The Kumara Times. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1877.

Kumara Times, Issue 268, 14 August 1877, Page 2

The Kumara Times. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1877.

tal Committee'held last evening, a long discussion was carried on-respecting the Art Union. " The discussion," says the West,Coast Times, " was resultless, the mattar being left in statu quo." Mr John Smith Hickson is gazetted Cleric of the Resident Magistrate's Court at Stafford and Goldsborough, vice Mr J. P. Simpson, transferred, Mr R. J. Sedflon will address the ratepayers at the Theatre Royal, to-mor-row evening, at 8 o'cjock. The voliniter monthly inspection on Friday is ordered f,n- 7 o'clock, instead of the usual hour. 8, as the members of

the local contingent intend to patronise the amateur performance, to be given on Friday evening, at the Theatre Royal, for the benefit of the Fire Brigade. At.a meeting, held at Bulstrode's Hotel, by the committee of the Kumara Literary Institute, after some formal business had been transacted, it was resolved that the statement of expenditure and receipts, on account of the dramatic performances in aid of the institute funds, showing a nett balance of £2B 9s 6d, be adopted; and that the thanks of the committee be tendered to the amateurs who lent their valuable services on those occasions. It was then resolved that a balance-sheet, showing the financial position of the institute, be submitted for the consideration of the committee at the next meeting, and that Messrs Lanauze and Croflts be elected to audit the same; further, that Messrs Wylde, Dixon, Crbffts, and Bishop, together with the secretary, form a sub-committee to adopt rules and 'tio see to procuring newspapers; further, that Messrs Seddon and Bulstrode be declared honorary members of the Kumara Institute.

The deaths from " old age " last year in New Zealand numbered. from 65 to 70 years, 5; from 70 to 75, 10; from 75 to 80, 10; and 80 and upwards, 18. Females:—from 65 to 70 years, 0; from 70 to 75, 7; from 75J to 80, ft.; and 80 and upwards, 14. •Professor Stanhope advertises that he .is about,, to open a hair-cutting saloon in Dillman's Town. The Dunedin bakers have reduced the price of the 41b. loaf from lOd to Bd.

The Sydney Merning Herald's version of a telegram which we published some weeks ago, gives an intelligible reading of what appeared at the time .to be rather puzzling. The telegram was " The Russian Press alleges that, if the British squadron enters the Hellespont,' Russia will encounter it as .an alien squadron." The word " alien" appeared to be quite foreign to the rest of the sentence. The Herald's tele- • gram reads thus s—" There are vague rumours about, an alliance between Russia and Italy. The Russian Press alleges that if a British squadron enters the Hellespont .it will encounter an Italian squadron." The skating rink is nightly increasing in popularity. Last night in addition to the usual number of ordinary l falls, productive of nothing more than amusement to the on-lookers, there was one which sprained a skater's ankle rather seriously. "We regret to learn that Mrs Andrews, whose children were burned to death at Hokitika, died on Sunday afternoon at the Hospital there.

The marriages in New Zealand during the year 1876 numbered 3,196. They may be classified thus : —Presbyterian, 919 ; Church of England, 733 ; Methodist, 543 ; Roman Catholic, 403 ; Baptist, 46; Lutheran, 12; Hebrew, 4; Church of Christ, 2; and marriages registered without any religious ceremony, 534. Reducing these figures to a decimal form we find that, of the total number of marriages, 28.7 per cent, were Presbyterian, 22.3 per cent. Church of England, 16.9 per cent. Methodist, 12.6 per cent. Roman Catholic, 1.43 per cent. Baptist, -37 per cent. Lutheran, *l2 per cent. Hebrew, ;06 per cent. Church of Christy and 16.7 per cent, simply registered.