The Evening Star SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4206, 19 August 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 1876.

It is proposed to establish a Coursing Club in Christchurch, and if the promoters can see their way to obtain some dogs at a reasonable price active steps will be taken in the matter at onoe.

We understand that Mr W. Hooper, proprietor of the Liberator,' was this inorning served with a writ for LSOO damages for an alleged libel published in that journal against Mr Thomas Birch.

A recent traveller on the Greymouth.Railway says that in rounding the many serpentine curves it is necessary to take the train along very gently and to couple the carriages only hy the chains, leaving the Hook attachment unfastened, to give the carriages more play. The speel throughout is not at high pressure, for, as our informant avers, he noticed that a Newfoundland dog, owned by a passenger in the train, kept up close in the rear without apparent difficulty. It is sometimes " lively " on the Te Aute railway line, up Napier way. A chief named Manaena, who' travels by the line, sometimes gets drunk and fights. Lately he assailed a clergyman, whereupon the guard stopped the train, and, after a terrible scrimmage, ejected the; noble chieftain. Then the chief and a co-patriot showed fight, but got terribly pummelled by the guard and engineers. Then, the: *rain moved t>n, and all/was peace, the chief and his henchman being left prone on the swamp. The Rev. P. P. Agnew delivered a veryinteresting lecture at the Masonic Hall, Port Chalmers, last evening, on " Convict Life in New South Wales." The attendence was exceedingly good, and the lecturer's various anecdotes were listened to with great atten tion. At the close of the lecture, the ret. gentleman announced his intention of delivering another lecture on " The Lives and Deaths of the mest remarkable Bushrangers of New South Wales " on Thursday next. At the Queen's Theatre last evening Mr Darrell took a benefit, but the attendance was not very large. " Ruy Bias " was produced, with Mr Darrell in the principal character and Mrs Walter Hill asMarianne. Both parts were efficiently played. Mrs Darrell then recited " ThfrßelV' admirably, and Mr Darrell gave some recitations and character songs. The performance was brought to a conclusion with the comedy, •'The Wonder," in which Mrs Darrell appeared as Violinte: and Mr Darrell as Don Felix. ( . .. , !

At the City Police Court this morning; before Messrs 0. fc; Reeves and J. Logan, J.P's,, Peter A. Lyell, for drunkenness, was fined ss, or, in default of payment, twentyfour hours' imprisonment. Geo. Humphreys was charged with: stealing a meerschaum pipe, the property of Thomas Hastings, of Blueskin. Accused was employed oh the railway line at Purakanui, and stated that he bought the ; pine when returning from work on the evening of the 2nd August, from a man who tola him a pitiful tale of being hard up. By this/ together with the evidence of a Mr M'Guire, a boarding-house keeper at Port Chalmers, with whom accused lived, a direct alibi was almost made out. Their Worships did not think that accused had stolen the pipe, and dismissed him, toping that the real thief would be found out.

Professor Salmond last evening delivered his concluding lecture on "The Christian Evidences," at Knox Churoh. Mr E. B. Cargill oocupied the chair, and the attendance was again very large, At the conclusion of the lecture a vote of thanks to Professor Salmond was carried unanimously. Mr Ashcroft then stated that it was proposed to present an address to Professor Salmond at an early date, as a token of the appreciation in which the lectures were held by the members of the different communions. In the address was also expressed a hope that a similar course wnuld be delivered next year. Professor Salmond replied that it was with great joy that he had delivered the lectures, and he intimated his readiness to give another and a better course next year. It was gratifying to find oae's work, though a labor of life, appreciated, and he was obliged to them for their recognition of his efforts. After a few remarks from Dr Stuart the meeting separated. In sentencing the schoolmaster, Luke Moore, at Hokitika a fortnight ago, His Honor Judge Weston said, addressing the prisoner:—"You, above all men, entrusted with the custody of the moral training of children, have committed a breach of a most sacred trust. But I. will not harrass you with any more remarks, which can do no public good, and which can put you to no more shame than you now feel. Your punishment must be severe, and though 1 have an intense horror and disgust for corporal punishment in my heart, I feel, sitting as I do on this Bench, that unless I awarded you some of that which I dislike, I should fail in my duty. I see you b, we unfortunately lost an arm, and as you might feol more pain on that account, I shall make some allowance, and award you less punishment than I should have done had you been bodily perfect. But the little you will get will cause you to reflect on your crimes, and to remember that when an obligation is cast upon a man, he should endeavor to perform faithfully." The prisoner was then sentenced to six years' penal servitude for the first offence, six for the second, oua for the third. th« sentences to run etjn«urrently, and to be twice p?i irately whipped during the first six months of his seiifeeiHS*, each whipping to consist or fifteen strokes of a wsapon called a oat of type tails.

