Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4447, 26 July 1882, Page 3

Local & General.

A poll of the ratepayers was taken yesterday onthe question of raising a loan for water supply purposes, and resulted in the rejection of the proposal by 1386 votes to 900. A correspondent writes to say that the shook of earthquake reported as having heen experienced at Wanganui and Patea, was aIBO felt at Knightstown. Our informant states that he perceived six distinct vibrations. Last night the Exhibition Committeeof the Industrial Association held their closing meeting, and the Oommittee of the Association held an ordinary meeting. A report of the proceedings will be found elsewhere. The Bangiora Borough Oouncil has received intimation that a poßtal delivery will be established in that Borougb. This will be welcome news after the many attempts that have been made in that direotion without avail. A boy named Arthur Oox, 10 years of age, left his home in Tuam street east early on Monday morning, and had not returned at a late hour last night. He is a dark complexioned, and dressed in a dark brown knickerbooker suit. A meeting of shareholders of the Plumpton Coursing Oompany is to be held this evening at 8 o'clock, at The Shades, when the Directors, who have inspected several sections of land, will recommend one for the acceptance of the shareholders. On Saturday last, July 22, an accident i happened to a man named. Dunlop, an employee of Messrs Coutts and Co., Waimakariri Gorge. While Dunlop was at work in one of the railway cuttings, a large boulder rolled down the embankment and struck him on the head, inflicting serious injuries. He ' was attended by Dr Meadows, and, by latest accounts, is likely to recover. About 3 p.m. yesterday, a horse harnessed to a cab, belonging to a man named George Hampton, bolted off the Market Place cab stand, and dashed up Victoria street. At the corner of Kilmore street it came into collision with a four-wheeler, driven by a cabman named Brooker. The runaway horse and the vehicle it was drawing were cspiiized. The only injury done was tbe breaking of one of lamps and a window 1 in the overturned oab. A parish meeting of the members of St Stephen's Church, Ashburton, was held on Monday evening, when Messrs W. H. Felton and T. H. Ziuoh were elected vestrymen. Arrangements were made for the formation of Committees and other agencies to raiae £225 hefore Easter next, and thus remove the halance of the original debt that remained upon the church, lt was also deoided to hold quarterly instead of annual parish meetings. Great dissatisfaotion appears to exist, in the minds of some people, relative to the flower show held at the Exhibition some time since. Messrs Joubert and Twopeny, it will be remembered, offered certain prizes ; and at their solicitation the exhibits were permitted to remain on view for three days. One exhibitor, who gained some prizes, writes to the Times to say that about a month ago he wanted these awards, and was told: "Oh, wait till the Exhibition closes." He has not yet got his prizes. The demolition of the International Exhibition building has already oommenced. The purchasers of several of the hays have begun to remove the iron from their allotments, and consequently a considerable portion of the roof and walls of the Sew Zealand Court haß been taken away. Purchasers are supposed te have all the materials removed from the ground by August 15, hut from the activity now being displayed, it seems as though every trace of the building will be gone before that time. On Monday afternoon the members of the Building Committee and a few friends met for the purpose of laying the foundation stone of the new Baptist schoolroom, Bowen street, Sydenham. Mr F. W. Staples proceeded, to lay the stone, underneath whioh was placed copies of the local papers, "The Baptist," and the names of the Building Committee, and also a brief history of the baptists in Sydenham. Mr M'Lallan shortly addressed those present, and the proceedings were dosed with singing and prayer. The Tally-Ho Cup, which was won by Mr 0. W. Milos* Terry, at tho last steeplechase meeting, held under the auspices of the Christchurch Hunt Club, is now on view at the eatabliahment of Messrs Ooates and Co. It is a silver goblet, of elegant form, ornamented with an embossed pattern of tasteful design, and bearing the names of the winner, the owner and tho rider, Mr P. H. Duncan. It rests on an ebonised base, with silver mountings, and having on one side a plate of frosted silver, on which is engraved a spirited representation of a Bteeplechase. From the Parliamentary news published yeaterday, our readers will havo observed that the Houbo had the longest sitting of the session on Monday -last. The debate on Mr Smith's amendment laßted till daylight, and the House did not separate till they had eat jußt about 12 hours. All