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Evening Star, Issue 3855, 2 July 1875, Page 2

Colonel Harrington, formerly inspector of Volunteers, has returned to the Colony. A rifle company at Maerewhenua, thirty strong, has offered its services to the Government. F. B Wilton, who has been connected with the stage, was found dead in a paddock in the outskirts of Wellington the other day. According to the latest news from Fiji, the ex-king, Oakobau, has purchased a trading schooner, and intends to turn storekeeper, The Tararua is now overdue. The Suez maT steamer arrived at Adelaide on the 24th ult.. and ■ hould have reached Melbourne on the 26th. Private advices received .in Melbourne sta : e that it was rumored in high circles in London that the Prince of Wales would include Australia in his tour. The residents at Lawrence complain that they do not receive their letters via San Francisco until eleven days after the arrival of the mail at Auckland. Some people are never satisfied. The iron sand at Taranaki having been utilised of late as ballast for the railway there, a local paper, the * News’ ironically suggests bhat “it should be painted to prevent the wind and water from taking it away.” A military funeral is a very rare occurence in Sleepy Hollow. On the 28th ult., Sergt. Burn, of the Nelson City Rifles, was buried with military honors, over 200 volunteers parading at, and more than 3,000 people witnessing the funeral. The deceased was one of the first Provincial marksmen, and represented in elson at the Colonial firing at Dunedin in 1870, and at Napier in 1874. Mr Hoskins has now under his control the strongest theatrical company that has ever been gathered together in this Colony. The female members of it are—Mrs Hoskins, Mrs ■Jarrell, Mrs Walter Hill, Mrs Douglas, Misses Anstead and Raymond ; the males— Messrs Darrell, H, N. Douglas, Hydes, Booth, Burford, &c. Last night Mr Darrell’s play of “ Under the Ban” was produced. The following method of carrying the umbrella by the fair sex is the rage in Melbourne now;—lt consists of having a loop attached to the back of the dress near the waist, and the umbrella hangs in this loop down the skirt of the dress, in the same manner as a Volunteer carries his bayonet. The umbrella u ed is made with a sword hilt. The new method has been star’ed in Melbourne, and is well deserving of the, approbation with which it is regarded by all beholders.

The “ Lyttelton Times’ advocates that all charitable institutions should be supported by a property tax. Our contemporary says : —“ VVe are quite willing to believe that the practical philanthropy of man increases with his wealth. At least it ought to do, and it should be taken for granted that it does. Hospitals, charities, asylums, and with these gaols, police, and magistrates are provided for by the County Property Kates of England, It is now time that they should be provided for by the property rates here. The present Government deserve the credit of starting the questions which lead to this answer. They have announced the sudden and permanent reduction ol the land fund which had so long come conviently, if not altogether with the strict consistency of principle, between us and taxation, ” The plan of attack on the Government has been arranged. The four Superintendents of ucklan i, Wellington, Canterbury, and Uta-o (his Honor of Nelson rather bahts shy of th ' combination, and the Superintents of Hawke’s Hay, Taranaki, and "Westland will have none of it) have put their heads together and settled it. The ‘ Tribune’ says that when the Imprest Bill is brought forward, probably on the second or third day of the session, t ir George Grey, as leader of the forlorn hope, will move that supply be only granted for six months. It is impossible that the Government eould agree to such a proposal because, apart from other very obvious reasons, such supply would uot carry on the public business until the elections were over. We shall therefore know the strength of the Provincial party at the outset, and moat likely the work of the sea sum will thereafter be permitted to proceed without much factious opposition. A meeting of ratepayers at Green Island was held in the drill-shed last night; Mr Gray in the chair. After the chairman had introduced the business, the deputation, who

