The Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2352, 15 October 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1870.

Perhaps few Acts of Parliament passed during the past session have more immediate interest in the present condition of the world than the Militia Bill. Its provisions form part of the plan for the defence of the Colony, and as, with certain specified exceptions, they affect every man between seventeen and fiftyfive years of age, a short account of its provisions will be acceptable. The Act consists of fifty-eight clauses and a schedule, the first three of which are merely formal, and relate to the why the Act was passed, its title, the sense in which certain words are to be used, and the repeal of former Acts, at the same time preserving “ existing liabili- “ ties and Commissions." By the fourth clause it is provided that officers of Militia must be subjects of the Queen, by birth, naturalisation, or oath of allegiance. The Governor of tire Colony is appointed Commander-in-Chief of all the forces of the Colony, with power to convene courts-martial and to carry out their sentences. The sixth clause-provides that all the male inhabitants >of New Zealand, between the ages of seventeen and fifty-five, who have lived six months in the country, shall be liable to serve, with

the exception of Judges, the Executive Council of the Colony, Members and Officers of the General Assembly, Superintendents of Provinces, Colonial Secretaries and Under-Secretaries, Civil Commissioners, the Chairman of the County of Westland, Resident Magistrates, Ministers of Religion, Collegiate Professors ; Members of Provincial and County Councils, during session ; Sheriffs, Constables, Goldfields Wardens, Medical Practitioners, Telegraph Clerks, persons employed in Lunatic Asylums and in tending the sick in Hospitals, Postmasters, Mail Carriers, Government Ferrymen, Officers of the Customs, Schoolmasters, Sailors, Volunteers, and persons afflicted with any infirmity unfitting them for Service. Retired military or naval officers are only required to serve as officers in the Militia equal to the rank formerly held in Her Majesty’s Service. The Aboriginal Natives and their descendants, living in tribes, are also exempt, excepting under certain conditions. The Militia is to consist of three classes, according to age. The first class is to consist of men between seventeen and thirty years of ago ] the second, between thirty anti forty ; and the third, between forty and fifty-five years of age. The appointment of the officers is with the Governor. The North Island is divided into thirty-five Militia districts. No such arrangement has been made in regard to the South ; but power is given to the Governor to constitute districts in the Middle and Stewart’s Islands, comprising not more than 1 GOO square milesin area each. Commanding officers are to be appointed to inspect the Militia and Volunteer forces periodically. The organisation of the force into battalions, with the appointment of officers to each, is provided for in clauses fifteen to twenty-one. The enrolment of the Militia is to be made by an officer appointed, who is required to ascertain, by enquiry at each house or otherwise, the names of persons liable to serve. Copies of this list are to be posted in conspicuous places; and should the name of anyone liable to serve be omitted, he is required to give his name and address to the adjutant or officer commanding within twentyone days after the roll is posted. No erroneous entry of a name is to relieve a person from training exercise or actual service. Disputed cases of liability are to be settled before a Resident Magistrate. The Governor is empowered to require the whole or any part of the Militia force to be trained “ as a “ military force,” upon giving fourteen days’ notice ; but no Militiaman “ shall “ be compelled to attend for training “ or exercise more than IGB hours in “ one year,” Refusing or neglecting to give information, or giving wrong information, as to the uaipe, age, qualifications, and liability of persons to serve by masters or mistresses of houses where they reside ; interrupting or obstructing Militia at muster, inspection, ' or parade ; going or remaining on the parade-ground during parade, after being warned by an officer, subject the offenders to a penalty not exceeding one pound, and the last two offences to arrest by order of the senior officer present. A Militiaman guilty of failing to forward to the proper officer, in wilting, his name' and address, or refusing to take the oath of allegiance, neglecting to attend muster or drill, absenting himself without leave from parade or drill, refusing to obey orders, being insolent to his superior officer, behaving in a disorderly manner whffe on duty, being intoxicated while on duty, or failing to keep his arms, accoutrements, and ammunition in proper order, is liable to be fined one pound for each offence. The thirtyfifth clause renders toll bar-keepers liable to a five-pound penalty for taking toll on animals or vehicles exempted under the Act, and a similar penalty on Militiamen trying to evade toll by false representations. Pawning, exchanging, or giving away arms, accoutrements, or ammunition, and re ceiviug them, are created misdemeanors, and are punishable on conviction by imprisonment for not more than two years. Wo do not know that there is any other provision in the Act that is of general public interest, excepting the forty-second clause, which provides that “ Any Militiaman drafted “ for actual service, who shall produce “ as a substitute a man approved by “ the officer commanding and the medi- “ cal officer in charge,” shall be exempt for one year, unless the whole class to which the substitute belongs shall be taken or drafted for actual service before the expiration of that term. The ordinary time of actual service for a Militiaman is fixed at one year, beyond which no one shall ho required to act until all the men in his class shall have served a like period. There are special provisions made for exceptional cases, which however are not very likely to occur. There only remains one further clause to be noticed, which is that in the event of miners or holders of miners’ rights being called out, their claims and interests in claims and water rights will be projected during their absence.

