Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 140, 23 October 1868, Page 2

Local and General.

Canterbury Rowing Club.— At a general meeting of tins Club, held at the boat-house on Friday morning, Mr A. F. N. Blakiston in the chair, the following gentlemen were elected members : — Messrs E. Denham, M. B. Hart, juur,, B. C. Mounier, E. J. Giraud, IT. E. A. Graham, and Bailey. /^An Odd Fish. — A curious specimen of the file-fish, a species of batistes, was caught at Lyttelton 3'esterday, and has been forwarded by the captor, to the museum. The fish in question is about a foot long, seven inches deep, and an inch in width. The prevailing colour is deep slate. The fins are bright orange, and the eyes and tail are both tinted with the same colour. The skin is as rough as a file, and it is from that circumstance, we suppose, that the fish derives its name. This fish is occasionally found on the English coast. In the list of New Zealaud fish, compiled by Dr Gray, of the British Museum, there is no mention that this genus has been found here. =

Magisterial. — There were no criminal cases at the Christchurch Magistrate's Court this morning. High School Cadet Corps. — This corps has for some time been attached to the Engineers, and, although working quietly, is none the less surely acquiring proficiency in the rudiments of military drill. The parades are invariably well attended, and a ready aptitude for instruction displayed by the members. They are drilled twice a-week at the school, by Sergeant-Major Morgan, and, on Monday nights they parade with the Engineers at the Drill Shed. About forty names are on the roll, and the necessary officers have recently been elected-, they are as follows: —Captain, Joseph Cumine; lieutenant, Saudhain Gillingham; ensign, Robert Cumine ; color-sergeant, Wm. M. Stewart ; and company sergeants, James Gardiner George Park, and Robert Houlihan. These have been selected according to smartness and proficiency in drill. The corporals have not yet been appointed, but wi:l be in the course of a few days. The necessary application for commissions for the three officers is now in course of signature, and will be forwarded by next mail. "Voluxtkeii Encampment. — An encampment during next month is so far decided upon that circulars have been sent to the officers commanding corps in both districts, requesting to know the number of men they are likely to bring into the field. It is expected that a liberal response will be made, and a much larger muster result than at any previous meeting of the kind in the province. The period of the year is more generally favourable, a holiday occurs most opportunely for affording at least three nights under canvas, and a central locality will be selected for camp. The Saturday preceding H.R.H. the Prince of Wales birthday, which falls on a Monday, is decided upon for pitching the tents, and they will not probably be struck until the Tuesday morning. The vicinity of White's Waimakariri bridge is spoken of as the intended site, and tins will certainly bring the Northern corps down in strong force. No detailed programme has yet been adopted, but it is understood that a much cheaper mode of conducting the Commis -ariat department will be adopted than that of the Hillsborough encampments. There is no reason why the men should not be called upon to discharge the more practical duties of camp life, as well as sentry duty and field manoeuvring. They would be readily undertaken to a reasonable extent, if only on the score of novelty, and with proper superintendence would be easily managed. Of the movements likely to be undertaken, of course nothing is known, but the Wairaakariri bridge would afford a good point for contention between rival forces, and something of that kind will probably figure in the programme. Literary Institute. — A meeting of the Managing Committee was held at the Institute on Thursday evening, the Rev. C. Fraser in the chair, and nine other members present. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed ; after which the most advisable means for reviving the public interest and usefulness of the institution were discussed. It was ultimately decided to arrange a series of Popular Entertainments at the Town Hall and a committee was appointed to conduct the preliminaries, arrange the programmes, provide for the introduction of instructive pieces, issue the necessary advertisements, and invite assistance from those willing to contribute music or readings. The report of the sub-committee appointed to consider the introduction of an improved method for keeping the rooms of the Institute, adopted at a previous meeting, contains the following recommendations : — That a portionof the main buildingshouldnotbegranted to the clerk for domestic purposes, that the left-hand apartment up stairs should be used as the reading-room, cocoa-nut matting being first laid, and comfortable furniture provided ; that the right hand apartment be fitted up as a smoking room, with chessmen and drafts, and provision made for supplying tea and coffee ; that the reading room be devoted to lectures, public meetings, or other general matters, except singing classes, which the committee did not approve of; that all subscribers have free access to the books under suitable regulations, the clerk keeping a record of those taken away from the building as heretofore ; that the present committee room be retained solely for that purpose, and the accommodation of members desiring