The Evening Star TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3792, 20 April 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 1875.

They do strange things in America. A man in the dress circle of the Academy of Music, Chicago, fired a pistol amongst the audience, and, when asked why, said he had been on the spree for a few days. That was all. The shot missed. At the sittings of the Tokomairiro District Court on Monday, before Judge Ward, John Douglas was indicted for larceny in stealing from Thomas Casserly a silver watch. Upon being placed in the dock he pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to six months’ hard labor.

The Provincial Engineer proceeded from Balulutba to Catlin’s River on Thursday, to make a survey of the proposed line of railway thither. Ho was accompanied by Mr John M'Neil, M.P.C., who pointed out the general features of the country. We (‘Bruce Herald ’) understand Mr A’rthur has expressed himself, even by a ride over, that no engineering difficulties will have to be surmounted in carrying out the work.

A stonebreaker, a German, wag stuck up m his tent near Mr Clarke’s, Hillend, at 4 o’clock on Sunday morning by two Irishmen. The German was struck by a tomahawk, and got a severe kick on the nose, but escaped with his money, which he had concealed about hia person. One of the men was apprehended at Rue’s Hotel, Stoney Creek, yesterday, and taken on to Balclutha.

The Maories of the North Island are beginning to go in for horse racing in quite a scieniihc manner, and are reaping the fruits of their enterprise abundantly. There was no event of any importance at the late Napier meeting, except the Provincial Produce Stake®—for which the field was extremely limited—which was not won by horses owned either wholly or in part by Natives Marquis, which is entered in Mr Maney’s name, belongs in part at any rate to Renata, and Shamrock, which is also entered in the name of that gentleman, was entered at the Havelock races in the name of Irina, Karauira s daughter. The fact is that the Maories buy up every winning horse that they come across, and they are now alive to the necessity of having them trained and ridden by professional jockeys, which they were not until recently.

We take the following from the Dunedin correspondence in to day’s'Bruce Herald —--“ I don’t know what it all portends, but I hear of some sort of a ferment in one of our City churches. A man said to me the other day that hia minister ‘was not preaching the Gospel. * I pressed to know what he meant, and after some conversation I discovered that the minister spoken of had ventured to express au opinion, founded on the text which says, ‘ In every nation ho that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with Him,’ that there may bo hope, mercy, and salvation through Christ for the myriads in the heathen world who have never heard His name, but who, nevertheless, according te the light and knowledge they have, fear God and work righteousness. If this said minister does not take care, and be a little leas broad and liberal in his expositions of what be calls evangelical truth, he will get into a row, and have a libel for heresy to answer. I believe he said very recently that what was called scientific the logy, which, to understand, lequired soundness of head rather than good n. as of heart, had split up C ristcndom into hostile ecclesiastical camps, causing discord, strife, and all Uucharitableness, filling the

religious Press with rancor, and making it most lacking in courtesy and charity. That among a 1 the great Churches of Christendom —the Romish, Greek, Lutheran, and »■rotestank Churches—there is hardly a noteworthy difference of opinion as to the practical requirements of true godliness. . All alike believed in goodness, virtue, holiness; in the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the necessity of faith and repentance, of love to God and service to man ; that it was one of the saddest sights in the world for angels to look upon to see the Church torn by differences on questions which, in this world, wo will never be able to settle, and which the fi-st ray of light in the eternal world may show us were not worth fighting about. True religion, he said, was not orthodoxy, but righteousness; not a true creed, hue a loving heart.” At a meeting of the Dunedin Colored Opera Troupe held last evening in tin Hibernian Hotel, Mr F. Hannigan, one of its members who has lately become a Benedict, was presented with a handsome timepiece by bis co-members, in recognition of the assistance which he has rendered the troupe for a number of years. After the presentation, the members spent a very pleasant evening togotliop, the vocal t&lent of the troupe being called into great requisition. The timepiece, which was obtained from Mr Hisl>»p, Princes street, bore the following incription ; “ Presented to Mr Francis Hannigan by the members of the Dunedin C.0.T.”

