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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2627, 19 July 1871, Page 2

Presentation. —The gold and silver medals offered by the Chamber of Commerce as prizes for proficiency in arithmetic to boys of the High School, over 15, 13 and under 15, and under 13, will be presented in the course of Friday. Scientific. The “ Anglo-Austra-lian” in the European Mail, notes that a paper on “ The Southern Alps of Now Zealand,” by Dr Haast, F.R.S., was road at a recent meeting of the Royal Geographical Society. Princess Theatre. penter of Rouen” and the burlesque of the “Invisible Prince” was the fare provided at the Theatre last night. Of the former avc cannot speak in terms of praise ; it is a drama that should have been consigned years ago to the limbo of the threadbare and the worthless. The burlesque was played Avith tolerable success ; of itself it is no doubt an admirably written piece, as indeed all Plancbe’s burlequea are ; but so many of the allusions and smart sayings are “caviare to the general ” (of Dunedin) that the best points aro unappreciated. The performance will be repeated to-night. Waste Land Board. —The Waste Land BoarJ met at noon to-day. Present— The Chief Commissioner, Messrs Bradshaw and Hughes Alexander Callender’s application to purchase at Otakia, was agreed to ; the land to be offered at the upset price of 30s an acre, The pt tition of the Trustees of Church, at Hampden, and the request of Robert Ryan, on behalf of the Ophir School Committee, Avere' declined. Connell and Moodic’s application for Caleb Dongee, for a coal lease at St. Bathan’s, was agreed. The price of coal at the pit to be 7s Cd per ton Their application for refund of L 5, deposited for survey of section 30, block 7, Waikaka, was refused. Thomas Gray’s application to purchase part of section 33, Peninsula, Avas declined.

The Honorarium. — Dr Webster, on the strength of the extra five shillings a-day that he is entitled to for his legislative services, came down to the House to-day, in tho “bran new topcoat,” of which he spoke a few days back, and gave notice of his intention to move the following resolution “That in the opinion of this Council all the members of it who have been compelled to receive 4s lid for their services, beyond what they felt in their conscience that they had any right to, should be allowed and are hereby conjoined to pay the same over to san • charitable institution, or failing that to son;ejpublic work within the electoral district that they represent, and that the Government be requested to publish the names of all those who attend to this instruction in every Provincial Gazette that may he published from this date until the Council meets again.” The Speaker cruelly refused to allow the motion to be put, because it reflected on tne Council.

Auckland. —A correspondent writes under date the 10th inst., as follows :—As scrip is the chief topic of conversation in the streets, in private houses, and in fact everywhere you go. perhaps a few words on this subject may not prove uninteresting to your readers. The Caledonian, which is allowed by all to be a most extraordinary mine, and one which has perhaps not been equalled siuce the days when gol I digging became a mutter of business, and the yield of gold from which has been almost fabulous, has at length failed to come up to the mark. This result, of course, was looked forward to by even the most sanguine, though some there were who thought they had discovered an inexhaustible source of wealih, and staked their all in buying shares ; and when the yield of gold fell oil, which it did last week, they—the small holders became alarmed, and rushed into the market with their scrip, thinking it better perhaps to lose five pounds than their all. This immediately brought down the whole share market in about the space of twenty-four hours ; and Caledonians, which were selling at L2lO are now Ll2O to L 14 0; n,ot only did the Caledonian scrip come down, but nearly every mine in the Thames suffered as well, and the most of the shares may be quoted at half of what they were a week ago. One man here was possessed of 300 Caledonians, which he sold by advice of his medical adviser, as his anxiety respecting them was producing softening of the brain ; he fortunately sold out at L2OO a share It is reported that he was receiving about LIOUO a week. It would be extremely unadvisable for any one in Dunedin to buy Thames scrip without having some agent on the spot to sell at his discretion, as the fall and rise is so rapid and uncertain. Auckland streets —or I. should say the principal street there, as there is only one—presents a very animated appearance. One part is crowded all day by those engaged in sharebroking. There is a motley throng congrcga’ed together from all parts of the globe, and the all-absorbing topic of conversation is scrip. Speculators are to be seen all day from nine in the morning, the time when the telegraph ollice opens here, till five or six in the evening. The shares in the mines in the vicinity of the Caledonian rise or fall, as the case may be, when the lode of gold from that mine seems to run in their direction. The shares sometimes nearly double then. Nothing is more uncertain than that the lode may continue above two or three yards. This, in fact, is generally the case—the lode breaking oft' abruptly, and is with difficulty discovered again. Business has undergone quite a change since the Caledonian began to pay, and all the money has been diverted from its proper channel and invested in shares. The consequence is things are almost at a stand-still. Every one invests, from the piivate gentleman and the merchant down to the carters and roadmen. It

is expected that shares will manifest an upward tendency in a day or two, when the market becomes steadier you shall hear from me again.

The members of Mr Thoneman’s Central Committee are requested to meet at the Committee rooms this evening, at seven o’clock. Mr Thonetnan will address the Electors at the Masonic Hall at 8.

A Grand Amateur Concert under the patronage of His Honor the Superintendent, and in aid of the funds of the Jewish Philanthropic Society of Otago is announced to be given in the Masonic Hall, on Thursday, the 3rd of August next. We have been requested to state that a concert in aid of the funds of the Albion Cricket Club will be held in the North Dunedin drill shed on July 28. Mr Birch will address the citizens to-night at Murray’s Large Hall, Rattraystreet, at seven ; and at the Royal George Hotel, George-street, at 8.