The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 57, 7 March 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1874.

Thb Weather. — A wet Saturday is not, as a rule, acceptable to business people in town, but any inconvenience they may suffer from the weather today will be amply compensated for by the delight experienced by the farmers and graziers at once again seeing, the rain fall in copious' showers. Already had the winter supplies df fodder been broached in some parts on aocount of -ihe scarcity of green food for cattle and sheep, but now .there: is e\fery proha x bility of good strong growth setting in in the paddocks that for the last two months have beea looking so parched

and bare, and there will be general rejoicing throughout tbe country at, the welcome change from a burning sun to a refreshing rain. Since the above was 'written tbe wino 1 has increased to a gale from the north-west, and a heavy sea has sprung up in the Bay. The cutter Ann, owned by Captain Eure, with 450 sleepers on board, which was lying in the harbor without anyone on board, dragged her anchor and ran on to tbe rocks between the Arrow Rock and tbe Cliffs, and sank almost immediately, and tbe Lady Barkly, which was returning from Motueka, had to run up the Waimea river for shelter. Thb , Caramdinis.— This Company was welcomed last night by a crowded audience, even standing room being with difficulty obtainable in the Hall. We could not but notice with regret tbe absence of Mies Rosina, one of tbe moßt delightful and attractive singers who ever visited Nelson, while, on the olher hand, we are able 'to congratulate tbe Company on the . accession to its ranks of the two sisters, Miss Isabella and Miss Lizzie, the former of wbom has a soprano voice of great sweetness and wide compass, and tbe latter a rich contralto voice which bids fair to rival that of Miss Fannie. The entertainment ef last night was a grfeat treat, Madame Canandini being in fine voice, and giving some of her old songs with exquisite taste and sweetness. Miss Fannie, who rendered valuable assistance as aceompanyist on the piano, was rapturously encofed in both her songs, " Kathleen Mavourneen," and "When the Swallows homeward fly." Her voice, rich and full as it was before, has, if anything, improved since her last visit to Nelson, and ' she fairly took; her audience by storm last night. _*lr Gordon sang two solos, in one of wbich i he was encored, and, together with Mr Sherwin, rendered valuable aid in the concerted pieces, one of whioh, Abt's " Evening," was really exquisite. Mr Cotterell was of course heartily welcomed,' and amused his audience immensely with some of his " Sketches," though in "The School for Sentiment," - he has, we think made a selection which does. hot do justice to his powers. His two comic songs were greeted with shouts'of laughter, one of them being encored. As we have said before, the entertainment is on the whole a - most pleasing one, and as there is to bea. complete change of programme this evening, the Company shonld again bave the: satisfaction of performing before a crowded house. . Dovedale Wesleyan Funday School.- — The first anniversary of the Dovedale Wesleyan Sunday school was celebrated by a public tea meeting on Wednesday last. A number of visitors arrived early in the day from Motueka and other places, and the beautiful valley seemed quite alive. At 'five o'clock the children were regaled with such' good things as are common on such occasions, and tbe rising generation of the district (who by the way speak well for the future of the place) seemed thoroughly to enjoy themselves, The public tea ai* five o'clock was everything tbat could be desired, and was so weU patronised that a second '" sitting " had to be resorted to. The evening meeting was presided over by Mr Stone of Motueka, and addresses were, delivered by Messrs Stone, Humphreys, Rose, Glover, Simon, and the Rev Mr Marten, of Motueka. Several recitations and hymns were given at intervals by the children. Altogether a most enjoyable evening was spent, and we doubt not a profitable ona to those concerned, — Communicated. Session or No Session ? The Gret/ Eiver Argus says: — Mr E. J. Wakefield, one of the members of the General Assembly who attended at the recent premature meeting of Parliament, intends, it is said, to claim his honorarium for the full session— £los." Should this prove correct, the case will be one of tbe most important ever tried in New Zealand, for, in the event of its being decided before the Supreme Court in the plaintiff's favor, the present members of Parliament will be found to have forfeited their seats, and consequently a general election will be necessary. It appears to us to be most desirable that an action of this kind should be brought before the next session, as it might prove the means oi preventing an illegal meeting of the Assembly, whereas, cnthe other hand, if tbe decision should be that the late assemblage of" half-a-dozen or so of members did not constitute a session a good deal : of doubt and misapprehension would be removed from the public mind. That the Ministry wotiid object to a dissolution at the present moment is most unlikely because just now Mr Yogel is at the very zenith of his popularity. The Auckland mines, says a correspondent of a Dunedin paper, are looking up. Every four years we are to expect, according to the knowing ones, a reaction, and the fourth year is now upon us. The prophecy is generally accredited, and may largely contribute to its own performance. But certainly, up to the present time there is no sign of its being at hand. The Golden Calf has taken out nearly pure gold — only 30 ounces — but no one is moved. If she continues the process, and there are some who think she will, we shall be as fanatical worshippers ofthe image as the -Israelites of old. Scrip Corner will again teem with eager crowds, and the Exchange be thronged. Thk Charleston Herald ot Saturday last says:—" The heavy sea rolling in during yesterday from the South-west has, we are informed, sent up a good

