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Evening Star, Issue 3707, 9 January 1875, Page 2

In the course or a recent trial for forgery in Christchurch the prisoner’s counsel (Mr Joynt) objec ed to a Bank clerk giving any evidence as to tho contents of the books ol the Bank without tbe p eduction of the books themselves. Jubge Gresson overruled the objection, stating that he would nob require a Bank to hawk its books over the country, st bad been the invariable practice there fora Bank clerk to examine the books beforehand, and to give his evidence in Court, in accordance with the result of such examination.

There w’as not a very lengthened sitting at the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning, when Messrs E ff Ward and T. Birch wcmc the presiding justices. Matthew Wattson was fined ss, with tbe alt. illative of 24 hours’ imprisonment, tor drunkenness, and Charles Davis, 2(D, or 4S hours for a similar offence. —Fm fi,htmg in Walker ker street, at 11 p in. on tot? p evious nigh', allien fewer, Burke, and \lice ■l‘Namara, were each fined 20s, in der ink 18 houis’ imprisonment ; ami a charge against James Waiker (on warrant from Christchurch} of deserting his wife, Catherine Walker, on October 23, 1871, was remanded till Monday. A man named Thomas Page, living in Great King street, attempted to commit suicide last evening. From the statement of his wife it appears that both retired to bed at about ten o’clock last night, and at midnight her husband jumped up and said there was some one iu the house. Afcer looking over the house he again went to bed, but sown got up, saying that his enemies bad the better of him. Mrs Page, on stepping ouf of bed, saw her husband sitting with a dinner knife in his hand. She wi nt out to call a neighbor, and on returning found her husband sitting on a chair in tK* bei-room bleeding. It was while she was absent that he had inflicted the wound. Page (who had been drinking heavily since Christmas time) was removed to the Hospital, where the wound was sewed up.

The Margaret Galbraith which arrived to-day from Loudon, after a Ions? p of ninety-nine da\s. baa on board 139 immicrams, equal to statute adult*, made up as follo-vs Male adults, 62; female adults, 4S ; male children. 9 ; female children, 16 ; infants, 4. Su'j .nei is a list of 'heir trades and occupations : Ploughman I , f>rm labors s. 10; uanioner. 1 j general laborers, 16; carpenters, 2; • ngimer, 1; mechanic, 1 ; plumber. 1 ; plasterer, 1 ; bri.kmaker, 1 ; porters, 3; carmen, 2 ; sailor, 1 ; saddler, 1 ; masons, 3 ; shepherds, 3 ; painter, 1 ; tailors, 3 ; draper, 1 ; Single women : Housemaids, 5 ; servants’ 19; cooks, 2 ; housekeepers, 3 ; laundress, I. Nationalities : English, 81 ; Irish, 37 ; Scotch, 11; Welsh. 3; Jersey, 2; Finland, 3. The majority of the passengers are nominated.

The animal meeting of the parishioners of St. Paul’s was held last evening. The financial report for the past year, read by Mr M. W. Hawkins, showed the receipts to have been LI ,210 odd, which left a cash balance of L 8 los. In answer to a question by Mr Paul, Archdeacon Edwards saw it was with unfeigned regret that he said the action taken by All Saints’ Church in reference to the clergy maintenance fund, w< ich had existed for many years. JNo objection had been offered to it by the parishioners ; and at ter boitig thoroughly discussed in the Synod, a favorable resolution was passed in connection with it, at 'he instance of Mr awkins This seemed to him Lo be a counter-action, setting at defiance the Synod’s ruling. Air butterworth was elected churchwarden, M" E. Qi ck parish churchwarden, .and Messrs Hawkins, >ardy, Howoith, S. Brent, t’.ui, Wheeler, Marshall, Kdnvig, and Greenfield vestrymen

. the report, of the Examiners of the Nelson Provincial Scholarship papers wc lind the following very sensible remarks, which admit of a very wide application: -"‘The writing an 1 spelling were almost uniformly good, but much time must be wasted, where the whole time is all roo ohorr, in elaborating that rather illegible style which rtj aces m fat downstrokes. thin upstrokes, and weeping flourishes. A plain round hand, free from flourishes, and of reasonably equal thickness of stroke throughout, is easier to learn, easier to read, and does not so easily degenerate into vulgarity. The best handwriting is that which can be most quickly

written, ar.osfc easily read, and is most clear u£ all taint of affectation. Some of the cau-

• dilates clearly do not think much of words under live or six syllables, above all if they be of English origin, and not naturalised foreigners, it is wed that they and their teachers should know that we do not use a yard measure as t e guage of styie. We p efer the tongue tnat is 1 understanded of the people,’ and therefore haply of the writer himself. To make difficult matter clear by simple means is what we would have aimed at by the candidates, not to obscure what is simple by clouds of polysyllables, dimly understood by the writer himself.”

