YESTERDAY’S NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 3129, 28 February 1873, Page 3

YESTERDAY’S NEWS.

By an order in Council, dated the 18th inst., the importation of cattle, horses, sheep, or pigs, or hides and skins of the same, ftc., into New Zea and is prohibited. The drama of “ Eltie,” now being played at the Princess Theatre, dues not seem to draw, although the efforts of the management are deserving of better support. The audience last evening, though comparatively thin, was appreciative and discriminating, while the piece was played spiritedly and effectively. This evening the drama will be repeated. The Government have at length performed ap act of simple justice to the telegraph officials. ! For years past they have been obliged to work very long hours—many of them on very small salaries—owing to the press ef business which has followed the cheap tariffs brought into operation by the present Commissioner of Telegraphs; but until this year it was never thought necessary to pay them for the overtime they worked. Now, by regulations issued the other day by the department, those officers who are required to work overtime for the receipt and despatch of press messages, will be paid according to the following scale Officers in charge, at the rate of 2s an hour; operators, Is 6d; messengers, 6d.

The entertainment given at Chhrini’s Circus seems to be growing in favor with the public. Last evening there could not have been less than fifteen hundred people present at the performance. A new programme was presented, more pleasing than that of any previous occasion., The first item described W > a - ..French l battude” was a display of leaping and tumbling somersaults over horsee placed side by side, and increased in •umber until nig* were bo placed. The leap-

ing was immense, and caused uproarious applause ; but when Messrs G. Holland aud Gonzales performed the exceedingly difficult feat of tumbling a double somersault over the backs of five horses, while travelling a distance of perhaps thirtyfive feet, the audience became most enthusiastic. Miss Amelia Bridges followed, delineating a series of pretty Spanish poses on horseback, while Mr Howland, the clown, created much merriment by his eccentric tumbling and grotesque movements. The Eerformance of "Othello,” a very beautiful ay colt, under the guidance of Mr Chiarini, was very interesting. It is a very intelligent animal, and reflects great credit on its trainer. Besides doing many things common to trick-horses, it turned over a number of chairs with its hoof, then restored them by the same means to an upright position, and lifting them one by one in its teeth handed them to the clown. It also waltzed round the chairs to music, feigned lameness, and did several other almost incredible things, a'l of which were very much admired. The comic tumbling of the brothers Carlo was a very clever performance, but was surpassed by the "Triple Parterre,” a scene in which the brothers stand on each other’s shoulders, then doub e themselves up like a pack of cards, or sit on each other’s shoulders like so many frogs. But even these tricks were excelled, when they in turn leaped from the shoulders of one to the other, turning somersaults backwards aud forwards with a degree of rapid it}' and certainty astonishing. These people may fairly be pronounced the most clever acrobats who have visited the Colonies, and tho repeated demonstrations of appreciation manifested by the audience was a well-deserved compliment. Those who take delight in this kind of entertainment should not Jet this opportunity pass without seeing them. Mr G. Holland’s horsemanship is singularly clever, daring, and graceful to a degree rarely witnessed, while Alias Belen Cuba as bare-backed rider is an accomplished horse-woman. Miss Mille Gracic again repeated her difficult act on the double trapeze, and was vociferously applauded. The remaining items of the programme also won deserved approval. This evening there will be another change of performance. The Rev. Thomas Buddie, on his return to Auckland from Sydney, lectured on the results of the proceedings of the Wesleyan Conference recently held at the latter place, and thus referred to what he called the important topics He referred particularly to the clamoring of circuits for this minister or that minister, as they were only too much in the habit of doing. This had been a difficult matter for the Conference to arrange. For his own part, he had a very strong objection to the invitation system altogether, and he hoped soon to see it abolished; but, at the same time, he very much doubted whether it would be. JNo correspondence ought to take place between the preachers and the circuits before September, but this was not always adhered to. There had been a decrease of 915 members in the Colonial churches generally, a considerable dccri-a?e in the Sydney, Melbourne, Maitland, Geelong, and Ballarat districts, and a small decrease in Tasmania. But iu New Zealand there was an increase of 129 members. The net increase, however, for New Zealand, when the mission stations were taken into account, was 170. There were many reasons for the decreased the Australian Colonies, principally among them being the exodus to gold, copper, and tin mines, often situated in places where there were no churches. It was also very common for the people to go and live iu the suburbs, where, perhaps, there were no Methodist Churches. The falling off in class attendance was fully discussed by the Conference. It was stated that a larte number of the communicants were those who did not attend the class meetings. He held that the Sacrament was no t*’st of Church membership, although it might be a sign of such, n the Fre.-byterian and Congregational Churches, communicants must be Church members before they could be admitted to partake of the Sacrament. The subject of dancing and worldly amusements was earnestly discussed, and opinions were expressed that such amusements were undermining the spiritual well-being of the community. Such frivolities would undoubtedly arrest the work of God among the Wesleyan Churches. The speaker urged upon Methodists the necessity of reading Church magazines more, and light secular magazines less, if they wished really to have their principles rightly formed, and their minds rightly directed. This was especially necessary in the case of the younger members of the Church. Many entertainments, not wrong in themselves, greatly interfered with class meetings and prayer meetings. Hq had found that the members of the Church would often sooner go to a temperance meeting than to a class meeting. i his was a matter of great importance, and should be carefully guarded against, New churches, he was glad to say, were springing up in all directions, and there wai no complaint to be made upon that score. With regard to the missions in the South Seas, they had only this year to draw from London the sum of L 145 ; all the rest was contributed in these Colonies, The money raised in the Friendly Islands in one year amounted to LlO 554. If that was not a success for the missionaries, he didmot know what was; The inhabitants of those islands {the Friendly) agreed to pay the ministers as much as they were paid in Sjdneyand Melbourne In Fiji there was an increase of 1,230 members, notwithstanding the many difficulties which the people of that place had had to contend with. But be very much feared that the Wesleyau Church in that island would before long have to pass through a very severe ordeal. On the education fund there was a detieency of L 652. This fund was closely connected with the minister’s stipend, and was iutended to assist him in his work.

