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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2350, 13 October 1870, Page 2

Notice to {jorrespondents. —The letter from Josiah Shortfceard shall appear to-morrow. Naval. —We understand that the Naval Brigade have received from the Government the s m of L2OO to enable them to complet: the gun boat now being constructed. The Approaching Match.—The interest taken in the race for LIOO a-side, io be run on the 22nd instant, at Oarnaru, seems to bo considerable in sporting circles of both town and country. Captain Scott is looking splendid, and wo believe the odds offering now in his favor are as much as three and four to one, but the marc’s (Colleen Bawn) backers arc backward in coming forward.

Acclimitisation Society. The Acclimatisation Society met this afternoon at the City Council Hall. Present:—Mr W. D. Muris'in, in the chair; Messrs Lode-, Carrick, Hepburn. Turton, and the manager. Mr Murison reported that, on Friday fast, the 7th instant, he, in the presence of the manager, counted out the fish hatched from the ova recently brought from Hobart Town, and that there were 142 sea trout and 1084 brown trout hatched, and three ova still to hatch out. The manager reported that since that time the remaining tin ea _ had been hatched, and couseipi ntly not a single ovum had proved barren. Two letters were read, one from Mr J. W. Worthington, and another from Mr C. W. Adams, h'o.nc accounts were passed,, and the meeting adjourned. North Island Cormorants. An Auckland correspondent of the Hawke's Bail Humid writes to that journal as follows The war news has upset all calculations here. Numbers on the look out for billets are very bitter against the powers whose “little game” has so inopportunely crossed theirs. The unfortunate Treasurer has to barricade himself, and leave liis private s cretary to guard the approaches against the swarm of suppliants whose expectations have been raised by the big loan, and big billets—or small ones—hoped for in connection with it. Aspiring emigration agents, railway officials, surveyors, engineers, and active stock and money brokers, are hanging about the Government Buildings, watching the chance of attack on the attractive person of the Colonial Treasurer. What the feeling will be when the hard truth and harder disappointment have to be faced, I can’t pretend to say. But the guns of Wcisseuburg will drown the cry and cover the Treasurer’s retreat, no doubt.

Princess Theatre. repeated last evening to a fair bouse, but certainly not to so many as we should like to have seen there. We cannot help thinking that the absence of a class who could well appreciate the true meaning of “ Ca-to,” and the artistic truth with which it is rendered by the perform iv, is owing to a wish to know how the stage is now conducted. In this respect, the most fastidious would be satisfied. The company is above the average in ability, the scenery is above the average in beauty, and thus far the pieces produced have been far beyond average interest. “Caste” is a historic study. In it we have brought before us very strikingly the class feelings that characterise English society and nature ultimatclv over-riding them. Aristocratic pride finds Its repsesentativo in the Marchioness de St. Maur, who can coolly boast of the ladies of her family buckling their husbands’sword belts upon them, and without an outward emotion devoting them to military glory or to death. This the trusting, doatiug wife drafted from the middle class attempts, but faints in the effort. Yet she too can play the heroine when her husband’s memory is concerned, and be firm and haughty in her poverty and integrity. In contrast to the influence that love has upon the conduct of the higher caste, is the everyday courtsldp of the goodhearted Polly Pedes and Sam Gcrriilge—the tradesman’s caste. Polly is the very girl for the tradesman, who, in his way, is quite as likely to make Polly happy as George D’Alroy her sister. Hidden beneath his every-day habits of work and money netting, in spite of a few trading tricks, is a vein of sturdy morality and good feeling that leads to rough benevolence and very demonstrative joy, The political drunkard caste has its type in Old Eccles. Although we have before commented on the manner in which each part was played, rye cannot help again expressing our admiration of Miss Cany Oeorgc’s refined and natural rendering of Esther Lccles, and the equally truthful perception of the verv different character of her brave, goodhumored, kind hearted, less polished, but yet admirable sister Polly Eccles by Mrs Edwin Dryer. Mr Musgrave’s SainG on-idge and Mr 11. W, Lawrence’s Old Evcles are perfect in their way. It would have been easy to have rendered the piece disgusting, if to the drunkenness of Old Eccles vulgarity on the part of the actor had been added. But Mr Lawrence’s good taste, notwithstanding the perplexity of the situation, saved him from that, and through the strong contrast of “ Caste,” when all the actors were brought before the audience on the flual tableau the -scene was amusing as well as instructive. Wo regret that “ Caste has not had a longer run, and hope that at some future time it may he repeated, when wo feel certain its merits as a work of high art will ho recognised 'by persons of .every caste in Dunedin flocking to see it. To.-night, Tom Taylor’s comedy “The Unequal Match,” is to he played, and “My Neighbor’s Wife” as the afterpiece. We need say nothing of the merits of th,e piece, but as the cast is strong, we anticipate a treat. Supper. —The third anniversary of the Local Alexandra Lodge, A.1.0.0. E., was celebrated by a supper at the Old Masonic Hall last evening, at which .nearly ninety gentlemen sat down. The room was tastefully dteopated, and the supper supplied in Host Wain’s best style. The I’. W.P G M Rro. B. C. Haggitt occupied the chair, and N.G. Bro. J. Braithwaite the vice-chair, and amongst the company we noticed his Worship the Mayor and Mr T. Birch, M.H.E. After the good things provided had been done justice to, -the usual loyal toasts were given, and were succeeded by those of “His Excellency the Governor,” “ His Honor the Superintendent and Executive, “ His Worship the Mayor and City Council,” which were well received and responded to._ In responding to the toast of “ Tho Provincial Grand Lodge,” the chairman’ remarked that to himself belonged tho honor of being the first Oddfellow under the Ancient Order made in Now Zealand. At the time he was initiated there were only five members of the Order here—four of them being members of a Victorian lodge and one of a Tasmanian lodge. They met on tho first occasion at the Queen’s Arms i : otel, in Princes street, and at their second meeting he was seized hold of by one of the members, dragged in, and •Initiated much against his will. He then looked upon the thipg as absurd, joined it just for the fun of the thing, hut he aftcrfound it was mcie serious than he imagined. In the course of time no was appointed to the lowest office In the Order, and in eighteen months had worked himself up to the highest attainable in the Lodge It was a splendid institution/ and a J edge, if properly managed, was capable of dn;;;g a great amount of good. He thought it only required that the amount of good effected by the order might be publicly known as It was in America, and to a great extent in Victoria, to become a leading institution in jibe

