The Evening Star. MONDAY, APRIL 12, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 3785, 12 April 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. MONDAY, APRIL 12, 1876.

The energy with which Canterbury is pushing on her railways is further evidenced. Next month the Great Southern line will be open from Timaru to Temuka. The Education Board meeting convened for to-day has been postponed till Friday. We observe that Mr Norrie, the new rector of the High School is a passenger by the Tararua.

At a meeting of the Jewish congregation yesterday, the following were elected members of committee in the room of those who resigned some weeks since :--Measrs Mendelsohn, R. M. Marks, M. Moss, J’ficdliacb, A. S. Levy, Basch, Samuels, and L. LyV?US. The only case at the Resident Magistrate’ B Court, Port Chalmers, this morning, was a charge of drunkenness preferred against James Fisher, who was fined 10s, or twentyfour hours’ imprisonment, Mr T. A. Manaford, R.M., presided.

In aoknowedging the receipt of the usual report sent in by the .Riverton Immigration Officer, the Government informed that gentleman that it was their intention shortly to throw open a large area of land on the coast line between Riverton and the Waiau river, under the deferred payment scheme.

At the criminal sittings of the Supreme Court at Christchurch on the Bth inst., Jae. Walker, who was arrested on a charge of bigamy, was found guilty and sentenced to three years’ penal servitude. On the same day Patrick Carey, indicted for conspiring to defraud with loaded dice, was acquitted.

The right te hold a racing lottery or sweep will be tried at the City Police Court tomorrow morning. Thomas H. Dodson, proprietor of the Empire Hotel, has been summoned by the police for selling a ticket by which permission was given for a chance in a lottery, known as a “Monster Derby Sweep.” Three charges, all of a like nature, have been laid.

“School” now goes so smoothly that it deserves a good run, and we think the management of the Princess’s have acted wisely in retaining it on the boards for a couple more nights. Miss Howard is excellent as Bella, and receives the moa*t cordial support from Miss Stoneham, Messrs Steele, Musgrave, Keogh, and Huntley. We can recommend those who like to see a good piece well acted to go to the theatre this evening. A rather unpleasant finish to a marriage ceremony took place at Ballarat very lately. The bride had been ailing for a few hours previous to the time appointed for the most interesting part of the ceremony—the tying of the connubial knot. Directly this was accomplished the fair one compla.inp.fi of sickness, and she was at once put to bed and medical advice obtained. The doctor announced to the assembled guests at the marriage feast that the bride was suffering from a bad attack of measles.

The efficiency of our gaol is well known, and the management of Mr Caldwell much appreciated in the United States. Twelve months ago, as we mentioned shortly afterwards, Mr Caldwell was elected a corresponding member of the Howard Prison Association of the United Kingdom, and, by the last San Francisco mail, he received notification of his election as acorresponding member of the National Prison Association, United States. A Prisonßefonn Association in the States prints Mr Caldwell’s last report, and makes mention of the system adopted in Dunedin of conveying by rail prisoners to road-making at a distance from the gaol on which they are employed. The police acting on the instruction of Mr Bathgate, R.M., have taken proceedings against one of ourleadingfirms, who on Wednesday will be called upon to answer four charges laid by a machinist lately in the employ of the said firm, of infringing Mr Bradshaw’s Employment of Females Act. Two charges are for employing the complainant for more than eight hours in one day. The others are for compelling her to work after two o clock on Saturday, the 3rd day of April, the said day being a holiday, contrary to the fourth section of the Act.

The alterations effected in the arrangements of the Supreme Court are a decided improvement. They are for the most part in the Court proper. The legal gentlemen are relegated to a much smaller table than they before possessed, which is placed to the right of the Registrar’s desk, immediately beneath which the reporters find extended and very superior accommodation. The reporters’ old desk, alongside the jury box, gives place to the witness box, and the prisoners’ dock is situated right in the centre of but behind the inner railing, and facing the presiding Judge. By the erection of a second railing, in front of which are seats for waiting jurors, there is much reduced accommodation for the public, who thereby gain an imperfect view of the prisoner. “ A Kensington resident" writes to us : “ There was a narrow escape from a collision on the south line to-day. At about a quarter past 2 p.m. an engine drawing five or six trucks was proceeding to town from Hillend, when near the crossing was observed, close to the kerosene bond, another engine pulling trucks coming from town. Both engines were travelling at ordinary speed. The driver of the engine from Hillend having stopped, first got down,' ran along the line, ana stopped the advancing engine, which returned to town till the line was clear.” A signal post at the Anderson’s Bay crossing is evidently needed.