to refer during the day to books in the library ; that a larger supply of the most popular magazines and other works be provided, and that a new classified catalogue be prepared as early as possible. Mandeville and Rangioraßoad Board. — The Board met on Monday, October 19. Present — Mr P. C. Threlkeld (deputy chairman) Messrs Bowron, Howard, and Pearse. The following correspondence, was read: — From the Chairman to the i 'ust Road Board, informing the Rangiora and Mandeville Road Board that they had received a petition from residents and occupiers of land, on the boundary road between the two districts, requesting them to make some improvements on that road, and the Cust Road Board were now in a position to assist in the work. The surveyor was directed to inspect the road leading from this district to the Fernside road, and give in an estimate of the cost of rendering it passable. From the Provincial Secretary, enclosing a bill passed by the Assembly, relating to the management of certain rivers in the provin c From the Provincial Secretary, stating that the Government did not intend to proceed further in the matter of the proposed Education rate, also enclosing forms for the collection of grain statistics. From the Secretary for Public Works, asking the opinion of the Board relative to a reserve of twenty acres being made for a rifle range for No. 4 Company, near the Wangiora ford of the Ashley. The surveyor was directed to see the proposed range, and invite the attendance of parties interested at the next sitting of the Board, as the Board considered

that until they were in possession of fuller information on the subject it might be a source of danger to parties using the ford. J. Bowinaker's tender (£110) for bridging the Cust was accepted. The tender of It. K. Kenrick, for supplying sawn timber at Is per foot, was accepted, as was also that of Thomas, Evan, Tucker, and Co., for piles, at Gd per foot. The collector reported the receipt of rates to the amount of £124 since last meeting. The treasurer reported the balance at the bank to be £151. Accounts amounting to £100 were passed and ordered to be paid, and the Board adjourned. Travelling Afoot. —^eth VVilber Payne, the pedestrian, who hus walked f <;ra New York, on a walking tour round the worll, walked into our (Sacramento Reporter) office lust evening, and reported progress. He is not walking against time, but for the purpose of observation. From New York here, he has walked all the way, often by the side of a railroad where trains were parsing him many times a day, and reminding him of his Payne-ful progress. He doe* not seek notoriety, but his fame had gone before him, and people taking him as a rival of Weston, often turned out at the villages through which he passed, to welcome and encourage him on his journey. Mr Payne Ins, i i the same manner, gone through Eugland, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, and after making his transcontinental tour will rest himself with a ri.leto Japan, then take that country afoot, and with another ferriage to China will walk again until he makes the circuit of the globe. | The Hau haus. — A correspondent of the I Nelson Evening Mail gives the following de-j scription of the mode in which the Hau-huus | get their information : — The way they obtain information of all that is going on in an enemy's camp is simply by rigging up ona or more spies in the.form of the ti-trte, which grows abundantly amongst the fern and toitoi; these in the night take their stations sufficiently near the enemy to be able to observe all that is passing in and about the camp, whilst other svtouts are wriggling underneath the fern and scrub just like so many rats, always careful not to disturb the tops of the fern and scrub, in order to get information from the ti-treo spy or spies, and continually carrying back to their warriors news of all that is going on. If an immediate attack is intended, their own party are at once informed of it ; if a night or early morn attack, the same ; or if hd attack is not to be made, their people are advised of it. London Ruffianism — The Pall Mall Gazette calls attention to the systematic bullying practised on every one who lands from abroad in the port of London, the boatmen and porters usually extorting from four to eight times the proper fare by terror. No policeman is ever stationed there, and the roughs have it a'l their own way. The Times points out the rapid increase in robberies with violence, ofte.i committed in broad day, and a correspondent relates the adventures of his wife and mother at Leu Bridge Station on the Great Eastern Railway, last Sunday. They were detained for three hours, and during that time hustled, robbed, and almost stripped, the younger lady's ears in particular being lacerated in the effort to get her earrings. The stationmaster could do nothing, as the same outrages occur every Sunday evening. Escort even is of little use, fur our system, though it does not supply police, forbids travellers to protect themselves, except with their fists, and a single man would only have been sent to hospital with his riba fractured and an eye gouged out. SOUTHL ND AND SUPERINTENDENTS. The following resolution has been carried by the Provincial Council of Southland. Mr Dalrymple moved — "That the manner of electing a Superintendent in accordance with the ' New Provinces Act,' interferes most injuriously with the free and independent election of: members of Council in this province, and