Another of those reunions which serve to cement the re'ations between employer and employed was held at the Masonic Hall last night, when Mr Hudson entertained his workpeople and friends to the number of nearly two hundred. The early part of the ev- ning was almost wholly devoted to the amusement of the children present, for whose delectation a large Christmas tree, laden with good things, was provided, and the distribution of these gifts appeared to give the-utmost sat sfaotion. For the elders, there was dancing interspersed with songs ; and shortly after m dnight Mr Win. Young present! d to the workpeople some reaLy nice gifts from Mr Hudson, which were intended to remind them of the success of the business to which they had contri nited. To Mr Baird, hia foreman, a handsome meerschaum pipe was given. Before the company separated, three hearty cheers were given for their entertainer, and one and all admitted having spent a most enjoyable evening. Last night’s entertainment, witnessed, »e believe, the I ist time the Masonic Hall will be used for festive purposes. Mr Hudson’s badness has so outgrown his expectations that he finds himsed compelled to provide additional packing and manufactory rooms, into which the hail is almost immediately to be converted, it may uot be out of place to mention that Mr Hudson, wh*n he commenced business in a very modest way some six years ago, had only one assistant in the person i f a boy ; now he employs thirty-two hands, and his manufactures have found their way uot only to every Province in Hew Zealand but to a market in Fiji. He has introduced the bonus system, and divides a percentage of his profits with his woikmen, according to length of service. This year L 97 were distributed in this manner, to which must be added the value of the presents given last night—between LSD and L4O.

Tbe annual social gathering of the employes of the firm of Messrs Guthrie and Larnach, timber merchants, was held at the Imperial Hotel last evening, and passed off moat pleasantly. There were between sixty and seventy present, Mr D. Blackie making a good chairman, and Mr Charles Rose being as efficient in the vice-chair. Tho table was tastefully laid, and in Host Haydon’s best style. After the u ual loyal and patrioiic toasts, the chairman proposed the health of the members of the firm—Messrs W. Guthrie and \V. J. M. Larnach. In doing so the speaker referred to the energetic way in which Mr Guthrie had worked the business up from a small beginning, and to the ini i ictus given it by the introduction into the firm of a liberal-spirited man like Mr Larunch—the combined qualities of the two having resulted in making the business the largest in its way smith of the equator. The toast was heartily received, and was responded to by Mr H. Walker, Mr Merry proposed “Commercial prosperity to Dunedin ” coupled with the name of Mr P. MTntyre, and replied to by that gentleman. “ Success to Messrs Guthrie and Larnach’s fleet of vessels” was given by Mr Robert Guthrie,'’ in response to which Mr Yaldwyn said the firm was gradually, both bypurchase and by building, obtaining really a fleet of its own. The number of vessels was con-ti-mally being added to, and as there was a sound, practical man at the head qf that department, they might rely on it that the fit m would not be let in for anything of a bad so) t. “Kindred timber yards” was proposed by the vice-chairman, and responded to by Mr A. Fulton Mr G. Johnston gave the •* i'mplojes of the firm,” to winch MrJ Faithful replied; and “The draymen and those connected with the stables” followed, proposed by M? John Inuis and acknowledged by Mr J. Npenue. “ The Ladies,” con luded the list of toasts, but several imp p'omptu ones were given and duly honored during the evening. There was also plenty of good singing, and altogether the affair was very successful. A break-up was made about midnight. Owing to the continued indisposition of Miss Alice May, the opera season proper at the Princess Theatre has been suspended for a week, though operettas, burlettas, and such other pieces as the company are capable of doing Justice to without their principal, will be given during that time. Last night the performance commenced with Legouix’s comic opera, “The Crimson Scarf,” the plot of which is very simple. Ernesto, tho son of Cornariuo, a Venetian noble, is in love with Bianca, daughter of Sassafrasso, a citizen of Venice, in which town the scene is laid, at the time of the decadence of the Republic, and when the despotic Council of Thirty were in power. The mauosavr. sby means of which the lovers continue to see each other happen to be partly discovered by Sa&safrasso, who. however, ascribes the secret letters and the signals made from his hj use to cims irators against the State, and lives in a state of terror in consequence, oeing only able to find consolation in tb philosophical treatises of Seneca. Cornarino is one «f the dreaded C uncil, and he also becomes imbued with the idea that the plots against it are being concocted, in Sassafrasso’s house. However, tho mystery is finally cleared up, and everything ends happily. maid to Bianca, and Marco, steward to Cornarino, are prominently connected with the action of the piece. The music is of a very pleasing character, and much above the trivial and frivolous stuff generally thought nepessary to the success of a comic opera. The piece opens with a pretty—and none the less so because nuornamented—serenade, snug by Ernesto (Mr Hallam) behind the scenes. This character was played quietly and suitably throughout. Tessa (Miss Lambert) and Bianca (Miss Howe) sing a lively duet on the former being ordered out of the house by -iassafrasso (vir Vernon); and another sparkling air, “Only a Kiss,” also falls to Tessa’s lot, and was given with due archness by Miss Lambert. The sweetest thing in th opera is perhaps “Nearest and dearest,” a very taking ballad, and excellently given by Miss Howe. Sassafrasso and Cornarino (Mr LuVisoo) have not much to do in the vocal way, except in concerted pieces ; but the acting of Mr Vernon, as tbe former, was very comic, while Mr Levison made a firstrate overbearing man of power—whose “ sagacity was never baffled.” The acting ot Misges Lambert and Howe was nearly aii that could be desired, and Mr Newton made a good Marco. Sullivan's tnumveretta, “ Cox and Box.” concluded the programme To-night “The Hose of -*uvergne” and “ Cox and Box ” v/ill be produced.

The prizes in Hay and Co.’s art union are to be drawn ou the 20th hist. Bernard Lowry, of Maori Hill, writes to say that it was not he who was fined by Mr Mansford for letting off fireworks on New Year’s morning. The churchwardens of St. Paul’s Church will attend in the vestry on Monday evening, frem eight to nine o’clock, to receive seat rents for the current year, and to re-let vacant sittings.

The usual monthly meeting of the Union Permanent Building Society will be held on Monday evening.