Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 38, 27 June 1868, Page 2

Local and General.

0. Y. ('.— Tlio next competition for tho Yoomanry Cavalry Cup will tako plaoo at IMlsborough, on Monday, commonolng at half-p»Ht twelve. Tia Mmhtino.— A publlo tea mooting n aid of tho fuiiilii of tho Indopondont Motliodint Church, Montreal iitrcot, will bo hold on Monday ovonlng, Loojc-ui I.—A,1 .— A, tender liafl boon accoptod for tho erection of a lock-up In Market Place, for female ofEondern, and at llio police dop6t, for miilofl, but woaronotyot at llborty to publish tho name of tho bucgcßß> fill tondurcn Mhistincj w OttKon'onH,— A mcotln« of (!l'(i(lltO)'H 111 tllOCHtft t()0l! CiiarlOfl Cecil llOOk«» wan to liavo boon hold at tho Kogiatrar'n Ghamboni, at 11 o'oloolc to-day, but only ono creditor iittondod, and tho mooting coiihoquontly lapiiod. Tho liabilities In thto matter aro tho name an Htaled in tho previous petition under tho Debtors and Creditors Act | tlioro ara no anHotH. Mr Slator is Bolloitor for tho bankrupt. LtnooJ/N I)i»ti»oTi— Tho dletrlofc ploughing match )m>nil»«u to bo a very great wucecas, the Hiilmfti'liitloiifl aro coming In well, and the prison whioli llio committee will bo ablo to olIcT will (IouI)iIohh aoouro plonty of ontricii. Tho champion prlzo will bo well contested, and tho diHtrlct will liivyo to look out for lttt liuu'olrt. M<wflfrt Bruufldeu, Graham, mid MH.'ormlok liavo boon rw|uooted to aot n« jud^oa. Tho diilu of tho match in not yot fixed) but wo bollovo It will como oil bctweon tho Mlhnnd lflth of July. Si'ivfN<tft'jpoK. — A locturo wftfl dcllvowl ltot'O oil Ifi'ld/iy evening, by Mr GlydooJ! Probbloton, on. Llio ICiirly History of tho Kngli/ih people The loctnro was attentively liHtonod to throughout, and frequently applaudod, and at ll» clone a voto of thnnka wa» unanimouflly ac«ord<i(l to llio l^ctufor, DosjiUo tho gloomy wonihur, a very I&VRq number attomlod i and tho proooodfl, wliioJi aro to bo handed ovor to tho Bpringoton Younpp Mon'» Mtttunl Improvement Sooloty for tho purjioso of imr«lirt«liipf .bookfl., will considerably augmonti tliolp,,fujiAß. Tho proflldont of tho Hoolety, Mr lMyijn>&" •nplort tho clutlr i nnd' tho UovK, S,lttcU«oniti' M i p ft fow Hppro .; prlnto remarkflfftt tuo, conolufllon ot tho lecturo, wUhlnpf'^M) woololy Buccoßß—a wish In which wo heartily concur.

Waimakariri : BsuusKMBHT.-rTcnders are invited for additions tQitho Uppor Walmakarirl embankment, "gpuqtflahtions can bo seen at tho Engineer's olllco, and tondcra nnut bo Hont In boforoihoon on tho Ist of July. X J'mra Inbuiunoh.— Tho doslro for a now Insurance company, to enter into competition with (hose >at present possesulng agciicitt) in ChWstoluiveh has, wo aro informed, at length nssumod a prnolloal uhnpo.? A potltlon waastartcd yes» torday, inviting tho Australian Alliance Company to outer tho lints, and has already recolvod many tdgnaturcs. From prlvato Information ihoro ia ovory reason to bollovo that' tho requisition will bo acceded to. Lytthmon llooic ani>Lai>i>br Brioadk. —At a special committee meeting, held last ovoning in tho Colonists' Hull, reintivo to tho consideration of Mr IMrd's ofllor to tho Council of (ho engine of the Liverpool and London and Gloliu Insurance Company, and whioh had been referred to the brlgado by tho Council, it was proposod by Mr England, and seconded by Mr Allwrlglit, "Tlmt this committee- Ima no objection to undertake tho ohargo <>£■ tho engine offered by Mr lllvd, on condition that they ava itidcinniflod for nil oxponso conneotud thorowlth." Tliis resolution was carriod unnnimounly, nnd tho scorotary was diroctcd to notify tho same to tho Council. PMiuno-PfIKUMONiA. — Tho symptomii of this dlflcuao amongst tho cattle on tho Maori t'Oßorvo at Woo'lond are gradually becoming of a flomowhat moro favournblo nature. Too muoh rolianco should not, howovor, bo placed upon its oontinuanco, for tho original mob having all been dontroyed may havo caused what ia probably only i\ temporary check of tho dUouso, Tho prosont wet woathor is not of tho most favourable dofloription for furthering its oradica» tion, but would rathor bo most fatal in 1(9 results if a warm oluso atmosphere wore to accompany tho return of flno weather. On Thursday lust Mi' Hill paid another visit to tho rosorvo, but only found it necessary to destroy ono out of tho 800 hond of cattlo now romainlng in quarantine. Mr Hill is in hopes that tho steady decline of tho dlscaso wlllconllmio, and has certainly at present a favourable opinion of it. Thw CAHAMDiNifI.