The Evening Star SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4308, 16 December 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1876.

Asa matter of course Mr Reid’s address to his constituents does not please the party whose obstructive tactics tend so much to damage the true interests of the Colony. This was hardly to -he expected. The manly, straightforward, honest, sound common sense displayed in it contrasts strongly with the intolerant, one sided, and, we unhesitatingly say, dishonest opposition of the last session. It was an opposition conducted in the moat unscrupulous manner. It was not honorably carried on, but aimed at success through falsehood and calumny. It attacked men of honor and reputation, and sought to gain political objects by blackening their public and private characters. That Mr Reid should refuse to be identified with proceedings so base, is. as honorable to his principle as his leaving the Opposition is condemnatory of theirs. He knew that for the xno«ment his conduct was sure to be misrepresented, and that through the misleadings of the Provincial party he might, notwithstanding his past services, find many old friends arrayed against him.. It is the penalty public men have to pay for acting on conviction, send we regard it as the highest testimony of estimation of his conduct that so few have withdrawn their confidence. That he should -be charged with changing his views by the weak journal that professes still to idolize Sir Geoege Grey and his insane politics, is only natural; but those who remember the whole of Mr Reid’s political career will feel more surprised that he remained with the party so long, than that he felt compelled te leave them. Every statesman must at times do violence to his own convictions through the consciousness that opponents or colleagues have an equal claim to consideration of their opinions with himself ; and, in his Executive duties, there is every reason to think Mr Reid has more than once been forced into a course of action that, if left to himself, he would not have adopted. Were this not the case, he would be the only holder of office that has escaped. Those are &ut acts of administration, involving no departure from principle, and differ widely from aberrations from right. It was their wilful persistence in wrong doing that drove Mr Reid from his party, and the approval his conduct has met with is equally creditable to him and his constituency. His speeeh is worthy of study, for it places many circumstances in a clear light on which verjy vague and erroneous notions are current.'

Mr Fred. Humphries has been appointed editor of the ‘ Tuapeka Times.’ The distribution of prizes at the Rev. W. F. Oldham’s academy took place on Wednesday, and was made by the Yen. Archdeacon Edwards.

The Government have acted wisely in declining to make anniversary days holidays so far as the public departments are concerned. To-day is Anniversary Day in Canterbury, but the Telegraph Offices there remain open as usual, to the. great benefit of the public. A second performance of “Rip Van Winkle ” was given at the Princess’s Theatre last evening, when a highly appreciative audience witnessed Mr Hall’s artistic delineation of the principal character. In the scene where Rip awakens after his long sleep on the mountains his acting is especially natnral and effective. The scenery throughout is excellent, and the music arranged by Mr Leech very appropriate. This evening “The Octoroon” will be produced, and this favorite play will give Mr Hall an opportunity in one of his aest parts.

Lieut. Sims, R.N., lectured last evening in the Temperance Hall to about thirty-five adults and some half-dozen or more boys, on “ Tiio Life and Troubles of a British Id idshipman.” Dr Bakewell occupied the chair, and introduced the lieutenant, who prefaced his lecture with the observation that if any of those present expected that he was a Maryatt, they would be disappointed. That worthy was of the old school, and wrote of abuses long since remedied; but he (the lecturer) was competent to speak of the navy as it was now. He then proceeded to deseribe the difficulties and ,troubles he had experienced in Her Majesty’s service; but lecturing is evidently not the gallant lieutenant’s strong point, and if the impressions conveyed by last night’s dissertation bo correct, our tars arc anything but the dashing Set of fellows they are usually imagined to be. Some music was given at intervals.

At the Quean’ theatre last events “II r ßa>vator * and “Trial by Jurywe reto a good house and both Huriftwine sfcd gashed of with £pi#ii. “11 * abooo&s wHJji' good mtufiio ahA : and is psrfcaps nqxt to iY;al bv Jury *—the greatest of tto Lj’dla-Haward. troupe. - Mr Justice Williams will held a sitting of the .Supreme Court in Bankruptcy on Monday next. The list is a small one, comprising only tfie following business ;—The finil examinations of Christopher George and, Richard Stratford; te Joseph Macsay, & summons under section 30 of the Debtors and Creditors Act of 1876; re David Christie, a summons to strike out or reduce proof of debt.

Mr Reid addressed the Outram portion of tho Taieri electorate last evening, repeating his Mosgiel speech. At the conclusion of his address, he was interrogated os -to the Piako Swamp sale, which he said might have been an irregular, but certainly was not a corrupt transaction. A vote of confidence, proposed by Mr Chisholm, and seconded by Mr Shand, was carried by acclamation. There was a very large attendance. At the Chamber of Commerce meeting yesterday a letter was read from the Victorian Humane Soriety requesting the cooperation ei the Chamber in securing uniform legislation in the matter of providing the most efficient and approved life-saving apparatus on board all vessels registered in the Australian Colonies and New Zealand. The Secretary of the Victorian Society wrote—- “ The directors desire that the law should be amended, so that passetiger and other vessels may be compelled to carry a supply of life-saving appliances in proportion to the number of passengers, &c. The present law only requires that a . specified number of beats and two life-buoya be provided tt> the registered tonnage, without reference to the number of persona on board. The many disastrous shipwrecks have deadly proved bow inadequate are the measures taken for the preservation of the lives of the crews and passengers of the unfortunate Vessels that have been unable to weather fibs severe gales to be met in the Australian waters. The directors have suggested to the Victorian shipowners the desirability of providing a sufficient number of cork lifejackets on board all their vessels, the cost of which may be covered by charging each person a small fee for the advantage secured. The importance*of this subject is so great 1 that the directors request you will be goed enough to urge upon the Government of New Zealand to bring the same before the conference of representatives from the various Colonies who will shortly meet in Melbourne.”

r T } l ° anniversary of the Loyal Outram Lodge will be celebrated by a picnic and ball on Thursday next. A summoned meeting of tbr Green Island Lodge, 1.0,0. F,, will be held evenIng at 7 o’clock. J „The Leith Ledge, 1.0.0. F., will meet on Monday tfie 18th. Instead Instead of the 25th. for elections slid other business. A public meeting of the ratepayers of Caversh m will be he’d ia the Caversham Hal! on Monday to consider matters re a municipality. A Boa’al gathering in connection with the Pioneer Lodge 1. 0 G.T. will be held in the XjOWOi j GWpßriincß J7ftll on Tuesday 6V6niu? at 7 30 proceeds to aid a sick member. Iha programme for the Annual Gymnastic Competition and Assanlt-at-Arms, to be held on Friday next in the Drill-ebed, Octagon, will be found in another column. A handsome medal, in the shape of a Maltese cro»8, presented by Gunner Hislop for competition by the Artillery Company, is on view in the window of Mr Hislop, jeweller. The silver fiom which the medal is made is, we believe, the product of. one of the Mount Rangitoto mines. The first ef the course of six lectures to be delivered by Mr Charles Bright in the Princess s Theatre will be given to-morrow (Sun day) evening, at eight o’clock. The subject wdl be “Progress and fts Opponent. Popery-Roman Catholic and Protestaot. We would refer our readers for further particulars to the advertisement elsewhere.