CHRISTCHURCH.

Timaru Herald, Volume IV, Issue 97, 23 March 1866, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH.

[from our own* correspondent.] Monday, March 19. The past week has been a little more fruitful of events worth chronicling than its predecessor, though still there is little to write about more than the small-beer of chit-chat and gossip. There is only one topic which m any degree approaches the sensational, and that is merely a rumour concerning the probable action of the Christchurch City Council, to which I will refer later m my letter. In my last letter mention was made of ripples caused by some election gossip which still are seen on the now placid mind of the Christchurch public. One of these, rather larger than usual, was noticeable on Friday last ,when a telegram from Hokitika announced that Mr. W. S. Moorhouse, who was, only a few days ago, elected by the Mount Herbert constituents, as their Representative m the General Assembly, had permitted himself to be placed m nomination as a candidate for the representation of the district of Westland also, m the Assembly. Why, when when he has just been elected for one district he should stand for another, when he cannot hold two seats, is a mystery no one here attempts to solve. Even his warmest admirers are shocked at the want of decency which thus permits him wantonly to insult a constituency which has just elected him unanimously, and without expense. What excuse his thick-and-thin supporters will urge for such conduct remains to be seen. Many people are asking whether the Chief Magistrate of the province should not be a " gentleman;" whether Mr. Moorhouse has m this affair acted as one, and whether a person who thus, without any explanation, abandons a trust placed m Ins hands by a portion of the Province deserves the confidence ot the whole of it.

In the aquatic line there is only a challenge which will shortly be offered by one of the Amateur Crews belonging to the Lyttelton Boating Club, to pull any fouroared amateur crew m New Zealand, for £150. Reasonable expenses to those coming from a distance to be allowed. There is another matter which while it might by some be classed tinder the head of sporting 1 , yet scarcely belongs to that class of pastime, I mean the firing of the Volunteers of Canterbury for the Superintendent's Cup. This has been fixed to come off on Easter Mondays The cup was given at the first Volunteer encampment, with the conditions that it was to be fired for each year till one company had made the best shooting for it twice. No. 1 Company took the lead at the first firing, and should they do so this year the cup will be theirs. No. 6 Company, however, is expected to make the best shooting this year. A Chess Club has been started m Christchurch during the past week. I believe some years ago a similar attempt was made, but after a very short time the club fell to the ground. The present one seems to have been formed on a good basis, and will, I have little doubt, succeed. Indeed I cannot see why it should not ; the game, if not the finest there is, at least, is one of the best, and there are some very good, and many fair players m Christchurch. Nearly every city of any consequence boasts of a chess club, and Canterbury does not generally like to be behind other places. In theatrical gossip there is indeed little to record. Mr. Acldison has made his first appearance as Ingomar, and rendered himself ridiculous by not having on a beard when the play opens, as one great point m it is that he should renounce the habits of his own barbarous tribe, and adopt those of theGieeks, m order to win Partbenia. To do this he has to cut off his beard, which the Greeks did not wear, and therefore his having no beard to cut off rendered his speech to that effect an absurdity. Mr. B. N. Jones had a benefit, at the Town Hall, on Thursday, which may well be described as a magnificent failure. With a capital programme the whole affair was most miserable. Miss Rosa Cooper and Mr. Lionel Harding, who quietly disappeared from here a few weeks ago, after having opened the Prince of Wales' Theatre and got into everybody's debt, are playing* m Hokitika. Rumours have reached us that Cook's Circus and Leotard will not visit Canterbury. Lady Don is said to be coming m a fortnight. Bazaars, fancy ones I mean, are filling everybody's mind. One got up by the Temperance Society to raise funds for the building of a Temperance Hall, has just come off m the Town Hall and has been a great success, the sales and entrance money being sufficient to realise a profit of more than £100 m two days. Another bazaar is on the. tapis to be held, also m the Town Hall, on Easter Monday, to raise a fund to defray the expense of a building as a training school tor children, which is to be attached to the Christchurch Female Home. For this Mrs. I. T. Cookson and nearly all the ladies of Christchurch are working most industriously. A smart discussion has been going on here m the local journals respecting the present high price of butchers' meat ; so far the buthers have had the best of it.

The Great Southern Railway is, I am glad to say, progressing well. Four miles of the permanent way is laid, the contractors have m hand rails for nine miles and sleepers for fifteen. This is a bit of gossip which probably will interest you more than all the rest.

The Christchurch City Council have been much annoyed by the proceedings of a Ratepayers Society lately established here, which has chosen to quibble at nearly all the Council has done, and at length questions the legal status of the corporatiotu. The result has been a difficulty m collecting the city rate. A case has been tried and referred to the Supreme Court, Bending whose decision the Resident

Magistrate has refused to give a decision respecting Fummonsr-.s for rates which have come before him. The Council are therefore m a straight of being unable to get any money. A special meeting was held on Saturday afternoon when notices of the three following motions, to be brougiit

forward this evening 1 , were laid upon the table : — " That all persons who resist the payment of the rates be forthwith summoned." — " That the members of the Council do resign." — "That the Council discharge the whole of the working 1 staff, stop all the works, and adjourn until the this question be settled." If this latter one is adopted the inhabitants of the city will immediately feel the inconvenience of having 1 streets without any lights at nig-ht, the scavenging; work neglected, and sundry other annoyances which may bring those of them who are restive to their senses.

A little scandal is afloat here just now which you should hoar. Some time ago a society was started here called the Christchurch Benevolent Aid Society, with the object of receiving* subscriptions from people charitably inclined, and disbursing 1 them to those m want and misery around us. His Lordship the Bishop, his Honor Mr. Justice Gresson, nearly all the clergy of all denominations and many of the laity belonged to it. Among* the latter was Mr. George Gordon, the town clerk, a gentleman of particularly active habits, a churchwarden, a member of almost every religious society m the place, and of many secular ones. This gentleman accepted the office of honorary secretary to the Benevolent Aid Society. Well, the society has been m existence nine months, during 1 which time it has received about £500 m subscriptions, and at a meeting 1 a few nights ago it was decided to give Mr. Georg-e Gordon, the " honorary" secretary, an honorarium of £30, or about twenty per cent, of the total receipts of the society, and this at a time when the only balance m the hands of the treasurer was £83.

The Christchurch Horticultural Society has held its annual meeting and eaten its annual dinner. Both affairs went off successfully, but the latter one was by far the more pleasant of the two. The land sales at the Government Buildings this last week reached the large amount of 5831 acres, yielding £10,662. Of this 108 acres is Timaru land.

The first coach from Christchurch through to Hokitika left here on Wednesday last, arriving 1 at Hokitika on Friday. These coaches commence running through regularly to-day.