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Evening Star, Issue 2842, 28 March 1872, Page 2

Good Friday.—ln accordance with our usual custom, the Evening Star will not be published to-morrow. Provincial Gouncil.—We are credibly informed that the Provincial Council is summoned to meet for the despatch of business on Tuesday, April 30 Sudden Death. —A seaman at Port Chalmers, on the French brig Architects Renaud, died suddenly this morning from natural causes. Cargill Monument. —The work of fitting up the monument in its new location is almost finished ; but a little delay is likely to occur in completing the work, i ight or ten days will see the opening by the civic authorities. Acclimatisation. —Walking through a field of wheat stubble on the farm of Mr T. Patterson, Hillend, on Saturday last, Mr Ralph Moir flushed a covey of partridges, numbering sixteen well grown birds, all strong on the wing. Other nests have been hatched in the same locality during the past season, adds the Bruce Herald, so that the e!ibrts|of the Acclimatisation Society, in this direction, may be pronounced a success. Fatal Accident.—A man named John Long, a miner employed in the Port Chalmers Railway tunnel, was killed instantaneously by a blast at 1.10 this morning. An inquest was held this afternoon, and a verdict returned of accidentally killed. We are informed that the deceased’s brother works in the Caversham tunnel, and learn from Mr Proudfoot, who made inquiry, that the man was killed by a blast lighted by himself, which he had forgotten. It is customary to light a number of blasts at a time, and Long had either miscounted or overlooked one : hence the accident which cost him his life. The Octagon.—Councillor Barnes is sanguine of being able to convert the Octagon into some use, and has given notice of motion for the next meeting of the City Council that that body should take steps to get an Act passed by the General Assembly, to enable the Corporation to use the ground on either side of the road in the Octagon reserve for a market —on the upper side for vegetable?, on the lower for butchers. Mr Barnes cannot have considered the iirobability of the owners of laud in the Octagon claiming compensation, as a consequence, if his scheme is carried, and by next meeting will doubtless receive some bints on the subject which will cause him to change his opinion. Wanton Mischief. —Our attention has been called by a correspondent connected with the shipping interest to the thoughtless and very reprehensible conduct of three young men out boating in the harbor this morning, at half-past seven o’clock, who indulged in the recreation of gull-shooting without the slightest regard to the danger and annoyance to which the paasers-by were subjected. Our correspondent informs us that shot was flying in all direction?, some having actually struck the ground near a gentleman who was walking on the Rattray street jetty. It is, we believe, the law that any person shooting in the Bay is liable to a heavy tine, and the authorities ought to see that the law is carried into effect, and thus prevent a repetition of such senseless and dangerous amusement. City Improvements.—There is such a number of new buildings either in course of erection or about to be contracted for, in the principal streets of the City that they are bound to add greatly to the appearance of the City when completed. That eyesore for months past —the scene of the late Princes street fire—is being cleared preparatory to the new premises for Mr Kcichcit being erected thereon. The buildings will be of brick, two storied, with an imposing front, and are designed by Mr H. F. Hardy, architect, Princes street. The site of the old Shakespcaren Hotel, and latterly of Messrs North and Seonllar’s workshop, at the corner of Rattray and Princes streets, will be built on by that firm, who intend erecting substantial premises which will set off the corner. A little lower down, and a few doors below the Shamrock Hotel, Messrs P. Hayman aie about to construct a flue two-storied brick building, while the old shed which ha? stood at the corner of Rattray and (Jrawford streets, facing the engine station, is to be replaced by a three-storied brick building for the Bud;/ Times and Witness Company. The proprietors of our contemporaries purchased the ground a few days ago for H,(ioo, and intend erecting a building on it to cost Ltj,opo. The lower storey is to be Lt as shop and the two upper ones occupied by the newspaper. Sr, Patrick’s Day.— The Wellington Jsd'pcndcnt of March 19 has the following : —Last evening the anniversary of St, Pat-

