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Evening Star, Issue 3380, 19 December 1873, Page 2

The banquet to the Hon. the Premier is fixed for the sth prox. The Hon, Julius Vogel and his Honor the Superintendent inspected the Immigration Barracks yesterday. The programme at the Princess Theatre, last evening, consisted of “Who Speaks First V' an interlude, and “ Barnum’s Show.” The Kailway Compensation Court is sitting in New Plymouth. The cost of taking the railway through the town, for compensation alone, will amount to L 15,000, At the Napier criminal sittings of the Supreme Court, James Lawton, the laborer who assaulted a coach proprietor named Byrne r, an Orangeman who coupled tho names of the Potie and King William together, was found guilty and sentenced by Judge Johnston to six months’ imprisonment. The Cadet Firing Kales have undergone material changes. By the new rules, boys under fourteen years of age are not allowed to fire. The prize money is divided into proportionate amounts for districts in which cadet corps are formed They will fire fpr the prizes at 100, 200, and JOO yards, and the thirty highest scorers in the whole Colony will fire over again to decide the winner of tho (sidot Champion Bolt. We (‘Cromwell Argus’) are informed by a gentleman in this town, who is well acquainted with the district, that the prospects of the Nevis never looked better than they do at present. He instances one claim which is worked by four mom They can take out a “ paddock" every five days, and the yield from each paddock averages quite thirty ounces. This is pretty good work for four men ; about IdO per week pef wan.

The holding capacity of the Masonic Hall was tested to the utmost last evening, all parts being inconveniently crowded. The pantascopic portion of the entertainment improves by repetition, and the instructive and amusing lecture given by Mr Bent was listened to attentively. Professor Saunders favored the audience with two harp solos ; Mr Bent sang several new songs, which were received with marked approbation ; and altogether the various performances were decidedly successful.

The following resolution was carried at a public meeting at Bannockburn the other day : --‘‘That this district cannot afford to lose one. shilling per ounce on the gold, ami the minors would urge upon the General Government the necessity of having an assay office in Dunedin, for the purpose of securing the standard value of the gold. That a respectful petition to th s end be drawn up and sent round for signature, and placed in the hands of the Goldfields Secretary for transmission to the General Government.”

Yesterday afternoon, as Mr Curie, jun., of Morningtou, was riding along the beach in company with some friends, the horse, suddenly entered a quicksand, threw its rider, and bolted. No particular injury was suspected at the time, hut on reaching home Mr Curie became exceedingly ill, and was compelled to apply for medical assistance. On Dr. Sorley’s arrival it was found that the lower part of the spine ami the left knee had been severely sprained. Mr Curie is unable to move, and it is feared may be hud up for some time.

A great number of excursionists went down by train from Dunedin to the port yesterday, some viewing the fine vessels at the pier and in the stream, others going to the flagstaff and Town Belt picnicing ; but the chief attraction was to view the beautiful model of the Samuel ITimsoll, now on view by the kindness of Captain Welsh. The whole of the children attending the Grammar School are invited to view the model to-morrow, free of charge, the last day of the exhibition in Port Chalmers. Captain Welsh intends to exhibit it in Dunedin on Tuesday.

In reporting the occurrence of, for the first time, the musical accompaniment upon the harmonium in the. Scotch Church at NV anganui, the ‘ Herald’ clears up a mystery thus There was no drowning of voices, hut a moderately pitched and most harmonious accompaniment was given, with which the voices of the singers blended most sweetly. _ And further adds The introduction of music is decidedly an improvement, and it is satisfactory to learn that several of the hottest opponents to the vexed question have expressed their entire acquiescence with the alteration. On Wednesday evening several ladies and gentlemen from Dunedin, assisted by local talent, gave a concert at Tokomairiro in aid of the Athemeum library. The music, both vocal and instrumental, was above the average performances at amateur concerts, and was received with loud and hearty applause, many pieces being rapturously encored. The appreciation of the audience was evidenced by every one sitting out an unusually long programme, and maintaining the enthusiasm till the last. The attendance was not so largo as might have been expected, considering the object of the concert and the known ability of the ladies and gentlemen who had volunteered thoir services on the occasion.

