The Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3881, 2 August 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 1875.

We acknowledge the receipt of a packet of Parliamentary papers from the Government Printer, Wellington. The Christchurch City Council have unanimously resolved that the ratepayers should have the privilege of electing the Mayor from the members of the Council, only, for the time being. The remainder of the passengers by the ship Aldergrove, with the exception of one family named O’Hagan, were removed this afternoon from the island to the new pier, aud conveyed to Dunedin by the 3.30 p.m. train.

The General Government * Gazette ’ notifies that letters of naturalisation have been issued in favor of George Robinson, sailmaker, Timara ; ( bin Tap, | storekeeper, Ross ; and Max Heinrich Behrens, wheelwright, Cromwell.

The wet weather prevented a large audience from assembling at the Temperance Hail on Saturday, hut a capital programme was submitted by the Concert Committee. During the evening a work-box was presented to Miss Jennie Crow, a rather pre cf.cious young reciter. Mr Stout occupied the chair.

the quarterly meeting of the Press Club, held on Saturday evening, Mr John Dungan was elected secretary in the place of Mr hj. Humphries resigned. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the retiring secretary for his exertions since the formation of tne Club, aud the business concluded with the election of several new members.

At the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Port Chalmers, this morning, before Mr T. A. Mausford, R.M., James Kidd, David Murray, Peter Douglas, aud Henry Thomas, !or being drunk and disorderly in George street on Saturday night, were each ordered io pay a fine of 1.5, or, in default, to be imprisoned for twenty-four hours. James VVilrou, for a similar offence, was discharged with a caution.

There ja likely to be a revival in racing matters here, rays the Nelson ‘ Daily Times,’ tnd we are glad to say that a few sporting men of the right sort have already consulted as to getting up a first-class spring programme. Inda>sgone by jselson occupied a premier position in sporting circles, and her Staffords, Redwoods, aud others sent out horses that won laurels in Victoria and the other Australian Colonics.

There was a good house at the Princess’s on Saturday evening, when the old favorite drama “ Flowers of the Forest ” was given, witn Mr and Mrs Darrell in the parts of Jshmael and Cynthia respectively. Afterwards Mr Farrell gave some songs and recited the “ Charge of {the Light Brigade ” spiritedly. For to-night an American aensational drama, by name “ Rube Redmond,” is announced, \yith the re-appearance of Miss Polly Leake, The final skating match between Messrs Harrison aud Wyburd came off at the Drillshed on Saturday night, before a large number of spectators. Great interest was shown in the result, as each competitor had previously been successful once. Harrison appeared to be the favorite before the start, but the match proved a rather easy thing for Wyburd, as he won by 40£ sec doini two miles in Bmin. 46aec. against Harrison’s 9min 264eec. “ Atticus ” says travellers fond of collecting curiosities will do well to take warning by a singular adventure which recently happened to a young gentleman who was returning from Korth Australia. Amongst other mementoes of his visit be had brought with him an alligator’s egg, which for safety he deposited in his bunk. Une day he was disturbed from his slumbers by* something creeping over him, and panting out his hand he found that hia visitor was a lively young alligator. The warmth of the bed had hatched the reptile. The Dunedin and Clutba railway is not the only one whose completion has been delayed through the line passing over swampy giound. The Marlbrough ‘ h.xprees’ says it is informed that the wet season has com!pletely fj ustrated any hopes of opening iho Picton line before the let of ISoveraber next, . in consequence of the looseness and sloppineas jof the embankments in several places. In some of these the sleepers are almost floating in wet and mud, and in others they are suspended in the air by the score together—held up the rails in fact. Some days ago a number of little girls attending the Morninglon District School were standing round the fire warming their aprons, when one of their number, named Mary Henderson, found herself enveloped in flames. The schoolmaster was absent at the time, but her comrades had her removed to the Hospital, where she died yesterday. It would, be well if a screen were erected round the fireplace in all our schools, or else I'm musters in charge he compelled to leave nu adult person in superintendence of the ; cliool-rcoin during his absence.

Mr A, Boysa. of Caversham, informs us of a curious catastrophe which has happened to the industrious inhabitants of his bee-hive, It appears that while walking in his garden yesterday he noticed that the bees had stopped work, and on looking to discover the causft lie found tiie hive tenanted by a couple si' mice wh hj a youm; family of six, The .li.r' had made rhorfc work of the bees, honey and all, as the wings i.T the insects were tho only trace# left, t Vfe mention this that

others may see that even with bees care and attention are necessary to their profitable working.

