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Evening Star, Issue 4205, 18 August 1876, Page 2

Wo understand that Mr John Bridges, late inspector and director of the National Bank of New Zealand, has handed in his resignation. The Zealandia with the Californian mails arrived at the Heads at daylight th's morning, her mails bring conveyed to town by special train. The Zealandia was one day under her contract time of arrival in Port Cha^pere,

The members of the Dunedin Football Club will play the last match of the season to-morrow afternoon, between tbe Oamarn team and all comers.

During the voyage of the R.M.S. Zealandia from Sydney to Kandavau, a concert was given by the saloon passengers in aid of the Merchant Seamen’s Orphan Asylum, which was a great success, the handsome sum of thirty-one guineas being collected for that deserving institution.

“ The Two Orphans ” was repeated at the Princess’s last evening before a large and fashionable audience. The drama went very smoothly, and the principal characters were enthusiastically applauded. Mr Williams, the scenic artist, received a call before the curtain for his painting of the snow scene. The drama will bo withdrawn to-night in favor of “ Our Boys” and other entertainments, but it is announced for repetition tomorrow.

“ Leah” was played at the Queen’s Theatre last evening, Mrs Darrell appearing as the heorine, a-character to which she may fairly lay claim to be the best exponent in the Colonies. Her performance of the part was as enjoyable as ever, while the curse scene was a most finished piece of acting. She was well supported by Mr Darrell as Rudolph, and by Mr Clinton as Nathan the apostate. The audience, though small, was very enthusiastic, and Mrs Darrell was frequently called before the curtain, Mr Darrell’s benefit is announced for to-night, when a programme that cannot fail to please the most exacting will be submitted.

Referring to a recent rumor that the Auckland members of the House of Representatives would leave the House in a body, the ‘Post’ says:—“ The Auckland members had better not try the experiment of absenting themselves from the Assembly from motives of pique. * nee upon a time when the Assembly was sitting at Auckland, the Wellington members took the huff and stayed at home, only one attending the session. They had cause to repent the act bitterly, because Mr Stafford took advantage of their absence to get the New Provinces Act passed, which dismembered Wellington, and created the Province of Hawke’s Bay.

One of those incidents of success in mining which reward every now and again the patience and perseverance of individual miners repeated itself the other day i i the locality of the Arrow River Falls. In the case we (‘Observer’) are alluding to the tenacious individual not Only stuck to his claim for considerably more than twelve months without making anything more than “strong tucker,” but actually wore out the patience of not less than six mates whom he had taken into partnership in regular succession. Nothing daunted he worked away, and a few weeks ago struck the lead, from which he took out in two days not less than soz. of gold, and last week brought to light a nice little nugget which turned the scale at GJoz. In passing the familiar verdict as “sarve* him right, we wish that the lead may last and continue to yield something like the above samples. The ‘Southland News’ says that, those who attended the Church of England at Invercargill on Sunday evening were put to groat annoyance by an occurrence which does not often take place. This was nothing less than the intrusion of a man who was unmistakeably drunk. His condition was not at first generally noticed, but when singing was started he joined in with such vigor and utter disregard of the laws of harmony that those in his vicinity felt constrained to change their seats. Their doing so roused the anger of this most undesirable church-goer, and he denounced their conduct ['in exceedingly bad language. He might have become still more demonstrative, but for the appearance of two constables who happened to be among the congregation, and by whom he was speedily marched off to less sacred but more suitable quarters. Next morning he increased the revenue of the Colony by handing over 10s. The Lower Shotover correspondent of the ‘Mail’ writes that last Friday Mr Alexander Brown, a farmer at Speargrass Flat, suffered a very serious loss. It appears that, in setting fire to a heap of straw, he did not sufficiently allow for the force of the wind which prevailed during that day, more especially when it is considered that, immediately to leeward and distant about 250 yards, lay a similar heap ; and in the same line, about 150 yards further on, stood two valuable oat stacks, estimated to contain about 1,200 bushels. Shortly after the fire was lit, the wind lifted portions of the flaming material and first setting fire to the intervening straw heap, soon established communication with the stacks, which, in a very short time, were reduced to heaps of glowing ashes, A third heap of straw, about 300 yards still further away, was also burned. Mr Brown valued his stacks, prior to the fire, at Ll2O. The following telegram, dated Wellington, August 4. appears in the ‘ West Coast Times’: —“The Goldfields Committee repoit rc the KanieriLake Waterrace Company’s petition as follows :—That owing to the difficul ties which have arisen owing to the company not having borrowing powers, and not being able to command sufficient cash in hand for preliminary expenses and necessary alterations in construction, the property is depreciated in value. That if the company is wound up compulsoril/, the Government will lose the greater part of the money advanced. That the Government should in their own interest, and in fairness to the promoters, make arrangements by which an advance of L 3.000 might be made, provided that the security of the Government should be made complete and absolute. That fuller powers of entry and sale should be given, enabling the Government to realise at short notice, and that the company should waive all further right to assistance, and should relieve the Government from all other claims of any kind whatever arising out of the whole transaction.”

The ‘Post* of the 12th inst. thus eomments on the Firo Brigades’ Cup question : —“The important information given bytelegram in another column, that the Dunedin firemen are indignant at the refusal of the Wellington men to contest for .the Ballarat Cup, &c., will not absolutely wither the souls of Superintendent Whiteford and his merry men. They may laugh, for they have won. It is readily admitted by the Wellington men that it was arranged, on their tying Dunedin, to decide by lot which brigade should undertake the final contest for the Cup, and that the brigade on which the lot fell should have its complement of six supplemented by two men from the other brigade. Had this been carried out, even then, although the team to a certain extent might be termed a joint one, yet the prize unquestionably would have belonged of right to the Wellington team. But the hard fact which completely puts the Dunedin men out of court is that, on their losing the toss, they refused to earry out their agreement, and loft the Wellington team of six to compete with the others of eight—to compete successfully as the event proved, but for that, no thanks are due to Dunedin. The Wellington Fire Brigade, however, although very properly declining to compete anew for the trophy they had fairly won, nevertheless have iutimrted to the Dunedin Brigade their readiness to contest with the latter for a cup of any value from L 5 to 850. This challenge so far has net been accented/’

The Wairarapa * Standard’ saysi—“ln our last issue we stated that cable communication with Banjoewangi was restored. A correspondent wants to know where Banjoewangi is ? We have much pleasure in informing him that it is the birthplace of the original Christy ministrel, and is situated ‘ over there.’ ”

The Rev. P. P. Agnew delivered a very interesting lecture at tho Athenaeum last evening on “The Lives and Deaths of the most remarkable Bushrangers of New South Wales.” The rev. gentleman was much applauded, the lecture being unanimously voted one of the best ever given in Dunedin.

The Dunedin Harmonic Society will give its fifth concert on Wednesday next, in the Temperance Hall.

A s penal meeting of the Union of Ctago Temple, 1.0.G-.T., will ba held in the lodgeroom, Temperance Hall, to-morrow (Saturday) evening, at 7 o'clock.