Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 486, 7 December 1869, Page 2

Local and General.

Charitable Entertainment. — As will be seen from an advertisement in another column, an entertainment will take place in S. Luke's schoolroom on Friday evening. The programme is a good one, and the object of the entertainment will no doubt enlist the sympathies of a large audience. Acclimatization. — A collection of seeds from Brazil and the Southern States of America has been received by the society. It includes some of the most valuable grasses in those countries, ornamental trees of rapid growth, and the berries of a tree which afford an abundant supply of food to fish and birds. The seeds have been collected by an old Canterbury settler, as likely to prove a useful acquisition to the province. Plants and seeds of the beautiful Norfolk Island pine have also been presented the society by Mr T. Hall. Leithfield Sports. — The committee for these sports met on Friday evening, for the purpose of drawing up the programme, &c. Prizes will be given for quoits, hammer and stone throwing, running, &c. The committee have been unusually successful in collecting subscriptions, and will therefore be in a position to offer a greater number of prizes than on any previous occasion. The sports, as usual, will take place on the Anniversary Day, but will not be confined to the district as they were last year. Entertainment. — An entertainment consisting of singing, readings, recitations, &c, took place in the Temperance Hall last evening. Mr Tremayne occupied the chair. Readings and recitations were given by Messrs J. G. Baker and St. Quentin, and songs by Messrs Thomas, Tremayne, and the choir. Mr Piper played a solo on the concertina with much effect. It was announced that the annual festival of the society would be celebrated by a tea meeting in the Hall on Tuesday, the 14th instant. Westland Postal Service. — Ifc is probable that arrangements will be made, without disturbing the contract entered into with Mr C. Dalwood, for continuing the bi-weekly mail service. The Chairman of the Westland County Council had put himself into communication with the Superintendent of Canterbury with the view of carrying out the wishes of the public. Ecclesiastical. — A new Catholic Church was opened for Divine worship at Leeston on Sunday last. The Rev Father Chevrier celebrated, and delivered an appropriate and impressive discourse on the text " Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church." The edifice, which is of simple and elegant construction, was well fllled, and a collection in aid of the funds for its erection was made after the service, amounting to over £20. '1 he music was well selected, and in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion, and was ex cut.d by a small choir of Christchurch amateurs. Over Chopping. — The evil effects of over cropping the soil are beginning to be felt in California. A San Francisco paper of a recent date, referring to this year's harvest says:— ln regard to crop yield, there continues to be a g.-eat diversity of opinion. All new lands have produced fine crops, good yield and pump grain; while the exact contrary has been the general result upon old worn out lands. Where else but in California would farmers think of planting wheat for ten or fifteen consecutive years, without giving rest to the land, or changing the crop ? This, then, is the true cause of our failure to produce uniform good crops this season. The Salmon in Otago. — Our Dunedin contemporary of Nov. 30 says: — Mr Dawbin, who is at present in town, has brought with him from the Waiwera ponds a pair ot salmon sinolts which had been f mnd dead on the banks of the pond. Ifc is supposed that the fish in leaping at flies had fallen on the ground, and had been unable to reach the water again. Mr Dawbin states that he has occasionally, when watclung the sinolts leap ing in the pond in the evening, observed them fall on the bank, and has had to rescue them by returning them to the water. On Thursday last the outlet from the ponds was opened to enable the young fish to seek the salt water. When Mr Dawbin left, about j 150 had left the ponds, and it is probable that ! 50 more will be prompted by instinct to do j the same, leaving, probably, upwards of 100 1 fish which will not migrate until next season. Many of the smolts in the ponds measured from 10 to 12 inches in length ; those which Mr Dawbin brought with him to town are about eight inches long. j at Kaiapoi. — On Saturday last the return match between the CJB.C.'s Cure and Undine (four oars) took place, the distance, as before, being three miles. The Cure had a fresh man in place of one who had retired through ill-health, and the Undine had the advantage of the services of Mr R. Wright, one of the best oarsmen in the province, in lieu of Mr A. Clark who refused to pull on the ground that the Undine was not up to time. The crew of the Cure agreed to the latter change rather than disappoint the public, who had as usual mustered in strong force on the bridge, wharves and riverbank. A good start was effected by Mr J. C. Boddington, the Undine at once taking the lead, which she maintained throughout, beating the Cure by 35 seconds. Time— 23 'minutes. The Undine's crew were— J. Feldwick (.bow), H. Kerr (2). R. Wright (&, R. H. Matthews (stroke), C. Oram (coxji A strong N.E. wind was blowing, and Ttw river off Harris' Island was exceedingly rough; both boats, however, stood it capitally, and shipped but little water.

