The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4203, 16 August 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1876.

It is seldom that a presentation to a public man is so well-deserved a* was the gift of plate made to Mr Revnolds, on behalf of the citizens* of Dunedin, last Monday. Such testimonials are frequently the result of temporary ebullitions of popular feeling—a Bill carried through Parliament, a party victory, or the completion of some public work upon which a great deal of money has been spent, may each and all serve as the spring of action ; while occasionally pretended honor is done to an individual in this fashion for no better reason than the desire to spite political opponents. In Mr Reynolds’s case none of these causes were at work. He is an old and tried public servant, who has represented the City in the Provincial Council for twentytwo, and in the General Assembly for fifteen years, differing now and then in his political, views from some of his constituents, but never wilfully swerving from his duty; he has performed valuable services to the community; and his fellowcitizens signified their appreciation of them by following a time-honored custom. Had Mr Reynolds been less deserving of the testimonial, the attempt to collect funds for it would have been a failure. Political feeling is still very keen amongst na; the party which he offended by his support of the Abolition of Provinces Bill, and which pursued him with such bitterness during the general election, has not yet forgiven him ; and yet, with these powerful and hostile influences at work, no difficulty has been experienced in raising enough money, in shillings and half-crowns, to purchase a costly service of plate. The fact is, Mr Reynolds’s bitterest opponents know, as well as his friends do, that even if he take erroneous views of political questions, he is quite incapable of betraying his trust, aud has, during the whole course of his career, never voluntarily surrendered the interests of his constituents. His strong aeuso of public duty is exemplified by his having paired on the Separation resolutions with the very' party which ousted h<m from his seat at Dunedin. We do not approve of Mr Reynolds’s views on Separation, but we cordially recognise the.spirit which has led. him to vote on Sir George Grey’s side. His conduct, indeed, has only been that of a man of right principle ; but still it is, unfortunately,. not always that of New Zealand's politicians, aud the electors recognise the difference. It would he superfluous to recount Mr Reynolds’s many public serviced. He took up hia abode in the City in its earliest days, aud has assisted in carrying out most of the measures of importance which have, at one time and another, been adopted for its ad:vancement. Conspicuous mnoagat his civic services are those he rendered in-securing the City Reserves, in recognition of which, as he remarked during the proceedings on Monday, the City Council (of the day wished to present him with a testimonial. Mr Reynolds, however, chough identified with Dunedin, has by no means confined his labors to measures calculated to promote the interests of this City. He fought for years in the House of Representatives as the champion of the Ballot Act, which he at length succeeded in carrying through the Assembly; and he has consistently favored a liberal franchise. While a member of the Ministry he took part, as one of the New Zealand delegates, in the Intercolonial » bnference held at Sydney in 1878; and in the discharge of his departmental duties he gained the reputation of being an indefatigable Minister. Owing to the absence of colleagues from Wellington, it occasionally happened that he was found performing the duties appertaining to two or three departments; and his Ministerial life, both in the House and out of it, entailed a great deal of hard and thankless work, for which he may possibly get credit in due season. Whether Mr Reynolds’s voting with the Opposition on the Separation resolutions is to be taken as an isolated act, or whether it betokens a future connection with the MaUandrew party, we cannot venture to predict. We are inclined to believe the former ; but on whichever side of the House ho may be found, we are sure it will be that to which a feeling of duty impels him to go.

