The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 34, 8 February 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1872.

The San Francisco Mail.— The Wellington arrived this morning from the Manukau whence she sailed ou Tuesday, up to which date there was no appearance of the Nevada at Auckland. The Pboebe remains at Manakau, and will bring ou the mail immediately upon its arrival. The Weather. — The long drousbt from which New Zealand has been suffering has at last broken up, not oniy in Nelson, but over tb.B whole island, the telegraphic weather report of this morning showing that in Marlborough, Canterbury, and Otago the long-wished rain is falling. Thames Goldfields. — There appears to have been a considerable fall in the price of shares at the Thames, and the glory of the Caledonian has entirely departed. The Southern Cross of Tuesday last says : — The sha^e market is dull. Caledonian, £17; Thames, £6; All Nations, £4 55. ; Inverness, £4. Customs Revenue. — The following is a statement of the aLxount of revenue collected at the Port of Nelson during tbe quarter ending 31st December: — Spirits, £2229 ls. 5J.j Tobacco, £944 ls. 6d.j Cigar?, £142 103. 4d.; Fixed duties, £2685 7s. lid.; Duties by measurement, £930 18s. 10.; Duties by weight, £475 4s. 4d.; Gold duty, £452 19s.— Total, £7060 3s. 4d. Harmonic Society's Concert. — The concert will take place this evening as advertised, notwithstanding the heavy rain that is falling, and, from what we can learn, it is likely to prove a very successful one. As a rule the choruses form the principal feature of these pleasant entertainments, but on this occasion the concert will consist principally of solos, duets, arid part songs, and two or three voices that are quite new to the Nelson public will be introduced for the first time. Excelsior Minstrels. — This Company gave another performance last night to a very fair house. The singing and dancing were much the same as on the previous evenings, but some new farces were introduced, including one entitled "Schimmerhom'fl Boy," £ which was received with shouts of laughter. On account of the Harmonic Society's concert, their performance will be postponed until to-morrow night, on which occasion Messrs. Collins aud Carroll take their benefit. The Blenheim Resident Magistrateship. — An instance of the evil effects of bestowing upon a violent political partizan so important an office as tbat of Resident Magistrate is supplied by the late proceedings at Blenheim, an abridged report of which we publish to-day. No special fitness for tbe post, so far as we can learn, has ever been displayed by Mr. Eyes, but the fact of hia having been a supporter of the present Ministry, while a member of the House, appears to have been deemed by them a Sufficient reason for pensioning off the late Resident Magistrate with a view to putting their protege in his place. If economy was the mainspring of the action they have taken in this matter, it appears to those at a distance a strange way of practising it, to make an appointment which necessitates the pensioning of an officer who is quite as capable as he who it was intended to substitute for him of performing the multifarious duties that are to devolve upon the holder of the office, while it would seem that even common courtesy required that Dr. Muller, who has so long been Resident Magistrate at Blenheim, should have been consulted as to whether he was willing to undertake them before disposing of him in so summary a manner. If offices of this description are to form tbe reward of political adherents we may bid a long farewell to tbat respect for the law which as a rule is universally entertained by Englishmen, and to foster which is one of the duties of a Government. Justice will no longer be fairly represented by a blindfolded figure holding in hen hands evenly balanced scales, but in its place we may look for a one-eyed monster with whom

political opinions will take precedence of the weightier matters of the law, while honesty and fairness are suffered to kick the beam. The Government, it appears, have in this particular instance taken warning by the outcry tbat has been raised agaiust the contemplated appointment in Marlborough, and have deemed it prudent to abandon their intention of promoting Mr. Eyes to the Bench, the offices of Resident Magistrate and Registrar of Lands being amalgamated in the person of Mr. Church, of Hokitika.

Planting. — An effort towards planting forest trees ou a large scale is about to be made by a gentleman residing near Timaru, who calls for tenders for planting 150 acres with blue gums, and who purposes planting another 100 acres with the same kind of trees in the coursa of a year,

The most serious difficulty which has arisen out of the deficiency of water in Melbourne was that represented by a deputation (consisting of the sufferer himself) to the Minister for Public Works. This unfortunate was the Hon. the Speaker, who (terrible to relate) had been obliged to shave himself in sodawatcr. — Australasian.

The Advantage of Insurance. — The late Mr. Allan Erskine a few months back insured his life with the Government in tbe sum of £100. He has left behind him a wife aud two children, who will thus reap the benefit of his providence. A few instances of this kind afford the best arguments in favor of life insurance.

Distress in Tasmania. — Late advices from Tasmania state that considerable depression in commercial circles, and much destitution amongst the working classes, prevail thoughout that Colony. Writing to tbe Hobart Town Mercury on the subject, a correspondent says — "I was told by an Irish gentleman who has recently travelled through a great portion of the Huon that he believed that Ireland in her worst days never witnessed such distress as he saw in many places on his journey." At a bazaar in Glasgow, the chair in which tbe Princess Louise had sat during the day was sold for £15. A London Beadle was sent to prison for a month for beating four cats to death in a sack. A beautiful and wealthy heiress at Syracuse, N.Y., has eloped with a young Prussian employed by her uncle as an ostler. The King of Burmah has sent Queen Victoria a gold necklace, weighing between 91b. aud 101 b.