The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1873.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 71, 22 March 1873, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1873.

" Hampden Stbeet School. — Miss Johnson has been appointed mistress of this school in the place of Miss Tucker who has resigned. The Cabandinis. — Madame Carandini and her daughters Rosina and Fannie, accompanied by Messrß Sherwin and Gordon, are expected from the West Coast tomorrow, and wiU give -the first of their entertainments at the Masonic Hall on Monday evening. Miss Aitken. — We were glad to. see a somewhat larger attendance at the Masonic Hall last night, when Miss Aitken gave one of her pleasing entertainments. Anther, we notice, is advertised for this evening, when the very low; charge of~one shilling; will be made forjfldmli-^iqni^Bnd'. thia best wish we can pffer|tb thii italenWd I Jady ier that she may lave such an audience as her ;; entertainm^nfe|eserves. y'yA' yZyy yy Attbmdptei): ; ' Sin6__>E.**~A;,miner'* named ■• Charles Ambler, resident at Collingwood

recently attempted to commit suicide by cutting his throat while under the influence of drink. He failed in his object, however, and the wound was sewed up by Mr Lightband, who sent him to the Police Station, from whence he was despatched to the Nelson Hospital, where he iB now in a fair way to recovery. Waimea West. — Palmer's Public Room was crowded last night, on the occasion of Dr. Carr's Seance. His visit up country has been emminently successful. The interest taken in practical phrenology has such that we are told it will take the Dr. some three or four weeks to write all tbe phrenological delineations of character tbat have been ordered. Dr. Carr's last seance will be given at Richmond on Monday evening next. Cricket. — A correspondent has sent us the scores made in a match played on Wednesday last between the Lower Moutere and Ngatimoti clubs with a request that they may be published, but he has omitted to give to them their distinctive headings, so that we are unable to make out which side was the winner; although victory declared itself unmistakeably in favor of one of the clubs, which in one innings scored 158 against 56 which it took the losing side two innings to obtain. Proposed Yoltjnteer Artillery Company. —A . meeting was held at the Masonic Hotel last evening, Mr. E. de Montalk in the chair, when over 50 gentlemen gave in their names as being willing to join the proposed company. After appointing a committee, consisting of Meesrs. Hounsell, Tennant, Barnicoat, Garrard, E. Adams, H. Lloyd, and A. B. Jackson, for the purpose of communicating with the Defence Office, the meeting adjourned. We understand that the list lies at the shop of Mr, J. Hounsell for the signatures of persons willing to join the new company. The Charleston Herald notifies with pleasure that no newspapers were- stolen from the library in that Township in the week ending March 8. The Inangahua Herald, in criticising the report of the Inland Communication Committee, doubts the correctness of the calculations, but is in favor of " a work of such advantage " if it can be executed for the sum stated. The total expenses of the great mining case Clayton and others v. Morrison and Co, at Taupeka will, it is said, probably exceed £2500. The j ury alone cost £204. The Tuapeka Times asserts that during the course of the case the famous peg 85 was mentioned 19,287 times. Many hundred pounds worth of rain fell during Wednesday and Thursday, which will enable a large number of miners to get to work again, whilst householders are most thankful for the replenishment of their, butts &c. Great inconvenience resulted from want of water for household wants, not a few having it carted to them from various springs. Fine weather apparently set in again yesterday afternoon. — Charleston Herald. Mr Greenwood, surveyor, has lately brought down from the Cascades some samples of coal taken from the seam existing there jn close proximity to the prospectors quartz claim. It closely resembles the Mount Rochfort coal in every respect. The samples are in the possession of the Provincial Engineer. — Westport Times. The sanitary condition of Colonial bank-notes is again the. subject of remark. Says the Timaru Herald:—" It would be well, we think, for the convenience and for the noses of the public, if the various banks doing business in the Colony would make a more frequent issue of notes than what now obtains. At present, having to do much duty, some of the notes get exceedingly worn, and from numerous pockets they from time to time find a resting place in, get an odour the reverse of pleasant." The captain of the schooner Maid of Erin, trading between Melbourne and Westport, reports that on the llth inst., at about 2.15 p.m.^ when in latitude 40, longitude 159, those on board experienced a sharp shock of earthquake lasting about a minute. The sensation is described as being precisely as if the craft had bumped and grated aeross a boulder bank. The weather at the time waß fine, and northeasterly swell prevailing. A similar shock, but of slighter effect, was experienced afterwards. A "Political League " was recently formed in Auckland (says the Wellington Post) to do — well we don't know what, but doubtless something remarkable. .. It is not however, likely to create a revolution just at present. The first meeting after the society had been formed, and proper officers appointed, was attended by some half a-dozen persons, exclusive of newspaper repbrters, and the proceedings were opened -' by thie announcement of ; the. resignation^ of the '.tiewly-fledg'ed'.'rPres-T ;dent/:a\!^ < 'B..TbnkeSi;'; : .The& arose a dire debate as to who should occupy that impor;tent*dffi*M^ full of spirit.: A letter Horn Mr. Swan,

