The Evening Star SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1873

Evening Star, Issue 3381, 20 December 1873, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1873

The Naval Brigade can muster eighty-eight rank ami tile, but only thirty-nine put in an appearance at Major Gordon's inspection last night. His Excellency the Governor will bo in Camara on Monday, but the hour at which he will reach Dunedin will not be known until he leaves Uamaru. The attendance at the Masonic Hall was very large last evening, the performance being successful throughout. A. good many persons atttended the entertainment this afternoon. We learn from the ‘North Otago Times’ that the Gave Valley estate has changed hands, the purchaser being Mr Cyril Handon. Ihe price has not transpired authoritatively, but com mou report states it is to be L' 28,000. The entertainment given by the Sheridan Dramatic Company at the Lunatic Asylum last evening was the best the company has yet presented. “ Upstairs and Downstairs, a musical interlude, and “ The Wags of Windsor constituted the programme. There was a good attendance. There was a very good attendance at the Princess's last evening, when ‘ 1 lie Struggle for Life ” was produced. All the characters were well filled. On Monday evening, the performance, which will be under the patronage of the hon. the Premier and the Mayor, is for the benefit of Mr and Mrs Searlo. The forthcoming concert of the Choral Society is to be held in the University Hall aftei all. We believe that the committee, knowing that the holding capacity of the hall would he severely tested, contemplated securing another building; but the University authorities having permitted the partition between the hall and arcade to be taken down, which will provide seats for lot) more persons than were present at the last concert, renders that step unnecessary. “Prompter” sends us the following item of theatrical interest“ On November 30, an interesting ceremony was performed the Episcopalian Church, Ballarat, by the Rev. G. W. Torrance, who united in the holy bonds of matrimony the gymnast Lottie and her cousin Victor. The notice which appeared in the next day’s ‘Courier’ announced the marriage of Richard S, Potter, sou of Mr Potter, Inspector, G.P.0., London, to Charlotte Emmeline Armstrong, daughter of Thomas Armstrong, C.K., London.” About 10 o'clock last night a lire was discovered in a small house occupied by a man named Gibson, situated in the Esplanade near the railway station, Port Chalmers. Mr G. ('lark -was in his store at the time the alarm was given, and there being plenty of water at hand, it was soon extinguished. .Fortunately it was so soon discovered, or the consequences might have been serious, as on one side there was a quantity of dry timber stacked and Messrs ('lark ami Son’s ship chandler’s store, and on the other the workshops of Messrs Jackson Brothers. A meeting of Masters and Past-Masters of the Masonic Lodges of both Constitutions was held last evening at the Provincial Hotel; both the Official liquidators were iu attendance, and Mr Hyman was voted to the chair. After some discussion, it was agreed to sell the lodge furniture, which was purchased by a member of the craft, for the use of the various lodges. Communications were received from the Temperance Hall Company, the proprietor of the Masonic Hall, and Mr Sibhald, relative to a place of meeting for the various lodges, and it was decided the matter stand over until the next meeting, to be called by Mr Hyman, An interesting item of news comes from New Bedford, Massachussetts. The new whaling barque Glacier. Captain Potter, which arrived there the other day from the Arctic regions, had on board several interesting relics of the Franklin Expedition, procured from the Esquimaux. There were heavy silver spoons and forks, having upon them the armorial bearings of the family of Sir John Franklin and of other English families. They were procured at Repulse Bay from Esquimaux who had come from King William’s Land, near the spot where Sir John Franklin’s vessels were abandoned in 1818. The natives say that both vessels—the Erebus and Terror—had gone to pieces.

