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Evening Star, Issue 3169, 17 April 1873, Page 2

Mr John Thomson, of Port Chalmers, has been appointed a sheep and cattle inspector for the Province. In the case of Wenkhcim v, Ahrndt tomorrow, Mr Barton and Mr Chapman will appear for the plaintiff ; and Mr Stout for the defendant.

We hear that, a walking match for L 25 a-side, to come off in about three weeks from this date, lias been arranged between i dwards and Macgregor, the prize walker at the Caledonian Gathering. The trial of the only civil case set down this term—Wcukheim v. Arndt -in which the plaintiff claims 1.500 damages, for a breach of promise to marry on the part of the lady who is now the defendant’s wife, has been fixed for Friday. Amongst other notices in the Commercial Gazette, published at St. Louis, Mauritius, under date February 20th, is one stating the “ Maire ” has been informed by M. Chaumette that he will not permit the representation of “LaFilledu litijhnent .” It is a remarkable fact that on Monday mornings a number of persons arc brought up at the Police Courts charged with being found drunk on Sundays. Seven were charged thus lately in Auckland, which induced bis Worship to ask the pertinent question, “ Where do you get drink on Sundays, when the public-houses are dosed ? Not at the pump, surely ?” The general reply was, “I don’t remember, your Worship.” “I think,” rejoined his Worship, “that the Sunday drink must be of a more deleterious character than the ordinary week-day drink, as tending to destroy the power of memory. Sergeant-Major, cannot this Sunday trading be stopped ?” The officer in question sighed “ Impossible.” Sir George Bowen’s reception in Victoria appears to have been very warm. Nearly 5,000 people witnessed the debarkation at Sandridge, and along the line of route to the city were crowds who heartily cheered the new Governor as he passed. The swear-ing-in took place at the Treasury, and after the ceremony the City Council presented an address of welcome, to which Sir George replied that he trusted on the expiration of his term of office lie might have the satisfaction of leaving Victorians he left New Zealand, without the consciousness of any duty wilfully neglected, or any enmity wilfully provoked. He also gave expression to the deep sense, on his and Lady Bowen’s part, of the hearty welcome they had received, Avhich was only an earnest of the kindness and courtesy they might expect to receive from all classes of the community.

“Asmodeus, or the Little Devil,” preceded the burlesque last night. Miss Stephenson was the little hero, who, adopting the role of his Satanic Majesty, is able, by the contrivances of the playwright, to do some wonderful things at a Spanish Court; Miss Raymond was the sinter the protection of whose virtue was Asrnodeus’s chief care ; Mr Burford, the count, and Mr Hydes, the old tutor whom he so successfully imposed upon ; Mr Thorpe, the king, and Miss Bray the queen of the piece. The principal characters were fairly played, though there were more hitches, caused by the neglect of some performers to he on the stage at the proper moment, than can be overlooked. It is aggravating to sec the whole stage kept waiting for oue person; and it ma t have been humiliating to the stage manager to have to call out, in the hearing of the audience, for the delinquent. Such things ought not to be. “The Hunchback ” and the burlesque will be played to-night. Waiporoa, Napier Province, must be a funny little place; and funnier than the inhabitants must have been Miss Colville’s and Mr Hoskins’s experiences of it. Ihcy visited it during a race meeting, and performed in a stable, with two grey blankets fqr the curtain, and four sheets for wings aud Hats. The place was small, but they made L7O in two nights. The audience was peculiar, and declared the pretty comedy of “Cheokmake” to bo a personal insult to them! “The Tragedy Queen,” they said, was possibly interesting, but they desired to know what it was all about, and they informed Mr Hoskins that if he and Miss Colville would but have given them “ Shoofly,” in the Zaviatowski manner, they would have applauded them to the echo. After the performance, the bulk of the audience diverted themselves with promiscuous pugilism and general drinking, so that about what would have been breakfast-time in civilised countries, the bars of the hotels were thronged with thirsty souls engaged in “ going-home ” libations. South Australia is crying out for immigration, the condition of the labor market there having been forced on public attention in a very urgent way. The need for labor was never more felt than at the time of the last harvest. We were then told that “hands to gather the harvest were not to be had for love or money,” And again, “ it was no unusual thing for a laborer to demand something like half the crop as compensation fpr helping to garner it,” To relieve the pressure as much as possible, the (Government, the Central Road Board, corporations, and district councils suspended their public works. But with all this the supply was short. “ It is difficult,” said the Adelaide correspondent oft he Argun in a recent letter, “ to get men to load the vessels that are waiting to carry wheat to England, it is difficult to get them for the work of the held, which may be said never to cease, and it is impossible to get them in adequate numbers to carry out the undertakings put in hand by the Government and other local bodies. Ihcre are drainage works in the south-east to be completed, a railway in the same locality to be constructed, road contracts to be carried out, mines at Yorke’s Peninsula to be developed, gold reefs in the Northern territory to be opened out, and how all these things are to be done is a problem not easy of solution ” The opera nourishes in Melbourne, aud the management experienced the delightful sensation of having to cater to continuous crowded houses. The principal tenors have been unfortunate; Rosnati indisposed, and Beaumont jajd up by an accident, The effect

has been to push Coy to the fore ; and the papers are lavish in their praise of the way he has answered the calls made upon him The Australasian says 11 Trovatore ” had been announced, and Signor Coy must play the part, or the theatre be closed for the night. Well, it was not closed ; indeed, quite the reverse, and on that evening Signor Coy made a great success in the part of Manrico. If the thrilling story of “Jack the Giant-killer” should ever receive a musical setting at the hands of II Maestro Voidi, I should'make it my business to secure the principal part for Signor Coy. He is a wonderful little man. “Small, hut desperate : diminutive, but determined ” (filli-cod-ly) ; he sings with the power of six feet four in height, and of breadth in proportion. The part of Maurice never received a better representation in Melbourne than it did on this occasion. Possessing powers of voice equal to the full strain of an entire Verdi opera, he has the rarer gift of being able to control them to the softest utterances, without the appearance of fatigue which so often attends the voice of robust quality.

The No. 1 Company City Guards arc advertised to muster on Monday evening, at the Drill-shed, for commanding offi.er’s parade and monthly meeting. A slight error occurred in our report of Cr. Mercer’s speech at the City Council meeting on Tuesday evening. Instead of saying, as reported, that the Bank overdraft had been reduced LI -iO during the past year, he said that the interest on the overdraft had been reduced by that sum.