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Evening Star, Issue 3802, 1 May 1875, Page 2

The Mayor entertained at dinner, at Jones’s Hotel, last evening, the City Councillors, the principal civic officers, and a number of leading citizens, and a very enjoyable evening was spent.

At a meeting last- night of old colonists (Mr Allen in the chair) it was resolved to form a society of old colonists from South Australia,; Victoria, New South Wales, New Zealand, and Tasmania, on the same principles as that formed by Mr Coppin, in Vic? toria. Mr T. Dick was appointed secretary. It is that the'notorious Captain Hayes, after whom several war vessels have ■been despatched at various times,- has reformed from his evil ways, and become a : changed man. At present he is living aitKausaea, one of the Sandwich Islands, and endeavoring to lead a different life from what he has led in former years. In a letter to Mr Geo. Browne, of Hobart Tpwn, Mr C, M. S. Chichester, late private secretary to Mr Du Cane, Governor of: Tasmania, alluding to the recent card scandal, writes ;—“ The officer of Nice notoriety has,, I hear, gone to Australia under ah. assumedname; so lo ( ok bht for a very good-looking hnd highly-accomplished scoundrel'Another cake of 7120z5. was brought into Cromwell on Saturday last from the Cromwell Co.’s (Logan’s) claim. It is said this was the outcome of something. less than 2S0:: tons of stone. Water rf late being scarce, the company’s battery has not always been working up to full power, otherwise the Cake' would have been considerably increased.

Judge Harvey intends to take the necessary steps to have the jurisdiction of the District Court on the goldfields extended to the criminal side. It is to be hoped (says the ‘ Cromwell Argus ’) that Mr Hafvey will be successful in his endeavors,' as it would not only be the means of avoiding a deal of trouble and inconvenience to witnesses. hut. also a great saving of money to the country, - : were such an extension made.

We have received the following characteristic telegram from Mr Millar, F.S.A.:—“In relation to the Dunedin Twopenny a Bucket Limited and Bungled ; Water Supply, read, Harn, and digest Millar’s Sewerage and Water Supply report, printed in Proceedings of the Otago Provincial Council, session 1865, vide page 52. First reason : Quote in its entirety page 53. Eighth reason, ditto, having in italics, ‘ First, an inexhaustible water supply, from the heights of the' Pine Hill forestpage 55, paragraphs third, fifth, and sixth ; page 66; paragraphs fourth and fifth. ~

■At a meeting to-day of the Reference Library Committee (Mr H.. S. Chapman presiding) it was resolved to request. the University Council to submit to the committee the rconditions under which they. Mill take charge of the reference library ; 'and the secretary was requested to forward to the Provincial Government a statement of th|e subscriptions, with a request that a further grant in aid of the library fund may be obtained from the Provincial Council—a sufficient sum at least to make up a grant equal to pound for pound upon the private subscriptions.

- The English Opera Company is doing well at Adelaide. The season opened with “ Maritana” <jh -April 12, since when have been performed the “Rosa of Castile,” “The Grand Duchess,” and “'ihe Bohemian Girl”; and the opinion generally expressed was of the most favorable kind. Miss Alice May is spoken of as possessing “wonderful vivacity and dramatic power,” and Mr HalJam seems to have surprised his hearers into admiration at the improvement he shows both in his singing and acting. Mr Heaumont, who made ftis first appearance in “ The Bohemian Girl,” met with a most enthusiastic reception. Mr Allen has put “La Filled« Madame Angot” into rehearsal

; It is satisfactory to know that the pernicious system which has hitherto been pursued in the Otago goldfields , in the matter of issue of mining leases is receiving attention from the authorities, and that there is a probability of the existing unsatisfactory stats of affairs in this department being remedied, and that quickly. We ( Cromwell Argus’) understand that the various wardens have received instructions from theGoldfields Secretary to look sharply into how far le«sees are comp’ying with the regulations-and this is a course of action which is being adopted not a day too. , soon. -There is bo room to doubt that in this Province a most injurious monopoly has been engendered under the mining lease system. . “"f'Stev’ in a very recent number of the Australian, writes “Mysolemnfriend, John Smith, the showman, 1 have noticed late)y haunting the precincts of tU foreign telegraph offices, and laboriously examining files of China and Singapore papers. Seeing me look inquiringly, he explained that he had lost the run of his Variety per-’ forming athis expense and risk somewhere in the Indian archipelago, and he was trying to find out where they were 1 Furthermore,

in evid|mk of whai imSfriß thread a his aM\ seating Si™ jf bJZmplimentary to a departing not respond. Meeting one of the project in the street he explained thus ; 1 didn t answer your note, as I didn’t mean to comply. I’m not at all well I 1 doht eat anything -at home. ” Ihe thirty shillings required had ;his^p§etite. The thirty-fourth session of the Provincial Council will be n'Kin en -Menday by his Honor the-cuperiatendent. During the recess the CounoUTJhamber has beeneansiderably alteredits proportions have hem shbtn so as to proViTe committee-rooms Ml other much-ueededacepmmodat’ion, and the seating has bben entirely re-afraoged. Hon. members are brought .into.closer proximity to the chair and to eatsV other : and m consequence there ought to be no m -re complaints of inability to bear on one side of the house what is said on the ether, The Speakers galleries are removed to immediately in fr6nt of the sTifangriS^iTl^ but the available.,apaceiia the latter has nob been curtailed. (In passin r, we may remark that it would be well for those who tamed, -peaker’s orders to remember ItKat the entrance is now 1 rom Water street) "*i tie chief improvement effected by thjß alterations villhe the removal of the fiteidaft) tp the e® of the room; Hon. members can ho IqngetTy congregating in front of it, as was frequently

