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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2168, 19 April 1870, Page 2

The Christy Minstrels.—The success of this talented troupe is not in the least doubtful. Notwithstanding the concert at St. George’s Hall and at the Masonic Hall, the house was crowded, and the audience were well rewarded for their attendance. Mutual Improvement Society.— The members of the Dunedin Mutual Improvement Society, hold their second general meeting at 8 o’clock this evening in the lower room of the Athenffium; when we believe the President’s inaugural address is to be delivered, and some modifications of the rules are to be brought forward for consideration. The Lancashire Bellringers.— This evening the ringers take a benefit, and an attractive programme, which includes a speech in the Lancashire dialect by one of the company, is announced. To-morrow evening Mr Eastwood, the manager, takes a benefit, when several novelties will be produced. Caversham Eection. —The nomination took place to-day, four candidates— Messrs M‘lndoc, Cutten, JRobinson, and Graham being nominated. Mr Graham in his speech was more personal and nonsensical than is his work ; hut for nonsense he was outdone by Mr Eohinson, of whose speech we give a rename. The other candidates views have already been reported in our colums. The show of hands was in favor of Mr MTndoe, and the poll will he taken on Monday next. Hackney Carriages. Mr Macdonald, proprietor of the Old Club Stables, has supplied a requirement long needed. He has provided a number of pair horse carriages for hire at a moderate rate of charges, which will be available on the stand between nine In the morning and eight o’clock in the evening. We need say nothing of the convenience of this arrangement for private parties or persons going long distances. We have no doubt that they will be largely availed of. Concert.— A concert and ball were given last evening at St. George’s Hall in aid of the funds of St. Patrick’s band. There were, probably, nearly 400 persons present. The concert may be pronounced a success if considerable allowance be made for the fact that the performers were amateur. Of amateur performances, as a rule, we have not a high opinion, and their success is less frequently attributable to merit iu the performers than to the indulgence of a partial audience. This concert at St. George’s last evening was no exception. There were comic songs without any comic action or feeling ; fits of melancholy, meant for flashes of merriment ; anxious, care-worn faces which were seriously meant to discover minds at ease ; posing at once stiff and unnatural ; movement without grace ; and all the thousand and one anomalies inherent in amateur performances. But wo must not he unjust. If, on the one hand, there was an exhibition of those strongly-marked peculiarities which are not pleasant at these concerts, there were, on the other hand, those whose efforts would have been creditable in professionals, and who redeemed the entertainment from failure, and to whom we were indebted for a good eve. dug’s amusement. Mr F. Hannagan, junior, danced an Irish jig and the clog horn-pipe during the evening in a very creditable manner, calling forth unmistakeable applause. He was favored with encores, to which he gracefully responded. Mr Farrow too, in whom we think we recognise one of the members of

