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Evening Star, Issue 2923, 2 July 1872, Page 2

Municipal.— Mr Mercer intimates his intention to seek ro-election as the representative of High Ward in the City Council. We should scarcely think the return of so useful a man as Mr Mercer has proved himself to be will be opposed. Mayor’s Court.—There was only one case brought before his Worship the Mayor this morning, and the offender, the notorious Ann Hardy, was fined 40s, with the alternative of fourteen days’ imprisonment, for drunkenness ; and sentenced to three months’ hard labor for being a habitual drunkard. Princess Theatre. was repeated last evening to a fair house. As Theodosius, the nigger with enlarged ideas of men’s rights and emancipation, Mr Hydes was excellent, and credit is due to Miss Willis, who was surprisingly good as Zoe. “ The Man about Town” was again the afterpiece. To-night the same pieces will be repeated, and to-morrow a performance in aid of the Benevolent Institution, under the auspices of the Licensed Victuallers’ Association is to be given, when “No Thoroughfare” will be reproduced. We hope to see a full house on that occasion. Band of Hope. The adjourned meeting of the Mornington Band of Hope was held in the Schoolhouse last evening. Mr Hardy presided. In his opening remarks, he pointed out the advantages of temperance, and showed that it was surely and steadily gaining ground. Before long he hoped to find it acknowledged by all classes of society. The evening passed very pleasantly. Several songs were given, and also a lecture by a gentleman on “Christ’s miracle of turning water in wine.” Readings were given by several amateurs, and the proceedings were closed with the Temperance Anthem. Mayoral Elections.— Mr Mercer intimates that he has no intention of standing for Mayor, and we hear that Mr George Duncan is likely to be brought forward in opposition to Mr Fish. From the country districts we hear that the approaching elec-

tions arc already creating some stir. At Lawrence there is likely to be a number of candidates, as Mr Bastings, who has held office since the establishment of the mnnioipa'ity four years ago, will not come forward again. At Oauiaru, Mr Udall’s re-election will be opposed ; and at Invercargill, Mr Wood’s re-election will be contested by Messrs Lumsden and Pratt.

The Ruling Passion. A good story is being told iu Wellington about a private in tbe Armed Constabulary, who a short time ago was a station owner in the M iddle J slant!. One morning he was doing sentry at Government House, and on the afternoon of the same day, after dressing in civilian’s clothes, be paid a visit to Lady Bowen. Whether it was done out of “cheek,” or from a lack of discriminatiou, which should have taught him that for a private to intrude as a visitor at Government house, was scarcely the thing, it is hard to say.

A Good Speculation in Wool.— A. Geelong paper mentions a good speculation. iu wool. It says : — “As showing how some fortunes have been made during the late rise in wool, it may be stated that a woolscourer in this district (in Victoria) purchased in January, 1870, 146 bales of washed locks at the rate of 64d per lb. He kept them for some time, and in November, 1874, they were sold in London for 17d per lb. The bales averaged nearly 400 ibs each, and his profit was an average of Ll9 10s per bale, or a lump sum of L 2,568 18s. This was only one among other profitable ventures that were made by tbe same gentleman.” Karori Lunatic Asylum, The Karori Asylum case has been completed by Mr and Mrs Sutherland being fined, in the Magistrate’s Court, LG and costs. To many this seemed a remarkably light sentence, but it should be remembered that the Sutherlands, besides losing their situations, incurred fully L 23 or L3O expenses over the trial. In th; meantime, an improvement in the treatment of the patients, and consequently nn improvement in their state is already observable. One patient, who for eight years has never been admitted out of her cell because she was sometimes violent, is now to be seen working at sewing sensibly enough iu the day-room. Of course she has paroxysms, and when they are coming on she is put in a chair till they have passed away, when she is let out again. Another patient, who for years has had nothing but dirty cocoauut matting to sleep upon, was given a bed a few days ago, and she absolutely revelled iu it as a pig will roll in clean straw after its sty has been cleaned, and looking up to the new mistress she said, in tones that brought tears into the eyes of her hearers, “God bless you, dear woman, God in heaven bless you.” Kovel Jumping Case. —Jumping a mining claim is a thing of cvcry-day occurrence, and often proves successful. The latest phase of jumping met with is the jumping of a newspaper office. This fact is reported as follows by tbe San Francisco Chronscle “ A Gilroy date of the 27th has this curious item W. H. Olipperton, proprietor of the s-ilroy Telegraph, a weekly paper, having obtained an appointmedt in the mint at San Francisco, employed a Mr Shaw to edit and publish the paper during his absence. Mr Shaw, it seems, has changed the clay of publication from We Inesday to Saturday, and also changed tbe title from tbe Telegraph to the Gilroy Union. Olipperton returned from the city to-day, and demanded possession of the office, and was promptly ordered out. Shaw has been arrested, charged with larcency, and it remains to be seen if a newspaper can be as easily and successfully jumped as a mining claim. The Nelson Examiner, from which the above paragraph is quoted, says—The Mr Shaw spoken of is said to be well known in Melbourne and New Zealand journalistic circles. A gentleman of that name was some time ago proprietor of the West Coast Times, and Mai or .of Hokitika; but whether he is the hero of the above-named exploit we cannot say.

