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Evening Star, Issue 3476, 14 April 1874, Page 2

The Court of Appeal will sit at Wellington on May 11. . Only four objections to the applications for licenses to be made to the Licensing Bench next week, have been lodged with the Clerk of the Court. Information was received by the San Francisco mail that Mr James Brogden, who visited this Colony, has retired from the firm of Messrs Brogden and Sons. By the mail to-day, applications under the nominated system were forwarded by the Immigration Officer for 113 souls, equal to 93£ statute adults. These have been received during the past week, between the 7tb and 14th instant. A singular advertisement appears in the ‘ Grey River Argus,’ signed by “ Sophia Horsington,” by which this lady notifies to her husband that if ho does not communicate with

her within three months, it is her intention “ to get married 1” The preparations for the bazaar in aid of the Episcopal Church to be built at Portobello are not completed. We cannot, therefore, give any account of the articles to be offered for sale, but we understand they are very attractive. The bazaar is to be opened to morrow. A fine specimen of the common thresher shark, or alopecias vulpes of.Ginelin, was captured this morning off the Heads by two fishermen. _ Its length along the curve of the back is 13ft 9in, the tail being 4ft in length ; its girth at its widest part, 54 inches. It is now lying in a boat at the Rattray street jetty..

Mr George Hancock, ofNarribri, New South Wales, may be considered a • fortunate man. The Narribri Herald ’ has been informed that a conveyancer of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and next-of-kin discoverer, has written to Mr Hancock, and forwarded papers constituting him next of kin to LIOO,OOO, and interest and compound interest for the last twenty-five years.

Several rumors, some of which have been accepted as truth by our contemporaries, have been current during the past few days in reference to the intentions of Mr Mercer in regard to the approaching Mayoral contest. We believe we are correct in saying that that gentleman still holds the opinion that the office should be a rolling one, but he also holds that the wishes of the citizens are a paramount consideration, and if he is requested by them to offer himself for re-election will do bo. The official return af the census of the Province of Marlborough appears in the ‘ New Zealand Gazette ’ of April 9. The totals compared with the census of 1871 are Males ; 1874—3,664; increase, 429, or 13.26 per cent. Females, 1871—2,000; 1872 2,479 ; increase, 479, or 23.95 per cent. Total 1871—'5)235; 1874—6,143 ; Increase, 908, or 17.34 per cent. The total number of dwellings l a 1>152 > 1872—1,308, increase 146, or 12.56 per cent.

The Eight Rev. Francis Redwood, the newly appointed Roman Catholic Bishop of Wellington, is now on his way to the Colony. He is a native of New Zealand, being a son of the late Mr Henry Redwood, of Waimea, Nelson. He was when quite a youth sent to France, where he was educated, and has since resided in varmiis of Europe, latterly in Romo. Probably h© is one of the youngest Bishops in the Church, his age being about thirty-four. fatal accident occurred at Waitahuua on Thursday morning last to a man named Jacob Lawrenson. He had been working for wages in Thompson and party’s claim, and had only teen there two days when quite unexpectedly a fall of earth came away, completely covering the unfortunate man. • His mate, being a young B*an, escaped by running for his life. When Lawrenson was extricated by plenty of willing nandSj it yrss found that he was quite dead, his neck and legs being broken, and one of his ears completely cut off.

Fires on farms have been unusually numerous of late. On the 12th instant % stack of wheat valued at LSO, the property of the Rev. A. Dasent, was totally destroyed; on the 11th, two stacks (insured for L 100) were destroyed on the farm of Messrs Cameron and Campbell, Shag Valley ; on the 7th, Mr Jack, of Horse Range, near Palmerston, lost 150 bags of wheat by fire; and on the 7th, 300 bushels of oats were burnt on the farm of Mr Charles Tibbet, circumstances point tp incendiarism.

An attempt was made, pa the night of Sunday last, it appears, to burn down fhe office of tho Press’ newspaper in Christchurch, and the directors of the ‘ Press’ Company haye offered a reward of LIOO for information that will lead to the capture and conviction of the incendiary. The ‘ Press ’ says ‘ ‘ The keendiary, determined if possible to make his work sure, procured some oil from the machine-room of the office, and poured a quantity of it on the jobbing-room door, afterwards setting tiro to it. The fire smouldered for some time before it was discovered, and burnt out a large piece of the floor, joists, &c. Fortunately alike for the safety of the premises and the block in which it is situated, the fire was discovered early in the evening and extinguished.” One of the employes of Messrs Guthrie and Larnach brought word to the Fire Brigade Engine Station at twenty-five minutes to nine this morning, that the timber yard was on fire. The hand-reel was immediately taken down, but was not needed, it being found that the steam-pipe only had burst. The bell also rang out an alarm and attracted a number of persons to the spot. Several fires have taken place about the vicinity of the Imperial Hotel, and it would be worth the while of the Corporation, in building the new station, to take into consideration the propriety of erecting a bell ia that part of the town.