News from the Bendigo reefs is still of the most cheerful character, the newly'discovered reefs running parallel with the Cromwell Company’s claim shows unmistakeable evipence of permanency. From the claim know as Jones’s first-class stone is being raised, and the reef has widened out to eighteen inches. Other claims in the locality show equally as well From the Cromwell Company’s No 2 lease magnificent stoneestimated to yield fully a pound weight of gold to the ton—is being raised. The ‘ Dunstan Times’ says another discovery is reported somewhere in the neighborhood of the Alta Company’s ground. Several parcels of stone have been broken from the reef, the whole being thickly impregnated with gold.

Mr G. K. Rnsden, the clerk of the Parliament of Victoria, is rather a clever fellow in his way, and we daresay there are many who will agree with him in the opinion that a week should consist of only five days— with the pay, of course, of seven. We find the following on the subject in the Melbourne * Daily Telegraph *: “On astronomical grounds, Mr Rusden comes to the conclusion that our week should be one of five days. ‘ This arrangement,’ he says, * would leave no odd day over in an ordinary year, and we believe it would better proportion hard labor to rest. If any man works his best for four

full days continuously, I think that he will be quite ready, and that it will be good for him, to rest on the fifth. This is all that would really be necessary, except the rigorous preservation of the fifth day as a day of rest from labor, and of intellectual cultivation, for which one day in five would he little enough, though infinitely better than any evening after a hard day's work.’ ” Mr Rnsden deserves success, and if he obtains it, statues to his memory will be erected in every quarter of a grateful world. We have no doubt of it I