The monthly meeting of the Dunedin School Committee was held in the Secretary's office last evening; present -Messrs Robing (chairman), Fish, Livingston, Ramsay, Street, Wright, and James (secretary). Mr A. B.irrett, headmaster of the Middle District School, reported that certain im proveinents were necessary, and requested that he might move to a larger houso and let the one in which he is at present residing. The Chairman remarked that Mr Barrett's salary would be very little this year owing to the very small nun ber of pupils attending the school ; at the same time he bore testimony to the excellent manner in which it was being conducted. Mr Livingston believed that Mr Barrett's salary would not amount to trore than Ll5O for the year. The request was granted, subject to tiie .•luiu'uval of the Education Board. The next subject discussed was the uniformity of books, Mr Eialop writing that the Kducation Board had confirmed the Committee'a resolution re the uniformity of school books, and instructed the Inspector to co operate with the teachers in securing this desirable object as soon as possible. The Chairman incidentally remarked that a member of a bunedin wholesale house told him that he would have to repack and send Home 1..330 worth of the school books now used. Dr Gillies, Health Officer, reported that all the schools under the direction of the School < oinmittee had been fumigated, this having been done owing to same parents having {dated that Jfcere ww fever m the schools.

la ftb* «ran« of yesterday •renlnt'i nM*. ing of tat Dttnedin School Commfttea, Mr Street, referring to the great Becesstty of new buildings forth* Middle District SohooL ■aid the Government would shortly set L 60,000 at least for land.

A splendid programme was submitted at the Princess's Theatre last evening, commencing with "A Fast Train," with Mr Hoskins as rattling Jack Delaware. Next came Mr Lingard in some new sketches, and the whole entertainment concluded with a repetition of the still popular "Our Boys." There was a crowded house, but the comedy was not so well played as on previous occasions.

A special meeting of the Protestant Alliance Friendly Societ>. No. 25, will be held in the Temperance Hall on Monday, at 8 p m.

The fortnightly meeting of the T odge, 1.0.0. F., will be held in the new-Oddfellows' Wall; Albany street, on Monday evening, at 7.801

* lecture will ibe given at the rooms of th? •Young MenV Christian Association by It Dick, on Monday evening, .<■ übjeet—" Impnre Water." , v \

The inhabitants of Mosgiel and neighborhood desirous of forming a lodge of the T.<>.O.F a-e invited to attend a meeting in the i'lill shed, MosgM, on Tuesday, at 7 p.m. The weekly meeting of the Welcome All I>dge, No. 102, I.'»G.T., was held in the West Taieri £choo)heuse, on Thursday evening. Tf> ere was a large attendance of members. Five new members were initiated Afto th lod-e whs closed in the first degree, it was opened in the second, Degt-ee Templar Brother F. Joseph conferred the degree: of Fedility on nine members

The Protestant Alliance Friendly Society, at Green . slandDrill shed, o ened » branch lodge on the 17th in»t inst which proßslseS to be a very successful one. The lodge Was opened by theD D.0.M., Bro. J. Walekey a sisted by Pro. l/ewis. P.M.-; Bre. Wm. Wilson. D.M.: Bro. W. Dickson W8 : Bro. J. E. Urea, W.a? JBro M'Liskey, W.T.: and Bro. R B. Ingram, J.E. _ A considerAble number of members were initiated, but owing to the lateness of the hour many were left over until next lodge night, when the officers will be elected and installed.