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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2630, 22 July 1871, Page 2

.Mayor’s Court. — At the Mayors Court this morning, Stuart Leckie was fined IDs and costs, for cruelly illtrcating a horse ; and Jas. Hassell, 20s and costs for throwing pcpp.rinto the eyes of Wm. Roger. Princess Theatre. —The attendance last night was moderate. The burlesque of “ Lalla Rookh ” improves upon acquaintance ; this in some measure may be due to the fact of the performers being better acquainted with the text yesterday than they were on the evening before. The “ Lonely Man of the Ocean ” will this evening precede the burlesque.

Gaol Return, —The following is the state of 11. M. Gaol, Dunedin, for the week ending 22n V -'nly Awaiting trial, 3 men, I woman ; under remand, 0 men, 0 women ; penal servitude, 86 men, 0 women ; ha; d labor, 43 men, 15 women; imprisonment, 0 men, 0 women ; in default of bail, ! 2 men, The prisoners in default of bail are also at hard labor under separate sentence; debtors, 2 men, 0 women. Total, 134 men, 16 women, discharged, 8 men, 1 women.

Career op a Newspaper Plant.— The Grey Valley Times, which was published at the Ahaura, has ceased to exist. The IVe.ii Coast 'Times says The plant, or at least part of the plant, by which the Grey Valley Times was produced may now be said to have had a strange eventful history. Its first'production was th o Hirer lon Times; its second the Waikouaiti Herald. It was then transported to Okarito, where the first ILfTla d Observer was its product. Subsequently it became the medium of printing the livening Star at Westport; still later the Daily Heirs in Hokitika ; and finally it was transferred to the Ahaura, where it meantime remains as a printing plant of decidedly unfortunate and unprofitable associations. New Reef at the Lammeriaw.— ;■ Wc announced last week that a prospecting claim had been applied for at the Warden’s office, Lawrence, for a quartz reef discover ed at the Lammerlaw, a short distance from Waipori township. One of the Tuapeka Times reporters has since visited the scene of the discovery, and from personal observation ho inclines to the belief that the fortunate prospectors are about to reap a golden harvest. The vein is evidently a leader from a main reef, which no doubt will shortly be traced out. Mr Brown, one of the prospectors, states that as the leader ran nearly perpendicular, it was the intention of his party to sink a shaft along side it, in order to ascertain its probable depth and value, so that shortly we may have to report further important discoveries. Some idea of the richness of the lode may be formed when it is affirmed that a man with a tin dish washing the rubble alone could make excellent wages. A trial crushing will take place this week at the Pioneer battery. The opinion of experienced miners is tiiat rich quartz reefs are numerous in the neighbourhood of the Lammerlawa, and that it only requires enterprise to reveal them. Supposed Incendiarism. A case which bears the strongest impress of an attempt at fire-raising was brought to light this morning. Mr H. oxhead, photographer, Moray place, on reaching his place of business, discovered that a quantity of negatives had been ruthlessly broken His suspicions being aroused, a search was instituted, and this led to the discovery that a portion of the flooring underneath the staircase and a portion of the staircase itself had been burnt away. It must be stated that Mr (Joxhead’s premises consist of two large rooms, and that on the passage between them there was a cupboard right underneath the stairs. In this cupboard, it would appear, a lire had been lighted adjacent to the edge of the stairs, and the cupboard had been afterwards closed so as to prevent the flame being observed from the street. To this act of caution on the part of the would-be incendiary, the failure of the attempt must he ascribed ; for the want of air and the density of the smoko appear to have put out the lire before it made much progress. As we have already stated, a portion of the flooring and staircase have been burnt. By the remains of the lire, wc believe that Mr Goxhead is enabled to state that whoever eommittlcd the aet must have gone to considerable trouble ; for pieces of wood were taken from an adjoining room. The police are investigating the matter. Narrow Gauge Railways.— “ The Indian Gov« rnment have published the correspondence which has ended in the acceptance of Tift, gauge for the state lines of railway. It is long,” says the Fall Mall Gazette, “ but full of interest. There has never been any doubt that for any but the main lines a far narrower gauge than the sft. Gin. one in use on the main system of Indian lines would be sufficient for all r< quirements; hut the question has been, What gauge shall be adopted for the military and political lino which connects Kunachee with Peshawar ? —that is, the great north-western frontier with the true Indian base,. the sea. Almost all military men were strongly opposed to a break of guage at Lahore, or any guage being laid down which should deprive the army of the mobility derivable from the rolling stock of the great lines of India. This argument has m :eh force, and, had the narrow gauge commenced at Lahore, would be irresistible. Since, however, it lias been determined that the whole lino from Kurrachec to Peshawur shall be laid on the narrow gauge, the conditions are materially altered, as the ordinary rolling stock which would of necessity be maintained for the line of 1,080 miles is calculated to he snffi.ient to place Irom 11,000 to 12,000 combatants fully equipped, with rations for a month, guns horses, stores, followers, either at Peshawur or Sukkur within a week of the departure of the first man from Lahore. If this promise be fulfilled, the performance would be sufficient, as no really formidable attack in force

could be made along the frontier with ample w'arning having been received by the Indian Government ; while for any sudden attack the force permanently maintained on, the frontier is quite strong and mobile enough to give a good account of itself. The economical advantage of adopting the narrow gauge for the Indus Valley lice is calculated to be over one million sterling of first outlay, and a corresponding economy in maintenance and restocking.”

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Commercial Building and Investment Society for receiving subscriptions, &c., will be held on Monday evening, July 24, from six to eight o’clock.

We have been requested to state that Mr Keith Ramsay is a candidate for the representation of the High‘Ward as Councillor, and not for Leith Ward as has been represented. We notice that the Scott Centenary is to be celebrated by a dinner and ball, on the 9th August next. Gentlemen desirous of being present at the dinner are icqucsted to send in their applications to the lion, secretaries, at the Athonamm, on or before the 29th inst.; after that date the committee cannot guarantee that tickets will be obtainable.