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Evening Star, Issue 3843, 18 June 1875, Page 2

The Hon. Mr Waterhouse will return to the Colony before the session of the Assembly clos-8. He was to leave England this month.

We would think such a thing impossible, but it is true that during the late fire at the Orphanage, Lyttelton, some one stole the children’s money-boxes. Bachelder’s tableaux of “ Paradise Lost” drew a number of visitors to the Temperance Hall yesterday evening. To-morrow there will be an afternoon performance. There was a splendid house at the Princess’s last night to witness the fourth representation of “ The Rod Pocket-Book,” and in consequence of the growing favor of this drama it will be repeated this evening. If ever a man deserved the Humane Society’s gold medal, Walter Irving, of Waitangi, Auckland, does. Very recently with his son’s assistance he rescued three men who had been capized off the mouth of the river • and on previous occasions was the means of saving no less than seventeen lives.

It is rumored (says the ‘ Bruce Herald ’) that legal proceedings, involving large amounts, and affecting some residents of Milton, will shortly be commenced; the parties concerned being present and late hotel proprietors and occupiers. 3 he prorogation of the Provincial Council has been fixed for to-morrow, the Council meeting at noon. From what fell from the Provincial Secretary this afternoon, it is almost certain that to-day’s sitting will last many hours beyond midnight. At the meeting of the Clutha Presbytery on Wednesday the liev W. Bannerman made a long and interesting speech on the subject of the overture of the Synod with reference to church music, and it wis decided by eight votes to one that the overture should not be adopted. We notice that the Nelson Provincial Council has reimbursed Mr O’Conor for the damages and costs awarded against him in the case Knyvett v. O’Conor, on the ground that in his conduct, which induced the bridging of the case, he was acting in the interests of the Province.

'At the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Port Cti.-.liners, this morning, before Mr T. A. Hansford, R. VI., Jacob Doulas, a man of color, was charged, upon the information of Samuel Caro, with using abusive language t -wards him on the 12th instant. The Bench inflicted a fine of 10s and costs. A fire occu red at 2 p.m. yesterday on Mr John Shaw’s farm, at North Taieri, when two stacks of wheat, estimated to contain 900 bushels* were totally destroyed. The fire was caused by two of Mr Shaw’s children Fortunately the wind blew from the southwest or the whole of the farm buildings. Ao , would have been destroyed. The stacks were uninsured.

The Sydney Government have established an order of merit, with which they propose to decorate every policeman who has shown any unusual amount of pluck in the apprehension of a bushranger, or any civilian who has in any way distinguished himself by the display of courage in saving life from drowning. The idea is not a bad one, and it might be worth while extending it Some telegraphic correspondents are blessed with strong inventive faculties. For example, the Dunedin correspondent of the New Zealand Times’ tells that journal that on Friday two rumors were current here—that “In the Provincial Council last night one bon. member called another * ~ liw»” and that the Superintendent is so disgusted with the way the Connoil business is being carried on that he has declared his intention of going over to the Centralist party when the Assembly meets ” For what is commonly called “cheek” commend us to au individual rejoicing in the euphonious name of Flower, who. twelve months ago, when he was district constable audpostmaSter abTadmor (Nelson), levanted, to the great sorrow of his acquaintances—creditors, of course. By the last .San Francisco mail they received from him the interesting (?) intelligence that he had been divorced from h;s wife at Sacramento, had become a citizen of the 1 nited States, and was about to marry a lady of considerable property near Virginia city, Nevada. Some of his Tadmpr friends say they would like to spoil his litt e game.

The civil sittings of the Invercargill circuit of ihe Supreme Court commence on Monday with a very important case in which the plaintiff claims LSOO damage for the alleged fouling of a stream by defendant as fellmonger, and \ irtually an injunction restraining defendant from the pursuit of his business The importance of this case cannot be overestimated whether as regards the necessity for pieventing pollution of waters, or the effect which the success of the plaintiff would have in the prevention o Ihe establishment of local industries. The damage done to the stream in ibis particular case is evidently to all indifferent parties infinitesimal.

The legality of certain reserves in Southland is to he tested in the Supreme ‘ ourfc Certain blooiis of laud, ori inally known as hospital reserves, were al'ered to education and for them application to purchase has been male. The contention of ihe applicant is that, by the cancellation of the original reservation, the Innd. became open for selection. The Wa-te Land Board has for the present decided against the applicant by deferring consideration of the matter • but of course it will not be allowed to rest there. According to the fnverc argil correspondent if the • Bruce Herald ’ the applicant, if successful, receives a virtual gift of about seven thousand pounds.

