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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1970, 28 August 1869, Page 2

A Blank Day.—There was no business transacted in the .Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day. The Telegraph Department.—The Honorable udus Vogel has been appointed Electric Telegraphic Commissioner for the Colony. Government Report.—By favor of the Honor Ale the Postmaster-General, we 'have received the - F -urth RepVt on the Postal Service of the Colony. The Arms Act.—His Excellency the Governor has appointed the following persons to lay and prefer informations and indictments against European and abo iginal .Natives tor offences under the Anns Act:—Mr Thomas Hill, collector of Customs, Dunedin, and Mr Gilbert F. Percy, sub-in-spector of police, Otago. Gaol Return. The following is the state of Her Majesty’s gaol, Dunedin, for the week ending to-day: Awaiting trial, G men, 0 women; under remand, 0 men, 0 women ; penal servitude, 24 im n, 0 women ; hard labor, 58 men, 11 women ; imprisonment, 0 men, 0 women ; in default of bail, 1 man, 0 women ; debtors, 4 men, 0 women ; total. 93 men, 11 women. Received during the week, 15 men, 1 women ; discharged, Ilmen, 2 women. Entertainment,—A highly succesful entertainment was given at \he Masonic Hall, Port Chalmers, last night, in aid of the funds of the Mechanic’s Institute. The Hall was well filled, and the various performers met with an enthusiastic reception A number of lays and recitations were given by several gemlenien ; the gem of the evening being the recitation by Mr Whitworth of Byr n’s “Eve of Waterloo.” Mr C undry als ■ gave some comic st-ngs with exc Rent effect. Pin \ cess Theatre. —lSTotwithstanding the inclemenc of tbe weather, the Th atre was well filled in every part last evening, when Mr Joseph Eayner took his benefit. Mr Hayner first appeared as Hamlet in the third act of that tragedy, sustaining the p rt with great power and fowling, and evidently having a true conception of the character. He was very ably supported by Mrs Harry Jackson as Ophelia, who, with hj m, received a hearty call at the end of tbe act. The fourth act of the “ Merchant of Venice’’ followed, with Mr Rayner as Shylock. which wa equally as well enact-d as the previous character. Mrs Jackson, too. as Portia, sustained that part with great care, and with Mr Eayner, was again called before the curtain. 'I he third act of “ Othello ” followed, in which Mr 0. White appeared as lago, which was played very creditably. Mr Rayner as Othello, as usual, played carefully and well, and during the impersonation of this character be frequently received rounds of hearty applause. At the close of this act, Mr Rayner being for the third time called before tbe curtain, made a brief but very appropriate speech, thanking the public for their kind patronage notwithstanding the weather, and adding that he might well quote the words of a well-known author—“He is indeed a friend who comes out into the storm to shake hands with us.” Mr Rayner then withdrew, receiving a round of well-merited applause. During the acts, Miss Forde sung very effectively “Widow Machree,” and on receiving an encore she repeated the last verse of the same ballad ; this the audience were not satisfied with, brin ing the young lady be fore them a third time. Alias Jenny Nye and Mr Sam Howard danced a jms de deux, which was of course encred, and Mr Sykes played a solo on the | innoforte, he too receiving an encore. The burlesque of “Once upon a time,” concluded the evening’s performance, the curtain not descending until past midnight.

Close of the Ses ion.— A Wellington contemporary of August 21 saysOn Thursday afternoon the Government ex-

pressed a hope that the business of the session might be very shortly closed, if no needless delay were caused by the Opposition. In the course of some rather angry discussion on the subject, the Premier plainly stated that rather than submit to a vexatious and unreasonable prolongation of the session by the Stafford party, he was fully 'prepared to advise his Excellency to dissolve the House.

