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Evening Star, Issue 3728, 3 February 1875, Page 2

It is due to the Son. Mr Fox to say that at his request ample time was allowed the ‘ Guardian ’ for insertion of his letter, published in this journal last evening. The * Guardian’s ’ stammering excuse in this morning’s paragraph proves we were justified in concluding it was not intended to publish it in that paper. A man named Thomas Johnston, about fifty years of age, has been arrested by the police, and was to-day reminded on a charge of committing a capital offence on the person of his step-daughter, in the latter part of 1873. The circumstances are said to he very distressing. A man named George Johns, platelayer on the railway, was received into the gaol this day, at noon. He stands committed for trial at the ensuing sessions of the Supremo Court, on a charge ef having -on the 31st ult., at Lovell’s Fiat, maliciously and feloniously set fire to a stack of oats, the property of Arthur Caldev. The commutin''' magistrate was Mr Carow, Resident Magis" trate at Tokotnairiro. There are at present nine prisoners for trial at the next sessions, Mr Farley, owner of the property known both as Fleet street and “The Arcade,” returned from Australia yesterday, and Lis ag-.-nt has to-day given the various tenants notice of that gentleman’s intention to pall down and rebuild the shops on the eastern side of the thoroughfare. Considerable alterations will also be made on the opposite side; and altogether a great improvement will be the result—especially in the dostruution of the long range 'of old wooden buildings. The Government Astronomer of New South Wales reports of the observations of the transit of Venus taken at Woodford, on the Blue Mountains, at an elevation of 2,000 ft above the sea, that the air was so clear that the photographs were of unusual value. One of the Jansen plates Mr Russell declares to be worth its weight in diamonds, so clear and sharp are the two curved lines on the very eve of contact. The New South Wales Government has consented that Mr Russell shall go to England with his photographs and calculations.

At the last meeting of the Invercargill and Southland Hallway Committee a series of resolutions was proposed by Captain Haukiuson, expressing regret at the action taken by the Provincial Government as to immigration, and dealing with the reasons given by the Government in its answer to the committee. After Mr Cuthkertson had pointed out that a number of the series of resolutions sent to the Government had not been replied to, and that the answer sent to many of them “was simply insulting,” Captain Hai> krnson’s leiolntions were adopted with trilling alterations. Mr M‘Arthur read the report of the sub-committee as to the sife'y, *c., of the Eluff harbor, it recommended the drawing up of a document, or certificate of safety and accessibility, to be signed by the ship-masters frequenting that port.

Such extraordinary liberality as that lately reported by the Bendigo papers is of very rare occurrence now-a-days. In the Fincgin's division of the Etheridge district worked a party of miners, consisting of Henry Lewis and three mates, who owned the Queenslander and the Marquis of Lome reefs, together with a ten-stamper machine. A short time since Lewis received advices from his Welsh connection at Llanwydd that an estate worth something like L 30,000 had fallen to him, an£ that his presence nome was required. J?o was immediately offered LOGO by his mates for his interest in the reefs and machinery, bnt Mr Lewis not only refused to accept a shilling, but, making an absolute gift to them of the property, gave a champagne supper to a numerous party of his friends prior to his departure.

Writing on the Sydney Cup, and the prospects of the various entries for it, “ Augur,” in the * Australian ’ says :—“ As Lurline will be in her best form in a month or two, she should be held income esteem, for weight is no object to this mare when she is°in proper condition. It must have been patent to everybody that she was dead amiss when she ran at the V. 11.0. Spring Meeting, and her trainer, Cutts, did not disguise the fact, nor had she thoroughly recovered when she ran on New Year’s Day. April, however, is a mare’s month, and should Lurline como to the post in racing condition she will worthily uphold the honor of New Zealand. There is a rumor abroad that in the event of a defeat at G’.oloag she will return to the laud of her birth—that is, if nobody feels disposed to give the thousand guineas that her owner asks for her.”

At the meeting of the Sailors’ HomcGommittaci yesterday afternoon a letter was read from tin Tor’ fork s-'aFiv: that the . uV of roe buildinf granlo 1 for a. . ;.m; • wc:.-i .! ■ L 8 a-month, veuaucy terminable by two mouths’ notice, and that tin Council would decline to roc<'g.ui>o auv claim for improve : merits, i t vva ;.• mmrN’d by Messrs !’«li and I Martin tUai fcl.c ui tie i.oi.'hiy ;.r, 1 been thoroughly e-lcamed Mire-s limey irom basement to roof, and was to undergo another scouring, while tho building itself had 1 ceu wifitewashed and pa in to I All that was nowrequired was seamen to occupy the Gome-, which at present had accommodation for about twenty inmate?. There were twentythree applications for the cilice of master of the Home, and a committee consisting of Messrs Martin, Wolcott, 'lhompson, Strode, Walter, and Fish was appointed to consider them.