deposit of black: sand on the beaches to the delight' of those who are working beach claims." ; . Durin^a iecerityih'understor.m, accompanied by heavy rain (says the Tuapeka paper), several stacks in the middle of a cornfield in that district were discovered to be on fire. As there was no one within a considerable distance,, it is infefred^that they were igniteld by lightning. Harvest in the Grey Valley is, according to the local paper, quite a jubilee time with the miners who come down from tbe ranges, find enjoy what is to them, a rather profitable holiday among the agriculturists. It is said that the regular "bundlemen" who travel around at harvest time do not stand a show with tbe miners, wbo like the novelty of the work on these occasions, and can get through more in a given time tban the regular bands. Hearing that none of our worthy hotel-keepers would sell drink oa Sundays, a person who hos a strong hankering after forbidding and forbidden knowledge gave one of our, reporters a pound note to find out if all the houses were above suspicion. We understand be called his temporary employer out of church yesterday about 11.30, at which time be was rather shaky on his legs and confused in his speech, and wanted more money to follow up his researches. — Wellington Tribune. The Educational Gazette in advocating some kind of organization among the school teachers in the colony says: — "There must be work to be done for every member, and the modus operandi defined and understood by all. We believe tLat the time is ripe for organisation, bufc we are not clear from what quarter the initiative should commence. We look with interest to the Teachers' Associations as the proper nuclei for such tx developement, and we shall make kbown what we can of the working of those already in operation, in. the hope of bringing about some uniformity, in their plans and, objects, if not ultimately some more general conference, or Union. The Teachers' Association at Auckland is under the [ presidency of Dr Kidd, and is open to | teachers alike of public and private schools. This, we think, is a rule which should be adopted by all such societies.: Professional jealousy is the bane of association. But still it may be prudent and proper to require some evidence of qualification. At present any pretender to the art can stamp himself a teacber— a blot from which the otber professions -in the colony are free. The certificates of the various Education Boards have no common standard by which to judge* of the qualifications of those who hold them. A conference of delegates fram the Associations could best define this and other points essential to successful confederation, and we hope it may not be long before we hear that something of the sort is in contemplation." A new policy is about to be initiated in Victoria with respect to the railway goods and passenger charges. Hitherto railway travelling (says the Argus) has been confined to those who were compelled to use tbe lines, and out of these people the last penny has been squeezed. . But it has been found by returns obtained from various English companies tbat, in proportion os fares and freights are reduced, the receipts are increased very considerably, and this at only a trifling increase in the working expenses. In Victoria passengers have to pay at the rate of sixteen shillings per hundred miles for railway travelling. It is now estimated, taking the experience of old lines of railways, that if tbe charges are reduced 20 per cent, the increase in the business, after deducting extra working expenses, will reach. 40 per cent. Of course there must be a minimum of reduction below which a railway line can only be worked at a loss. But it is believed tbat the Victorian railways can be worked at a tariff 30 per cent below present rates, from which a still greater increase of profits will accrue. The experiment of reduced fares is to be I tried, and- we shall look, with some interest to tbe result. It will perhaps I be o guide when the tariff comes to be | fixed for our own lines. We believe that tbe following style of farming has not yet been adopted in this Colony:— A lobster farm has been established within tbe last year on the coast of Massachusetts. A space of thirty acres of flats in an arm of the sea was enclosed by a dyke, with an i arched way in the centre to permit the ebb and flow of the sea, the tide rising tbree feet inside and eight feet outside. During July and August of 1872, 40,000 lobsters of all ages, sizes, and conditions, were let loose iif the pond. Food, consisting of refuse from the fish market, was plentifully supplied to thero, and a gate was put up to prevent their escape to the sen. Last winter boles were cut in the ice, and traps were put down. Good hard shell lobsters were ca_ughr, thereby proving tbat the wuter waS deep enough and pure enough to keep the fish alive, and that tbe lobsters were healthy, having taken on their hard shells, and having recovered their lost claws. This spring about 15,000 male lobsters were taken out and sold, the hen lobsters having been thrown back for breeding purposes. At the present time the spawn is in its last stage, the egg showing the young fry, and in a few weeks some millions of young lobsters will swarm in the pond. The only obstacle to success is the danger arising from other fish Consuming the young lobsters, but it is believed that the gravelly bottom will furnish biding places.