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Evening Star, Issue 3089, 13 January 1873, Page 2

The depression which for some time past has prevailed at theTharaes has had the effect of reducing the number of telegraphic messages received at Auckland, to the extent of from 35U to 400 awe k. The case of Regina v. Ryan will be formally called on at the Mayor’s Court, tomorrow and adjourned. Mr Haggitt will conduct the prosecution, and Mr Barton has been retained for the defence.. In the Illustrated London News of October 2G, 1872, appears a full-sized engraving of the proposed Great Northern Railway, with the Waitaki Bridge, the Wairanakarua Viaduct, and of Port Moeraki and Bay, from the plans of Mr Millar, F.S A.

Mr Nuttall informs us that the M. Payerne mentioned in the article on submarine boats, which appears in another column, was a partner of M. Villaine, who is constructing the boat to be worked beneath our rivers. The latter will be a vast improvement on anything of the kind before conatructed.

There appear to be some excellent claims on the West Coast, The Alpine company at the Jvycll, obtained for their Christmas crushing 150.0 ozs of gold from a little over 100 tons of stuff, crushed out of the main reef ; and the Golden Crown claim, at Clearwater, Boss is giving splendid returns, as much as LBO a-man per week having been obtained.

A day or two ago a man named Humphries died suddenly at Manawatu, Welling* ton and as th»re were some peculiar circumstances attending the death, an inquest was held. The deceased had walked about 2o miles the day before his death, and annouced that be believed he was about to die. He then made a will, which was duly witnessed though no particular importance was attached to the circumstance, as the man seemed to be in ordinary health. .Next day, however, he was found. de*ulp One of the races at the recent regatta at Hokitika was as successful as it was novel. The event was a ladies’ pair oared race, the conditions of which were-disfcance one mile, three boats or no race. 1 he resuit is tated thus : F.iv j Yankee (Mrs M Kenzie) first, Eclipse (Miss Bradley) seeond. The race, says the Times, certainly seemed to give the most excitement to the spectators present on

the wharf. A good start was effected, both boats keeping well together. Miss Bradley rounded the buoy first, but on running home her oar came unshipped (or seemed to do so), and Mrs M'Kenzie passed hex’, coming in an easy winner.

The population of Victoria on the 30th September was, according to the BegistrarGeneral’s estimate, 705,240, showing an increase on the quarter of 4,507 souls. The departures of males exceeded the arrivals by 1,253, but the arrivals of females exceeded the departures by GOl, so that the total loss by 'excess of departures over arrivals was reduced to 652. By excess of births over deaths, there was a gain to the population of 2,457 males and 2,762 females, resulting in a total of 5,219. The not increase was thus 1,203 males and 3,363 females, or 4,567 of both sexes.

The Magnet Variety Troupe, to which our to-day’s telegrams refer, are the cleverest lot of gymnasts that have ever been seen in the Colonies, They were brought out by Mr E. C. Moore, and have had an uninterrupted run of success wherever they have appeared. They are being brought to the Colony by Mr Mount, and include the now well-known Lottie and her two brothers, Fanny Sara (a double-voiced singer), Lizzie Watson, who came to the Colonies with Harry Rickards, and Buckley and Holly, the jig dancers, with Mr Herman, violin player.

The increase of business in the Telegraph department is truly astonishing. The returns for the quarter, ended September 30th of last year, have just been published and they show an aggregate increase of 37,249 messages, representing a call revenue ot 1.9675, or an increase of L 2997 over the conesponding quarter of 1871 - I" July, 44,056 messages, or 13,493 more than in the same month of 1871, were sent; in August, 46,556, or 13,720 more than in 1871; and in September, 42,417, or 10,036 more than 1878. The increase of revenue in July LOOS ; in August, L 1206 ; and in September. L 792. The Government telegrams have decreased L2GS in the quarter,

The following is a good specimen of the acuteness of the natives :—A block of 4,0U0 acres of land has been taken up from the Maoris near the J3ay of islands by a Mr White on lease of 99 years. Mr White’s object is to get it mined ; but as he agrees to pay 25 per cent of the annual returns, as rent to the native owners, we fear he will find difficulties in the way. The chief mineral relied upon is quicksilver, which has been found pure in the district. Some rich specimens of cinnabar have also been exhibited, but the quantity in which it can be obtained is not known. Coal and iron also abound ; but to us, in the South, the most remarkable feature in the arrangement is the acuteness exhibited by the natives in making their bargain.

The Legislative Council of New South Wales has offended the Government of that Colony and their supporters by throwing out the Bill to abolish Che postage on newspapers ; and a measure for the reform of the Council is considered urgent. A Bill has been brought in to render the House elective. The Colony is to be divided into twelve districts. As a check upon deadlocks, there is a provision that upon every dissolution of the Assembly twelve seats shall be vacated in the Council, and these seats are to be determined by Jot; so that, as no one will know who is to pay the penalty of an obstinate resistance to the Assembly, a moderating spirit may prevail. The Bill allows the existing life nominees to hold their places, but provides for the election of new members, to the number of 36 at first, and 48 afterwards. Each district will return three, and ultimately four, members. The members must be 35 years of age, and be on the Council electoral roll. Voters are to be 21 years of age. five years resident, and must have been for six months freeholders or householders, or Crown lessees, or shall he University graduates, or members of the legal, medical, or clerical professions. The Grey Valley correspondent of the Ary us writing respecting the Christinas examination of the local school, says : “ There is an amount of genuine pleasure as well as instruction and some amusement to be derived by ‘ children of a larger growth’ at these exhibitions of juvenile talent. For instance, one of the examiners, who was called in as an emergency man to assist the regularly appointed inspectors, learned a wrinkle in figuring he was not before aware of. He gave one of the boys an exercise in arithmetic, and the lad got through the work so quickly that the astonished examiner, to save appeara ces, took it for granted it was correct and passed it. It afterwards turned out that the youngster adopted a much quicker and more concise method of cyphering than the old fashioned style within the acquaintance of the examiner, and which was considered the orthodox thing in his school days. Another lad was given a passage in Scriptural history as a reading exercise. He came to the sentence describing a quarrel between two Hebrews, which he rendered—‘Next day Moses saw two brewers fighting.’ This unfortunate mistake, taken in connection with its apparent relation to a passage at arms between two of the trade which occurred in the town a few days previously, quite upset the gravity of even the most serious person in the room.”

