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Kumara Times, Issue 1036, 26 January 1880, Page 2

The election of seven gentlemen to serve as members of the Kumara Local School Committee will take place this evening, at 8 o’clock at the School-house, The retiring Committee, who are all eligible for re-election are Messrs. Seddon, Wylde, Campbell, Muhyard, Bain, Malloy and Drummond. The monthly inspection of the local Rifle Contingent will be held to-morrow evening, by Lieut. Spence, at the Adelphi Hall. The unsuccessful tenderers for the track from the tramway to the beach can obtain the deposits they lodged on account of tenders on application at Mr Scddon’s store this evening. On Wednesday evening next the Rev. Heavingham Root, of Greymouth, will deliver a lecture at the Theatre Royal, on “Father Matthew and Temperance.” As the Rev. Mr Root is well known here as a most eloquent and amusing lecturer, we have little doubt he will attract a large audience on Wednesday evening. The Rev. J. Elmslie, M.A., of Christchurch, who is at present on a visit to Westland, preached in St. Andrews Church last night. Although the day was showery, the church was filled to the door with an attentive congregation. The reverend gentleman - choose for his text Exodus 12th chap. 13th verse.— “ When I see the blood I will pass over you.” For nearly an hour he held the large audience spell-bound while discoursing on the subject of his text. He concluded with an earnest appeal to all present whom he he was possibly addressing for the first and last time, to close with this renewed offer of salvation. The New Zealand Press consultation on the Dunedin Cup appears in our advertising columns. There are 7050 scholars on the rolls of the Presbyterian Sabbath schools in Otago,’ comprising 3362 boys and 3688 girls. The South Australian Advertiser has been informed by the Government that Sir A Blyth, the Agent General, in a despatch received by the last mail fi'om England, states that his attention had been called by the representatives of the Melbourne Argus in London to a telegram published in this colony, stating that “the Imperial Government, are considering the expediency of; limiting the borrowing powers of the colonies.” Sir Arthur Blyth adds that he feels sure if such a step had been thought of he would have been informed either verbally or by letter. He states that he knows nothing whatever of the matter, and does not believe that anything of the kind is intended. A Continental Cocker has been recently calculating the daily income of the reigning sovereings of Europe, and, if he is correct, the modern theory that certain private persons are richer than monarchs falls to the ground. Even a little king like the King of the Belgians has £328 per diem, or £120,000 a year. The of Italy lias thrice as much. The Emperor of Germany has £I6OO a day, the Emperor of Austria £2OOO, the Sultan of Turkey £3600, and the Czar of Russia no less than £SOOO per diem, or £1,825,000 per year, which is a very tolei'able income. And yet it is whispered that one or two of these people are not happy. At the Royal Academy of Music, London, the Mendelssohn scholarship was gained for the first time by a woman—a Miss Maud White, who is now at work upon an opera which is described as “ magnificently dramatic.” Her libretto is taken from Lamartine's “Jocelyn;” and the young composer’s ardent hope is that, when her darling work is produced, she may be allowed to guide the orchestra to the full interpretation of her meaning by conducting it in peraoix. The Dean of Peterborough was placed in a very embarrassing position, the .other day. He was invited by the agents of the United Kingdom Alliance to take part in a temperance meeting. Ho at-

tended, but, not wishing to appeal' under false colors, he spoke out plainly and to the point—rather too plainly, in fact, for some of his hearers. He agreed with the preceding Speakers as to the awfiil consequences of drunkenness, and he believed that total abstinence was the only cure for the habitual drunkard. But there, he said, he must stop, he could not go one atom further. He was not a total abstainer himself. He had tried it three times, and he believed if he had not taken stimulants, as his medical attendant told him, he should not have been thex'C speaking to them them He did not admit the necessity for everyone to be a total abstainer, and Oould never admit what he believed to be an absolute false principle, that the abuse of anything was an argument against its use. They might just as well say the polygamy of the Turk was an argument against marriage, as that the abuse of drink was an argument against its use. Although it was strictly a meeting of teetotalers, the Dean was frequently cheered, and his remarks seemed to take them quite by surprise.