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Evening Star, Issue 2969, 24 August 1872, Page 2

Dunedin Kifle Club. —At a meeting of the committee of the Dunedin Rifle Club, held at the Athenaeum on Thursday evening, it was decided to hold the next match of the Club on Saturday, 7th September, at 200, 600, and GOO yards ranges. Wimbledon targets. Entries to be received until the 3rd of that month.

The Shipping Monopoly. The A gent-General suggests the expediency of the Colonial Secretary ascertaining the rate of freight at which railway plant could be conveyed from Melbourne to the chief ports of New Zealand, as it can be sent to Melbourne at from 17s 6d to 25s a ton, while the freight from English ports to New Zealand is from 45s to 60s a ton.

Caversham Election.— Mi' Tolmie addressed a meeting at the Kensington Hotel last night, and received a vote of confidence, Mr Cutten has addressed meetings at North-East Harbor, Highcliffo, and Caversham. At the last-mentioned place a vote of thanks was moved as an amendment to the vote of confidence, but only found three supporters, the original motion being carried.

A Suggestive Return.— A correspondent of the Evening Pont suggests that some member of the House should ask for a return of the expenses connected with the recent Colonial Prize Firing at Christchurch, and the amount distributed in prizes won thereat. The writer states that a comparison of the amounts will astonish a good many people, and shew that there is a screw loose somewhere.

Accident. — Yesterday afternoon, a child of Mr Joseph Freeman, storekeeper, Primrose hill, one year and four months old, was severely scalded about the body by accidentally pulling a pan of boiling water from the fire upon itself while playing with a chair. Dr Alexander was sent for, and promptly attended, and we arc glad to learn that the little sufferer is easier this morning. Railway Construction, article on the Brogden contracts, the Hawke's Bay Herald refers to the causes which have led to the railways contracted for exceeding in cost the Parliamentary estimates, and mentions that the first rails, bought about a year ago, were purchased at L 7 10s in London. The last, bought by the Agent-General, cost Ll3 10s. The cost of rolling-stock and everything connected with railways is increased in like proportion. District Road Board Elections.— The poll for the Highcliff subdivision of the Peninsula district took place yesterday at

the schoolhouse. The candidates were Messrs R. Braid, J. Mathieson, J. Waugh, W. Tinnock, R. Inglis, and T. Morris. The poll resulted in the icturn of Messrs Waugh, Mathieson, and Tinnock. The Peninsula district has now its full complement of members as required by the Ordinance ; and the whole of the elections for the districts in the vicinity of Dunedin are now over.

Princess Theatre. Despite the counter-attractions, there was a good attendance, the performance being for the benefit of All Bight. The afternoon performance to-day was well attended, the weather considered. The children from the Benevolent Institution received free admission, and were brought to town by Mr Chaplin. To-night Misses Nye and Beresford appear in burlesque, and wc hope to see a large house to greet the re-appearance of such a deserved favorite as the first-men-tioned lady has always been with a Dunedin audience;

The Uutward Mails. —The following telegram from his Honor the Superintendent has been kindly placed at our disposal by the Deputy Superintendent: “Mr Vogel tell me that he hopes a vessel will he ■(■ bartered by the agents to proceed to San Francisco ; but besides he will en leaver to arrange with the Rangitoto, if she will take a reasonable and not extravagant allowance. She will have no difficulty in catching the mail at Melbourne. The agents will not arrange until she arrives on the coast. She is duo to-day. Meanwhile the. Postmaster at Dunedin is instructed to make up mails by the Alhambra.”

Concert. —The Widows and Orphans fund of the M.U. 1.0, D.P. ought to receive a handsome donation, as the result of the concert given last night at the Masonic Hall, in aid of that charity. Long before the entertainment commenced, the room was inconveniently filled; and numbers were afterwards admitted, until the crush became so great that the committee was compelled to refuse taking more money atthe doors. The concert resembled in most respects one given a few weeks since by the Sable Urphaus, which we noticed at some length. Other engagements prevented us seeing the whole of that given last night, but judging by the applause which followed “ Jennie who lives in the dell” ; the dancing of Messrs Gough, Simp on, ami Hobson; and the stumpspeechof Mr Hobson, it was very successful. The “ Anvil Chorus,” however, did not go so well as it did on the occasion referred to. After the concert the room was cleared for (lancing, Mr Keichardt presided at the piano.

Roslyn. —The usual weekly meeting of the Roslyn .and Kaikorai Institute was held in the hall on Friday evening. Mr Gillies, vice-president, occupied the chair. Mr James Taylor read an interesting paper on the “ Immigration Scheme of the General Government,” dwelling at considerable length upon the various agencies appointed to carry out the scheme, and spoke in strong terms against the introduction of Scandinavians and other foreigners. To this part of the paper many of the members took exception, giving it as their opinion that the introduction of foreigners would aid in developing the resources of the Colony—England not many centuries ago being indebted to foreigners for the introduction of manufactures which now nuke lior the great manufacturing country that she is. It was intimated that Mr James Taylor would on Tuesday evening read an essay—subject: “ The Origin of Man”—the night of meeting being altered to suit the convenience of members.

