The Nelson Evining Mail. FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 100, 26 April 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evining Mail. FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1872.

Mb. Lowther Broad, R.M., &c, &c, &c, we observe, still continues to occupy a prominent position in tbe Government Gazette as the appointee to several new offices without additional pay. Assembly Room. — Messrs. Alio O'Brien and Bromley, assisted by the Nelson Amateur Christy Minstrels, will give the first of their performances at the Assembly Room to-night. . Attempted SuicrDE.*— George Mercott, of Waimea East, was this morning brought before the Resident Magistrate charged with having yesterday attempted to; commit suicide by hanging himself, prisoner was remanded until to-morrow, in order to allow of witnesses being brought in from the country.

Greville's Agent in \ Nelson, we notice, telegraphed to the other provinces that Mr. Luckie had published his address to the electors, of which a brief abstract is given, but no mention whatever was made of Mr. Richmond's, which appeared on the same day. Nelson Races. — The horses are mustering for the race meeting of next week, seven more having arrived in the Taranaki last night, from Marlborough and the South. The new arrivals are Mr. Walter's Slander, Yatterioa, and Dainty, Mr. \ M'Glashnn's Ronald, Mr. Redwood's Mystery and Daylight, and Mr. R. Mcßae's Black Hawk. Iv addition to these, the following horses are at present in training in Nelson : — Mr. Redwood's Peeress, Mr. Hale's Black Eagle and Flying Jib, Mr. Hill's L'ncenfeed, Mr. Morse's Fides, Mr. Blundell's Cameo, Mr. Thompson's Diomedes, Mr. Thomas's Equity, Mr. Hope's Heiress, and Mr. Arnold's Eclipse and Misa Nightingale. With such a field of horses, there is every promise of really first-rate sport. Harmonic Society's Concert. — At the Provincial Hall last evening the Harmoniu Society, iv its usual private I concert, presented its subscribers with a delightfuleveniog's entertainment. Birch's new cantata " The Merrie Men of Sherwood Forest," if not particularly original, is at least characteristic and beautiful, and the entire rendering of the piece by soloists, instrumentalists, and chorus speaks well both for the Society and iis conductor. The various dramatis persona were well sustained, Maid Marian in her pastoral recitative was indeed excellent, Robin Hood, in his opening declamation, equally good; Little John trolled forth his booming bass to perfection; and " bonnie Will Scarlett" sung his miserere with all the pathos due to the scene. The choruses were managed with admirable precision, the unaccompanied madrigals, as well as the mirthful glees, keeping time to the measure of the Morrice dance or gallopade. The little orchestra contributed no little to the success of this sparkling and enjoyable piece, the accompaniments being a prominent feature in the chorus, and the Wedding March, on the nuptials of Robin Hood and Marian, as well as the Dead March in the execution scene were peculiarly effective. The music is eminently English,and was thoroughly enjoyed,and we would not envy the indifference to mirth and music of the man who could for the time turn from Robin Hood and his merry men to absorb his thoughts in the graver considerations of metaphysics or transcendentalism. Between Tuesday and Saturday last week, 5_- inches of rain fell in Wellington. Only Half-an-Hour was allowed in Sydney to reply to the advices by the last Californian mail. Large numbers of Mining Companies are being formed at Coromandel. The Gazette of Monday last contained ten applications to register new companies, A Te Deum was sung in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Wellington, last Sunday "in thanksgiving to Almighty God for the happy restoration to health of the Prince of Wales, Heir to the Throne of her present Gracious Majesty." The Proprietor and Editor of the Wakatip Mail are rival candidates for the representation of Lake Wakatip in the Otago Provincial Council. It will be amusing to watch which candidate the paper supports. Michael Hatton, a son of the Rev. Mr. Hatton, England, and nephew of Archdeacon Williams, has been killed by the accidental discharge of his gun while lifting it over a wall when out duck shooting at the Bay of Islands. A Sydney Telegram says : — The Richard Crossing mentioned in the Auckland papers as having been found in the river at Wanganui, was a wealthy resident in tbe Mudgee district, who absconded with his niece after the supposed murder by the latter of her illegitimate child. Warrants were out for the apprehension of Miss Crossing. The Wanganui Bridge seems likely to become as notorious as London Bridge, and tbe Monument for suicides. Early on Saturday morning a man named Michael Maddigan attempted suicide by jumping off it into the river. He was seen hy the police, who with some difficulty rescued him, life being almost extinct, and removed him to the Hospital, where, according to the last accounts, he was lying in a very precarious state. The Wairarapa jVercury in recording the appointment of valuator for the Masterton Highway district, drily says:* — " The qualities necessary to qualify a valuator are implicit confidence in his own knowledge, and a temperament totally impervious to abuse. Our readers will not be astonished to hear that, the residents in this valley who possess those very desirable attainments are to be reckoned by hundreds, that is if we are to fake the number of applicants for a guide.

"An Illustration," says the Pall Mall Gazette, "which is not without its present value, of the obstructive tendencies of M. Thiers is given by Mr. Vignolles, the president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, in his annual address to that body for 1869 ; — ' A powerful combination of capitalists was formed for connecting London and Paris by railroad (he says), and soon after the change of monarchy which placed Louis Phillippe on the throne of France, I was sent over to negotiate for a concession in the French dominions. I had the honor of several interviews with his Majesty ; the celebrated statesman Thiers, then Minister of of Public Works, was scut to England, and soon after Monsigoor le Grand, his Under Secretary of State, came over. I had the honor of escorting them, one after tho other, through the manufacturing districts and aloug the railways, some of which I was constructing, and I thought I had convinced them both of the advantage which the railway system would be to France. After some considerable time occupied in inspecting everything which I thought most likely to interest these two chiefs of the Public Works of Frauce, and conveying them over road and railway at a pace at which I am sure neither of them had ever moved before, M. Thiers took leave of me iv a speech full of compliments and polite phrases, which I will attempt to paraphrase in plain English. " Mr. Vignolle," said the accomplished statesman but bad discriminator, "I am infinitely obliged to you, and I think you a very clever fellow, but, do you know, I did not believe a word of what you told me before I came, and now I cannot see the great advantages you were constantly dwelling upon. You have good canais — but very small, and ours in France are much superior. As for your roads they are very good, but I have not met a merchandise waggou on them in tbe whole of my journeys. Ido not think railways are suited to France ! — and as to your vauuted posting we go quite as quick in France." Perhaps this last remark was not to be wondered at — for M. Thiers had insisted on bringing over to England his own heavy lumbering vehicle, quite a la Louis XIV., with immense lamps, like the old Paris reverberators, at the four corners on the top of the coach, which carried heavy Imperials, and eight or nine pesons in and out, requiring six horses most of the way. M. Thiers returned to Louis Philippe, and reported against the introduction of railways. He mode violent speeches in his place in Parliament as Minister of Public Works adverse to them, and the benefit of railways to Frauce was postponed for eight or ten years.' "