Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6888, 25 June 1890, Page 3

Local & General.

| Ambulance Lecture. — The firat lecture 1 of the season to the women's evening class in first aid was given at the City Council Library by Dr GL E. Deanier last night. About twenty ladies were present. The lectures will be continued every Tuesday for the next four weeks. Tiie first lecture to the men's class will be given this evening by Dr Manning. The Gladstone Trophy. — The following are the scores of the second team of the Christchurch Working Men's Club as made last night for Mr H. Saunders' trophy :— G. Scott 31, W.Garrard32, Morris 32, Caldwell 31, Langford 31, Gent 28, Gundersen 32, J. Scott 30, Balfour 31, Blake 33; total, 311. V.M.C.A.— The weekly meeting" of "the T.M.C.A. Literary Society was held on Monday night. There was a good attendance of members ; Mr Smeaton presided. Mr Richard Eyre read a paper on " Shakspere's King John," which was criticised by the members. Next Monday evening Mr S. T. Twentyman will review Bellamy's "Looking Backward," when a large attendance is expected. Half-mast.— The flag 3 oa the shipping, and several placeß of business, at Lyttelton, were lowered to half-mast yesterday out of respect to the memory of the wife of Mr T. L. Smith, who manages the shipping busineas for Messrs Cunningham and Stead at Lyttelton. Mrs Smith was the daughter of Mr and Mrs Pitcaithley, two of the oldest residents of Lyttelton, and sympathy was yesterday expressed for them and Mr Smith in their sudden bereavement. Sydenham Presbyterian Church. — A well-attended meeting of the members and supporters of the Band of Hope in connection with the Presbyterian Church, Sydenham, was held on Monday evening in the hall attached to the church, when addresses were delivered by the Chairman, the Rev P. R. Monro, Mr IWbes and others^ and some. capital recitations -were given by youthful members of the band, which were interspersed with selections given by the choir. An All-absorbing Amusement. — According to a telegram from Auckland, complaint is made in the Samoan Group that the natives are neglecting their work to engage in the game of cricket, which has become so absorbing an amusement that little else has their attention. Theatrical. — The well-known manager, Mr L. J. Lohr, writing from Melbourne by the last mail states that hois managing for Mrs Brown-Potter and Mr Kyrle Bellew, now playing at the Princess Theatre, and that he expects to bring them to New Zealand before the end of the present year. He speaks of the success of La Tosca, La Dame aux Camellias, and the other plays in their repertoire as phenomenal. Meeting of Married Women. — In response to an advertisement and circulars issued by the Women's Christian Temperance "Union, a meeting of married women was held in the Oddfellows' Hall last evening, " to protest against the enforcement of the Contagious Diseases Act." There was an attendance of about a hundred and fifty and Mrs Packe occupied the chair. 'After a hymn had been sung, Mr T. H. Smeaton read a portion of Scripture, and Mra Taylor offered prayer. Mrs Packe explained that as soon as the proposal had been made to bring the Act in question into force, the Women's Christian Temperance Union had decided to call the women of Christchurch together that they might express their opinion. She considered it a terrible disgrace that the medical men and police should be in favour of bringing such an Act into operation. She addressed the meeting at some length. Addresses were delivered by the Eevs J. J. Lewis and Dr Elmslie, Mesdames Taylor and Lodge, and Mr T. H. Smeaton. The last-named said that within a week he would get up a meeting of men to protest against the Act. The Rev J. J. Lewis proposed the adoption of the reasons against the enforcement of the Act as given in the leaflet recently circulated. These were, inter alia, that the Act was one-sided legislation, as it only affected one sex; that the Act had been repealed in England, India and most of the British Colonies ; that it had been proved to be useless, and its enforcement was therefore a waste of money ; that on the Continent it was being generally objected to; that it involved physical brutality, and being morally wrong could not be scientifically right. The Hospital Board was, therefore, requested not to bring, the Act into force here. Mr T. H. Smeaton seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously, and the meeting terminated with the benediction pronounced by the Rev Dr Elmslie.