LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2339, 16 September 1875, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

MtTTU AL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION.— Ah entertainment, consisting of readings, recitations, and music, will bo givon to-morrow evening, in tho Durham stroofc Sohoolroom. Sib CBAoaoyr Wilson.— The eleotors of fche Heathooto District will regret to loam that fchoir representative, Sir Oraoroffc Wilson, is so seriously indisposed as fco be oonfinod fco his bod. Lady Wilson prooeoded to Wollington a fow days ago. Death op an Old Colonist.— Anothor old Colonist— Mr Goorgo Soofcfc, son.— has passed away from our midst. Ho arrivod in Wellington in tho year 1839, and was ono of fcho pioneers of fchafc Colony. Ho loffc Wollington in 1840, and settled down in Lyttolton, woro ho mado many truo frionds. His funoral yesterday in Lyttolton was attended by a largo numbor of porsons. Sudden Death ov Mb William Murray, out Lyttelton.— Tho nows of fche death of tbis gontleman caused a fooling of sadness to provnil iii Lyttolton thin morning, whioh will doubfclosß bo shared by fcho ofchov residents in fcho Provinoo who woro acquainted with him, On tho flrßfc announoomont, ifc was nofc oroditod, as fcho deooaaed, who was a Councillor, had takon his seat and spokon during Monday ovoning on works in tho town. Ifc was, howovor, too truo, and fcho shipping woro soon porooived fco lowor. thoir flags half-mast, confirming tho faot. It appears fchafc on Wednesday Mr Murray bocamo unwoll, and remained afc homo, and fchis morning Mrs Murray, finding he bocamo worso, sonfc for modical assistanoo. Dr Maodonald was soon in attondanco, bufc too lato to to bo of assistanoo j tho sufferer oxpirod shortly attar his- arrival. This aad affair has oast quito a gloom ovor tho town, whoro tho deceased has boon for so many yoars woll known, both by captains of vessels and by his follow townsmen, As a friond to the pooror olasses, he will long be remembered by many a family who havo often beon the rooipient of his bountiful and unostontafcious charity > and many in Port will miss him, for he was a good friond to all in distross. By his genial manner and business habits, ho endearod himsolf to all with whom ho oamo in conlaot.and his absence from fcheir midsfc will long be felfc. Tho oause of Mr Murray's death is statod to be oon* gestion of the lungs, but until a medioal cortifloate has been given, this cams is problematical.

Catholic Schools .—The conoert in aid of the fundß of tho Catholic Sohools will bo held this evening.

Provincial ExECUTiVE.—The Timaru Herald of Wednesday says :— Mr W. M. Maskoll, Provinoial Secretary, and 'Mr J. T. Peacook, Seorefcary for Publio Works, urrivod here on Monday evening lasfc from Ohristohuroh. Yesterday afternoon tho Executive had on interview with tho Timaru Borough Counoil, afc the Council Chamber, for the purpose of considering certain mutters in oonneotion with fcho Publio Works under the supervision of fcho Couucil. Later in tho afternoon tho members of tho Government met the Board of Works in tho Board's oflice, but the business did not fcrauspire. Upon the retirement of tbo Board of Works the Sohool Committoo wore introduced to tho Exooutive. A number of urgont matters of business wore gone into, and the Ministers hold out great hopes of a satisfactory understanding being arrived at upon all ot fchem. We understand that tho members of tho Oovernmeut intend to return to Ohristohuroh to-morrow.

EuNKMAL.—Tho funeral of tho late Mr Alfred Isaao Raphael took plaoe yesterday afternoon, the oortSge being one of the largest that has evor been soen in this Oity. The remains wero followed to tho gravo by representatives of all classes in tho community, and (he Mayor and membors of the Oity Oounoil also attended in their official oapaoity. Tbe largo attendanoe, in the faoe of suoh inclement weather, testified tbe respeot in whioh the deooaaed gentleman was held by his feUow*oitizens, and at tho same time affordod a truo indication of tho sympathy that is felt for Mrs Raphael and ber family. The decoasod in his lifetime was ever ready to assist people in distress . but his oate of oharity wero performed in so unostentatious a manner, that his goodness of heart was known only to a few, The funeral services were performed by the Roy I. Znohariah in an impressive manner.