— A crowded houso last nlrilit tostlfltid tho estimation in which the Misses Cawindlnl— for whoso benefit tho conoort had boon an.nou.ncod— aro hold by the publio of Christohuroh. Tho hall was filled to tho baok row of soats, and noticeable amongst tho audience woro sovoral members oi! tho Yeomanry Cavalry, and about thirty mombOTA o£ thß Cavalry Gadot Corpa. Major Wilson, with lilh aharaotorUtlo gonorosity, had invited thorn to bo prosont, and was porsonally in chargd Any dotniled romarks upon tho programme, and tho manner in which it was carried out, would bo idmost impoßfllblo 011 this occasion. Tho various piecofl woro all moro or loss applauded, whilst many woro greeted with a per foot Jurorc, OHpcolally those rondorcd by tho Inltbcnyleiarcs. Tho domands for onoores woro so frequent that It was impossible, with any regard to a roiiHonublo termination of tho ontortainmont. to comply with thorn. Tho audlonco would not. however, bo denied In noino Instanced, and a rcsponso w»s sovoral times somewhat unfairly oxaotod. ICAuroi InßTltutk.~Tlio annual gonornl mooting was Hold last ovoning. About 30 members woro present, and Dr Dudley* president, occupied tho chair, Tho annual roi<ort wuflroad, and considorcd very fiallsfactory, Tho balance shoot who road. Itflhowcd that tho Institute is f rco of dobt, with a small balaneo to orodlt. It was agreed that no books bo issued to any pornon until a ticket 0' mombernhlp 'a produced, A voto oH thaukw was passed to Mi 1 Matthowfl, lion, librarian, Mr Matthows doulinod to undortako tho duties for another yoar. Mr J. L. Wilson was elected to fill the. joint ofllco of librarian and attendant, n salary of £28 por annum. Votes of thanks to tho oflloo' bearers woro then passed. Tho following woro elected oflloo bearers for the ensuing year !— President, Dr Dudloy » TreaMiror, Mr Qilklson 1 Secretary, Mr J, L. Wllhoii. Managing Commltteo i— Mcasrs J. 8. White, J. Matthowfl, I\, Ellis, l'owrio, 0. Lczard, W. noun, C. Doll, 0. E. Dudley, W Hanson, A. Clark, 11. Ifoldwiok, J. Fold wick W. P. Wilson, 10. Kovoll, 11. Hovoll, W. Haflflal, W. Nownhnm, it. C. Hoso, J^ (y'raljr v M, G, Kerr, and T. Hovell, Tho rulw for tho guldanco of tho librarian woro rovloed ami confirmed, JlMADiNaa.— Tho first of tho Borios of tho Colonials' Wintor Kvoning Jiondings took plaeo livbl night, and wo wero sorry to sco ho poor an attoiiilanco. No doul)t tho wet weather had Bomothlng to do with this, but wo think that there ought to havo boon a muoh lnrgor nudienco. Dr Donald, president of tho soololy, took tho chair, and gavoa brief account of the- progress of- tho society, Tljo committee, ho »aid, hoped to havo boon well Hiippot'ted In tliotf undertaking to provide a cheap ovonlng'fl rceroalion. A glco having boon HiiiiK by Mesaro Wlmmor, Ilillor, nnd Ellisdon, Mr J. Ollivlor, who had kindly consented to glvo tho readings, then read " A relic of General Clauuot," " Tho O'Connors of Castlo Connor," (l Tho Little Vulgar Boy," " Tho Fronohmnu and tho rats," and "Vat 'you ploaso." Tho jiudionco toatlflud lliolr npprcolatlon by frequently applauding. Mr Carder fliuig two tfougrt during tho evening, and was (iMovad. Mm Qraiit kindly presided ut tho pianoforto, nnd during tho ovoniiiß played a solo whioh was encored. J)r Donuld propouod a voto of thanks to Mr Olllvlur, Captain Glbaon, Mr Carder, and Mrs Grant, whioh was carried l»y aeolammatlon. chaplain Qibnoii t'ctuniud thanks, and gavo an account or . diffloiiUlGß ho hud mot within nturtiiiK tIiCBO roadliißS, 3)r Donald BftM it hail boon hinted to him that It would !w a good plan to form among tho uuuubera a reading soeloty. It wan a foot that fow Engllolimon or lCnglishwomon could read flatwfactorily to thomsolvoß or othoru, If a class woro formed ho would aid it. Tho sinking of tho National Anthem brought tho entertainment to a close.