does' prevent eligible men from having a seat in this Council, aimply because they differ in opinion with the majority of the electors of a constituency as to who should be Superintendent. That there are instances whereby i; would be impossible to elect a Superintendent by an absolute majority of the Provincial Council, without a compromise of principle, and departure from that political rectitude and independence which should guide the public action of every mem bur of this Couuuil. That it is the opinion of this Council that the Superintendent of this province should be elected in the manner prescribed by the ' Constitution Act' for the election of Superintendent of such province. That the representatives of Southland in the General Assembly be requested to give effect to these resolutions, by having a Bill passed for that purpose in the Colonial Legislature. That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the Honourable the Colonial Secretary." Mr Hall's Hetihe ient — The Wellington correspondent of the Ot.igo Daily Times, writing on Oct. 15 says: —The announwnjent which Mr Stafford made la9t night relative to the retirement of Mr Hall did not take any one by surprise, it having been whispered days «go that such au event was on the tapis Mr Stafford made the announcement very short, it being then three minutes after th.hour for proceeding to the orders of the day, and the Speaker was indisposed to ignore the fact. When he alluded to Mr Hall's assiduity and painstaking, tfiere were cheers from all aides, those being qualities which no <ne would attempt to deny the retiring Minister, who was perpetually staggering under a load of work which he ought never to have undertaken. Very much of the anti-Provincial feeling displayed by the Ministry has always been attributed to Mr Hall, and the mass of irritating legislation which last session and this flooded the Assembly (such as the Police Offences Bill, which still remains on the order paper), is attributed to him also. Nature's laws are inexorable, and no man could work as Mr Hall has done without coming to a break down. His colleagues look weary and jaded enough,Jbut he more so than either of them.

How tub New Dominion (Canadian) Works. — The Montreal Witness thus speaks of the New Dominion, its past, its present, and its future. Our Dominion is now a year old. How does it work ? In Canada we have appointed for it a day of rejoicing. But lias our rejoicing been the bounding pulse of national life, or simply the comfort of being off work on a hot day ? Everyone can now ju^ge for himself whether the feelings drawn fort'n by such an occasion are closely akin or not to those manifested by our neighbours on tlie 4th of this month, or by ourselves on the Queen's birthday. Young Canada, at least, should feel this consciousness of national life, if there was anything to draw it forth ; 1 but, wanting thi«, the sentiment seems to be but shallow. Most people seem to look upon it as a matter chiefly interesting to the politic d schemers with whom it originated. Very different is the state of affnirs in Nova Scotia. There they grind their teeth involuntarily whenever the word " Confederation " is mentioned. The state of feeling is described by well-informed people there as being too deep for utterance; andf as it takes the form of a wUe-spread and deep-seated movement towards annexation, it is not to be wondered that public expressions should be much, more guarded than private ones. That a storm is brewing there seems very likely to be an established fa':t before Dominion Day. The desire of Gre.it Britain to preserve the loyalty of her colonial subjects, and the integrity of her empire, whatever it may amount to, appears to have been of late smothered among what were to Englishmen, weightier matters, and no advocate for a br - trayeil Province could be found but in Mr Bright, iin acknowledged revolutionist, who, it is possible, would object very little to the annexation of all the Provinces to the United states. It is to be hoped that wisdom, if not justice, will prevail among our own legislators, and that, instea 1 of denying the most patent facts, they will set themselves to conciliate by liberal measures the affections of their fellow-citizens so grievously outraged, and save their pet scheme, and us as a people, from irretrievable ruin. \ IlA.rri. — The Colonial Standard (Jamaica) of July 24, has the following relative to the insurrection in Hayti : — The intelligence from Hayti is most distressing. The place has become a scandal to civilisation arid should be now made amenable to the * police' of nations. The French war steamer Burcouf, direct from Port-au-Prince, Commander Uexnes, 4 guns, arrived here on the 16th inst., bearing despatches from Her Britannic Majesty's Consul at Port-au-Prince to the Comm dorc on this stit on, and bringing with her 41 refugees flying to tbis country. By some of these refngeps we are informed that Port-au-Prince continued in a state of alarm, the insurgent army pressing the town in all directions. Detachments under comman 1 of Genrrals Norrail, Faubert, Brice, Linch, and Montas, under the supreme command of General Nissage Saget, Commander-in-(.'hief, are suit] to be posted round the town, aome being within a mile of the place. The insurrectionary army is set down at 6000 strong, the Cacos forming the greater portion. President Saluave r.'inaine 1 in the National Palace at Port-au-Prince, sallying forth, as occasion reg