Larhikinism. —Mr Steward, the member for Oamaru, has introduced a short Bill into the Assembly intended to check the growing evil of larrikinism. By it any male person under sixteen years of age may be cited to appear before a Resident Magistrate for any “act of mischief, committed without felonious intent, or for annoying any person in any public street, place, or thoroughfare, or for mischievously causing any injury to any person or property, without actual malice,” and on conviction may be sentenced to solitary confinement, with or without whipping, for a period not exceeding ninety-six hours, and to be kept on bread and water if the Court so direct, and the Court has further power to order whipping without imprisonment. In cases where long terms of imprisonment are given, the Court may order whipping on committal, and again on the day prior to the offender’s discharge. Ihe whipping is to be administered in all cases within the gaol, in the presence of the medical officer, with a common cane, birch, or leather tawse, and is not to exceed twenty stripes for the first, or ten for the second or same punishment.

The Boad Board Elections.—A ratepayer in a road district called upon us yesterday to represent the injustice of electing members of road boards by a show of hands. He pointed out that by the Ordinance, the number of votes which an elector is entitled to give depends upon the amount of rates that he pays. If his property is rated at fifty pounds annually, he is entitled to give one vote ; if at one hundred, two votes; one hundred and fifty pounds confers throe votes; and so on up to five hundred pounds, which entitles a man to six votes. But by a show of hands, the man with six votes is only counted one, the same as the man with one vote. We pointed out to him that his remedy consisted in demanding a poll, to which he replied true, but that would inflict an expense on the road district of something like twenty pounds, and although he might prefer one man above another, he did not think the difference between the two could be estimated as worth that sum. He wishes the matter to be brought under the notice of the Returning Officer with the view of enabling the six vote man to exercise his due influence at the .Glow of hands. This is a knotty problem for that gentleman to ponder over. Miss Nelly Grant and Queen Victoria. — The following correspondence is given in the American papers as having passed between Her Majesty the Queen and the daughter of President Grant, prior to the presentation of that young lady at Court “Langley’s Hotel, May 1872. Mr dear Lady and Queen, —I am embarrassed at the honor of an official request, given through a high officer (your Lord Chamberlain, 1 .think), to be presented to your Majesty. I should dearly love to see you, that I might tell my mother and father that I have thus been honored. I am but a simple American girl ; that I am the President’s daughter gives me no claim to your recognition as a sovereign. If, with the kind lady who is acting as my ‘chaperone,’ I might visit you, 1 should bo very glad. Our Secretary of Legation hints at gome political significance in

this opportunity. I cannot bo interpret it. and would not wish to be so received, because it would not be right, as I am nothing in American politics, and I am sure my father would not desire me to appear other than as my simple and very humble self. If, with this explanation, your Majesty will alb w me to visit you. 1 stall be yreatly honored and be very proud. I have written this note of ray own motion, and because I think it the right thing to do. lam your Majesty’s very obedient servant and admirer. Nellie Grant.” The following autograph Iclti-r was received by Miss Ne lie from her Majesty the Queen, and the visit took place at the time indicated, and was very informal and pleasant:— ‘ Windsor Castle. Miss Nellie ! •rant, —I have instructed Lady to convey to you this note, and wc shall receive you as the daughter of your honorable parents, without the intervention of our high officers of State. I shall accept your visit as an ‘ American girl,’ and there shall he no other significance in the fact than your kindly-expressed desire to see the lady, and not the sovereign. I shall find it pleasant to forget that I am Queen in receiving you to-morrow afternoon at our palace of Windsor. Victoria.”

The WeAther up Country. —There appear to have been some heavy snowstorms up country last week. The Tnnpeka Times ha", an ac ount of a journey made by Cobb’s coach from Clyde on the 14th inst. It was after leaving Alexandra that the coach experienced the full fury of the storm. “It was then with considerable difficulty that the horses could be induced to travel, and they sometimes could scarcely drag the coach through the drifts. The cold was most intense, the snow freezing as it fed, and it descended so thickly that it was impossible for a person to see a yard before him. Kemp’s was reached at half past ten, Mr Craig was so benumbed that he could not get off the box and had to be lifted down. Bis beard was frozen together in one solid mass; bis gloves frozen hard as boards, and his comforter and other clothing also being frozen.” At evis the fall of snow was heavier than at any lime during the past nine years. In the Nevis Cal ley the snow lay to an average depth of two feet; whilst on the ranges 00 either side there were wreaths of snow-drift from twenty to fifty feet deep. Sergeant Cassels, who visited the Nevis township, describes the appearance of the Valley, viewed by moonlight from the southern slope of the Garrick Range, as a scene of uncommon beauty and grandeur. The upper township—distant at least a dozen miles from the point of observation—was distinctly visible amid the dazz’ing whiteness of the surrounding landscape; while the rapidly flowing river could be clearly traced in its devious windings through the vast expanse of snow and ice.

There is now on view at the Athenaeum a cleverly-executed model of a steamship, with spars and rigging complete. _ Jt is the work of a lad who is a patient in the Hospital; and a few sympathisers are endeavoring to dispose of it by art union, to enable the poor little fellow to obtain some much-needed comforts. We commend the matter to the chari' ably inclined.

Mr Toljhe will address the electors of Caversham district at Green Island Drill Shed this (Saturday) evening, at 7.30, and Monday evening at the Caversham Drill Shed, at 7.30. Mr Cutten will also address the electors this evening at the Tomahawk School house at seven o’clock, and on Monday evening at the Portohello Schoolhouse at seven o’clock.