The Evening Star TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3798, 27 April 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 1875.

There was no sitting of the District Con t or of the Resident Maaistrate’s Court th * morning. One case had been fixed for hearing in the former, but defendant in the ac tion confessed to judgment for plaintiff, and the case fell through. ■'t a meeting last evening o f the Dunedin shareholders in the Greymouth coal Company the report of the Duectors was read and discussed, the opinion being expressed that it was not advisable to sink a new shaft at an estimated cost of L 5,000, until the railway had been laid to the mine. Messrs Prosser, M‘Gregor, Anderson, and Blair were appomted to take such steps as they might consider necessary on behalf of the Dunedin at a-eholders.

In to-day’s 1 Bruce Herald' appears an apology by Messrs Gillies a"d Maokay, in which they express regret for the firstnamed having written and the other for having published an article imputing to Mr Turnbull, in his capacity of Provincial Treasurer, corrupt conduct for private gain. They add that they had no intention of mauing any sueh imputation, and that they do not believe there was any foundation whatever for the rumors ailuded to in the article.

Four cases of sly-grog selling were heard at the City Police Court to-day. In the only case in which a conviction ensued, that against Mrs Arrow, of Caversham, Mr Barton, after judgment had been pronounced, raised a point never before urged here, viz , that no mention was made in the information, and no evidence given by tbe prosecution to disprove the negativing clause providing that the liquor was not sold medicinally or as perfumery. Counsel argued at length tbattbeobjectim was fatal, and cited innumerablecasestothateffect. The bench were in doubt on the matter, and suspended judgment till Friday. Mr Barton, when; uetinned as to why be bad never before raised the objection, rep ied that be had not bee>> concerned in a ingle sly-grog case in which a conviction followed, and thus never having aoy necessity to do so, determined to wait till a fitting opportunity presented itself.

The Supreme Court sat this morning only for the purpose of sentencing Tsong Tsi, convicted yesterday of unlawfully wounding Ah Chee at Skippers. Ihe sentence of the Court was that he be imprisoned for twelve month with hard labor. This concluded the criminal business, and the civil cases were about to be commenced when Mr Stout, who ap peared for defendant iu the special jury case of Barrowman v, Stevens, rose and said there appeared to be some misunderstanding as to the day on which the special jury cases would be heard. Mr Mouat, who was engaged on the other side, was ill in bed, and Mr Stout understood that that gentleman would not object to the case being heard on Monday next, as originally fixed. Uis Honor said the impression on his mind certainly was that the special jury cases were fixed fo~ Monday next, and Barrowman v. Stevens was accordingly adjourned till that day. The case of M'Pheraon v, Shaw was fixed for Tuesday next.

A meeTng of Christians of various denominations was held iu the class-room of "Knox Ghnrch l*st evem»ir, “to consider what steps should be taken to carry tne ospel to the Chinese residents in Otago” Mr K. R. argili presided, and there was a numerous attendance. Toe necessity for having a Gbimse missionary to continue the work begun by Paul Ah ( bin. who had left the Province, was urged by the Hev. Dr Stuart and the Bev. Dr Copland. On behalf of the Wesley ans, the Kev. Mr Rigg promised assistance, and undertook to bring the matter under the notice of the W. aleyan * onference. thes ttiegs of which in Melbourne he was to attend. On behalf of the Church of Eng- , j Archdeacon Edwards said he would gladly fall in with the movement ihe other speakers were the Revs. A. Blake, and K G. Penny, Messrs Grant, R-itb, and Irvine. Eventually Archdeacon Ednyards, the Revs. Hr Stuart Dr Copland, Dr Roseby, Mr Uigg, and Mr Davis with Mr K. B. Cargill as convener, and each clergyman empowered to associate a member of h<a church with him, were appointed a committee “To consiier the basis on which the proposed association may be formed for the purpose of carrying the Gospel to the Chinese iu Citago.”

T he Melbourne ‘ Leader ” ia seldom comVJiffiisntary to New Zealand, and never loses a chame of raying some cutting thing about this Colony. These attacks come of sheer ignorance*! or want of thought, and cannot do '•ew Zeolaid the least harm, though they cannot but lower the * Leader ’ in the es ! imation of everybody who knows anything of this Colony. The last bit of mud throwing i* t* l6 following; and we need rcarcely say that the .artist who penned the precious paragraph was needlessly insulting to "Wellington, seeing that Wellington, of all places on earth—noteven excepting M el bourne - has notoriously been free from tires—“ There is one industry that New Zealand seems to have mado specially its own. Murder has long been known as a fine art, but it has never been recognised as a means of national subsistence. New Zealand appears to live on conflagrations. Every mail from the Britain ot the Mouth brings-us news o! the success they meet with h* extracting a revenue from the JOBUfahCe companies |q tbe uorth aijii

S""Jth they are equally unfortunate. On the 20fch, 21st, and23.d nit. Nelson', Wellington, »nd Invercargill made the insurahc compani a bleed. If Auckland or Dunedin were not in it, it is simply because they wished to give their sister towns a turn, n Would not do they reasoned, to have the whole Colony on fire at once. Things oust be dong decently an t in order. I hive no doubt that Auckland and Dunedin, and even Hokitika, will >et do their duty. 1 adorne the energv of my neighbors, but I pity th< poor insurance companies ” A meeting of the Guiding Star Lodge, 1.0. G.T., will be held to •morrow evening. Entries for the Otago Eifle Association matches must be made at the Secretary’s office to-morrow evening, at 7 o’clock.