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Evening Star, Issue 4030, 26 January 1876, Page 2

The Tuapeka Jockey Club have decided not to entertain the protest against Kuriwoa by the Wyndham Club. The Chinese new year commenced to-day; and high jinks have been going on in the Chinese quarters of the City. The Rev. F. Knowles, for many years incumbent of Merivale (Christchurch), has accepted an appointment in this diocese. The long vacation commences on Tuesday, and will terminate on March 10. During that time the Supreme Court offices will be open from 10 a.m. till 1 p.m. The Hon. G. M. Waterhouse was yesterday and to-day shown over the public institutions and large mercantile establishments by the Superintendent and Mr Bradshaw. A Taieri settler recently went home to Aberdeenshire, and thence to America, where he had some property to sell. He returned to Otago by way of Scotland, the whole trip, as he informs the * Bruce Herald,’ costing only L6l, In the last number of the ‘New Zealand Gazette ’ appear the following notifications : —Mr J. Sperry to be Superintendent collector for Otago of agricultural statistics; and Mr D. Reid to be a member of the Otago Cattle Board vice the Hon. D. Menziea, resigned. Letters of naturalisation have been issued in favor of J. Lachman. A peculiar information was filed in the Police Court this morning. One Samuel Crafts, fishmonger, was proceeded against by Detective Bam for exposing for sale mud oysters, contrary to the statute. Mr Aldridge, who defended Crafts, took out a crossaction against the informant for having the oysters in his possession, he having bought them. The latter case will be heard on Saturday, The parishioners of Kaiapoi are very much dissatisfied with the Primate’s decision in reference to their charges against the Rev. Mr Carlyon, whom they accuse of ritualistic practices. At a public meeting a few evenings ago they carried a resolution expressive of the opinion that “it is undesirable that the Rev. H. E. Carlyon should continue any longer in charge of this cure, and respectfully requesting the incumbent to resign his appointment.” As an evidence of the advance in the price of freehold property at Balcutha we may mention that at the sale of Mr John Jamie’s effects at Balclutha a few days ago the high figure of L 475 was offered and refused for the one-eighth of an acre and an old building worth LSO. The property was withdrawn by the trustees, L6OO being the reserve price. Five years ago this lot of land was bought for L 25, and fifteen years ago it was purchased from the Government for the large sum of Is 3d sterling. From Wellington we leam that Mr Darrell’s company concluded their season there on Monday, their final appearance being witnessed by a bumper house. They sailed the next day for Napier. Mr Burford has joined Mr Hoskins’s company. Blondin, who is in Auckland, travels in style. He brings forty tons of paraphernalia with him; and on the evening of his arrival went in state to the theatre, where he was easily recognised by the number of medals and decorations which he wore on his breast.

The concert last night, in aid of the building fund of St. Paul’s parochial school, was held in the new school-room, and was well attended. There was a little inconvenience at the outset through the gas going out, and it was nearly nine o’clock before a start with the programme could be fairly made. The vocal portion of the programme calls for little notice. In “O’er hill and dale” were heard two ladies who used some years ago to take a prominent part in the Monday popular concerts, and who can always be listened t6 with pleasure; and they and Miss Jago would have had to submit to encores if it had not been so late when their songs were reached. The instrumental music was good, but there was rather much of it. A wellknown of the bar had to repeat his cornet-piano solo. Mr A. J, Towsoy presided at the piano. Even the saddest circumstances are not without their jocular features. So says the humorous correspondent of the ‘ New Zealand Mail ’ (Wellington) when lie relates the following story :—A gentleman in this town, burning with anxiety to see Smat, the author of the Hutt sensation, elbowed his way into the Police Court last Monday, and asked a friend to show him the criminal. IS ow it so happens that the reporter’s box in the Vt ellington Police Court occupies the exact position which popular taste would accord to the dock, and in that box at the tune were two young gentlemen who do not think any vhi onlinairn of their personal appearances. The gentleman who was asked to point out Smat pointed to where the two lepoiteis sat, and said, “There's the wretch, with the warder alongside of him,” The man anxious to see Smat took a loug look at the reporters, and at last turned away and left, saying, “Well, the mere sight of him makes me sick in the stomach. Doc# he not look like a brutal wretch ? ”

The amusing comedy, “Leap Year,” was repeated at the Queen’s Theatre last evening, and drew together a capital attendance in the lower parts of the house. To-night “ Bob Roy ” will be played. The Auckland ‘ Herald ’ has an article on the elections, in which it contends that the Government is in “a small and hopeless minority, ” and expresses an opinion that there is a probability of its resigning before the meeting of Parliament. Balclutha seems to be rapidlv advancing in importance since the opemng of the Clutha Railway. Beside the old-established banks of New Zealand and the National, it has now a branch of the Colonial Bank, under the management of Mr Ritchie. The Bank of New South Wales have also engaged premises belonging to Dr Smith, and intend to open a branch in a few days. Judging by the great number of and handsome buildings erected there, the great scarcity of house accommodation, together with the crowded appearance of the streets after the arrival of the trains and coaches, there is no doubt but this place is destined to become a great centre offpopulation. Properties of every description, and particularly town sections, are rapidly increasing in value.

There is a peculiarity connected with the case of the man Kirby recently convicted at Auckland and sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment for indecently assaulting a Mrs Bain. It was alleged for the defence that there was a conspiracy between Mr Bain and his wife to entrap Kirby; but the Judge in summing up pointed out that if the prisoner laid hands on the woman indecently, or attempted to ravish her, the fact that a trap was laid for him would not excuse his attempt, though it might go in mitigation of punishment. The jury returned a verdict of “Guilty of an assault with intent,” but considered that he was trapped into the commission of the crime, and therefore strongly recommended him to mercy.—Prisoner in answer to the usual question, whether he had anything to say why sentence should not be passed, said: ‘‘l am not guilty. When a man is asked by a woman to go with her it is not one man in a thousand who can refuse.” The Judge, in passing sentence, said it would not be “well if persons were to set up that defence, or escape punishment merely upon the ground that they had fallen into a trap. It would be a warning to others not to look into pastures not their own, lest they fell into traps. As already said, Kirby was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment.. The evidence as a whole, however, shows that the conduct of Mrs Bain was open to grave suspicion.

We are glad to seethat the train service to the Port is to be augumented, a speci >1 train being announced to leave Dunedin to morrow and the three following Thursday.-*, at 11 p.m. An error occurred in Dr Drysdale’s sanitary repot at the Pot Chalmers Town Council on Monday night. As printed by us yesterday we have m de him say an “ unusual y plentiful supply of water in the favor of rain combine to fun a natural propagation,’ If should have read as foil ws: “ quantity of water in the form of rain combine to form a natural system of pugation.”