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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2710, 24 October 1871, Page 2

Inquest. —An inquest on the body of the Chinaman who died on board the barque Union on Saturday last, was yesterday hJd in Dench’s hotel, and a verdict returned in accordance with the medical testimony, that the deceased met his death from want of proper food, and a due regard to cleanliness.

Our Civil List.—According to a return presented to Parliament, there are 131 persons in the service of the Colony who receive salaries of L4OO a year and upwards, representing a total of upwards of L 73,000, or an average in round numbers of L 550 each. Not so bad for a Colony with only a population of a quarter of a million people ! Supreme Court,—ln chambers today, Mr Justice Chapman gave judgment in the matter of the application made iu bankruptcy yesterday for a certificate approving of tbe prosecution, &c., against Edward Hamilton, of Oamaru, a debtor, for misdemeanor. His Honor granted the certificate, remarking that tbe chief object appeared to be a matter of costs, and that he gave no opinion as to the prosecution itself. Sericulture. —Mr Batchelor, of Nelson, who has taken so much interest in the subject of sericulture, writes as follows toagentleman in Wellington:—“ When Iwas in Wellington I was prepared with a wellmatured plan for the gradual development of sericulture in those provinces that were suited to produce silk. The Government were fully alive to the importance of sericulture, and promised to give the matter due consideration when brought before the fii ouse, and most likely I should have the opportunity to give evidence before the Committee on Native Industry. Now, it is just possible that in the press of business in the House sericulture may be entirely forgotten. Were such to he the case, great injury would he done to silk producing for a time, and possibly in railway and other schemes, would he lost of ; hut if steps were taken to plant mulberry trees they would turn up wheu the railways were in existence, and he one of the staple productions ; at least, I hope so. At present the matter is confined to the Province of Nelson. Now my wish is to see sericulture carried out in the other Provinces—say Wellington next—as I shall be much deceived if the mulberry does not flourish iu the different spots that I pointed out in your Province. I trust that you will assist in the matter by getting your members to move the committee to go fully into the question, which can only be done by actual evidence. Deports are all very well; but they do not answer at all times.” Princess Theatre. —The sparkling light comedy, “ Kind to a Fault,” was reproduced last evening to an appreciative but small audience. This is a piece involving innumerable entanglements, all of which are satisfactorily {cleared up at its termination. “Jessie Brown” followed, and it must he conceded that the artists engaged acquitted themselves creditably, and evoked the unanimous plaudits of the house. Wc do not hesitate to say that, the pieces as presented by this unique company are deserving of more enlarged patronage than has hitherto been awarded. The constant changes which are rung in the pieces presented, would, one would think, have tile effect of attracting the lovers ot novelty to this place of entertainment. We notice that an entire change of programme is again announced for this evening, and as it includes the “ Banker’s love,” “ The household fairy,” and “ How to settle accounts with your laundress,” we trust it will be our pleasure to record a full attendance. On Thursday evening Miss Green takes a complimentary benefit, under the patronage of the Mayor and Corporation and Citizens’ Cricket Club. A new tjnmtioual play will be played for the first time in the Australian Colonies, entitled, “The Angel of Midnight and, in addition to the company, several gentleman amateurs will perform in it. There will also be singing and dancing between the pieces ; and a farce will conclude the entertainment, forming an excellent programme. Mias Green, since her assumption of the management, has spared no pains to produce novelties and to please her patrons ; and we feel confident that her r ffocts wjll be acknowledged by a full house on the evening in question.

A New Rail Route Across America.—Among the “ things not generally known,” we believe we may include the fact that another great trans-continental railway is in course of construction from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Starting from Daluth, at the bead of Lake Superior, it runs westward through Central Dakota to a point in Central Montana, where it will branch off into two arms, one of these passing through Central Washington to Puget Sound, while the other will proceed through Northern Oregon to Portland. Upwards of 400 miles are alreody completed, although the work was not commenced until July, 1870; and by the end of the present month it was expected that the trains would be running over SGO miles of the line. It is estimated to cost about L 17,000,000 sterling, or at the rate of LBSOO per mile; and, when finished, it will shorten the distance by water and rail between New ork or Liverpool and the ports of Asia some 1400 miles, ft will draw its traffic from a belt of fertile country 1800 miles long and 700 miles wide ; and it will join the Canadian lines at Sault St Marie. The No them Pacific Company has received a lavish grant of land from the United States Congress. In fact, it is the most stupendous job ever perpetrated, even by an American legislature. The endowment consists of upwards of fifty million acr s ; which is about equal to the area of the whole of this Colony. Competent judges estimate that the land thus “donated” will build and equip the railroad, leave it free from debt, and place a surplus of five millions sterling to the credit of the company. As Senator Thurman remarked when the bill was being “engineered” through Congress by a “ring” of wealthy spec lators, “ The simple naked result of the whole thing is, that the Government builds and equips the road and gives it to a private corporation to be a monopoly in the (hands of that corporation. That is the whole of it.”

The London School Board. — We notice in an English journal that the committee appointed to draft a scheme of education has brought up the fruit of its five months’ labor in the shape of a long report. Three classes of schools are to be established—lst, infant schools for children below seven; 2nd, junior school for children between seven and ten ; and 3rd, senior schools for those yet older. It is also recommended that secondary schools be established, and that the transfer of an intelligent pupil from a senior primary to a secondary school be facilitated by the foundation of small exhibitions, “for which purpose,” says the report, ominously, “ lunds already exist.” The list of subjects is reasonable and not at all too ambitious. To the more advanced scholars, algebra, or geometry, or Latin, or a modern language “may” be taught. But the ordinary curriculum only crowns the rudiments of education with elementary mensuration, physical and social science, geography, drawing, and English history; and it may fairly be said that such a course is both possible and practicable. There is nothing utopian in the notion of teaching children of from ten to thirteen years of age a few simple facts in sociology and natural science. The limitation of history to that of England is judicious. Geography, if taught with large wall maps, is an easy and a favorite lesson; and mensuration, or practical geometry, solid and plane, is perhaps the most useful of all possible specialities which the committee could have selected. School hours, it is suggested, should amount to five hours daily for five days a week. Drill and singing, more Platonico are fully recognised ; and corporal punishment is to be formally recorded. With one or two really slight amendments, the report was accepted ; and, after a three hours’ sitting, the Board adjourned, having thus satisfactorily settled the most important question which has been as yet before it in less than a tithe of the time which it devoted to the great religious difficulty. We notice that Mr and Mrs White intend giving a vocal and instrumental concert on Tuesday, 31st hist., at the Masonic Hall. We have been requested to notify to members of the Court Pride of Dunedin, A.0.F., that in future the meetings of the Court will be held in the Old Masonic Hall every alternate Tuesday, at 8 p.m. A special general meeting of the members of the Otago Licensed Victuallers’ Association will he held at the Fire Brigade rooms this evening, at 7.30. Business :To consider the Licensing Bill.