Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 714, 6 September 1870, Page 2

Local and General.

Magistekial. — There was no criminal business at the Christchurch Magistrate's Court this morning. VV The Bakiia Bkidde. — We are glad to /lorn that Mr White is getting on rapidly nivl satisfactorily with the pile-driving for a:«e ah ;v. 1 :* i Igc. The secou.l row of pile-;

from hank to bank will be ,. completed in a few days, no less than jtf&haying- been driven during the past month. .A third row has to bo driven. '-The-,, temporary or- gas-pipe bridge is as firm as ever: it was, notwithstanding heavy freshes anl still heavier work. Total Abstinencs Societt. — An entertainment in connection with this society rook place in the Temperance Hall, last evening. Mr Rogers occupied the chair, and Messrs W. H. De La Mare, W. Harymafi,and Dr AMen, gave readings'. During the evening Mr T. Piper played several popular airs on the concertina, and Miss Cutler gave a very | good recitation. At the close, the secretary announced that the quarterly meeting of members would be held next Tuesday evening. 'YvNarho-vv Escape. — Those who have occa- ', sion to travel on the South roail after nightfall had better be on their guard against the holes left near tho track by the telegraph linemen. Mr Thornton, Provincial Engineer, accompanied by Mr Locke, was | returning the other evening from an inspection of the Rakaia, near Mr Hurst's station, preparatory to the construction of protective works. Mr Locke's horse put his foot in '. one of the holes alluded to, and, coming dowu very heavily on his head, was killed on 1 the spot. Mr Locke fortunately escaped with comparatively slight injury. Fl\x Association.— The adjourned meeting of the sub-committee was held yesterday afternoon, Mr E. Richardson presiding. A letter was read from Mr H. Gordon, Oxford, requesting the Association to advance £10 for defraying the cost of certain castings required for the machinery for dressing flax as previously written about, and stating that such being agreed to, he would forward sketch plans which would convince the Association as to the feasibility of his plan. On the motion of Mr Deßourbel, the secretary was desired to write and ask to see the sketch plans with a view to recommending the general committee of the Associat on to grant the sum nsked for. On the motion of Mr Bird, seconded by Mr Deßourbel, it was resolved to recommend the general committee to offer a prize of £30 for the best dressed bale of flax, not less than 3 cwt.; and a prize of £:o for the second best dressed bale, sent f r exhibition at the forthcoming Agricultural Show, the exhibitor to state tho cost per ton and mode of preparing; three competitors or no prize; the judges to be selected from members of the Flax Association; the successful exhibi'or to produce five tous of fibre, equal to sample, at a cost named by himself, but not to exceed £22 per tou, baled up for shipment. The sub-committee's report of proceedings during the past quarter, prepared for submission at the quarterly general meeting of the Association, was read and approved. It was resolved to summon the general meeting for Thursday next, after which the committee adjourned. Ma Heller's Entertainment. —Mr Robert Heller, whose name as a conjuror and pianist has been before the public for a considerable time, made his debut at the Town Hall last evening under the most unfavourable ausp'ces, so far as the weather was concerned. In the absence of other causes, a wet night might ordinarily have acted pre judicially on the entertainment, but tho hall was crowded, and long before the performances began, money was actually refused for what nre customarily termed "reserved seats." Speaking of Mr Heller, he is unquestionably the best conjuror that we have seen here. From the outset, he commands the appreciation of his audience. His dialogue (or " business," in theatrical parlauce) is familiar, occasionaliy witty, but never vulgar ; his sleight of hand, in point of rapidity and nicety of execution, exceeds anything that . (hristchurcii "audiences have been accustomed to ; and as a pianist, his performances of last evening were indisputably of a very high class. If in the first part of the programme the majority of his tricks were not altogether new, the manner in which they were executed was undoubtedly unique. To describe the things tliat are done by Mr Heller is unnecessary. His entertainment is indeed of a nature which caunot be described within the limits of a paragraph, but requires to be seen to be appreciated by a miscellaneous audience. Of this we are confident, that those who visit the Town Hall during Mr Heller's stay will not regret it. Lyttelton Borough Council. — The Council met on Monday evening at the usual hour. Present:— Councillors Allwright, Bunker, Chalmers, Cummins, Stout, Young, his Worship the Mayor presiding. The minutes of the previous meeting were read [ and confirmed. The Clerk informed the Council that he had received during the past week ra^es and rents amounting to £14 18s 6d. The correspondence was read. To the , Provincial Secretary, calling the attention of the Government to the great want of an accident ward in the town, and ask , ing for it, not only because such a place was promised by his Honor the Super- : intendent, but also because iv the interests of humanity such a place ought at . once to be erected. From Mr Blakiston, i Under-Secretary, stating that the necessary i accommodation would be erected as soon as . possible. The Foreman of Works' report . was read and received. It stated that the , gutters on the Governor's Bay Road were choked up. It was resolved to do the necessary work. On the motion of Councillor Chalmers, seconded by Councillor YouDg.it » was resolved that the Council write to the Victoria Road Board, asking their co-opcra- ' tion in petitioning the Government for a grant to keep the road in repair; also, to - write to the Government, and to the mem bers of the Provincial Council. Accounts amounting to £23 6s lOd were passed for I payment. Councillor Chalmers again drew 3 the Council's attention to tho unsatisfactory state they were at present in with their ) clerk, his terra of service having expired. ' It was resolved to leave the matter in abeyr ance for a week. The Council then ad- « jimrncd.

