Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4795, 12 September 1883, Page 2

Local & General.

The benefit entertainment for the Lyttelton Brass Band takes plaoe to-night at the Oddfellows' Hall, Lyttelton. A aoiree and ooncert in oonneotion with the Sydenham Presbyterian Churoh ia announoed for to-morrow evening. Mra Anna M. L. Potts, M.D., will deliver the firat of her oourse of leotnrea at the Theatre Boyal thiß evening. The usual quartorly meeting of the Churoh Work Booiety will be held at Christ's College Library to-morrow, at 8 p.m. An important unreserved auotion Bale of ohina, glass, and earthenware ie announoed by Messrs Ayers and 00. for Monday next. The membera of the Publio Cemetery Board intend visiting tho Cemetery on Friday next, starting from the City Council offioe at 1 p.m. A series of three meetings, in oonneotion with the Blue Bibbon Goipel Temperanoe Mission, will be held in the Literary Institute Hall, Bangiora, on Sept. 12, IS, and 14, The followi**** application for a patent haa been made ;— -William M'iaughlin, of Puhinui, near Otahuhu, Auokland distriot, engi* neer, for •• A land- clearer and hedgetrimmer." Mr Jameß Hay was to-day admitted aa a barrister and a solioitor of the Supreme Court. His Honor Mr Justioe Johnston complimented Mr Hay on having passed his examination with credit. Messrs Q. H. N. Helmore and Philip Kippenberger were admitted m lolioi* tors and bajtiitort,

4*___w***nvom*iD**************t* 0A new sign-tiling apparatus is being plaood •t the Kai&j-oi Bailway Station. A meeting of rate -Myers will be held at the Avon Boad Board office on Friday, Sept. 28, at 10 a.m. The Hon W. Bolleston arrived from Wellington in the s.s. Ie Anau yesterday. His wiaifc is not an official one, as he iB merely here on privato business. A ohild named Ellis, tkree years of age, was drowned in the river at Silverstream, Timaru distriot, on Monday, while plajing with aome other ohildren. Notioe of motion was yesterday givon at tha meeting o>? tho Board of Govsrnors, pr> posing that arrangements should be made for the transfc-ir- of the Publio Library from the Board to the City Council. The Sydenham Horticultural Sooiety will open the eawi**-* season's sories of shows on Friday next, wl-nn, in addition to the ordinary monthly meotrn-* of members, an exhibition of auriculas ar.d byaoinths will be held. At a Committee meating held at Kaiapoi last evening ia connection with tho Druids' anniversary celt-oration to tnko place on "Thursday next, it —as deoided to run a late train, leaving Ohristchurch at 6 p.m. and ..turning abcufc 1 &.__ Trom the correspondence r?K*i it is anticipated that the display and entet'taintuent will prove vary attractive. A good deal of routine businose waa arranged, end tho Committee adjourned until Wednestl-ij. The Canterbury College Board of Go--vernors held a special meeting yesterday •afternoon to consider the correspondence between the Registrar and tht head maater of the Boya' High School. After considerable discussion, a resolution was carried, asking Ur Miller to afcato in writing the " definite lights " he had acquired by " repeated proteats" and "the many oases of interference " he had "hud to submit to." The membors of the Bangiora Fire Brigade held a moeting after thoir fortnightly praitico on Monday evening last, to hear tbe now act of rules read over. Bute No. 2, whioh -jives the Superintendent power to appoint* all members, and certain subordinate officer*, was token exoeption to by a number of the membera, who eooaidered that the appointments should be made by nomination and ballot. The dissatisfied members, to the number of about ten, have stated their intention of reaigaing rather thau work under the rule. Afc the Besident Magistrate's Court, Aahburton, yeaterday, Mr Baddeiey, beforo opening the Oourt business, said he had reoeived an anonymous letter bearing on one of the oases that was to come before him that day. The writing of such lottera was a most reprehensible and shameful practice, and be was not sure that attempts to bias a magistrate's miad in this way were not very aeveroly punishable. She letter was signed "An Byo-wita**Bß." If people wanted to give evidence in cases, they ougnt to go to the proper authorities and lodge their information j. but attempts to bias a magistrate's mind by anonymous letters would always be treated with the contempt they deserved. A bazaar was held yesterday at the Literary Institute Hall, Bangiora, under the auspices of the looal branch of tho United Methodist Free Ohuroh. The room was prettily decorated, and tha stalls arranged in a hollow square in the oentre of the room, were orowdsd with the thousand and one useful and fancy orticlfß nauaily got together on such occasions, giving ample evidenoa of a large amount of energy having been exponded by the lady members of the congregation. A niooly arranged Christmas tree occupied the platform, and proved a very attractive feature of the proceedings. The attendanoe throughout the day was good j and the stallkeepew, who