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Evening Star, Issue 3313, 2 October 1873, Page 2

Mr R P. Whitworth is writing an Australian story in Town, and Country, a weekly Melbourne paper. The title of the story is - “ Lost and Found: A Romance of the Desolate Region. ”

The Governor will visit Christchurch during the race week, and on some evening during his stay a fancy dress ball will be held. W <s wonder if a similar affair could not be arranged in Dunedin, during his Excellency’s visit.

We would inquire of the Government why the 3,000 readers of the Star are debarred from gaining the information contained in the monthly and weekly reports of the Dunedin Hospital, which are so carefully forwarded to our morning contemporaries ? The fining of three persons—Henry B. Moore, John M ‘David, and Catherine Wilkinson —for drunkenness was the sole business transacted at the City Police Court this morning. The Mayor and Mr J. Black were the presiding Justices. Sir George Bowen, whose despatches are a marvel of industry, sent Lord Kimberley lass year a file of Hansard, and invited him to read it. His Lordship treated this cool request with a certain degree of contempt, inasmuch as he never even answered the despatch, “The Serious Family” and “The Irish Attorney” were performed at the Queen’s Theatre last evening to a thin house, which, however, did not appear to affect the repre sentatives of the principal characters —the Misses Colville and Anstead, and Messrs Hoskins and Steele playing most effectively. “ Checkmate” and “ Narcisse” will be played to-night. Notice is given in the last Government Gazette, that three or more of the Judges of the Supreme Court of New Zealand will sit at the Supreme Court House, Wellington, on Monday, the 17th day of November next, to hear and determine petitions for the dissolution or for a sentence of nullity of marriage, under section GO of the Divorce ami Matrimonial Causes Act, 18G7, and also for the dispatch of all other business accruing under the said Act.

A shocking accident, the result of the common habit among larrikins of stonethrowing, occurred at Auckland the other day. A boy named Murray was looking at the scene of the great fire, when another boy named South threw a piece of lead and knocked out one of Murray’s eyes. Murray fainted, and had to be carried home, and bis poor mother swooned when she saw what had befallen him. The eye extruded on tu the cheek, and was replaced as well as it could be, but the sight will never return. On Saturday, the 27th ult., a man named Archibald Clark, a shepherd in the employ of Mr D. F. Main, Taicri Lake .station, was drowned in an attempt to cross the river there. He was in company with John Black, who had in charge two horses, with which he crossed safely. Clark, being on a young mare, would not make th» attempt, but, desired Black to send the boat across f<>r him. He did so, and in trying to haul the boat across the river, the rope broke, and Clark going overboard, was seen no more. His wife, who was lying ill at the time, is not expected to recover. The following is the complete result of the tenders for the Mussel Bay reclamation : —Accepted—James Stumbles and Co,, Dunedin, L 2.800 Declined—D. Proudfoot, Dunedin, L 4,200 4s; Chick and Whittock, Port Chalmers, L 4,358 sa; J. M. Campbell, Dunedin, L 4.533 6s 6d ; John Fearon, Dunedin, L 4.666 J3s 4d : —Crawshaw, Dunedin, L4.G66 13s 4d ; Matthewson Brothers, Dunedin, 1.4,875 9s ; Calden and Bell, Dunedin, 15,087 13s 4d ; John Whitaker, Dunedin, 1 5,134 3s 41; J. G. Proctor, Dunedin, L5.15(> ss; J. M‘Donald, Dunedin, 15,156 ss; J. M‘Donald, Dunedin, L 5,325 ; Abbott, Dunedin, L 5.600. Gisborne must bo a perfect paradise to offenders, and we can confidently recommend all our local inebriates, who periodically are brought up before the Mayoral Bench to emigrate to Poverty Bay, The following, which we take from the Poverty Bay Standard, should act as inducement:—“ Last week, two inebriates, who had been awarded fortyeight hours each, had to be released after two hours’ durance, because there was no accommodation for them ! No place to lock them up in! No cookhouse ! No outoffices ! No nothing ! The prisoners must sleep either in the same room with the police, and be fed from the neighboring hotel, or be let loose, which they were.” The inquiry at Port Chalmers yesterday touching the drowning of Peter Wilson, a seaman belonging to the Peter Denny, resuited in the jury, after being locked up for two hours, returning a verdict of “ accidentally drowned.” Alex. M‘Honochic, who was in the boat with the deceased, said in the course of his evidence “It would not be more than three minutes from the time he fell over till I was at the place where be went down. He made no noise in the water ; the only sound 1 heard was “ Oh !” The only way in which I can account for it is by supposing that when he went on deck he overbalanced and fell into the water. If I had been sober it is possible that I might have been able to have saved him.”