“Grif” again attracted a large attendance to the Queen’s Theatre last evening. Since the piece was last played the cast has been considerably altered, and it hat not by any jneanis

suffered by the changes. Miss Towers, as the hero, played as well as ever, and Mr Burford, IVS the oyster man, had a part exactly suited to him. Miss Raymond formed a capital conception of the part of Alice ; while Mrs Towers, who was formerly cast for that character, and now appears as Mrs Nuttal, evidently feels more at home in the latter part, and consequently plays well. Messrs Hydes and Glover sustained their original parts with commendable credit; but fault must be again found with Mr Lawrence, who is decidedly over-taxed as Old Flick. “Grif” will be played till further notice.

Great difficulty is often experienced in Auckland, Wellington, and Lyttelton in communicating with the islands on which the quarantine stations are established. Very often the Health and Harbor authorities are exposed to considerable danger in visiting the islands in open boats during a gale, and it has more than once been found impracticable to get back again the same day. A similar difficulty is felt in Auckland and Lyttelton, and to a less extent in Port Chalmers. We are glad, therefore, to find from an advertisement in another column that the General Government is calling for tenders for the construction of four steam launches, intended to be used in connection with immigration and quarantine and by the Customs Departments at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin, and possibly eventually by the Harbor Department at these places. Tenders have been called in our issue of. this evening for the construction of three railway bridges—over the Clutha river, the Kakamii river, and the Island creek respectively. The first mentioned will consist of seven spans of 120ffc each, and one span of 25ft, making a total length of 865 ft. The small span is to be of masonry, and is merely across the road at one extremity of the bridge. The six main piers will each comprise two cast-iron cylinders of 7ft diameter, and a depth varying from 57ft to 81ft, according to the depth of the river. The piers will be filled with concrete, and there will be two abutments. The superstructure will consist of girders of timber and iron, the lower flange of the girder being all iron. The Kakanui bridge will comprise six spans of 60ft each, four of 30ft each, and one of lift, or a total length of 491 ft, with an abutment on one side. The piers will be of timber piling, and the superstructure of timber and iron girders. The Island creek bridge will have eleven spans of 30ft each, and two of lift each, and the whole will consist of timber. The length of this bridge will be 352ffc.

.Anglos Australian” writes in tlie ‘European Mail —“A paragraph has appeared in a number of papers to the effect that Mr B. L. Farjeon intendsto visit America shortly, for the purpose of giving readings from his works ; but I am given to understand that Mr Farjeon has no intention of visiting the United States this year. He has had many pressing invitations to go, and good terms have been offered to him for a series of readings, and it is from these circumstances probably that the rumor arose. His engagements in England, however, will not afford him the necessary leisure. Mr Farj eon’s works are so exceedingly popular in the States, that when he does go—and I suppose he will some day—he is sure of a cordial reception. Apropos of this theme, it may not be generally known that Mr Farjeon often reads and lectures to working people in poorer parts of the city, and these duties (I am sure they must be pleasurable to him) are performed without any flourish of trumpets. His new serial story, “Jessie Trim,” has met with much favor from

the critics, and in America, Frank Leslie, in whose paper it is being published, has engaged a good artist to illustrate it. This is a distinction, which but few English authors have attained.” The adjourned meeting of Mr Barton’s supporters will be held this evening, in the Provincial Hotel. • A meeting of the Lodge of Dunedin, No. 931, will be held at the Masonic Hall this evening, at half-past 7. The members of Court Pride of Dunedin, A.0.F., are requested to meet at the South Australian Hotel this evening, ?t 8 o’clock. A general meeting of the shareholders in the Standard Insurance Company will be held in the Athenseum Hall to-morrow evening, at 7 o’clock. Messrs Burton Brothers have taken four views of the Dunedin Waterworks Reservoir under peculiarly favorable circumstances, and they are consequently more than usually faithful reproductions of the beautiful scenery amidst which it is situated. The clear deep water reproducing the landscape in its depths, is well brought out in one view, and the mirrorlike surface, with its glancing lights, is beautifully illustrated in the whole series.