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Evening Star, Issue 3218, 13 June 1873, Page 2

Tke Claud Hamilton, with our new Governor and Lady Fergusaon on board, arrived off Hokitika at eight o’clock last evening. The patent conferring the degree of Doctor of Laws on the Rev. T. Roaeby was received by the Albion yesterday. It is issued under the seal of the Sydney University, and bears the signature of itu Chancellor, the Hon. E. Deas Thomson, C.B. Some individuals who attended Governor Bowen’s first levde in Melbourne are severely castigated by the papers for their very bad taste in handing in cards which appear to have been prepared to answer the purposes of advertisements. The Argus furnishes instances of volunteer officers writing their addresses in full; of one officer sending in a card that contained four lines of print; and of an individual who tendered a business card, which set forth the occupation he followed, and told the terms on which money could be lent and old clothes purchased. Fancy a dinner costing a nation about a million and a-half sterling ! Yet, such appears to be the cost to England of a dinner once eaten by Mr Gurner, the Crown Solicitor of Victoria; and it comes about thiswise. One of the points relied on at the Geneva Arbitration was that when Mr S. P. Lord, of Melbourne, an ardent Northerner, urged upon Mr Gurner the arrest of the stowaways on board the Confederate cruiser Shenandoah, when she lay off Williamstown, Mr Gurner hungrily and angrily replied, “ Lord, 1 must have my dinner!” It was argued that but for the Victorian Crown Solicitor’s zeal to get his dinner, the shipping of the stowaways could have been prevented, and for Victoria’s neglect, England was cast in damages to the amount of six million dollars.

The Argus is authorised to state that the negotiations in progress between certain gentlemen in Melbourne and Mr W. G. Grace, the great English batsman, for the visit of an tnglish cricketing team to Australia next season, have been somewhat prematurely disclosed. It is not definitely known as yet whether terras can be arranged with the English cricketers. A proposal was made by Mr Grace which could not be accepted by the negotiators in Melbourne, and the latter have telegraphed Horae a counter proposal, upon the acceptance or refusal of which the issue of the negotiations mainly depends. It will also be necessary, however, that the names of Mr Grace’s team shall be approved by the Melbourne negotiators before the affair can bo considered as finally arranged. The English team, if it comes at all, will be composed partly of gentlemen and partly of professional players. Statements showing the number and value of money orders issued and paid in the Colony daring the first quarter of the present year, and the corresponding quarter of last year, are published in a New Zealand Gazette , dated June 5. The following are the totals Ist quarter, 1872: Number issued, 9,420 ; value, L 39.444 6s. Ist quarter. 1873 : Number issued, 11,923 ; value, L 50.495 7s Bd. Ist quarter, 1872 : Number paid, 6,530 ; value, L 27,839 8s Bd. Ist quarter, 1873 : Number paid, 8,727 ; value, L 37,597 3s lOd. This return includes orders drawn or payable at places beyond the Colony, and, as will be seen, an enormous amount is exhibited by it. It is worthy of notice that the use of telegraphic money orders within the Colony has greatly increased, the figures being -Ist quarter, 18T2: Issued, 724; paid, 719, Ist quarter, 1873: Issued, 1,542; paid, 1,533.

Byron’s “Lancashire Lass” constituted the entertainment at the Princess Theatre last evening, and it mast be admitted that those who attended were amply repaid by the excellence of the performance. Mrs Walter Hill, as Ruth Kirby, did full justice to the part; while Miss Mainwaring and Miss Willis were cast for characters that suited them. Mr Rayner’s Robert Redburn was depicted with power and effect, and valuable service was rendered by Mr Douglas, who represented Ned Clayton. Mr Musgrave, as Jellick, contributed his quota to the comic element, and Mr M‘Go wan’s Spotty was a part in which that gentleman seemed to revel. Mr Collier made decidedly the hit of the evening as the Party by the Name of Johnson. In every respect it was faithfully pourtrayed, and bis make-up and general appearance were to the life. The minor characters were well filled ; in fact, the manner in which this piece has been placed upon the stage reflects very great credit on the management. ‘ ‘ The Lancashire Lass” will be repeated to-night.

