The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 1873.

Evening Star, Issue 3163, 9 April 1873, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 1873.

“ Masks and Faces.” with the amusing farce of ‘ The Man in Possession, again constituted the bill at the Queen s Theatre last gening. The acting of the principals in the comedy afforded considerable pleasure to the audience, as the frequent applause testilied. A capital bill is announced for to-night -“Lady Audley’s Secret ” and the farce of “Milky White.” In the Supreme Court, to-day, Fotheringham. Maurice O'Connell, Arthur E Hastings, John Gleeson, John Gibbs, and Ah Youck pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them. The cases Oleeson, O’Connell, and Hastings are appointed to be taken to-morrow morning. witnesses in all the other cases were discharged until Wednesday next. A well-known resident of Otepopo, named Angus Cameron, died very suddenly on Thursday morning last. He had been, some days previous, on a visit to Oamam, ami lef ■ for home by coach on Thursday. Shortly after his arrival he dropped dead. An inquest was held on the following day, before Mr •p W Parker, District Coroner. Ihc jury returned a verdict of “Died from natural causes.” At the Mayor’s Court, this morning, the following persons were fined for druukenneß3 Archibald Campbell, ss, with the alternative of 24 hours’ imprisonment; Peter Young, 10s, or 48 hours’ imprisonment ; William Laven alias Blaven, and Willliam Woodcock, 20a each, or 48 hours’; Benjamin Farra, 40s, or 7 days’; and for being an habitual drunkard, one months imprisonment with hard labor.

As shewing the closeness with which gentlemen in the neighbouring Colonics are following the footsteps of the aristocracy of Great Britain in matters of recreation, we (Bruce Herald) may mention that we learn that a wealthy Victorian gentleman, who has before visited Otago, Mr. James Orkney, M L A , has just purchased a large yacht of 60 tons at Melbourne, for the purpose of taking a cruise. His route, we understand, is to be New Zealand, Fiji, Society Islands, Tahiti, and New Caledonia. From thence he will round through Torres Straits to Port Darwin, and making a circle of the Australian Continent, will return to Melbourne. This cruise will occupy six months. An article in the Ballarat Coin ier draws attention to the fact that a large amount of gold is lost in the crushings at Ballarat, because the gratings in front of the stampboxes contain holes which are too large. Machines which crush for the public are referred to. The holes number 80 to the square inch. An experiment with two samples of stone from the same heap showed that nearly twice as much gold was saved where the holes were fine-160 to the square inch—as was saved when the holes were coarse—--80 to tho square inch. Of course the one sample may have been a little richer than tho other, but the stone was not picked. Coarse gratings tave Toecm used, bcciUSfi It IS Slip* posed to be well to lose a few grains to the ton in order to get the stime through. But in the experiment mentioned above, though the one crushing was too poor to justify the continuation of operations, the other showed that the reef could be worked profitably. There has been an immense amount of discussion in our law courts and elsewhere as to what constitutes drunkenness. In the Juries of Fonr Court, Melbourne, lately, benior-Constablo M*Gratb, at present stationed at Kew, gave a definition of the bibulous state that was novel and amusing. He was a witness in the libel case of Power v. Harding, the plaintiff, an ex-sergeant of police, seeking damages because defendant had charged him with being drunk at the time of the general election on the 16th March, 1871. M'Grath who was on duty at Brunswick on that day, said Power was not drunk for a civilian, but he considered his state an unfit one for a sergeant of police. When questioned as to this qualification of his evidence, M‘Grath said, “I never consider a civilian drunk till ho is lying down.” Mr Higinbotham interjected, “Till he Is holding on to the floor, in fact?” “Yes,” said M 'Grath, and added that he considered a policeman to be under the influence of drink if he smelt of it. The definition caused groat merriment in Court. It will be presumed from this that the arrests of civilians for drunkenness in the police district of Kew are not numerous.