that was done during this length of time was to pass an item or two of the Estimates. Government carried their point with regard to the amendment, but yesterday stated they were satisfied that the platelayers had reason to complain, and increased pay would accordingly be granted them. Some documents produced at a meeting of the Timaru Borough Council show that pound-keeping is not an altogether profitable business. One impounded horse, having a broken ietlock, could not be sold, and bad to be shot after running up expenses to the tune of £21s. Two others died of "old age" in the pound; the costs of the two amounting to £4 4s. " One billy-goat " ran up a bill of £1 139, and waa aold for I*. Another horao was sold for 133, his bill being £2 16s, and a lobs was sustained on another one. Three animals were sold at a price that left some surplus, but the whole of the transactions Bhowed a losb of £7 6s 9d, the expense aecouct being £14 6s 9d, and the receipts £7. As slated in our eocond edition of yesterday, the Bale of the Exhibition Building was resumed yesterday afternoon in the entranco hall. About 100 persons were present, and, as on the previous day, Mr B. Walton wielded the hammer. The wholo of the central portion of tho building, entrance hall, art gallery, concert ball, and fernery, with the exception of the plate glass in the roof, was put up in one lot. Tho firat bid was £150, immediately followed by another of £250. The price was run up slowly to £500, at which figure it was purohased by Mr David Thomas. Four red baize doors went for 27s 6d to the same buyer. A quantity of curtainß and furnituro waß disposed of in several lots for £18 ls, making the total proceeds of the day's sale £518 Ib. This sum, added to £2110 18s 3d, results of tho previous day's sale, brings the total amount reoeived for the building, fittings, kc, up to £2628 19s 3d. A meeting of the Stewards and Committee forthe North Canterbury Steeplechase meeting held at the Crown Hotel, Amberley, on Monday ; present — Messrs Courage (in the chair), Knsor, Coleman, O'Connell, Partridge, Smith, Foster, Hood, Campbell, Long, and the Secretary. It was proposed that the privileges for tbe meeting be let by tender ; but an amendment that tbe privileges be sold by publio auction, as propoaed at the laßt meeting, wob carried. Correspondence was read from Mr Thomson, re certain qualifications for the different events ; and from Mr Benn, 1 expressing his regret that he could not let the Oommittee make use of his paddock, as it was his intention to at once put it into crop, but offering the Committee any other part of hiß property for tho uee of tho meet. ' It was resolved— " That Mr Foster's namo be added to the Ground Committee ; that the term ' gentleman rider * shall mean only thoEO ! who havo not ridden for hire, or won a stake of ever £100; that a North Canterbury Steeplechase Ball be held in the Town Hall on the evening of August 24 ; " and the following gentlemon were elected to carry out tho neceaaary arrangements : — Meesn F. Courage, G. B. Starkey, T. Douglas, W. H. Browne, G. D. Greenwood, and J. Partridge. The meeting then adjourned until August 5, when the nominations and entrances for the different raoes will be received.

The Telegraph authorities have received information that the Turkish route is interrupted beyond Bussora. At the Lyttelton Police Court this morning, O. H. mimes waa sentenced to a month's impriionment for embezzling the money of his employers, Mesars Langdon and Judge. The first ohapter of " A Hereditary Witness" appears on the fourth page of this issue. On the sair.e page will be found Parliamentary intelligence, and " lhe Future of- Electrio Lighting." The numbor of burgeeses on the roll of the oity of Christchuroh is 2110, representing 4426 votes. Out of theao 1007 ratepayers, representing 2297 votes, recorded their votes in the polling re Water Supply loan yesterday. The attention of the Stanmore electors is specially called to a letter from Mr Pilliet to Mr Hubbard, published in our advertisement columns. Therein Mr Pilliet sets forth at eome length his reasons for recording his first vote in favour of the Government. The Consolation Stake whioh is to be run at tbe Sheffield Coursing Club's meeting on August 22, will be open to all dogs that have -not won publio money and whoso owners are members of the Club, and not as stated on Saturday last. Entries close on August 17. Aotive measures are being takan, by a few gentlemen interested in the prosperity of Sumner, and in the progress of the Heathcote river trade, to secure an independent Harbour Board for Sumner. Mr Wynn- Williamß has been communicated with, and in reply has promised to movo in the matter. A few gentlemen in Eaiapoi interested in the progress of horticulture met on Monday evening to consider the best means to adopt to establish such a society, ahd it was