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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2089, 15 January 1870, Page 2

m—— i- -♦ rr ” 1 * at the Mayor’s Court this day may he considered nil, there being only one case of “ drunk,” which was dismissed. Canterbury Races, Derby and Calcutta Sweeps are announced to come off at the Empire Hotel on Monday evening. A full list of the entries will be found in another column. Academical. —We perceive from an advertisement that Mr Swire has determined to establish a hoys’ school, of a high class, at Caversham. The want of a school of this description was much felt in that district, and will doubtlessly be fully appreciated by the residents. Princess Theatre. —Some of the members of this company have, wc are informed, taken the Christchurch Theatre, whither they proceed in a few days. That their enterprise will Ire eminently successful we have little doubt, and we are sure that the good wishes of Dunedin will accompany them in their tour. It is expected they will be absent about a month. Cricket. —The return match between the Albion (Dunedin) and [the Tokoinairiro Clubs came off on the Dunedin Cricket Ground yesterday. The Albion eleven scored in their tirst innings 31, and in the second innings 47, making a total of 81. The Tokomairiro team made in their first innings SO, thus winning in one innings, with 8 runs to spare. The members of the Albion Club invited their antagonists to a supper, which was held in Batson’s Royal Hotel. Conference of Goldfields Wau-nj-.KS.—The Report- of the conference of the Goldfields Wardens upon the reforms reforms required for the hotter management of the mining districts, has been received by the Government, It is an elaborate document. It is too lengthy to ho published even in a condensed form in our present issue. The Late Mr Balfour.—The hotly of this gentleman was this afternoon taken to its long homo, and deposited in the same grave as that in which the late Mr Thos. Paterson was interred. The funeral procession started from the Government Buildings shortly after three o’clock. It comprised many of the members of the Government, officials, professional men, merchants, and others. All the shipping in port had their flags half-mast, and many of the shops in the line of road to the cemetery were closed. Theatrical. The complimentary benefit to Miss Anna Fordo and Mr M. Forde will he given at the Masonic Hall on Monday evening next. The programme promises a diversified entertainment, and several lady and gentleman amateurs have volunteered their services for this occasion. As Mr and Miss Forde leave Dunedin on Tuesday next, we expect a large and brilliant audience on Monday evening to give them farewell. Gaol Return.—The fallowing is the state of Her Majesty’s gaol, Dunedin, for the week ending January 15 :—Awaiting trial, 6 men, 0 women; under remand, 0 men, 0 women ; penal servitude, 98 men, 0 women ; hard labor, 34 men, 17 women ; imprisonment, 2 men, 0 women ; in default of hail, 0 men, 0 women ; debtors, 2 men, 0 women ; total, 142 men, 17 women. Received during the ■week, 7 men, 4 women; discharged, 7 mep, I woman,