The inquiry ordered by the General Go: vernment, at the request of the local Miners’ A ssociation, into the circumstances connected with the death at Maerewhenua in December last of a miner named James Murray, is likely to be barren of result. It will be remembered that Murray and a mate named Quayle were drinking together in one of the hotels for three days. They left for town on the Sunday night, just before dark. Just after crossing the bridge, and when about two miles from the township, Murray complained of being very ill, and Quayle went to the camp for assistance. On coming to the place where Murray was lying, hia mates found that he was very ill, so they tried to make him walk to his hut; but it was all useless, as he died a few minutes after being found’ The only witnesses examined by MrParker, H.M., who conducted the inquiry, were George Webbe and George Quayle, Webbt was one of those who went to his assistance after he turned ill, and Quayle was too drunk at the time to remember much about it.

It will be recollected that Mr Adam, the Provincial Immigration Agent at Home, in his last letter to the Government, made the statement that “ the Lord Mayor of I ondon said, at a meeting held in London for .raising funds for the Cospatrick suffems, that he hoped the fate of the Cospatrick would be the means of altering the tide of immigration from New Zealand to Canada.” \V e don’t suppose the severe denunciations of some of our contemporaries will in the slightest affect the health or disturb the peace of Mr Alderman Stone, but, in justice to that high official, it would be well if they made the amende honorable by republishing what the Lord Mayor actually said, which, as reported by the ‘ Times ’ and other papers, was to this effect Suggestions might btill be made for the belter regulation of emigrant ships, and, in that case, he had no doubt they would be adopted, by every shipowner in the country engaged' in the trade. Otherwise the stream of emigration might be diverted from New Zealand—having regard to the long voyage- and.made to flow in the direction of the United States and Canada.”

At a meeting last night of the Athenaeum Committee, a letter was read from the Secretary of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute, who asked to have forwarded to him copies Of the newspapers containing reports of the discussion which took place in Dunedin on the question of opening the Athenaeum on Sundays. It was resolved to forward the papers if they could be spared or were obtainable The subject of the delay in the arrival of tho mail parcels was discussed. It appeared that they had not come promptly to hand for the past five months, and that it was in Melbourne that the delay always occurred. It was resolved to tike steps to remedy the matter. Various accounts came up and were dealt with. The Chairman read the Treasurer’s quarterly statement of receipts and expenditure, which showed a balance of L 92 3s. It was resolved that LIOO be transmitted to the Home Agent. An application for the loan of the scientific apparatus was referred to the Vice-President and Secretary. It was decided that a competent assistant to the, Libarian should be procured. Mr Logan” moved and Mr Wilding seconded—“l hat the ‘ Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser’ should be received,” which was negatived, only the mover and seconder voting ;or the proposition; and on the Rev. Mr Stanford’s motion it was decided to request the publisher of the ‘ Advertiser ’ not to send bis paper to the Athenaeum again Mr Logan gave notice of hia intention to move, at the next meeting, that the said ‘Advertiser,’ and other papers be received.

A telegraph station is now open at Hokianga, in the Province of Auckland.

The University matriculation examination will be held on the Ist and 3rd of May. Lectures will commence on the 4th of that month.

After thirteen years’ service In '.hat capacity, Mr Broadfoot has, on account of the inadequacy of the pay, resigned hi» post as one of the letter-carriers attached to the Dunedin Post Office. .

A series of Saturday night concerts are to be held during the winter under the auspices of the Good Templars; and the first will be held in the Odfellows’ Hall on Saturday next, when the Mayor will preside. A good programme of vocal and instrumental music has been drawn up, and light refreshments will be provided.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Mornington Band of Hope was held last night, at which the office-bearers and committee for the ensuing year were elected. There was a good attendance, and the interest manifested in the proceedings augurs well for the future success of the society.