decided to call a public meeting at an early date to ascertain what support would be given to the project. That sush a society would meet with fair reception was demonstrated by the accord with which one and all agreed with the proposal. With referenoe to the Drill-shed gas bill, wbich has become an item of publio interest, Mr J. G. Hawkes writes to the morning papers as follows : — I shall bo obliged by your inserting this, with the following ' memorandum from the manager of the Gas Company in response to the tender of a cheque on the 15th instant, for the amount of "ye old Engliah fayre account," as arrarged a few days before with that gentleman : — " Mr Hawkes,— l must deoline caking any sum on account of the Drill Shed debt, £— . Unless the whole sum be paid me before 1 p.m. to-day I will take proceedings. —0. W. Bishop, Secretary." The Press considers that Mr Smith's motion in the Honse, to seoure an increase of wagos for plate-layers, was " a serious interference with the administrative control of the Exeoutive Government, and subversive of all discipline." Further, that "in these ciroumstances it was the duty of the Government to resist the motion, and to stake their existence [once more] on the result." Our contemporary quite forgets to mention the discovery suddenly made by the Government, that the proposed increase of wages ought to be, and must be granted. The debate and its issue form another fine example of the plastic nature of the Government, and another absolute proof of their determination to stick to office at any sacrifice. A meeting of the Papanui Coursing Olub was held at the Sawyer's Arms Hotel last evening. There was a fair attendane of members. Mr J. Piper, tbe Treasurer of the late dog show held at the Exhibition, reported that there would be about £30 in hand . from the dog show after paying all expenses. It was deoided to call a meeting of the Dog Show Committee for Friday evening, at the Sawyer's Arms Hotel, for the purpose of settling up all matters connected with the show. It was also deoided that all prizes not claimed by 5 p.m. on Friday should be forfeited. It was resolved to add a very handsome and valuable silver cup to the usual sweepstakes of the Papanui Cup. Owners of dogs are reminded that entries for the Sapling Stakes and Papanui Oup close on Monday night at Wild's Hotel, Papanui. Among the difficulties whioh the Volunteers of Christchuroh have to contend with, not tho least ib the want of a range for rifle praotice. By the generosity of the late Sir John Cracroft Wilson, they were permitted to uie a portion of the Cashmere estate, situated in a valley in the Pert Hills, half-a-miie to the left on the end of Colombo road. Shortly after Sir John's death, the volunteers received notice to remove their targets. This wbb done, and the targets have since been lying in the Drill-shed Grounds, unused for nearly two seasons. Aa may he supposed, the volunteers bave not rested idle under this deprivation. A Oommittee was appointed to endeavour to obtain permission to use the Cashmere range, but its efforts were unsuccessful. It hos been suggested that a deputation should wait on agentleman owning a considerable quantity of land between Oolombo road and Hillsborough, in order to request him to allow a range to be formed on his property. It is to be hoped that this application will be successful, and that our volunteers will be relieved from a hardship whioh has tended, for over a year, to hinder their progress and paralyse their energies. A large and appreciative audience patronised the Theatro Koyal la- 1 night on the occasion of Miss Amy Horton's farewell benefit, the curtain rising on the first production in New Zealand of a sparkling comedy entitled "The Little Treasure," in whioh the benSfigiaire appeared as Gertrude. It would be hard to find anyone who could look the part better than Miss Horton, and her acting in the latter of the two acts of which the pieoe consists, left little to bo desired, but in the firet aot sho was decidedly stiff, and gave one rather more the impression of a eohoolgirl repeating a leeßOd than a lively comedienne. Still her subsequent acting in a great measure atoned for thie, and tho introduction of a couple of eonge, which, howover, were entirely foreign to tho pieca, and savoured rather of tho music hall, evidently ploased an audience not inolined to be over-critical. If Mr Jewett would always play with the eamo naturalness and ease that he showed laßt night in tho character of tho shy young man, Captain Walter Maydenblußh, who eventually bocomes " Tho Little Treasure's " husband, he would soon occupy a very prominent position in his profession. Though the part of Bir Charles Howard was foreign to Mr West's usual line of business, ho acquitted himself admirably. So, too, did tho othor members of the numerically small cast, who all helped to make the