Personal.— Mr B. L. Farj eon’s new story, “ London’s Heart,” now running through the pages o£ Tinsley's Magazine and Harper's (New York), seems likely, says the Home News, to create a sensation when it is presented to the public in a complete form. The third number, in which is narrated the incident of a clergyman of the Church of England refusing to say prayers over the body of a Methodist, has attracted much attention, some papers going so far as to state that Mr Farjeou wrote it for the express purpose of supporting Mr Osborne Morgan’s Burial Bill. Mr Farjeon, on the other hand, asserts the incident is taken from actual fact, and brings forward printed evidence of the occurrence, which took place a few months ago in a parish churchyard near Gravesend. Mr Farjeon, in addition to his literary labors, has struck out a course which is not unusual with popular authors. He has read “Blade o’ Grass ” twice during the present month ; on the second occasion to a very numerous audience. He met with a most gratifying and exceptional success. The London correspondent of the Melbourne Australasian announces with all the gravity of a fact the marriage of Mr Farjeon and Miss Carrie Nelson. This can hardly be true, for, first of all, Mr Farjeon never had the pleasure of seeing Miss Nelson, and, secondly, he ha< never had the privilege of being married to anybody.

Fire Brigade.— The principal business at the monthly meeting of the Brigade was the consideration of a letter from Colonel Cargill in reference to the Brigade’s dispute with the volunteer authorities, to which reference was made in our columns a few days ago. Col. Harington writes that he did not consider the Brigade entitled to capitation grant, and referred that body to his letter of July 4, 1871, iu which he said “ The Government do not appoint officers of a Fire Brigade. The services of a corps may be accepted under clause 2 of the Volunteer Act; but the members are not entitled to capitation allowances unless they perform the military duties mentioned in the certificate of efficiency, page 82, Volunteer Regulations. By section 13 of Volunteer Act, no names of officers shall be submitted, unless one-half of the enrolled members are efficient volunteers ; and as the members do not perform the duties necessary to make them efficient in accordance with the Regulations, they cannot submit the names of the officers. ” Captain Wain called attention to the application of the Brigade, dated January 17tb, 1871, to be enrolled as a Volunteer body, as follows :—“ We, the undersigned officers and members of the Dunedin Volunteer Fire Brigade, are desirous of joining the Volunteer Force on the following conditions, viz., we paiticipatc in the same privileges as other Volunteer bodies; that our duties be strictly

confined to extinguishing fires, saving life and property from the same, and not to be drilled with arms, except in cases of extreme emergency.” The above was signed by the whole of the Brigade, and forwarded through Major Bathgate to his Excellency the Governor. It was afterwards notified in the Government Gazette that the privileges of Volunteers had been extended to the Fire Brigade, their services as Volunteers having been accepted by the Governor. After a very long and warm discussion, it was resolved to place the matter in the hands of Messrs Bathgate and Reynolds, the representatives of the City in the House of Representatives. The Captain and Lieutenant were requested to wait on those gentlemen, asking them to bring the affair before the House of Representatives.—Messrs F, Bayley and J. Braithwaite were re-elected honorary members.

A Ball iu aid of St Patrick’s Brass Band will be held iu St George’s Hall on Thursday evening. Dancing to commence at 9 o’clock. The Anniversary soir6e of the Otago Seamen’s Mission will be held in the Wesleyan Hall, Stuart street, to-morrow evening.