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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2348, 11 October 1870, Page 2

The Courts.—We believe to-day is the first time since the Mayor’s Court was established that, not being a public holiday, business came before either the Resident Magistrate or his Worship. On Bit.—We understand that the patent steam brick manufactory and potteries at the Water of Leith, lately belonging to Messrs J. W. Hutchinson and Co., have been purchased by Mr Wclham, It is Ins ; intention to carry out the works to the fullest extent of their capacities. He received a silver medal for pottery wave at the International Exhibition in Loudon in 1802, and a bronze jncdal for the same at tbe Intercolonial Exhibition, Melbourne, in 1807. The Athen.eum. — About 7.Q volumes of new books arc now on tlie table of. the Atherueum, and will bo feady for distribution In a few clays. They include “ The Monks of the West,” by Moiitalainberfc ; “History of the Ereuch devolution, 1759,” from the German ; ‘ ‘ The life of Sir Charles Kapier “ Woman’s Worth and Culture, by Josephine C. Buller ; “ Maine’s Ancient Law;” ‘‘The Polar World;” “ Molicufar; and Microscopic Science j” besides a variety of Others of passing or permanent interest.

Bell Ward.—The election took place to-day. Mr Mansfield has been returned by a majority of 13 ; the numffcTrs being—Mansfield, 215 ; Woodland, 202. Not bad for the Evening Post.— A good many people have wondered why Mr Dillon Be.ll’s Court suit was charged to the Colony, while the suit ordered for and used by Dr. Featherston wr.s taken back by the tailor, at a reduction. ’i bis rather difficult question in political economy, has been solved by an ingenious gentleman, who, being well versed in the habits of our public men, declares that it was hopeless to expect that Dr. Featherston’s coat would lit anyone but the Doctor himself. Mr Bell’s well-known versatility, and habit of frequently changing his coat, pointed him out, however, as a most suitable model for a Court suit, 1) bo the property of the Colony, and to be used from time to time by the representatives of the Colony at home. As Mr 801 lis well known for liis great skill in fitting himself to any coat which he may consider it desirable to wear, it was not unnatural to supposo*tbat he might, by bis temporary occupation of the Court suit, communicate to it the secret of adapting itself to circumstances. Presentation. The members of the Hope of Otago, Division No. 71 of the Sons of Temperance, recently established in Port Chalmers, held a meeting on Wednesday evening, the sth instant, for the purpose of presenting Captain Welch, of the barque Union, with a handsome album containing the portraits of the members of t'.;e order in Port Chalmers and an address, beautifully written on vellum and tastefully ban fid with red, white and blue ribbons, emblematical of the order (the work of some lady friends of the temperance cause), as a small token of their esteem, and in recognition of his services as Deputy Grand W.P. in opening the division, the first of the order in New Zealand. The brethren assembled having partaken of an c cellent tea, the W.P. Bro. G. L. Asher, in a few appropriate remarks, presented Bro. Welch, acting D.G.W. P., with the album and address. Bro. Welch, in a very neat speech, returned thanks to the. brothers, stating that he esteemed it a gcenjt honor to have been the means by which tiff Sons of Temperance Society had been planted in New Zealand, and trusted that the society would go on and prosper and he the means of doing much good. After a few hours pleasantly spent in singing, &c., the evening’s entertainment was brought to a close.