There was a large attendance of both the bar and the public at the opening of the Criminal Session of the Supreme Court this morning. The largo muster of the bar, which included many non-practising gentlemen, resulted fromitshavingbeentno intention of theprofession to have taken advantage of the occasion to have publicly congratulated Mr Prendergast on his elevation to the Bench and Chief Justiceship; but at his Honor’s express wish the idea was fallen from. On his Honor taking his seat, Mr Registrar Ward read a proclamation by Mr Justice Williams, to whom the Otago district has been assigned, specially requesting, under the provisions iof the Supreme Court Act Amendment Act, the Chief Justice to preside at the present sittings. Thereafter the Grand Jury were sworn and addressed by bis Honor, and the business of the day proceeded with. Respecting the Awamoko branch railway our Oamaru contemporary makes such grave statements that it is the duty of the Government to at once give a denial to them, if unand correct, to immediately institute a iu!* searching investigation. After complaining ot delay in finishing, thb line, and arguing that u24 it been in running order—as it should, so as to have allowed all the grain and wool to have been brought down by rail last year, and thus the returns have paid nearly half the whole cost of construction—the ’North Otago Times’ goes on to say :— ** We are credibly informed that the line has so far been miserably constructed. It is said that after forming the road (cutting or raising the surface to the required level), months were allowed to elapse before the sleepers were laid down ; that in the interim the ground was in places washed away, and that the sleepers were laid down on an unequal surface, without bedding or packing of any sort. It is further said the sleepers, being only 6 x 2 in., the dog-spikes have split hundreds of them, and that in a very sjtort time they will be utterly worthless. 11% again it is said that the rails are themselves so light that they will not serve for the traffic with an engine so heavy as the 12-ton one sent up, and the ‘ way ’ is so contorted and twisted already as to be unfit for running on. It is, however, added that if the line were properly ballasted OTd made up, it might serve for traffic at a low rate of speed for a year or two, and it is earnestly to be hoped that it will ba made available without delay, as the money already spent upon it promises otherwise tp be completely thrown away.” The Melbourne * Age ’ gives the following account of the debut of the “ Sihging Pilgrim,” in Melbourne: —** Mr Phillips, ‘The Singing Pilgrim, ’ gave the first of his Evenings of Sacred Song last night (March 30), in Wesley Church, Lonsdale street. There was a very full attendance, the body of the spacious edifice being crowded, and the galleries tolerably well filled. A small raised platform had been constructed between the pulpit and reading desk, in front of which was Mr Phillips’s favorite organ, hung in front _ with the combined flags of Great Britain and America. ' The ‘Pilgrim having been introduced to the audience, read some passages of the, Scriptures commendatory and mandatory of the praise of God by the voice and with musical instruments, and at his request the whole congregation then sang the Doxology, after which Mr Phillips offered i brief prayer. He then shorlty addresed those assembled, stating his reasons for devoting himself to the song ministry ; and he reminded his hearers that they were met for a service of Christian song—not for amusement or dispiay in the department of classical music, but rather to cheer Christians on thejr way; and, if possible, lure some erring one to the pilgrimage of faith, by the charm of pure and lofty sentiments expressed with unpretentious melody. He then gave as his first song, ‘ I will sing for Jesus;’ this was followed by ‘ Father take my Hand,’ and | Scatter seeds of kindness.’ The last mentioned was so thoroughly appreciated that the applause, which had been subdued at the close of the preceding song, broke forth loudly and generally. This was evidently distasteful to Mr Phillips, who requested that manifestations of that kind might not be given, but that the effect ©f the song might be allowed to remain on the hearts of the hearers, and his desire was complied with. The cradle bed song. * Sweeping through the Gates,’ and ‘Your Mission’ having been sung, a medley song followed, in which the chorus at the end} of § each verse was sung _ by all present who chose to join therein—Mr Phillips prefacing the invitations to do so by a few well-chosen remarks on hearty congregational singing. The nekt on the programme was ‘Renounce the Cup,’ a song of a descriptive character. It pourtrayed the return home of a drunkard, the turning ©f his wife, with her infant, out of doors on a winter’s night, the death of the mother in the snow, and tne preservation of the child through being wrapped up by the mother in the clothing of which she had denuded herself. The amount of pathos with which this was given held the hearers spellbound, and so clear was the enunciation of the singer that When he dropped to the softest tone he could be distinctly heard in all parts of the building. The remaining songs were ‘Almost persuaded’ (sung by request), and ‘Home of my Soul.’ The Rev. John Harcourt, president of the Wesleyan Conference, conclude 1 the proceedings by pronouncing the benediction.”

T degree meeting of the Loyal Leith Lodges I-0.0.ir., will be held this evening, at eight o clock.

•A. meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of New Zealand will be held in the Masonic Hall to-morrow evening at 7.80/

The ‘ Illustrated 1 >,Z. Herald ’of this month, in addition to a well executed engraving of Caversham for a frontispiece, has a number of woodcuts of Australian scenery and public buildings and an average amount of wellselected reading matter.

There were 31 admissions to and 18 discharges from the Hospital last week. The deaths during the same period were—Henry Duncan, working jeweller, aged 47, native of Scotland, a from erysipelas ; John Jerry, seaman, aged 26, native of the Society Islands, died from bronchitis after measles: James Floyd, bricklayer, aged 35, native of London, died of disease of the heart.

it will be seen from our advertising columns that on and after to-morrow an early edition of the Evening Stab will be issued. This step is owing to the increasing favor with which the Stab is regarded in the country districts, is to enable our agents to deliver their papers at a reasonable hour, and to still further extend the cumulation of the journal.

Why is a man who spoils his children lik another who builds castles in the air ? BBcaus he indulges in-fancy too much.” “ Imagine yourself in a boiler manufactory when 400 men are putting in rivets, a mammeth tin-shop next door on one side, and a forty stamp cpiartz mill on the ether, with a drunken ohanyari party with 600 instruments, and 4,000 enraged cats on the roof, and a faint idea wiH be conveyed of a first-class Chinese band of music.”