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Evening Star, Issue 4141, 5 June 1876, Page 2

The adjourned meeting of the District Court was fixed for to-day, but was further' adjourned to Monday next. .. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Port Chalmers, this morning, before Mr, T. A. ; Hansford, R.M., Herbert Stewart and Robt. Lewis, for drunkenness,-were each fined 55,, indefault 24 hours’ imprisonment, darnel Higgs, fer a similar offence, was ordered to pay a penalty of 10s, with the usual alternative.

Mr Smith, who for the last two years has been manager for Messrs Steele and Keogh, and., now severs his connection therewith, was to-day presented by the members of.the Queen’s Dramatic Company with a handsome locket, -with suitable inscription and testimonial. Mr Smith left for Melbourne this afternoon. - '

In the column of the Tuapeka paper usually devoted to obituary announcements appears the following unique advertisement, which is enclosed in the customary black border; -“Skedadled.—on the 26th ult., from the Blue Spur, William Batter, miner, aged 23 years, native of Redruth, Cornwall, England. Supposed to have gone per Alhambra to Victoria. Much regretted by his creditors. Redruth and Victorian papers please copy.” , When the prevailing cry is “dull times ”- it is pleasing (remarks the ‘TuapekaTimes’) to record the evidences' of prosperity and signs of permanent large yields at ttye Blue Spur. On no other goldfield of the Province is there such activity and enterprise shown as on this famous lull. at .the present time. Additional batteries are in prospect,; and, in course of erection, and ere long the head of Gabriel’s Gully will be bristling with stampers, as without a doubt the deposits of tailings -will be treated by this method, in addition to the batteries employed reducing the solid grounds. . ' On Saturday night “ Nick of the Woods ” was played at the Queen’s Theatre to a full down-stairs attendance. The drama was preceded by that pleasing comedy, “ Nine Points of the Law,” which passed off dapitally. Mrs Hill, -as Mrs Smylie, was As charming and attractive as any Widow could wash to be; while Mr Musgrave fairly revelled as Joseph Ironsides, and succeeded in conyufsing the audience. Mr Steele’s Rollingstone was well played, as indeed was every character in the comedietta. 'lt-is seldom that.a piece is better played than was this on Saturday night. “Guy Mannering ” is announced for this evening. The following is the despatch the Governor has received notifying that the Abolition Act has been- assented to; “Downing street, 17tb February, 1876,—My Lord, —I have to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 79, of the 2oth of October, enclosing a copy of ‘An Act to Provide for the Abolition of Provinces,’ to which yon have assented on Her Majesty’s behalf. I concur in thinking it a wise course to delay the-operation of so important a measure until the general election has affqrded the constituencies an opportunity of expressing their opinion, ami I trust that if it should be endorsed by them it will oe found as advantageous in'its operation as has been anticipated. I have now to inform you that Her Majesty will not be advised to exercise her power of disallowance with regpect to this Act. —I have, &c., Carnarvon. — Governor the Most Hon; the Marquis of' Normanby, K.0.M.G., &c., &c.”- : Seeing the action taken by some districts of Otago in drawing out and suggesting to the Premier county boundaries, the Tuapeka Progress Committee have thought it advisable on behalf of Tuapeka to suggest boundaries for the district, with Lawrence as its centre, and at their last meeting they adopted the following resolution :—“ That it be a suggestion to Sir Julius Vogel, Premier of New Zealand, in view of the subdivision of the country into counties, that the present electoral district of Tuapeka for the House of Representatives be constituted a county, and that the boundaries of said district be the boundaries, of the County of Tuapeka - there being resident therein a settled European population of upwards of 5,000, and a Chinese population of 1,000.” The condition of the main and district roads was talked over, but owing to the present transition state of Government it was thought almost a waste of time to appeal to either Government in their behalf.