wore fnnoipally of the fair sex, ware apparently ept fully occupied. The number of applications for work made at the Bailway Workshops, up to yesterday evoning, was eighty -eight. Work in atone - braking and digging ditches has already been found for fifty-three men, and tha remaining applicants will be taken on to-day. It may be stated that the amount of work is necessarily somewhat .united, and it has beon euggisted that railway passages should be offered by the Government to those men who wish to go into the oountry, where, it is said, there is not so muoh •diffloulty in obtaining employment. His Worship the Mayor had an interview with the Hon W. Bolleston, and the latter promised to make further urrangsments in order to provide work at stone -breaking for any men at present out of employment. An entertainment, in connection with the Sydenham Branch of tho Ohuroh of England Temperance Sooiety, was held in St Saviour's sohoolroom, on Monday evening, the attendanoe testing the holding capabilities of the room to its atmost. The Bev H. B. Cocks presided, and delivered an earnest and interesting address. The first portion of the programme was devoted to songs, recitations, Ac, and was decidedly ' successful. 'Ihe evenit-e-'s entertainment coneluded with "The Wandering Minstrel," the personation of Jem Baggs by Mr Parsons* creating quite a furore, and Mr Espenett, as Mrs Crinkum, was equally successful, whilst the other charaoters wero well sustained. Xhe smollnefs of tho stage somewhat marred the effeot, but this drawback was counter* balanced by the scenory, whioh was most creditable. This portion of the entertainment will be repeated on Monday next. Yesterday afternoon a numbor of gentlemen met Mr Starkey, of Amberley, at tbe Junotion Hotel, Bangiora, to oonsider the advisability of forming a Hunt Club in the northern district. Oaptain Parsons was voted to the ohair. Mr Starkey stated what had been done in the matter at Amberley, mentioning the offer he had made to keep the hounds if a Club could be formed to meet expenses for repairs to hedgos, kt. After some disoussion it was resolved unanimously, on tiie motion of Mr B. Chapman, seconded by Mr W. C. Nichollß— " Ihat a Clnb be formed on the basis suggested." Mr Starkey said that another meeting of gentlemen interested in the formation of the Club would j .-be held at Amberley on Monday afternoon next, and Messrs ID. Chapman, J. Hurse, W. 0. Nicholls, 0. Dampisr-Crossley, and Captain Parsons were appointed to attend ithe same as representatives from the meeting. The proceedings then tsi-U-atsd. A speoial meeting of the congregation ol tbe Leeston Presbyterian Ohuroh was held on Monday evening. The Bev J. W. Cree, who occupied the chair, explained that the meeting had been oalled for the purpose of appointing a valuator for the Manse build* iags. and counselled those present to obey the Presbytery, and to show their obedience by earrying out the instructions of that Court. It was moved by Mr Nixon— *' That a valuator be appointed." An amendment was moved by Mr MTinnie— "That no valuator be appointed in the meantime; but if South* bridge withdraws its claim, the congregation pledges itself to raise the money by subscription." On being put to the vote, the amend* ment was cairied. On the motion of Mr Morrison, it was agreed— "That a Committee be aeleoted to appoint a valuator in the event of Southbridge withdrawing its claim." A Committee of seven gentlemen was thereafter appointed, and the moeting was closed with the Benediction. The several candidates for munioipal honours in the Borough of Ash* burton, addressed a publio meeting of ratepayers in the Ashburton Town Hall on Monday evening. There waa a large attend* onoe and the Mayor presided. There are very few questions of publio interest at present affecting the ratepayers, so that beyond the equitable division of work throughout the several districts of the town, the candidates had little or nothing to speak about. Mr St Hill was the first speaker, and he dwelt at jome length on the alleged nsgleot the north end of the town had suffered at the hands of the Counoil. He quoted figures to show that the Northern district had had a very fair share of the Borough funds spent upon its roads. Mr Bealy advocated an efficient fire brigade. Mr Murray thought the overdraft should be reduced, and tnat unoccupied sections should be rated higher than oooupied ones. Mr Leggett affirmed that, Mr St Hill's atatement notwithstanding, the north had been neglected and Ihe central and Western districts had been pampered at the expense of tbe north. This he aaid was due to log rolling, and his candidature was a protest on tho part of the ■northern residents against this sort of thing. Mr Thomas was very muoh in favonr of the Australian system of rating, whioh valued the land only for rating purposes and not the improvements upon it. A few questions were asked by ratepayers of eaoh candidate, and the proceedings, whioh were very quiet and eiderly, doped with a vote of thanks to the Mayor.