the case before, interfere with tjhe progress of bu-iuese. In,future, divisions wilv^ taken by hon. members passing behind* the chair, and the ayes entering from the milt and the noes from the left of Mr jIn reference to the fire at Heflot Bow'iybfcterday morning, we have been supplied with information .which shows that In some- fef ticulats thepublished reports are not correct, Instead of Mr J. L. Gillies havingtoasfcodihO' sppt. immediately before the fire., was din. covered, as stated by us yesterday, tiutt gentleman informs us tfiat he waa at home, fully half-an-hohr before the fire brokeoiitand that several ladies and gentlemon.wip returned with him from the Choral SooitfMh concert, and passed the . spot' Some MinutesL earlier than himself, heither saw nor felt-ahv of fire. The hmxse ’burned: dowhlr | which cannot be replaced under LBOO. stood • at least 20ft baok from the street, betwedh which and the building was hlclose palaS jfence, about five feet high, Moth a'Thorn 1 ■ hedge inside, so that .Is impossible to suppose a match casually thrown away by a could ; have caused the .fire. And it ■pretty certain that the fire originated in the pantiy, which was a kind.■of' lean-to to* the mam. building,,as when several ofthe neighbors arrived bn the scene, the .flames wore?" confined to that part of the building, and were only issuing from beneath the rosf&f the pantry. It has also been mentioned'lb us that mpst of the furniture was removed* ; and even mantlepieces and grates takendown before the flames got hold of the main building. More than a bucketful'of'water was procurable on. the spot, as one gentleman found water in a tub in the yardhnd used it, but; of course, to he purpose. , ? ,■

Those who visited the Princess’s last night. enjoyed the greatest treat that has Been * afforded at. that- theatre fsr a long timejr Coleman’s sterling comedy “The Heir-kt*' Law’’ was the principal piece, and, as played by the company, it passed off admirably. Mr Hoskms, as Dr Pangloss—the garrulous old pedant, with.an apt quotation ever At' I band, and seeking a lucrative: iposition 4m tutor. to youthful: scions of-, nobility—was inimitable. He played- with unflagging spirit- '■ from first to lastpand ; seemed fairly to luxuriate in his part, ’making every pbmt andf pungent hit * and these are innumerable -in the play—tell with effect. Miss f gave a natural, unaffected I 'rendering ,of thtfi' part of * icely Homespun, the nnsopffiaticated " country .girl: and she yp-jas admirably, sup-« ported by Mr Booth, who, asher.rawbrothSrl Zekiel, kept *the house in a high, state ;ct - amusement. He appeared infected with the - energy displayed by Mr Hoskins, and made the most-r-perhaps once or twice a little too - much—of his part. Mr Steele’s Dick was an average performance, and the cha- 1: teeter suited his style well. ;; Lord add Lady •Duberly, the tallow-chandler apd His Wite suddenly elevated to a high position in- life . were appropriately delineated by Mr Mol*/ grave and Mrs Stoneham,' who were very .. ludicrous when aping, the manners and atytew of Conversation of the nbhiVity.. The characters were satisfactorily tilled, ande&ogather the performance of .V r l he Htib*at£ jT L , aw ” waa a great one, the curtain falling oli* the findl scene amid great applauSe. 1,4 Th«Tragedy Queen* concluded the night’s gramme, Miss Colville appearing to advantage aa Mdle, Dumesnil This eveninj? ‘The Critic”' and “Woodcock’s Little Game will be produced.

meeting of the P. A, F. Society ' will be held on Monday evening, "The monthly meeting of the Permanent'" Building Society will be held on Monday evens mg, at No. 1 Chambers, Princes street. ; _• The members of the Dawn of Light Division Daughter* of Temperance, are reminded that the next meeting takes place on Monday evep* v mg next at the usual hour. r

Applications for licenses must he lodged with .! the Clerk of the Resident Magistrate's Court on or before the 10th inst. Forms mav be db. r tained Iroin Mr A. Findlaler. .. feThe “Evangelist’ for May.contains some very interesting reading. There are two very readable papers from the pen of Mr C. B. N. Muston, formerly connected with, the Dunedin Press” - Sunday Evening in a Glasgow v Theatre”- and “Incidents, of the Revival in Great Britain,” , 1

r ladder nf. Hope Juvenile ; Lodge, • 1.U.G.T., held their last regular meeting or the quarter in Milton Hall on Thursday even* a’"" When there was a very large attendance .... i of, members and visitors. .After the regular business was disposed of, the officers were elected' for the ensuing term, and all other ■ business postponed till next meeting.