w -- ■- — Civil Sittings.— The Civil Sittings of the Supreme Court will commence afc 1 1 O'clock to-morrow morning. The cases on the record are M'Keever and Another v Kynock, and Adams v. Taylor. The Waitaki Bridge. — The local paper reports a public meeting at Oamaru on Dec. 1, at which the following re.olutions were passed : — That this meeting, being of opinion thafc the bridging of the Waitaki River is of the utmost importance, and understanding that the Canterbury Government are empowered and willing to provide £5000 towards the cost thereof, and that the Government Engineers are in possession of sufficient data to warrant the Provincial Government in at once calling for tenders, earnestly and respectfully requests his Honor the Superintendent and his Executive Council to take the necessary steps to have the work immediately commenced. That this meeting is of opinion that the full benefit of the bridging of the Waitaki will not be attained without the removal of the present restrictions as to the crossing of sheep from Canterbury, and desires to urge upon the Provincial Government the immediate necessity of their abolition. The Moonlight Quartz Mining Company. — A special meeting of shareholders was held at the offices of Messrs Wilson and Co. yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of considering two telegrams received from their Greymouth representative. Mr Wilson presided, and there was a good attendance. The telegrams as read, stated that the Greymouth shareholders objected ti only 180 shares being issued, and £500 called up on them, urging that the number should be 360, with power to call up £1000. There were no particular reasons given for the proposed increase, aud a very protracted discussion took place upon the whole mattey. The Christchurch shareholders, it will be remembered, held a meeting on the 22nd ult., in accordance with suggestions from Greymouth, for the purpose of considering how to provide for a contingency of £500 required to carry out works before the first crushing, and the advisability of procuring new machinery. The meeting on that occasion, decided to meet the £500 by issuing 180 new shares, £2 10s to be called up on each, and to defer the purchase of machinery until after the first crushing. The discussion which followed the reading of the telegrams objecting to this decision, evinced a determination to adhere to the original resolution, and after a lengthy meeting, it was agreed on the motion of Mr Lane, seconded by Mr Curtis, " That the Christchurch shareholders are of opinion that the yield of the first crushing may probably render the issue of more than 18 1 shares unnecessary, and that it may be preferable to devote a portion of the proceeds of the working of the mine to the increase of plant for the company ; they therefore propose still to defer their assent to a larger increase in the share list than thafc already agreed upon at the last meeting on the 22nd of November. Tue New Hebrides Mission. — During the late session of the Presbyterian Church Assembly iv Melbourne, the report of the New Hebrides Mission was read by the Rev. D. Macdonald. This report referred to the visit of the Dayspring to New Zealand in the following terms :—" The chief event in the colonies this year connected with the New Hebrides Mission was the effort to raise an insurance fund for the mission vessel, and the committee have to acknowledge the goodness of God in giving that effort complete success. The convener reports that, as instructed by last Assembly, he proceeded to New Zealand to plead the Dayspring Insurance Fund, and thafc with the co-operation of the Rev. John Inglis from Aneitum, who accompanied the Dayspring from the islands to New Zealand, and with the cordial help of the brethren in New Zealand, an amount was raised which, with the sum contributed by this church an 1 by the Presbyterian Church of the lower provinces of British North America, reaches over £3000. The presence of the Dayspring in New Zealand waters helped the movement very much, as she awakened great enthusiasm about herself and the mission, especially among the young, as she always does wherever she casts anchor. Her visit to Dunedin was an event in the history of the town, as might be expected in so Presbyterian a settlement. The ministers and congregations in Otago and Southland showed the warmest interest in the mission and mission vessel. The convener's visit to Dunedin was timed so as to arrive there while the Synod of Otago and Southland was in session, and the committee desire to report to the Assembly his and their sense of the cordiality with which he was received by the brethren in New Zealand, in his . capacity both as an agent for the mission and as a deputy from the Presbyterian Church of "Victoria.