Princess Theatre. Robertson’s play of “Caste” was produced for the first time in Dunedin last evening to a very wellattended house, the lower portions being particularly well filled. It belongs to a class of pieces more properly termed the domestic drama. Its construction is admirable, and but for one or two glaring inconsistencies, to which we shall refer presently, would have been perfect. The plot is of more than ordinary interest, and is worked out in a most succint manner; the situations are striking in the extreme, and the language is written in that easy and for the most part terse and epigrammatic style for which all the plays by the same author are noted. We did not see the play in its entirety last evening, and ther fore cannot give so full a sketch of the plot as we could have wished. Briefly stated, it is this: Joshua Eccles is one of •those ne’er-do-well fellows, once no doubt an industrious mechanic, but whose drunken habits have reduced him and his family to very straightened circumstances. His tvyo daughters earn their living by the ballet, and one of them (Mary) ultimately becomes the wife of George D’Elroy, the son of the noble house of St Maur ; while the other (Polly) is the adored of a good-natured plumber, Samuel Garryle. All this is revealed by the first act, and in the. second we find the billet girl assuming her proper place in the drawing-room of her husband, The latter and his friend, Captain Hawtrec, a capital specimen of the Dundreary type of swell, both belong to the army, and arc ordered out to India to fight its battles. Before bis departure D’Elroy is visited by his mother, the Marchioness, whose opinion shortly is, that to marry out of one’s sphere in life is to loso cast altogether, With Froissart at her lingers’ ends, she reads her son a lecture on his duty as a soldier and a son, which leads to him introducing to her his wife, who for the first time hears from an adjoining room of his intended departure from England, ami faints thereat, and in that condition is brought into her mother-in-law’s presence. Of course the indignation of the latter at her son’s mesalliance knows no bounds, and with the closing of the act, the audience is left to infer tbsj,t Ma'-y is brokenhearted, that D‘Elroy has left for India haring made due provision for the support of his wife in his absence. But the money so left falls into the hands of the drunken father wlxo squanders it, the family is again r ducedin circumstances, and the two women arc again forced to take to the stage. The father, unknown to Mrs D‘Elroy, writes to the Marchioness for assistance, and she deigns to visit them, but only offers to render it on comlition that she is allowed to bring up the child of her son, for an heir lias been borne to him since Jiis leaving England. It must be stated that D-Ejroy is now mourned by his wife as lost, for it is given out that be was captured by brigands and sufficient time has elapsed to warrant the belief in his death. Toe Marchioness’s offer ;s indignantly rejected, but Mrs D’Elroy’s sufferings a n not of long continuance, for her husband' shortly afterwards arrives on the scene, he having escaped from the hands of the brigands, and all ends happily, the stumbling block, the drunken father, being removed through the good offices of Hawtree, whom by the way, active service appears to have b/].d the influence of converting from a languid swell into a throrougbly good natured kind gentleman. Even the Marchioness, with her lofty notions of the rhdits and duties of the nobility sinks them completely, and consents to receive as her daughter the once ballet girl. And this is the glaring weakness of the play ; in the 11*0*1 inconsistent manner possible, the marchioness is made to rush upon the stage, and *ofc the part so necessary to a successful e uo;o'iement. The part of Mary Eccles is one in whi.,li Miss George appears to considerable advantage. Her assumption of the character was natural in the cxtroin -; and in the musical scenes in the second and third acts, more especially in the interview with the Marchioness, her acting was marked with much power and feeling. Mrs Bryer filled the part of Folly Beeler., and she played it exceedingly well, and the not important part of the Marchioness was carefully played by Mia; Bushe. Mr Lawrence as Joshua Eccles, had a pare lie eyjdeutly relished. Its shades were splendidly 'pourtrayed, the ruling passion beiiig always kept m the foreground.

The drunken scenes were well managed, but we think their effect would be enhanced of a little less of the grotesque were omitted. The character, to our thinking, is that of Sam Garrigle. He is an indispensable part of the principal situations, and while the comic element is to a large extent developed in him, the best points are entrusted to his care. It is almost needless to say that in Mr Musgravo’a hands none arc lost. His denunciations of the pseudo working-man s 1 ‘ friend, ’ which iicclos assumes to be, but who is a “loaft, r” in reality, were admirable, and properly appreciated. Mr Collier played carefully and well as D’Elroy, and Mr Metcalfe made quite a hit as the swellish Hawtree in the earlier scenes. The piece has be in very carefully placed on the stage, and should enjoy a run. Its first representation was a decided success, the artists receiving a call at the end of nearly every act. The afterpiece was “ The Peep-Show Man,” but of it we will speak on another occassion. We observe that the Loyal Alexandra Lodge, A.1.0.0.F., hold their anniversary to morrow evening, at the Old Masonic Hall, when they purpose commemorating it with a supper. The tickets arc fixed at such a reasonable rate as to exclude no member from participation in the entertainment, aud we may therefore fairly anticipate a pleasant reunion.