The Evening Star MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4010, 3 January 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1876.

The ' North Otago Times ' made its first appearance on Saturday as a daily. Dr Robinson, who lately arrived in the Colony as surgeou-snpcrintendent of the ship AVaitangi, Bitcopeda Dr. Guthrie in the management of the C'hnatclmroli Hospital. The Otago team fired for the Interprovineial pigeon match at Balclutha on Saturday. As the roturns from the other Provinces are not expected to be forwarded to-day, Ave hold over our full report until to-morrow.

The Clutha timo-tablo this month shows a saving of a quarter of an hour in the time occupied between Dimedin and Iktlelutha. Doubtless when the road is sufficiently firm Mr Cony era will be able to see his way to accomplishing the distance under there hours.

To-day was observed as a holiday by nearly the whole of Port Chalmers, and a number of the inhabitants proceeded by train to Dunedin to the Caledonian sports and the regatta. The p.s. Portobcllo was in attendance at each train from Dunedin to convey visitors to Portobello, but was very patronised. The Union Co.'a p.s. Samson which made a trip to the Kaik, Heads, and Waikouaiti, was fairly patronised. The Coldeu Ago also brought a few visitors to the Port.

An unpleasant medical controversy is now going on in the Chmtchurch papers re scarlet-fever. One .section oi" the medical profession of Christohurch Avhile admitting to having attended a few mild cases of illness accompanied by ncarlet rash, deny that it is scarlet fever ; while a.tother section asserts the contrary. Between the two the- public mind is rather disturbed, but it is a consola-

tion to know that the largo majority and most promising members of the medical profession take the former view of the case. At the Port Chalmers Police Court on .Saturday, before Mr Mansford, R.M., John .Nugent, cook of the ship Jessie Headman, was charged with deserting the ship on the 2f>th ultimo. The accused, who had been arrested at Christchurch, and brought down in chargo of a police officer, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for 12 weeks, and ordered to forfeit all hiti wages duo. Today, J as. Walsh, Thomas Flaherty, and Charles Veitch, for drunkenness, were discharged with a caution, and William Jones, whoso conduct had been very disorderly, was lined 10s, or twentyhours' imprisonment. Through the courtesy of Mr Monson, wc are enabled to give tho vital statistics' of Port Chalmers for the quarter ending December 31st last. The births during that period have been 30—viz., 18 males and 21 females. These added to the numbers recorded during the first three quarters of the year, show a total of 120 births of both

sexes. The number of deaths daring tho quarter have been 12, viz., 3 males and 9 females ; G being adults, and the remainder children and infants. One death waß the result of an accident, the remainder from natural causes. The total number during tho year has been 33, comprised of 20 adults and 13 children. There have been five marriages registered, during the quarter, and during the year, 30.

On Thursday last, Mr and Mrs Fitzgerald wore presented with substantial tokens of the esteem in which they are held by the residents of Oamaru. The testimonials consisted of a real silver tea and coffee service, valued at £62, consisting of four pieces, each piece being elegantly embossed und chased on both sides, forming a circle of leaves, with the centre plain. The following inscription is engraved :—-" P.-esented by the citizens of Oamaru to Mr and Mia W. S. Fitzgerald ns a mark of their respect and esteem. Oamaru, Dec. 29th, 1875." The watch was a ladies' gold open-faced lever, with a ladies' gold albert attached, valued at £24, and the following inscription is engraved ou the case : "Presented to Mrs Fitzgerald, by tho citizens of Oamaru, a» a mark of their respect and esteem, Oamaru, December 29th, 1873. This in what the Auckland ' Star' has to «sgr by way of recommendation of the newly eturnccl member for Auckland City East:

—" We hare long thought Mr W. L. Eesa a necessary oomplemont to Sir George Grey in the Assembly. Sir George Grey is altogether too gontl oinanly for ueel ; ng with the brutes with whom he has been compelled to herd in the i'mkl of legislation. And we have often pictured to ourselves two or three of these ignorant nincompoops worriting the leader of the Opposition, and then Mr Rees rushing at them open-mouthed and literally chawing them up. Tnere will not be a more slashing, fonrlcss speaker in the Assembly. and kept judiciously in check by Sir George Grey, ho will make the Treasury benches a pretty lively place for their occupants. City West has the honor of sending the most prominent member of the House, and City East will have the honor of sending a man to fill up what is wanting in Sir George Grey and to. deal with the political ruffians after the fashion most suited to their peculiar sensibilities.

The ' Canterbury Press' warns the AntiCentral League that they"] ave\ deceiving themselves most egregiously if they fancy there in any magic in the word Province. The inviolability of the land fund depends solely upon the amount of political influence that can bo an-ayed in its defence. If once a majority is determined to appropriate it, it is mere folly to suppose that it can bo re tained in defiance of them by the aid of an arrangement the very existence of which depends ou the will of the majority. And to tho comments of tho ' Daily Times' our contemporary makes answer : —Suppose a dead set is made at the southern land revenue, and a hungry majority "swoop down on it to seize it for the general use. How could Otago help herself ? How could the Otago members ''insist" when they had a majority against them ? . . . Granting i'or argument's sake tbat tho question iB seuJecl at the outset as the ' Daily Times ' wishes, aiui that Otago is left as an integer with full possession of her land fund ; what then ? The settlement can be upset whenever Parliament chooses. There is no more finality in vesting the land revenue in a Provincial Board than in making it over to

Shire Councils, Whichever course i 3 adopted, the security for it will be exactly thejsame. Each will depend upon an Act of the Assembly ; and any party which becomes atrong enough to repeal the one Act will be ss able to repeal tho other.

Mr Walker's day sjhcol will lie opened in the North Diuiulin chill shed to-morrow, at 9 3) a m.

A. summoned meeting of tl-e Pioneer 1 odge I 0.0. F. will be held to nionow (Tuesday), at ilia Oriental Hotel, at 8 p.m.

Members of the Pioneer Loctee 1.0. G.T. are requested to attend to-raorrow evening at 7. SO, when P O. vV.O.T. Bro. Andrews will preside. The Antidote Division Sons of Temperance will meet on Wednesday evening in tho hall below the Congregational Ohuicb. Ti'C adjourned summoned meetius; ©f the Hand arid Heart Lodge M.U 1.0 OF. will bo held at the to morrow (Tuesday), at 7.30 p.m.

We hear it is conteiS tinted to give a complimentary benefit, which \?ul lake place in about a fortnight, to Miss who is obliged to i roceed to Melbourne on K-lT°unt of ill hea'tb.

Mcsra Firfdlay and Co., of this city, are buil ing two carriages for the Provincial Government, as an experiment, at the same price as English carriage s are landed here, with shipping and other charges added. There were eighteen admissions to and fourteen discharges ;rom tho Hospital last week. Tho deaths were—-Uharles Marchaiit, gardener, iged seventy-two, nitive of Wiltshire, from disease of the bowels ; and Donald M'lutosh, aged forty-two, native of Sutherland, from pemphigus gang- lenosua.