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Evening Star, Issue 4117, 8 May 1876, Page 2

t We learn from the Sydney papers that the New Zealand and Australian came is already a financial success.

The popular concerts at the Temperance Hall appear to be increasing in public favor, and on Saturday night there was a packed house. Mr Sykes introduced some new faces, and a most attractive programme was presented. “The White Cockade,” described in the play-bills as “the latest London sensation,” will he produced at the Queen’s Theatre to-night for the first time in this Colony. We understand that the management have gone to considerable outlay in placing the piece on the boards in a creditable manner.

The weights for the handicap races at the ensuing Tradesmen’s Meeting were advertised to be declared on Saturday evening, but the handicappers—Messrs G. Dowse, C. Moore, and J. Reany—have not been able to agree as to the respective merits of some of the horses engaged. We believe that a speciel meeting of the Committee of the Jockey Club will be held this evening, at which a solution of the difficulty wul probably be arrived at.

There is another case of alleged witchcraft on the East Coast. A Maori, 90 years of age, was accused of being a witch, and the people expressed the humane intention of killing him. The R.M. at Maketu had the old man apprehended, and locked him up to save his life. The Maketu Natives released the old man by force, and are about to take proceedings in his name against the Government for false imprisonment. Altogether, this is a very r kettle of fish.

Commenting on the Magisterial proceedings re Regina v. Thomas the ‘Post’ says:— “The whole proceedings give rise to the suspicion that had the case been dealt with by the Bench, an utterly inadequate penalty would have been inflicted, probably in the shape of a fine, and the ends of justice would thus have been defeated. The circumstances indeed lead to the conclusion that Messrs Mercer and Niven are not in the right place when sitting on the Bench, and that it would be better to appoint a competent gentleman as a second Resident Magistrate at Dunedin, than run the risk of a repetition of such judicial vagaries as those performed in the case referred to.”

The inward English mail via America, which should have left San Francisco on April 2(5, will be brought down by the new steamer City of New York, a sister ship to the City of San Francisco, connecting at Kandavau with the Australia, which takes the outgoing mail from Sydney, and will bring on the New Zealand portion of the City of New York’s mail, the'latter boat proceeding to Sydney. The Australia will come down the coast to Port Chalmers, and take the next outward mail. An opportunity thus will be afforded to the inhabitants of the various New Zealand ports touched at, of inspecting what is said to be the finest steamer ever yet seen in these Colonies, and the one which, moreover, has made the quickest passage from England to Melbourne hitherto accomplished.

The ‘Mount Ida Chronicle’ says some severe things about Mr MTCerrow’s report on Mr Shernan’s application the other day to purchase part of his run : • “ The Chief Surveyor’s report upon run 247 was contradicted flatly by the protest submitted to the Board by the representative of the district, but discourteously suppressed. It was coni indicted also by the resolution of the Naseby public meeting, published last week, which was telegraphed to the Waste Land Board, but which was also suppressed. The district should petition the Government to obtain a report as to the real nature of the land on the run. If this were done the Government would find that it still had a valuable property. It is a great pity that a gentleman of so great trigonometrical talent, and who is in heart so loyal to Otago, should have allowed his judgment to be warped, in order to justify an ul-conceived and worse-exe-cuted attempt at unjustifiable land jobbery, alike ol law or publio equity,”

At the Typographical Society’s meeting on albiirday, Mi* A. Judge was elected President, vice Mr H. M. Cole, who has left Dunedin ; Mr Quinn, Secretary; and Mr D. Jolly, Trustee, vice Mr Pearson. The Treasurer’s report showed a balance at the end of the quarter of L 92. A levy of 28 fid per week was made on all working members, in order to support those who had come out on strike from the * Guardian ’ office, and who refused to submit to what they believed to bo unfair proposals submitted by the new proprietor,—The Press Dramatic Club reelected Mr Bracken as President, and added Messrs Rose and Wyburd to the Committee.

