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Evening Star, Issue 3150, 25 March 1873, Page 2

Mr John Joyce was this day admitted and enrolled as a Barrister and Solicitor of tire Supreme Court of New Zealand. The Parliamentary survey of a line of railway between Dunedin and Moeraki was begun about ten days ago, and will he finished in time for the meeting of the General Assembly. Tenders for the construction of the Tokomairiro and Lawrence line, a distance of twenty-two miles, will be called for this week. The work is-divided into five sections, to ensure competition. The sections are arranged according to the amount of work involved in them.

Messrs B. W. Sparrow and Co.’s tender for the erection of rolling stock, imported for the Clutha line of railway, has been accepted by the General Government. It includes the putting together of two locomotives, twelve carriages and break vans, ten ordinary waggons, and twelve mineral waggons.

We understand that Messrs Brogdcn and Sons’ was the lowest tender for completing the Clutha Railway to the Chain Hills, from Dunedin a distance of five miles and a half. The tender will, in all probability, be accepted to-morrow. The amount, we believe, is L 4,699, and includes ballasting permanent way, sidings, and the construction of one bridge over the line.

A meeting of persons interested in the erection of a Temperance Hall in Dunedin, was held in the hall underneath the Congregational Church, Moray place, last evening. There were about twenty gentlemen present. After some discussion it was resolved that Messrs Moss, Hughes, Neill, Mackay, Cameron, Pryor, and Jago be appointed a committee to select the best site and most suitable description of building, and to report to a future meeting. The annual soirde in connection with the North Dunedin Presbyterian Church was held in the Church last evening, there being about 250 persons present. Addresses were delivered by the Revs. J. Gow, W. Will, D. M. Stuart, and Dr. Copland, Most of the speakers referred, in the course of their remarks, to “the new and beautiful faith,” which they condemned as being detrimental to the cause of true religion. The choir, under the direction of Mr Grahame, lent very valuable assistance by rendering several glees and hymns very effectively. At the Mayor's Court, this morning, James Gavin, charged with drunkenness, not appearing, was lined in the amount of his bail—4os. Edward Ravenhall and John Grey, making use of obscene language, were discharged with a caution. Susannah Phillips, for a like offence, was fined 20s, with the alternative of 48 hours’ imprison ment. Jane M‘Leod, convicted of vagrancy, was sentenced to one months’ imprisonment. William George, alias Yale, gambling on the race-course, with dice, on the previous day,

was discharged with a caution, and the dice were orclerea to be confiscated. John Ready, for assaulting Charles Cooper, was fined 20s, with the option of 48 hours’ imprisonment. We thought the holding capacity of the Queen’s Theatre was tested to the uttermost on the occasion of the first concert by the opera company, but Messrs Richardson and Small, with their assistants, showed us very differently last night. They appeared to have had very little difficulty m enabling close upon 1,400 people to witness the performance, while many contented themselves with forms placed against the walls, and not a few had to be refused admittance, io use a theatrical phrase, the house was “ crowded to the very roof.” The entertainment Lottie’s performances in particular gave universal satisfaction.

There was a numerous attendance at the Princess Theatre last night, when a very enjoyable programme was presented to the audience. The first piece was “The Bonnie Fishwife,” Miss Jessie Raymond appearing as Maggie Macfarlane. This lady has greatly improved since her first appearance m Dunedin, and played very naturally. A Kiss in the Dark” followed, in winch Mr Hydes, by his comicalities, took the house completely by storm. Mr O’Brien, as Pat Murphy, in the farce of “ Paddy in India, depicted the raw Irishman to perfection. An Ethiopian entertainment concluded the performance, Mr South sustaining the puncipal character. The Brisbane Courier, speaking of the resolu - tions of the Conference as to electric telegraph extension, says ;—lf we understand rightly, the present intention is to lay a cable, 1,300 miles long, from Botany Bay to Cape Faiewell, at the northern point of the Province of Nelson, and at the opening oi Cooks Strait. The three Colonies of New South Wales, Queensland and New Zealand will undertake the whole responsibility connected with the two cables, and divide the cost, if any, amongst them. '1 hey will, of couise, give their entire support to the lines for which they have to pay, and, as regards the Anglo-Australian telegraph, in which there will be a competition, the other Colonies will no d übt make use of the line which affoids the most certain, speedy, and cheapest communication.

