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Evening Star, Issue 3308, 26 September 1873, Page 2

The Behington, with 2(50 immigrants, ar rived at the Heads to-day.

Unless the Upper House prove refractory, Parliament will be prorogued on Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest.

The lienee Ifrrnhl is informed that it is likely Major Crokcr will receive an appointment in the Civil Service.

The local paper calls the attention of the Mayor of Cromwell to the fact that there is about LOO worth of corporation revenue running wild about the streets, in the shape of unregistered dogs. An instance of extraordinary despatch in the conveyance of mails is reported from Tokomairiro, where it took the post-office four months and four days to deliver a letter posted at Waihola, eight miles distant.

One more wc go from home for news. The following appears in the telegraphic intelligence of the Cromv.rU Arym: —lt is said that James M‘lndoe and a person named Fraser (publie’y unknown) have been appointed Immigration Agents by the Provincial executive. The appointments are generally laughed at. Wc are glad to learn from the local paper that business of every kind is in a most flourishing condition in Milton at the present time, and all classes of artizans are fully employed. .V considerable number of new buildings are in progress. These include a Wesleyan church, the new' post-office, a school-house, a large, boarding-house, of two storeys, a ginger beer and cordial manufactory. besides a number of very substantial dwelling-houses. Many of the vacancies in the back streets are rapidly getting filled up, and ground is high in price should the present rate of progress continue, the township will shortly assume a very respectable appearance.

A meeting of the provisional directors of the National Building Society wan held at the offices of Mr C. R. Chapman, last evening. After some not very important business was got through, the meeting adjourned until Wednesday evening next, at 730 o’clock, when the prop ped rules of the Society, together with other business, will be brought before the directors. The followin:: gentlemen now form the board of provisional directors of tbe above society : —Messrs R. Wilson, U. Chapman, D. Boss, C. Smith, D. Proudfoot, W, J, M. Larnach, C. B*. Beeves, G. F. Beid, R. A. Low, Geo. W, Eliot, A. Mercer, J. Curie, H. Driver, C. Flexman, C. B. Chapman, Jas. Copeland. W, Guthrie, Jas. Mills, B. Mackay, T. Drummond, J. Scoulaz’, J. Gore, W. Dairy mple, junr., and Alexr. Bennie. The prospectus appears in our advertising columns.

The following Parliamentary telegram appears in the Bruce herald : —“ The Committee on the Otago Reserves report that from tbe paucity of information procured, and as the late period of the session precluded the possibility of obtaining additional information from that Province they cannot recommend that any legislation in the direction proposed by the Bill should take place during the present session. Waste Land Bill- The Upper House proposed a proviso in clause five, providing that the fees to be paid in respect of the purchase and occupation of the lands so set aside for sale cn deferred paymentt shall be double those required to be paid under the aforesaid provision of the Otago Waste Lands Act, 1872. A neAV clause is inserted, providing that nothing in this Act contained shall prejudicially affect any pre-emptive right created under the Southland Act, 1865.”

“ The Lady of Lyons” was the principal piece at the Queen’s Theatre last evening. The performance throughout was very successful, and the Misses Colville and Anstcad and Messrs Hoskins and Steele were called before the curtain in answer to repeated calls. The afterpiece was “A Kiss in the Dark,” Miss Colville’s benefit takes place this evening, when two pieces not previously produced in this Colony will be played—“A Practical Man,” and “The World' and the Stage.” The latter play is from the pen of Mr Palgrave Simpson, and. from a cursory glance at the book, there is no doubt that from its literary merit, apart from the many striking situations introduced by the author, it ought to prove a decided hit. As we observed in our issue of yesterday, Miss Colville has neculiar claims on the theatre-going portion of the community, and we trust her efforts to please will be substantially recognised.