Ins Mtjsbttm. — The additions to the Museum are not to be erected at the west end, as originally intended, but in front of tbe Maori House, wifch the prinoipal elevation looking on to Antigua street, at tbe ond of Woroester street. The final plans have not yet boon comploted, but a general idea may bo givon of the intondod additions. Tbe additions comprise fcwo stono buildings of difforonfc dimonsions oonnected together. The largest ono, whioh fronts on Antigua street, will be 95ffc by 50ffc, wifch walls 30ffc high, above whioh fcho roof rises to a further distance of 26ft. In fche oontre of the roof there is an ornamental turret, and at the south end of the building there is a tower 76ft in height The ground-floor is all in one, and above there is a gallery 12ft wide at tbe sides and 17ft wide at the ends. The second building is to extend afc a right angle from the south end of the one already described, to the old building, and will thus front on the Domain looking towards the head gardener's cottage. The building is to be 80ffc by 35, with 26ft walls, above whioh tho roof will rise to a further height of 19ft. The ground- floor will be utilised for attendants, Direotors, and Trustee's rooms, and a store-room, the upper floor boing used for speoimens. The style of architecture adopted for the additions is Gothio, and it has been worked out so as to produce a decidedly good effect. Mr Mountfort is the arohiteofc. Now fchat the muoh vexed question of fcho ground to be oooupied by the additions has boon deoided upon, the contractors will losono time in proceeding with the work.

Public Library. — The plans prepared by Mr Armson for tho new Publio Library, and adopted by fche Board of Governors, will effeofc a great improvement in the asoommodation for tho general publio. The money at disposal has ronderod anything like elaborate ornamentation impossible, but a neat building, wifch a large and oomfortably fitted reading room, hooted by means of hot water, will be sooured. If timber had been seleotod for tbo building a larger plan might have been oarriod out, but the Board wisely deoided in favour of more durable materials, thus briokand stone are to bo used. The new building is to be orooted thirty-four feet North of the present ono, the two being conneoted by a covered corridor builfc of wood and 7ffc 6in wide. In the oentre of the corridor and fronting on Cambridge terrace, there will be on ornamental porch to servo as the entrance to both the new and old buildings. The visitor, on entering the poroh, by turning to the left, will gain admission to the old building through the prosont doorway, or by turning to the right will gain admission to the now building. The latter, ifc may bo said, is to be 60ft x 40ft in tho oloar, wifch a space of 20ffc from floor fco coiling. The front elevation looks on to Cambridge terrace, and has a triple light window in the confcro, wifch a single one on eaoh side. The windows havo stone sills, arohes, and mullions, fche lottor having oarved capitals and basos of the same material. These with a stono oornioo, on wbioh the words " Publio Library " are to be oarved, will form a ploasant contrast with the briokwork of the walls. Tho wholo interior of the new building is to bo usod as a reading-room, whioh Will thus bo sixty foot long, by forty feet wide. There will bo a neat dado all round fche interior, abovo whioh fche walls and ceiling aro to bo plasfcored, tho latter also being divided in panels. As already stated, the room is to bo efficiently heated, and provision is also made for a lavatory.

Timaru Harbour Worm.— The Timaru Herald reports that at the meeting of the Timaru Borough Counoil on Monday last, a lottor was road from his Honor the Superintendent acknowledging the receipt of his Worship tho Mayor's letter of August 31, convoying a copy of a resolution passed on August SO by the Timaru Borough Counoil, affirming tho desirableness of forming a harbour commission for the portof Timaru, under whom tho harbour works proposed by Sir John Ooodo should bo oarriod out, and thafc fcho £100,000 votod by fche Provinoial Oounoil for that purpose, should be vested in suoh commission, and requesting him to introduce a Bill creating an elootive commission, and getting it passed into law this Session. In roply, he had to state that he would confer with Mr Stafford as to the best means to adopt to prevent the possible alienation of tho funds now appropriated to the Distriot, in the ovenfc of the proposed Constitutional changes having effect given to them during tho presont year, At the same time ho might stato his own opinion that tho mannor in whioh the Harbour Board should bo oonduoted, and tho constitution of the body which should havo the supervision of them, would roquiro greater consideration than could bo givon to tho subjeot during this session, and would depend largoly upon the general principles wbich the Legislature might determine to adopt with regard to the manogomeut of harbours, and their connection with the railway system. While, therefore, he shonld be glad to do all in his power to