Friday’s ‘ Southland News ’ had the following : —Mr P. K. M'Caughan, of Wantwood station, Hokonui, is sparing neither labor nor expense in his efforts to eradicate the rabbit pest. Quite recently he imported three dozen dogs from Victoria, and now he has, rabbit-killing on Wantwood, five men and eighty dogs, the result being an average daily slaughter of 250 bunnies.—On the 25th of last month Mr Job Coulam’s waggon, loaded with wool from Mr D. Cameron’s station, Nokomai, was carried away while fording the Mataura. The driver and the horses managed to effect a safe landing, but up till the 2nd instant the waggon and its valuable load remained in the Mataura, from whieh, however, there is no fear but that it will be eventually recovered. The wool will, as a matter of course, be unfit for the market this year. The Wellington ‘ Evening Argus ’ reports that *. —“ The new Surveyor-General, Mr Thomson, is losing no time in organising his new department. Already we hear of several appointments, amongst others that of Mr 0. W. Adams to a responsible position in the new department. Mr Adams will be remembered as having some years ago been in the employment of the Government of this Province as a surveyor. He then went to Otago, and has for some years resided at Lawrence as District Surveyor. He is well known in the profession as an able and reliable man.” It is understood that Mr Adams’s appointment will be as Geodesical Surveyor. Mr M'Kerrow is spoken of as a orobable

Assistant-Surveyor, in which case Air Baker, of Southland, will succeed Mr M'Kerrow at Dunedin as District Surveyor. The title of Chief Surveyor will of course be abolished. The football match by the Union Club on the Northern Recreation Ground on Saturday was between sides chosen by the English and Scotch members of the club, respectively captained by Messrs R. Cowie and T. Tresider. Some spirited play was exhibited, and after a two hour’s struggle, the game resulted in a draw, two goals being secured by each side. There was a splendid muster, nearly forty members of the club taking part in the match. Un the Southern Oval a scratch match was played by the Dunedin Club, between sides chosen by the captain and the deputy-captain. This match likewise resulted in a draw, one goal being secured for each side. On Saturday, the present and past pupils of the High School will try conclusions with the other membeie of the club.

Advices by the last mail state that Dr Hector would leave London for Philadelphia on the sth of April. He will act as New Zealand Commissioner at the International Exhibition, and may be expected back in the Colony about July next. The * Post ’ says he has succeeded in obtaining from the British Museum, by way of exchange, some very valuable collections for the Colonial Museum. From Professor Maskelyn he has received large collections of minerals, fossils, and casts. Others have contributed in various ways, and Mr James Brogden has beed a liberal donor. Dr Hector, during his stay in London, has occupied one of the crypts at the British Museum, where he has had every facility afforded him for arranging and classifying his New Zealand collections, and for working out our fossils, with the assistance of Etheridge and other eminent men. A catalogue of New Zealand Crustacea has been compiled by Miers, and Dr Hector has arranged to have it printed in London uniform with the catalogues issued from the Colonial Museum. This catalogue embraces twenty new species, all of which are named and described. Dr Hector has, unfortunately, been unable to carry out his projected monograph on the whales and dolphins of JSew Zealand.

We would remind our readers of the tea meeting in connection with the Congregation 1 Church Town Mission, which t ikes place in the Church to-morrow (Tuesday) evening, at 6.80. We scarcely think it is necessary to tell our readers that the new Princess’s Theatre is to be opened to morrow night by Mdlle. de Murska. 'lhe programme that will be put forwa d will be worthy of the company and the occasion, and we feel sure there will be a bumper house.

The Ladder of Hope Juvenile Temple L‘ ‘.Gr.T. held its usual weekly meeting in the Congregational Hall on Friday, when the officers were installed for the ensuing term and an Executive Committee was appointed. It was decided that there should be an official visitation to the Juvenile Lodge at Fort Chalmers.