Political. — Mr H. Driver, M.H.R., will adress his constituents at the North East Valley school house, to night, at 7.30. Princess Theatre. — “ The Unequal Match” attracted a goodly attendance at the Princess Theatre, which was the more remarkable as the concert at the North Dunedin Drill Shed and Major Richardson s lecture divided the amus-uneuts. it was well played. “Jocrosse the Juggler” and the favorite farce, “The Captain’s not-a-Miss,” are announced for to-night. Gaol Return. —The following is the s'ate of H.M. Gaol, Dunedin, for the week ending the l.v.h October, IS7O : Awaiting trial, 6 men. 0 women ; under remand, 0 men, 0 women ; penal servitude, 02 men, 0 women ; hard labor, 53 men, 14 women ; in default of bail, I man, 0 women ; debtors, 5 men total, 157 men, 14 women. Received during the week, 12 men, 1 woman; discharged, 9 men, 1 woman. The Superintendent’s Visit to Southland. — His Honor’s visit to Southland is to be the occasion for a great deal of rejoicing on the part of the 'outhlanders. Already a dejeuner, to be followed by a public ball and a children’s treat, hj ve been settled upon. It was intended to have presented his Honor with an address on his arrival at the Bluff, but the idea has been abandoned. His Honor has been requested by telegraph to extend his visit to Riverton.

Athletic Sports.—The sports under the auspices of the Cricket Clubs this afternoon, attracted au attendance of close upon 400 persons. The following were the results up to four o’clock 100 yards race—Won by Allen. Hurdle iaco, 200 yards—White, 1 ; Muir, 2. 400 yards—MTherson, 1 ; Robertson, 2; won easily. Throwing the cricket hall.—There were four competitors, but the trial was solely between Kettle and Mills. The latter threw close upon 07 yards in his first throw, and in his third 103 yards 2 feet—an unusually good throw. Kettle’s best was about 05 yards.

Lecture. — Major Richardson delivered a Lecture at the Masonic Hall last evening on u New Zealand : Reminiscences of an eighteen years experience.” All the front portion of the house was tilled, and there was a good sprinkling of persons m the hack scats. ffhc lecture was extremely 7 interesting, and was listened to with profound attention throughout. 'The Rev. Mr Granger presided. The object of tbe lecture was to aid the funds of All Saints’ Church. A vote of thanks to the Major was proposed by Mr E. B. Cargill, and carried by acclamation.

The Census. —It lias been the custom hitherto to to take the census of the Colony every third year, the last having been taken in 1867. A short Act was passed during the recent session of the Assembly, in which power is given to the Governor, if so advised, to appoint that the next general census shall be taken in 1870 instead of 1871. In addition to the information which the enumerators have hitherto been required to obtain, the new Act provides that they shall ascertain, in each case, the quantity of wheat, oats, and barley remaining on hand when the form is tilled up. Ihc new Act also provides that, if any person objects to state whether he belongs to any or what religious denomination, the word “ objects may be written in the form opposite the name.

The Suez Mail.—An item in the Dadi/ Times telegrams last week gave our contemporary an opportunity of indulging in a little hit of pleasant irony at the expense of the San Francisco Service. The very Irrge mail ” brought by the Tararua was referred to as being “a striking evidence of the utter failure of that hastily got-up bungle—the San Francisco Service. ” But unfortunately for our c mteraporary, the very large mail via Suez only existed in the imagination of the agent of the Press Telegraph Association ; so that the whole of his deductions fall the ground. The fact is, the mail brought by the Tararua was the smallest qver ibrouglit,to New Zealand, and the Otago portion was the smallest ever received here. Last month .file mails received via ShP? consisted of 960 letters and 3160 newspapers; this month’s contained 712 letters and 3000 newspapers. The bulk of the correspondence will come yia San hj rancisco, which, despite the Daily Times' asseverations to the contrary, is duly appreciated at Home.