secure the appropriation of the sum of £100,000 to the District, he could nofc undertake, during the present Session, to introduce a Bill of the character the Council proposed. A letter was read from the hon E. W. Stafford, stating that in accordance with the request contained in tbe Council's letter of August 31, he had conferred witb his Honor tbo Superintendent of Canterbury on the subjeot of introducing a Bill during the present soseion for the purposo of creating a commission under whom harbour works at Timaru should be executed, and in whom should be vested the sum of £100.000, voted for the purposo by tbo Provincial Oounoil of Canterbury. His Honor snd hn concurred in believiug tbat it waa not probable that a Bill of fcho oharaotor indicated could be success, fully oarriod through tho Legislature during the present session, partly in consequence of the business already before the Legislature and partly becauso an opinion hod been already expressed, and was largely entertained by members, that tbe question of constructing and maintaining harbour works throughout New Zealand should be based upon some uniform prinoiple in connection with the Railway system, where railways were constructed to the harbours. It was scarcely neoessary to point out that it would be greatly to tho advantage of Timaru and places similarly situated that suoh a uniform system should be adopted. In the meantime, he would exeroise every possible vigilanoe to ensure that the £100,000 appropriated to the Timaru Harbour works should be secured to tho Distriot.

San Fbanoisoo Mai _. Arrangements.— The Southern Cross considers that the Sydney Morning Herald has raised a very important question of detail with respect to tbe working of the San Francisco mail service, tbe necessity of either appointing some agent, to take oharge of the mails in transitu to Md that they are landed and forwarded per rail without delay, and at the Atlantio end of the line to see that they are again immediately shipped for Europe ; or otherwise, to appoint agents in San Francisco and New York to undertake these duties. Of course, one great object of the servioe is to secure the utmost possible despatoh for the mails, and unless some provision of this kind is made, unless the mails are taken quickly aoross the Continent of America, there is always the possibility of delay, or even loss in port, if not of the whole. Suoh agents would, of course, need to be accredited to tbe Amerioau Government.

KiTB-FtyiNO.— Kite-flying, says tbe Sydney Echo, is a praotioo not confined to the mooneyed ohildren of Cathay or their Japanese neighbours. With them it is a souroe of amusement ; with us it is often one of profit, though it sometimes leads to grief. Tbe barbarians raise their kites by means of wind 5 we raise the wind by kites ; so that in one Country or the other the term is a misnomer. When we saw in the English papers lately arrived what bas recently occurred 10 London through the kite- flying mania, we are somewhat amused at the surprise it appears to bave dooosioned there. Mr Verigreen, on reading some of the ' comments, would naturally imagine that something now had occurred, or that some novel means of tickling the money-lenders had been discovered. Why tbe thing is as old as, say, our great grandfathers, only that our generation has improved upon their clumsy modus operandi, and in doing so, has helped to sap the foundations of commercial morality. Aooommodation bills bear falsehoods on their forefront, yet, by some nice legal casuistry, are not included with ofcher law-breaking instruments. If A goes to B with a storage receipt or bill of lading for goods having no existence, or a oheque on a Bank where he has no aocount, and obtains thereon an advance, he renders himself liable to oonviotion for obtaining money by false pretences. But let A obtain from 0 a promissory note statedly " for value received," he can discount it wtth impunity, though no consideration was ever given for it, and the value received is purely fictitious. Can it be possible that the strong arm of the law is impotent to pufc down suoh malpractices P Circulating accommodation paper ought not merely to be a moral fraud— it ought to be a legal one t and the sooner it is inoluded in the Statute-book, the sooner will the commercial atmosphere be oleared of one of its noxious elements.

