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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 161, 10 July 1868, Page 2

By telegram received last night we learn that there is no late news from Patea. Colonel Macdonuell and Von Tempsky had arrived at Wanganui from the front, and it is generally believed that Mr Parris, the Civil Commissioner, had interfered with the Colonel's movements, who has determined on referring the matter to the Government. One of the supposed murderers of the trooper Smith has been arrested. His name is Katana, and he was formerly a guide to the colonial forces. The Rev. P. Calder purposes delivering the second of his series o£ * Lectures for the Times' at Trinity Presbyterian Church, on Sunday evening next. The subject will be c Strauss and the German School of Theology ;' which will doubtless be treated with the same ability as the former lecture. We understand that the next Concert of the Harmonic Society will probably take place during the .first week in nex t

month, and will include a performance of Rossini's last great work, the ' Stabat Mater/ By a recent proclamation in the General Government Gazette, the agents of persons absent from the colony are authorised to act iu Resident Magistrates' Courts in their behalf. The Star Dramatic Company gave their first performance last night at the Oddfellows' Hall, in the presence of a very numerous audience. The first piece • Victoriue, or the Miser's Doom,' was very fairly played, the principal parts being well sustained by Mr and Mrs W. Ryan and Mr G. Anderson, and also by the subordinate dramatis persona?. The performance appeared to afford the most unqualified gratification to the audience, who were by no means chary of their plaudits. An Irish jig, cleverly given by a very youthful dauseuse, was also rewarded by an enthusiastic encore, and an amusing afterpiece, ' The Married Batchelor,' seut the audience .home in the be3t temper imaginable. The entertainment, which is altogether of a very popular character, seems likely to be well supported, if we may judge from the reception accorded last night to the Compauy, "who evidently do their best to secure approbation, the musical accessories only requiring a little more spirit to make them very acceptable. This even ing's programme includes another sensational drama, 'The Carpenter of Rouen,' and a laughable farce, 'A Day in Paris,' with dancing, &c. The Alert was got off the Boulder Bank, this morning about 2 o'clock, and we understand that the captain was much indebted to the exertions of Mr Lowe and the Pilot crew for this result. She appears to have sustaiued very trifling injury. We learn from good authority that the name of J. G. Miles, Esq., has been added to the Commission of the Peace for this colony. An advertisemt in another column calls attention to an improvement on the ordinary photograph portrait which has been introduced by our enterprising townsman, Mr W. Davis, of Trafalgar-street. By this process enlarged copies of photographs are taken and reproduced with a softness and delicacy of effect which is most admirable, and which is especially adapted for likenesses of children, several specimens of which are now to be seen afc Mr Davis's establishment. Mr R. P. Whitwortb, the, editor of the Gazetteers of Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia, is a passenger by the Airedale to Auckland. Mr Whitworth is engaged in getting up a similar work on New Zealand, and will, we understand, return to Nelson as soon as he has completed ,his labors in Auckland. We have inspected two of the patent earthclosets now on view at Mr Levestam's, Colling wood- street, who has been .appointed agent for the company formed in Melbourne for the purpose of bringing these very useful inventions into general use. The principle of the invention is the application of earth instead of water to closets, &e., in such a manner that the soil is immediately and completely deodorised, and all noxious gases and offensive odours prevented. These closets have been introduced with the greatest success into many institutions and private establishments iu Melbourne and the interior of Victoria. As their very low cost brings them within the reach of every pocket, and their superiority to the present system, especially in a sanitary point of view, is obvious, we trust that the inhabitants of this city will not be slow to avail themselves of the convenience which modern science has placed at their disposal. The Musical Standard says that an attempt has been made to ascertain the different number of hymn books in use in nearly five hundred and fifty metropolitan churches of the Anglican. Church, and it has been found that 'Hymns Ancient and Modern ' are used at ]35 churches, the # Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Collection, at 111; Mercer's, at 43 ; Hall's at 44 ; Kemble's at 28 ; and Windie's at 14. There are many other collections in use ; but Tate and Brady's Psalter lingers in only two places as far as can be ascertained. The New Zealand Advertiser of the 7th instant states that Mr Strelitz, Mr Osgood's successor in the Empire Hotel, has disposed of his interest in that extensive establishment to Mr Leopold Moeller, and intended for Great Britaio in the Ruahine on Wednesday last. Amongst the passengers who arrived

to-day by the Airedale from Wellington is Mr Charles Russell, a well-known member 1 of the musical profession in that city, who purposes spending a week or two inNelson. We trust Mr Russeil may be induced during his stay here to give one of those musical entertainments which have afforded so much gratification in the Empire City. His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint S. L. Muller, Esq. Sheriff of the District of Marlborough. A Melbourne telegram of the 30th ulfc. says that the drawing for Dr L.L. Smith's stud had taken place on that day, without any interference being attempted on the part of the authorities. The horses were marched through the streets for some days previously, and attracted considerable attention. If one of the Austrians slain at the battle of Sadowa were to come to life again he would hardly know his own country' # so marvellous is the change which has come over it. Hungary satisfied, its sovereigu submitting to be crowned as King of Hungary; representative institutions in Austria a real fact; the Concordat with Home virtually abolished, amid popular illuminations ; and the upper house of the Reichsrath rejecting by 65 to 45 votes the proposal to delay the clause authorising civil marriages until the Pope had had an opportunity of pronouncing an opinion upon the subject ; a balanced exchequer; and, now most remarkable change perhaps of all, a proposal on the part of the Minister of war to abolish corporal punishment in the army— such are the marvellous reforms which, in less than two years, have converted the old headquarters of reactionary absolutism into the stronghold of liberty and reform. Austria is actually outstripping England. In the Wellington Provincial ConncU on Tuesday last, the Provincial Solicitor, Mr Brandon, said that notwithstanding the endeavors of the Government to settle the Patent Slip question, the matter had made no progress whatever. Negotiations had taken place, and proposals had been made to Mr. Owen, but that gentleman had declined to accept them. The Government had gone out of their way in order to effect arrangements with Mr Owen, but he declined to submit to anything except the carrying out of the contract which bad been entered into. Mr Borlase immediately gave notice of a motion of want of confidence in the present Provincial" Government, in consequence of the unsatisfactory manner in which they have dealt with the Patenfe Slip question. A certain Irish attorney threatened to prosecute a Dublin printer for inserting the death of a living person, and concluded with the remark, • That no printer should publish a death unless informed of the fact by the party himself.'