That the Agent-C'enetal’s department has lent itself to a case of deception is clearly shown by the ‘.New Zealand rimes.’ In

January last/'some of the London papers contained advertisements offering “free passages to a few steady and competent ’plasterers, to proceed; to Wellington, New Zealand, where men of the above occupation are much required. ” On the strength of this advertisement eleven men, describing themselves as plasterers by trade, applied for arid, obtained passages on board the Collingwood, a vessel due in this harbor in about a month from date, hour of these men are married and have families. On inquiry two facts were elicited'by the ‘ Times first that the advertisement was inserted without the knowledge or authority of the Government; and next, there is not in Wellington any opening for plasterers, more than one of that trade at present doing laborer’s work here. With our contemporary we cannot help saying that these men have been induced to come to the Colony under false pretences.

The evidence taken at the late inquiry into the alleged loss of a parcel of bank notes from the office of the Chief Gold Receiver on the 18th May, and the report of vlr Strode, 8.M., who conducted the inquiry into the matter have been forwarded to the Provincial Government In his report Mr Strode said that having thoroughly investigated the matter by the examination of several witnesses he had arrived at the undoubted conclusion that there was no theft or wrong doing of any kind, and that the parcel, which was temporarily missed, could not have been removed from the i-on treasury box in which it had been taken to Dunedin until discovered by Sergt,-Major Bevan. The parcel in question was found in such a position as to leave no doubt that it had not been removed since it was first put there.

The egistrar-General’s report on the vital statistics of the boroughs of Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch] Dunedin, and Hokitika, during the month of May, is published in the last ‘Gazette.’ The total births for the month were 258, and the deaths numbered 211. Of thes-'-there were at Auckland 37 births and 48 deaths ; the Thames, 24 births, 29 deaths ; Wellington, 57 births. 35 deaths ; Nelson, 23 births, 12 deaths ; Christchurch, 36 births, 39 deaths ; Dunedin, 68 births. 44 deaths; Hokitika, 13 births, 14 deaths. According to the returns, the deaths from zymotic diseases were 81 in May, against 80 in April. There is to be found, however, a considerable difference in the causes of death. Measles were still epidemic in some places. The deaths from this cause had decreased *in Auckland from 18 to 5, but had increased at the Thames from 4 to 12. This disease also caused 6 deaths in Hokitika. Typhoid fever caused 27 deaths m May, against 16 in April. The largest number of deaths from this cause occurred in Christchurch. A large increase in the deaths from local diseases, especially of the respiratory organs, is noted. These latter increased from 15 in April to 30 in May. According to the census returns, of the 300,000 persons who reside in the Colony 200 000 are single, 90,000 married, and 7,000 widowed. Of the entire population 30 per cent, are married, and 7<> per cent, single. The number of unmarried males over 23 years of age is 44,000; and of unmarried females over 15 years, 18.000. In the Colony there are 4,000 widows and 3,000 widowers. There are 408 members of Uni., versities in New Zealand, and they are engaged in 60 different occupations, from the laborer to the clergyman. • The details of the occupations of the people of this Colony, as given iu-the census returns published, furnish some amusing items. Thus we learn that there is One medical woman in New Zealand,' aud that she resides in Auckland ; there is also one female “ irregular medical practitioner,'* and she also lives in Auckj&n<i j sud there is one female chemist in the Colony, and Canterbury has the honor bt possessing her Only ore woman has had the courage to describe herself as “literary,” and Otago owns her. Twenty six women out of the 128.533 in the Colony have returned themselves as capitalists,” sixteen of them hailing from Canterbury ; twq are down as commercial clerks, one as a wool stapler, four as meat saleswomen, one as a sawyer, two as kauri gum diggers, and three as goldminers.

. A. telegraph station is now open at Wairoa, in the Province of Wellington. The chair will be taken at the Saturday night Concert to-moirow by Mr John Logan, at 8 o clock.

sixth anniversary of the Otago Licensed Victuallers Association will bo celebrated by a supper at Watson’s Commercial Hotel on iuesday evening, at 8 o’clock. An interesting game of football will be played to-morrow between the rival clubs of the city—the Union and the Dunedin. The new aspirants are, if anything, the favorites, as it is well known they play a much more spirited game than their opponents. We underetand that the Victorian rules of football will be adhered to on this occasion; and as several well-known Melbourne players have joined the new club and intend to play, a lively contest may be anticipated. *

From the Patent Office we have received a kttle work consisting of. “ Specifications of Inventions, in respect of which Letters Patent or Letters of Registration have been applied for during the year 1874.” It is illustrated by photo-lithographs, prepared from the original drawings. The work has been compiled in accordance with a resolution brought forward t ® House of Representatives by Mr C. O .Neill, M.H.R., in the session of 1872, and earned, to the effect that such a volume should be prepared. The price of the work, with photo-lithographs, is 2s 6d.