There was a great improvement in the attendance at the Queen’s Theatre last evening, all parts of the house being well patronised. Miss Kosina, in the first part, sang the air, “ I know that my Redeemer livoth,” from the “Messiah,” with exquisite pathos, and in a style we have seldom heard equalled by any artiste. The grand duct, “ Quis est Homo,” from the “ Stabat Mater,” by Misses Resina and Fannie, was the gem of the concert, but Mr Gordon found the aria ‘ ‘ Pro Peocatis ” too much for him. The quartette, “ Quando Corpus,” by the >Sisters Rosin a and Fannie, and Messrs Sherwin and Gordon, was very elfectively rendered. The concert concluded with the solo and chorus, “ Lo! here the Sabre,” from “ The Grand Duchess,” by Miss Fannie and the company, which brought to a close a first-class entertainment. Miss Uosina’s benefit will take place this evening, when we trust the lovers of high-class music will muster in strong force.

Wo have been favored by Mr M. W. Hawkins with the following extract from a letter he received from Melbourne by the Alhambra: -

“ You will probably have heard ere this that Mr Edward M’Glashan fell and broke his leg on board the Tararua on his way to this port. He received every attention on the steamer, and on arrival here was at once conveyed to the hospital. When I heard of his destination I paid him a visit, and was most agreeably surprised to iind him looking remarkably well, and in excellent spirits. Beyond the confinement there is nothing to apprehend, and I think it is most fortunate that he elected to go into the hospital, for the weather has turned extremely hot, and had he proceeded to any hotel or private lodging, as ho opce thought to do (> he would have found the heat npost oppressive, whereas he now lays comfortably stowed away in a very large and airy apartment, with attendants who are uevor out of the room, and medical attendance at need.”

ThcProvincial Secretary and the Treasurer for Goldfields were interviewed at ( VoDl" ell, and after having entered into lengthened explanations, were entertained at dinner by the townspeople. In replying to the toast of the Suocr intendent and Executive, Mr Turnbull said he had not before had the pleasure of seeing so much of the country as ho had within the last few days; indeed he had never before been more than fifty miles out of Dunedin since he came to the Province; he had learned a good deal during his trip. He had been able to realise for himself what a tremendous amount of country was in some cases in the hands of one man. Run this or that looked a small thing on the imp ; but when one man came to see with his own eyes that it meant twenty miles on one side of a river, and twenty miles on the other, it was possible to understand that it might not bo altogether a good thing for the country. At any rate, his views were a good deal altered, and he would he prepared to make more suitable provision for the settlement of population throughout the country than had hitherto been done. His own interests, he might say, lay entirely in seeing a large population in the country. The Melbourne ‘Telegraph’ makes some original observations upon the question of marriage with a deceased wife’s sister. In a novel and altogether original iqanner it asks the question whether widowers instead of being prevented from marrying tliejr deceased spouse’s sisters should not be debarred from marrying anyone, and it gives similar reasons to those urged l)y Dr. Wines, the American Penal Commissioner, in his report on jqvcnile delinquency, who, speaking of second marriages, says, “In how Lyrge a number of cases secoqd marriage is the immediate cause of crime and vagrancy among children. Wives,” he goes on to say, “will shelter a strange orphan for years, but the bearing with the faults of a step-child belongs to a range of Christian virtues to which they seldom attain. Hitter quarrels spring up between the step-sons and step-daughters .and the mother ; and whether the father sides with the children or the wife the result is the same. The house becomes a kind of Pandemonium, and the girls rush desperately forward to the wild life of the streets, and the boys prefer the roaming existence of the cityarabsto a step-mother’s home. Thus it happens,” says Dr Wines, “that stepchildren among the poor are so often criminal and outcast.” There is probably only too much of truth in all this, ami what is true of large American cities is also true of Auckland, Canterbury, or Otago.

The inspection of the City Guards Cadet corps, ordered for to-morrow, has been postponed till further notice. We arc requested to remind contractors that the tenders for New Knox Church are to be received at the office of the'architect to-morrow at two and also that the Building Committee will meet at 2,30, to open same.

A match will bo played to-morrow afternoon between an eleven chosen from the various ironmongery .establishments and an eleven of the Citizens 5 Club. ' Wickets to be pitched at 2.30 p.m. The following represent the respective teams ; Hardware ; Mills, Morrison, Duekmauton, 1). Thompson, Plcak, Sheplpcjd, Marsdeu, J. Anderson, and A. Webb. Citizens: Maiming, Aria, V. W. Coxhead, Fagan, Towsey, Woodifield, West, Watson, Murray, M'Miflan, M‘Kray, Mansfr.nl, Pledger, CiuiChapman, Vv athcii, audiimjtlb