The 'Sydney Morning Herald’s’ correspondent at New Caledonia, in that journal of January 4th ult., says I am glad to learn that at last an English Consul o;- Vice--1 ‘onsul lit as been appointed, in the person of Mr a brother of Mr T. P. Gillies, o Auckland, and, although 1 must admit that ]‘uv i-hiurTi j '-»ive every courtesy and hospitality :fo a l. -■si.dt'nls, and f irplav from lbe author.tv--. . ... -J ,*• ■■ .-.r Hn‘a kind was necesaruy. t. wilt . . • !, a certain status, and 1 tru i iG■

attach ed to the appointment will be&uftiuiuni to maintain the office with dignity. Tho

position is a most responsible one, and, I dm.!;, m connection with the .1 vm traffic nr j agreed on between France ;ad t-iigl.nid to be inquired into, and a determination arrived at by both that abases will not be tolerated any longer, the new Consul will find his duties of a most onerous nature,”

The following extract from a letter from the Rev. James McWilliams to the Rev, A. ■itoc’t iii v.iblished in a recent issue of the New Zealand Times.’ The occurrence described took place on the West Coast ■ : V returned from Foxton last Sunday night along the beach, I observed a small, but densely black cloud descending across my path to the very earth. As soon as I had ridden into it, as it were, all :vb once I noticed a bluish flame streaming from my beard. I rubbed it, thinking for the moment that it was actually on lire, but of course felt no heat. 1 then noticed, also, that a similk'.r flame shot up from each of my mare’s ears, and streamed from her forelock, mane, aad tail, >Sho was terrified, reared, wheeled, a.;;! did all she could to get away from the ■ ■'se f her fear, but to no purpose. At u ’“ r vHurts were vain, an 1 feeling “ ‘■ ll *h w.vi induced to go on, the Hum; r-Mia iii i iu, !■.. g as we were in the cloud —perhaps a quarter of an hour.” A banker’s life appears to have its comicil side. la replying to the toast of his health Morrah, to whom the JBailaratariaus did honor when he was leaving the management of the Bank of Australasia in that city, is reported to have introduced into his speech two circumstances that occurred to him during his connection with the bank there. It fell to his lob upon one occasion to write one of those polite misgives which bankers have now and again to write, asking a certain gentleman to pay the amount of a bill or promissory note which had been long owing, or failing payment the bank would be “reluctantly compelled” to baud the matter oyer to its solicitor. To Mr Morrah’s surprise, a few days afterwards he received his own letter returned to him with a comer doubled down, and on it was this memorandum: “If I knew the man as wrote me this letter I’d punch his head.” Upon another occasion he was waited on by a gen tleman connected with a cemetery with a request for an overdraft for the cemetery. The accommodation asked for was duly granted, “but,” said,Mr Morrab, “as the gentleman was leaving it occurred to me to put the question— ‘ What do you want the money for?’ The reply was—* Well, the fact is that business with ua has been, like as it is with other folk, rather slack of late, and we want funds to pay the sexton.’ ”

The committee of the Invercargill Hospital being of opinion that the whole of the extra expenditure of the institution during the past year had arisen from the demands upon it by immigrants immediately, or a short time previously arrived, and that such an expenditure was more fairly a Provincial than a local charge, Invercargill being the port town of the district, had laid their claim before the Government, urging that the matter ahould bo met by a special provi* sion. The committee asked for the sum of L2OO, being the excess of expenditure over income, for the year. The Provincial Government admitted the principle, but allowed only half the sum asked—namely LIOO. The secretary was then instructed to communicate with the Government, and request that the balance might be forwarded. To this request the Government have replied, adhering to their former decision At its next meeting, the Hospital Committee will be invited to consider whether it is desirable to continue the hospital, as at present, by voluntary contributions, aided by a, subsidy of LI for Ll, or to hand it over to the Government to be maintained as the Dunedin Hospital, solely as a Provincial institution.” As a practical comment on the action of the Provincial Government, the * Southland Times ’ mentions that, oa Friday last, six patients suffering from measles were admitted into the hospital from the Immigration Barracks.

At the Harbor Board’s meeting yesterday, the Engineer reported as follows “Dredging operations were commenced in the Long Channel in accordance with tho resolution of the Board about che beginning of last month, and the work of improvement has been progressing more or less uninterruptedly up to the present time. The dredge has nearly completed tho deepening and widening of the part known as the “Whale’s Back,” and will, in the course of two weeks, be removed further up in the Cross Channel to clear existing obstructions to safe navigation. The material was at first deposited in one of the inlets of Broad Bay, but, as there appear to be traces of beach scour in that locality, it was c msiderod advisable in the meantime to take advantage of the northeasterly inlet of Blanket Bay for the purpose, pending more extended observations. The contractor lor the extension of tho Rattray street wharf has already entered into negotiations for the supply of timber, which must necessarily be a protracted part of the undertaking ; bat I have no reason to fear that the contract date for completion will be exceeded. Two of the punts have received upper docking to retain the dredged mateiial for transport. These bring up the total number of available punts to fourteen—a number quite sufficient for the requirements of the present dredge. lam at present engaged in the work of harbor survey, with which I will be enabled to make more rapid progress when tho Inspector of Works has b*en appointed.”

