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Evening Star, Issue 4054, 23 February 1876, Page 2

Mr Johnstone (formerly Sanitary Inspector’s assistant) and Mrs Johnstone have been appointed master and matron of the Fever Hospital.

At a special meeting on Monday night, the North Otago Turf Club by four votes against three refused to remove the disqualification from Exile.

At the Port Chalmers Police Court this morning, before Mr T. A. Hansford, R.M., Henry Sutcliffe was fined ss, with the usual alternative for drunkenness.

On anniversary day the whole of the volunteers in Southland are to parade in Invercargill, and during Easter week the three Wakatip companies will parade at the Shotover, The * Times ’ says every preparation will be made to render the Invercargill review a brilliant affair, and it is most likely an experienced retired military officer will review the men.

An undoubted case of foot and mouth disease in the human subject has occurred in Ballinasloe, Nelson, in the person of a cardnver named M'Cormack. It appears, says the local ‘ Mail, that he drank some of the milk of a diseased cow, and in two days after exhibited all the symptoms which pre sent themselves in the case of sheep and cattle affected with the disease.

On Monday fifty-four messages were rereceived per Australian cable, and thirtynine forwarded. The process of receiving and transmitting messages by the cable is much slower than by the land lines. The words are indicated by flashes of light. Two operators are, therefore, required when receiving messages: one to watch the flashes, the other to write from dictation.

The City of Melbourne, with the English January mail) left San Francisco on February 6, four days behind her contract time. Respecting the service at this end the ‘Post’ states that advices have been received in Wellington that this month the Grenada will run through from New Zealand to San Francisco, and the Colima from Sydney, taking excursionists to the Philadelphia Exhibition, It is probable that the new steamer Zealandia will be the outward mail boat from New Zealand for March. We are informed that Mr M. Anderson this morning received a cablegram summoning him to Melbourne (whither he has gone per Riugarooma), owing to the serious illness of his brother. Under such circumstances Anderson and her company would be passengers by the Albion; but Mr Metcale assures us that her engagements in the Colony are such that she must of necessity visit New Zealand before proceeding to America. 6

A preliminary and numerously-attended meeting of drapers’ assistants was held last evening at Cotter’s Caledonia Hotel, for the purpose of forming an association. The following resolutions were passed : Proposed by Mr W.W. Brown and seconded by Mr T. M’Kenzie—“That this meeting resolve itself into a society to be termed the ‘ Drapers’ Association ” “that this society be formed for the mutual improvement of its members, the protections of their interests, and benefit of the trade in general“that those eligible to become members of this association be such as are employed in the various retail and wholesale drapery establishments in Dunedin, who are of good moral character and standing in their employment, and who are not likele to prove a burden to the society “ that all members previous to admission be balloted for, and any one proposing another for admission bo responsible to the Society for his eligibility.” It was decided to postpone the meeting, and that all assistants should be invited to attend the adjourned meeting, when laws for the future conduct and gtudanoe of the association 'trill be framed*

The ‘Post' learns that H.R.H. theßrinCd of Wales, Grand Master of the Freemasons of England, has been pleased to appoint under letters patent the Hon, Sir Donald M‘Lean, K.C.M.G., District Grand Master for the North Island of New Zealand. The letters patent have been expected for some time, but owing to his Royal Highness’s departure for India they have been delayed.

The Marionettes’ second programme includes some new songs and jokes by the Christys, and appears to give equal satisfaction with the first. There was an afternoon performance to-day, the attendance being good. The children from the Reformatory to the number of a hundred, accompanied by the master and teachers, were brought to town by special train. A new burlesque is shortly to he produced.

A meeting of Justices of the Peace was recently held, when several Chairmen of Petty Sessions were appointed, whose duty it is to preside at the City Police Court for two months. Mr Pyke, the first Chairman, has now nearly completed his present term of office, and he will be followed by Mr Fish, who, in turn, will be relieved by Mr H ; ckson. Thus it is hoped that the Court will always be presided over by a gentleman with considerable Magisterial experience. Mr Pyke does not appear to entertain a very high opinion of some of the registrars in this Colony. To-day at the Police Court a woman charged her husband with wife desertion, and stated that she never received a marriage certificate being married by Dr. Barrett, registrar, at Waipori. Mr Pyke commented on the fact of persons being married without receiving certificates, and said it was one of those inconveniences which resulted from making all people registrars. Such positions should, he considered, never be given to other than Government officers. ’ In the course of the inquiry at Hokitika into the circumstances which induced the German immigrants to return from Jackson Bay, Ferdinand Schwann, a farm laborer, from the Province of Brandenburg, said “he had been engaged by the year, at seventy thalers per year—equal to ten guitteas—and his food. Nothing was said to him as to where he should come in New Zealand. He was told in Wellington that there was not much work there, but there was much work in Hokitika. He heard nothing about Jackson Bay till he got to Hokitika, where he heard so much about the place that he would not go there now. He had been told that those in Jackson Bay were So much in debt that he wouldn’t go.” A Mr Gallagher, who arrived in Wellington by the steamer Phoebe, from Dunedin, on Tuesday last, has been rather unfortunate. It appears that his luggage consisted of two wooden boxes containing his clothes, valued at LSO, and sixty-six sovereigns in a pocket-book. His original intention was to go on by the steamer to Auckland, but on his arrival there he determined to remain in Wellington. Accordingly he had his boxes brought ashore, and they were taken charge of by somebody who promised to place them in the free store or on the wharf for the night. This (says the * Post ’ of the 19th) it appeared was done, but by some means they mysteriously disappeared during the night, and no trace has since been found of them. Mr Gallagher supposed that, being labelled “Auckland,” they might have been replaced on the Phoebe before she sailed, but he has learned by telegraph that this has not been the case. He has communicated with the police. In the meantime, having lost all his clothes and money, he is in a fix.-

On Sunday morning, daring the service in the Homan Catholic Church, at Invercargill, Esther Higgins called attention to the number of mixed marriages between Catholics and Protestants, which had been performed during the past two years at the Registration Office, and dwelt on their inadvisableness, The * Times' says he censured strongly those Roman Catholics who had contracted such marriages without previously procuring an agreement in writing, securing the education of the children to be bom in the Catholic faith, and he reminded his hearers that, failing this condition, they would render themselves liable to excommunication. He also stated that in those cases where Catholics had been married by Protestant clergymen, those clergymen themselves would despise them for their conduct, as all men admired consistency. With re gard to the total number of marriages performed by the Registrar during the past two years, we may mention that there were twenty-three in 1874 and 1875. Out of these eleven were either mixed marriages, or else between two Roman Catholics. In the large majority of cases, where the Registrar has officiated, either the young woman was apparently enceinte or else one of the parties was a Roman Catholic and the other a Protestant.

The drawing of Braithwait* and Clifford’s art union takes place at the Athenaeum Hall at seven o’clock this evening.

& The emergency meeting o' the Lodge of Otago called for this evening is adjourned till further notice.

A public meeting of seamen and firemen will be he held at the Univeraßl Hotel, Maclaggan street, to-morrow evening, at eight o’clock, to consider the reduction of wages.

The annual Congregational meeting and soiree in connection with the First Church will be held in the Church to-morrow (Thursday) evening at six o’clock. Mr Charles ( Bright will deliver a lecture entiled “Christianity, Primitive and Political,” on Sunday evening next, in the marquee of Wilson’s Circus. Admission free. Wilson’s Palace Circus have fixed themselves at the Southern Market Reserve, and give their opening performance on Friday evening. We shall have a word or two to say about the company to-morrow.