All Saints’ Church. —A' meeting of the parishioners of 'All Saints) Chprch, North Dunedin, was held on Thurday-jßVon-ing last. Mr D’Arcy Haggitt brought up the financial statement, which wak considered 'liighly satisfactory. ‘ The following gentlemen wore appointed office-bearers for the current year ; — Mr T. Hall, Minister s Ohuvchwardon : Air D’Arcy Haggitt, Parish Churohwarden ; and Messrs J. F. Watson, A. D. Lubecki, H, Lakeman, W. M. Hodgkins, M. W. Hawkins, W. D, Smith, and J. Fuller, as Vestrymen.* " The Middle District School. —A dramatic and musical entertainment by the pupils of the Middle District behool, took place at the Post Office Hall, on triday evening last. The youthful performers acquitted themselves liighly creditably, and the whole entertainment was a decided success, although owing to the unfavorable state of the weather the attendance was not as large as bad been expected. After the concert the room was cleared*, and dancing was commenced and kept up until an early hour this morning. Postal. —ln a circular issued from the General Post-office, and dated Jan. 1, postmasters are informed that, in future, correspondence for the United Kingdom may be forwarded “’via Brindisi!” and any letters or newspapers specially’dircctcd “via Brindisi” will he forwarded by that route in a mail addressed to London, with the words ‘ A'ia Brindisi ” very legibly marked on it. The postage on letters for the United Kingdom “ via Brindisi” will ho -When not exceeding half an ounce Is 3d ; when exceeding half an ounce and not exceeding one ounce, 2s. (id ; when exceeding one ounce and not exceeding two ounces, 5s ; and so on increasing at the rate of 2s Gd for every additional ounce or fractional part of an ounce. Newspapers will ho liable to a charge of fouvpence for every four ounces. The postage on letters and newspapers must ho paid iu advance. A Windfall for Auckland. — An Auckland contemporary understands that the sum of U52,000 was paid into the Provincial Treasury recently by the General Government, being the amount of refund of interest and sinking mud due to this province. “ This timely addition to the provincial funds will he peculiarly acceptable now that the Council is shortly to he called together, as it will enable the Provincial Government to appropriate the greater portion of the ordinary revenue, for ; current requirements ; while the sum just paid into the Treasury will be available either for roads and bridges in the country districts, or to be invested as an endowment for education. Wc believe that, out of the L 52,000, at least LIB,OOO is cash ; while, of the remaining L37,GGO, at least L 15,000 is represented by negotiable securities. ” The Stamp Duties Act.—A correspondent, signed “Tradesman,” writes—- “ Arc the revenue stamps formerly in use now valueless, and stamped paper necessary to render an agreement or a receipt a legal document; and if so, what am I to do with the stock of stamps I now hold.” We "would recommend our correspondent to apply to the Stamp Office as to what to do •with the stamps in stock. That their use has been prohibited there is no question. As to the nature of the documents required to be put on stamped paper, the .previous Acts iflquueu me sv imping or any receipt or discharge for or on payment of any sum of money of the amount of L 5 and upwards j” and the Act of IflOO declares that those words shall be taken to mean and to include ‘ ‘ any note, memorandum, or writing whatever, given to any person for or upon the payment of money, whereby any sum of money, debt, or demand, or any part of any debt or demand therein specified, and amounting to L 5 or upwards, shall he expressed or acknowledged to have been paid, settled, balanced, or otherwise dischai’ged and satisfied, or which shall import or signify any such acknowledgment, and whether the same shall or shall not be signed with the name of any person. ” . The 18th Regiment. —The Southern Cross, sth hist., says The hand of the 18th Regiment, onMouday evening last, gave a farewell hall, to which they had invited a number of civilian friends. The whole affair was highly creditable to the committee entrusted with the necessary preparations. The spacious hall-room iu the Albert Barracks was profusely and tastefully decorated with flags and evergreens, the former having been kindly lent for the occasion by some of the captains of ves els iu harbor. The civilian invitauts attended in considerable numbers, and the assemblage was altogether of a most respectable character. Refreshments were liberally provided, and the arrangements for the comfort and enjoyment of the guests evinced the greatest attention on the part of the committee. Much of the success which attended the affair is duo to the liberality of Colonel Elliot and the officers, who have always assisted the hand iu these social reunions. Arsenic in Sccak.—The following letter from the Government Analyst, Mr Skcy, is published in the New Zealand Gazette of Dec. 30 :—ln compliance with your directions, I have the honour to describe the simple process, referred to in my report upon the Poisoned Sugar No. 734, for the detection of arsenic by water .in certain sugars said to have been lately imported. For this, it is first necessary to state that, of those sugars which are arsenical, the more dangerous are in parts much discoloured ; iu such, there are a great many soft lumps of a much browner colour than {the rest of the sample. Iu this process, a few of these brown lumps are picked out and put in a quantity of water, sufficient or nearly so to take up the whole ; about three parts of sugar, by weight, to one of water will do, but there is no necessity to weigh. The vessel containing the mixture is shaken round to mix the contents properly, and when all or the greater part of the sugar disappears, the sohitiou of it is allowed to remain undisturbed a few minutes, and its state afterwards observed. If it has at all a clouded, turbid, or muddy appearance, like that of water containing white clay in suspension, the sugar used is certain or almost certain to contain arsenic—at least a proper chemical examination is requisite. What should he the proper appearance of the solution I need, not describe, further than to state that ft should he nearly or quite transparent, according to the quantity of dust that may have gone in along with the sugar; hut it is best in any doubtful case, or perhaps best at the outset to prepare a solution of the same quality of sugar known to be safe for comparison. If arsenic is present to a dangerous extent iu the sample being

tested, the contrast afforded by the appearance of the two solutions, respectively ‘Will he too striking to admit overlooked. This mode of testing sugar -for ar?enic isoorf r course only applicable when-a part of the arsenic is in a condition to give this turbidity ; and as this is a condition which exists in all the more dangerous samples of sugar I have hitherto tested ; I therefore urge its employment by those who have sugars in their possession discolored and mottled in the manner I have described. ’ Southland. —The Southland Times, llth Jan., in an article inquiring what is the benefit Southland has derivodfromthe reunion movement, says “Is it because Otago has too many of what she may consider her own legitimate claims to attend to, that she does not come down with the required amount to free us from our difficulties ? Or is it that the General Government refuse to guarantee to refund—in case the measure should break down in the Assembly—the expenditure that would he incurred on our behalf ? Information on these points is wanted by the public, for we cannot for a moment suppose that our local Government, which notoriously took office for the express purpose of being the ‘undertakers.’ of the Province, can have so long neglected, what its supporters must needs consider the chief object of its existence. The long-suffering patience of our community is something really remarkable ; hut we would take occasion to remind those in ‘authority that there is a point beyond which it is not safe to try it.” - The same'paper reports : —-Since the heavy rains of the beginning of last week, rumors of swollen creeks and rivers, in some instances accompanied with considerable damage,,have been reaching town from the various inland districts. From the Mataura we hear that the river has reached a greater height on this o 'casion than for many years past. So rapid indeed was the rise, and so swift the current, that at one time some fears wore entertained for the safety of the new bridge at the falls, the water having at one time stood within a couple of feet of its roadway. The Makarewa also poured down an unusual Hood, carrying heavy timber, which got foul of the Wallacetown bridge, and jeopardised its stability. The Oreti was also much swollen, and overflowed its hanks in several places. In the Riverton district, the flood was also very heavy, the rush of water from the Aparima being so strong that the James Paxton was compelled to remain at her moorings inside, though ready to proceed to sea. We notice by advertisement that the members of the Pioneer Lodge, No. 1, A.1.0.0.F., are requested to attend the funeral of the late Mrs J. Crosbie, which leaves the residence, Hanover street, tomorrow (Sunday), at 2.30 p.m. A meeting of the Directors of the Caledonian Society of Otago, is announced to he held at Wain’s Hotel on Monday evening at 8 o’clock. The Burns’ Anniversary Committee will meet at 8.30.