Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 692, 11 August 1870, Page 2

Local and General.

English Mail. — A notice at the Telegraph office informs us that all communication with the West Coast ports is interrupted. The interruption is between Bealey and Hokitika. Ross. — The local paper of August 6 states that the Great Ross Extended are busy washing. A good many men were put on during the week and more are wanted.

Theatre Royat_. — "Belphegor " and the burlesque of " The Fair One with the Golden Locks " constituted the attraction last night. The attendance was up to the average, and both pieces gave general satisfaction. The same bill will be submitted to-night. jLßegistrar's Returns. — From a return in a Provincial Gazette issued yesterday, we learn that there were 109 births in the Christchurch district during the month of July — 59 males, and 50 females. The deaths during the same period were 23 — 15 males and 8 females. The number of marriages for the month was 13. Inspection. — The customary inspection of Volunteers was made by Col. Packe at the Drill-shed. There waa an improved muster, and, after the customary examination of arms and accoutrements, the corp3, headed by the Yeomanry band, marched through the principal streets of the town. Previous to dismissing the men Col. Packe addressed them on the subject of the new Militia Act, partially explaining its operation, and pointing out the impetus it must give to the Volunteer movement. The Weather.— ln a return published in a Provincial Gazette issued yesterday, the Meteorological Observer makes the following remarks on the weather for July: — The temperature of the month was 1.3 deg. lower than the average for the same month during the previous six years. The rainfall was not in excess of the average. The weather was, as a rule, very fine and calm to the 27th, when for two days it rained heavily, in part from the S.W., but mostly from the N.E. During these two days water fell to the depth of upwards of an inch and a half. Masonic. — The opening of the new Hall in Manchester street, erected by the St. Augustine Lodge, 609, E.C, took place last evening, in presence of a goodly muster of brethren, including many visitors from other Lodges in the province. Amongst those present were Brothers G. H. Wilson, W.M., 609; J. Baylee, W.M., 1048; F. W. Thiel, P.M., J. A. Bird, P.M., H N. Nalder, W.M., Unanimity; W. Mills, &c, &c. The building consists of a very spacious Lodge room and two anterooms, together with all the accessories essential to a Freemasons' hall. District Court. — The local paper of Aug. 10 says it is rumoured that the General Government propose to appoint a District Judge to visit Timaru periodically— perhaps once every three months. If the report be correct and a judge be so appointed, but little real benefit will be conferred. What is urgently required is a permanent resident judge, who could hold a Court as occasion required, — say, at least once a fortnight, or once a month. We are assured by those who are authorities in the matter that there is plenty of work for such &n- officer, lhe name of Mr Dudley Ward has been mentioned in connexion with the appointment, and it is generally hoped that the rumour may prove true. 1 Deptford Dockyard.— lt will be remembered that Mr F. E. Wright, Chief Postmaster in Christchurch, some time ago paid a visit to England with the view of establishing the claims of his family to the above property, as representatives of the famous Evelyn, who gave the ground on which the dockyard is built to the English Government on certain conditions, and with the proviso that, failing the fulfilment of these conditions the ground should reTert to his representatives. From an article in the United Service Gazette of April 30, we learn that the English Government have sold the dockyard to aMr Austen for £71, 80 X A committee of the Admiralty recently valued the property thus _old at over £412,000. Xiitsbabt Institute. — A meeting of the committee of the Literary Institute was held last night at 7 o'clock. Present — Mr R. P. Crosbie (in the chair) ; Dr Powell, Messrs Jones, Black, Martin, and the hon. secretary. After the minutes were read and confirmed, the Treasurer's statement was considered and approved. It was resolved that the use of a room be given to members of the Institute for the purpose of forming a French class. It was stated that the Philosophical Institute had entered on the occupation of the upper rooms of the Institute, and authority was given to have the necessary sign boards placed in a prominent position. Dr Powell made a donation of a monthly magazine entitled " Nature ; " and after some routine business the meeting adjourned until the second Wednesday of Sep'.ember. Entertainment. — There was a good attendance at S. John's Schoolroom last 'night, and the