CoNCKUT.—The seventh concert, under the auspices ot tpo Kfp’th Dunedin Mutual Improvement v ocicty toqk pLeg last evening at the Drill Shed, and was undoubtedly the most successful of the series, both as regards the quality of the entertainment, and attendance, Besides gentlemen amateurs v.’ho have been heard to advantage on several previous occasions, Misses Edhouse andWehb, and Messrs Mitchell, Cavalier, Warren, and Lyons, gave their assistance. The latter gentleman sang two songs in capital style, “ Kiss me ere I die,” being the best. Mr Marsdeu sang “Thou art so near and yet so far,” in such a style as_ to gain a unamous encore. A clog hornpipe, by Messrs OolJipps and Haunigau formed a feature in the programme, apd Mr Cavaber’s solo on the concertina was hy po ipeans the least successful effort, although we v/epc sorry to see a portion of the audience so demonstrative during a part of Ilia performance. M.iss Edhouse was in excellent voice, and gave her songs very wc II indeed. “ Jeannette and Jcannot” was .charmingly sung, and in response to an encore she gave “ Dermot Asthorc” even better. She also took part >u a duct with Miss Webb, who bye the way. appeared to give every satisfaction. Mr Birch occupied the chair. We Jearn that the Cominittee intend to close the season with a performance in .aid of the funds of the Benevolent Institution,

Port Chaucers, On Wednesday evening the Rev, Alex. Reid, Superintendent of the Wesleyan Dunedin Circuit, gave a lecture on the geology of the hook of Genesis. The chair was taken by the Key, J. W. Bull, After reading the first chapter of Genesis, as far ns the verses describing the creation of man, the lecturer alluded to the interpretations that were put upon the text prior to the commencement of tire study of geology some seventy years ago. This science was charged with contradicting biblical cosmogony, and thus tending to ininlidclity, a charge repelled by the means of the day in no very temperate language. Dr Chalmers, however, considered the statements in Genesis reconcileable with geological facts, and he (the lecturer) considered now, that it was a Christian duty for the instructed to dispel popular ignorance, and to show the wonders of God in Creation. Not long ago the craters of volcanos were popularly considered the mouth of hell, and l here tvrs a legend that the soul of a certain

duko was transported thither after death, preceded by a coach and horses flying through the air; the coachman, from his box, crying lustily, “ Clear the way. ’ It was still believed that the interior of the earth was in a molten state, as the deeper the mine the hotter was the temperature. There was, therefore, groat reason for thankfulness that wo were so far distant from the centre. The reverend lecturer illustrated the different strata, and gave re ‘sons for his belief that the earth had existed for untold and unimaginable periods. He described the different phases through which it had passed, and glanced at the forms of vegetable and animal life that had lived and given place to higher forms. He closed his lecture, which was exceedingly well received, by saying that this progressive organisation bad been a preparation for man, to whom the Bible was given for his guidance. In its account he believed. Captain Thompson moved a vote of thanks, which was carried with enthusiasm.

The Government and the Telegraph. -/-The following is the gist of tho Colonial Secretary’s letter to the Press: — “ The simple facts of the case are that a telegram of a dozen lines or so from the Customs office, at the bluff to tho Commissioner of Customs, containing some of the chief items of English news, unexpectedly reached me at my house about 10 a.m. on the 30th nit. This telegram, as I have since ascertained, was in no way derived from any ISew Zealand Press telegrams. As I had been a few minutes previously asked by the proprietor of the Independent for a copy of any short telegram containing English news that the Government might receive for publication before the Independent's own long telegraphic summary could be received and published, I left a copy of that telegram at the office of the Independent, as I would (if requested) at the office of any other newspaper, My offence, I imagine, is that I did not also leave a copy at the offices of the E renin a Pont and Advertiser. Ido not admit that I was called on to do so, but my chief anxiety was that the astounding news should as quickly as possible reach the public, who would naturally be more anxious about the news itself than about the office in which it was printed / I sec that you also state that Sir Vogel and I monopolised tho wire for a whole night, and during all that time delayed the Press messages in O'dcr that we might have a copy of Mr Stafford’s speech at Timaru. Mr Vogel happened to b ■ at Auckland at the time, and I deny that I monopolised the wire or delayed any message for the purpose which you state.” What has the Daily Times to say after this ? Perhaps it will be no news to our contemporary to know that there is nothing novel or strange in the action of the Government in claiming for their telegrams, in a time of European complications caused by a great war, a precedence over all others, We sec from a Melbourne paper that exactly the same course is to be followed at Adelaide. “ When the next mail via Suez arrives here, telegrams to the different Governments will take precedence of everything else.”# The only wonder is, that they have been so long in adopting it. The Rev. Robert Scriingeour will preach in St. Andrew’s Church, Melville Street, to-morrow morning and evening, at the usual hours.