The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1873.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 308, 24 December 1873, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1873.

We understand the Postmaster has received notice that the Albion will arrive and leave Nelson by the midday tide tomorrow. She carries a mail outwards for the Suez route, but there will be no opportunity to reply to letters. The Post Office will be open to-morrow for the delivery of the mail as soon as sorted. Excursion Trip. — A trip to the Croixelles by the Kennedy is advertised for Friday next. As there is no regatta this year, there will probably be a large number of passengers on so pleasant an excursion. Volunteers, — After parade of the City Rifles last night the Company held a meeting, when Mr A. Otterson was elected Sub-Lieutenaut to the Company, ia the place of Mr S. Street resigned.-l A rifle match will take place at Waimea West on Boxing Day, between the City Rifles and Waimea Rifles, ten men aside ranges 200, 400, and 500 yards, position any throughout. The City team leave town at six a.m. on that day. Hampdrn-strek? ■ School.-— An entertainment was given last evening to the pupils of tbe above school, by the assistant teacher, Miss Johnson, who was kindly and liberally aided by the parents and friends of the children. One hun Jred and seven children belonging to the school sat down to tea and did ample justice to the good things provided, they then adjourned to the school playground, where foot racing, hig--. jumping, vaulting with pole, and other sports for prizes were carried ou until dark. The appearance of Mr B. Crisp with his renowned magic lantern was greeted with great acclamation. Mr Crisp certainly deserves well of the elder members of tbe cummuuity, for it would be difficult to na.no any single individual in Nelson wbo bas so persistently aud so successfully catered for theentertainrnent of its juniors as the same kindly old gentleman. The exhibition afforded iutense delight to the little folks, in which it was evident not a few of the elder ones participated, and at tbe conclusion three hearty cheers were given for the master, Mr Suoley, three for Mies Johnson, nnd three for Mr Crisp. Church Decorations. — For some years past the Nelson churches have been celebrated for the beauty and tastefainess .of their decorations at the Christmas

season, but on the present occasion wo hear that their appearance is to outvie lhat which they have presented in »oy previous years. The preparations for the celebration of the great Christian festival in Christ t hurch were far from completed when we visited that building this afternoon, but from what we then saw we are able to say that lhe f'rondal nud floral ornamentations nnd devices that have been arranged will be really beautiful, no pains having been spared by those who have lakeD the work in hand in their endeavors to render the decorations worthy of this the oldest church in the province. We will not attempt any description of them just now, as it would be unfair to anticipate the result produced hy the efforts of thoee who hnve been engaged in the good work for the last three days. At All Saints', too, no labor has been spared in beautifying the building with flowers, evergreens, and illuminated texts and mottoes, and we question whether the decorations in the Nelson churches will be surpassed by any in the colony. We understand tbat the choirs of both churches have been for some time engaged in practising the choral services which will be performed tomorrow. Christmas Fare. — If there was any disposition ou the part of the citizens of Nelson to forget that Christmas day was close at hand, such a failing of memory would havo been corrected by the appearance of tbe various butchers' shops last night. Of the decorations we shall say nothing, but tbe display of good meat with whicb the eyes of epicures were greeted is well worthy of mention. The first shop to attract our notice was lhat of Mrs Bird, who is evidently a connoisseur in the matter of beef, for finer beasts than those which had been drawn in quarters to her establishment have seldom beeu [som in New Zealand. In addition to this some splendid sheep from Mr Edwards' farm at the Moutere, and lambs reared by Mr Challies of Waimea West were hung arouud in tempting array, while for those who preferred delicate young pork for their Christmas dinner Mr Dyson of Wakapuaka had furnished some excellent specimens. Two or three doors below was Mr Foy's shop, the principal feature in which was a fatted calf eight weeks old, the like of whirl* was never 6een in Nelson. BeeT and mutton, the latter being a most creditable production of Mr Martin's farm at Stoke, were not wanting, and a hungry man armed with a meat jack, a frying pan, or a gridiron, need not have complained had he fallen across such a supply of rich juicy looking meat as 1 here met the eye of the passer by. Taking j the shops in order Mr Warren's was the next to demand attention, and after giving the matter due consideration we are still unable to say to which we are disposed to give the preference, a sirloin from a splendid heifer from Mr Redwood's farm, chops from eome nuggety little lambs supplied by Mr Newport of Waimea East, a saddle of mutton from a noble slieep of Mr Best's rearing, or a delicate little piece of pork from an array of grunteia that not long since disported themselves on Mr Bartlett's property at Appleby. Still in doubt as to tbe direction in which our choice would lie, we extended our researches to Mr Pratt's exhibition, and here we found two enormous sheep from Mr Marsden's paddocks at Stoke, and aoy amount of beef and pork of really first-rate quality, of the breeding and rearing of which Mr Fry of Motueko could claim the credit. Thence to Mr Trask's, and here again we found Mr Marsden asserting himself as the producer of some of the finest mutton that ever met the eye, or mado the mouth water. Wanganui supplied some capital beef, Mr Webby a few well-conditioned lambs, and the proprietor of the establishment an exceedingly fat pig that was suggestive of cold weather and bacon curing. Mr Hargreaves had not forgotten that it was Christmas time, aa was shown by his excellent display of beef and mutton, and in the outskirts of the town Mr Barnett in the Waimea Road, and Mr Cook in the Wood, were no whit behind their brethren of the cleaver in showing that the Province of Nelson can produce as good meat as could possibly be wished for either at Christmas or any other time of the year. At the opening of the OnehuDga railway lost Saturday Mr Sheehan said: Although not a prophet, nor a prophet's son, I feel that the prosperity of the line is secure. I heard a gentleman to-day say thai he had just now for the first time for tweuty yera travelled by train. I so travelled to-day for the first time ia my existence, and if usually there are so many lady passengeas in railway cars as was the case on this occasion, I should like to travel by railway for ever, and have a return ticket. Tbe ' Auckland Herald of Monday last says:— On Saturday morning the purchase money (£2500) was paid over to Mr H. Redwood, and the following race-horses were duly handed over to their new owner — Mr Edward Perkins, of the Occidental Hotel. Papa pa, Kakapo, Lurine, Batter, Teranga, Spritsail, and a three-year-old fitly by Ravensworth out of the Queen of the South. Mr Perkins may be congratulated on possessing at one swoop the finest stud of race-horses in tbe colony. The horses are purchased with all their engagements, aud it is needless to say that they will bo run on the square at the forthcoming race meeting. His Honor Mr Justice Johnston, says the ' Hawke's Bay Times,' has once iigain found it necessary to comment upon the disgraceful state of affairs existing throughout tbe whole colony, as far as regards the treatment of young offenders against the law. The subject has been forcibly dwelt on tiroes out of number, by tho several Judges of the colony, who, almost as often as they hold a session, are brought face to face with the fact that the punishment they feel it necessary to inflict on this class of persons brought before them for judgment, will, in all probability,

end in making them hardened criminals. It is hard to imagine a moro difficult position ihan that of a conscientious judge under such circumstances. His aim in awardiuj. punishment embraces the desire of reforming {he criminal in even a greater degree tban that of inflicting punishment for tbe wrong committed, but the penal arrangements of the colony are such as to preclude his carryiug such wish into effect. He is aware that in awarding imprisonment, he is handing over a young and impressible mind to the worst possible influences, by condemning it to the association of vile and criminal companions, and he well knows that the young offender, in the nature of things, must leave the jail deteriorated in character, instead of reformed, and far more likely to take a permanent place in the ranfes of the criminal class, than to become a valuable member of society.

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