The second reading of the Trans-Continental Kailway Bill has been passed by the Legislative Assembly of South Australia. Offers to construct the line on condition that a liberal endowment of land was conceded by Parliament have been made by Mr J. M. Main, of Ballarat, and by the firm of Chapman, Dane, and Co., New Zealand, railway contractors. The latter offer to construct a line, say 2,000 miles in length, on consideration of receiving 100,000,000 acres, or at the rate of 50,000 acres for each mile completed. Furthermore, they agree to bring out 100,000 emigrants during the 120 yea.>* occupied in carrying out the work, and announce* their readiness to supply substantial guarantees of their honxi, Jidc.n and capacity to execute the work. Under the Government measure, all the so tenderers will have an opportunity of sending in fresh offers. Miss Rosina’s benefit was not largely attended last evening, a fact which wc sincerely regret for two reasons —the first being on account of the lady herself, who deserved better treatment at the hands of the public ; and in the second place as showing the evident want of appreciation on the part of those who might by their example to encourage a taste for refined and intellectual entertainments such as are provided by the members of this talented company. The cavatina, Hubert Toi qui J’aimo,” in the first part, by bliss Rosina, was a magnificent piece of vocalisation, and the applause she received was well deserved. The scona “ O Mio Fernando,” from “ LaFavorita.” was splendidly given by Mies Fannie. Mr Gordon sang the difficult recitative and air, “.Ruddier than the Cherry,” with great spirit and effect; and as it undoubtedly suited big fine voice, it is hardly necessary to say his effort wq.s most successful. Mr (’otterill was as amusing as hitherto. _ A change of programe is announced for to-night. A month or two ago the telegraph conveyed ns the briefest mention of an encounter at Oman, Central America, between the Natives and the British subjects, and that H.M.S. Niobe bad been despatched to the scene. We have now the full particulars before us, and from them we learn .that the Natives committed a serious outrage upon the Lrijisd) f unsul, plundered him and the resident British merchants, and imprisoned three of the latter, win, resisted the outrage. ()u the Niobe reaching Omoa she was brought into position, and satisfaction was demanded of the authorities, which, not being given, the ensign was run up to the

mainmast and a blank shot was fired. This was returned from the fort. An active cannonade then ensued, which lasted from three to six o’clock in the afternoon. It was renewed tlic next dav. After two or three hours, the fort being silenced, a Hag of truce was sent on board. The affair was arranged by the release of the imprisoned British subjects and the payment of an indemnity of L 30,000. Some plain, peculiar,but not very popular speaking was lately, indulged in by Mr J. E. Brown, when addressing his consistuents in the Ashley district. He said—“ The people of New/calami are about the most over-governed people in the world, and it would be greatly to their advantage if there were tube no more sessions of Assembly or Provincial Gounods for two years; better let the members retire to their gardens, and take a shovel ora spade and assist fu developing the resources of the country, than go up to Wellington and waste the resources of the country. A little breathing spell would enable the authorised railways to be completed, and the country pause and consider the effect. We are rushing along at a furious rate to what bankers call ‘ the clearing day ;’ and when we reach that point, men’s pockets and souls will be tried in the furnace of adversity.” In going back to the question of qualification of electors, he might at once say that he did not believe in a measure that some people were at present advocating, namely universal suffrage. He would tell them plainly that he would rather thrown up his seat at once than vote for universal suffrage. If the man who was worth one shilling was as much considered as the man with one hundred shillings, it would be a _ very bad look out. He had seen men land in New York, throw up their hats whenever they stepped on shore, and cry, “Freedom, and down with old England.” Let the suffrage remain as it is by all means, as he considered it was low enough. He would go up to the Assembly and vote fertile Legislative Council being constituted as at present. If it were the opinion of his constituents that it was to he made inactive, his conscience would not allow him to represent their views, and he would at once resign. He hoped, however, that they would take time to consider the suggestions he had thrown out, and he would make it his business to call upon them publicly, or privately, before next session of the Assembly, and ascertain whether they resolved to adopt a different course iu political matters to what had been foreshadowed by him. If they decided upon doing so, he was very sorry to say that lie would not be able to represent their district any longer. His conscience would not allow him to represent or advocate views different to what lie had just advanced. Mr Brahe, the Consul-General for Germany in Victoria, has managed to land himself in particularly hot water. It is not many months since a MrF. C. Klcmm, an old German resident at Sandhurst, was deputed to float a mining company on the London market. He wenq Home and essayed the work ho had undertaken, but before