ired, to meet, engage, and check, if possible, the insurgents. On the 1 2th inst. he attacked a great force half-a-mile from Fort Bizonthon (garrisoned by Government troops), and is sail to have been repulsed, although with what loss is not stated. The inhubitants of Port-au-Prince, especially foreign residents, were in the greatest state of alarm and trepidation in consequence of the continual discharge of firearms in the streets night and day, and the wild rumours which prevailed daily respecting the probabilities of attacks, and the probability of Saluave carrying out his threats of setting fire to the town. This fear extended even to the inmates of the foreign consulates, including the refugees, and our informant assures us that there was no respect paid either to nationality, colour, or creed. The moment a rnnn expresses an opinion adverse to the policy of the Government he is doomed, and disappears in an unaccountable manner. News from the Cape is to the effect that that place was besieged by the insurgents under command of General Alexis Nord, and it was confidently expected that within twenty-four hours after the receipt of the hews the Cape would fall into the hands of the besieging forces. General Nissage Saget hud left St. Marc, and arrived at Croix des Bouquet, intending to march thence to Port-au-Prince. On his arrival within the boundaries of that town, it was said the entire army would attack the place and seize it at all hazards, that is if that object was not achieved before the arrival of the Comman-der-in Chief. The light-house is still in possession of the insurgents. General Norrnil's camp is at Carrefours. General Faubert has erected a battery behind a mill near his estate called ♦Thor.' near to fort Bizonthou. A harrassing fire on the .fort is said to be daily kept up by the battery, | the shots making some havoc aninng the Government troops. The insurgents waited quietly till the outline of a person was observed, and discharged their pieces at the object, taking deadly aim. Her Majesty's steamer Mullet had returned to Port-au-Prince harbour. The United States' war steamer Penobscott, having on board the United States' Minister at Port-au-Prince, Mr Hollister, returned from the coast on the night of the 13th instant. Mr Hollister left Port-au-Prince for the purpose of visiting the insurrectionary districts as a sort of peace commissioner, but the Surcouf having left early on the morning of the 14th, the result of his mission was not known. Money continued high ; the quotation being 90 Haytian to one Spanish dollar, and at times the Government are said to have bought as high as 95 and 100. A barrel of flour brought 800 Haytian dollars, and other commodities were proportionately high.

A {Scotch School.— Mr R. D. Fearon, who, as an assistant commissioner engaged in the recent inquiry into thestateof middleclass schools, visited the Scotch burgh (secondary) schools, gives a sketch of a school - master and school as seen by him at work ; it may be premised that most of the masters in these schools are graduates of a Scotch university, and that the Scotch have a natural aptitude for teaching :' — '* The school is crowded with sixty or one hundred boys and girls, all nearly of an age, seated in row 3at desks or benches but all placed in the order of merit, with their keen, thoughtful fac:^ turned towards the master, watching his every look and every gesture, in the hope of ■winning a place in the class, and having good news to bring home to their parents at teatime. The dux is seated at the head of the class, wearing perhaps a medal — the object of envy and yet of pride to all of his fellows ; fully conscious both of the glory and the insecurity of his position ; and taught, by the experience of many falls, the danger of relaxing his efforts for one moment. In front of this eager, animated throng stands the master, gaunt, muscular, and time-worn, poorly clad, and plain in manner and speech, but with the dignity of a ruler in his gestures, and the fire of an enthusiast in his eye, never sitting down, but standing always in some commanding position before the class ; full of movement, vigour, and energy ; so thorough'y versed in his author or hi* subject that he seldom requires to look at the text-book, which is open in his left hand, ■while in his right he holds the chalk or pointer, ever ready to illustrate from map or black board, or perhaps flourishes the ancient ' taws ' with which in former days he used to reduce disorderly new-c nners to discipline and order. The whole s ene is one of vigorous action and masterly force." But oufside the schools there is a power at work which supplies them with life and vigour, and this is the extraordinary interest which the parents take in the prog-essof their boys "What place in the class to day?" Mr Fearon found to be the first question asked when a boy went home ; and then would follow the questions as to what he had read ; ■whether such a neighbour's son wns above or below him, and, if above him, why so ; how he had gained, and why he had lost a place ; and did he think he had a chance of ever being dux— every word showing the importance which the whole family attached to his success. In short, the schools are practically in (he hands of the parents ; they pay the full cost of the teaching, and the system in operation gives them the power of controlling the instruction, and a strong sense of responsibility is thus fostered in their minds. The result is that