waited on the Superintendent a few days ago reported, through Mr Eagerly, that, after consulting good authority the best way of getting out of the difficulty was to form the district into a municipality. It* was then proposed by Mr Eage ty and seconded by Mr Jenkins, and carried, “that a memorial be drawn out and addressed to hi.; Honor the Superintendent, praying for the establishment of a municipality at Creon Island,’ Mr proposed, and Mr Imrie seconded 5“ That Mrs thand’a laud (with her consent) between the two railways aud (extending to Mr Brown’s property, bo included in the township and ©n Mr Samson’s motion, a deputation, consisting of Messrs Eagerty, Samson, and Gilmore, was appointed to wait on Mrs Shand to obtain her consent. After a vote of thanks to the chairman the meeting terminated. At the Princess’s, last night, the old and popular comedy, “Our American Cousin” was produced, with “ The Milliners’ Holiday” as an afterpiece. Both passed off well, in the first Mr Bates being well suited ia the character of Asa Trenchard; Mrs Bates playing with spirit the part of Florence Trenchard; and Mr Stoneham making a tolerable Lord Dundreary, though he should be aware of the fact that the foppish nobleman is supposed, when he does manage to get his words out, to speak them distinctly. Mr Musgrave created much amusement as Mr Bunny, the butler, and the other characters were fairly played, but do not call for any particular comment. Tonight is set apart for Mr Musgrave’s benefit, and we expect to see a full house tor the occasion. “ Caste” and “ Aladdin ” will conatitutejthe programme, between which pieces Mr Bracken will recite “Binger on the Rhine.”

In a letter to the Agent-General, Mr Kirchner, the immigration agent far Germany, suggests that residents in the Colony should write home to their friends, as being the most effectual way of promoting emigration. He writes as follows :—“I should also propose to collect from the Germans and publish the letters which they have received, and may still receive from their friends in the Colony. I find that nothing induces more confidence than good accounts sent home by persons who were kaowun as trustworthy and reliable in the district in which they formerly resided. The safe transmission of such letters (many are addressed very indistinctly in German letters, and sometimes insufficiently stamped), might perhaps be insured if they were collected by the immigration agents, and forwarded to me for distribution I have already offered to receive them, and send on any letters which intending immigrants may wish to write to their fr ends settled in New Zealand.”

The crowded accommodation of the San Francisco mail boats on the outward voyage is being much complained of. Mr Seymour, late Superintendent of Marlborough, who was a passenger by the City of Melbourne on her last voyage, writes to some friends in Blenheim:—“ The passage has been anything but a pleasant one for passengers. The City has comfortable accommodation for about twenty-six saloon passengers, and now has on board sixty-seven. The consequence is., in the tropics the closeness and the heat of the cabin are most unbearable, and I notice a strong taste for early rising has developed itself. We have one baih and about ten bath towels ; the scramble in a morning is most amusing, commencing at about 4.30 a.m. The sensation of getting up to bathe by moonlight is a new one. Try it. The New Z. aland passengers have suffered severely from sea-sickness and the numerous discomforts wr groan under ; even jolly Captain Petherbridge, though he does his best to keep us lively, admits that it requires a large amount of Mark Tapley spirit to get through. Sir C, Arney, though he admits his misery’, does his best to support the dignity ot the Bench by a care of dress few of us display. On Sunday last he aff »rded us a happy laugh. To support his own position and the day, he was got up with unusual care, and had, after many ineffectual attempts, just settled the tie of his cravat to his satisfaction when a playful wave burst through the port (the City’s por* s are eighteen inches square), and deluged his two dressing bags and himself. His look of horror convulsed us. He has not been half so particular since.” The chair will be taken at the Saturday Night Concert to-morrow by Mr J. W. Jago. A meeting of the gentlemen favorable to the formation of a lodge 1.0.0. F. for the District of Kensington, South Dunedin, &c., _ will be held at Maloney’s Hotel this evening, at eight o’clock. A meeting of gentlemen for the purpose of appointing a committee to make arrangements to celebrate the O’Connell centenary will be held in the Shamrock Hotel on Monday afternoon, at half-past four o’clock.