Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 305, 6 May 1869, Page 2

Local and General.

Kaiapoi Post Office.— This office, with the telegraph office, is now removed to the the new premises, in Charles street. j Accident. — A report has reached us of a serious accident to a man working at a threshing machine on the Eyreton Road, but at j present we have no particulars. Land Sales. —The quantity of land sold to-day was as follows .-—Timaru, 9.5 acres ; Banks Peninsnla, 20 do ; total, 115 acres, realising £230. Winter Readings— Colonist Societt.— The inauguration of the series will take place this evening, in the Colonist Hall, at eight o'clock. Rangiora and Mandeville Road Bo^rd. — Mr G. L. Lee has convened a meeting for Monday evening next, at Flaxton, respecting the division of this district. Inquest.— Yesterday the district coroner, M. Morris, Esq., held an inquest at the Northport Hotel, Saltwater Creek, on the body of Dennis Deviue, whose death, from being run over by a dray, was reported in yesterday's issue. The verdict of the jury was " Accidental Death." Gazette. — The New Zealand Gazette dated April 27, has been received. It notifies that letters patent have been granted to A. G. Howland of Christchurch, in the province of Canterbury, coachbuHder, for au invention for improvements in mechanism for the beating, stamping, or crushing of iron, quartz, flax, or any other material, by means of a direct-acting spring hammer. Mr W. J. W. Hamilton has been appointed Auditor of the Courts of Law Trust Accounts for the Christchurch district. George Renuer has beeu appointed postmaster at Temuka, and W. Adams at Windwhistle, in this province. Meteorolooic al. — The following general remarks on the weather during March are extracted from the Gazette: — The weather was unusually fine and pleasant at all the stations iv the North Island during this month; the fall of rain was considerably below the average for previous ye'strs; and although there were a few gales from N.W.-, yet the mean velocity of wind was low, the barometer readings for the month are high in every case .in the North Island. : On the West Coast of the South Island, and south of Christchurch, the weather 5 was not.so. fiuej;, several severe storms from' S.'W, asli vN,W. occurred, accompanied with" hail*.! thunder, and heavy rain.

