The Evening Star THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1874.

Evening Star, Issue 3682, 10 December 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1874.

The “New Magdalen” was repeated a the Princess’ i last evening, and to-night will give place to “Robßoy,” with all the original music.

Surely ‘ Knocker” has taken leave of his sens' s for in no other way can we account for him wiring to us yesterday from Wellington the fact of the Eashy having lef Newcastle, and sending '• uatraliannews two days earlier than ibat which appealed in our columns on Saturday last.

The only case heard at the Resident Ma istr; te’s Court, Port Chalmers, this morning, was a cba r ge of abusive langua e. preferred against one John Ross hy Captain Jenkins, and there being no appearance of the defendant, a warrant was issued for his apprehension At the meeting of the Acclimatisation Society to-day, there were present —Mr W. D. Murison (in the chair), Bishop Nevill, Captain B >yd, and Mr a. C. B'gg. Several applications for perch and trout werereceived, aiso a communication from thi Grey River Society applying tor a number of young tmut. The Society’s manager reported that a large number of trout had been distributed in the various streams m the Province during the last month, and it was further stated that seventeen licenses for trout fishing had been taken out.

Mr Justice Chapman, on bis return from Wellington, proceeds on circuit to Invercargill, where he will try the following criminal eases :—Regina v. O’ Brien, for robbery and personating a policeman ; Regina v. Brennan, attempted murder at the Harp of Erin Hotel, Dee street, Invercargill; and Regina v, Middleton, larceny from a dwelling. There is only one jury rase. Gunn and others v. M‘i : onaUl, an action brought to recover damages for breach of contract to supply timber. Judge Ward, on the 11th inst., will try in the District Caurt at Invercargill the following cases :—Regina v. Ah Kee and Ah Sing, stealing a watch; and Regina v. William Austin, assault with intent to commit a felony.

U is reported in a Northern journal that a case, in which one of the parties showed a disposition not particularly susceptible to the dictates of pity, came before the local Bench. Complainant, a man with a sickly, attenuated, suffering look, sued the defendant for a balance of wages, 15s. It appeared that complainant (who has a wife and four young children) had hired with defendant as shepherd, but, at the end of a few weeks was stricken down with sickness, through a chronic complaint of the liver and kidneys, and was unable to pursue his vocation any further. Under these circumstances he a-fked defendant to settle with him and release him from his engagement; but the latter refused on the plea that complainant had broken his agreement, and was therefore not entitled to the balance, and, by way of warning to other like evil doers, preferred rather to pay a lawyer to contest the case in Court than comply with the unconscionable demand of complainant by shelling out 15s. Defendant had the law on his side, and the m gistrate, though he poke in terms of regret at the hardship upon complainant, had to give the verdict for defendant. A special meeting of the Sons of Temperance will be held to-morrow evening, at 7.30. The Artillery Baud will practice in St. George’s Hall to-morrow evening. The letters of H. S. Fish and some other correspondents will, if possible, appear tomorrow. In accordance with their now established annual custom, Messrs Hay and Co. will this year have an Art Union for distributing works of art. The prizes are numerous, and many of them valuable as pictures. One hundred and fifty are enumerated out of three hundred and fifty, and form an exhibition well worthy the examination of connoisseurs. The first prize, an oleograph, we think erroneously entitled the “ Children in the Wood” in the list, as there is nothing to warrant the idea of connection with the English legend. It. is a well-conceived idea of forest life in Germany, and represents brother and sister children, contented, happy, arch, and characteristic. “ The Diver” is richly colored, and represents the monarch casting the fatal golden cup into Oharybdis, which tempts the waiting diver to his whirlpool grave. It is impossible in so large a collection of scenes so various, and art so varied, to give to each picture a critical notice. Among so many really meritorious productions, old acquaintances are inevitably met with ; nor is it desirable they should be absent, for otherwise we should miss reproductions of the finest works of ancient and modern art. Everyone who has studied the imitative arts will be ready to admit that year by year improvements in photography and other methods of reproducing the works of our great masters, are familiarising us with ami placing within our reach their finest hieals. The task therefore becomes annually more difficult to satisfy the demands of improved taste, and it is no little recommendation to Mr Hay’s selection that it is so well calculated to effect this. Much as oleography .and chromolithography have advance.!, progress in -other directions is manifest. Three most remarkable pictures in the collection - Nos. 43, %, 97 arc what are termed auto-types. The precise meaning of the compound word, which is a new one, we do not know. If, as we suppose, it means types of living beings, whose likenesses we see, there are no more beautiful forms and figures to be found in the finest models of ancient Greece, or in the works of the Italian masters, than those fairy-looking girls in gauzelike dresses, standing forward in splendid relief from the paper on which their figures are impressed. Assuming they are the first fruits of a new process in art, it is one capable of the finest results. The coloring fa clear, soft, and brilliant. The framing of the pictures was, we believe, done in Messrs Hay and Co.’s workshop, and the workmanship evinces that there ate artizane in Dunedin equal to any in the old country.