We quote the following from a very interesting work just published, en itled, “The Pioneer Missionary : a life of the Rev. Nathaniel Turner, Missionary in New Zealand, Tonga, and Australia; by his son, the Rev. J. G. Turner”—“The great wants of the Colony are roads, population, and capital; and the tendency of recent legislation is to secure them as speedily as possible. Notwithstan iing the incubus of the war, and the ill effects of over-legidatiou New Zealand has made rapid progress, as well in religion as io matters social and commercial. There is no State aid, and Methodism, having faithfully served the past race of the Maoris, holds an honorable position, and finds its appropriate work, gmong the churches throughout the land. The largest Protestant pi tee of worship in New Zealand is that of the W esleyan denomination in Christchurch. The statistics of New Zealand Methodism, now seeking selfgovernment under a separate Conference, show thre« districts, 29 circuits, 112 churches, 45 minsters, aided by ISI local preachers, 2,638 church members, 16,000 hearers, and 5,615 Sabbath scholars. These returns show the result of steady progress ; for no Wesleyan settlement has been formed, though the episcopalian, Piesbyteriau, and Independent bodies have all bad their New Zealand Pilgrim Fathers. There is much room for intelligent, enterprising Christian men, and especially for Christian workers.” We are glad that Signor Cagli has made so liberal a reduction in the charges for visiting the opera this season. We have no doubt that this reduction will he as liberally responded to, and that he will had so many more will attend the opera that he will be equally well remunerated as on the last occasion. Wq see in the list of names of the troupe several who became Reserved favorites while in Dunedin twelve jneuths ago. We have watched the notices in the journals of the different cities visited by the troupe, and find that wherever they go the names of Signori Coy and Zenoni, and Signore Coy, Dondi, Rosnati and others a r e spoken of most favorably. Some few have taken place, and amongst others Signora Ribolcli will appear for the first time. Report speaks highly of her powers as a vocalist. ‘ 1 Lucrezia Boi’gia has been substituted for “Faust” this evening, apparently by desire. We scarcely can say we think it better known than Gounod’s very favorite opera. We have, however, to apologise to Signor Cagli for the omission of a notice of the alteration in this morning’s edition of the Star, which was occasioned purely by some mismanagement as to the time of our receiving the copy of the advertisement, We see the seasqij is

proposed to be a abort one—twelve nights only. We trust it; will prove so successful as to render it profitable to pay Dunedin at least annual visits.

A cool swindle has come under notice. A mooting was recently called of the crcditois of Messrs Gardner and Symonds, wine and spirit merchants, Melbourne. It became necessary to place the estate in the Lanes of the creditors through too couuuct of Gardner, who went off to another Colony, taking with him a sum of money araouu.ing to something like L2OOO. From Sydney he wrote to his partner a charmingly cool letter, of which the followb’gis a copy “ Sydney, 14th December. 1872. Dear Synionds, I dare say you will bo somewhat surprised to receive this letter from me, but 1 really could see no other alternative, unless I left myself quite a beggar, which 1 do not think I. should be justified in doing, as I should have no chance left of bettering my present condition. Although 1 did not tell you before, I. must not keep it a secret from you any longer. Bather more than half the capital which I invested in our business was trust money, which I have given back with interest as I promised to do when 1 got it, and which I was hound to do if it was the last farthing I had left, as if ever 1 get into a position again I shall, I have no doubt, be enabled to get assistance a;ain, and if 1 should be so fortunate ixx the speculation 1 am about entering upon, I shall only be too glad to make good the present shortcomings There is about L 201) in the bank, which I encloses draft for, and I think about L3O • or more in the books that you will be abe to geo in. That equally divided will pay the biggest half of the debt that will be due in a short time. I need hsrdly say how much i regret putting you to all "the disagreeable trouble and inconvenience there will no doubt occur, but I am sure you will endeavor to settle everything as well as you can. I. will write you again as soon as I can, but it will be some time before I can expect to hear from you, as I shall be some hundreds of miles away by the time you got this, '.'rusting you will forgive me for (he liberty I have t ikeu, with kindest regards to Mrs S, and self, believe me, yours faithiully, Wu, Gardner.” Gardner has been arrested at Sydney.

We have to acknowledge the receipt of toe current number of the Afcw Zealand Church Ncw<, which contains an averagely interesting amount of reading matter. The installation of officers of the Pioneer Lodge, 1.0.0. F., will take place tomorrow evening at eight o’clock. The Committee of the Commercial Travel ers’ Association will meet at the Empire Hotel on Wednesday Evening at 8 o’clock

The quarterly summoned meeting of the Court Bride of Dunedin, A. 0.1?., will be held at Wain’s Hotel, to-morrow (Tuesday) evening, at 8 o’clock. This evening Mv F. Weale gives a ball in St George’s Hall, prior to departure for England. Mr \V r eale is well known ill Dunedin, and has given valuable aid on many occasions as a musician. We have no doubt his services will secure a hca*ty recognition. The attention of members of the Dunedin Artibery is directed to the Company order which appears in another column.