entertainment, " An Evening with Longfellow," was in every sense highly successful. All the pieces were remarkably well rendered, and the audience were not slow to acknowledge it with suitable applause. The programme comprised the readings "Notary of Perigneux," Rev. J. W. Stack; " Courtship of Miles Standiah," and " The Birds of Killingworth," Rev. J. 08. Hoare; " Sir Frederigos Falcon," Mr Digby; the quartettes ■' Isle of Beauty," the Choir; "The Rainy Day" (Parker), Miss Martin, Messrs Gates, Farr, and the composer; the songs " The Bridge," Misß Cole; "The Village Blacksmith," Mr Parker; the part song " True Love's Voice," the Choir; recitation, "The Slave's Dream," Mr J. Anthony; and the duett (flute and piano) "II Trovatore," Messrs Thomson and Parker. Bankruptcy.— Meetings of creditors in the following cases were convened yesterday, at the Supreme Court office, before Mr Hichd. Davis, Deputy Registrar. Re John Hart: Mr Slater, solioitor. — A sufficient number of creditors not attending, the meeting was adjourned to Wednesday, 17th inst; the liabilities are stated at £3276 10s, and the assets at £2600. Re Geo. Fuller: Mr Slater, solicitor. — No creditors attending, the meeting was adjourned to Wednesday next, at the same time and place. — Liabilities £6. 13s, assets £40 7s ll.d. lie Henry King: in person. — No creditors attending, the proceedings lapsed; assets £20 ss, liabilities £52 5s 4d. Re John Morgon: Mr Joynt, solicitor. No creditors attending, the meetiug was!

'■ V. ■ 'V "*■', , adjourned until' next, at the same time and place;", assets, £80 18s, liabilities £152 13s 6d. Re William Kelland: Mr Cottrell, solicitor.-rNo'- creditors attending, the meeting was adjourned until Wednesday week at the same time and place; liabilities stated at £1328 3s 9d, assets £835 10s, Re Thomas Hudson : Mr Slater, solicitor.— No creditor attending, the estate was declared vested in the Provisional Trustee ; liabilities stated at £310 4s 7d ; assets at £196 14s B_d. Re Henry Beechey: (in person). — No creditor attending, the meeting was adjourned to Monday, 15th instant, at the same time and place. Re Patrick Martin: Mr DOyly, solicitor. — No creditors attending, the estate was declared vested in the Provisional Trustee ; liabilities stated at £134 14s 6d ; assets £5. Re John and James Patrick Simpson : Mr Cowlishaw, solicitor. No creditors attending, the estate was declared vested in the Provisional Trustee ; liabilities stated at £688 10s 4d ; assets £225 lis 6d. Re Thomas Harris Parsons : Mr Cowlishaw, solicitor. —No creditors attending, the meeting was adjourned to Monday, the 15th August, at the same time and place ; assets £56, and liabilities £325 2s Bd. Meeting.— A meeting was held in Cathedral square, at 4 p.m., yesterday, in accordance with the following advertisement : — " Notice.— The Unemployed are requested to attend a Meeting to be held in Cathedral Square To morrow, the 10th, at 4 p.m., to take measures into consideration for obtaining employment. — James McPherson." There were about 200 persons, of all classes, present. Mr Sorton was .moved to the chair. The chairman explained the object for which the meeting was convened, and called upon Mr McPherson to address the meeting. Mr McPherson referred to the proposal of the General Government to introduce fresh population, and considered that there Bhould be constant employment for those already in the province and colony before further immigration was attempted. He concluded by moving, •* That the present meeting regrets to have to record these facts, namely, that a very large number of competent workmen are now in this province, unable to obtain employment ; that a considerable number of such workmen have emigrated, even since last harvest, to seek employment elsewhere, some of them leaving their families destitute and a burthen on public and private charity; and that there are still many hundreds who do not possess the means of getting away, and who can barely obtain a living by the most precarious means." Mr Mailie seconded the resolution, which was unanimously agreed to on a show of hands being taken. Mr Edward Jerningham Wakefield moved — " That it is expedient tbat those who are reduced to so wretched a condition, should unite in prompt and energetic measures to bring these facts truthfully but respectfully before the General and Provincial Governments, the Press, and the public, and to urge upon the electors and their official servants the absolute necessity of taking immediate step 3 for supplying work at reasonable wages to the unemployed, whether by extensive public works or otherwise developing the resources of the country pre viously to increasing the existing distress by a fresh importation of labour." The motion was seconded by Mr — Williams, and unanimously agreed to. Mr McPherson moved, the Chairman seconded, and