The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1868.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 1, 2 January 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1868.

The heavy rainfall which commeuced about 9 o'clock on New Year's Eve, and continued almost without intermission until noon to-day, prevented the carrying out of the varied programme of amusements devised in celebration of the commencement of the New Year. In spite, however, of the very inauspicious state of the weather on New Year's Eve, very goodly cougregations assembled for the midnight services both at Christ Church and the Wesleyan Church, and the next morning at 8 o'clock about 40 young men assembled at breakfast at the Temperance Hall, where the Right Rev. Bishop Suter delivered, an appropriate address, and several suggestions made by his Lordship, with a view, to promote healthy exercise amongst the younger members of the community, were warmly received and adopted. The pic-uic in Brook-street Valley, in connectiou with the Wesleyan Church, which would otherwise have been very numerously attended, as well as the procession of the Odd-fellows, Foresters, and Fire Brigade at midday, and the open air tea meeting announced by the Baptist body for the evening, were all of necessity abandoned, and the dinner at the Odd-fel-lows' Hall was the only festivity which marked the advent of the New Year, the city presenting a most deserted and lugubrjous appearance during the day. Great wa& the disappointment, especially amongst the juveniles, in whose minds, not unnaturally, the idea of a general holiday is almost inseparably connected with fine weather, so rarely have our' local festivals been marred by inauspicious skies. For their especial cousolation we may add that all the amusements which shouli have taken place yesterday, will probaby find a part in the programme for our next general holiday, Auniversary Day, when we must hope for more propitious weather. The anniversary dinner of the Nelson %&x\^ Howard Lodges of Oddfellows took place yesterday evening, at the Oddfellows' Hall, his Houor the Superintendent being in the chair, supported by the Right Rev. Bishop Suter. Mr J. Graham, P.P.G.M., occupying the vicechair. As the usual courtesy was not observed towards this journal on the occasion, we are unable to furnish a detailed report, but we are informed that about 60 guests sat down to dinner, a number which would doubtless have been much augmeuted but for the inclement weather which prevailed during I the day, and that Mr Johns, confectioner, of Trafalgar-street, was the caterer on the occasion, and gave every satisfaction. As considerable apprehensious have been excited by the nou-appearauce of the Claud Hamilton, we may state that intelli- i gence was yesterday received by the Murray to the effect that the Claud was j lying off Westport, unable to laud . cattle there, when the Murray left on Tuesday lastJ — She arrived here this afternoon. "We learu that on Tuesday last a man j oamed Oliver, a gardener residing in the j tipper part of Toi-toi Valley, met his death by accidentally falliug from a dray, by which he sustained very serious injuries. An inquest is to be held on the body ihis afternoon. The election of four Governors of Nelson College takes place to-morrow, at the Court-house, the candidates nominated being Dr Cusack and Messrs D. Siuclair and J. Sharp (who have already filled the office of Governor, and are eligible for reelection), with the Rev. C. L. Maclean and Messi'B J\. Edwards and Brunner. The election of two Auditors of the Trust Funds took place, as usual, on New,

Year's Day, at the Court-house, when Messrs Percy and Smallbone were elected without opposition. But few persons were preseut at the nomination, aud the whole proceedings only occupied a few minutes. - The Westport Evening Star of the 13th ult. notifies the fact that Mr William Pitt, , who intends practising in that town, having passed the requisite paper and viva voce examinations, had been sworn in a barrister, &c, of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, before his Hoaor Mr Justice Richmond. A fracas occurred at Westport on Monday the 30th ult. between Mr Commissioner Kyuuersley and Mr Apted, the Editor of the Westport Times, which resulted in the infliction of persoual chastisement upon the last mentioned gen tieman. It appears that a letter signed 'Bohemian,' had appeared in the columns of the Westport Times on the 21st, ult. annimadverting on the Oddfellow's Ball, given at that place on the previous Thursday, and commenting severely, not only on the conduct of the stewards and their arrangements for the ball, but also imputing motives for the absence of the patrons. The authorship of this letter Mr Apted had refused to divulge to the proprietors of the paper, and had in consequence placed Ins resignation in their hands on the morniug of Monday last, the 30th inst. On (.he afternoon of the same day, Mr Commissioner Kynnersley, conceiving himself aggrieved by the contents of this letter (the authorship of which, it seems was imputed, whether truly or not, to Mr Apted), culled at the Times Office, and requested that ! 'gentleman to accompany him to Hamilton's Hotel. * This Mr Apted refused to do ; upon which Mr Kynnersley, having demanded to be informed as to the authorship of the letter, or whether Mr Apted was himself the writer, to which he obtained- no satisfactory reply, according to Mr Apted's own account, 'without a •word of warning struck him unawares, and knocked him down in a bunk, and then proceeded to 'hammer' away at him without any further ado, while in a defeuceless positiou.'' Mr Apted has ad- . dressed a letter to the Westport Times of Tuesday, conveying this narrative, and added that he had been compelled to call in medical assistance, and would not allow the matter to rest, but believing that a 1 cabal had been formed against him in Westport, would seek redress elsewhere. The departure of the Murray on Tuesday necessarily prevented our hearing any further particulars of this affair. We regret to be compelled to take notice of several acts of stupid aud wanton mischief committed in various parts of this city on New Year's Eve by some brainless members of the community. We allude to the disfigurement of the notice-boards at the Electric Telegraph office and at the Post-office, together with the defacement of the lettering on several places of business throughout the city. That the commission of such witless acts of mischief should have gone undetected by the police in so many different parts of the city, on the same night, would seem to indicate a want of vigilance on the part of that body which is certainly not generally their characteristic, and which we the more regret, because those who have inflicted these injuries on public property will thus probably escape the punishment they so richly deserve. The Greymouth correspondent of the West Coast Times says that the North beach still continues to yield its golden treasures to the fortunate few who have been lucky euough to drop upon the right spot. Andrews and party obtained over 80 ounces last week. Several adjoining claims are reported equally good. The same writer says the Nelson Government are building a good school and master's residence at Cobden with praiseworthy promptitude, in response to the request from the inhabitants. Those who are acquainted with the mechanism of pianofortes, are well aware that certain repairs become requisite to these instruments in process of time, which are quite beyond the province of the ordinary tuner, however efficient he may be in his own particular department, and moreover that by such repairs, a» .really good instrument may be restored almost to its original state. An opportunity is now offered which very rarely presents itself, in the person of Mr. George Legg, who is making a short stay iv Nelson, and who, being throroughly aud practically acquiuted with the lnauufactove of pianos aod harmoniums, is able to bring his

large experience to bear in such cases. We can confidently recommend Mr Legg to the favorable consideration of our readers, having inspected more than one piauo which, under his skilful hands, has been transformed from comparative uselessness into a brilliant and satisfactory , instrument. One more opportunity will, it appears, be afforded us of listening to those sweet songstresses — Madame and the Misses Carandiui, who, with Mr. Shervviu, will pay us a flying visit, en route to Auckland, on Thursday next, the 9th inst.