Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 1166, 13 November 1871, Page 2

Local and General.

LXTTELTOX VOLFKTKEB ARTILLERY. — TllC listi-ibution of the prizes subscribed for by he tradesmen of Lyttelfcon, and won by the nembers of the battery on the Prince of Vales' Birthday, will take place this evening n the drillshed, at. half-past eight o'clock. /Aquatics. — Several new boats are coming ut from England- b} r the ship Harvest Home, 'he Canterbury Club will receive two, one by alter and the other by Claspev./ Both are xpected to be first-raters. . Th>? Union Club r ill also receive a fine boat by the same vessel. The Late ILexropolitax Race Meets'G. — One or two slight errors occurred in ie report of Fridays-r aces. .'Malabar carried ■it 81bs, and not Ss't 71bs. In the Derby, two ears ago, Malabar beat Arimdel and Wateritch, not Arundel and Foretop. The time f the Selling Race was 2miii Iscc, and not lsec, as stated. Canterbury Railways. — "When the Railrays Bill has passed the Assembly it will nost probably be found that Canterbury is ichcdulad for the following main and branch hies': — Rangiora to Kowai, Rakaia to Ashburton, Ashbuvton to Temuka. Rangiora to Oxford, Kniapoi to Eyreton, Rolleston to Southbrirlge, and Waimate to the main line. /New Zkalaxd Flax. — The position now held by this fibre in the homo market may, to a certain extent, be inferred from the fact that the leading Dundee newspaper considers it necessary to obtain daily quotations of prices, by telegram, from London/ An article which appeared in the Lyltelton Times- some months ago, on the desirability of the 'Canterbury Flax Association employing an agent in Great Britain, is quoted by the journal referred to above in its issue of Sept. 11. Provincial Government ■ Officers. — The following regulation is published in a provincial Gazette issued on Saturday last, by order of his Honor the Superintendent : — No officer shall make any communication, directly or indirectly, to the Press upon any matter affecting the Department in which he serves, or the business or the officers 'thereof, or relating to the public service, or his own official position, or acts, or upon any political subject or question connected .with" the province, without the express permission or authority of the Provincial Secretary. Botanical. — We have been favoured by Dr Schomburgk, director of the Government Botanical Gardens, Adelaide, witli a catalogue of the plants under cultivation there. It contains about GOOO species, exclusive of hybrids. In addition to the descriptive character of each plant, whether annual, biennial, perennial, tree or shrub, the natural order and its native co"ntry — and, whenever practicable, the popular Fnglish name — is given. The acquisition and acclimatisation of such a number of plants is' mainly due to the indefatigable Director, and rellects the highest credit upon him. There can be little doubt that, judging from the catalogue," Adelaide possesses the most complete collection of plants in Australasia. Lunatic Asylums. — According to some statements recently made by the Hon. Dr Buchanan,, in the Legislative Council, the number of lunatics in the several asylums in the colony is approximately as follows :—-Dunedin, 130; Christchurch, 120; Wellington, 29 ; Nelson, 40 ; Hokitika, 35 ; total, 351.. Dr Buchanan does not give any figures for Auckland ; but according to a statement recently made by : 'a- paper published "in that city, the number of patients in confinement there is 110, giving a grand total for the colony of •1-6-i. In the provinces of Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, and Marlborough, according to Dr Buchanan, no provision is made for the case of lunatics. Agricultural. — FromOta'go exchanges we earn that throughout all parts of the province fanners feel severely the pi'escnt low prices obtained for produce, and of which there appears no signs of improvement. We believe the other day a party purchased in the Clutha district a few hundreds of pounds of good fresh butter at 4d per pound. In a neighbouring district a few days ago, a good lady went to the towrisliip to dispose of her butter, but was unable to do so at any; price. Rather than carry it home, she gave it away gratis. Rain is much wanted in tho Clutha and Tokomairiro district*. The late crops especially are

suffering from the long continued drought. The frost, which was experienced in the end of last week, has done some injury to the potato erpp. /Cathedral Square. — We understand that an amicable settlement has been arrived at between the City Council and the Cathedra 1 . Commission. The Cathedral fence will bierected in a line with the inside mark recently made through the Square. An asphalted footpath twelve feet in width will be formed, and the present curve will bo j altered. We are further informed that the work will be commenced to-morrow morning. I Bazaar. — The bazaar in aid of the fund* 1 for erecting a parsonage at Opawawas brought to a close on Saturday evening, and the general result must have equalled, if not exceeded the expectations of the most sanguine promoters. Notwithstanding the very inclement nature of the weather on the second day, find the threatening appearance of the sky during the extension evening, the receipts amounted in the gross to £500 Is 9d. But even the extensive business which the realisation of this sum must necessarily have caused to be done, did not exhaust the multitudinous collection of articles which had been contributed to the bazaar, and the fail* workers in the good cause are thus entitled to more commendation than even 'the monetary receipts would make it appear. Under any circumstances, however, those interested are to be highly congratulated on the success achieved. Death by Fike. — On Wednesday last a most melancholy disaster of this nature occurred in the neighbourhood of the Dockey Creek, Cust, to an infant of a few months old, child of August jSTcugcschniender, farm labourer. It appears that the mothec haTing occasion to leave the house, placed the infant on a chaff tick in the centre of the room, leaving its elder sister, aged 2 years 6 months, with it. After being absent a few minutes, she heard sounds of a child screaming, and immediately ran to the house and then found the infant in the fire. She then as quickly as possible sent to Rangiora for medical assistance, and Mr J. B. Downes arriving shortly ascertained that the child was rery badly burnt about the head and right side. " He ajdurinistered all the aid he could, but without effect, for the poor child died in great agonies about 12 hours after the accident happened. -