Retrenchment. —Oxxr Taranaki contempora- y has the full owing, from which it will he s* en that the Fox-Vogel Government arc retrenching ; —Amongst the reductions ma le by the new Government have been the disl anding of the local forces in this province. Orders arrived by the Ahnriri to reduce our forces fr-m 550 men (which we have lately had on ply in this province), to 300. Accordingly the Natives have all been struck off pay; al-o the hush party commanded by Captain MTvellai - , lately stationed at Tiknrangi The bush party w re marche 1 in o town yesterday, and were told that if any of the men in.ended to leave the province that they w r ere to deliver up their arms at. the Militia office. The men asked when they were to he paid, hut as Captain M'Kellar could not inform them they said they would give up their arms on receiving what was due to them. A Colonial Constabulary. —The leading Wellington paper of August 21 has the following Mr St. John Branigan, the Chief of the Otago Police, has taken up his abode at the seat of Government in the recognised capacity of Commissioner of the Colonial Constabulary. We hail this fact as an omen of the intention of the present Government to take decided and immediate steps for the thorough organisation of the Colonial Force. Mr Branigan’s well-known ability in the difficult work of working up a force to the highest standard of efficiency is too wed-known to need any comment. He might well stand in the centre of that magnificent body of men who compose the Otago Constabulary, and xu the words of tlie well-known tribute in St. Paul’s Cathedral to Sir Christopher Wren’s architectural skill exclaim— Si monnmentum qu.ae.ris circums/.ice — the tone and efficiency of that body afford the highest testimony to his powers. In the men now employed by the Government, and among the settlers of the country, Mr Branigau will find ample material, after using his powers of selecting, for the format-on of a force infinitely more useful, less expensive, and more e sily handled than the present larger body has ( roved to be. And if the new Commissi- ner is allowed to exercise his full discretion in the equipment of his force, we may fairly look forward in the course of a few months, before in fact the rebels can be expected to renew their ag resaions, to b ing in possession of a power which will strike terror into the heart of the rebels, and make any neutral M oris hesitate to provoke ii s a tion against themselves. The New Zealand War Medal.— In the House of E-prcsentatiup,-on August 20, Mr Donald M‘Lean moveTthat a Si lect Committee be appointed to take into considcrat on the question of gran 1 ing the Imperial New Zea an 1 war medal to the Colonial Forces employed with the regular troops in past campaigns ; such Committee to cmsi t of Major Heaphy, V.C , Messrs Brown, Travers, Cargill, : Cracroft Wilson, C. 8., Kenny, and the mover, offer had been made by the Home Government to furnish the Militia and Volunteers who had served with the regular forces with the medal, and the Government proposed the Select Committee to consider tlie details. It was estimated that about 7000 persons would be entitled to it. Mr Stafford thought the Committee should also enquire whether the medal could not be given to those Colonial forces who had served without Imperial troops. The motion was carried.

Latest Native News. —The correspondent of the Auckland Herald , writing from Alexandra, in the Waikato, on August Id says :—Te Kooti is at Tahua. a settlement a* out 37 miles from Alexandra, Rewi is with him. It is supposed that he is waiting the arrival of Titokowaru and the people fiom the Wanganui district. The reports that he was at Taupo and ('hinemuri are fake. They are given out, no doubt, to lead the Government astray. The Herald also publishes the following, which is dated Alexandra, August 12 :— Te Kooti’a last words to the Waikatos were (hat he was going, but would return again shortly, meaning, no doubt, when the whole of his arms and ammunition reached him that is known to he en roate to the Waikat ; and as he expects reinforcements from different quarters, and imagines that the Government will withdraw their forces from the frontier, then will be the time to make a successful raid on the Waikato. Rewi has gone with Te Kooti. Tawhiao has sen' a letter to the Governm nt with a formal dt mand that the prisoners taken at Ngaruwhia, together with the arms and ammunition, should be immediately retained to Tokan amutu, and if the demand is not immediately complied with, the Waikato threaten to a 1 tack the Waikato settlement independent of Te Kooti and his murderous band.

