The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 371, 10 February 1880, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10.

We beg to remind our readers that Monday next, the 16th instant, is the last day on which objections to tho valuation rolls now on view, can be lodged with the Judge of the Assessment Courts for the various districts. It behoves all interested to see that their properties are correctly value i, as after the passing of the rolls there can be no appeal. A historical old Maori, well knwn as " old Martin," belonging to the Onuku Kainga, has joined the majority, having departed this life on Saturday last. His friends declare he was 90 years of age. Let this be as it may, it is certain many old reminiscences of the intermediate Kialc of Maori history have perished with old Martin. By mlveith.-.cmcn* elsewhere, fruitgrowers »vill si-e that tho Union S. S. Company have determined to run a boat southwards every Satr.nlay i'oi the remainder of the season. The increased facilities thus a'l'ur..iou should be taken advantage of largely by our local gardeners, and must prove beneficial to the district.

Mrs Sl'ott-Siddons (says the Sun) contemplates another visit to the colonies, and hopes to reach Sydney in June next. She is at present at the head of a company touring the United States. According to the Ilobart Town Mercury, letters received there by the last Californian mail from her contain mention of her separation from her husband, on whom she has settled all her New Zealand property, matters having been satisfactorily settled by mutual agreement. Miss Mary Siddons, a cousin of Mrs Scott-Siddons, now travels with her; and she is agented by Mr James M'Mahon.

The Opera Bouffe Company performed on Thursday evening at the Head of the Bay, and on Friday at Little River. In each place the schoolroom was well filled, and the performance gave every satisfaction. On Saturday, by special request, the company returned to Akaroa, and gave a final performance in the Oddfellows' Hall. There cannot be a better testimony to the excellence of this " show " than the fact that they played three nights in ono week in Akaroa, and to increasing houses each night. On Saturday evening there was a capital audience, fully three times as many people being present as on the opening night. The artists were in excellent voice, and evidently felt that their audience was an appreciative and sympathetic one. The entertainment consisted of a number of detached pieces of high class music, concluding with Offenbach's " Rose of Auvergne." The programme was thoroughly well executed throughout. Miss Murielle sang, as on former occasions, with great sweetness and purity, and in two pieces which she rendered displayed an extraordinary compass of voice. Mr Browning electrified the audience with his magnificent bass solos, notably the grand descriptive scena " The Desert," and the musical rendering of Longfellow's " Village Blacksmith." Mr Crothcrs' happiest elfort was the " Death of Nelson," which he gave in fine style, and Mr Fisher was as irresistibly funny as ever. We believe that the troupe are very much pleased with their reception in Akaroa, and purpose paying us a visit again, when they intend presenting several operas in their entirety. In common with any dramatic performers, they labor under one great drawrlack in the absence of scenery or other stage appliances from the Oddfellows' Hall. It is a pity that so fine a building should be wanting in such an absolute necessity. We hope that those interested may endeavor to rectify this omission as quickly as possible.

A Wellington correspondent says:— The political event of the week has been the occupation of the Waimate Plains by the Armed Constabulary, which it was feared would have been forcibly resisted, but has so far been effected in the most peaceable manner. The influence of that egotistical fraud, Te Whiti,is on the wane, and some of his followers are exhibiting signs of disgust. His advice, like the Irishman's " hould an till a while ago,'' does not appear to satisfy the minds of his fanatical coutrymen. There appears to be little doubt that what was so sadly bungled in the past native administration, at least as far as this piece of business goes, is about to be brought to a solution now in the simplest manner possible. One good effect of this will be the suppression of those cormorant-like land agents in that portion of tho district, who have been trading on the weakmindedness of the Maoris and the vacillation of the Government. Mr McDonald, tobacconist, Lyttelton, announces a consultation on the Great Autumn Handicap which is to be run in Christchurch on the 30th March next. Particulars appear in our advertising columns. A pleasing instance of the interest pupils take in their teachers was evinced yesterday by the presentation to Miss Connell, teacher of music here, by her music class, of a handsome dressing case. The presentation is a beautiful example of its class, and was presented by Miss Stratton, a promising pupil of Miss Connell's.