Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 301, 1 May 1869, Page 2

Local and General.

Railway Rowing Club. — An adjourned general meeting of members was held at White's Hotel last evening, Mr R. P. Crosbie presiding. A financial statement was submitted, but in the absence of the treasurer (Mr H. Thompson) this portion of the business was postponed. Mr R. Allen and the secretary were empowered to make arrangements with the^.ther clubs for a supper to conclude the season, to take place on or before the 21st May. The meeting adjourned until the 14th May. Children's Treat.— The promised treat! to the children of Lyttelton took place yes- \ terday afternoon. The children^ numbering nearly 600, proceeded to Mr Ward's paddock, where for two hours they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They were afterwards marched back to the schools, where an excellent tea had been prepared for them. The National Anthem was sung, three cheers were given for the Queen, Prince Alfred, and also for Mr G. Holmes and theßorough Council, who had contributed largely towards the treat. In the evening, the children assembled in the Colonist' Hall, where they witnessed a series of dissolving views. These were ably* de-. scribed by the Rev. F. Knowles. At .the close of the entertainment, the Rev. A. Reid called for three cheers for Mr Seager, which were given most lustily. There were upwards of 700 persons in the hall. No accident occured to any one during the day, and great praise is due to those gentlemen -in -Whose hands the arrangements lay.

fVTHE Salmon Ova. — A telegram has been* received in Christchurch, stating that the Canterbury portion of the salmon ova recently imported by the Otago Government, and kindly presented by them to Canterbury, was to start at midnight on Friday, by the Gothenburg. The ova will be in charge of Sergeant Quin, of the Otago Constabulary, who, it will be remembered, gave great satisfaction in his superintendence of a former importation^ Arrangements have been made for the transfer of the ova to the Gardens immediately on the arrival of the steamer at Lyttelton. (Z^ccident. — A serious accident happened iti Cashel street yesterday afternoon. Cowan's coach had started for Southbridge, and had proceede 1 as far as the Al Hotel, when the horse which Dr Willis, of Opawa, was riding, shied, and came in collision with the coach. Dr Willis was thrown to the ground, and received some severe injuries, more internal than otherwise. He was conveyed to the resideuce of Mr Patrick, surgeon, where his injuries are being attended to by that gentleman, in conjunction with Dr Turnbull and Mr H. H Prins, surgeon. Dr Willis has not yet regained sensibility, and we are sorry to add that no hopes are held out for his recovery. The Prince's Visit.— On April 22, the day of the arrival of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, the railways carried 1563 passengers to Christchurch, 897 of whom were from Lyttelton. On April 23, the first day on which the Galatea was open to the public, 2397 tickets, principally return, were issued on the Lyttelton and Christchurch line ; and 1980, also principally return, on the South line. The greater part of these was for the Racecourse. On April 24, 2517 return tickets were issued on tie Lyttelton and Christchurch line, and 162 on the South line. The gross number of passengers carried over both lines on the three days was : — April 22, 3126; 23, 8457; 24, 5358; total,- 16,941. The gross receipts were £840 2s Bd. Public Festival. — A general meeting of the members of the Popular Entertainment and Amusement Association was held at the City Council Chambers, at 7 o'clock, last evening. Present : Messrs J. A. Bird (chairman), J. Ollivier, W. Wilson, C. M. Ollivier, St. Quentin, Gordon, Alport, W. R. Mitchell, Crosbie, and Anderson. The various members of committee handed iv their accounts of the number of tickets sold by them. fAccounts against the committee were also fended in. From some of these it appeared that the breakages had been enormous, no less than 147 tumblers having been broken. Mr Mitchell said that not more than one third of the breakages had been occasioned by visitors. The waiters had broken twothirds of the plates, dishes, tumblers, &c. Comparing the receipts (so far as they are yet known) with the expenditure, there