they give their hearts to a task which in many respects none others can do so well. The Commissioners remark that the system is the growth of nearly three centuries, and it would not be possible to transplant it exactly as it stands ; but that, to catch something of the same spirit, would undoubtedly be worth much. Beecher on Public Corruption. — Henry Ward Beecher, in a recent sermon from the text, "Thou shalt not steal," talked thus plainly of the corruption now rife in the country: Mr Boeclier's text on Sunday evening, " Thou shalt not stenl" was very feioitously applied to our national affairs. Stealing was going on in every condition of society, and fraud seemed to be the rule in almost every business and profession. In some occupations it I.ad got to become a thing to be expeoed, and no one was surprised. The railway management of the country was especially corrupt. He honestly believed the majority of the railroads of the United States to be corruptly used for the purpose of enriching the managers at the expense of the stockholders, and that those concerned in their management could ba called nothing else than corrupt. [Subordinates were also dishonest, and railway companies found it difficult in these days to obtain persons whom they could trust. Mr Beecher alluded to the government of the City of New York at some length, saying it would be known as long as Sodom and Gomorrah, and for largely the same reasons The Legislature of New York was also corrupt, and stealing was confined to both parties. It was a question which was most adroit in stealing, the Democrats or Republicans; whichever party went up, it went to steal, and whichever p- rty came down, came down to muster, because they hadn't a chance to steal. (Laughter.) Corruption was also rife in the Legislatures of the States of Pensylvania, Ka:isas,Khode Isiand, and Massachusetts, in the latter State almost as bad as in the State of New York. And now, said the speaker, it is proposed to carry the nation bodily into the ring of thieves, and, by the repudiation of the national bonds, to steal from those who, in our emergency, advanced their means for the purpose of maintaining our national life and Union. I regard the refusal to pay the bonds of these United States in gold or silver, as being, in every disguise, anl under every possible plea, an atrocious theft, and I pronounce that man, either by mistake or intentionally, a thief who does it, or attempts to procure the doing of it. It is an attempt to make this nation a vast thieving body. (Applause.) It is not an accusation than can be laid against one patty or the other. There are thieves in both parties that arc clamorous for this national repudiation. This is a crime that I think would not have its parallel even among knaves. It takes a sort of man smirched with patriotism and varnished with piety to do the wickedest thing. (Sensation.) A pickpocket would not steal the medicine away from the physician who was healing his own mother. But, while men in the nations hour of extremity and peril lent their aid, it is now proposed that we should pick their pockets and steal from them. It is a thing for which there are no titles monstrous enough. It is a thing that every man who has a conscience or a partijle of honour ought to hiss and spew at. It is a shame that the Church — that is so loud against dancing and card playing— has not a word to say against national robbery, national dishonour, and national dishonesty.

Cantehbttrt Museum. — Among many, other specimens which have recently been added to the objects of interest in the Museum, we notice a perfect specimen of the mule human skeleton, received not long since from Vienna. The skeleton has been placed in close juxta-position to that of the gigantic moa, and it is curious to observe the great difference in size between the thigh bones of the man and the bird. Meteorological. — The following remarks on the weather of the months of August and I September are extracted from the Provincial Gazette of Oct. 22 : — Christchurch : The two first days in August were cold and wet, half an inch of snow falling on the 2nd. From that day to the 18th, the weather was, as a rule, very five and pleasant. Between three and four o'clock on the morning of the 15th, an earthquake wave struck the east coast of the Island, and a few minutes before ten o'clock a.m. on the 17th a sharp shock of earthquake was felt. On neither occasion was any warning given by the barometer that anything unusual was about to occur. !At the time of the earthquake it stood at 30.122 (uncorrected). From the 18th to the 27th, the weather was very unsettled ; on the 25th, a south-west gale with snow and hail lasted all day, the snow in the morning lying on the ground to the depth of one and a quarter inch. The last four days were fine. During the whole of the month the cold during the nights was occasionally very severe. The month of September was almost uninterruptedly fine; the Ist, 27th, and 28th, being the only days on which any really bad weather was experienced. Hokitika : No severe weather was experienced at this station during August ; but both this mouth and September were unusually fine. Bealey : Snow fell on six days in August, the weather in particular on the 21st, 25th, 30th, and 3lst, being very rough ; on the two latter days thunderstorms with rain and snow were experienced. The month of September at this station was also fine, thoughshowery ; the only fall of snow was on the Ist.