The Council of the University of Otago has done well in appointing ex-Judge Chapman’ to the Chancellorship of the University. Mr Chapman is a gentleman of learning and leisure, while he has always exhibited considerable interest in the advancement of high class education—three excellent qualities in the Chancellor of a young University, struggling for a scholastic reputation. Mr Chapman’s long tenure of a seat on the Judicial! Bench will likewise make the appointment respected in other parts of the Colony. The founders of the University contemplated that it should become a Colonial institution, and It was this desire which lay at the bottom of the struggles betweeu the supporters of the Otago and of the New Zealand University in the Assembly. The Colony is not big enough for two Universities, and the champions of the Otago University justly urged that it having been first established, and having, moreover, secured for itself a local habitation and a name, with a strong professorial *taff to boot, it was entitled to be treated as the Colonial University in place of an institution which might, with little exaggeration, be described as “an airy nothing. However, the Assembly determined otherwise; but notwithstanding its decision there [is no reason why, with proper management, the Otago University should not become essentially the University College of New Zealand, to which parents in all parts of the Colony will look as the institution through whoso portals their children must pass, as a matter of course, before applying for their degree. It was rumored that the danger existed of a Chancellor being appointed for political reasons, which wsuldhave bcenquitesufficient to condemn the University in the eyes of thereat of the Colony ; but to at apprehension is now dispelled. The vacancies made in the council by the retirement of Sir John Richardson and Dr Menzies would, however, have bean more satisfactorily filled up if Judge Williams, who it is understood was willing to act, had been chosen by the Provincial Executive as one of t its nominees. The learned Judge would have been a strong acquisition to the Council, and without desiring in the slightest degree to disparage the qualifications of Messrs Macandrkw and James Fulton, who were appointed to the vacant seats, we think the University eould have better spared them both than Judge Williams. Turning aside from this point, the Council, in some respects, is beginning to show itself amenable to public opinion. We expressed, a short time ago, the general feeling that it had committed an impropriety in making preliminary arrangements with an architect for the supply of plans for the new University building, which it is proposed to erect. The Council, taking the hint, has just resolved to invite competitive designs for the edifice. Now let it brace itself up and make ’ the Medical School a school de facto.

W* have received from the Government pnuter No. 13 of 4 Hansard 1 and a bundle of Parliamentary papers. Wo are glad to be enabled to publish in another column the satisfactory intelligence that the London wool market has taken an unexpected upward turn.

As will be noticed by the date of onr Lonani cablegrams, the telegraphic route to Europe, via Amoor and Siberia, is now open, but as it is working badly there is a delay of two days in the transmission of telegrams. The Choral Society’s rehearsal last evenwas attended by forty-seven vocalists and instrumentalists. The next practice will he held on Tuesday evening, ana it is intended to give the concert in about three week’s time.

There was a good attendance at the usual practice last evening of the Harmonic Society at the Friendly Societies’ Hall. The practice consisted principally of glees, Ac., selected for the next concert, which takes place shortly. In the 4 Coromandel Mail J on the 26th ult. appeared an article headed 44 Death of the ‘Coromandel Mail.”' It was a leader characteristic of 44 Snyder,” who intimates that his efforts have not been seconded by those who promised assistance. The inhabitants generally are said to regret 44 Snyder’s” departure.

At the Princess’s Theatre last evening the popular programme consisting of 44 Cut off with a Shilling ” and 44 Our Boys ” was reproduced by special desire. Both went spiritedly, and the large audience were highly delighted. To-night the sensational drama 44 The Two Orphans” will be produced.

We understand that Mr A. Held, contractor for the goods sheds presently erected st the Rattray street Wharf, has been the successful tenderer for the Bluff Wharf extension contract, - No. 1,126. The tender amount is 14,150 15s, The piles for this work are to be totara, and the sawn timber to be black pine or totara—all native timber.

‘ 1° the * Gazette * appears a highly satis? factory return of the position of a curiouslynamed mining company at Auckland. It is caliod the Bismarck and French Republic Co., and was so christened in October, 1871. Though the elements of its name are so opposed to each other the operations of the company have been very successful, for it paid iu dividends twice the amount ot its paid-up capital.

Mr and Mrs Darrell appeared at the Queen’s Theatre 4 last evening in “ East jLy'uuo,” and we were ple&ed to see a great improvement in the attendance. Mrs Darnell played the double part of Lady Isabel and Madame Vine with great force and: pathos ; Mr Steelfc was in one of his favolito parts as Archibald Carlyle j and Mr Darrell left nothing to be desired as Frances Levisoa. “Hamlet ” will he produced this evening, and from the sensation Mr Darrell created in the leading character when last he played it in Dunedin, we expect to see a crowded house.

