Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 4145, 9 June 1876, Page 2

The Industrial Branch of. the Government Assurance Department bos not proved a success, and is to be abandoned as far as any fresh business is concerned. The Municipal Bill is so for under way that a special meeting of the City Council will be held on Monday to consider it, in its amended shape os reported from Committee. A gentleman has been fined L2O and costs iu Canterbury for trespassing on land in pur* suit of game. The trespass does not appear to have resulted, in any damages being done, so that the infitotipn of so heavy a penalty tras tortt tomb ftr.

At tho Resident Magistrate's Court, Port Chalmers, this morning, before Mr T. A. Mansford, R.M., William Summers and Donald M‘Donald, for drunkenness, were each fined ss, with the usual alternative. Thomas White, for allowing his chimney to catch fire, was ordered to pay a fine of 2s 6d with costs.

Tho * Lyttelton Times ’ urges the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into question of the financial position of the Friendly Societies of this Colony, so as to determine the question now at issue between many of them and the Government Actuary as to the sufficiency of thbir scale of contributions.

There appears to be a considerable amount of activity in Road Board matters at pre sent. In Roslyn four gentlemen have been nominated to fill two vacancies; and in Mornington no less than eight candidates have come to the trout to supply the places of four members who retire. Three of the four retiring members offer themselves for re-election, two of whom belong to the legal profession, while the thiid is connected with the fourth estate.

The Ross Guardian' says that the reputed silver ore discovered up the Totara, between Farmer’s and Weir’s Creeks, turns out to be iron ore, and the further development of the lode has been abandoned. The application for a mineral lease in the vicinity which was lodged at the Land Office, has also oeen withdrawn. Another mineral lode has, however, been discovered at Fox’s Creek, Totara, but until an assay has been made the value of the discovery will be unknown.

From a private letter by the last mail a Taranaki paps.r learns that Judge Richmond, who is on a visit to Fngland, has been very unwell during the past winter. His eldest and youngest sons have also suffered from the seventy of the climate tue youngest having been in considerable danger from inflammation of the lungs. Mr J. (J. Riehmoad is still in Algeria, following the profession of _ civil engineer. One of his daughters gives high promise of attaining to great proficiency in art.

At a general meeting of the Dunedin Football Club, held at the Shamrock Hotel last evening, it was resolved to accept the challenge from the Union Club, the match to take place on Saturday, the 17th inst. A scratch match will be played to-morrow afternoon on the Oval, when the Union Club’s rules will be practised, the arrangenient being that those rules shall be played half time and the Association’s rules the other half. We trust that there will be a food muster of players, as in choosing the Kmedih team previous play will be taken into account.

Notwithstanding the unfavorable weather there Was a lair attendance at the literary and musical entertainment given in the Kaikorai Church on Tuesday evening. The Rev. Mr Blake was in the chair, aud during the evening read, with considerable effect, from the * Sunday at Home ’ the interesting and touching story in the Scotch dialect of “Daft Davie.” Mr Barrett, jttn., and his pupils added considerably to the success of the meeting, and the music by the choir and other friends was highly appreciated. It is proposed to continue these entertainments at fitting intervals during the winter months.

The Town Council of Greymouth has gone in for a singular investment. The ‘Star’ says The Town Band is now defunct, the Council having bought their instruments for L2O, which amount will be handed over to the hospital. The instruments are twentyseven in number, and originally cost £<l47, besides L3O worth of music. Councillor Hamilton, in proposing that the instruments should be bought, stated that by this means the Council could give the property to some responsible person who would undertake the formation of a band, and in the event of disagreement they could step in and take them back. By this means the town would never be without a band.

Some little fuss, remarks the ‘Post,’has been made by persons apparently ignorant of Parliamentary usages about the fact that Parliament will be opened by instead of by his Excellency the Governor in person, who will not deliver his speech until the following day. This, however, is the regular and ordinary practice in opening a new Parliament. The Speaker, of coarse, cannot be chosen until Parliament has been opened, thus it is usual to open it by Commission, and then, when the Speaker has been duly elected, for the Governor afterwards to deliver his quasi-Royal speech, containing the customary outline of the Ministerial policy. The Wellington Fire Brigade representa tires on their way home were entertained at dinner at Christchurch by the Lichfield Brigade. Superintendent Whiteford, in responding to the toast of the Wellington Brigade, expressed the Relief that the Sew Zealand brigades were possessed of better fire appliances than those in the sister Colony; and mentioned that it had been mooted that a competitive practice should take place in New Zealand (Dunedin, we believe, has been fixed upon) on the Prince oPWales’a Birthday. {Superintendent Harris (Christchurch) strongly supported a New Zealand competition. We believe a meeting of the Dunedin Brigade will be held on Monday evening to consider the subject.

