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Evening Star, Issue 3179, 29 April 1873, Page 2

There was not so good an attendance at the Queen’s Theatre last evening as there ought to have been, taking into consideration the merits of the performance. Saturday’s programme was repeated, and, with one or two exceptions, “ The Reep-o’-Day Boys ” was produced in a much better style than on its first representation. Miss Stephenson played with spirit, and the repeated applause testified that her efforts were appreciated by the audience. The excellent acting of Messrs Burford, Hydes, and U’Brien, in their respective parts, contributed greatly to the success of the piece. Owing to the delay in the arrival of the Taranaki, the burlesqued f'ljfion” cannot be played to-night The programme for this evening consists of ,# Lady Awjtloy’a Secret” and “Paddy in India.” The Christchurch Press is again urging the adoption of the plan it proposed 8f pie mpntha ago—the formation of a Parliamentary Committee to consider all railway and other public works proposals. Our contemporary proposes that every proposal for a railway should be referred to this committee, just as every petition is referred to the Public Petitions Committee. “It would be the duty of this committee,” says the Press, “to make a minute inquiry into the merits of any proposed railway. After procuring a trustworthy (not conjectural) estimate of the cost of construction and working expenses, which would determine the amount of annual charge in respect of the railway, it would proceed to satisfy itself as to the chances of the line proving reproductive. For this purpose, ample powers should be conferred on the committee of taking evidence and collecting information from all quarters, in any manner it might think lit. It would ascertain \vh£>t traffic there was in the districts through the'railway would pass, and what amount woujd probably borne on the lino—what increase of tr£%s might be expected from the facilities of carriage and general stimulus to trade imparted by tjae opening of the railway—what extent of country would be served by the line, and the present amount of settled population—the character and capabilities of the country, whether pastoral, agricultural, or mineral, and with what prospects of development — fchn acreage of unoccupied land along the course or yrithin re&ch of the railway, and tbstbanadof ifs being brought into occupation. In short, the would go into the question in tho moat exhaustive manner, not omitting to examine any point that mighj: affect it, directly or indirectly. This infer* mation would be obtained by the examination of witnesses, from official returns, and, if necessary, by means of inquiries instituted by the committee. The investigation having been completed, the committee would report the result to the House—favorable or unfavorable, as tho case might be—-together with the evidence on which its conclusion was founded; and thereupon its functions, so far as that case was concerned, would be at an end.”

correspondent of the Bruce. Herald reporta “ on the evening of the 22nd inst., Mr Hisiop, Inspector of Schools, held an inquiry at the school Moagiel, and in opening the meeting stated inquiry would have been made, im lcpende.pt ot t}jP wish of the Committee, complaints having reached the Education Board. The Committee were first examined, and several of them stated tb e if objections, that the children had not m»de'suscient progress, and that there was a general want of confidence in the school on tne part of the parents in the district, which accounted for the small attendance of scholars, there being only at present thirty-nine on the books, as against fifty-one in December last year. One of the witnesses examined stated that bis children had not made any progress this last nine months, and was of the opinion that the ■want of progress was to bo attributed to the want of method in the conduct of the school. Captain John Andrews said his children wore at the school. At first they got on very well, but afterwards did nob make any progress—what little they had learned appeared to have been beaten out of them. Mr J. Scott stated that be took bis children from the school on account of what he considered was ill-usage. At this stage of the proceedings a Mr Gibson stated it was a party affair; that he was quite satisfied, haying three children at the school. Mr liislop said he would not allow any person at that meeting to be accused of party spirit. They were met there to consider a subject of great importance to the district, viz., the fitness of the present teacher; and it was their duty to speak what they knew, without fear of any outside consequences. Mr Marshall, one of the Committee, stated that several complaints had been made to the Committee, and when an inquiry was being made, the teacher failed to put in an appearance. He should therefor# resign. The teachey was then caiieu upon for his di-fence. He denied tolls viribus the charges brought against him of ill-usage, but admitted having accidentally caused a mark on a girl's neck, W.hUo .correcting one of the boys with a strap. Hp also denied having used a stick, and suggested that two of the children who had been taken away from school should be brought up to give evidence. In regard to the progress of the children, several of the parents previous to taking away their children bad expressed themselves satisfied. He further said that if fchp Committee had met him in a friendly spirit, and Requested him to resign, ho would have done so. A petition, signed by twenty-nine persons, was then presented to Mr Hislop by one of the Committee, expressing confidence in the teacher. The meeting then dismissed. The following description of Kuck s new invention for manufacturing gas, to work which a company, with a capital of L 500,000, has been formed in London, and which is exciting some attention in Groat Britain, is bhua described in a iatp issue of the Times : - Instead of manufacturing gas by the distillation of coal, Mr Kuck first obtains his hydrogen by the decomposition of water, and then charges it with the carbon necessary for illuminating purposes by passing it through a petroleum spirit of specific gravity 0 680, in the first part of the process,

superheated steam Is conveyed Into rotor U ;ontuning iron and coke raised to a h'gh emperature, The steam is decomposed ; be resulting oxygni combines with the ire ud the carbon, and the hydrogen is giver ff, carrying with it a small proportion o ; carbon compounds. In this state it is valuihlc for heating purposes, but possesses yer; ittie illuminating power, rather resembling, when kindled, the flame of a Bunsen s burner. The various attempt which have been made to combine volatile _ hydrocarbons with coal gas, in order to increase its illuminating power, have all failed on account of the speedy precipitation of the former; but Mr buck claims to have discovered that petroleum of the specific gravity stated will remain in combination with his hydrogen. According to the report of Messrs Quick and Spice, the engineers concerned in the matter, this claim has been subjected to crucial tests, and has withstood them all. The gas has been suddenly reduced in temperature from 6') to 30 deg., has boon kept for a month ia a closed vessel, and has been passed through miles of iron pipes, with many rectangular bends, without any consequent precipitation. The illuminating power is exceedingly good, and it was said that it might bo increased almost indefinitely by the removal of a small quantity of carbonic acid by a simple process The petroleum can be added to the gas at any point betw. en the manufactory and the burner, so that heating gas alone might be supplied from the mains, say to the kitchens or the conservatories of a largo establishment, and the illuminating agent only added to that portion of the supply which was to be used for lighting purposes” The mode of manufacture insures the complete absence of the noxious sulphur and ammonia compounds with which we are familiar, but the gas, although in this sense “pure,” is not dangerously inodorous. It has a distinct smell, pronounced by those interested in it to he agreeable, but which is certainly sufficient to lead to the discovery of any domestic leakage, and thus to obviate danger from explosions. The report of the engineers is to the effect that they can command millions of gallons of the petroleum spirit required, and that the illuminating gas can be made at a cost of Is 7f d per thousand cubic feet. They say also that, out of every thirty men required for the manufacture of coal gas, twenty-nine may be dispensed with in working Mr buck’s process.

The Lodge Pioneer, No. 2, 1,0 G,T., will meet tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, at half-past seven o’clock. At the meeting of the Otago Institute, to be held on the 13th prox,, an interesting paper, by Dr Lindsay, on “The Acclimatisation of Salmon in New Zealand,” will be read.

The name of the Immigration Barrackipaetpr, at Dunedin, is Charles Duke, and not Robert ! eelfe, as printed in the Gazette.