A Nbw SrsißJt or Miat Pbbsbbving.— " Anglo-Australian," in the European M*il, says :— Any system of meat-preserving thafc U likely to secure to the inhabitants of this country the perfect freshness of the meat, without going through a steaming or partial cooking process, is sure to command attention; and suoh is the importance of the subject that ifc has claimed the unceasing attention of chemists, both at Home and on the Continent, for some time. It is felt that if some process oould be applied to the preservation of meat by whioh it could be shipped to this ceuntry io bulk from Australia.New Zealand.South America, and Texas, that practically the dfficuHiee conneoted with our food supply would be met, and that the butchers' and meat agents' ring would be thoroughly defeated. Anyone, thoreforo, who comes forward witb a panacea for this grievous evil is sure to receive attention. Tbe latest aspirant then for tbe gratitude of the poor struggling labourer, tbe cottager, and the poor curate, is a M. Edouard Gorges, who has inveutod a solution which he has sold, as I understand, to MM. Ignatr Witkowski and Henry A. Wolff. It is claimed for this solution that meat or fish whioh bas been dipped in it for a few minutes will keep fresh for twenty or thirty days. The process is, of course, in its infancy \ and if the period of preservation cannot be extended, Ido not see how ie is to be made available in supplementing our meat supply by the aid of foreign meat. But the ingenuity that suggested the idea will doubtless be equal to the other conditions necessary to complete suocess ; for it would be a pity if the invention should fail after a series of experiments extending over seventeen years. The other day tbe process was subjeoted to a praotioal test by the preservation of a quantity of fish. The fish having been dipped in the solution, eight days were allowed to expire before they were brought to table, and thon, I am told, " that the veriest epicure oould not hare discovered they were not cooked fresh from the market." The merit claimed for the invention is, that it is equally applicable to the preservation of beef and mutton. The gentlemen who have bought the invention are taking measures to bring it prominently to the notice of the public. Whether the objeot is obtained by chemical agency or no, I am unable to say, as neither by taste, when cooked, nor by its appoaranoo previous to cooking, was there auy sign by wbich to distinguish it from fish just landed; so that if tho inventor should succeed in placing a leg of mutton from Melbourne upon a block in our dead meat market witb similar results, be will then achieve a triumph thftt will entitle him to the gratitude of the working poor of London.

Rights or rus Colosibs.— The Lmdoa correspondent of the Argus writes:— During the late discussion in the House of Commons on the Merchant Shipping Amendment Bill, Mr Childcrs to jk up the cudgels on behalf of tho Colonies, apropos of a clause whioh authorised the arrest of seamen without warrants, and ho proposed tbe insertion of tbe words — " except in a British possession, in wbicb tbe law may otherwise provide." Tbe learned Solicitor-General, who may be presumed to have co great opinion of the Colonies, contended that an Aot of the Imperial Legislature would over-ride any Colonial law, an opinion which Sergeant Pi-nan and, I should imagine, a good many others, beard with amazement. He stated that the moment Constitutional ]*w was granted to a Colony, that Colony had ths right to make its own laws, wbioh no law of the Imperial Legislature could over-ride, a remark whioh was received with many " hears." Sir W. Harcourt having addressed the House in the same sense. Sir O. Adderiey, the President of tbe Board of Trade, who had charge of the Bill, accepted Mr Ohilders' amendment.

Lb«. ai, Respossibiiity or Mbdicaz. Mbk. —Tbe following shows that medical men are responsible for incompetence or neglect- towards their patients : —The London Weekly Timet says .— " In the Court of Queen's Bench, before the Lord Chief Justice and a special jury, the foUowing case was heard : Simpson and Wife v. Davey. This was an action to recover compensation in damages for alleged negligence on the part of the defendant, who was a medical man, in attending the plaintiff's wife in her confinement. Tbe ease commenced on Thursday week, and if tried out was expected to lost two days more. The case, from its great novelty, has attracted considerable interest in the medical profession. The defendant and several medical gentlemen were examined on Monday, and on Tuesday morning tbe Lord Chief Justice, from the peculiar nature of the case, said that under the circumstances some compensation was due to tbe wife, and he suggested that it would be better to leave the matter to the parties to agree rather than the jury should be called on to asms the damages. After spending some time in consultation, tbe learned counsel, with the assistance of his lordship in his private room, came to terms. A juror was withdrawn, the defendant consenting to pay £500 to the plaintiff in full satisfaction of ail olaims."

