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Evening Star, Issue 3018, 22 October 1872, Page 2

Personal, —There are many in this Province who will be glad to hear that information was received in Melbourne by the last Suez mail as to the progress towards recovery of Mr B. C. Aspinall. He has himself written to his friends iu that city speaking in most favorable terms of tho prospect of an early resumption of the duties of his profession. Accident. —Wc regret to learn that 1 Mr Frederick Fulton met with a severe accident yesterday, at the flax mill WestTaieri, by which his left arm was broken and the il 311 severely torn. He was scutching some flax, when his arm was drawn into the machine, and the bones broken between the wrist and the elbow. His band was not hurt. He went to the Hospital, and was immediately attended to. It is .hoped amputation will not be needed. Very Appropriate.— Tho Wellington Independent suggests that the tombstone of the latest Mr Stafford Ministry might' bear tho following inscription, to delight the eyes of some future Old Mortality of politics “llicJacet “Tiik Stafford Superintexdental Ministry. “ Aged 28 days 20 hours.” First Church. — At a meeting of the congregation last night, a report was read detailing the arrangements that had been made for obtaining temporary assistance from Victoria during the ensuing six months, ; and that, therefore, some of the leading ministers of that Colony might be expected to officiate at this Church during the summer season. The report also stated that the Rev. Oswald Dykes, of London, and Mr E. B. Cargill, had been communicated with iu prder to obtain the fullest information regarding suj table ministers for the permanent supply. It was decided that the held for the choice of a minister ehofild not be restricted to the Colonics. Band op Hope.— The half-yearly meeting of the Dunedin Band of Hope was held on Friday in the Wesleyan Hall, Stuart street. There was a very good attendance of members and visitors. The secretary read the report, which showed the affairs of the society to be in a prosperous condition, and that the total number of members was 431. The arrival of the books composing the library was announced, and it was intimated they would be issued as soon as possible, The report was adopted. The election of officers for the ensuing term then took place, with the following result Chairman, Mr Cameron ; vice chairman, Mr Blackford; secretary, Mr A. George; treasurer, Mr A. G. Price; librarian, Mr G. Selby; committee, Messrs Wise, Joseph Freeman, Cro,slice, Farland, Coventry, and Morris.

A Snubbing,—Mr Sewell received a well-deserved snubbing from Mr Waterhouse the other day. On the dissolution correspondence being laid on the table of the Upper House, Mr Sewell took exception to the paragraph of his Excellency’s correspondence {—“ It seems to be morally certain that the majority of ihz Parliament and of the people of New Zealand agree in desiring that there may be formed on a wider basis a new Administration, strong enough to carry on the Government without further embarrassment to the public business.” Mr Sewell wanted to know whether any endeavors "of the nature so indicated” bad been made, and that jf such endeavors had failed, what were the circumstances to which such failure was attrilnn able. The reply of the Premier was short and conclusive, He told Mr Sewell that a new Administration "formed on a wider basis” had been constructed, and that it commanded not only much greater strength than its predecessor, but was strong “enough to carry on the Government without embarrassment of the public business. ”

Amicable Neighbors. Half way Bay (Lake), which possesses only half a dozen settlers, is noted for endless litigation, and for the envy, hatred and malice often existing there, T}jo most recent calamity that has fallen upon this pretty settlement is the destruction during Monday night of live or six slacks cd oals and baijcy, on Mr

R, Howarth’s farm. Two of the settlers were absent. The news was brought up last evening by the Antrim steamer, and the damage done is estimated at L 350. This is a very heavy loss to Mr Howarth. There is little doubt that ill-blood has been begotten over some law case, and that the lire was one of incendiarism. Very recently Mr Howarth’s steamer, the Victoria, had her mooring unloosened, and, we hear, drifted with a good breeze to Kingston, when she has brought-to, without injury, by her anchor iu shadow water. It was quite poa-,-ible, however, for her to have run on the rocks between that Bay and Kingston- a distance of twelve miles. Hie authors of these diabolical deeds are, of course, most difficult to trace, as they invariably choose the midnight hours. We trust, however, that a large reward will be offered, and the culprits discovered.— Wakafip Mall. Temperance. — At the quarterly meeting of the Antidote Division of the Sons of Temperance, held last evening, the several reports for the quarter ended Sept. 30 were read. The report of the 11. S. showed a total membership of 100, being an increase on last quarter of 18. The 'treasurer reported the balance in hand at the end of the last quarter to have been 1.241 7s. The receipt* during the quarter under notice were LlO9 2s 6d, the current expenditure L 45 Is 6d, and the amount of sick benefits LB eaviug a balance in the Bank to the credit of the Division of L 297 Bs. The officers for the quarter were then installed, as follows, by Brother Rev. Thomas Ro;eby, D.M. W.P., Brother Pryor acting as M, W.C. James Todd, W!P,; George Sutton, W.A.; James B. M'Culloch, R.S.; E, M. M ss, A.R.S.; James (Jrawfurd, F.S,; John Wesley Jago, Treasurer ; H. V. Moss, Chaplain ; Andrew M‘K.enzie, Conductor; Charles Selby, A.C.; George Holmes, 1.5.; George Crowliurst, O.S Princess Theatre.— The “ Contested Election” drew a good attendance downstairs, and a fair sprinkling in the circle last evening. We have seen some of the characters better played ; but on the whole it was very creditably acted. Of one thing there is no doubt--the audience were mightily pleased. The loquacity of that quintessence of unscrupulous electioneering agents, Mr Dodgson ; the despair of the henpecked Houeybuu, the man of quiet, who hj obliged to through the turmoil of a contested election greatly against his will ; the vagaries of those specimens of the British elector of the clays when bribery was rampant, and whose occupation went wdth the Reform Bills and the extension of the franchise— Peckover and Topper—could not fail to produce amusement when the characters were entrusted to Messrs Hoskins, Musgrave, Hydes, and South. Of Mr Musgrave’s Honeybun, nothing too much can be said in its praise ; it was an admirable performance. The comedy was followed by the laughable farce of “A Conjugal Lesson”; and both pieces will be repeated to-night.

The attentipn of members of the North Dunedjn Rifle Company is directed to an advertisement appearing in another column. A social gathering of the members pf St. Andrew’s Church will be held in their new hall, Walker street, this (Tuesday) evening, at half-past six o’clock. By the substitution of the wrong case, wc reported a mistake which we attempted to correct last evening. In Docking r. M'Noir, Mr Harris did appear for the defendant, as at first stated ; but in ■Reid T. Hatfield, he appeared for the plaintiff, £nd not for the defendant, as it appeared when that case was reported by us. We observe that a piiblfp meeting is to he held this evening, in the Masonic Hall, for the purpose of explaining the principles of the submarine boat for obtaining tha gold from the river-beds of Otago. As a threat number of people are but imperfectly acquainted with the merits of the invention, no doubt the meeting will be well attended, and such explanations given as to ensure the support the enterprise deserves.