rick was celebrated by the Irish residents of Wellington by a dinner at the AtheneeumAbout seventy persons sat down to an excellent and substantial table provided provided by Mr Ur win, of the Post office Hotel. His Excellency the Governor arrived punctually at the time fixed, and Mr J. E, FitzGerald— who wore the insignia of the Order of St Michael and St, George—presided. The company present included the leading residents of Wellington. After the chairman proposed the health of the Queen, and in the course of his remarks took occasion to say that all Irishmen, of whatever shade of politics, could not but feel deep affection for her Majesty, more particularly under the present distressing circumstances of the illness of the Prince of Wales. The toast was of course responded to with full honors. The health of the Prince of Wales was next proposed, and, in the course of his remarks, the chairman referred to the merciful dispensation which had saved the kingdom from the difficulties that might have arisen hadthePrince succumbed to the attack-* of the disease from which he had suffered. The chairman paid a graceful compliment to the Princess of Wales, who, he said, “had accumulated to hers If more endearment from thn people of England than probably any other member of the Royal House o England.” The health of the Governor followed as the next toast, and his Excellency responded to it in a happy and genial speech. The chairman, in proposing the great toast of the evening, “Our Native Land,” made a speech which could only be fairly represented by a verbatim repoit, which wc arc unable to give. We have only to say that Mr Fitzgenid, in his review of the history of the nationality of Ireland, delivered a most graphic and intensely interesting speech, the moral of which was that although Irishmen might hold the most exalted ideas of their own country, the fate of Ireland was iri ovocably bound up in that of the empire of Great Britain. The speaker spoke at he was of old wont to speak —most eloquently—and sat down amidst uproarious cheers. Canards. —The Wdlinyton Independent of March 20 says .-—There is something astonishing in the avidity with which some journals in this colony pick up any canard which may happen to swim into the editor’s room from any quarter whatever'. A month or two ago, Mr Seed, the Inspector of Cus toms, proceeded to the Navigator Islands on an official mission, having for its object merely the collection of information as to the resources of the islands, the character of the population, the facilities which existed for the establishment of a coaling station for the mail steamers, and as to their suitability for making them the head-quarters of any cruisers which the Imperial Government might employ in the suppression of the nefarious quasi-slave trade which is being carried on to a serious extent amongst the numerous islands of the South Pacific There was nothing whatever to excite speculation in Mr Seed’s visit. The question of making the Navigators a mail station either as a coaling depot or a point from which the mails to Australia and New Zealand might radiate was a subject of discussion in the Legislative Council last session, and it was only a natural and proper sequence of this discussion that the Government should place themselves in the possession of the most reliable information. Mr Seed did what very few men in his position would have done : he consented to lie landed on the islands amongsc a savage population, without the slightest means of ensuring his personal safety, and there for several weeks pursued the work given into his hands. His report will appear in due course, and then the public and certain of the ignorant scribes will be able to see and understand the real object of his visit. The News of the World—a very entertaining, but most exaggerative and unreliable American paper—got from the purser of the Nevada just such a trumped up account of Mr Seed’s mission as one could expect under the circumstances, the only bit of truth in the story being the fact that Mr Seed had landed at the port of Pango Pango. This “yarn” of course appears in New Zealand, and 10, and behold, even such a paper as the Nelson Examiner snatches at it as if it were a serious and official statement, and thereupon founds another of its usual attacks upon Mr Yogel. Verily our Nelson contemporary must be getting hard up even in subjects. Princess Theatre. —lt cannot be generally known that at the Princess Theatre are members of the dramatic corps who would take their places as “stars” m English theatres, or the theatre would be better supported. Last evening, “ Old Honesty,” a piquant piece which would have an almost endless run in London if played as well as it was performed at the Princess Theatre last evening, was played to a thin house. Barring a little allowable improbability, such as passes for nothing on the stage, the plot is intended to show the effect of temptation in different classes of society. To this end we are introduced to a worthy old bricklayer proud of his honesty, his wife proud of her husband, a son the pride of his father, a good sensible daughter who has a sweetheart proud of her and of hia little.learning, a scion of aristocracy in necessitous circumstances, and a lawyer seeking to profit by them. The chief burden of the piece lay upon Mr Musgrave as Michael Bradshaw the bricklayer ; Mr J. P. Hydes as Toby Perch, his assistant; Mr C. O’Brien, as Septimus Hook, the lawyer ; and Miss A nstead as Dame Bradshaw. The plot is simp’e. Sir Perkins Desborough (Mr J. Thorpe) has become heir to a title through the death of his relative, who was supposed to have been rich, but died apparently poor. Having been of miserly habits, Hook the lawyer contrives to buy the house where he lived and died, as rumors were current that ho had secreted property ; but living in the house as tenant before completing the purchase, he employs Old Honesty to pull down a wall, and while doing this the bricklayer comes upon a strong iron box filled with gold and notes. The temptation is too great for old Honesty—he cannot resist it: so he'carries the box home, and places it in a bookcase. The contrast between the honest and the guilty man are admirably brought out by Mr Musgrave. livery fiattering word about his honesty is as a dagger to him. Happiness, temper, and peace are gone. He is a changed man. His conscience makes a coward of him. Hia vife, anxious to discover the cause, finds the box, opens it, and, esteeming the treasure to bo her husband’s, takes possession of sufficient to gratify her immoderate passion for finery, and she is a changed woman. Sou, daughter-, and the sweetheart are all puzzled with both until at length in conversation with the lawyer, the real owner of the property is made apqarent to the old bricklayer, who restores himself to peace and his family to their senses by restitution of it to Sir Perkins 1

Deaborougb. We have already said Mr Musgrave played well. Mr Hydes was equally effective, and our formerly expressed opinion of Miss Ansted’s power as an actress was confirmed by her last night’s efforts. Mr O’Brien, too, played very effectively as Hook, and although the remaining characte s were subordinate, they were well sustained by Miss ' illis, Mr Booth, and Mr Thorpe, The comedietta of “Bamboozling” followed. To-n’ght “ Marian’s Crime or the Lost Will,” will he played, and afterwards the “ Bonnie Fishwife,” in wh ch Miss Jessie Raymond will appear as Marian and Maggie Macfarlaud. The song “ Caller Herring ” will be introduced by her. An advertisement appears in another column intimating the Scholarships to be competed for in connection with the Presbyterian Church. The annual concert and ball in aid of St. Patrick’s Brass Band will take place in -t. George’s Hall on Easter Monday, at 8 p.m.