A meeting of the passengers by the Philip Laing, by which the first settlers came to the Province, was held in Murray’s hotel last evening, when the desirability of commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of their arrival was discussed. Mr H. M‘Dermid occupied the chair, and though the attendance was nccc&savily email, a good deal of enthusiasm was displayed in the matter. It was stated that some who were present bad travelled from Tokomairiro on the one side, and Hampden on the other, in order to attend the meeting. On the motion of Mr Adam it was r solved that the passengei s by the Philip Laing he invited to a gathering on April 15, said gathering to be confined to the passengers by that vessel and their families ; and on Mr Mercer’s motion it was agreed that the proposed gathering should take the form of a trip by rail to the Port and back on the day in question, and a soiree to be held in Dunedin in the evening. The following were appointed a coaimittee to make the necessary arrangements :-Messrs H. M'Dermid and D. Miller, Port Chalmers ; A. Mercer, A. J. Burns, and John Barr, Dunedin; W. Martin, Green Island ; W. Jeffrey, Saddle Hill; Jas. Cunninghame, Halfway Bush; T. Buchanan and A. Watson, North Taieri; W. Duff, Waihola ; Jas. Adam, Tokomairiro ; John JBarr, Balclutha ; and R. Hastie, Hampden.

The subject of wharf accommodation and the navigation of the Yarra is exciting considerable attention in Melbourne just now. The Australasian of a recent issue says : “ Twelve years ago a Royal Commission was appointed to take the whole subject into consideration, and some valuable plans and suggestions wore submitted to it. Among others, we remember a scheme by Mr J. Millar, F.S. A,, which, for originality of conception, boldness of design, simplicity of execution, and reproduclivencss of result, was altogether admirable. It embraced a ship canal and docks stretching from Flinders street to Sandridge, and the conversion of an immense area of valueless scrub into valuable building sites. Had this scheme been carried out, Melbourne would have been in the enjoyment at this moment of some of the finest docks and wharfage in the world, and the whole of the outlay, considerable as it was, would have been either recouped, or the interest upon the capital sunk more than covered by the wharfage rates and other dues. What has become of these plans? In their absence, Mr Gordon has submitted to the Commission on Lowlying Lands a proposition for the removal of the two reefs across the Yarra at the Prince’s and the Falls Bridges; the deepening of the river to the uniform depth of 22ft from Church street Bridge to the outfall in the bay, as also the widening of the channel both above and below the Falls, the width from these to the sea being about 300 ft.” We understand that the Hon. J. J. Casey, the Victorian Minister of Lands, in bis late visit to Dunedin, instructed Mr Millar to prepare fresh plans of the scheme proposed by him in 1861. The following is the full text of Mr Calder’s address to the electors of Invercargill, in resigning his seat in the Assembly ; “It is with considerable regret that 1 feel constrained to announce the resignation of the honor yon conferred upon me at last election, in choosing me as your member in the General Assembly of New Zealand, Many reasons have induced me to retire from political life at the present time, which I need not refer to ; but there is one tint is perhaps known to most of you. You are aware that the firm of which 1 am a member recently became interested in a contract with the Government, and though I had forgotten the fact at the time, I now find that the acceptance of that contract fairly brings me within the provisions of the Disqualification Act, 1870. The present aspect of public affairs is not of the most assuring character, and it would be presumptuous in me to indicate anything like the probabilities of the future—no one can do so ; but this much I may be permitted to say, that the ‘political situation’ forms a fair justification for the course, as your representative. I pursued in the Assembly. I was one of those who waited on Mr Stafford and strongly urged him to demand a dissolution when his Ministry was upset last session, being of opinion that a House elected as the last was, and from the position of parties as well, was incapable of furnishing the material for a good and powerful Government. Moreover, old party ties had been broken up, and been replaced by disorganisation and distrust, if not something worse, and the attempt to form a strong Government had therefore proved a failure. I have reason to know and acknowledge, that the best men from both sides of the House deplored that state of matters. A policy of prudence isnot necessarily anti-progressive, as many people think, and if the establishment of such should bo the final outcome of the present entanglement, the lesson may not be too dearly purchased. Gentlemen, in severing the tie that unites us, I have to express my gratitude for the uniform courtesy and confidence received at your hands. In return I think I can truly say that I am not conscious of having abused that confidence in the slightest degree—by my votes or otherwise. I have endeavored to act up to the light I possessed. At any rate, my desire was, and I hope it has been fulfilled, that my constituency should not suffer in reputation by my representation.” The Mr Cuthbprtson, who is already in the field, has been editing the Southland Times for some time past.

There is a good programme provided for this evening at the Princess Theatre ; to conclude with the “ Bonnie Fishwife.”