Thb Nbw Volunibbb Abx.— Tbe Boider rifle, now being issued to Volunteers in New Zealand, is thus described by Captain Btaek : — "The. new weapon is a decided improve* ment on the old, I think, for general service in New Zealand, being somewhat shorter and lighter ; but Ido not anticipate tbat it will be found superior, if even equal, to the old weapon on the practice range. The result of the firing in tbts year's musketry course will, however, afford a very good test of the comparative merits as regards accuracy of these arms. The new rifles have one very notice* able defect as a military weapon, which is, tbat as they are stocked up to within one and a half inches of the muszle, it is impossible to " pile arms " with tbem. Tbe saw-backed sword bayonet, with whioh the new rifle is fitted, is much more suited to the requirements of the foroe than the old bayonet served out with the medium rifle, and possesses, to my mind, a particular advantage in that, should men carrying side arms have occasion to act in an unarmed orowd as constables, the sword cannot be drawn by a person in tbe rear of a man with the ease with whioh the bayonet can, rendering the latter, as it does, if not drawn by the wearer, more dangerous to bim tban to his assailants in such a oate. I cannot, however, perceive that this sword bayonet answers the intention with which evidently it has been formed— namely, that it should be useful 'as a saw and chopper, as well asa thrusting weapon.' "

Tasmania and Nbw Zi aland —A Comparison.—Tbe Hobart Town Mercury, referring to the comparative progress made by Tasmania and New Zealand, says : — At the first New Zealand census (Dee., 1858), the population was 59,418. At that time the Statist of Tasmania estimated tbe population of this Colony ab 81,492. The relative increases are as follows, the figure* in each ease being those of actual censuses. In New Zealand the people numbered in Dec., 1858, 59,413; in Deo., 1861; 99,031; in Dee., 1864, 172,158; in Deo., 1867, 218,668; in Feb., 1871, 256,393; and in Maroh, 1874, 289,614. Starting with the census of Tasmania on March 31, 1857, the population was 81,492; on April 7. 1861, 89,977; and on Feb. 7, 1870, 99328. The calculations of the Statist enable him to say that on Dec. 31, 1873, the population of Tasmania was 104,217. Thus, dnring a period of sixteen years, the population of New Zealand increased from 59,000 to 300,000, while thst of Tasmania only advanced from 81,000 to 104,000 ; a very great contrast in favour of the former, and we must be content, with tbe consolation tbat while we Tasmaniaos are restive enough under a publio debt of a million and a half, including the cost of the Launceston and Western Bailway, the population of New Zealand, three times that of Tasmania, bas to provide for a far more expensive system of Government than ours, and a publio debt of twenty millions. The energy of New Zealand is in every one's mouth.

A Caution io Aucxxohbibb.— A gentle hint to auctioneers not to be too "flowery "in their description of the goods tbey sell, has been given byadeoision of the Sheriff-sub-stitute of Glasgow, in an aotion of considerable importance to all who attend or conduct publio sales. A firm of auctioneers in Glasgow sued a broker in that City for the price of a steam engine. It appears that the pursuers, in July last year, advertued a •team-engine and pan-mill to be sold by publio auotion. At the sale the defender became tbe purchaser, and on applying for delivery was offered a quantity of old metal, in detached pieces, which he refused to take. The decision was in favour of the defender, on the ground tbat what was offered for delivery to him could in no sense be denominated on engine. In a note the Sheriffsubstitute finds that, although the purtueis had attempted to prove that it was distinctly stated at auotion that they did not guarantee the article as complete, and that it formed one of the rules of tbe sale that buyers must look out for themselves, a printed advertisement oould not so entirely be got over as in this way to change its whole meaning and substance. For example, if a man advertised a sale of a milch cow, it would be difficult for him to alter this so much by mere verbal announcement that a person who bid for, and bad knocked down to bim, the alleged animal, should have to take instead a S uantity of bones and decayed meat. With ie decree the Sheriff also gats the defender costs.