A contemporary remarks that it inserted a par lately stating that a barmaid at urst had been gagged and had her flowing iocics cut off. 111-natured people now say ottat the young lady was her own outrager ; that she cut off her flowing tresses in order to come out in the short crop which Miss Tomboy and one or two other female members of the wealthy lower orders are striving to render fashionable ; that the hotel to which she is attached has made a small fortune by the rush to see the victim ; and that the landlord and landlady are delighted at the suceess of their manoeuvre.

The * Mount Ida Chronicle ’ is of opinion that “anyone who reads the correspondence carefully between the Crown Agents and the Colonial Government must see that, in spite of all sorts of vexatious obstructions offered by interested money agents, Sir Julius Vogel has done much better for NewJZealand than could have been expected. It is now stated that as soon as Dr Featherston can be shelved Sir Julius is to succeed him. It is not likdy. We hardly fancy he is the sort of man to allow himself in turn to be snubbed and controlled by those of inferior brains, who hate him. It is far more likely that Mr Macandrew will be selected for the Homo appointment. Certainly no one in New Zealaud is so well qualified for the office, or nas so honestly earned it.” At the weekly meeting of the Southland Waste Lands Board on Thursday, Mr G. M. Bell s application for 440 acres in the Hokanui district, on run 112, which had been held over from last meeting, was granted, tne reservation not having been remade by the Government until the 24fch inst. Mr John Dalgleish, on behalf of the Hon. Matthew Holmes, lodged two applications—one for 500 acres, and the other for 3,400 “f® 8 * bofch on run 181 » Taringatura district, t W"* B granted, but as a large portion of the land applied for in the second application consisted of peat bog, which might be required by settlers instead of firewood, it was . resolved to postpone its consideration until inquiry could be made as to what would be the most suitable portion to reserve from sale.

Southland ‘ News’ of Saturday says that Mr Thornhill, of Centre Hill Station, communicated on the 24th ult. to the police officer stationed at Lowtber that he had on the previous day. when riding near the boundary of his run, come on the * nan ‘ P Q ’proceeding to the spot, a swag was found, In which, among other things, was a prayer-book, with the name of “ John Bradley” inscribed, From this and the clothing worn by deceased, there appeared no room to doubt that the remains were those of a young man named Bradley, who worked in a neighboring station in September last, and, having been charged with the commission of some venial offence, left to avoid the police. It is conjectured that he either lost himself or succumbed to the effects of hunger and exposure. His mother, a widow, who came out with him in the Carrick Castle, resides in Invercargill. The following extracts give the opinions of the Auckland morning papers on Dr Featherston’s line of conduct. The ‘New Zealand Herald* says:—“ When it comes to the knowledge of a master that his servant is of opinion his services cannot be dispensed with, it is quite time for the master to give tiiat servant a short notice to quit. Dr Featherston is an old public servant, and has, in bis time, been a useful man. His services, while appraised at their true value, have, at the same time, ever been fairly remunerated. But Dr Featherston, like many other men, has presumed too much and too long upon the many indulgences and latitudes which have been allowed him. He has, it is to be feared, deluded himself into a belief that his services are too valuable and cannot be dispensed with. He has of late become troublesome and obstructive, and the sooner he receives notice to throw up his appointment and is assigned a retiring allowance, to admit of a more efficient man to take his place, the better it will be for the interests c£ New Zealand.” The ‘Cross’ remarks:— “It would seem indeed that the former Superintendent of Wellington is by nature and long habit of mind unfitted for any subordinate position. It may be that he knows better than the Government what should be done, and what left undone, but if so he takes an unwise method of showing that he thinks so. It may be that be would manage matters really well if left alone to his own devices, but this is very likely the reason why he has failed so largely to give satisfaction when working (nominally at least) under others. Our own impression is that the Colonial satrap at Westminster is too independent, and that even a less able man than Dr Featherston might now be of more practical utility than he is, if he only has a good administrative talent and the capacity for obeying orders.” The police yesterday arrested a notorious character named Alfred Hutchison, but better known by his alias of German Charlie, on a charge of stealing a diamond ring from the dwelling-house of Bailiff Barnes, in May last. Hutchison was arrested on a fraud summons warrant, and was taken to Barnes’s house, and allowed to remain there until the time camo for bringing him before the .Resident Magisarate’s Court. Here he was

treated in a manner at whjch few prisoners would cavil, and before going to bed he was hospitably entertained at supper. Next morning Barnes found that a diamond ring and some [other jewellery was missing, but the robbery was not discovered till after Hutchison had left the house and was secured in the bailiffs’ room at the Courthouse. Being brought before the Court he yv as discharged. Suspicion also points to him‘as being the person who committed the robbery from the bailiffs’ room at the Court by breaking open a chest and stealing Ll3O therefrom, it being believed that the knowledge he obtained while there in custody afforded him ample means of making the robbery. He is also suspected of the burglary at Messrs Webb and Fulton’s office, Hutchison has earned quite a notoriety for himself on the West Coast, where he three times escaped from custody. On Saturday last he was arrested by Detective Bain, but effected an escape; and on Bain again going to arrest him yesterday he forced the detective on to the floor and wrenched a revolver from him.

