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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 331, 19 September 1879, Page 2

Mr Eaphael, of the troupe of acrobats who have lately visited this neighborhood, desires through our columns to thank the inhabitants of the Peninsula for the liberal patronage thej' have received. Ho intends visiting this part of the country again about Christinas time, when he will have some novelties and additions to the company to introduce to his patrons.

I Eaphael'e Star Troupe gave a perform--1 ance at Little Akaloa on Friday night last.There was" a very large attendance, and, to judge by the plaudits of the audience, they must have given great satisfaction. The anniversary of the Loyal Hand in Hand Lodge, 1.0.0.F.,M.U., Little. Akaloa, M?&s celebrated by a ball on Tuesday evening last, when the room was so crowded ■ that it required some manoeuvring on |ue part of of the dancers to prevent collisions. It majr be stated that the building, though found adequate on other occasions, is certainly much too small for the Oddfellows' ) entertainments, as, of all others in Little Akaloa, they seem to be most popular. The PigeoD Bay Lodge, as usual, was strongly represented. The musicians, Messrs D. Waghom and R. ShiUtleworth, ?■ efficiently performed their part that the mpany did not disperse until aorne time ter" daylight, congratulating the coiniiittee on the success of the affair.

The usual weekly meeting of the Mutual Improvement, Society was held in the schoolroom' last Tuesday evening. The Rev. Mr Stocker occupied the chair. After the formal business was disposed of Mr M'Gregor read his essay on " Spinoza." At the outset the essayist pointed out the importance of the subject from the fact that the works of Spinoza had had a large influence on the modern habits of intellectual thought in Germany, and as a consequenceon that of England.. A sketch o£ the state of the European politics and literature of the Continent of Europe during the middle of the 17th century, and down to the meeting, of the Gallican clergy in 1682 "under Louis XIV was given, and the general state of the leading opinions of the day. A resume of the Tractacus, Spinoza's great work, was given, and it was. pointed out that Mr Gladstone was anticipated in his book on " Church and State" by 200 years. An epitome of the axioms and definitions in the Ethics, with, a sketch of Spinoza's short and busy life, finished the essay. Rev. Mr Douglas criticized at some length Spinoza's pantheistic views, and their bearing on the Calvinistic doctrines. Mr M'Gregor shortly. replied, and, on the motion Of the President, a vote of thanks was awarded to Mr M'Gregor for his paper. On the 30th Rev. Mr Douglas will contribute a paper on " Reading and the choice of books," to be followed by a discussion. Next meeting will be occupied by a discussion on the question of Representation, the leaders being Messrs Wiggins and S. Watkins. A question so interesting at the present moment can. scarcely fail to draw a large audience, and elicit some good Speaking.

The Lyttelton Times has despatched a special reporter to JJunedin to gather In. formation as to the late disastrous fire which occurred in that city. The result is a highly interesting description of the building in which the catastrophe occurred, and all the surroundings of the sad affair. The place where the fire originated was a singing saloon, or as styled by the proprietor, Cafe Chantant, kept by a man named Waters. This establishment did not bear the best of characters, and on Saturday night, Sept. 6, the police had warned Waters that they would take immediate steps to have the place shut up. The fire took place on the evening of Monday, Sept. 8. With regard to the alarming rapidity with which the fire spread, the Times correspondent says :—" I shall confine myself to placing the reader in a position to form an opinion—perhaps I should say to guess, as to how the fire occurred,[and to explain, for the benefit, I trust, of the community at large, why the flames spread with such fearful rapidity. The door in the gable-end of the building, approached through the archway, and leading into the Cafe Chantant, was usually left during the night unlocked. On Sunday night it appears, however, to have been fastened in some way, for a man (unknown so far as the police are concerned) was seen to go to it, and, failing to open it, knocked for, and obtained admission. This probably is the last person who, previous to the breaking out of the fire, entered the building by that door, although it is quite impossible to say how many may have gone in and out by the general entrance. About 2 a.m. on Monday a neighbour observed fire in the cafe, and there is abundant internal evidence to prove that it broke out close to that portion occupied at night by the stage, and within a few feet of the narrow staircase leading from the rear of the cafe to the upper storeys and down to Mr Waters's bedroom. Now, mark the effect —the moment the fire made headway, the staircase became a flue with a terrible updraught; the flames rushed up this, along the passage in the Mansard roof, and the staircase at tie other end of the building. Those who know the effects in the up and down-draught ventilation shafts of mines will immediately comprehend the position. The flames, rushing up the staircase at one end of the doomed block, along the tindery passage, and down the only other staircase, instantly cut oft nil means of escape, and terrible loss of life ensued. What I am particularly desirous of pointing out is that these Mansard roofs are a snare and a delusion. The great fire in Boston in 1872 conclusively proved that they were a failure as regarded protection from external fire, i.e., from sparks falling upon them, and the Octagon fire proves with equal conclusiveness that, as regards internal fires, they are cruel traps for those who have the mis-

fortune to sleep under them. The one in question was erected just previous to the passing of a by-law prohibiting them within what is known in Dunedin as the " inner circle," but it is probable that the result of the late conflagration will cause the. Corporation' to eXterict the prohibition to all parts of the municipality." During the inquest on the bodies of those who lost their lives in the fire, Waters, the proprietor of the building, was arrested, and has been remanded on a charge of arson.

The elections are now over, and the Assembly is summoned to meet on the first of next month. The last two contested seats were those for Coleridge and Gladstone. The former district includes the town of ABhburton, and the latter that of Waimate. For Coleridge, Mr Studholme was returned by 342 votes against 207 polled by his opponent, Dr Deane, who came forward on the Ministeriol ticket. Mr Studholme is a pronounced Oppositionist. In Gladstone, Mr Hart, the late member, and Mr E. G. Wright were the contestants. Both announced themselves as opposed to the present Government, but Mr Wright was considered somewhat less anti liberal than his opponent. Mr Wright was elected by a majority of 109, the numbers being 487 and 378 respectively. It is curious to observe the varying estimates of the relative strength of the Government and the Opposition made by journals of opposite opinions. The Lytlelton Times divides the new House as follows :—Ministerial, 45 ; Opposition, 40; doubtful, 2. The Press, on the other hand, classifies them as—Opposition, 42 ; Ministerial, 41 ; and leaves 4 unclassified. There is no doubt that parties will be a litttle mixed when the Assembly meets, but we think the Government will have a majority 'sufficient to enable them to carry out their policy. If that programme is faithfully carried out, the Electoral and Representation Bills passed, and the Assembly dissolved, it is certain that the same party will return to the House with a commanding majority.

The talented Russian pianiste, Mdlle. Olga Duboiu, gave a piano recital last evening at the Oddfellows' Hall, Akaroa. Considering the circumstances, and the comparatively short notice that was given of the intended entertainment, there was a very fair attendance. Those present certainly enjoyed a musical treat of the very highest order. The programme was a varied one, and contained items to euit all tastes. Mdlle. Duboin played every piece from memory. Where everything was really first-class, it is a difficult task to particularize, but probably the adagis movement from Beethoven's •' Moonlight" sonata was to be considered the gem of the evening. A grand fantasia on " Lucia di Laminermoor " was also splendidly rendered, and the concluding piece, " Variations on a Eussian Modern Melody," by the pianiste herself, fairly delighted the audience.