\Uoai) Mbta?..— Tenders are invited by the Provineinl Government for 'carting ' road niotnl on to tho Ilogloy Park roads] tSpccltications can be seen at the Prtmnclnl Knglnccr's olllco, mid tenders must be sent in to tho Secretary for Public Works before noon on Monday next. New Court House.— Wo nro glad to know that tho conplaints both of tho grand and petty juries j»t tho lust criminal sitting-* of the Supremo Court, have not been without o fleet. Tho Government has issued instructions for tho production of a sultnblo plan, and tho building will bo proceeded with at to o;u'ly a ditto from tho present time that it will bo finished before the December sittings. The atructuro recommended by tho Provincial Council somotimo ago will not bo adhered to on tho ground of expenses but every cure will bo cxcrclacd to erect euch a building m that referred to by Mr Justice Oregon in reply to the foreman of the grand jury— namely, 0110 of wood, after tho stylo of the court liouso at Holcitika, whioh will not coat moro than £;2000 or thereabouts. It ia to bo regretted, notwithstanding the larg« Immediate outlay, that tho lUtthorltlea have not determined to erect a permanent; building of stone, instead of wood, on tho sito in Durhnm atrcot, purchaaod by tho Government for that purpose. A wooden atructuro will nnmri>r«4v'iit requirement, but tho time will come, and At no distant dato either, when ie will bo found necessary to roplaco it by ono of a moro lasting character. A properly designed wooden Court-house, however, will bo a luxury, considering what ineonvenlcnelos judge, jury, legal profession, witnesses, and the representatives of tho press haro had to put up with for years past. Tho Sheriff has fro> quontly assorted tliut tho hiring of tho Town Hull, cost the Government £200 iv-ywr j ftnd considering tho porloJ over which this sum has been paid, tho total would havo gono a long way towards providing a building to bo used oxcluaivoly as a Supremo Court. A Imli in which n concert is heM ono night, & public meeting tho next, a tea meeting tho evening after, and a <iuadrillo assembly on tho fourth, Is not a fitting placo in whioh a Judge of tho Supromo Court should preside Tho oxporionccs of tho past nro n sulllciont gun* rantco that tho now Court-house will bo both complete nnd comfortable in «very particular. Lkci'Uhi!,— Mr John Armltago delivered a looturo on " Richard Watson," in tho Wes« loyan church, Durham otreot, last evening. Tliu chulr was occuplod by tho Hoy J. Aldrcd, The lecturer commencod by observing that among tho many things— good, bad, and indifferent— which are said of Methodists, tho romark is often mado that thoy do not forget to dwoll on their own excellencies. Without staying 'to inquire into the truthfulness or otherwise of this statement, he might venturo to gay that it does not hold good of tho present series of lectures, for out of seven, only ono was of a denominational character. And tho subject had been chosen with tho intention that it should bo so, purely for the reason that it appeared to bo a duty tho Church of Christ of every denomination owed to its departed worthies, to call to mind at statod times, their excellencies of character, and wonderful doings in God's cause. It was considered right that a nation should trciumro tho memory of her most distinguished sons ; and Hngllshmcn would bo thought unfaithful to their country if thoy did not gratefully remember that uho numbered among her sovereigns im Alfred and a Victoria— among her soldiers a Wellington and a Havcloek— among her statesmen, a Chatham and a Peel— and among her philanthropists a Howard and a Wilbcrforcc. Kqually unworthy would that tfpiscopnllnn bo who should forget Hugh Lathnor or Jeremy Taylor — that Independent who should overlook his John Homo or John Owen— that Haptist who should bo indifferent to his John ftunyan or William Carey— or that Methodist who should coaso to venerato his Adam Clarko or Jtichard Watson. It was with the view, then, of perpetuating a lively recollection of ono of that list of distinguished names in Methodism that ho proposed, to glunco at tho incidents in the life of Klohard Watson, lie was born at