the Dunedin Pm ate Musical Society, and who can therefore be hardly said to bo an amateur, gave “Nil Desperanduin in a ■strikingly effective manner, and was rewarded with great applause. Indeed this song, and “Come into the garden, Maud, by the same gentleman, may be regarded as the important features in the vocal part of the entertainment. He was encored on both occasions, to which, however, he did not respond. But it would be unfair if special reference were not made to Mr Mitchell, who sang two comic songs (one of them in character) with very great confidence, humour, and effect. The chief interest of toe evening however, was centred in the recitations ictidered by Mr Bracken, namely, “The Raven and “Shamus O’Brien.” Mr Bracken possesses a fine rich voice which he happily modulates, and a bold, manly (though perhaps occasionally too hurried) delivery,;] which enable him to produce a pleasing effect upon toe audience. jto ever were two pieces more precisely suited to test the capabilities of a reciter than ‘‘t he Haven” and “Shamus O’Brien,” and Mr Bracken proved in an unmistakeable manner that he was equal to the pathos required by the former, whilst in the latter he discovered a vein of humor which can never fail to awaken toe irresistible laughter of his hearers. Mr Bracken was preeminently happy in both pieces, and was loudly gaud deservedly applauded. At the conclusion of the entertainment toe ball commenced and was kept up witb great spirit until a late hour. Mr H. <l. feproule, toe lion, secretary, and the other gentlemen who were instrumental in providing the concert may be congratulated on the success attending this their first effort. Is it Possible I —The Auckland correspondent of the Hawlces Bay Times is responsible for the following almost incredible statements ;—“The supporters of provincialism,, as they term themselves, but more correctly, the superintendents and their tails, have often complained of toe strictness of the Acts bearing on any illegal expenditure by Provincial Governments. Those Acts are a perfect farce; like some other enactments, they might be of some use if they were carried out, which is never done. From a public document, printed by order of our Provincial Council, it appears that the Auditor for Auckland allowed and sanctioned toe payment of several sums of money, not merely unappropriated for the purpose, but in distinct opposition to the votes of the Council —sums which that' body had distinctly refused to vote, being thus paid. The ex-Superintendent was thus able to pay some of his friends handsomely at the public cost. To one he gave LSO more than his voted salary ; to another 1-100 more ; to another, L 451 odd; to another he advanced L 247 (out of provincial funds) on his note of hand ! One of his officials drew L 95 from the treasury on the pretence of paying a certain hill, and neither paid the bill or refunded the I money, until it was partly or wholly recouped by stopping bis salary each month ! Even more questionable transactions than these could be cited. lam not aware that either of toe Auckland journals has commented on these facts, or indeed, mentioned them; but having been absent from the city, and practically from her journals the greatest part of my time latterly, I cannot be positive on toe subject. •Knighthood v. C.M.C. —The Argtcs, in noticing Mr M'Cullocli’s knighthood, says —We believe that some time since Mr M'Cullocb was offered and declined a Companionship of toe Order of St. Michael and St. George, which distinction was accepted by Mr O’Shannassy and Mr Sladen, but was not good enough for toe great head of the Loyal Liberal party. In a despatch to his 1 Excellency the Governor, wliicb. was received by toe last mail, Lord Granville refers to the distinction which had been conferred on Mr O’Shanassy and Mr Sladen, and then alluding to the case of Mr M‘Culloch, says: —“X am led to suppose that a place in this class of the order has been considered to be equivalent to a Knigh Bachelorship, which, on toe recommendation of my predecessor, was conferred by her Majesty on a late Minister of New South Wales. That is not my own impression. In the British Colonies the rank of Knight Bachelor is, in my opinion, most appropriately conferred, either in connexion with a particular occasion, ®r upon judges and high officers whose duties are unconnected with political party. On such officers it has, in fact, been conferred in Victoria, and somewhat more sparingly in other important Australian colonies. In point of precedence it is no doubt prior to a companionship of any order of knighthood, but it is in no case a step to any higher distinction, and it is in general less significant of peculiar services or personal eminence. Although, therefore, it is difficult to speak confidently, on a point of feeling I have little doubt that in this country a Companionship of toe Bath would, in general, be valued at least as highly as a knighthood by those who arc eligible to it. The Order of St. Michael and St. George is to Her Majesty’s colonial empire what toe Bath is to her civil and military service, and since my acceptance of office I have been most solicitous that every appointment recommended by me should support the character of the Order. My future recommendations to Her Majesty will be in conformity with the principles which I have explained to you. But on the present occasion lam very desirous to avoid anything that could be considered a slight either to Mr M'Culloch or to the influential party which is connected with him in politics.” After requesting that a copy of the despatch may be forwarded to Mr O’Shanassy and Mr Sladen, Lord Granville concludes with this sentence While I am very anxious to avoid any appearance of postponing him to others, I am not less hound to avoid the appearance of postponing them to him. ”

We notice that the last performance of the Lancashire Bellringers is announced to he given to-morrow (Wednesday) evening when Mr H. Eastwood, the manager, will receive a farewell benefit. Miss Dolly Gkeen gave her monologue entertainment last evening at Port Chalmers to a numerous audience, who were so delighted and amused at the many different characters she represented, that at the conclusion of the performance several influential gentlemen pressed her to reppat it this evening, which request she will comply with. The musical portion under the able directorship of M. Fleury was all that could be desired.