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Evening Star, Issue 3255, 26 July 1873, Page 2

The usual weekly meeting of the Roslyn and Kaikorai Institute was adjourned, on account of the inclemency of the weather, till next Tuesday evening, when Mr Robert Dick wdl deliver his essay on “ Oarly 1 e “ Gihleroy ” is to give place this evening to the sensational drama of the “ Flying Dutchman.” The burlesque of “ Cupid ami Psyche ” is to be played for the last time, and those who like to sec good - cenery, and can enjoy a hearty laugh, should not neglect this opportunity. It is notified in the last number of the Zealand Gazette that .Messrs E. ADGlashan, of Dunedin, and J. Mackay, of Tokomairiro, intend to claim the bonus offered by the Government for the manufacture of paper. Mr Coliu Allan has been appointed Superintendent of the Quarantine Island, Fort Chalmers. There were twenty candidates for the Colonial Scholarships this year, but only three of the value of L 45 each,(were awarded, to Henry Cotterill aud VV. H. A tacks, of Christ’s College, Christchurch, and to P. A. Severne, of Nelson College. None of the candidates obtained the minimum number of marks required for the L7O scholarship, A few people assembled at the old jetty to day to witness the pair oared boat-race between Messrs Logan and Wilson in the Welcome, and Mills and Menimaa in the Primrose. A good start was effected, and the rival crews kept well together till nearing home, when the Welcome went ahead and was never caught, coming in the winner by about 150 yards. The ouly cases set down for hearing at the City Police Court this morning—two charges preferred by Eliza Page against Ellen Andrews, the one for trespass, and the other for breaking the leg of a canary valued at L 2— were adjourned till the 30tii inst., the summons not having been served. Mr Wilson appeared for the complainant. His Worship the Mayor aud Mr Mercer occupied the Bench.

Bishop Moran should road the Parliamentary papers on immigration, as they contain a complete refutation of his ofc-repeated charge that the Government did nob encourage emigration fiom Ireland. From July 28, 1871, to November 17, 1872, thirty five vessels, carrying 6,516 souls, were despatched to the Colony. The nationalities of the immigrants are thus stated : —English, 3, 08 ; Scotch, 570 ; Irish, 842 ; Welsh, 64 ; Germans, 367 ; Danes, 403 ; Swedes and Norwegians, 546 ; other countries, 26,

Mr Clapcott gave another of those highly interesting evening’s entertainments, in the lower hall of the Athemeum, last evening There was a pretty numerous attendance, who, judging by the marks of approval with which the lecturer was greeted at the conclusion of each reading, were perfectly satisfied with their evening’s amusement. .Previous to the close of the entertainment, Mr Clapcott announced his intention of continuing the readings us long as he was supported by the public. The long-continued ill health, of Mrs Bannerman, of Balclutha, has for some time been a cause of anxiety to her old friends, who latelv resolved to present her with a testimonial in the form of a purse, to enable her to accompany Mr Bannerman when on his mission to the Synod in Victoria, believing that a change of a few mouths in that climate wuld have a very beneficial effect upon her health. We learn from the Bruce herald that this expression of sympathy was conveyed to Mrs Bannerman on hriday through Mrs James Adam, who, on behalf of' a tew lady friends in Tokomairiro, presented her with a purse of seventy-five sovereigns. The select committee of the Provincial Council to whom the petition of the settlers in the West Harbor district was referred, have reported that the proceedings of the Port Chalmers railway promoters m taking possession of various portions of the Beach road, and substituting another road for the parts so inlet fered with, is in direct contravention of the cond.tinns of their agreement with the Province ; wherefore, the committee recommended (1) That the Government require that the railway promoters carry out and fulfil the condh ions of their agreement as regards the public roads in the West Harbor Road 1 dstriot injuriously affected, and take all proceedings necessary to protect the interests of the public. (2) That the promoters of the railway be called upon to re imbursc the local Board for the outlay incurred by them on account of the conditions of their agreement not having be'/n duly fulfilled, (3) That access to the water be reserved for the settlers where necessary.— The committee on the Port Chalmers Kailway have also recommended that the Government should take immediate steps to have £he road made fit for dray traffic, and the adoption of the following resolutions, vis.:— Ist. “That a sum of LIOO be placed upon the Supplementary Estimates, for the purpose of forming and rendering passable the Beach Road, West Harbor, adjoining the line of railway, and that the Government be requested to obtain laud (where necessary) sufficient to construct the said road to a width of at least twenty-one feet 2nd. lhafc any sum expended iu giving effect to the foregoing resolution be a charge against the railway, and that the General Government be requested to repay the expenditure incurred.”

