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Evening Star, Issue 4038, 4 February 1876, Page 2

The ships Conflict and Jessie Osborne arrived in Lyttelton on Saturday, the former with 340 and the latter with 280 immigrants on board. The Jessie Osborne has been placed in quarantine, as one case of scarlatina is on board.

The Dunedin Presbytery yesterday took the steps preliminary to a call to the Rev. A. M. Finlayson to Blueskin and Merton. We should feel obliged to the Clerk of Presbytery if he would in future extend to this journal the customary courtesy of informing us as to the date on which meetings of Presbytery are to be held.

The Marionettes —that is the mechanical part of the company—arrived by the Omeo yesterday, but the principals had to remain in Melbourne to settle some little legal difficulties in which they became involved. Mr Geddes informs us that he expects Mr M'Donogh over by the Ringarooma, and after playing a short season in Invercargill he will bring the show on to Dunedin.

Anyone taking a walk towards the Ocean Beach, or along] the Anderson’s Bay road, cannot fail to notice the vast improvements being effected on what is commonly known as the flat. Particularly in that portion of South Dunedin which extends towards Caversham is this observable, and all that ground which not long since was little better than desert land is now being rapidly built upon.

An unusually attractive programme will be presented to the patrons of the drama at the Queen’s Theatre this evening. First there will be the drama of “ Faust and Marguerite,” then the comedy of “Poodles,” with Mr Bates in his well-known character of the drunkard; and the whole will conclude with the burlesque of “ Romulus and Remus,” which will be given for the" first time this season. The performance is tendered as a benefit to Miss Willis.

Mr Monson, Immigration Officer at Port Chalmers, furnishes us with the returns of immigration and emigration for January. From the United Kingdom there came 78 men, 28 women, and 19 children of bothsexes; Victoria sent us 123 men, 45 women, and 16 children; New South Wales, 7 men and 5 women. The emigration tables show that 4 men, 1 woman, and 6 children went to England during the month ; 50, principally men, to New South Wales ; while Victoria received from us 52 men, 16 women, and 17 children. The balance in favor of immigration during the month was 146 souls. One of the most original official documents we ever read is that which Mr Goodall, when Mayor of Milton, sent to the Superintendent when forwarding to his Honor the health report of that municipality. It is dated February of last year, and is to the following effect:—“lherewith send you our report from the Medical Inspector here; you wul see it is rather favorable, and I think it is a very fair report. The nuisances he has pointed out have all been removed, so that we may say for the present, tee are dean. I wish every town in the Province could say the same. We are forming a fire brigade, which I think I will complete. We have now thirty fine young men, all enrolled, and captain and officers; and laws are passed and officers appointed. We are now purchasing an engine and hose. We had Cap-, tain Wain at our meeting last night, and he gave us the best of advice, so that I think we will soon have all things put to right. We will perhaps be enabled to get a water supply by-and-by, and then we will get a regular sewerage, so that our health rate may get better. Mr White is still getting on very well with the patterns. Your visit did him a vast deal of good by bringing him into notice. We are still keeping busy in Tokomairiro. Long may it continue. Hoping this will find you well. I will look in and see you when I come to town.”

The * Bruce Herald ’ is responsible for the following:—Some of the residents in the neighborhood of the Maori Kaik at Taiaroa Head adopt rather peculiar measures for the enforcement of obedience in their wives. In justice to the Maoris, however, we must state that the men we allude to are pakehas. The prospect of a dinner to Taiaroa, the Maori chief and member of Parliament, naturally caused a little stir amongst the settlers in the locality,, and one lady, without consulting her husband’s wishes in the matter, announced her intention of being present at the banquet. Whetherthe husbandobjectedtohis better-half doing honor to Taiaroa, or whether he thought he should have been consulted in the matter, we cannot say ; but at any rate he determined that she should not go. He tied her hands behind her back, and then made her fast to a rafter with a rope and proceeded to thrash her with a strap. When he had come to the conclusion that she had been brought to a proper frame ef mind in respect to banquets and her obligations to him she had sworn to “love, honor, and obey,” he released her. Another man also found occasion to punish his wife a few days ago. He tied her hands together, and then threw her into about two feet of water. She floundered about until she was half drowned, and was then taken out in a very weak state. Some lestorative appeared to be necessary, so she was placed close to a large fire until she showed decided signs of animation. There is a.magistrate at the Kaik, and telegraphic communication, has just been established between that place and Port Chalmers* where tyere is a police station ; but no action was" taken to punish the offender in either of the cases we have mentioned.

The attention of seath r -lchrs in St. Paul’s Church is directed to an advertisement in another column.

We again direct the attention to the trip to the Kaik and Heads, per p,*. Golden Age torn rrow aft* moon. The Age haves the Dune in jetty at 2.30 for Port Chalmers, t'ne Maori Kaik and Heads, and returns to Port Chalmeis in good time to forward passengers to Dunedin by the 5.30 train. The Age will ca lat Macar.drew’s Bay on the down trip to land passengers.