His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to make the undermentioned promotions and appointments in the Dunedin ■Naval Volunteers Lieut. George Robert Smith to be Captain (date of commission, 13th July, 1876); Sub-Lieut. Alexander Grant to be Lieutenant (date of conuninsion, 20fch July, 1876); Godfrey Jacobs to be SubLieuteuant (date of commission, 20th July, 1876). The resignation of the commission held by Lieut. J. T. Hornsby, Arrow Rifle Volunteers, has been accepted. At the R.M. Court to-day, before Mr T. A. Mansford, R.M., the following oases were heard:—ln Alex, Johnson v, Richd. Browu, a claim of Ll3 15s, commission for selling property, judgment was given for L 5 and costs. In George W. Eliott v. R. H. Long and others, a claim of L 7 10s, and in Chas. Cooper v. Wm. Statham, claim of L 5 sa, judgment was given for the amounts claimed with costs. The Court was left sitting in the case of Joseph Hett v. John Thomson, a claim of LSO, for assault committed by defendant upon the plaintiff’s wife.

The annual meeting of the Lodge of Dunedin 931, E. 0., was held at the Masonic Hall last evening, and was attended by a largo number of Masons from the various lodges. Bro. Nathan, P.M., installed Bro. David Ross W.M. for the ensuing year, and the following office-bearers were appointed-Bro. E. Nathan, P.M. ; Bro. J. F. Peak, S.W.; Bro. P. Murray, J.W.; Bro. P. M. Asher, treasurer; Bro. W. A. Quick, secretary; Bro. P. M. Marsdsn, organist; Bro. S. DeLeon, S.D.; Bro. W. Johnstone, J.D.; Bro. Cameron, I.G. At the conclusion the brethren adjourned to Bro. Jacob’s, at the Bull and Mouth Hotel, by whom a sumptuous repast was provided. The * Waikouaiti Herald' regrets to state that a young girl, aged five years, the daughter of Mr M ‘Lcod, who resides in tbeHawksbury Bush, succumbed on Friday last to injuries she had received from her dress accidentally having caught fire the previous day. It appears that Mrs M'Leod had occasion to go outside of the house and that she requested her daughter to blow up the fire. In carrying out her mother’s behest the poor girl’s clothes caught fire, and on the mother’s return she was horror-striken to find her daughter enveloped in fames, which were not extinguished before the poor girl had been severely burned. Dr Moffat was sent for, but the injuries received were of such a nature that the sufferer died under them. The ‘Auckland Star’ of the 2nd inst. asserts that it is now absolutely certain that Mr Bass, who was said to have been drowned from the steamer Taranaki, between Lyttelton mid Wellington, and for whose wife a subscription was raised by her friends, “is still in the fiesh and, according to latest accounts, in good bodily health. He came up to Auckland within a fortnight of the news of his death, and plainly told an expression, with whom one of our staff was talking yesterday, that he did not intend going heme to his wife. The man inferred that there was some cause of disagreement between them. Bass is at present said to be away at one of the settlements on the coast not far from Auckland.”

The promoters of the School Bank movement are to be congratulated on the success which has attended their efforts, so far as the General Government is concerned. We are in a position to state that the Post-master-General has forwarded to the Secretary, Mr Dalrymple, a specimen copy of a bapk-book for the pupils, with several other papers, and a draft of the plan on which they would propose the Bank to be worked. The object in sending these is, we understand, to have an expression of opinion from the committee as to the applicability of the proposed arrangements. It is to be hoped that the esmmittee will now lose no time in issuing the prospectus .of the association to be established for promoting these banka. A good deal of prejudice has got to be overcome, and familiarity with the subject will go far to do away with that and smooth the way for its being taken up practically when the Government arrangements have been completed.

The meeting for forming a Draught Club takes place at the Pier Hotel to-night. All members of the Star of Otago Lodge, 1.0.0. F., are requested to meet to-morrow at the usual hour.