Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 661, 6 July 1870, Page 2

Local and General.

X* + -c » Clever Capture. — A clever capture of a thief was made by Detective Feast this morning. On Saturday last there arrived from Wellington, by the Gothenburg, a character whose appearance at once awakened the suspicions of Detective Feast, who caw him at the Criterion Hotel on the following Monday nigbt. About ten o'clock this morning the robbery, at the City Hotel, of a gold watch and chain, a necklace, a purse, and some money, wa^ reported at the Police Depot. Detective Feast, on obtaining a description of the suspected party, immediately set out in search of mm, and arrested him at the Clarendon Hotel. On being searched, all the missing property was found in his possession, besides a gold watch chain which had been missing from the White Hart Hotel since Sunday morning last. The thief, who was in the lock-up by eleven o'clock, refused to give his name. He will be brought up at the Resident Magistrate's Court to-morrow morning. It appears that he had been sleeping at the City Hotel for two or three nights previously, and that he committed the theft during breakfast-hour. Dramatic Pj.rfokmance.— The Lyttelton Garrick Club gave their first performance in the Colonists' Hall last night. There was a very good attendance. The pieces chosen were "Race for a Dinner" and "Cherry Bounce." The .performance throughout was very creditable, and called forth loud applause. The acting of Mr R. Davis as Sponge in the first piece was very good. During the interval, Messrs Carder, Allwright, and Street sang some songs. At the close, Dr Donald, on behalf of the society, thanked the gentlemen who had taken part in the entertainment. Board of Conservators. — A special : meeting of the Board was held on Monday at half-past two o'clock. Present : The Chairman, Messrs Duncan, Fisher, and Tosswill. The Chairman reported that the Rate Roll had been considered and approved by the Resident Magistrate, but that further consideration had been adjourned for three weeks, to allow of the notification by the Board of the sum per £ which the Board propose to levy. It was resolved .by the Board that a general rate of one penny in the £ should be struck. And that a special rate .of one penny in the £ be levied on the City of Christchurch, and that portion of the district adjoining the main lines of overflow, and more particularly delineated on the Conservators' map. The Chairman was re- ... quested to notify the above resolutions to the Road Boards and Municipalities concerned, and to inform them that the rate will be considered by the Resident Magistrate on the twenty-fifth July, instant, at 1 1 _'clock. The Board then adjourned.

