YESTERDAY’S NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 3091, 15 January 1873, Page 3

YESTERDAY’S NEWS.

A man named Benjamin Lon Hi, employed at Omarama, died on Friday la-t of idiopathic tetanus. He had been live days suffering from the seizure, which resulted ft om catching cold. ! he Governor, on returning from the Lake districts, proceeds to Morven Hills, the station of Mr J. M‘Lean ; thence to Utek .ike, the residence of the Hon. B. Campbell; thence to Mr Buckley’s, near the VVaitaki Hiver, whence, we believe, he proceeds to Christchurch.

“ Borneo and Juliet ” was again presented at tho Princess Theatre last evening, to a thin but enthusiastic audience. The notorious comedy of “Formosa’’has been in rehearsal for some time, and will be produced this evening. It is reported that, so far as scenic effect, costumes, and reading are concerned, every effort has been put forth to make the entertainment a success.

The necessity for the appointment of a puisne judge to relieve Chief Justice Arney from some portion of the immense amount of work he is required to deal with is strongly advocated by the New Zealand Herald. After saying that Sir George Arney works longer and more unremittingly than any other judge on the bench in the olony, the Herald says “Despite all the efforts he can make, cases and applications arc postponed from term to term, and there is no saying when they will commence, or when terminate.”

The proceedings, at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Fort ( halmers, were varied a little yesterday. The Magistrates sat at the unusual Imur of nine o’clock, and tue seamen who had been remanded the previous day, till the following morning at eleven, were, with one or two other refractory seamen, convicted of the various offences with which they were charged, and sentenced to terms of imprisonment no doubt commensurate with their offences. If it is deemed necessary that informetions should be heard and tried in an open and public Court, it is a pity, and a practice not to be commended, that cases of considerable interest, not only to the parties themselves but to the public generally, should bo heard at a time when, from the peculiarity of the hour, it could not be expected the public would be present. The annual meeting of St. Paul’s congregation was held in the lower room of the Athemeum, last evening ; the Rev. K, G, Edwards in the chair. The retiling vestrymen in their report mentioned that the balance-r.heet showed the gross receipts from all sources during the past year, that they bad been vniaVAe to clear off t\ie sma.li debtor balance against the parish at the close of 1871; and, whilst such was the case, they oid not feel justified at present in reducing the few rents to 21s. The Vestry strongly urged upon the parishom-rs the need there is for more liberal contributions on their part in meeting the calls that must necessarily be made upon them for the proper conduct of the services of their Church The present state of the bui ding was such as to necessitate, before the coming winter, repairs to the roof and other parts. The erection of a vestry mom had now become an absolute necessity, and the Vestry recommended this should be done by removing the present chancel, and erecting a new chancel and organ chamber, with vestry room beneath ; such erection to form part, and accord with new general design for the church, to be hereafter constructed as circumstances permitted. The proposed alterations and repairs would involve an outlay of about 1,500, and will give additional accommodation for 25 sittings where the organ now stands. They further recommended that a special fund to meet such additional expenses as the restoration of the church budding, and for other purposes, be s riously entered upon by the parish during the ensuing year. The Vestry suggested that each member of the congregation should give in his or her name for such amounts as they feel they could afford to give; and that it should he collected quarterly, or monthly if more convenient to the subscriber. Tho Vestry felt that if such a fund were once established, the necessity of making appeals to the congregation would bo spared to them, and the good working and prosperity of the parish would thus be assured to their successo sin office. The Vestry directed especial attention to the Bishopric Fund. Not only have no exertions been made of late years towards this endowment, but the grants in aid of L 2.000 from the London Societies were in danger of lapsing, unless the endowment is completed before the end of 1875. The return of Dr Nevill to the diocese of Otago, who has since actively entered upon the duties of his office, should cause steps to be at once taken to place the endowment fund on such a footing as would secure to the Bishop and his successors a suitable stipend for the proper maintenance of the office. Air W. Mason was elected minister’s churchwarden, and Mr H. F. Hardy parishioners’ churchwarden ; and the following gentlemen were appointed committeemen :—The Hon. Dr. Buchanan, Messrs B. T, Wheeler, Hawkins, S. N. Muir, Aldrich, Paul, A, W. Webb, Kenvig, and Raymond. The rev. chairman called attention to tjie steps being taken to form a new parish in the city ; and to the necessity for registration, to enable parishioners to vote for Synodsmen. A letter was read from the Bishop of Dunedin suggesting the free use of St. Paul’s for certain diocesan purpeses, and the suggestion was acted upon. There was a long discussion on that part of the report recommending the expenditure of a sum of money for a vestry, and ultimately the matter was postponed for further consideration.