place. vSincc its starting, the Order had increased to an almost incredible extent, considering that only about seven years had elapsed since that time. Then the !, r.lcr coinpri-'-ed live members, himself he.,,,; the six: It ; it now numbered seven nrL- s pi tbe Middle Island alone, besides m-lgcs in the North Island with nearly 1000 members. If fifty individuals, with the small amounts they wore able to contribute, ctlectcd so much good as they had, what must be the amount of good which lodges numbering 101)0 men, with subscriptions increased in proportion, were capable of doing, lie had seen men reduced to a most abject state of poverty ; and afterwards come very reluctantly to the funds of thelod.e and receive assistance, had medical attendance provided for them and their families, and eventually they had been restored to health, and supported until they were sufficiently strong to go out to their usual avocations, owing their salvation, if he might so term it, to the circumstance of their having been members of an Oddfellows’ Lodge. Hd was not speaking fables, but facts wlncn could be verrilied. Instance) of this kind occurred four years ago, in connection witly the Pioneer Lodue, and could be substantiated by many present. Their lodges bad now adopted the American constitution, and were in correspondence with lodges all over the world. In America alone there were known to be three millions of Oddfellows, an I any member of a New Zealand order, in travelling through the States, would be received as a friend and a brother in America ; he would he received on terms of friendship, intimacy and brotherhood by nearly three millions of men. This was a largo benefit to he derived simply from belonging to the order in New Zealand. Another advantage was that they now admitted to a degree of the order the wives of members. One groat objection to the order in the eyes of ladies was that there was something secret in it which they were not allowed to know ; that was removed, and he might say the privilege had been availed of by 17 ladies. They were now working in the interests pt the order, and it spake well for the order that they found enough in it to hit rest them. They had now "for the first time in New Zealand a grand lodge, which had the management of the affairs of the order so far as 'ew Zealand was concerned. Previously it had to be done through the Grand Lodge of Victoria, to which a goodly proportion of the funds subscribed here had to go for distribution there. Now the funds remained here, and were distributed here. This was a great advantage, and was a great stride towards progress, as it enabled the order to carry out its functions more effectually.—The report of the secretary was then read, and from it wo learn that the number of members is 43, and for nine months but slow progress had been made, owing possibly to some of the laws of the new constitution being unsuitable to this community. But since the grand lodge had made the necessary alterations, the lodge had progressed beyond the expectations of the most sanguine. Within the last three months 28 candidates had been proposed, of whom 15 had been initiated. The receipts for the year were L 145 0s 10d, the expenditure LD4 Is 7d, leaving a balance of LSI IDs 3d, which added to L4O, cash in hand from previous years, gives a total credit to the lodge of L9l, or LSO IDs 3d in excess of the balance for the previous year. The committee 'reported that the financial position was very satisfactory, taking into consideration the outlay for regalia necessary for the proper carrying out of the new constitution, heavy drains lately on the sick fund, and the depression the lodge labored under during the first nine mouths. The other toasts were “Pioneer Lodge,” “Sister Lodges,” “Past officers of the Alexandra Lodge,” “The Fire Brigade,” “The Press,” and “The Ladies.” In proposing the toast of the Fire Brigade, the Chairman mane an appeal on behalf of the Brigade's library fund, and promised to contribute L 5 worth of hooks himself. The evening was spent in a very enjoyable manner. Mu Birch will address the electors this evening, at the Masonic Hall, at 8 o’clock. It wall be seen by our advertising coin ns that the steamer Beautiful Star will convey excursionists to Timaru in time for the Agricultural Show at single fares for the. dou’ole journey. '1 he steamer will sail from the Eattray street Jetty to morrow evening at 7p. m. The Maori is also advertised to make a special trip. The advestigements give particulars. We have been rocjuested to draw attention to the programme, published in another column, of the entertainment that is to he held to-morrow evening, in the North Dunedin Drill Shed. It is large and varied, and promises to be the best yet produced by the association. These entertainments have proved hitherto a great success._ This is now ' the seventh, and in all probability the last of this season. We have, thcrefo e, every confidence in predicting a large attendance.