*mm***m**mu*m*wm»»***a*H******** The railway bridgo at Stewart's Oulley, Kaiapoi, ia undergoing repairs, aome of the piles having to be replaced. B|essra H. Bennetts and Co. advertise a olearing sale of furniture, horae, trap, fto., to take place at one o'olook to-morrow, on the promisee, 317, St Asaph atreet weat. Ihe following items appear on the fourth page of this issue t Talc—" King Pepin and Sweet Olive " (to be continued) $ Board of Governors- Breaoh of the Gaming and Lotteries Act j Linwood Town Board ; Canterbury Temperance Union. Ihe Kaiapoi Horticultural Sooiety have found it expedient to alter the dates fixed for their shows, as they are fouod to clash with those of Chrintohuroh and elsewhere. A moeting will shortly be held to make the alterations. We have been requested to state that the delay in publiahing the September number of the New Zealand Country Journal haa arisen from the faot tbat it has been neoessary to wait for an important paper on dairy management, issued by the Governmeat, which is to appear iu conjunction with this month's Journal. This afternoon Mr H. E. Alport offered some shares in the Southern Gross and Bouth Paoiflo Petroleum Companies for sale by publio auction. A small paroel of the former, on whioh all oalls were paid, was sold at 7* 6d, while the highest bid obtained for the latter was 3 * 6d, and as there was a reserve of 4s on them they were passed in. Hia Worship the Mayor has reoeived » communication from the Dunedin Ohamber of Commerce, requesting hii 00-operation towards gettiug up a tsetimonial to Mr J. ABhoroft, late editor of the Otago Daily Times, who has resigned his position, after having held it for some five years. His Worship ha9 decided to allow a list for receiving subscriptions for the purpose to lie at bhe City Counoil offloe. At the Distriot Court thia morning His Honor Judge Ward nonsuited tbe plaintiffs, without ocati, in the case of Gill and Gill v. Luxton, whioh was heard on Monday last, but which was adjourned for judgment, His Honor having aome doubts ae to the completion of the contract — the sale of a baker's business in Sydenham, whioh formed the subject of the aotion. In view of the present distress whioh exists to some extent among the working olasaes, it is satisfactory to record that the Ohristchuroh Domain Board, a body whioh ia not by any means overburdened with funds, haa contrived to find work for the past three months for a number of old men, who are physically un* fitted for very hard labour. lhey were taken on at first to fell trees in the plantations and to form the new walks and rides. Now that these jobs are completed, the Board haa retained them to fill up sand holes, dig up rashes, end reduoe some banks in the Park. There ore altogether 19 men employed about these and aimilar works. The notioes posted up in the Park and Domain forbidding the bringing of dogs within their boundaries do not aeem to be so much respeoted aa they ought to be. One night lately 15 sheep were worried in Hagley Park by stray dogs. Considerable damage has also been done in the gardens by curs rushing over the beds and scratching up the plants, and on a reoent Sunday no less than 13 were seen in the Domain. The owners, in ' most caaes, disavow any knowledge of the I animals when remonstrated with, and it is | feared that the authorities will be compelled I to exorcise the power they possess of shooting i all dogs found in the Park or Domain. ' Mr Jamea Stokes, of Woodond, reported to the polioe at 7 30 this morning that his wife, Sarah (Mokes, died, at ono o'clook. It appears tbat deceased had been in delicate health for some time past, and on the morning in question she sat up in bed aud askod her husband to light tho fire. He procoeded to do bo, when Mrs Stokes walked from the bedroom and