Provincial Council. — The Provincial Council will be opened at 2 p.m. to-morrow. Pasturage Bests.— The pasturage rents paid at the Land Office for the year up to May 1, amount to £33,809 17s lOd. Bankruptcy. — His Honor Mr Justice Gresson held a sitting under the Bankruptcy ! Acts, at the old Town Hall, at 11 o'clock this morning. Final orders were made in the following cases :— Henry Beechey, John Efckerden Coker and James Heath, Henry Batchelor, Gabriel William Lawrence, George Robert Hart, Frederick Mubliesen Arnold, William Hislop, Thomas Adkisson Gates, Francis Harvey, and Alexander William Doran. The following cases were adjourned until the 10th June :— Charles Fisher Hallara, George and Henry Fisher, William Thomas Baugh, Henry 'Brooks, Samuel Edward Graham, Arthur Ward, John Vingoe Glasson, George Albert Riinge, and Edward Hooper. The case of David Scott was ajourned until Tuesday next, at one o'clock, in Chambers The fiDal order was suspended for a year in re Thomas Hill, for three months re Shaw Crossland, and for one month in re Meshach Clements. The petition in re James Ferguson Douglas was dismissed. Opening of Rapaki Church. — The courteous invitation of the Rapaki Maoris, together with the beautiful weather of Tuesday, tempted us to be present at the opening of the new church which how graces the very pleasantly situated settlement of Rapaki. The church was thronged with a congregation of about 100 persons, nearly one half of whom were European visitors, while quite as large a company were obliged to be satisfied with a place outsidej^lt would have been difficult to determine/ judging from the group of ministers standing within the communion rail, to what denomination the sacred structure belongs, for all three j resident clergymen of Lyttelton were there, as was also Te Kote, the native minister of the settlement. The large cross surmounting the belfry, and the window of stained glass in rear of the pulpit, only helped to render the problem more difficult of solution. The liturgy of the Church of England was used. The opening prayers were read by the Wesleyan minister, the chaunts were led by him and his Maori brother of the same persuasion ; the Anglican clergyman led in reading the psalms for the day, while the Presbyterian minister offered prayer in English, and the English-speaking portion of the audience sang part of the hymn beginning, " Come let us join our cheerful songs," and their Maori brethren chaunted and read the psalms with an accuracy of time and fervour of manner very gratifying to listen "ttQ Most earnest attention was given to the sermon preached from the text, " Where two or three are gathered together in My name, — " The offertory was taken at the door as the congregation retired, and seemed to be liberal. The whole service was of a deeply interesting and edifying character, and at its close, many were the encomiums passed by the Europeans on the neatness of design and perfect finish of the Church, and the orderly and devout deportment of the Maori .vorshippers. These latter were delighted at the interest displayed by their pakeha friends, and expressed themselves as specially pleased with the hymnsinging of the ladies. At the close of the devotional part of the proceedings, the Maoris invited their European visitors to a tent fitted up for the occasion, where they were regaled with an abundant supply of refreshments. Philosophical Institute. — The monthly meeting of members was. held at: their room last evening. Dr Haast, the president of the Institute, occupied the chair, Mr H. J. Tancred was elected as one of the vice-presi-dents in the room of Mr Dobson resigned. Mr Dobson was unanimously : elected an honorary member of the Institute. Mr J. W. s. Coward, honorary treasurer, stated that the balance in the bank to the credit of the Institute was £160 4s sd. The Rev. C. Fraser moved, Mr Tancred seconded, and it was agreed to " That an address from the council of the Institute he sent to Mr E. Dobson on the occasion of his election as honorary member." In. proposing the resolution, Mr Fraser paid a high tribute to the services which, had been rendered to the Institute by Mr Dobson. It was moved by the Rev C. Fraser, and agreed to, " That it is desirable that the year of the Institute commence on the Ist January, and terminate on the 31st December, and that in order to effect this members are requested to pay £1 ls for the half-year ending 31st December." The President said he had now to make known to the Institute a very important matter. The Ro.val Society requested the Euglish Government to give them a man-of-war to go out for the purpose of deep-sea dredging. The Government acceded to the request, and the Society accordingly sent out Dr Carpenter and Professor Thomson. They proceeded about 1 00 miles from the English coast, and at about a depth of 500 fathoms found the temperature to be 32deg. to 33deg. Here, they found nothing but sand and arctic shells. In the same depth of water at other s, ots, they found the temperature to be about 46deg., and found there a great mass of small animal-li fe "and silicious sponges. No discovery for many years had made such a stir in the scientific world. He would be happy to hand over the proceedings in connection with it to any member of the Institute who would undertake to give a resume of them in the form of a paper. lie hoped that members would prepare papers in turn, in order to maintain the Usefulness of the Institute. The Rev. C. Fraser informed the Institute that Mr George J. Cawood had requested him to bring unde*r the notice of the Institute the fact that he was the discoverer of a very important improvement lin the mariner's compass. He intended to proceed: to -England, but bef orb leaving wished to, have some reference; from the Institute. " He had signified his willingness, to subipit his compass for examination; The President also stated that Mr Cawood

had mentioned the matter to him. It was a most important subject, and it came within the province of the Institute to investigate ifc as far as they could. The Rev C. Fraser moved, Mr J. W. S. Coward seconded, and it was agreed to, " That Messrs Jollie, Davie, George Hall, and Triphook be appointed a committee, to confer with Mr Cawood regarding his alleged improvements on the nautical compass." The President stated that up to the present time £443 had been collected towards the building of the Museum. He required another £100, and hoped those members of the society who had not yet subscribed would do so before long. The meeting then adjourned. jJCdAJOR UiGS-'s Mukdekeks. — The Poverty Bay correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Times says : — " Pek.i, one of >\laj ir Bigg's murderers, arrived here this afternoon in the schooner Murewai from Poverty Bay. He has heen transferred to gaol, and is to be currie 1 to Wellington for trial. He may get off for want of evidence ; nevertheless, he assiste 1 in most of the murders A better system appears to prevail at present in Turanganui. murderers are not let off a* formerly ; the fact of Mr Wylie, a Government official,having shot the murderer of his sun, nnd another assassin, has probably had someting to do with the altered state of aff.irs."

Desertion from the Galatea. — Two of 'he Galatea's crew bolted yesterday, says the Wairarapa Mercury of \ pril 30, and were apprehended by Constable Brady, who was on his way to Greytown, to ta^e charge of ibe Police station. C ming on hi* way in a 'rap near the Pukurat hi, bin horse hei.ame restive, and while Mr Brady jumped out on the one side to secure his animal, one of the deserters jumped out on the other to secure his own safety. On the principle that *' a bird in th hand is worth two in the bush," Mr Brady thought it best not to leave thu one that wms still a prisoner, in order to secure tho fugitive, and we quite admire his dec ision as he woul ■ probably have lost both, and been obliged m continue his journey solitary and desolate 'le lodged the one prisoner in the gaol at Featheri-ton safely yesterday.