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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2233, 4 July 1870, Page 2

Tue Financial Statement. —The statement of the Colonial Treasurer, as delivered by him, occupies fifteen columns of closely-printed matter in the Wellington Independent. It has been published as a Parliamentary paper, with a vast number of interesting statistical tables attached. The Tariff.—Wc understand that the petition of warehousemen in Dunedin, {traying for the remission of the increased duty on sofr goods, &c., not cleaved out of bond prior to "Tuesday last, was forwarded to Wellington by the Omeo, and received by the Commissioner of Customs to day.

Ritlk Match.—The ten members of the Wanganui Rifle Association who fired against an Otago team, obtained an average if nearly 37 points. Only seven of the Otago men fired, and they average ! a little over 08 points ; which it was agreed to take for the other three. Our men tired on Saturday week, a miserable day for rifle shooting. Masonic Hall. Those who have not yet heard the bellringers in their pleasing entertainment should not lose tho present opportunity of doiug so. Their stay is limited to two nights, they taking a benefit to-morrow evening. An attractive programme is announced for the evening, and at the conclusion of the entertainment a Mr Lake will exhibit a recently imported telescope, said to be the largest and most powerful in the colony. Parliament House.—A new Parliament House will have to he built next year, the Co onial Architect having reported that the present building will not he safe for many months longer. A sample of one of the joists has been laid on the table of the House ; it is completely destroyed by dry rot, and the roofs were everywhere bulging in. Not a pleasant reflection that a shock of earthquake or a heavy gale might precipitate some 15 tons of slates and heavy rafters on the heads of horn members !

Parliament, —Late telegrams from Wellington state that on the Ist instant, in answer to Mr Hall, the Premier said the Government would be better able to consider the question of ascertaining hy actual experiment the best means .of dressing flax, when tire flax commission reported which ho believed would be in about a fortniuht. In the Council in answer to the Hon. Mr Johnston, the Colonial Secretary said Trickor’s original sentence had been commuted to penal servitude for life, and all the Government would do was to remove the condition imposed in .the previous pardon. Princess Theatre- Miss Rase Evans takes her benefit to-night, and it wjUl be most unprecedented if so attractive an actress is not well supported iu Dnnedia. She is to appear iu the character of Hamlet” this evening. We strongly suspect that her conception of it will prove her to h$ .capable o higher efforts than mere burlesque. At any rats, of this we are certain, that tho Danish prince was never represented in a m re attractive form than he will be to-night. We hope she will have a full house The Maori Prisoners. —The Wellington correspondent of the Daily Time* appeals to the Independent in corroborati n of his account of the appearance of the prisoners, but that journal does not altogether support him. Our contemporary states that of the two first hatches put in the dock, the first five were a fair average sample of Maori physique and intelligence, and all of them seemed to be in an excellent state of health. The succeeding five, however, were a marked contrast to their pi edegessors, ayd with one exception—a well-built and rather ingenuous young Maori of about twenty years of age—were only remarkable for decrepitude. Telegraphic. —lu Lis financial statement the Colonial Treasurer details the way in which bfiO.OOO of the ten-million loan is to be devoted to telegraphic extension. Communication ia to he established with Riverton, N use by, Tort Chalmers with the Heads, Lyttelton with Godley Head, Akaroa, Nelson with the Fort, Wellington with Ponoarrow via Hutt, Patou witii Taranaki, Taurauga with the Thames (two wires), Ouehuuga with Manakau, and Auckland with Kaipara, Wangarei, and Bay of Islands —in all ,1427 miles of wire. A third wire is also to be laid from Dunedin to Christchurch, and a second wire from Christchurch to Hokitika. We believe telegraphic communication with Arrowtown is to he established shortly.

pf Dkank Himself to leath.—A. melancholy account of a man named E. M. Birch drinking himself to death at To Ante, comes from Napier. The evidence on the inquest went to show that deceased had Lien tended at the house of a sawyer named Dyer for some time previous to his death. Dyer’s wife became ill through the fatigue of tending to Birch. For ten days before his death nothing seemed to stop on his stomach. Dyer said in hia evidence During the time he has been with us ho has drank on an average two Iv dtlcs of sherry in the day. Sometimes he would change his drink, and take three-parts full of a hj >l t e of rum or brandy in place of the wine. The verdict was, “Died of excessive drinking.”

Flax.—A table published shows the value of flax exported since 1866, and it is gratifying to observe that the increase in this branch of our exports continues. In 18(56, the value of flax exported was L 996 ; in 1867; LT,256 ; in L45,!M6 : and for the March quarter of the

present'yenr, L 39,134. During, the quarter Canterbury exported L 15,930 worth, being nearly as much as it exported during the whole of the previous year. Auckland, L 13.246 worth ; Wellington, L 3842, three times as much as it exported the previous year; and Otago, L.3,922, against L3.09S worth exported during 18i>9. Political.—A few days ago we stated that Mr Ba' ff, M. H. I*., for Westland South, does not intend to resign his seat, as was announced. The Argun gives an ex planation of the matter;—“ The Xcw Zenland Gazette, of 15th June, contains the notification of the appointment of Mr Edmund BarfT to the Warden’s Clerk at the Kanieri. We learn that after all the intriguing that has taken place, by telegram, between Mr BarfT and the General Government as to his appointment, that he lias not resigned Ids seat in the Assembly for Westland South. After he received the promise of the Warden s < clerkship he asked that his appointment might be delayed for a few days. He then requested the Government to appoint a Sub-Warden, which was refused on the ground that there were no other gold fields’ officers who had a prior claim. He consented to accept the minor position of a clerkship, but immediately afterwards telegraphed to Wellington, ‘That there was great excitement about his not going to the Assembly, and demanded a reply at once.’ Tiie General Government were so disgusted at his conduct that they would not reply t<> Jus message. Even supposing lie now proceeded to Wellington, he will have no influence in the Assembly, while, at the same time," he has bean acting in a most disgraceful manner towards his constituency of Westland South.”

A meeting of the Standard Property Investment Society, for receiving subscriptions, &c , will bo hold at its offices on Wednesday evening between G and 8, On Wednesday evening a public meeting will be held in the Odd Follows Hall, to consider the advisability »f forming aoo operative store. It will be seen that Mr Hawthorne and Mr Bathgate purpose being present, and giving their assistance.