fell into hia arms ajfd expired. There was no other person in the house with the exception of the childron, sixia all, the eldest of whom is 18 years. The deoeated was formerly attended by Dr Downes, but owing to his not having soon her lately an inquest will have to be held in due course. Kaiapoi presented a somewhat animated appeararaoe this morning, the sitting of the Native Land Court being the means of bring* iog in a great number of Natives. His Honor Judge M'Donald, aooompanied by Mr Puokey, the Native interpreter, arrived at about 10.30 a.m. from Ohristohuroh. Some difference of opinion appears to exist as to the advisability of the Benoh sitting at the B.M. Court here or at the Pah, and after inspeotiDg the former, it waa decided to proceed to the Pah, in order to ascertain whether the meeting-house there would be more suitable. The Natives appear to be dissatisfied at the proposed change, as they anticipate order will not he maintained at the Pah. The curator of the Publio Gardens has recently reoeived Bome interesting and valuable additions to his stook of plants. Among them are collections of native shrubs from Wellington and Otago, presented by Mrs W. Wilton, of the Grove, who also gave several rare Chinese ihruba. Mr Napier Bell haa sent a valuable assortment of seeds oi various plantß from South 'America. Some new and rare herbaceous plants have been presented by Mr Dutton, Springfield road, and collections of nsw varieties of roses have been forwarded by Messrs Duncan and Sous, Nairn and Son, and B. Line. Mr Abbott has also contributed some valuable plants of various descriptions. At the corner of Barbadoes street and the North belt, as the passenger tuns to go eastward, a little culvert bridge may be notioed in a very dilapidated oondition. Two of the stones forming the parapet have been knocked off. This little bridge is the trysting-plaoe for loving couples, and any fine night, and on many wet ones, those who regularly pass this way find a oouple murmuring sweet nothings to one another in this well-shaded spot. How they maoago as to precedence we do not know ; but probably toe rule is that the first comers retain possession as long as they like to stop. We would warn these young people that we have information that some wioked boys are preparing a surprise for the lovers on some of theso dark nights. Ihe approaohing contest for munioipal honours in Ohriatohuroh promises to be one of the most lively, in ono of the warda at least, that has takon place in the City for a considerable time. 'Xhe ward where the toughest fighting is expeoted is the South4Ht, where tbe retiring Councillor, Mr 0. Kiver, is opposed by Mr Fredk. Hobbs. The partizans or eaoh are eaid to be working " like niggurs " to secure his return, and both sides profess to bo equally confident of success. In oonneotion with this election, a couple of very amusing cartoons, evidently emanating from the opponents of Mr Hobbs, wore posted in various parts of the Oity this morning. One of thoae has reference to the famous dispute between the Counoil and the oabmen in days gone by, and is entitled— why it is somewhat diffionlt to discover-—-- Ihe Prisoner ef Chilloa." It represents the Oity Hotel cab-stand, fenced in, and guarded by police, one solitary four-wheeler, with the driver reading a newspaper on the box, being imprisoned within the fenoe. Mr Hobbs, mounted on a goore of colossal proportions, is reading the Suofc Act for the benefit of the solitary cabby. Ihe other cartoon, referring to Mr Hobbs' aotion in oonneotion with, the drainage aoheme, represents that gentleman "the last and only man," clinging to the Cathedral spire, and surveying apprehensively the waters whioh bave flooded the oity, leaving only the spire and the tops of a few tall chimneys unsubmerged.