Chessplayers he delighted to learn that the reported insanity of Paul Morphy, the renowned chessplayer, is contradicted in a recent number oi the ‘ Westminster Papers,’ as follows:—Among all the good things for which the chess world has to thank the * Hartford Times,’ none will receive more appreciation than Mr Belden’s authoritative contradiction of the report of Paul Morphy’s insanity. The report pro--bably had its origin in the reckless ingenuity of a paragraphist pressed for an item. That it found such ready credence among chessplayers is due, we suppose, to the universality of the belief that great wit to madness is allied, and is therefore in seme sort a kind of compliment to the illustrious victim of a silly hoax. A New Orleans paper says ; —There is a ridiculous story afloat that Paul Morphy has lost his reason, and is an inmate of a lunatic asylum. Mr Morphy was never in better health than now. Having adopted law for a profession, he gave up chess, and devotes himself exclusively to business.

The settlers at Strath Taieri are agitating for a railway, and have addressed to the Provincial Secretary a memorial, of which the following is a copy:—“ Whereas it is desirable, in the opinion of the undersigned, that the’ claims of the Strath Taieri as the best route for the Otago Central Railway should not be overlooked, and whereas it appears that there are no reliable data as yet obtainable as to the facilities offered for railway construction between Outram and Kyeburn, and the amount of Crown lands which would be enhanced in value by such line, this memorial humbly showeth: That the question of main branch railway construction in Otago is sure to be considered by the General Assembly of New Zealand in its first session. That the result of a flying survey from Waihemo to Kyeburn and Clyde is on record, as also of the alternative line from Lawrence to Toviot and Clyde. That, to complete the comparative information, it is desirable that a flying survey should be undertaken from Outram to Kyeburn, in order that the approximate cost per mile of a railway by tbaf route should be definitely settled. Youx*. memorialists therefore pray that your Government will take such steps as may appear to’ it necessary to obtain the 'information desired.”

The water supply which MrMTieod, the Oamara engineer, proposes, ia to be bronchi from theWaitaki by means of a race, which will delirer about 100,000 cubic feet a minute, or say about 9,000,000 gallons a day. The race flaming. 4c., would cost about L 40,000, and the reticulatioUjOf the streets about L 12,000, or a total of L52i000; The pressure is estimated at a Rifle Over 1201bs to the square inch. The flumingand tuuneUing wiU be constructed of a capacity sufficient to double the supply, and cuffiver 2,000 cubic feet a minute snould it at any time be required.

Martha Ann Wright, who recently kiUed her child at Napier, while temporarily insane, has been committed for trial on a charge of wilful murder. It was said at the time of : the occurrence that Herb'usbuid h'ad' deserted her and left her destitute, but in the Poßce Court the woman denied this. She said M I am not afraid of my husband^ he has been v«hr 3rihd-to me altreya. • lam* not destitute. I harp jtiß.-some money in the.house, but in tW'state of mind 1 have :been for the last few days I hsgve noVbeen able to do anything fpr mychildren; in fact, they would have starved but for. the .kindness of Mrs Woods.*’ . : : v • - r

The two railway carriages built, by AjUssra Findlay and Cb. to the order of the Prbvih- : cial. Government, were tried on the' Port Chalmers line on Saturday afternoon.. They - are exactly fac similes of those n$W used! on the Port linej and are; built of cedar' with janah fittings. The whole of; the work, with the exception of the wheels, are of local manufacture, and for comfort are much preferable to those at . present in use- The. carriages are supplied at Rome cost, with insurance and freight added. They are in every respect complete, and Mr Conyers, general manager, ard Mr Grant,-,traffic manager, express themselves as highly pleased with the workmanship. On arrival at Port an adjournment was made to Dodson’s, where;ihe health of the builders was drunx in bumpers. j '

The balk s pf. the OtagO ‘ and Canterbury members proceed to the Assembly by the ■ Hawea on Tuesday next. His’ Honor the Superintendent 'leaves: next week; but it is understood that Mr Reid remama in town; till nearly the end of the month. v< The. session will commence on Thursday, the . 13th' inst., but the business in the Lower House on that day will be confined to the swearing in of members and the election' of a Speaker * and Chairman of Committees. It is a Settled fact that the. Premier will propose and SirG. Grey second the nomination of Mr.lfitzherr bert to the one position and of Mr O’Rorke to the other, and that there will-be.no opposition to either gentleman. When the House meets on the following Tuesday: the address in reply, will be moved,’* but we have not yet heard what hon; member-will be entrusted with this task. The address is certain to provoke a warm debate.

