The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 18, 21 January 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1874.

Customs Revenue.-— The customs Revenue collected at the Port of Nelson for the quarter ended December 81, 1873 was as follows : — Spirits, £2395 6s 3d; ditto distilled in New Zealand, £29 5s 3d; Tobacco, £1146 13s 9d; Cigars, £166 2s 3d; Fixed Duties, £4922 7s sd; Duties by weight, £453 15s Id; Ditto Ad Valorem £2917 17 0; making a total of £12,031 lis 0, being £1140 lis 3d in excess of the amount for September quarter. Wesleyan Sunday Fchool Anniversary. — The anniversary of the Wesleyan Sabbath School was celebrated this week. Sermons were preached on the Sabbath in the morning by the Rev. T. Buddie, and in the evening by the Rev. T. S. Forsaith, Congregational Minister, Paramatta, New South Wales. The latter gentleman, a very old and well-known New Zealand colonist, was a passenger by the Ladybird en route to Auckland, and kindly took the pulpit in the evening. The congregations were good, especially at night, when tbe church was crowded. The children of the school ranged on a platform across the church appeared to advantage and were remarkable for their good behavior, while the singing was admitted to have been better than on any previous year. The collection on Sunday amounted to £10. Last evening tea was provided in the schoolroom, and at 6 o'clock quite a crowd sat down to tables most liberally spread by several ladies of the congregation. The public meeting held in the church was presided over by Mr Buddie. The report read by the Secretary expressed thank? fulness to God for the great mercy and goodness vouchsafed during the year. The death of young Blick, who died happy in the Lord, and the fact that several of tbe older scholars had decided for Christ, and bad been formed into catechumen classes under the conduct of two of the teachers, were alluded to in the encouraging report. After the Secretary's balance sheet wa3 read, the meeting was addressed by the Revs P. Calder, G. H. Johnstone, W. Cannell, and Mr B. Short. The several addresses, together with the excellent singing of the children, constituted one of the most happy and profitable meetings ever held in connection with the school. Motueka Orphanage. — On Thursday afternoon a gathering of ladies and j geDtlemen interested in the Orphanage took place at tbe Grables, the occasion being the presentation of rewards and prizes that the kindness and liberality , of friends in Nelson had provided. The ! large room in which the meeting was held was tastefully arranged, the table in front of the chair being decorated with the books, boxes, and toys that | were to be distributed, whilst at the | back were effectively grouped those i gifts to the Home that were to be used as the common possessions of all the children. The chair was occupied by the Rev. S. Poole, who, in opening the proceedings, expressed the great pleasure he felt at being present on such an occasion. He was, he remarked, deeply interested in all that related to the Orphanage, and had had great satisfaction in witnessing its growth under the esjcient management of Mr Wallie, Mrs Wallis, and daughters, but, next to the pleasure which the happiness and wefare of the children would afford, was that to be obtained by hearing of tha sympathy of the people in Nelson. He said thajS the old word, ©f which orphan was but a modern form, was usually translated " comfortless," but the J^olson folk, animated, he hoped, by the Spirit of Him who was the Father of the fatherless, as well as the God of- the widow, had y* iiG fibred tho meaning of the term and *** »»^ e iheiv the^ eBS httle ones most happy . „ -( __ n r We." There was not a better ** U * the existence of the good tree amoog&u us than the fruit of benevolent efforts I

to educate the young, and to ameliorate the condition of the homeless and the destitute. Several pieces, both in prose and verse, were recited by the children ia the presence of the visitors, and suitable hymns were sung in a very pleasing manner. The senior class read with fluency, and were examined in spelling, and their copybooks passed round the room for the inspection of visitors. Each child then came up and received from the hand of the chairman the reward of good conduct. One gift of greater value was presented to the child who, in the estimation of Mr Walliß, had been most distinguished for upright behaviour. The chairman concluded the proceedings by remarking on the progress that had been made during the past twelve months in the different branches of education, intellectual as well as industrial, and expressed a hope that the sympathies of the public would be everywhere enlisted on behalf of the Orphanage. Of Mr Walli's it wouldbe useless to add a single word of praise, as everybody knew that he was eminently " the right man in the right place."