The Evening Star THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1874

Evening Star, Issue 3419, 5 February 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1874

At the Waste Land Board meeting to-day, a lease of a copper mine at Waipori was applied for and granted. There was another capital attendance at the Princess’s last night, when a completely new programme was presented. Nearly every item was encored.

Turkish baths are to be erected in Dunedin ; and at a meeting last night of persons favorable to the project, it was resolved to form a company with 1,000 shares, at LI each, 10s to be paid an application. Nearly 300 shares were taken up in the room.

An accident happened yesterday to a man named E. Miller, a shipwright, working at the new schooner building at Messrs Sutherland’s yard, Port Chalmers. He missed his footing on the scaffolding and fell on his head on to the ground. He was conveyed home on a stretcher, where he was attended by Dr Drysdale, and is progressing favorably. Mr M'Gillivray, M.H.R., called his constituents together at Riverton the other day, but only two of the free and enlightened electors of the district put in an appearance. So he dismissed the two, and sent to the local paper, for publication, his prepared address, which concludes thus “I am free to confess that I am tired of Colonial politics, and would not be soriy to take my leave of them altogether.” The single wicket match for L 5 a-side—the outcome of Saturday’s match—between Messrs Gregory and Mitchell, and Messrs Caradus, Jennings, and Cunliffe came off yesterday, and resulted in a victory for the former, who won with a wicket to spare, though there might have been a different result had the umpire been appealed to in the second innings, when Gregory most unmistakeably put his leg in front of his wicket.

A trial of the submarine boat was made yesterday afternoon off the Pelichet Bay jetty, the result of which proved that we were correct in attributing the hitch which occurred at the public trial on Saturday to undue haste on the part of the directors of the company. Mr Viikine and his son, with Messrs C. S. Harvey and E. D. Ritchie went'down in the boat yesterday, and on reaching the bottom the trap door was opened and messages sent up—everything working in the beat possible manner. After being submerged about an hour, the water taken in to sink her was pumped out in fourteen minutes, and the Platypus rose at once to the surface. _ This success must be very gratifying to the directors and shareholders, and we believe it is intended to send the boat up to her future destination immediately. The annual meeting of the Otago Bible Society was held in the First Church last evening; Mr E. B. Cargill presiding. The committee reported: —“ Though the progress in the diffusion of the Weed of God throughout this Province is not so great as could be desired, yet, on the whole, progress has been made during the past year. The sales of Bibles have been more than double those of the previous year. The sales for the year just past amount to L7418s 7d; the sales for the previous year amounted to only L 35 0s 6d; thus there is an increase on the previous year of L3B 17s 7d. But this increase has arisen entirely from the sales of Bibles in town. Of the gross receipts for Bibles sold (amounting to L 74 18s 7d), L7l 13s lOd is for Bibles sold in town; only L 3 4s 9d has been obtained from sales in the country. The sales in the country, therefore, have, during the past year, dropped down from Ll2 12s, the amount of the previous year, to L 3 4s 9d, which, so far as the country is concerned, shows that the operations of the Society are far from being in a satisfactory condition. Surely there is a wide field in the inland townships and districts of the Province which is as yet practically unoccupied by this Society. This is not as it ought to be, Nor can this state of things be much improved until the Society carries out its of t-re peated purpose, of employing a colporteur, whose business it shall be to distribute the Society’s Bibles throughout the Province. It is much to be regretted that such an agent has not been employed before this time. The subscriptions for the past year amount to L 99 Us Bd, of which L 65 15s have been collected in town, and L 33 16s 8d in the country. The subscriptions for the previous year amounted to LlO2 3s. There is thus a decrease for the past year of L2 11s 4d. For these subscriptions the Society is mainly indebted to the zealous exertions of the ladies of the Ladies’ Committee, to whom the Society owes most cordial thanks. Donations to the amount of LSO have, in accordance with resolution passed at last annual meeting, been sent to the Home Societies, and the committee have remitted on the purchase account L 56 ss. The printing of cards, reports, and other expenses amount to Lllossd; and the balance in the .treasurer’s hands at this date isLll 9s 6d. The committee recommend that of the subscriptions now on hand L6O be remitted to the British and Foreign Bible Society, and L4O to the National Bible Society of Scotland, as free contributions.” The report, as submitted, was adapted, after which the Rev. Mr Backhouse and the Rev. Mr Webb addressed the meeting. A vote of thanks was awarded to Mr Morse, the retiring secretary, for his past services. The business of the City Council was conducted last evening with the customary regularity and decorum, u#til the vexed question of a site for .a Town Hall .came on for discussion. What then happened will be found elsewhere. With the exception of the Town Hall matter and settling a site for a fourth schoqj, there was no business of importance got through, ajd the notices of motion having to be postponed. f Reserves Committee recommended that the negotiations in connection with the proposed widening of Princes street south of Jqtty street be allowed to lie over until the year 1876, and that the Council enter into an agreement with the Government and the Church Trustees, to the effect that the Corporation will widen Princes street in two years hence, at the expiry of several of the short leases; but consideration of the recommendation was postponed, pending a deputation from the Council meeting the Church Trustees.—The Government wrote in reference to securing to the Corporation any water rights remaining at the disposal of the Go* eminent in the neighborhood of Dunedin, that “the Waste Land Board, with the consent of his Honor the Superintendent, have reserved from sale aJi the unsold land at the head of the Water ,of Leijfch in block 5, and East. Taieri, and block.B, North Hafrbofc ail'd Blvfeskin district, for the waWr

supply of the City.” The matter was referred to Mr Barr, C.E., to ascertain whether all the water rights the Council could expect were reserved.—The Government also wrote that the L 2,000 for York place, voted last session of the Provincial Council, was passed too late to be placed on the Estimates; but it would be placed on this year’s Estimates. The Works Committee reported inter alia /—That with a view to the speedy removal of the Manure Depot, regarding which a great many complaints have from time to time been made, tenders should be invited for providing four or five acres of land for a new depot in a locality more suitable for the purpose, and to include the cost attending ts> the depot in a proper manner; the fees received at the depot to be retained by the lessee. That all applications which may_ hereafter bo made for permission to lay crossings over footpaths, and which enable wagons to back up against the building levels of certain stores, be declined, as the habit of obstructing footpaths in this manner tends to the great inconvenience of the general public. “That an advertisement be inserted in the newspapers for tenders to supply the Corporation with blocks of sawn bluestone not less than 2ft square and 4in. in thickness, to be used for footpaths. That the portion of Cumberland street between Albany street and St. David street he formed and metalled, if the cost of the work can be paid out of the amount allocated for outlay in Leith Ward.”- At 4.30 this morning the Council adjourned for a fortnight.

The current number of the 4 Temperance Ad vocate ’ contains a view of Mount Cook, from a painting by Gully, and a good deal of matter which will interest abstainers.

The increasing population in and around Anderson’s Bay has led the inhabitants to take steps for the erection of a church in that district in connection with the English Episcolian form of worship. An amateur concert in aid of the building fund will be given in the Masonic flail, on Monday, February 16, which is expected to be very attractive. We shall be able to furnish further particulars in a few days.