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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2761, 22 December 1871, Page 2

Personal.— -Amongst the passengers for England via Saa Francisco, is Mr T. Birch, our late Mayor and representative for Dunedin iu the last Parliament. It is said Mr Birch goes in official connection with the scheme of Government Immigration. Princess Theatre.—Wc would remind our readers that the performances to-

night are for the benefit of Mr Kelly ; a that Mr Cowle is to make his first appearance on this occasion. Port Chalmers Grammar School. The examination of the pupils of the Port Chalmers Grammar School commenced yesterday, and is expected to terminate on Saturday next, after which prizes will be distributed. Masonic Hall, —After an absence of over two years, Batcheldey’s diarama of the American war was exhibited at the Masonic Hall last night, the attendance being goad in the back parts, but very sparse in tne front seats. The diorama is as attractive as ever, and will be exhibitet nightly until further notice. The Queen’s Health —The Governor received by the Californian mail a letter from the Duke of Edinburgh, who says : * ‘ Before concluding, I must tell you what i am sure vou will be glad to hear, that although the Queen has been very ill, her health is now very much better. Ihc loyal people of this Colony will be glad to hear this, and also that fI.R.H. always writes with a very pleasant recollection of liis visit to New Zealand, and desired his remembrances to be conveyed to several gentlemen in the Colony.

PORTOBELLO.— -Last evening, in anticipation of the departure for England of Mr Janies Seaton, M.P.G., a dinner was given to him by his constituents and personal friends at Coneys’s Portobello Hotel, ine provision and wines were ample and good. Mr John M‘Cartney, junr., was in the chair, and Mr James Muir vice-chairman. Very little of a political character took place. The usual toasts were loyally responded to, and an enthusiastic expression of good will towards Mr Seaton marked the praceedmgs of the evening. A very pleasant evening was passed. We understand Mr >eaton is likely to sail about the end of the month. It is rumored that Mr Tolmie intends to contest the representation of the district with several candidates who are named, but who have not yet declared themselves. Sale of Poisons Act.—This is the title of another measure passed in the last session, which will be brought into force on the 3lst inst. Under part 1 are specified the articles which are declared to be poisons, and in the list mention is made of laudanum ; and in part 2 mention is made as prohibited articles, of “every compound containing any o.f the poisons mentioned in the schedule, when prepared or sold for the destruction of vermin." The Registrar for this Province (Mr Strode) calls attention to the provisions of the Act; and storekeepers, in particular, should lose no time in registering themselves, as nearly all of them sell nearly one or other of the articles before mentioned. Neglect to do so renders a person liable to a penalty of L 5 for every offence. The regulations for the sale of poisons are, as they should be, of a very stringent character. Inquest. —Dr Hocken, City Coroner, held $u inquiry at the Hospital to day, touching the death of a woman of the town, named Mary M‘‘Queep, It appeared from the evidence that the deceased, arrived in the Colony some seven year's ago; and during the last five years led a very dissolute life, associating with colored men and very bad characters in some of the lowest brothels of the town. About ti ree weeks ago she came up from the Peninsula, and since then, and almost up to the time of her death, she was in a constant state ot drunkenness, going about from house to house, wherever she could obtain a shelter, and oftentimes without food. Yesterday morning at 2.30, she went to a brothel kept by a woman named Kate M‘Donnell, by whom she ■wd.3 admitted, She tiieii wont to bed apparently in good health, but shortly after nine o’clock she wag seized by what the witness M‘Donnell termed a “lit,’’ and some six of them came on before medical assistance was sent for. The doctor not coming, preparations were made for conveying the deceased to the Hospital. From the evidence of the driver of the express, it appeared that the woman died while being lifted into the express. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence of Dr Yates, which was to the effect that death was owing to disease of the lungs and congestion of the brain. Tern IJank Quarry.—A correspondent furnishes the following particulars respecting this quarry, ticking they may be interesting to the pgbjiclt is situated about a mile from Port Chalmers, close to Sawyer’s Bay, and on the line of railway. About 6000 yards of stone are being quarried by the promoters, and used by them in building bridges, culverts, and pitching for the embankments. When the permanent way is laid and a sideing formed, the stones may be lifted from the face by a crane into trucks, and lauded at Dunedin, for building pui’poscs or kerbing, at a rate considerably lower than the bluostone now supplied from any of the town quarries or the Dock quarry at the Port It was discovered and opened by Mr Wah a about twp years ago, who sent a block of the stone, with othep specimens, to the Government Geologist for analysis, Dr Hector’s report is dated 4th June, 1870, and is as follows 'i he block of stone is the same kind in every respect as that described in the Jurors’ Reports of the Otago Exhibition, pp. 300 and 446, and which was obtained from nearly the same locality. If you state it can be obtained in large blocks, if will be most valuable for dock work, sea walls,' v We are assured by masons who have worked hott ?tones that it is superior in quality to the Dock quarry, harder, and finer grained, and of a more pleasing cqlor—very similar to Hobart Town stone in color and can be procured in immense blocks without a flaw. By jjeriuifiisiou of the Mayor and Councillors, some of it was laid down for kerbing, about six months ago, as a sample in front of the Corporation ollices ; since then it haw been used in the erection of Messrs Cargills and M‘Lc^u : u new wool stores, and in other buildings. When the Port Chalmers Railway is opened, greater facilities for its transit will enable it to be brought into more general use. The “Majors” in Wanganui.— The special reporter of the who paid Wanganui a visit at the opening of the Bridge, thus discusses the question of Majors ; —“Of course the traces of war have not wholly pasepd, away. Grim visaged war has not been quite able to smooth out all the wrinkles iu his front. Truth to say, the wrinkles have rather served as hiding places for remnants of by-gone days. Chief amongst ■ these remnants are the majors. Surely' never was there such a place for majors as Wanganui. Go where you will you will peet a major ; in fact, every house seems to keep its own particular major on she pre- '

miaes. ’How d’ye do, majah?’ is the com- J mou form of salutation, and red waistcoats and gold lace prevail everywhere. Whence came all these majors, and all the scarlet vests and gold lace, is a puzzle to me ; and where all these majors are to And commands, is a greater puzzle still. Thinking over the subject, I have bit upon an idea, which is an extraordinary _ thing for me. Why not sell these majors to some other country that is in want of them, or let them out to hire at so much a year. But I am majored to death, t have been surfeited with majors until the article, in my estimation, has sunk down to the level of useless stock, like old iron. When I was introduced to the first major in Wanganui, I felt flattered; when I grasped the hand of the second, I was lost in admiration of his red nose, and began to think there was something military in iliy own appearance that attracted the peculiar favor of majors. When I made the acquaintance of a third, it struck me that I was really becoming a distinguished man ; the fourth caused me some little apprehension ; the fifth sent me wondering whether I hadn’t seen him before ; the sixth made me melancholy ; and as they came pouring in in rapid succession, I gave up all hope of preserving any distinct idea of individuals, and regarded the whole affair as a mere review of majors passing before me. I can stand the smaller fry of captains and lieutenants, but I have determined to steal away from everlasting scarlet vest, gold lace, and clinking sword, and no pay-”

The Committee of the Benevolent Institution acknowledge by advertisement the receipt of Twenty Pounds from Messrs A. and T. Inglis, being part of the proceeds of the sale now going on in their establishment on behalf of the charity.