This is the pleasant way in which the Napier papers trick one another. The Telegraph of the 12th instant says: —“Plagiarism with a vengeance ! We have long been aware that our morning contemporary has day after day pirated his local information from this journal. As a test, we yesterday informed the public that Mr Thos. Covvper, ef the Empire Hotel, Waipawa, had met with an accident, the result-of which was that Mr Cowper had broken his leg. This morning our contemporary, not to be behind in the times, reproduced the paragraph, carefully mentioning the particulars of the case. Mr Cowper, we are glad to state, is in the best of health, and no accident of the kind occurred. We trust this will be a lesson to our contemporary for the future.” After we went to press yesterday the reports of the various committees read at the City Council meeting were fully discussed and adopted.—Cr. Ramsay’s motion for the abolition of the City Police Court was unanimously adopted, the mover being the only person who spoke on the subject.—Cr, Reeves’s motion re borrowing 1 20,000 to build a town hall and market in the Octagon, gave rise to a lively discussion. The proposal to erect a market place in conjunction

with the hall was generally disapproved, but the Council were unanimously of opinion that it was desirable to erect a suitable hall. Some members went the length of saying that they would support a vote of L 30.000, if necessary for that purpose; and the Corporation sections at the lower end of Dowling street, near the railway station, were generally approved as a site. The matter was referred to the Works Committee to report upon. Among the other matters disposed of we r e the adoptions of the Works Committee’s recommendations against adopting street tramways, and the rescision of the resolution for the abolition of verandahs carried at the last meeting. The adjourned meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery was held in the First Church yesterday. The following were present : Ministers:—Revs. Dr Copland, Watt, Gregg, Johnson, Blake, Cow, M‘Naughton. Elders: Messrs Rennie, Wales, Sounness, and Millar. —The Rev. Mr M'Kenzie, at present supplying the pulpit of the First Church, was, on Dr Copland’s motion, assoc;ated with the Presbytery.—Mr Wales moved, as being likely to conduce to greater interest being taken in the election of ciders, “that on rule 27, page 9, of the rules of procedure, after the words ‘ duly elected ’ be inserted the words ‘for a term of years,’ and that an annual election of office-bearers take place, one third of the elders and one-third of the deacons to retire annually. In the first election under this rule, those who have the lowest number of votes to retire first.” For some time Mr Wales could not find a seconder ; but at length Mr Bennie came to his assistance. The Kev. Messrs Gillies and Watt, and Messrs G'ow and Souness supported the change, while the Rev. Mr Johnston, the Rev. Mr M ‘Kaughton, and Mr Rennie spoke against it. Dr Copland’s amendment that the remit be not approved of was carried by eight votes against four. Dr Copland moved that the Presbytery approve of the following remit on baptism from the Synod “ That the Synod, having considered the overture anent the administration of baptism, declares that the law authorises the administration of bapl/sm only to those and the children of those who pivfess faith in Christ, and enjoins that any who, after due examination. may be judged fit to receive this privilege for their children, but who have not joined the Church as members in full communion, should be placed on the roll of catechumens or members on trial ; that they shall be subject to the same jurisdiction and discipline as members in full communion, hut shall in no case have any voice in the management of the spiritual affairs of the Church until they shall have been admitted as members in full communion. That, in the event of their leaving one congregation to connect themselves with another, they shall receive a certificate bearing that they are catechumens, or members on trial, and that their conduct has been consistent with such profession, and that the minister to whom they may apply be required to receive such certificate before admitting them to the privilege of baptism for their children. Further, the Synod declares that the law of the Church requires that baptism shall in all ordinary cases be dispensed in public, before the congregation, and enjoins that when from special circumstances a minister deems it right to dispense baptism in private, or in other places than the ordinary place of public worship, the reason why it was so administered shall be recorded on the minutes of the session.” The Rev. Mr Gillies moved that the overture be not approved of, which was carried by ten to two The Rev. Mr M'Kenzie gave an account of what the Church in Viccoria was doing to extend the usefulness of >abhath schools, and asked the assistance of the Presbytery in endeavoring to secure a competent person from Home to superintend the Sabbath schools in the Colony.—The Rev. Dr Stuart menboned that the Revs. James Skinner and James Anderson had been appointed as ministers in < tago, and read a letter from Mr M‘Gill, secretary of the Foreign Missionary Society, intimating that the Society was willing to assist the Church in Otago afar as it could, an 1 asked for information concerning the best way of doing so.—Mr illar gave notio of an overture to the effect that the Free Church Hymn Book be allowed for use by congregations, as well as the English Presbyterian Hymn Book.—The Presbytery adjourned till the first Wednesday in December. The parade called for this evening is postponed till Monday next.