Crossing Sheep ovER-.Tgip, Waitangi. — The Timaru paper o f Sept. 3V States that an action has been brought t at' the' instance of the Provincial^ GoVerni-pent, against sheep farmers iv thcßoutll'for crossing sheep over tbe Waitangi without giving notice. Inquest. — An inquest was held at the Lunatic Asylum yesterday before Dr Coward on the body of Elizabeth Durey, who, we understand, had been an inmate of Sunnyside since 1861. After hearing the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of " Died from Natural Causes." Tea Meeting. — The Primitive Methodists held their quarterly tea meeting in the Little Hall, Manchester street, last night. Notwithstanding the unpleasantness of the weather there was a good attendance. A puhlic meeting was afterwards held, several members delivering addresses. The Tow.-* Hall. —We understand that Messrs Richardson and Lean, after a close investigation, have sent in their report on the condition of the Town Hall to the Managing Committee. The precise nature of the report is not, of course, known, but there is a general impression that it is decidedly unfavourable. The Inward Suez Mail. — The July mail will most probably be brought on from Melbourne by the Tararua, due at Hokitika on Thursday next. It would be as well if the Post office authorities made arrangements for delaying the overland coach leaving Hokitika for ("hristchurcii on Friday morning, provided such delay is necessary. The Recent Earthquake. — Our Okain Bay correspondent writes as follows on Sept. 1 ': —"A very smart shock of earthquake was felt here on Wednesday last, About 6.30 p.m. The direction was apparently nearly due south to north. The oscillation lasted about 30 seconds, during which time the bell of the Okain Bay church was set ringing. I have not heard that any particular damage was caused by it within the neighbourhood." A Little Akaloa correspondent notes " A very heavy shock " about a quarter-past six o'clock, and gives the direction " from south to north, assigning good reasons for this. No ' particular damage was done, but crockery was smashed in some of the houses. Our correspondent adds that he has " felt a great many earthquakes," and he particularly mentions the severe shock at Wellington in 1818. That on Wednesday last was not, he thinks, less severe. A correspondent residing at Geraldine sends the following particulars to a Timaru contemporary: — About a quar-ter-past six this evening this place was visited by a shock of earthquake, which, though rather severe, has happily, as far as I know, passed off harmless. I had just finished tea and was reading, when I heard a rumbling noise, which I thought was a passing dray heavily laden, and immediately afterwards I felt a vibration at my feet, and on looking up at the roof of the school-house, I noticed it swerving to and fro, and the door flew open. The rumbling seemed to come from the north--* est and went gradually away to the south-east. The seat I was on moved, and the candlesticks on the table were quite unsteady. At the Rakapuka saw-mills the shock was very much felt, and it was feared at. first the boiler of the engine had burst. The houses ou the road to the mill were seen to move, and at the Geraldine hotel all the bottles were moving as if they would come off the shelves. Another correspoudent, living on the terrace at Pareora, says the shock was so violent that he expected the building in which he was would topple over in the river-bed. Sericulture. — The attention of the public having been drawn to the subject of sericulture, as a promising industry for New Zealand, the following extract from a Sydney paper deserves notice : — lt seems that there m as yet no market for Australian silk in London. Mr Charles J. Chubb, of Ipswich, Queensland, sent recently to his brother a box of cocoons weighing over 30lbs. They filled a large ziuc-lined drapery case, and were of both kinds, white and yellow. Of course he expected his brother would he able to place them, and has been looking out for a return and account sales ; but his brother apprised him that if he had sent him a gorilla instead of the cocoons he should have known equally well what to do with it. He, therefore, turned over the matter to a young man in his office, who thereupon went to Messrs Durant and Co., large silk brokers, Copthall Court, Throgmorton street, E.C. He saw Mr Durant, and he said that they never had received any Australian silk before, and he did not know the value of it, nor had they dealt with any but what was reeled. Mrs Chubb wrote to her friend, Lady Nicholson, to know if Sir Charles could advise what to do with them, and he referred them to Mr Le Neve Foster, John street, Adelphi, Secretary of the Society of Arts. Mr Foster wanted to know all particulars concerning them, which, save that they came from Queensland, could not be supplied. Mr I hubb is very much disappointed to find that raw silk will not find as ready a market as raw cotton in England. If there was a ready market for silk in the cocoon in England, we think it not improbable that a large quantity of the raw material might he produced in Australia; but the reeling of silk here seems as much out of the question as the manufacturing it into the finest fabrics that the looms of England or France can produce. Heathcote Road Board.— The Board met at the Board office yesterday when there were present — Messrs Kenuaway, Fisher and Garland. The chairman (Mr Kennaway) occupied the chair, and the minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed. The following letters were read and considered: — From Mr P. Kerr, relative to the condit'on of the Lower Avon Road, when he was referred to the auswer of the Board on a former occasion sent to Messrs Packe Brothers on the same subject, stating that the matter should receive due consideration when the weather would admit of the necessary repairs being done efficiently. The lion J. Hall wrote, in re] ly to acorn-

munication which had been made to him relative to what Mr Fox or Mr Potts was reported in Hansard to have stated' 'f .'that the Heathcote Road Board drew - . largely from the revenue of the province, but subscribed nothing from rates for.tbe construction of roads within the " district." A statement had been sent to Mr Hall by the Chairman showing the amount which had been raised by rates, &c, besides what had been voted by the Couucil, and Mr Hall in his letter said that the report in Hansard must be an error, as he and the Ilouse had not understood the ahove to have been said; he stated that he could and would from his own knowledge have contradicted the above misstatement if such had been really made. A letter from Mr Tring was read, complaining of the condition of Klmer's Road. The Surveyor was instructed to see him and effect some repairs, as also on Hayter's Road, near the Gas Works, as complained of by the Gas Company. In reply to a memorial from Messrs F. E. Wright and others, complaining of the condition of the road from the Slaughterhouse Road to Mr Hichens', the Board decided it could not make the necessary repairs until the road was dedicated to the Board. After passing accounts for work done, the Board adjourned.