Hurtou-on-Humber,, in Lincolnshire, on February 22, 1781, and was one of a family of eighteen, only four of whom lived beyond tho years of childhood. At school, ho evinced great tuLouta t but hi.i parents apprenticed him to a carpenter at tho age of fourteen] when lie had reached the extraordinary height of six feet two. Ilia habits, in early life, wcro of a rathor looso character, but ho after* wards bocamo religiously inclined, nnd preached his first sermon at a village named Hoothby, a few miles from Lincoln, on the day after ho was fifteen years old. Henceforth ho became in truth a youthful evangelist. His famo spread rapidly, nnd his services wcro in great request. In the your 1706 ho wns duly received into tho work of tho Wesleyau ministry, hU circuits being Ashby-do-ln-Zoueh, Cnstlo Donnington, Leicester, and Derby, nnd was taken into full connexion when in his 20th year. In tho year 1801 ho Bovcrcd . himself from tho Wcslcyan connexion, through his having read Dr Watts' " Treatise on tho Glorified Humanity of Christ," and bodio persons who wcro not over* stocked with either charity or intelligence, Hut it down as truo that ho had becomo an Arlan, IU married soon after, and joined the Mctliodl.it New Connexion, of which body Ills wifo wjia a member. Watson became a local prouchor, nnd in two and a half years was taken into tho regular ministry. Mis connexion with tlita body livitcd until 181*2, whou he joined the Wesleyaiw, and had the town of Wakeflold assigned him by the o<mfurenco. Ho was stationod at Hull from 1814 to 1810, whon ho bcoamb ono of tho mis» ofonnry secretaries at London, nnd after a career of- varied and v<u*t usefulness, dkdon January 8, 1833. Tiie lecturer dwelt at considerable length on tho ministrativo careor of Richard Wntuon, and to tho various works whioh ho produced. Tho dlncoiir.lo was attentively listened to, and frequently applauded, and a voto of thanks was returned to tho lecturer at its termination.

The Comino Session*. — We direct the attention of our readers to the telegraphic summary of a rery important speech delivered by Mr Fox, upon hia election for the Kangltjkei seat in the General Assembly. Financial Refohm Association. — The adjourned mooting of the committee of this Association was held at White's Hotel lost evening. The chair waa occupied by Mr E. C, J, Stevens, The committee continued thole inquiries into the Colonial eaUnwUs, nnd the volunteer department Is tha only one remaining for their decision. It wa« resolved that 11 special meeting bo called iorTues* day next, to adopt the President's report, and rtx a day for the public meeting. It is expected that all the members of the committee will attend. QfcHuNAWATS.— Yesterday "threo pair • horaa teams bolted simultaneously from the front of the Kaiapoi Steam-mill. The drivers were Insido getting their receipt?, when the engine blow oil steam, frigntening tho lnrses, which bolted up tho street and ncross tho sand-hills. Ono of the teams came into collision with a telegraph pole, knocking it down. Beyond flomo trifling damage to the haw w, all the teams were uninjured, b<sing stopped on gfind-hills. Tho telegraph pole has since been ropliccil^A horao attached to a dray, belonging to n nuvft named Gallagher, tools fright opposite Reee^d, in Colomln) street, tW» forenoon j but no culpability atuehca to the driver, for ho was standing at tho horse's head, with tho reins in his hand, when tho animal took fright at a woman who was coming out of the shop, carrying a large basket. Gallagher lost hU hold of the reins, and the horde galloped off at a tromendoua pacCT The dray grazed tho lamp which lias recently been orcotc4 at Brass* corner, and came in contact with a post on the opposite side of the street, smelting it close to the ground. Tho animal continued Hi career along tha right-hand sido of Cashel street, as far down as Parker's old registry office, where, coining in collision with ft post, it waa thrown to the ground. The dray sustained* some slight damage, and the horae was lamed. It is somewhat surprising ;that no further accident resulted, us thero were a great many drays and traps along tho line of thoroughfare taken by tho runaway.