it was agreed to unanimously — " That a committee be appointed to carry out the preceding resolutions by communicating with the unemployed workmen in other parts of New Zealand, with the General and Provincial Governments, with members of Parliament, with gentlemen who are likely to become candidates at tbe forthcoming general election, and the proprietors and editors of public newspapers, and by collecting subscriptions for the payment of the unavoidable expense of correspondence and other requirements; such committee to consist of Messrs Wakefield, Langford, McPherson, and Sorton, with power to add to their number; to report to a public meeting at an early date." The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman. Honour Thrust Upon Hih, — The nomination of candidates for the Mayoralty of Oamaru took place on July 18. There were two candidates, Messrs Udall and Shrimski ; and the former in the course of his speech, after protesting that he never thought of seeking the honours of the Mayoralty until they had been forced upon him, said : — l'll tell you how it first came ahou*;. I was sit ting iv my offlce one morning when a gentleman entered, and put a paper into my band ; I opened it and found it was a subscription list for the Roman Catholic Church, and the visitor asked me for a donation. I replied, " Don't you know the very name of my religion ia a solemn protest against the doctrines that Father Norris ■ preaches ? " "Be aisy, be aisy," said he. " It's all very well for you to cry' be aisy,' but what will Mr Gifford say, think yoji, if I rob his church to contribute to yours, if only to the extent of half-a-crown ? " "You wouldn't so beraane yourself ? ' I had no wieh to seem mean, but told him to tell Father Norris t at I was afraid I gave grudgingly. Mr So-and-so enquired if I did not wish to go to heaven ? Of course, I did. " Then make it 55," said he. I di -I so, and really considered the bargain was in my favour. I thought our interview over, but no. Mr So-and-so unfolded the.paper, and put his finger upon my name and said, " Make it paid." I took the bint, and did so, and then he whispered to me, " You are to be our Mayor." This was the first I heard of the subject. However, it was not to be the last. A little foreign gentleman c*.m9 in not twenty four hours afterwards (I make no reference to Mr Shrimski— he has troubles enough, and Ido not wish to add to the load) and said, " So you are to be our Mayor." 1 replied, " You are mistaken; you mean Mr France." " No, no," he answered; "everybody knows and lilces him, but he's too Paul, Harry, and Dick. He pleases everybody, and everybody likes him, and dat won't do." This seemed

— - - iw. - l .mma strange objection. I then replied, '''Probably it is Mr Shrimßki yoa meadf?*? "Oh ! no, no, that is worse; Mr Shrimslcl' won't do — nobody likes him, he pleases nobody, it is you, was the reply. This waß the second hint I had; but still, I thought it only talk. Subsequently three gentl.meh waited upon me aud convinced me it was my duty to come forward, with a resolve that if elected I would do my best to fill the position in a wortbymanner. My local knowledge is but little, but I will try to make it complete. There is an old adage, that " new brooms sweep clean," and if elected I will sweep aa clean as I aan, and if at the end of twelve months you find the council dirtier than before, I will retire and make room for another " new broom." Another Curb for American Blight. In my garden the apple and cherry trees have been nearly destroyed by American blight, and I have tried all the remedies I could hear of without success. An experienced gardener told me he knew of no cure, but that he had heard of a Scotchman using whisky. (How?) Thinking the insects would not he particular ab-Ut the genuine " Mountain Dew," I tried last June methylated spirit, and no blight has since appeared. If tbe brush used to clean the branches is kept moderately damp, so that the spirit is not splashed about, a little will answer the purpose, and the expense is not great. I found it also useful for cleaning insects off plum trees, and having a dog that a veterinary surgeon failed to oure of mange, I tried the methylated spirit on the dog, and it appears to me to have cured it. — G. B. Moore, Plumstead, S.E. Secret Societies.