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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1978, 7 September 1869, Page 2

On Dit. —It is rumored that on Thursday a number of gentlemen interested in the construction of the Port Chalmers Railway will meet his Honor the Superintendent, to consider steps necessary to carrying out the work. The English Mail.— The Rangitoto, with the English mail on board, arrived at Wellington at one to-day. In the absence of the Phoebe, the Lord Ashley will bring the Otago portion of the mail down, and may be looked for on Friday or Saturday morning. Quarterly Licensing Meeting.— At the meeting held to-day in the Resident Magistrate’s Court, there were eleven applications for transfer of general licenses, and three for the trans’er of bottle licenses. There were five applications for new bottle licenses, and six for new general licenses. The application of William Galloway for a bottle license in Stafford street was not granted, on account of the number of public-houses already in the neighborhood. The application for the transfer of the license held by Patrick William Bergin for the Artillery Hotel, in George street, to Mr Plonnigs, was postponed for a week, for the attendance of the transferee, who was out of town. Arthur Webb, of Mosgiel, East Taieri, made application for a bottle license, but as there was a petition in favor of, and one against the application, the Magistrate, in order to give the police time to test the feeling of those resident in the locality, postponed the hearing of the application for a fortnight. John Mulligan applied for a license for a house to be called the _ Fountain, in Stafford street ; but as it was next door to a house of ill-fame, and as the locality was pretty well stocked by publicans, the application was refused. The further business of the meeting will be heard on Thursday next, at noon, at the Court House. Princess Theatre. —There was a very full house last evening! to witness Mr

Talbot’s masterlv impersonation of ‘ ‘ Hamlet. He has now appeared in two essentially different characters and we have no hesitation in pronouncing his delineat ons of both ecpially happy. If we confess to a preference for his “ Richard,” it is because the restless energy which the character imperatively demands, is precisely suited to the genius of Mr Talbot. He is full of lire and vigor : and the moody contemplative and moralising tits of Hamlet as embodied in his soliloquies, though rendered as finished specimens of elocution, necessarily deprive us of that regularly impassioned flow of feeling which forms so striking a feature in this actor. Occasionally, however, the old fire bursts forth with marvellous effect although, as a whole, the part of Hamlet does not afford such ample scope for impassioned effort as that of Richard the Third. From what we have seen, wo may premise that his Othello would prove a masterly representation, and we have already seen enough to satisfy us that there are few men so capable of powerfully delineating Shakespearian characters as Mr Talbot. During the piece he was repeatedly called before the curtain, to receive the plaudits of his audience. Mr Bartlett sustained the p;vrt_ of Laertes, and rendered it in a manner which won for him the warm approbation of the house. Mr Raynor (whom we congratulate on his return to harness after his severe indisposition) took the part of the Ghost, and was honored with a call before the curtain. Mr Woolfe, as the King, ap r peared to greater advantage than we have yet seen him in any character, and there was a quiet dignity pervading his delineation which he but rarely exhibits. Miss Gassy Matthews acted the part of the Queen admirably ; and Mrs Jackson, the part of the ill-fated Ophelia with good taste and feeling. Mr Sam Howard, in his character of the first gravedigger, aimu.ed the audience immensely. Mr Joyce, too, claims a special word of commendation ; his rendering of the character of the prattling Polonins was very effective, and deservedly applatuled ; whilst Mr White, as Horatio, did his best to make his part respectable. To-night, Mr Talbot will appear again as “ Richard the Third.”

Political. — A correspondent of the Tuapeka Times, writing from Tapanni, says : —The forthcoming election for the Wallace District is causing some stir. Mr J. C. Brown seems to he the favorite candidate in this district. Price of Meat.—The price of sheep is steadily rising, and a consequent rise in mutton may be expected. It is difficult to tell what the cause of this may be, unless the increased consumption since the reduction in price has caused a local scarcity. Many of the runholders have, however, suffered severe losses of stock during ibe winter, and few of the earlier dropped lambs have survived.— Tuapeka Times. The first quarterly meeting of the Otago Licensed Victuallers Association will be held at the Ship Inn this evening, at 7.30, when a full attendance is requested.