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Evening Star, Issue 3208, 2 June 1873, Page 2

Yesterday the Pelichet Bay railway station was opened for the first time. It has been placed under the charge of Mr Thomas Butchart as station master.

The passengers by the Michael Angelo were 764 adults for Canterbury, and the remainder for Otago. Most of them were nominated, and those who were seeking work were at once engaged. The new dramatic season opens at the Princess’s this evening. The company now includes Mr Rayner, a sterling actor and an old favorite, and Mr and Mrs M‘Go wan, who come to us with good recommendations, Mies Anstead, &c. The pieces to be presented are “Hamlet,” and “Irish Boy and Yankee Gal.”

We embraced the opportunity on Saturday evening of inspecting tha hairless horse Caoutchouc, which is being exhibited in the front portion of the Queen’s Theatre. The peculiarity of this extraordinary animal has been favorably criticised by the principal newspapers in Australia, and as a curiosity in its way will well repay a visit. Owing to the pressure on our space, we are unable to criticise at length the performance at the Queen’s Theatre on Saturday evening. We therefore content ourselves with stating that in the “Ticket-of-Leave Man” the principal characters sustained their respective parts admirably. The entertainment wound up with “ Aladdin.” To-night “ Lalla Rookh ” will be produced. In the Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day, Stuart and others sued Margaret Johnston for surrender of a section of land belonging to the Presbyterian Church, and occupied by defendant. It was stated on behalf of plaintiffs, for whom Mr W. D. Stewart appeared, that defendant was a yearly tenant, and that she had fallen considerably into arrears of rent. The defendant was ordered to cede posession within one month.

One of the Crown ca*es decided by the Court of Appeal on Thursday was that of Regina v. Barclay, an Auckland case, which had been reserved for the purpose of obtaining the opinion of the higher Court upon the validity of the evidence of a witness for the prosecution, which was taken on affirmation, because of bis refusal to be sworn. The evidence was held to be good, and the verdict in the court below was sustained.

On Saturday afternoon, as the locomotive at present engaged on the Clutha line was passing over the railway bridge at Caversham, a large stone forming part of the cope of one of the pilasters of the bridge was observed to fall into the road below. Two men named Samuel M‘Connell and Robert Stubbs, carriers, residing at Caversham, who were passing at the time, had a narrow escape from being crushed by the stone. We are informed that the other copes of the pilasters seem very insecure; and, judging from the vibration caused by the engine passing over the bridge, some serious accident is to be apprehended, unless the matter be at once attended to.

Preparations are already being made for the reception of our new Governor, whose arrival in the Colony may be looked for in the course of a fortnight. The Independent, referring to the matter, says :—“ We are not aware whether Sir James Fergusson will remain a short time in Melbourne or come direct to New Zealand by the first available steamer, but the probability is that he will lose no time in assuming his vice-regal office. Should our supposition be correct, it may be expected that his Excellency will arrive in Wellington about the 12th June. The mail is due in Melbourne on the 3rd, and, making allowances either for the absence of an immediate steamer or for having to come round by the Bluff, the 12th will be safely near the mark.” An inquest was held at the Commercial Hotel, Tapanui.on Tuesday last, on the body of Michael Wallace, a carrier, who met his death at Waipahi on the previous Sunday. It appears that the deceased was in charge of a waggon laden with general merchandise, and that he had taken it from'Clutha Ferry. On arriving at Robert’s Accommodation House, on the 22nd ult., he stopped there, and remained till found dead at noon on the 25th. Be had a cask of brandy in his waggon, and as it was found to have been bored in several places, and the holes stopped up with a nail, it is therefore supposed that the deceased had got drink from that source. He was last seen alive at 10 p.m. on the 24th, and was found dead by a Mr Roberts on the following day, apparently having fallen from his waggon on his head, A verdict of “ accidental death,” caused by dislocation of the neck, was returned.

We, to-day, witnessed the testing of the iron girders of the bridges from Abott’s Greek towards Dunedin on the Clutha line of railway. The results were most satisfactory. Messrs Sparrow and Co,, of this City, at their factory have made the girders of five bridges, each of thirty feet span and thirty inches deep of angle iron. The engine, weighing twenty-one tons with four loaded waggons passed over it, when the deflection was less than one-eighth of an inch. On the engine being placed at rest in the centre, the deflection was one-eighth of an inch bare. At the Kaikorai stream, just beyond the tunnel, the span is but twenty-three feet, Ihe girders are imported, and the depth of them is seventeen inches. On the engine being placed upon them the deflection was three sixteenths of an inch. The entrance to the tunnel ia neatly faced at each end with Port Chalmers stone, and to guard against the efforts of frost, about half a chain is lined with brick. On the key-stone of the arch a small tablet is placed, recording that the tunnel was constructed under the Superintendence of Mr -Blair, C. E , by Mr J. Smyth, contractor. ■ It appears that our information was ipcprrect as to the cause of the felling of a <?oping stone on to the Caversham rqad on Saturday. A stpue di,d fall, but it had never been placed in its position, and might have been left carelessly by the workmen, or had been removed by some children, who are allowed too much liberty in playing on the line. Precautions have beep accepted for preventing a recurrence of such an accident.

The fourth annual meeting of the Otago Licconsed Victuallers’ Association, will be held in the Fire Brigade Room to-morrow (Tuesday) evening, at half-past seven o’clockA meeting of the Dunedin Mutual Improvement Society, will be held in the lower hall, Athenaeum, to-morrow evening, when Mr R. Hume will read an essay on “ Music and Poetry of Scotland.”

A meeting of the Standard Property Investment Society, for the purpose of receiving subscriptions will be held m the office of the Society, Princes street, on Wednesday evening, from six to eight o’clock.

Election addresses will be delivered as follows :—Mr M'Glaehan, at Crickmore’s Rooms, Pprb Chalmers, this evening, at

eight; and at the JunotioirHotel, to-morrow eveaing, at the same hour. Mr M ‘Derm id at the Royal Assembly Rooms, Port Chal-; ners, to-morrow evening, at eight o’clock. Mr Davie, at Caledonia Hotel. Great King street, this evening, at eight. 1 Mr Leary, at Caversham Drill Shed, this*evening, at 7.30 and at the Kaikorai Drill Shed, to-morrow, at 7.30.

The third annual meeting of the Third Mew Zealand Building and Mutual Investment Society will be held in the Masonic Mall to-movrow (Tuesday) evening at eight o’clock.