pretty little comedy a success. At itß conclusion, Miss Horton and Mr Weßt oame before the curtain, and the latter made a very happy farewell speech on behalf of tho lady. " Don C»3ar do Bazan," in which Mr Howo and Mies Hayward appeared, was tho afterpiece. To-night, "The Bombardment of Alexandria," for which extra preparations in tho Bhape of scenery and effects havo beon made, will be producod. For yoara Spain has beon caßting longing oyes oa Gibraltar. It was only .a fow months ago that a rumour went abroad that by hook or crook sho intended to purchaso it, and a national fund was spoken of for the purpose. Now another ochemo is talked of, probably as evanescont as the other. It is the Madrid correspondent of the London ZDaily News whom we quote : — "A Spanish Skobeloff has appeared, whoae ideas cause a profound sensation in mditary circles, and will be the topic of tho day to-morrow when published. On account of the political eminenco of this officer, ZEI Globo, tho usual organ of Senor Oastelar in Madrid, had inserted a sories of paperß callod • Tho Keys of tho Straits of Gibraltar, by a Military Critic' 'these pointed out the beet means to be adopted on both shores of the d traits in order to render tbe possession of Gibraltar useless in British hands. These wero fortifications, entrenched camps, heavy ordnance, and torpedoes. The author of those articleß, now republiahed in book form, submitted his volumo to Generol Lopez Domingusz, nephew of Marshal Serrano, the most popular commander of the Liberal armies againßt tho Carlists, the victor at Carthagena in 1874, and now a prominent leader of tho advancod Liberals in Congress, and generally considered likely to be Minister of War after Marshal Oampoa when a change comes in tho Cabinet. This officer introduces tho book in an energetic preface, approving its conclusions, and oxpreesing his belief that the day will soon como when Spain, aftor completing her army organisation and increasing hor navy and fortifications, may realise her national aspirations by the rocovery of Gibraltar, the annexation of the coast and moßt of the dominions of Morocco, and by a confederation with Portugal, to command the , Straits entirely."

The oharge of using forged labels, upon which Charles Wilkins and Andrew Neilson were indioted, came before the Dunedin Supreme Court on Friday. Some technical points were raised by the Council for the accused, Messrs Denniston and Fitchett, but on theae being overruled the defendants were advised to plead guilty, and did ao accordingly. In mitigation of sentence it waß urged tbat this was tho first oaae under an Aot which had lain dormant for 16 years, and that the defendants had been heavily punished by a fine of £40, inflicted in the Magistrate's Court for having forged labels in their possession, and losing brandy to the value of £300 through the seizure and forfeiture of' the goods bearing the forced labels. In consideration of the pecuniary loss already sustained, hia Honor did not inflict any money penalty, but sentenced the defendants to one month's imprisonment, without hard labour. Mr Denniston stated that the accused had been absolutely ruined by the prosecution. Not only had the illegal part of their business been very properly stopped, but tho whole of their business had been destroyed, and one of them, who bad recently engaged in business on his own account, had lost the savings of years. Freah testimony has beon forthcoming during the last few days to show that the slave trade in Oentral Africa is practically unchecked and as flourishing as ever. Mr Felkin, author of a book on Uganda, which has recently attracted considerable attontion, and Mr Hutley, a missionary at Zanzibar, have written letters to the Times drawing a deplorable picture of the state of things that exists in this part of the world. In and near Zanzibar, says Mr Hutley, slaves and ivory are (he ohief articles of commerce. The former are imported wholesale from the interior to the coast ; they suffer fearfully destructive ravages from disease en route, and of a company of slaves amounting to three hundred only fifty, upon a recent occasion reached Unyanyembe. Slaves are cheap, being purchaseable for the price of an ox, a musket, or three or four strings of beads. The consequence is, they are barbarously treated and left to perish if they are ill, or killed in cold blood if they are troublesome. In Morocco and in the Egyptian Soudan the condition of things is equally bad, and both Mr Felkin and Mr Hutley agree that if Egypt passes into the hands of Arabi Pasha and his followers, all the good work effected by " Chinese" Gordon will bo undone. On the other hand, Mr Hutley ia strongly of opinion that the slave trade would disappear before the extension of commerce, and with a special view to this extension, advocates the construction of a railway through the country.