Bain’s calls were the signal for Detective Shury and Sergeant Deane (who were outside) to rush in, and had it not been for their prompt action there can be little doubt that Hutchison would have committed some desperate act. To-day, when in the dock, he conducted himself with the utmost nonchalance, and, finding himself the object of no inconsiderable interest, he behaved in a very defiant manner. His procedure, however, left little doubt that he was not unaccustomed to the formula of a Court trial.

The ‘Cross’ lias the following The telegram which we recently published from Uunedin condemning a peiformance at the theatre in that City as an outrage on decency and morality, and the very questionable class of performances which have one time and another figured on the Auckland stage, lead to the serious consideration of the question whether some official censorship over the stage should not be exercised by the Government in New Zealand. It is useless to say that public opinion and the Press can deal with this matter. The very censorship exercised by the Press cuts two ways. While it holds such performances up to the

scorn and contempt of the really moral portion of the community, its very censure acts as a flaming and attractive advertisement of the objectionable performance to the immoral and the prurient. If a stdige manager wishes to fill his house to overflowing by means of coarse double entendre and equivocal scenes, ho desires nothing better than the denunciation of the local Press. It has been truly said of the drama that, apart from its modern excrescences, it a large aesthetic and moral influence on the minds of the people. It is the prostitution of the drama to such purposes as that lately reported at Dunedin that alienates from its support so large and important a section of the public. The taste to appreciate and the love for a well-acted niasterpiece of any of the great dramatists, is as inherent in the minds of men of all degrees of education and intellectuality as is the love of music Itself, It is the inability of the majority of actors—of all, indeed, save a very few—to embody the feeling, and depth, and exquisite pathos of the grand old dramatists that renders so many indifferent to what is called the legitimate drama. This is bad enough j hut if we wish to have indifference changed into disgust, and the school altogether destroyed that does occasionally P ro ™“ worthy successors of a Siddons, a or a Kean, to show us what the r irama really might be, then we can take no better step than to allow the understrappers of the sock and buskin to make up for lack of ability by the exercise of an unbridled licentiousness, which, if not speedily checked, will make eur theatres no longer fit places for the resort of modest women or ingenuous youth.”

A meeting of the Royal Arch Chapter of Otago will be htld this evening, at 7.30. A committee meeting will be held at the Working Men’s Club at 7.30 to-morrow evening. A meeting of the Pioneer Lodge, 1.0.0. F., will be held at the Oiiental Hotel to-morrow evening, at eight o’clock, The North Dunedin Rifles will parade for Government inspection, at their Drill-shed, on Wednesday evening, at 7.30. Mr R. Stout will address the electors of the Caversham district in the schoolhouse, Forbury, on Friday next at eight o’clock. A general meeting of the Dunedin Harmonic Society will be held in the Friendly Societies’ Hall, to-morrow evening at 7.30. The usual monthly meeting of the Standard Property Investment Society will be held on Wednesday evening, from 6 to 8 o’clock. It will be seen by advertisement in another column that the Walton Park Coal Co. have resolved to commence a retail business in Green Island coal. The Rev. B. J. Westbrooks will deliver a lecture on “Dreams,” to-morrow evening in the lower Hall of the Athenaeum. The Rev. Dr Stuart will occupy the chair. The Ladder of Hope Juvenile Temple, 1.0. G.T., met on Friday evening, when about sixty members were present and also a number of visitors from various adult lodges. The new ritual ordered and composed by the R. W.G.L. for juvenile Templars was used, and gave general satisfaction.

During the week ending Slat July, twenty patients were admitted into the Dunedin Hospital, and twenty-four discharged. Three deaths occurred during the week —Johanna Hogan, servant, aged 17, a native of Waterford, Ireland, died from consumption ; Charles Wheeler, seaman, aged 30, a native of Portsmouth, disease of the liver; Mary Henderson, aged 3 years 7 months, a native of Otago, died from burns on the face and body.