is an apparent deficit of £12^| Messrs Mitchell and Gordon undertook ~me settlement of all matters in connection with the festival, and the meeting then adjourned. Another meet- , ing will be convened by advertisement. Kaiapoi Institute. — The usual monthly committee meeting took place on Thursday evening. Present — Dr Dudley (president,) Messrs Feldwick, Hassall, Hall, Powrie, Clark, Bell, and J. L. Wilson (Hon. Sec.) The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. The Bazaar aud Art Union Committee brought up: their reportand handed in the nett proceeds, amounting to £23 9s 4d, all expenses having been liquidated. It was resolved to place £20 of the balance in the Bank, as a fixed deposit, until the arrival of the new books ordered from White and Co, A vote of thanks was passed to Mr C. E. Dudley for a valuable map of Kaiapoi^ presented by him. Votes of thanks were unanimously passed to the ladies who assisted, and all other contributors to the Bazaar. Accounts amounting to £6 were passed and ordered to be paid. Owing to the systematic manner in which the library account of boo '8 issued had been kept, it, had been found unnecessary to call in the books at the end of the quarter. One " Lyell's Antiquity of Man " had been lost, and the Secretary was instructed to write to the gentleman who had lost it, requiring him to provide another copy, or pay £1 to the library fund. The sub-committee appointed to arrange for the anniversary tea meeting then met, and all necessary preliminaries to enable it to come off on Whit-Monday were made, also arrangements for a concert to follow: Horticultural Society. — A specia general meeting was held in the side-room of the Town Hall last night, Mr Wilson, the president, in the chair. A letter was read from the secretary of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, relative to holding an exhibition on the day of their next show. The chairman explained that the subject had been previously before the society, but it had been rejected, on the ground that sufficient notice had not been given to enable exhibitors to prepare for it. On the motion of Mr : Hislop, seconded by Mr Nairn, it was resolved that, in the opinion of this society, it would be desirable to conform to the suggestions of the Agricultural and Pastoral Asso- j ciation, by holding a fruit, flower, and vege- ' table show upon their grounds, onj tho terms ] named in their letter of March 3. Mr Jones was elected a member of the committee, in the room of Mr Abbott, who declined to act. This closed the business of the meeting, and Mr Wilson thanked the society for his reelectiori as president, taking the opportunity to state that he would further the interests of the society by all means which lay in his power, * The committee then met, and passed various accounts, and Mr Milne gave notice that he would move at the next meeting that exhibitors at the- society's shows during the ensuing season should be divided into three classes, viz.— nursery men, .-gardeners, and amateurs...' Mr 'At., Quentin, fan., exhibited some seedling geraniums of the Lady Darling clas9,. but they were not considered equal to that variety.

Returns. — The following are tl returns for April : — Lyttelton gaol — Mal side : For trial at Supreme Court, 7 ; ha labour, 40 ; imprisonment, 3 •, debtors, 1 total males, 62. Female side: Hard labour, imprisonment, 1. Discharges : Tried Supreme Court, 1; tried before magistrate 7; debtors, 3; total males, 11. Christchun Gaol— Male side: hard labour, 14 ; impriso ment, 2; total, 16. Female side: hardlaboi 9; imprisonment, 1 ; total, 10. Discharge; Tried before magistrates, 15. Total D charges: Males, 11; females, 4. in Boats. — Apropos of the Is hunting accident in Yorkshire, a correspo ient informs us (Pall Mall Gazette) of simple and efficacious method of keepi horses quiet in boats, which was comraoi employed during the last war in Chii " There," he «**vys, " we had numbers of hon to land and to embark at different thn They were almost all entire Arabs, and iH sweet-tempered. We packed them closJH along both sides of large horse boats, v<H similar in form, I- should suppose, to the (H fortunate ferry-boat employed the other dflH with their heads outwards and their ridSH sitting on the gunwale, holding them up. m_\ one horse began to kick they soon all joit^B