoyed the trip, and speak highly of the reception they met with from the Wellington people. On Monday evening they were entertained at an amateur dramatic performance, given by the Volunteers; and on Tuesday evening a dance was provided, so if the regatta failed to afford much pleasure, there were other means of amusement open to them.

Wellington Regatta.—Swamping of a Boat and Nabbow Escape.—A correspondent who was in one of the boat* writes as follows: —" A northwesterly gale completely broke up our regatta on Monday last, and one gix-oared boat was swamped in a tremendous sea, at about a couple of hundred yards from the wharf. We picked up two of the men in our racing gig, which was in its course in the same race as the sinking boat, and the four other men and the coxswain swam for the boats and hulks about. It was absurd of (he committee to hare allowed us to start in such weather, for we should never have got round the course at racing speed, because it would have forced the bows under the waves. Our best boat has both her gunwales broken, and a few more seas would have broken her back ; but we got some credit for saving the men, one of whom couldn't swim a stroke. The excitement on the wharf was at the highest pitch, and they were plucky fellows in the boat that foundered. She split right down the middle as soon as the men were out, and then capsized." St. Mart's Gibls' School.—The distribution of prizes at St. Mary's girls' school took »>lace on Saturday evening. In the absence of Mr. Broad, Mr. Luckie, who happened to be present, was requested to deliver the prizes, which he did, prefacing bis I doing so by some remarks regarding the attention, order, and polite conduct of the girls, young and old, and praised the practice of giving certain prizes for good conduct, and for anxious application £o studies; because as all could not earn the prize, steadfast though unsuccessful exertion well merited recognition. He also advised parents to keep their children as long as possible at school, even at the cost of a sacrifice to themselves, for what they sacrificed now would be reaped twentyfold by their children hereafter.—Father Garin also addressed the children, urging them to persevere, and to bear in mind that though they might not gain a prize in school, yet, by their efforts they gained more knowledge.—Mr. Richards, headmaster of tho boys' school, also addressed the girls, pointing out that as the youth of this country would, according to the constitution of the Colony, some day take some share, direct or indirect, in the country's Government, and whose education wouM steadily be improved, so the girls should strive to improve also, and become equal to them in attainments. The following is the prize list :— First Division. Class I.—Good Conduct—Mary Kealy. Arithmetic, Geography, Grammar, and NeedleworkCatherine Kealy. Beading and Writing—Mary Folckman. Spelling—Christina Prank. Class ll.—Arithmetic—Margaret Thompson. Geography—Annie Frank. Grammar, Beading and Writing—Priscilla Patching. Class lll.—Arithmetic, Geography, and Grammar—Katie Hollis. Beading—Clara Frank. Begular Attendance—Mary Tarral. Politeness and General Improvement—Emily Brnnetti. Second Division. Class I.—Good Conduct—Elizabeth Bentley. First Prize—Lizzie Baker. Second Prize—Annie Lloyd. Class ll.—Prize —.Rose Frank. Attention to studies, Elizabeth Leech. Regular attendance, Mary Yarral. Politeness and general improvement, Emily Brunetti. There were 109 girls present, all nicely attired, and presenting as perfect order as ever we saw in any school, and that means high praise.

The prospectus of a new morning paper is published in Wellington. It is to be on a company basis with a capital of £2000 in 2000, £l shares. Its name is to betheDaily Advance, and, says the Post, its " motive power," aa editor, "is to be Mr. Edward Jerningham Wakefield." Fatal Accident at the Ukpeb Bulleb.—A miner named Archibald Dewar, was killed at the Upper Buller, on the afternoon of Monday, the 15th instant. Dewar was working in a claim with a mate named Wilson, in the old workings of the Upper Buller, about a mile below Newton Creek. In the bottom of the paddock were two large boulders, and lying across were two large logs, the ecds of which rested on one of the stones. Dewar was picking out the stones, and in doing so undermined one of them, causing it to turn over, slipping off at the same time one of the logs, which caught the unfortunate man by the head, and crushed him against the reef, producing a large wound over the left temple, and causing almost instant death. Constable O'Gorman reports also that the back part of tho neck was very much bruised. Deceased possessed a claim, and water-race, and owned a small garden, under a crop of potatoes. Ha was about 45 years of age, was a native of Menzies, in North Perthshire, Scotland, and has, it is stated, a sister and two cousins living in Dunedin, whose addresses the Constable was unable to ascertain.

Exctjbsion to Nelson.—The Wanganui Chronicle of January 19, announces tbat on an early date an excursion will leave Wanganv i for this city, when a cricket match will come off between the players of both places. It is stated an excursion will be got up at Wellington for the Foresters' and Odd-Fellows' anniversary fete of this Province. Odd-FbIiLOWS.—The annual district meeting of the whole o! the Nelson lodges was held on thf 16th instant, in the Odd-Fellows' Hall, Nelson, and the following officers were appointed for the present year:—P.G.&f., P. Cooke; P.D.G.M., J. Lammas; P. 0.3., 0- Brighten ; D.W., W. Jenning9; Examining Officer, J. Graham; Treasurer and Relieving Officer, J. Armstrong. PEBSEVBBANOE Goitf-MINING COMPANY.— The half-yearly meeting was held in the Odd-Fellows' Hall last night, Mr. A. J. Richmond, in the chair. There was a goodly attendance of members. The Eeport and Statement of Accounts, including Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Account, which will be found in our advertising columns, were read to the meeting. A considerate amount of conversational discussson followed. Mr. Gooke moved the adoption of the report and accounts, and Mr. H. E. Curtis, who took exception to the motbod of accounting, moved an an amendment, tbat the meeting be adjourned till Friday next, in order that the accounts be published for the information of the shareholders The amendment wag adopted. The meeting then formed itself into an extraordinary, merely for the purpose of roduoing the qualification for Directors; this too was adjourned until the opinion of tiie Legal advise of the Directors was taken as to the striot OOWW to b« followed in miking took alteration.

Hypbbboie.—A contemporary, yesterday, quotes a pa»sage from a letter of an eye-witness of the fires in Marlborough. After likeniDg them to the infernal regions, the writer saye, " every now and then an immense mass of flame would leap ahead of the burning grass, and, seizing hold of the dry underlike tussocks, greedily lap them up with the voraciousness of a starving man I h High-tonkd Whiting. — The writing in the Wellington Independent, ou the subject of Nelson especially, is descending even in its leading columns to the ordinary colloquialism of a common porter. In-, a leading article it delicately affirms that Mr. Curtis gave " Mr. Lightband a threshing";*on the subject of the railway; and in a paragraph, it speaks of the latter being in a " nice scrape," of a " yelping crowd," of being "in a funk," and of a " little swindle." Perhaps this vulgarity of language, and the careless, if not wilful inaccuracy of statement, explain themselves and their common cause.