launching his enterprise, went to Germany. He was entrusted with an address to the Chancellor from the German residents in Victoria. The Princess Bismarck, we learn, intimately knew Mr Klcmm’s mother, and a secretary of the Chancellor had been his schoolfellow. ‘ Klemin and _ his family were graciously received and hospitably entertained, when suddenly there appeared simultaneously in the loading German newspapers a semiofficial announcement that an “adventurer” had arrived for the purpose of attracting German capital to doubtful mining enterprises in the “interior” of Australia. Germans were warned against the wiles of theq seducer, and were told not to invest their capital in mining enterprises in Australia. This information Mr Brahe admits lie supplied. When the news reached the Colony, some sensation, as might be easily imagined, was created. Indignation meetings were hold, and the cliairman of one meeting, who communicated with Mr Brahp, received a reply from that gentleman to the effect that he had thought it his duty to correspond with his Government ou the subject, and as he had not changed his views he declined to retract what he had said, and in his reply he ignored the reference to Mr Klemm’s personal character. Resolutions have been unanimously carried condemning the action taken by the German Con-sul-General “as unwarranted by facts and unjustified by Mr Klemm’s career in the Colonyand it was resolved to request the Chief’ Secretary to forward the resolution to the German Chancellor. The newspapers have also taken up the matter warmly, and attack Mr Brahe in no measured terms. The ‘ Age,’ discussing it from a public point of view, says the promoters of the company are gentlemen occupying the very highet position, commercially and socially, both iu Melbourne and Sandhurst. Amongst them are bank managers and directors, Ministers of the Crown and members of Parliament, merchants of the highest standing and gentlemen of independent means, and remarks that “ hitherto the Germans and Britons in the Colony have fraternised in a maimer becoming their common origin ; but if Mr Consni Brahe is permitted to slander respectable British citizens in the manner he has done, that amity will not long continue. The proceedings of Mr Brahe must be a subject of regret to every German iu Victoria. He has created an unpleasant feeling which can only be got rid of by a disavowal of sympathy with his conduct.” ’The subject of “ union with Otago” was discussed at the sederunt of the New Zealand Presbyterian Assembly sitting at Auckland, cm the 10th hist. The Rev, Mr Ehnslic is re. ported to have said that full scope was not allowed for the development of the Presbyterian Church. The brethren in Otago appointed a committee of union, and the members of this committee had been expected to be present at that meeting. He labored under a disadvantage in being called upon to make to them, because of their absence. In his opinion their brethren in Otago were just as heartily affected towards them as they themselves were towards the Otago people. He was quite sure that there would be union between the Church iu Otago and that iu Auckland. They would at no distant day be one Church, and it would be for tire interest of their common prosperity and the cause of Christ, if that union could be consummated soon. Tire real obstacle stand.big in the way was the distance between the two places and the difficulty of travelling. The Southern people saw no obstacle except that they could not meet the Auckland people in one common General Assembly.--The Rev. D. Mucky proposed, “ That the Assembly express gratification at the report given by the ex-Moderator, and, iu accordance wdth Mr Elmslie’s suggestion, a committee be appointed to correspond with the Otago Synod.” He was extremely glad to hear Mr Elmslie state that the union must take place.—The _ Rev, Mr Elmslie moved, “ That the following bo the committee to correspond with the Otago .Synod : The Moderator, and the Revs. Bruce, Macky, Paterson, Galder, Fraser, Gatland, Ross, and Turnbull.” Agreed to. Ho also moved, “That the Moderator and the Rev. Mr Paterson be appointed deputies to attend the next sitting of the Otago Synod and express regret that they are not represented here.”—The Rev. Mr Macky think that a deputation was needed. Next year the Assembly would meet nearer Otago than at present, and then, if the Otago people were desirous of union, they could attend, —The Rev. Mr Elmslie considered that deputies should attend the Synod of Otago, to see wdiethcr they desired union. - The Rev. Mr Paterson said he would not be able to go to Otago ; he agreed, however, with sending deputies. He read an extract from the records of the Otago .Synod, showing that deputies had been appointed to attend the Assembly meeting at present being held. It was not, therefore, the fault of the Synod that they wore not represented, but the fault, if any, was the deputies’. Distance, however, had no doubt been the cause of their uon-attoudanec. —The Rev. D. Bruce said the House ought to express an opinion on the absence of: the Otago deputies.- The Rev. Mr Macnicol agreed with Mr Elmslie that a deputation should be sent. The Moderator and the Rev. R. Kenney were appointed deputies after a lengthy discussion. The Commercial Building and Mutual Investment Society will hold its usual fortnightly meeting next Monday evening, at the .Society s offices, from six to eight o’clock. The collection at Knox Church to morrow be iu aid of the Church Extension Fund.