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Evening Star, Issue 2956, 9 August 1872, Page 2

Resident Magistrate’s Court.— Ten cases were set down for hearing in the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning, seven of which were settled out ©f Court: in two, the summonses bad been served, and one case was called to which there was no answer by either plaintiff or defendant. Journalistic, —We are informed that the next issue of the Bruce Herald will be printed by machinery, one of the newest and most improved machines having just b ;eii imp' t d from London for that purpose. Tliis is the first of the up-country Press in Otago that has employed machinery, &c.

The Japanese Troupe.— Usually when distinguished persons come amongst us, their intention is heralded a week or two before hand, and expectation is on the tiptoe. Everybody wants to know something about them : Who are they '{ What are they ? But the Japanese have come so stealthily that they have taken us by surprise. Wc cannot give any account of the pedigree of Matz Noski, Saxsan, Sakutaro, Denkitchie, Daikson, Yoslii Matz, and All Eight ; but we have gleaned some little about what they can do in their peculiar walk in life, for they have visited New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania, and have drawn large houses in each of those Colonies. The newspapers speak very highly of their performances, which seem to be somewhat like those which pleased so much in Dunedin some years ago, with additions and varieties. The singing of Mr Tom Margctts too is most highly spoken of. The whole performance is described as being full of interest. “ Every member of the Troupe is not only devoid of vulgarity, but each feat is performed with an ease and grace which imparts an additional gratification to the spectator. ” We trust the mauagers of the Princess Theatre will be supported in their efforts to secure interesting amusement for the public.

City Council. —Beyond the voting of the Mayor’s salary there was little business done at the meeting of the Council on Wednesday night. The personal feeling which displayed itself in the discussion on the salary question was more strongly shown in the appointment of the various committees. For public works Messrs Barnes, Walter, Eamsay, and Neale were proposed. Mr Walter having declined to stand, Mr Eamsay substituted Mr Rosshotham’s name; whereupon Mr Barnes declared he would not act if the latter was elected. On the question being put to the vote, the votes were equal, and the Mayor gave his vote in favor of Mr Walter. For the Reserves Committee Messrs Thoncman, Eamsay, and Barnes were proposed, Mr Rossbotham moved as an amendment Messrs Ramsay, Woodland, Walter, and himself; but Air Barnes declared his intention to demand being placed on the committee as the representative of Leith Ward, Mr Thoneman declining to act, being an interested party. Ultimately Messrs Barnes, Neale, Walter, and Ramsay were appointed. Mr Rossbotham tried to get Mr Ramsay appointed to the chairmanship of the Works Committee; but the Mayor protested vigorously against this attempted usurpation of his rights, and announced his intention to appeal to the citizens, if necessary. The motion, however, did not find a seconder. Air Rossbotham wanted to raise a question about the Citizens’ Roll; but the Mayor would not allow it, as he ruled it could not be legally done. Councillor Neale gave a notice of motion affirming the desirability of increasing the number of Councillors to four for each ward.

Logic in Dunedin.—Most probably everybody is guilty, consciously or uncon. sciously, of occasionally drawing queer con. elusions from premises laid down by himself, but the queerest we hare ee;u lately are e.v.

pressed in the Daily Times this morning in detailing Plummer’s escape. First we are told that the bush in which Plummer is supposed to have hidden himself is a “solid mass of furze, lawyers, and broom,” with “notracks through it.” In this solid mass Plummer, we are told, concealed himself. How he got into the solid mass, and why he was not “nabbed” there because of the difficulty of working his way, are not told. We may pass by some minor miracles of this class, quite sufficiently astounding to establish spiritualism of the most subtle kind as told us by our contemporary, ami stand amazed at the prophetic spirit that animates that journal. “ A few months ” back the Daily Times expressed certain profound ©pinions respecting the unsuitabloncss of Dunedin Gaol for classifying prisoners, and finds the confirmation of its wise conclusions in the escape of a man from custody who was not within the prison walls. The Press of Auckland, as our contemporary tells us, admires the wisdom of the Daily Times ; but to our less cultivated intellects its logic is beyond comprehension. Lecture on Spiritualism—Last evening the Rev. Alexander Reid delivered a lecture upon “Modern Spiritualism,” before a crowded audience in the Lower Hall of the Athemeam, The lecture was given at the request of the society lately established in the city for the investigation of “ spiritualism.” Mr Redmaync occupied the chair. The rev. lecturer gave a very able address in which he combatted many of the statements and arguments put forward by Mr James Smith of Melbourne during his visit and in a pamphlet published by him. He said it was no part of Ins task to explain the phenomena of spiritualism, authenticated though they were by numbers of credible witnesses, but he was not satisfied that such phenomena were rightly traced to spiritual agency. If they were spirits at all he believed they belonged to the same class as the demons, which the Lord permitted to have access to men during his sojourn upon this world. The peculiar idea that all organisms had a soul, perhaps containing the germ of an angel, the lecturer ridiculed as absurd, observing that man in such case had much to answer for in the daily consumption of so many celestial beings as food. The lecturer protested against the assumption that God could not revoke his own laws, and that there was no such thing as supernatural phenomena in the universe. That would make God not a free agent, and place him beneath his own creation. Surely there was nothing inconsistent in God, for certain purposes, suspending the natural laws, such as the occasion of revealing hbnself to man in the person of Christ, and in the working of miracles to attest his mission. In fact, making everything God, and asserting that he could not turn aside his own laws, was a species of Pantheism, which resulted in Atheism, and robbed them of the idea of a personal God, taking a personal interest in the welfare of his creatures, and not free to work or to forbear working. In concluding, the lecturer expressed his wonder that people calling themselves intelligent could swallow such pabulum as put forward by spiritualists, and called upon bis hearers not to entertain teachings so repugnant to reason and to a revelation which had been tried and found to satisfy all the desires of the soul. An animated discussion ensued, in which Mr Carrick contended that tire spirits taught the principles of love and duty, and did not consider the ridicule brought to bear upon the subject any argument against Spiritualism. Mr Grant followed with a lively speech, and was succeeded by Mr Fergus. A vote of thanks to the lecturer closed the proceedings.

The anniversary services of the George street Congregational Church will be held on Saturday next, 11th inst. Mr Macassey will address the electors of Waikari on Monday evening, I2th inst., at 8 o’clock at the Kaikorai Drill Shed.

The members of the Dunedin Choral Society will meet for practice in the University Hall, to-morrow (Saturday) evening, at 8 o’clock.

Mr Fish will address the electors this evening in the Mornington uchoolhonsc at 7.80, and to-morrow evening in the Kensington Hotel, at the same hour. Mr Stout will meet the electors of Cavcraham, at the Kensington Hotel, this (Friday) evening, at 7.30. Mr Leary will also address the electors at the Drill Shed, to-morrow (Saturday) evening, at 7.3 i),

In consequence of the protracted passage of the Napier from Loudon, the bazaar, intended to be held on behalf of the building fund of the Church at Warrington, will be postponed until further notice, a quantity of contributions being on board that vessel.