Acclimatization. — Silkworm eggs have been received here from the Melbourne Society, from a portion of the collection recently obtained from India. Rifle Association. — A meeting of the Council was to have been held last night, but there were not sufficient members present to form a quorum. Theatre Royal. — "Macbeth" was reproduced last evening to a good house. The cast waa the same as previously. To-night the curiam will rise to Sheridan Knowles' play " The Hunchback." The Government Financial Policy.— r His Worship the Mayor has, in response to a very influentially signed requisition, convened a public meeting at the Town Hall this evening, for the purpose of discussing that portion of the Colonial Treasurer's budget which proposes to promote a systematic scheme of co'onisation and public works. The chair will be taken at seven o'clock. Fatal Accident.— On Tuesday week, an accident, attended with fatal consequences, happened to a child named Sarah Winter, aged five months, the daughter of a man named Alfred Winter, residing near the Two-chain Road on the Mandeville Plains. The child's sister, a little girl about five years old, was playing with a boot, swinging it by the lace, when she accidentally gave the child a blow on the head. Dr Downes visited the child after the accident, hut it died on Monday last from the injuries sustained. •St. Alban's Entertainment. — Thesecond of the winter series was given in the schoolroom last night, and very largely attended. Mr C. W. Turner presided, and the following programme was gone through, affording by its general excellence a very large amount of enjoyment. Readings — " John Maynard," Mr Broughton; "On Slang," Mr Hewlitt;. "Mary Queen of Scots," Mr Elmsley, Instrumental music — " Haydn's symphonies," the band; duet, violin and piano, Mr Jones and Mr Long; song, " Call me not back " (with chorus); song, "Kiss me mother ere I die" (with chorus), Mr Jones; song, "Come back to Erin," Mrs Long; pianoforte selections, Miss Plank; song, " Home they . brought her warrior dead," Miss Gapes. A lecture will be given by the Rev. .AReid in a fortnight. »W omen's Ri«hts. — The Times gives the iollowing : — In one of the Western States of America a lady was recently promoted to the Bench, and a local paper, in announcing the appointment, concluded its account of the new Judge by saying that she " weighed 104 pounds, was 57 years of age, and owned it." The Judge afterwards charged the GranJury, composed also of ladies, and observed that the eyes of the world were fixed upon them—as well they might be. Unfortunately, the reports of the Assize have not yet come to hand. Masonic. — Speaking at the festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys, the Prince of Wales suid :— " I am confident that amongst Her Majesty's subjects there are none more loyal to her than the body of Freemasons. I may now recall to you that about 75 years ago, when it b3came necessary on the part of the Government of that time to put down secret societies, my late great-uncle the Duke of Sussex, stood up in Parliament and demanded that Freemasons should be exempt from being put down as a secret society, and that demand was granted ; and from that, time to this, Freemasonry, being devoid of politics, devotes itself chiefly to charity and the good of mankind." Madrassee Knolish. — The Madras Athenaeum gives the following specimens of Madrassee English : — An ex-schoolmaster, petitioning for a clerkship, promises that " I and my family will ever cease to pray to the humble Almighty to shower his blessings on you for ever and ever." Another, begging for an increase of salary on account of the ris» in prices, says : — " My pain and sufferings are impeachable, lie only in the comprehension of gentlemen of your honourable disposition, ready to open your bowels of compassion to sympathise with the afflicted, and by extending your gracious hand to shoulder them from the civil darts of thiß dear city." A third makes the following excuse for absence :— "Please excuse attending offico to day, as my grandmother despatched her life and want to go to firing place to see body fired and ashes put in the hole." A clerk, complaining of " fever and grapes," requests a day's leave, as he is " unfortunately ill by the blessing of (>od." "Articles o* Piety." —Mr Robert Steele, the Secretary of the Protestant Evangelical Mission and Electoral Union, furbishes to the Rock copies of four bills for " articles of piety," supplied from Mrs F. A. Little's ecclesiastical warehouse, 20, Cranbourne street, Leicester square. The articles in two of- the bills were supplied to the Convent of the Assumption, 24, Kensington square.' " Iron discipline" consists of a " cat" with several tails. The tails, as well as the part held in the hand, are made of links of strong iron wire. The ends of the wire in each link in the tail of one of the cats project so as to form two small spikes in each link, while each tail has a weight at its lower end, so as to force these spikes into the flesh of the person operated upon. Bracelets are iron bands for the head, arms, legs, and body. The bands vary in breadth from an inch to two inches. They are smooth on the outside, but the side next the flesh is all over covered with small spikes, the points of the spikes being turned inward to scarify and lacerate the poor creatures who wear them.. The Port Albert Settlement, Auoklanb. — In speaking upon the advancement of the settlement at Port Albert, at the annivecaary meeting on May 30, Mr W. Cutler is reported in the Southern Cross to have said : " To-day we declare our thankfulness to God for all His providential mercies. To-day we congratulate each other on what has been accomplished since we landed on the shores of Albertland. What a contrast since we pitched our tents beneath the puriri, the

stately kturi, the graoeful tea-tree! By the axe of the European, the majestic trees have fallen. With energy, patience, and perseverance the great difficulties have been overcome. The features connected with the advancement of Albertland are so numerous, and so pregnant with future blessings, that it is impossible to even allude to all of them in a short speech. The solitary native paths or survey-lines hare given place to good roads. In places where the indolent Maori squatted away his time are now to be seen tasteful and substantial dwellings, luxuriant gardens, graceful lawns, and fields. No one can ride oa the ranges, or descend the verdant valleys, without seeing evidence of the continual advances of the enterprising Albertland settlers. In all directions we see new fields laid out, substantial fences, and drainage opened ; while from hill to hill can be noticed the settlers' cottages ; and the bushman's motto, " Onward," seems to echo in the breeze. In districts where the solitary cow once fed, are now to be seen a hundred. Every settler has his cattle, almost every one has his horse, whilst pigs and poultry add to the comforts of every family. During the past twelve months Albertland has made rapid strides towards ultimate prosperity. In many places the plough has superseded the dreary toil of the grubbing-hoe. The crops of maize, potatoes, and wheat have been good, with the exception of a partial failure of wheat in the Te Wheau district. The casual visitor may ask, Where are the inhabitants of Market street, the once busy mart of Port Albert ? We answer, instead of measuring yards of ribbon, weighing pounds of sugar, or soldering milk-pails, you will find the men on their farms ploughing with their own teams of oxen. Our present and future advancement will depend on the use we make of our past, experience. As a proof of our political advancement, remember how distinctly and firmly we spoke in the late decision for the Superintendent of the Province of Auckland. As to, the religious advancement of the settlement, if one pulpit is shut against the Gospel ministers, our Redeemer's Kingdom shall prosper. Onward we will go. Let every settler support and advance education, both religions and secular, and our children will rise to honour in the landof our adoption. Let us have a free pnlpit, a free gospel preached to every creature, and we shall have blessings on ourselves, and on our children's children. Let us keep the accursed intoxicating drink from our borders, and Albertland shall rise to as great an eminence as any settlement in Sew Zealand."