We have heard that the mails seut by the Mikado got to England one day within the contract time, but then that contract time has been extended to llfty-oue days, now that the vessels have to go round by way ot Auckland. As these vessels return one after another to port, the captains’ logs show that they are making better running than they did under Mr Hall’s management, the secret of which simply is, that they are started in better order, Mr Hall, unhappily, was always short of cash or short of boats, and compelled to do everything in ahurry and with insufficient preparation, and the consequence was that tho whole machinery of the service was worked at a disadvantage. Under the seven mouths’ conhret now organised, every as ,t r fcuin;; w ;j! have, barring mis- ; month in port to relit. The •oigns s ’ Sydney correspondent, refering to the complaints that have been made in Englaud i I late delivery, says:—“lt is quite i 'i! s 1; .weve:-. tha 1 ; tor our outward mails the uuic oy file > exilic route compares favorably witu :hc Sue;' time. Where the service has altogether fai’ei to answer is in the time !a.;cu 1) .tween England and Sydney. Tho London i.’ost Office does not despatch i.ie mans by tho fastest Atlantic boats, and there is not yet any satisfactory organisation mr preventing any possible waste of time in the. traus-oontiuental delivery, so that it is very eeldom that the boat leaves San Francisco to date,”

Mr Bathgate, K.M., attended at the Hospital shortly before three o’clock yesterday afternoon, to bear a remanded charge a'.iunst Mary Fleming, domestic servant, of p i i a f l uaQ tity cf drapery of the -value of L2I, tho property of her late employers, Meisis Herbert, Haynes, and Co. Several witnesses were examined. George Souness, farmer at the Toi Tois, said that he received two parcels containing drapery from prisoner about live months ago. These ho a d<d over to his aunt. Margaret Sou* ■ ‘id JiaL she received a large parcel 1 ! * v • ness last winter. She identified Uk- [; o need as part of those which

she received. In the earlv part of last month she handed them !o Mr Allan (clerk to Messrs Herbert, Haynes, and Co.) and the policeman at Taien Perry. Prisoner wrote to witness, saying that the parcel belonged to her. Witness had known accused intimately for several years. Mr Haynes identified several of the articles contained in the parcel given to Mr Allan by Mrs Souness as his property. The goods wore not given to accused or disposed of to " dness s knowledge in any other way. Mr Allan deposed that in tbo month of August last ho wrote out two libels for prisoner, addressed to Miss Souness, Tee prisoner was committed for {rial. h c r...- o stands com nutted on r» previous charge ot stealing from tr.e same place. Mr F. 11. Chapman watched the proceedings'on behalf of the recused, and Inspector Mallard prosecuted Dramatic affairs in Melbourne have been dull during tue mouth. The pantomimes are still keeping the boards at both the Theatre Royal and Opera House, but of late, owing to the extremely oppressive stale o! the weather, there was a considerable falling off in the attendance, At t c latter house the pantomime has be ;:i unusually popular, one of ih ■ most n dice Bile and attractive features being the supmb style of the scenery, painted by Mr Habbo, woo has eclipsed all .bis former efforts in this department. The mounting at the Royal has‘al-io been admirably executed, and rim dresres surpass in splendor anything that has been sjen at this theatre for some time. Dr Svlvester, under the nom de theatre of the Fakir of Oolu, has been doing excellent business at St, George’s Hall. His entertainment is novel to the Colonies, and is sufficiently varied to avoid a falling off in the extent o‘f the patronage accorded. Melbourne has had a visit from Madame Bishop during the month, and during her slay she gave three concerts, which were well attended. Mias Jenny Claus has also been giving farewell concerts with success. The Williamsons have been at‘ Ballarat, Geelong, and Sandhurst, and are engaged to appear at Sydney ; prior to doing so they purpose paying a visit to Tasmania. The Italian Opera Company has, in i umania, commenced what appears to be a very profitable season. Carrie Emmanuel has retired from the stage into private life, having lately neon married to a Mr Mendlosohn, of Ballarat. Little Rosa fo.vers opens at the ! oya), Melbourne, on Fobrnaiy 13 Buc-iley and Holly have departed for 'an Francisco; and ilaselmayer for Vaterlancl, there to impend the rest ot his days in comfortable independence. Davies, the ventriloquist, is a great hit at Sydney.

The Gas Company having opened an inspectors office in Princes street, all communications with retereneb to new services, repairs, &c., may be addressed there.

ihe annual ball given by Mrs Hamaan to t io pupils of her various dancing classes and then- parents and friends took place in the .briendly Societies’ Hall last evening, and was even more successful and enjoyable than similar gatherings in the past. Dancing was kept up until an early hour this morning to music snpphe I by Mr Luck s band.