On the occasion of the recent visit of his Excellency Governor Bowen to the Bay of Islands, when he unveiled the statue of Tamatei Waka, a double-barrelled gun was exhibited to his Excellency by its owner, an old native, bent with the weight of years, named Waikato. The gun bears evidence of its once being a flint gun, but afterwards converted, possibly by one of our armorers, into a percussion. It is a musket in good preservation, and one likely to make a good fowling-picce still, though in opposition to our long-ranged rifles as a bullet-shooting instrument, it would not bear comparison. On a brass plate let into the stock, is the following inscription “Given by his Majesty George the Fourth, King of Great Britain and Ireland, to Waikato, Prince of Bangcehoe, New Zealand, November, 1820.” The owner of this musket has still reminiscences of the Court of George IV. ; speaks of him, of Palmerston, of the Duke of Wellington, all of whom he says were fine gentlemen ; but adds, “ They are all gone, and here am I, left here still, and soon to be gone also;” and, finishing his glass of sherry, he shakes bands and departs ; a gentleman in his way, notwithstanding his broken English, his variegated mat. and his no less variegated countenance. Another chief produced a letter from Earl Aberdeen, in which the then head of the Colonial Office says : commands me to thank you for your present, and in return he desires you will accept a suit of armor, such as was worn in former times by las warriors, but which arc now only used by his own body guard. This letter, as well as his Majesty’s royal present, will be conveyed to you through Jas Busby, Esq., las Majesty’s authorised Resident at the Bay of Islands, whose esteem and friendship you will do well to cultivate, and who in his turn will do all in his power to promote your welfare and that of your countrymen. —I am your friend and brother, Aberdeen.” This suit of armor is said to be carefully buried for preservation in some cave between the Bay and Hokianga, We should suppose that the rust would have somewhat corroded it by this time. At a supper given in the Albion Hall, Melbourne, on 8t .Patrick’s Day, under the auspices of the Hibernian Australian Society, gome scandal was occasioned by the fact that the health of his Holiness the Pope was proposed before that of her Majesty the Queen. The Argus has the following remarks on the subject: —Were it not that an important principle is involved in the matter, wo should not think it worthy of notice. The expressions of disapprobation which the course pursued on that occasion has called forth, arc sufficient guarantees of the sound state of public opinion in respect to this question. But, nevertheless, it is advisable that wo should understand clearly the ground* of our objection to the proceeding. In the first place let ns banish from our minds the idea that it is in any way connected with religions considerations. . , . and look at the question from a purely social point of view. It is evident that the Queen and the Pope represent two distinct organisations or ideas the ono national, the other ecclesiastical. It has been held for some time past that the State has an un- 1 doubted claim on the fealty and allegiance of all its citizens, and that it cannot and will

not tolerate anything In the nature of an imperium in imperio. No sane person desires to place any restraint oh a man’s choice with respect to the nationality he may think tit to assume. If any of her Majesty’s sub jects wish to become subjects of the Pope—although, by-the-bye, that would be rather difficult now-a-days—let them follow their inclinations, and swear allegiance to his Holiness as soon as they think proper. But while they retain their British citizenship, the least they can do is to accord on every occasion the highest honors it is in their power to bestow on the head of the nation to which they nominally belong. If they regard their obligations to the Pope as of greater weight than their obligations to the State in which they live, it is probable that, in the event of a dispute, they would take part with the side they consider has the most right to their service. This is a danger against which we are hound to guard, and therefore we do quite right to protest against an act which was an indication of its existence.

We have to acknowledge the receipt of a pamphlet dedicated to the Rev. Dr Copland by its Dunedin publisher. It is a lecture on “ The Evidences of Spiritualism,” delivered at Sandhurst, Victoria, by Mr W. D. C. Donovan.

It will be seen from our advertising columns that Mr R. Stout will deliver a lecture iu the Caveraham School-house, to-morrow, Thursday evening, at seven o’clock, on the occasion of the opening of the Caveisham Public Library.