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Evening Star, Issue 3165, 12 April 1873, Page 2

The Goldfields Bill, to be submitted to the General Assembly at its next session, has been drafted, and is now under revision. The Ttiapelca Times says it will probably be ready for circulation in a fortnight. The existence of silver in the Shotover district, which was reported by the Wukutip Mali a few weeks ago, is confirmed by a Mr Gascoyne, who informs the Tuapeka paper that when working on the Shotover in the early days of the rush, he found, between Stapleton’s and Sutherland’s beaches, several pieces of pure silver, each weighing from 2gr. to 3gr. Owing to the holiday yesterday and the fineness of the weather, Port Chalmers was crowded with excursionists from town. We believe that nearly 1,000 people came down in the mid-day train. The various ships displayed J»we or less hunting in honor

of the day, and most of their crews had a holiday. The railway company had to put on an extra train at night to convey the people back to town. A fire broke out on Monday last among some stacks on Mr Grant’s farm, Kakanui. [fc fortunately occurred while there were a number of men within call, and the fire was extinguished without any extensive damage being done. Some wheat was destroyed, aud the threshing-machine, which was the property of Mr J, Spence, Camara, was partially burned. The latter was insured in the New Zealand Insurance Office. It is not known how the fire originated

A valuable bed of bine limestone has been discovered recently on the farm of Mr George D'.aaon, on the Peninsula. Specimens of the stone have been tested by Professor Black, and pronounced excellent. Some of them yielded as much as 81 percent, of pure carbonate of lime, while the lowest yield w'as (V 74 per cent. The stone is abundant, easily obtained, and no( far from water transit. We understand that Mr Dodson intends opening up the stratum without delay, aud testing it thoroughly, and, if present anticipations are realised, he will continue to work it.

The English Mechanic of January 31st, in an article describing the mode of stocking ostrich farms, and their value, informs us that Sir Henry Barkly, Governor of Cape Colony, “ has received applications from his old Australian friends to help them, and is about to send them an incubator and some old birds.” The writer adds: “The latter will be, 1 should think, a delicate experiment, considering the uncertain and stormy character of the voyage to that distant laud. That they will thrive and multiply I do not doubt. ” The feathers of domesticated birds are said to be thrice as valuable as those obtained from hunters.

“ Lady Audley’s Secret” again attracted a fair attendance at the Queen’s Theatre on Thursday. Miss Clara Stephenson played the part of Lady Audley with force, judgment, and considerable ability. This lady is a stranger to Dunedin play goers, but already she gives promise of becoming a favorite. She was well supported by Mr Charles Burford as Robert Audley. The dialogue scene in the second act between Lady Audley and her cousin Robert was an excellent piece of acting : the one evincing the hardness of her ambitious character, and the other, while showing his suspicions of her previous history, manifesting genuine feeling and respect for family honors. Both deserved the expressions of appreciation awarded by the audience. Mr Henry Aveling, a young actor of some promise, represented the part of George Talboys with credit to himself. He evidently won the audience, for more than once he was applauded. Miss Jessie Raymond played the character of Alicia; but we regret to say that, although this lady in other respects is pleasing, she still has a defect common to many—namely, the habit of so mouthing or cutting her words, that the audience fails frequently to catch the sense of the author. This defect remedied, she would be au engaging actress. Mr Charles O’Brien appeared as Luke Marks, a part not calculated to win the sympathies of the audience. His pert-nuance, however, was equal to any delineation of the same charaster t-Viat lias been seen here for some tvene. At the fall of the curtain, Miss Stephenson and Messrs Burford and Aveling were honored with a call before the house. “ Milky White,” with Mr Burford as Milky White, and Mr Hydes as Dickey Duggs, brought the entertainment to a close. Both revelled in their parts. Their drolleries, jokes, and puns caused uproarious merriment ; while Miss Stephenson, as Annie White, was entertaining, and sang a song excellently well. An attractive programme is issued for this evening. Last evening, a lecture was given by Mr R. Stout, M.P.C., at the Caversham schoolhouse, inaugurating a library in connection with the school. Professor McGregor was in the chair. The subject was “Libraries and Education.” After congratulating the people of Caversham on the founding of the library, the lecturer said he felt it his duty to explain why he congratulated them : first, on the choice of books. If, according to the old proverb, a man might he known by the company he kept, inspection of his library was a surer test. Next he explained the advantages of a library as an educational institute, particularly in regard to State education. State interference in education was based on the fact that polities were purely experimental, and it was found better that the State should educate, than allow youth to he brought up in ignorance; but the • time would no doubt come when it would be unnecessary for the State to interfere with education at all. There was a time when it was thought that religion required the fostering care of kings and prelates ; but the State Church theory isnow, in the Colonies, nearly exploded. In the same way, the time would come when State schools would be as unknown as State Churches. To hasten that time, libraries would prove most useful, for if the educational principle of schools was kept up, persons would acquire literary ideas, and they would see that their children were educated. That was no doubt the reason why the Education Board subsidised local efforts in the way of libraries. After pointing to some dangers which should not be ovcr : looked in our educational system, and in founding libraries, high schools, and universities, he commented on Pope’s line, “ A little learning is a dangerous thing.” He said a worse danger was the tendency to put every hoy that had been in the High School into some office, whereby people were beginning to have a feeling that it was more honorable to add up figures in a ledger or preach a sermon, than to till the ground. He quoted Euskin’s* opinion, who, in a recent letter, said “ that it was far more honourable to drag a cart of coals up a hill to give fuel and warmth to people requiring it, than to drag a big gun up a hill to murder one’s neighbors.” The lecturer then urged the necessity of having farmers taught agricultural chemistry, for at present, through having no knowledge of it, they could not adapt their systems nor their manures to what was necessary, nor, if asked, give a reasonable answer on the subject. He quoted from a recent paper on agriculture in England, to show that, by proper s ;vving and drilling, much had been done, hut that there was no doubt the yield of the soil could he doubled. One of the practical hints suggested by the lecturer, was that every one should learn a trade, as well as the three R’s. It was a custom amongst the ancient Jews and also among many Prussian families. The Crown Prinee for instance, was by trade a printer. The influence of a library was next referred to as a centre of culture, and the necessity for culture was urged ou the ground that if it were general there would be less dogmatism in the world, for it generally originated with people who look at things with only one eye. The lecturer pointed out that there could be no social nor political reform until people began to think, instead of listening to mere party cries, and that social reform must precede political reform. Libraries would lead to that effect. A vote of thanks was voted to the lecturer on the motion of Mr Rutherford, and in presenting it, the chairman expressed his concurrence with many of the views of the lecturer. He was glad to see the interest taken in the subject by the people of Caversham. Mr Reid proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman, which was carried by acclamation.