late M. H. R. for the Thames, was read,, in which he stated that until the principles of the society were thoroughly defined, he should decline to allow his .name to appear in connection with it, whereupon the Chairman declared that Mr Swan was a traitor to the cause. Then arose the clang of war, during which . two of the committemen said they would resign, and loft the room. Then the Chairman (a Mr Mason) got into a hot discussion with one of the surviving members, during which he said, speaking of himself, that he was a man of great literary attainments, and had more brains in his head tban Mr Andrews had in his little finger. To prove his words, the speaker commenced to quote from Homer and Shakespeare, This was followed by a touching allusion by tbe same speaker to the art of growing turnips, and otber matters of a most irrelavent and certainly far more edifying character. The Mr Andrews alluded to, however, seems to have been rather a sensible fellow, for he declared that he would cut his bunkum short, by moving as an amendment, ' That this Society do now resolve itself into a convivial meeting.' The motion was carried nem. con., and drinks were brought in for all hands, and no further business was done for that evening." S— *—— i i iiii 1 1_—_ _-____■_________--_»__—_____. ___>

'•*——*—■*--—*— mi. i i 'in -ii ■ ii ii -..._- to novel ideas with reference to the immi- ; gration policy: of New '* Zealand. Captain 1 Murray, of the Thames Scottish, I see, has-been propounding a peculiar theory. The services of Dr. Featherston and all his numerous subs are no more required for emigration purposes. Do you want a crowd of sturdy English laborers to flock to your shores? Your wish can easily be gratified, for all you have to do is to despatch to the home country a dozen New Zealand Volunteers, who shall display themselves at the Wimbledon meeting, and immediately the, London shipping offices will be besieged by a host of men, women, and children, all eager to make their homes in that favored land*, where such splendid specimens of* rifle-shooting humanity are raised. If Captain Murray's ideas are correct, would it not pay Messrs. Shaw, Saville & Co. to offer free passages to the twelve who are to produce such an effect upon the English mind ? The Government, too, might safely venture to expend a trifle upon handbills wherewith to placard the walls of English cities and villages. "Great attraction ! Go to Wimbledon and inspect Captain Murray and eleven other Volunteers lately arrived from New Zealand ! Note the scores they make ! See what New Zealand can produce ! Emigrants wanted for this Land of Promise ! Fathers, see to what your sons may grow ! Mothers observe the style of husband that is in store for your daughters ! Hasten to New Zealand, the Britain of the South, the cradle of these gorgeously arrayed, bull's-eye-hitting, muscular Christians ! Passages may be obtained on application to &c, &c." Yes, I think if the Government are possessed of the slightest foresight they will immediately despatch twelve volunteers ahd a civilian— meaning myself —to the home country and supply us with lots of money while there. Between us we shall be able to achieve a great success in the emigration line. The men of war shall do the show and shooting*; I, the puffing. But lam afraid this is but a wild dream, and all I bave to fall back upon after the disappointment experienced in awaking from it, is the sober reflection, Why do men always make absurd speeches after dinner ? I wonder why it is. The time has nearly arrived for the people of Nelson to decide what they are disposed to do towards helping themselves in the direction of opening up the interior of the Province, and establishing overland communication with the West Coast. As all are aware, a Committee has been at •work now for several weeks in collecting information on the subject, discussing the various means by which the desired end may be attained, and preparing a report and resolutions to be laid before the public for their approval. Up to this point, their work is now completed, the result of their labors has been submitted to the people, and with them it now rests to come to a •decision on a matter of graver importance than any on which they have yet been invited to express an opinion. A meeting is to be held on Monday evening for the purpose of ascertaining whether the conclusions arrived at by the Committee are in accordance witb the popular view, but supposing it should be so, it must not be imagined that all that can be done has been done. . Far from it. This is but a preliminary step, the first step, and only a very little step in the desired direction. The Committee propose the formation of a company. The people may agree- with them that this is the , proper course to pursue, but then the question arises — Are they prepared to substantially back this opinion ? No amount of resolutions, no matter how unanimously they may be agreed, to, will make a railway for us. We must be prepared to subscribe towards it, to take shares in the Company it is proposed to raise. Unless this is done to a large extent, it will be worse than useless to appeal to outsiders. Let us all by taking up shares according to. our means show that we have full faith in the proposed scheme, and then we may hope for extraneous assistance, but if we are slow in . supporting it ourselves we may depend upon . it that foreign capitalists will look upon the speculation as an exceedingly doubtful one. * That we all do believe in it, I have no doubt whatever, but we must show our faith by our works. Let no man think . that, because he can take but one share, it is of no use for him td place his name on the list. You must begin with the units and gradually progress through the tens and hundreds before • you can hope to arrive at the dignity of thousands. I see .. that shares in thei new Bank to the amount of £32,000 have been applied for in Nelson, which , may be .'accepted- Jas an in- ! - dication that we are not devoid of capitalists; seeking •investment for : their money. As one who has taken some interest in this.matter,; l -look forward to the meeting ; ;^fJ_^i_J^ i % ; witn; *th&^ }