A meeting of persons interested in Gaelic preaching was held in the lower hall of the Athenaeum, last evening, to take into consideration the propriety of forming a High, landers’ Society, selecting a missionary, &c. Fifteen persons were present; and Mr Allan delivered a lecture, the substance of his observations being as follows The object of the meeting was for the purpose of organising a Highlanders’ Society, that would cooperate with the Provincial Government in promoting emigration from the Highlands and islands of Scotland ; and also the employment of a Gaelic missionary to supply the spiritual wants of their countrymen in the Province, and eventua'ly the establishment of a suitable Gospel mini ter in the City. He pointed out that in Scotland the Gaelic Catholics of Barra, in times past, had, by command of the lords of those islands, been nndered homeless, and tbeir houses set on fire ; and the clergy, as he feared they would do here, instead of becoming protectors, and trying to quell the oppressions, looked ou with apathy and marked unconcern. The lecturer then pointed out that if these people could be shown the climate of this Colony, and prospects before thpip jp jt, they wopld readily emigrate to New Zealand; and he wight state that no one could deny that this Province was highly favored by nature, and bad vast resources. The Highlander’s wife and daughters, by means of the distaff, spinning-wheel, and handloom, could convert the abundant flax into various articles of household use, as well as clothing ; the wool, by the same process, could be turned into blankets, tweeds, and other articles of domestic use, which, for durability, would place the productions of the Mosgiel factory in the shade ; and, as the sea abounded in fish of various kinds, but more especially in a species of herring, termed by natura'ists clupm sayane, about the size of herrings, and most delicious to taste, these Hebridean crofters or fishermen would be the very ones to ferret them out; and moreover there was a possibility, however Utopian it might appear to some, provided the necessary means were taken, that the West of Scotland large-sized and delicious herring could be acclimati ed here with ease, as well as ling and cod, by hatching from the ova. He tbep condemned the f resbyterian Synod m

being unjust towards the Gaelic people, in opposing, instead of fostering, the idea of encouraging that people to come to this Province ; and cruel to those who were here, as they could not pray in their native tongue. In conclusion he suggested—lst, That an association, composed of Highlanders and Islanders, with a president, vice-president, secretary, and a treasurer, with a strong committee, should be formed, whose duties would be to stimulate immigration by sending Gaelic circulars and tracts, to be distributed largely among the people by ministers and agents at home ; and 2nd, the organisation of a Gaelic congregation and the providing of a Gaelic divine, that the immigrants upon arrival might go and worship their Creator. He stated from the interviews he had with some members of the Government, and more particularly with the Superintendent, that he believed the Provincial Government would gladly assist towards forming a Gaelic Colony ; indeed, the members of the present Government, who were almost exclusively either Highlanders or their descendants, would be repudiating their nationality if they were not to enter heartily into the project. Mr Grant, in proposing a vote of thanks, said he was sorry to see so small an attendance, which was no doubt owing to the matter not having been given sufficient publicity to. » e hoped the lecture, so ably given by Mr Allan, would be handed to the papers for publication, on account of the 3,000 Highlanders in the Province, who, not having been able to attend, would read it with much pleasure, and probably send it to their friends in other places. AMr M'Leod censured the lecturer f<»r speaking in the manner he had done of the Synod, and said, if the lecture were printed, he hoped that that part of it would be struck out. Mr Allan, in acknowledging the vote, said that when the Caledonian Society was first organised, on one occasion there were only three persons present, but by acting unitedly it had become a prosperous affair. Were the same aution taken in reference to a Gaelic Association, it would soon be in as hea’thy a position. Had it not been harvesting time, Mr John Gillies would have been pre sent, and as a missionary was wanted, that gentleman had promised to give L2OO towards the object. The meeting theu separated.