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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2458, 2 January 1871, Page 2

New Publication. —We have received a work on prophesy, by Mr Graham. It is a question we do not understand ; but judging from results, we think he knows just as much about interpretation as many men more learned. It is not likely to add much to the fame of the author or to the knowledge of the public. Fire.—An alarm of five was raised a little before eight o’clock on Saturday evening, lire having been discovered in a hayloft at the stables next to the White Horse Hotel, George street. Several numbers of the Fire Brigade, with the apparatus from the Great King street Station, were on the spot before the bell rang, and they were able to keep the flames in check until the largo reels were brought from town, when with a large supply of water the lire was quenched in a few minutes. The damage done was trifling. The cause of the lire is said to have been spontaneous combustion. Presentation.—A number of the ex-High School scholars waited on Mr Abram on Saturday evening last for the purpose of presenting him with a very handsome writingdesk and some books as mementos of his labors at the High School. In returning thanks, Mr Abram said that he was very much gratified at receiving anything which might help to keep him in remembrance of the early days of the school and the scholars who then attended it. He hoped and intended that his absence from the Province would only be temporary ; but in .any case the gifts wou'd serve to show that a kindly feeling existed between his old pupils and himself. The desk bears the inscription, “Presented by some of his late pupils to G. P. Abram, Esq., M.A.” To-day’s Holiday. —As might reasonably have been expected, the various amusements were liberally patronised. The Harbor Company’s steamers run to Portobello atd the Heads during the day, and took down to both places a largo number of excursionists. At the Caledonian gathering was one of the largest assemblages we have seen there for some time. A full report of the games will appear to-morrow.—To-night, the pantomime, to be preceded by the comedy of “Charles the Second,” will be produced at the Princess Theatre ; the Panorama will be exhibited at the Masonic Hall; Qhang at the Old Athenanun; at St George’s Hall th-re will be a concert and dances under the auspices of the Catholic Young Men’s Society, and a ball at the Water of Leith Drill Shed.

The Superintendency.—A deputation of electors—consisting of Messrs Bathgate, Sicvwright, Jago, Prosser, Hawkins, Hugh Caldcr, H. 8. Fish, jun,, Isaac, Barton, Miller, Dobbie, and several other gentleman —waited on Mr Donald Reid on Saturday morning, and presented a numerously-signed requisition to that gentleman, asking him to permit himself to be nominated a candidate for tlie’ollice of Superintendent at the ensuing election. Mr Bathgate in presenting the requisition, said that the electors had been much disappointed in the unfultilment by Mr Macamtrew of the pledges made at the last election, and felt assured that in the event of his (Mr Reid’s) election, of which the deputation felt very sanguine, he would inaugurate a better state of things by the immediate prosecution of reproductive works on a sound footng, and by assisting in obtaining facilities for settlement of population on the waste lands on liberal terms. Mr Reid, in reply, thanked the deputation and requisitiomsts for their flattering request, and said ho felt that the first proof of the requisition to Mr Macandrew, was a challenge to his (Mr Reid’s) party, to test the question now agitating the electors at the coming election. Although he would rather the choice had fallen on some other gentleman holding similar views to himself, he would not shrink from submitting the questions in dispute to the impartial decision of the electors, and felt it to be his duty as evincing bis sincerity in those opinions to respond to this very influential requisition, while he had also the assurance from many friends throughout the Province of hearty sympathy and support. He (Mr Reid) looked upon the construction qf railways and other public works, such as water reservoirs on the goldfields, as an absolute necessity ; but be did not agree to this being done by constructing large works in Provinces where they were not likely to be reproductive. He

should make it his chief point to sec that the laud revenue at least, was locally applied. He assured the deputation that he and his friends would enter into the contest in the spirit of progress, and he had no misgivings of the result.

A Summoned meeting of the A. 1.0.0. F. Pioneer Lodge will be held at the Lodge Rooms, to-morrow (Friday) evening at S o’clock, for installation of officers. The members of the Court Pride of Dunedin, A.0.F., ami Court Royal, arc requested to attend the half-yearly meeting, to be held at the Royal George Hotel, tomorrow evening, at eight o’clock. A meeting of the Standard Property Investment Society for receiving Subscriptions, Ac., will be held at the offices of Society, on Wednesday, the 4th inst., between six and eight p.m. The monthly meeting of the New Zealand Building and Mutual Investment Society for receiving subscriptions is on accouu, of the holidays postponed till Monday the 9th inst. The Harbor Steam Company announce that the Wallace sails for Oatnaru to-morrow (Tuesday), leaving the wharf at 10 a.m. ; the Golden Age for Portobollo and Port Chalmers to-raorrow, leaving the jetty at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. ; and the Maori, for Timaru, Akaroa, and Lyttelton, on Wednesday, the 4th inst.