their general demeanor show most untnistakeably that they mean business, that they are tired of inaction, and that they intend to avail themselves of the labors of those who have of late devoted much, time rand thought towards the solution of the problem, how the Province of Nelson is to be raised to the rank it should occupy amongst the other divisions of the colony. It is of no use to say that the Government should undertake the proposed railway. That is a matter that has been earnestly discussed by the Committee, and the conclusion has been arrived at that if we are to wait for the inauguration of the scheme by the Government we may make up our minds to leave the commencement of the work to our children's children. The Government is to be asked to assist, as will be seen by the report and resolutions, and that assistance we shall have a right to demand if we show that we are in sober, downright earnest. Jn writing' on this subject it is difficult to know where to stop. I could enlarge to any extent upon the advantages that must accrue to the town, the suburbs, and the province generally by the completion of such a work as that proposed; I could write a doleful tale of the ruinous consequences of allowing matters to remain as they are, but I believe that both are unnecessary. The people of Nelson are not wanting in sound common sense, and they are quite as much alive as I am to what is before them if they refuse to stir, as well as to the future that may be secured to them if by their exertions they obtain that which everyone of them admits is the great desideratum — the opening up of our back country. In addition to the important news of the fall of the Gladstone Ministry, the Suez mail, which has arrived with its usual punctuality this week, has brought two other items of information that specially affect the colony of New Zealand. The first of these is that a considerable and decided fall has taken place in the price of wool. A reduction of threepence a pound is a serious matter to the sheepfarmer; it is also so to the colony, for it means that some hundreds of thousands of pounds of English money that would otherwise have found their way into the colony do not reach our pockets. Not that it could for one moment have been expected that the late fictitious prices would continue to rule, but when you have once tasted the sweets of one and sixpence for your produce you don't all at once resign yourself with equanimity to receiving only fifteenpence. The other item of news to which I referred is indeed a sad one, and calculated to throw the whole colony into mourning. Mr Webb is no longer going to oblige us by receiving a handsome subsidy for carrying on the most irregular mail service the world ever knew since the discovery of steam. For my own part, I hate punctuality. What pleasure or excitment is there in knowing that the Albion or the Rangitoto will arrive at Hokitika or the Bluff on a certain day with the Suez mail on board ? The thing becomes monotonous to a degree. On the other hand, look at the San Francisco service. You know that the mail is due at Auckland on Monday, however, you don't begin to expect it until, say, Friday, and then you are provided with a pleasing occupation for the next week at least in trudging down tp the telegraph office four or five times a day to see if the boat has arrived at Auckland. At last your eyes are gratified with seeing on the telegraph board, Arrived : Nebraska, from Honolulu. You go home satisfied. You have a wife, or a husband, or a brother, or a lover, or somebody dear to you in England with whom you correspond regularly, and you are rejoicing at the prospect of soon seeing once again the beloved handwriting, -when you take up the evening paper and find that the steamer has come without the mail. All this is exciting, and it was very cheap at the price, and as for dreaming of inflicting a penalty upon the contractor why such a thing is out of the question. Rather should we encourage such glorious uncertainty, and I for one am quite sorry that we are only going to see one or two more of Mr Webb's boats. We fihall actually be reduced to carrying on our correspondence by that wretched Suez mail which never gives a dilatory man a chance. ; , F.