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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2527, 23 March 1871, Page 2

The Shooting Season. —On the Ist of April next the shooting season commences, and our local sportsmen will no doubt be glad to find the time so near at hand when they will he privileged to wage war on the feathery tribe, yelepet native game, for the following three months. Electro-Biology.— Captain C. H, Wilson gave his first mesmeric seance at the Masonic Hall last evening to a not very numerous audience. His lecture on mesmerism was attentivelyj listened to, and at its conclusion he placed a number of subjects completely under the influence, causing them to perform those ludicrous acts which only a mesmerist can succeed in making them do. The lecture will be repeated this evening. Good Shooting. —At the Provincial prize firing with carbines, at Opepe, Mr (leoigc Blake, who was for two years a representative at the Colonial contests, nmle the remarkably high score of 5S points. The five shots at 100 yards were all bull’seyes —giving a score of 20 ; of those at 200, four were bull’s-eyes and one a centre—total 1!); of the five at 300, two were bull’s-eyes, three centres, and one an outer—l 9. This is the highest score we remember seeing on record in the Colony,

Eking a*Gentleman. —Mr Carleton, in his election address, is reported to have said : -“Another charge brought against him was that he was proud of-being a gentleman. The charge was sufficiently nonsensical, but, under what was nearly universal suffrage, might he damaging In the first place he knew of nothing more vulgar than any assumption of the sorb. But it di Iso happen that, from the time of his arrival in the Colony, he had s’eaclily tcfused to recognise the difference between man and man, except in honesty, character, and ability. lie believed in a real aristocracy, but utterly repudiated a sham one in a Colony. What offence he had given was inexactly the opposite dircction—to the mushrooms—by one unfortunate expression ; that ‘ he had no eye for microscopic distinctions.’ But he would ask them what they understood the word ‘ gentleman ? ’ If they meant ‘ flue gentleman,’ that was a variety of the breed for which he. had as great a dislike as any one. Hut by the word ‘ gentleman,’ lie understood a man who was truthful, fearles-, faithful to his friend, unselfish, thinking of his neighbor before himself; his hand ever ready to redress a wrong ; courteous to all alike, but merciless to falsehood, meanness, and trickery. He had known gentlemen in all classes, and blackguards in all classes ; and he did not scruple to say that he hated a blackguard with .all his heart. ”

The Si’EAKEhship. Six hundred a year, and a probable knighthood open for comiK.tition amongst the members of the House of Representatives. buch is the present stitc of affairs, for the first duty of the new Hotisc will be to elect a Speaker, and Sir David Munro, the late Speaker, although r :-cloctcd a member, has positively declared that he will not accept the Speakership again, if offered to him. AVho is th:-re to be Speaker ? The office requires many special qualifications ou the part of the aspirant. He must be patient, Iu- ho has to sit quiet and to listen to everything ; he must be firm, and decided, for lie has to keep Mr Vogel and other exuberant spirits in order ; he must lie well read in Parlia-m-.ntary law, for there arc some three-score incmbejs ever on the watch t > k:ep him tripph g ; In- must he impartial, for he has olten t > hold the balance betwe.n parties, and he must be personally irrepro ich ihle in manners and behavior, for on him to a great, extent too rcspeeta'dlity and ord rof the House depend. Then, who is to be Speaker ? The new members arc, of course, out ot the question ; and amongst the old ones who have been rc-elcctcd there Is only one gentleman whose claims to and qualifications for the office would be generally admitted. The gentleman we refer to is Mr Dillon Bell; and, judging from some observations made during his rc eut election, it is, we think, more than probable that the Government will nominate Mr Hell, and that he will accept the office. 'I he rejection of Mr Carleton by the Bay of Island electors will also necessitate the election of a new Chairman of Committees. It P generally thought that Mr O’Corke, the member for Onehunga, will be the genth man elected. Mr O’Rorke is Speaker of the Auckland Provincial Council, and has for several seasons acted as Chairman of Committees in the House of Representatives when Mr Carleton happened to he absent.

Mu James Scryrageour, of the firm of Scryuigeour Bros., painters, George street, writes to us that he is not the person who was lined in Mayor’s Court on 'liusday for drunkenness.

We have received a copy of a sermon in reference to the decease of the late Dr Hum’, preached in the First Church, Dunedin, o'i the sth u!t, by the l!ev. S. Smith, Congregational minister, Port Chalmers.

This evening Mr Romford will address the electors of Cavcrsham at the P,osJ.yu Hall at 7 o’clock, and at the Drill .Shed, Wakari, at 8. Mr lire will also address the electors at the Schoolhouse, Morningtou, at S.