/ The following is from the ’ Queenstown correspondence in the ‘ Southland Times ’ : —A letter from a Mr Wenkheim appeared recently in ’ the columns. of the ‘Mad,* touchingupbn the;,bad state of odr “commercial morality,” and a tale has been told “your own,” which seems t7bear put hiq statement*. M. turns insolvent. N. is trustee. N. unfortunately owns. M LlO. Says N., “Old fellow, I can’t pay you that money just now } but if ybu like to let me off, you may buy yOur book debts : chefip.” After further conrorsatioti it is 'arranged that M. is to have book debts for L3‘ 10a, N. paying the money and .crying quits with Mi Asthe book debts in a:similar estate were sold by and realised L3O the honesty of the • foregoing proceedings is apparent.—Severai of our leading business men; are trying; to float a company, to .be called the Wakatip. Steam Shipping.Com-. pauy. The ideate to run a ateamer,carrying passengers only.

Geelong is the place chosen for the next Intercolonial Fire .Brigades’ Demonstration. The ;Diinedin memapeak in the highest terms-of the manner in which they were, treated J at Ballarat, Speading of . the two 1 teams from this Colony, the Ballarat ‘ Star ’ -ofrthV- ' lSth ~ alty‘ eayr:— u -T£e New Zealanders are •quiet, modest fellows, and talk" Tery little about" chances of taking a front place oh the Qqeen’s birthday, but there is a staunch, steady, business-like air about them that speaks of hard Work, pluck, and something more; They have come over. 1,000 miles to compete for place mid prize, jpsd it strikes us that they mean to win them.” This afternoon .the two- teams met' at the Engine Station, when Lieut. Falconer, on behalf of the Dunedin Brigade, presentedSuperintendent Whiteford With a photograplanf the : Dunedin contingent at Ballarat.f The T&unedin Brigade likewiAb received a photograph of the Wellingtonrepresentatives. The Wellington contingent on their arrival home are to be driven through the Empire City iand banquetted.lf they ; arrive at; night, there will probably be a torchlight procession. Seeing the success thp Ballarat demonstration has been, we put it to the DuUedin Brigade whether it would not be worth their while to take into considerationthe desirability of holding a similar demonstration in Dunedin at the end of the yearsay in November. They ought to be no difficulty iin obtaining suitable prizes, and if every brigade in the Colony sent a contingent, which we think they would do,' a very respectable muster could be obtained.

The general committee of the Carnival w>U meet at the City Council Chambers this evening, at eight o’clock.

A meeting of the Standard Property Investment Society will be held at the offices on Wednesday next, between 6 and 8 p.m. . The adjourned meeting of shareholders in the Grevmouth C- al Company will be held tomorrow (Tuesday), at 4.30 p.m., in Mr Eeid’s store.

A special summoned meeting of the Court Pride of Dunedin, A 0.F., will be held in the South' Australian" Hall to-toorrow evening at 8' O’clock.

An entertainment by the pupils of the Dunedin Collegiate School will be given 'in the Princess’s Theafa eon Friday evening. -> »he programme will be found in our advertising columns. Among the improvements in Wellington is the neiw Empire Hotel It will be seenny. the' advertisement that it has been re erected since the late fire, and that additional comforts to its former hospitable accommodation have been provided. . ; ■

The sixpenny concerts at the Temperance Hall on Saturday evening drew an audience packed to overflowing, m fact, we have .seldom seen the Hall t-b crowded. Ihe frequent expressions of approval testified to - the satisfaction of all with the amusement provided.