in what the sailor called ' a regular oh-^H joyful,' and matters became serious. Ja_H however, with his extraordinary aptitude WM managing animals, soon discovered a reme^H A. bucket of water was always kept ready dashed upon the root of the tail of ev^H horse which looked the least like mischSH Of course, down went the tail, and peace flfl preserved. The application was repeiflH whenever necessary, and I don't think accidents ever happened." Courts op Arbitration. — A movetrflH ia on foot in Leeds to form a Board of (^H ciliation and Arbitration between mnstersjHj workmen, similar to that which has JH formed at Nottingham. Conferences l^H been held under the auspices of the L^H Chamber of Commerce, wnich were atteiflfl by members of that body and by membeflH the Leeds Chamber of Industry and L^H Trade Council ; and at a meeting of thc^H ties on Wednesday evening last ani:il>.BH ing discussion resulted in reference t/>^H most practicable plan to form a Boarflfl Leeds. There was no difference of opiflfl as to the beneficial character of such an iHH tution, the only point at issue being the <^H position of a Board most likely to seeur^HM best results. The unanimous feeling of t|^H present secme 1 to be that it would no^H wise to attempt too much at once ; thflH general Board should at first be forme-^^B order that a means should be in existenc^Hj arbitrate on any question or dispute j^H might be referred to it ; while the estatflH ment of Boards iri each individual *_^H should be encouraged, as a natural outgr^H| of the adoption of the principle in tbe g^^flfl Board. But as neither side had auth^^fl either to propose or decide as to the char|^H or extent of the proposed. Board, the t»el^H was adjourned for one month, in or<iei^HH the representatives of the Chamber of flflfl merce should lay the matter beforeHH council at its next meeting, and tha^^H Chamber of Industry and the Leeds T^^| Council should ascertain the opinion o^H| different trades in tho town. _|H_| Convent Life.— The Chronique of Lo-^H in Belgium, relates an extraordinary &^^H sequestration at a convent near that fl^B The victim is a nun belonging to one ofl^H best families of the neighbourhood, und j^H| the Lady Superior had placed in a dam^Hß healthy, underground cell. She had|^H several days in confinement, when froiiH^H narrow opening by which her prison red^Hfl a little light from the garden she succ^^H in attracting the attention of a man wtflßn there, and who, at her entreaties, consenHHß procure for her writing materials, and *-fl|^fl vey a letter to her brother-in-law. Hfl^H receiving the communication, proceeded convent and asked to see his sistcr-i^BH| but was informed that she was in refl^H retirement and could not be seen. turned three hours later, accompaniedH^M commissary of police, whom he left oi^^^fl and then repeated his demand; he rece^HH similar reply, but he insisted, an H^nß Superior at length became evidently (f^HI rassed. He then opened the door tj^^^H police-officer, who compelled the directjHHH accompany them to tbe cellars uni!er £_HH where they found not only the lady > r HB| tion, but also five other nuns confined same manner, and all of whom, on reco^Hßfl their liberty, took advantage of the C(flHß| sary's presence to quit the establishmeJ^^H return to their frienda. The case is tc^^HH before the courts of law. _^HH The Church of England. — In thefl^^H of a speech delivered after tlie cerenw^^H his enthronement, the new Archbishop <^^^H tcrbury is reported to have said : — 'J&HH perience of the past shows that every fIH^H humbly endeavouring to fulfil his duty^^H| ding to bib power, may rest assured t^HH clergy will rally round him, and SV^HB their support in every way. It is SOl fiflflH the custom of those who are not f r ' e flH^H our National Church to represent thatfl^^H this time altogether a field of dissensicfl^^H experience is quite the other way. I^^^H suppose that any bishop in the ChurchßM^B| gland desires to rule over men w^ lo^hH| capable of thinking for themselves, |^^HB deem it wrong to do so, We desire to BAWB not slaves or dead men, but liviug, er fl^9fl free men, and where there is real ''4H^H will of necessity be diversity of opiniJ^HHfl experience, however, is that amid thifl|NK| sity of opinion there is a real hearty <fl^^H arid an earnest desire animating tho^^^H body of the clergy of this country to 9HBR work with a zeal and a harmony wn 'JHH9B never been exceeded. I think fIKBBj that we should encourage ourael|S9H the recollection of that fact. T ||^HB| speak of tl\e clergy, they will HBHEj first to acknowledge with me that tb^H^H are but" the servants of the Church, HHH not constitute the Church. And a flH^H laity— l say it fearlessly — there neverHH^H