Woollen Manufactures. The Hon. the Colonial Treasurer has given notice to move in the House the following r solutions (1.) Whereas it is highly desirable to encourage the establishment of woollen factories within the Cob ny, this House is of opinion that the Government in obtaining wooden cloths and blankets for the use of the defence force, should give the preference to local manufacturers over imported goods, supposing that, taking the serviceable use into consideration, the cost wi 1 not be greater. That it be a recommendation to the Government to call for tenders for a three years’ supply of such local manufactures, the successful tenderer or tenderers to commence such supply within eighteen months from the completion of his or their tender; the Government, in accepting any tender or tenders to be guided by the principle, as to cost and quality, indicated in the first resolution. That, at the request of the Superintendent of any Province, similar tenders be asked for the supply of like goods for the use of the inmates of Gaols, Lunatic Asylums, Hosp tals, Reformatories, and Benevolent Asylums and for the Po’ice, with n such Province ; and, at the reque t of such Superintendent, that contracts similar to those indicated in the last preceding resolution be entered into by the Government on behalf of and at the cost of such Province.

County of Westland. —Every week (says the Wellington Independent) almost brings with it some fresh pm f of the utter failure of the late Government in (heir attempt to create a model county. The stock argument against the provinces is their enor*

mous expenditure in legislation ; but what shall we say to the economy practised in the Westland County legislation when after all the expenses incurred in the sitting of its Council, we find the order paper of the Hoitse of Representatives on Thursday last, encumbered with no less than six different notices in reference to the administration of the finely local affairs of that county, to say nothiny of the time already spent by the House over its affairs. We learn on very yond authority that revelations have been made showing the most gross corruption of some members of the County Council, and shameless collu-ions with (he police to raise their rates of pay. In order to make the concluding part of the above paragraph more intelligible to our readers, we may state that for some time past an inquiry has been oing on before a Select Commit ee of the County Council, as to certain charges preferred against the chief officer of police, Mr Inspector Bioham, by a late detective Dver. During the course of the enquiry which has just concluded, it was stated in evidence that the members of the police force got up a subscription for the purpose of presenting a purse of sovereigns to several members of the County Council, who wore expected to advocate the interests of the force. The amount to he subscribed was LSO. in the following way :—Noncommissioned officers were to give L2 each, and constables LI each. But some of the officers did not approve of the scheme, and in consequence the subscriptions were reduced to 10s. A purse of sovereigns was collected, and presented to Mr T. L. Bright, for sometime one of the members of the County Council, and editor of the West Coast Times. According to some of the witnesses, the presentation was made to that gentleman because he had. in his capacity of journalist, impartially advocated the interests of the force. But the weight of evidence docs not favor that idea. One of the witnesses emphatically states that “ the object for which the subs riptions were coll- cted was perfectly understood. The money was to be given to Mr Bai ff and one or two other poor members of the < 'ounty Council, in order that the present rate of payment be kept up.” Another witness stat<d that the presentation to Mr Bright was made in his capacity of a member of the Civil Service Commission —Detective Dyer, in a report dated March 30, thus refers to the subject:—“ During the time the Commission was sitting on the Civil Service at Hokitika, the detectives, with other members of the force made up a pux’se of sovereigns, and presented it to one of the members, so as the police should be represented ; others are interested themselves as well as the detective himself, but he thinks it more prudent not to mention names.” That Inspector Broh am himself believed that this organisation had a political aspect, is evidenced by the fact th t he threatened to institute a criminal prosecution against Detective Dyer for bribery, but, from some cause or other, he d>d not cany out his intention. The enquiry appears to have occasioned considerable interest at Hokitika. It was conducted publicly, and the proceedings wee fully reported by the local journals. The committee have not yet presented their repart.

The Secretary of the Otago Rifle Association will receive subscriptions on Mondaymnd Tuesday next (the 30th and 31st inst.), at Wain’s Hotel, from 8 to 8.30 p.m. The Illustrated New Zealand Herald for Se ternber, just published, contains several well executed pictures, among which are the First Church of Dunedin, Entrance to the Duller River, and the Wangarei Falls, Auckland, together with some Australian scenes.