— The Spectator says :— What with the decay, not of individual despotism, but of individual oppression, the softened tone of politics, the spread of the Press, and Hhe rise everywhere of governing assemblies which cannot be terrorized, the day of Secret Societies, which was never a bright one, is, we suspect, passing away; and as the day of insurrection is gone by too— for after all, if the army is faithful, insurrection against, breech-loaders is folly, and if it is not faithful, is a wanton waste of life — there is room for curious speculation whether mankind will succeed in discovering a new method of political resistance. We can conceive cases in which a minority would be just as bitter against a majority as subjects have ever been against rulers. That might happen, for instance, on many religious questions, and we are very curious to see what form the inevitable resistance will assume. Insurrection is hopeless, assassination impossible ; what will the minority do ? Will they submerge themselves like Mr Disraeli's friends, tha Spanish Jews, who were excellent Christians in Aragon. and " pure Sephardim " again when out of harm's way, — there are submerged sects in Russia, and all Asiatic countries ; or will tbey fly, as ;the Puritans did in the sixteenth century, and the Mormons of Illinois did in this, to a world of their own ? or will they devise some new and effective form of passive resistance, such as is now being tried in our midst by the Peculiar People, and such as at last emancipated the Quakers ? Trade with New York, — The Southern Cross of a recent date says:— The establishment of regular steam communication between this country and San Francisco has given a fresh impetus to our trade with America, and very shortly we may expect to see our imports from that country very largely increased. Many of the articles of daily consumption and use, which we have hitherto imported from Great Britain and Australia, will probably henceforth be got from America. Already: sugar Ib being largely imported from Honolulu, and whenever it has been placed upon the market has realised encouraging prices. It will be remem bered that some months ago Mr Walke sent a cargo of flax and gum direc to New York, and we believe th experiment was very encouraging. It certainly does appear strange that the kauri gum produced in New Zealand should be shipped to London in the first instance, and thence reshipped to New York, where, we believe, it is principally used as varnish for chairs. We do not see anything to prevent considerable shipments both of flax and gum to New York, whence goodß in request here might be brought back. At all events, we are glad to observe that Messrs Must and Co. have enterprise enough to make a regular experiment, by laying on two vessels a year ; and we are informed that they have chartered the Santon as the pioneer vessel. We congratulate the community upon tbis example of commercial enterprise, and we trust the experiment will be successful. The Cape. — We have news from the Cape of Good Hope to June 7. The only item of interest in the papers we have is an account of a rather noteworthy ceremony, that of the Cape Mounted Rifles, now disbanded, depositing their standards in St. George's Cathedral, there to remain as honourable memorials of the gallant corps which had so long creditably borne them. The Cape Argus, referring in a leading article to the " touching ceremonial," remarks : — " Other regiments strike their tents to pitch them again elsewhere, but the Cape Corps has ceased to exist, and the half funeral ceremonial with which they bade farewell to the Cape, and left all that remains of their old glory in the keeping of the Churcb, symbolizes more than anything the breaking-up of the whole military camp in South Africa. Henceforth the British army, wherever it may achieve glory, is to be nothing to the Cape. It may and will survive in the memory of the colonists much as the fading standards of the disbanded corps will be seen week after week by the congregation at St. George's. But that is all. Its work is done ; and it was almost impossible to forbear the inquiry as the tram;of the last soldier was heard in the cathedral aisle, whether the disbanding of the corps did not foreshadow the narrowing of British influence and the decline of liritish power, bugland will not, like ancient Rome, be a prey to the power and discipline she herself

■'■ -" *"' ..... .. . .!_ created ; but she may suffer from a too great eagerness to withdraw her own authority from remote dependencies, and discourage the spirit of energy and enterprise which has planted her flag under every sky, and brought the members of almost every tribe on earth under her sway." Womans Rights. — Mrs Slocum, who edits the St. Charles (Mo.) Herald in the absence of ber husband, does not favour the movement in the State to strike the word male from the Constitution. She says editorially:— "lf these ' womau's rights ' women who are continually harping upon this subject, and making themselves ridiculous in the eyes of sensible people, would stay at home, and attend to their household duties, nurse tbeir babies, and; train up their children iv the way which God directs, and exercise a healthy, moral, and refining influence upon the community, they would do their country greater service than all the ballots they could oast in a lifetime."