At the Queen’s Theatre, the always attractive “ School for Scandal” was produced last evening. The cast w r as a strong one, with some changes in the arrangements since it w r as produced at the Princess’s Theatre by Mr Hoskins. Last evening, he appeared as Sir Peter Teazle, and relinquished to his junior, Mr Steele, the task of representing Charles Surface. So far as Mr Hoskins is concerned, W'e do not think the change for the worse. His appearance, demeanor, and style exactly suited the kindlyhearted, jealous, crusty, gentlemanly old baronet; and we do not think we ever saw him to greater advantage. We are inclined to believe had Mr Steele aud Mr I muglas exchanged parts, each would have felt naturally more at home. Mr Steele’s style is better adapted to the pourtrayal of the calculating, sentimental, solemn-mouthed profligate, than to the vivacious spendthrift, Mr South’s Sir Oliver w r as above the average ; and Mr Aveliug, as Rowley, avoided that boisterous biunmoas that sometimes seems considered necessary to houesty, Miss Colville’s i.ady Teazle is a finished effort, in which nature aud just perception exercise more important motive power than art Elegant in figure, ladylike in word and maimer, she is fitted to the part, and does not lose a point in representing it. The comparatively less important character of Maria was allotted to Miss uistead, who invested it with more interest than usually attaches to it. Mrs Candor found Ja representative in Miss Cassy Matthews, and Lady neerwvll in Miss Alice Bray. Mr Newton s Moses was a fair effort, an,d although the remaining characters do not need special , praise, there was not in any one of thorn any? thing needing condemnation. The costumes were in keeping with the age, but one or t wo more flaxen whs w'ere wanted, for neither au Indian millionaire nor a steward would in those days have appeared with their own unadorned locks. That anticipation was

raised as to the success of the piece was evi dent, for. notwithstanding the weather, the house well tilled ; nor do we think anyone went away disappointed. “ Leah will be played to-night. Among the Parliamentary papers which have reached ns up to date, the most important and interesting are those relating to immigration. All the communications that have passed between the Government and the Agent-General, from September 4, 1872, to July S, 1873, are given, and the replies of the Agent General range from August 9, 1872, to March 5, 1573. In his latest despatch, Dr Featherston encloses reports from Messrs Seaton, Farnall, Birch, and Barclay, agents specially sent Home to assist in immigration work, as to what they have done ; and iu acknowledging r -ceipi of this communication, the Minister of Immigration regrets to say that “a perusal of these reports fails to satisfy me that <ny results have accrued at all commensurate with the ex pense attached to these several agencies. The expectations which I presume the Government of the day entertained when they despatched these special agents to you, must, up to the present, have fallen very far short of being realised,” In November, Mr Waterhouse (for the Immigration Minister) directed the Agent-General to send to tha Colony, during 1873, 8,000 statute adults, exchisive of nominated immigrants and of those sent out under arrangement with Messrs Brogden; the 8,000 to be distributed this wise—Auckland, 800 ; Hawke’s Bay, 00 /; Welling' on, 1,000 ; Marlborough ; 100; Canterbury, 2,250; Otago, 3,250 In giving these directions, Mr Waterhouse remarked :—“ I trust that the arrangements made regarding the conveyance of the immigrants will be of a superior character to those which have hitherto prevailed. . . . The Government can see no sufficient reason why the arrangements as regards the introduction of immigrants to New Zealand should be loss perfect than were thorn of the English Emigration Commissioners at the period when, under their auspices, such a large stream of immigration was flowing into Australia. . . . The risk to which they

would appear to have been subjected is not fair to the immigrants themselves, whilst it exposes the Colon}' at large to the possibility of the introduction of fatal forms of disease.” To this the Agent-General replied that he would make every effort to complj r with the wishes of the Government, but the latter was not apparently aware that “Ido and can fxercise little or no control over the distribution of emigration. Applicants for passages invariably specify the Province to which they intend to emigrate. The number of applications in -which a paitioular Province is not mentioned is exceedingly few, and emigrants, having once specified the Province, will go to no other.” The remainder of this reply, and many of the other letters in the correspondence, we will notice from time to time as our space permits.

The offertories at All Saints’ Church to-mor-row will be in aid of the Sunday School Prize Fund.

Mr Prosser’s supporters will meet to-morrow evening at eight o’clock, in Mr J. T, Roberts’s office, Walker street. We have been requested to call attention _to an advertisement in* another column, in which Mr Rossbotham announces his resignation of his candidature for South Ward, and recommends Mr Prosser to the favorable opinion of the ratepayers. The Dunedin Choral Society’s concert comes off this evening, and, if rumour be correct, it will prove a most enjoyable one. We understand the solo parts in the “ Hymn of Praise ” have been undertaken by the leading amateurs in Dunedin, with professional help, and that the choruses have been so thoroughly studied that all difficulties have been mastered. The want of a hall large enough to give the public a share iu these delightful concerts is now pressed on public attention. * This is the first time that it has been found necessary to restrict the issue of tickets to subscribers, and we are glad to think that the number is so great, as it evinces the interest taken in the society.