this country an age in which the laity, did in * more intelligent and at the same tirae'.hearty way rally round the Church and support the Clergy. What is the meaning of the large assembly that has gathered here to day ? They have come here from various dUtant places to testify to this one fact — that they are attached to the Church of England and agree to take part in whatever work it provides for them. Certainly my own experience elsewhere shows that laymen are, in theory and in practice, as distinctly ready to work for the Church as are any of the ordained clergy. The presence among us to-day of the corporation of this ancient city is a sort of symbol of the way in whiuh nil parties, lay and clerical, are united together in our National Church. All men's hearts are occasionally despondent, but I confrss I think that in this instance there is no reason for despondency, and that the Church of England is too great and too powerful a machine for doing Christ's work in this generation to allow us without faithlessness to suppose for one momsnt that God will not protect it, and will not carry it forward to new victories over ignorance and vice. A Years' Changes with Kotaltit. — Tn the year 1863 ihe f -llowing changes occurred amongst the Royal houses of Kurope: — Seven members of Royal families dh*d— viz., the King of Baviria (aged 82). Duke Joseph Sachsen-Altenburg (79), Duke Ernest of Wurtemberg (61), Landgarf Karl tlessenPhilipsthal (65), Count Hugo Lippe-Weissen-feld (59;, Princess Krama-Schaumhurg-Lippe (79), and Countess Gustave Lippe-Weissen-feld. Twelve Princes nnd eight Princesses were born, to make up for the losses incurred by the Royal Chapter; namely, two Austrian Archdukes (sons of Charles Louis of Austria and of the ex Grand Duke of I'uscany), a Crown Prince of Greece, a Russian Grand Duke (son of the Czarewitch), a Prince of Prussia (son of the Crown Prince), an Hereditary Prince of Hohenzollern Sigmaringen, a Prince of Teck, two Princes of lipase, a Prince Liechtensten, a Prince SchiumburgLippe, and a Prince of Oldenburg ; an Arch-duchess of Austria, Marie Valeric, born in Pesth, nine months after the coronation ; a Royal Princess of England, a Princess of Anhalt, one of Meek-lenburg-Schwerii, Un Infanta i.f Spain (daughter of Don Carlos), a Princess of Bavaria, one of • Jldsnburg, and a Countess of Lippe-Weisenfdd. Pleven Royal marriages were celebrated within the past year — c. g.. the titular Grand Duke Ferdinand IV. wild Princess Alex Parma. Count Prince Humbert of Italy with his cousin Princess Marguerite de Savie, Grand Duke Frederic Francis 11. of Mecklenburgh-Schwerin with Princess Maria of Schwarreiiburg-Rudelstadt, Archduke Henry of Austiia with Miss L. Hoffman, Duke ''Nicholas of Wurtemburgh with his niece the Princess Wilhelmine, the Dnke of A len con with the Princess Sophia of Bavaria (formerly betrothed to the present King, who was not allowed by Richard Wagner to marry her), Count Alphonso di Caserta (Princa of both Sicilies) with his cousin Antoine (Counttess de Trapani), Count Gaetano Girgenti with Isabella de Bourbon. Prince A exander of Oldenburg with Princess Eugenic von Leuchtenburg, Prince Louis of Bavaria with •he Arch-Duchess Maria Theresa of Este, and Prince Nicholas of Nassau with the Countess Merenberg, Nathalie von Dubell, nee Pmchin. The number of reigning sovereigns is reduced to '3B; including the Emperor of Brazil, a Braganza-Coburg, it is said. Of these, the oldest is the Pope' (75), and tho youngest Prince Henry XXII. of Reuss-Greisz-Schleiss-Lobensteim Gera (22). There are four Emperor*, a Sultan, a Pope, ten Kings, one Queen, six Grand Dukes, five Dukeß, and ten Princesses. Five-and-twenty-sovereigns have sons heir apparent to the throne; one (the Emperor of Brazil), a daughter; six, brothers; three (including the Sultan), other relatives; and two (Rrunswick and Reuss of the elder branch) who will be smcceeded by sovereigns of other dynasties.