The quarterly meeting of the Caithness, Sutherland, Orkney, and Shetland Association was held in Murray’s Hotel last night, Mr W. D. Sutherland in the chair. After the usual formal business wa« disposed of a vote of five guineas was passed in aid of the widows and orphans of those who perished at sea about six months since in a fishing boat hailing from Clytbe, in Caithness; and two guineas, being the balance of funds realised from last soiree, were unanimously voted for the same purpose. Mr Mowat, at Keith and Wilkie’s, has started a subscription list to relieve the sufferers by ibis disaster, and it will only be necessary to mention tbit six widows and twenty-five children were left unprovided for to enlist the substantial sympathy of all Caithness men. Six new members were added to the roll. The meeting was closed with a vote of thanks to the chairman

The sudden death of Mr Thomas Jones, of the Melbourne Hotel, Wellington, struck people with uncommon awe. A case in which .he appeared as plaintiff was being heard in the Resident Magistrate’s Court when Mi 'Crawford was informed of Mr Jones’s death, and the case was at once stopped. It seems that Mr Jones and a friend in court adjonr ed to the Crown aud Anchor Hotel. While there he swooned, fell to the ground, and never spoke after, though life was not extinct for about twenty minutes. The ‘ Argus’ says that other circumstances tend to make the case still more remarkable. A short time Mr Jones made a proposal to the Australian Mutual Provident Society for an insurance of LI,OOO upon his life. After the usual formalities the proposal was accepted and a day appointed for the payment of the first premium ; but Mr Jones (probably through pressure of business in connection wtyh the erection of his new hotel and othe- matters) allowed the day to pass. The office, however, allowed a few days grace, and it was arranged that Mr Jones should see Mr Dyer on Saturday last to pay the premium. This opportunity was also neglected, and Mrs Jones is the unfortunate loser of a sum whiph would have been of considerable as*

The Caledonian Society 1 * evening classes are mu hj a success that provision will at ouos have to be made for increased accommodation. The nightly attendance now averages 354, and the classes are '.ouch oVer< crowded. This evening; Mr Fitzgerald-will add a fifth class, and on Tuesday the committee will visit the Normal School to see what other arrangements can be made. The statistics attached to the annual report of the Chamber of Commerce show that the imports have been maintained very nearly at the figure reached during the year ending September 30, 1874, and the Customs revenue also—that for the twelve months ending on 31st March last being the largest ever collected here in any one year, viz., L 361.474 9s 7d. The exports show a falling off, chiefly in the items of gold, wheat, and preserved meats. It- is satisfactory, however, to note t.*.at the export of go d has revived, being much larger during the first quarter of the present year than it has been for two years previously. The wool export, as valued for Customs entry, has been maintained, being rather over a million sterling.

\ spend meeting of the Bichardfn Fusiliers wilt be held at the "Hibernian Hotel on Vlond «y evening, at eight ('’clock. ? ; W'e have been requested to state that a sample of the Kaitaugata Cm, any s coal is en view at Mr Hawkins’s office, Pr nces street. The i»-rform ’nc - at the Queen's Theatre this evening will he for the benefit of -irJ hj Howe. ‘ Alice Grey” will be the chief, attract on.

The Pop dar Saturday V.vening r«mce ts at th* em;*eranc - Hall will bo toutinaed tomo- row evening. T» op or mme will be found iuo.ir-advertising co umiu.

We have received from Messrs Reith and Wilkie Pars 7 of the r-r-t volume of the ne * series of the ‘ New Zealand Jc rist ’ The arrangement of this journal <b excellent, and in addition i o the carefully-selected oases reported there are general remarks and comments of much praotic 1 value. In the edit-rial re ma.k , the necessity for a revision of the prsc ; ice of our law courts to m «t the altered >-ocial condition of the < 'olony is ably pointed on l . Invaluable as the • New Zealand Jurist * mu t be to the members of the profession it contains a vast amount of m >tter of great inter:, at te every class of the community.