A good story, with a very pleasant ending, so far as one individual connected with it is concerned, is going the rounds of the Victorian press, “iEgles,” in the Austvctldsicin, refers to it in these terms Some few years ago there were three partners (two doctors and one merchant) in a station on the Lachlan. They had contributed about L 12,000 each, and things pastoral were just then looking particularly blue. Said the merchant to the medicine-men—“ Take over the station and its liabilities, and I will relinquish my share.” The doctors thought over the matter and declined, but they reciprocated the offer with a difference. Said they, 44 If you take over the station with its responsibilities, we will relinquish both our shares.” And the merchant said 44 Aye, and after some good seasons he sold that station this week for L 160,000. which, they say, accounted for his looking so particularly pleasant at Miss Goddard’s concert. The story is told of the Hon. Mr Francis. Judged by the entries, the next Melbourne Cup race will be a grand affair. Ninety horses have been entered ; forty-two from Victoria, twenty-seven from New South Wales, eleven from South Australia, four from New Zealand, two from Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland one each. New Zealand is represented by Castaway, Calumny, Lurline, and Tambourini; Queensland, by Judge Lutwycbe’s Flirtation; Tasmania, by old Strop; while the crack horses of Australia are well represented *by The Ace, Hamlet, Javelin, Dagworth, Eeprievo, and the Prophet, all five year olds ; and among the fours there will be found Patriarch, Blue Peter, King of the Bing, The Arrow, and King of Clubs, all horses of some merit, although not, perhaps, first-class when gauged by the wonderful Loup Garou. The threes will likewise be ably represented by Lapidist, Bose d’Amour, Dagmar, Benvoho, and Triton, all fair performers ; while among the aged contingent, although there is nothing of extraordinary brilliance, we find Nimblefoot, Little Dick, Lapdog, and Valentine. Out of the ninety, perhaps forty will come to the starting post.

The attendance at the Queen’s Theatre last night was but very small—a circumstance readily accounted for by the inclemency of the weather, coupled with the particular purposes for which the day was set apart. The piece performed was “ Hamlet, ’ in five acts Mr Fairclough took the part of Hamlet, and, as might have been expected, his acting was the main feature of the performance. Despite the tendency of a small audience to become listless, he succeeded admirably in sustaining the interest of last night’s audience throughout the entire piece, that interest being manifest by a close attention rather than any very rapturous outburst of applause. At the close of most of the acts, Mr Fairclough was called before the curtain, and received the heartily-expressed gratulations of the audience. In most of the other characters Mr Fairclough was ably assisted ; indeed, we are happy to be able to report that ail trace of the disorganised state of the company, to which we were receatly

called upon to advert, has now disappeared, fche entire character of the establishment ’laving undergone a marked change for the better. To-night, ‘‘Hamlet” will be repeated, and we have no hesitation in recommending that fact to the notice of those who can appreciate a dramatic entertainment ably represented. The contrast between the Ballarat of today and a few years ago is made in the following terms by one of our late exchanges ; —“A couple of years ago Ballarat was the centre of attraction throughout the Colony, when you would meet at Craig’s Hotel Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide men ; when engine after engine was being erected on the famous Golden Point Lead ; when magnificent shops, banks, and warehouses were going up like fairy edifices, erected by the wave of the wand of gold, the enchanter. . , . The great change that has come over the place is most noticeable in the great mart, the Corner, There is no Corner now. A few ill-dressed men, listless and wary in appearance, lounge round the Unicorn Hotel. Time evidently hangs heavily on their hands. To one who had been on Ballarat when the Corner was in full swing, the sight of the Corner now would make him take up his valise and fly. It has been deserted for the Beehive: almost all the leading brokers have fled to Sandhurst, and the smaller fry have followed in their wake. But even still further the quondam Ballaratian could pursue the contrast, and be surprised. ISight falls on dull unfrequented streets. Amusements there arenoue; people hurry home, and heed no more the glare of the lights, the of the theatre. Anonyma, who in the brisk times haunted these streets, has disappeared; the gay bloods who smoked cigars in the vestibule of the theatre have vanished, and Ballarat, once the abode of what is generally known as the frenzy called “ life,” is as dull as the once-laughed-at “ Pivot.” A general meeting of cricketers will be held at the Shamrock Hotel to morrow evening at eight o’clock.