If the complaint made by the North Otago Timex is well founded—and we have no reason to think otherwise—it is high time something was done to improve the condition of the main roads leading to Oamaru. Says our contemporary: —“We have written so many ‘ locals ’ about bad roads in this district, and have appealed to the Provincial Executive so often to take some steps to improve them, that we almost despair of ever seeing our roads in a fit state for coaches and other vehicles to travel upon. Will our readers believe ns when we tell them that only last week Messrs Swanson and Warbuton’s mail coach, with four horses attached, and not one passenger aboard, was literally ‘ stuck in the mud’ outlie main road between Oamaru ami Dimed in, near to Mr Roxby’s residence ? Yet it is a fact, and we learn on good authority that the coachdriver had to obtain the assistance of a team of cart horses in order to drag the coach out of the mud. The mud at this particular spot is between three and four feet deep. I 'Jhis is really too bad.” The Rev. .1. Menzics has forwarded to the Tunjiekn Timex the following letter with reference to an interesting fossil discovered by him in a piece of lignite : —“ An interesting find in the way of a fossil fish fell way last Saturday. In breaking up a p:cce of lignite at our house, the clear outline of a fish could be traced on the one side, and the half matrix on the other. In addition to the usual form of a fish, the head, with the eye distinctly marked, the tail, and a radiation on the back, which might be taken for the dorsal fin, were more or less defined. The length of the fossil was about seven inches ; the head somewhat prolonged ; the tail rather broad, and the Jin sloped, in trying to disintegrate it for the benefit of the local museum, it was unfortunately smashed. Still, the pieces exist, and some expert might put them together. The half matrix exists intact, and can be inspected at my house, 1 am not aware that anything of the sort has been found in any of our local carboniferous formations previously, and 1 write this with a view of suggesting to those employed in excavating our lignite to look out for such specimens, and when found, rather to preserve them in the mass than mflke any attempt at disintegration. It is so difficult to reduce a piece of lignite without smashing the very part you mean to preserve.” Last evening a very interesting meeting was held in the Moray Place Congregational Church, when the friends of Mr and Mrs J. T. Hart met to bid them good-bye, previous to their removal to Christchurch. Tea was provided in the hall, after which an adjournment was made to the church, and the Rev. Dr. Roseby took the chair. After devotional exercises and the explanation by the chairman of the purpose of the meeting, he

called on Mr Barr, who spoke to the long and valuable services rendered by Mr and Mrs Hart tn the Moray Place Church since its formation. He said Mr Hart was a member of the Church Building Committee, is one of the trustees, and has hedd office as deacon since the first Church officers were elected. The service which he had rendered had been of the most unostentatious and yet of the most valuable character. Mr Barr concluded by presenting \'r Hart with an illuminated address containing a resolution of the deacons’ meeting expressive of the high esteem in which Mr Mart is held by his brother officers. Mr Tewslcy afterwards, on behalf of the ladies of the congregation, presented Mr Hart with a handsome timepiece in white marble and a bronze ornament. Mr Hart acknowledged in appropriate terms the kindness manifested by the meeting Suitable addresses were afterwards delivered by Messrs Mactio and <Tago, and some music was w r ell rendered by the Church Choir.—ln the afternoon of yesterday the fellow clerks of Mr Hart presented him with a gold pencil case and an illuminated address prepared by Mr Snow. The pencil-case had Mr Hart’s initials engraved on ic, and the address was as follows :—“September, 1873. —To James Tythe Hart, Esq.—On the occasion of your transfer to Christchurch, wc, the undersigned officers of the Customs department of Dunedin, beg your acceptance of the accompanying pencil-case as a slight recognition of the regard with which you have been held by us daring your twelve years' service at this port. Please accept our kindest wishes for the best welfare of yourself and family.” Then follow the signatures of the Customs employes. Mr Mart lias been promoted to a superior position at Christchurch, and he takes with him to his new appointment the respect and esteem of all who have had the pleasure of his acquaintance.

The closing match of the season will be played by the Dunedin Football Club, to-mor-row afternoon, in the Caledonian Grounds, at 2.30.

On account of the unsafe state of the Anderson’s Pay butts, the match of the Dunedin Kitlc Club will be fired to-morrow at the North Dunedin range only.

A meeting of ratepayers and others_ interested in the Beach road, by Logan’s Point to Port Chalmers, will be held at Burke’s Brewery, at one o’clock to-morrow.

Wo are informed that a keen competition annually takes place among the butchers as to supplying their customers with the first lamb of the season. We notice some half-dozen very fine young half-breds on view at Mr G. Wilson’s shop, George street, being the first brought into the Dunedin market this season. The priority must this year be unmistakeably iiAvarded to Mr Wilson, whose efforts will, no doubt, he fully recognised by his customers and the public.