The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 82, 7 April 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1874.

Nelson School {society. — The annual meeting of this Society takes place this evening. Tea will be on the table at half- past five, and the public meeting, at which the Rev. G. H. Johnstone will preside, will commence at seven o'clock. The One-Legged Gymnast. — Bedo, the one-legged gymnast, Mr Chapman, and Miss Bonifon, assisted by tho Nelson Gymnast troupe will give an entertainment at the Masonic Hall to-morrowievening. Masonic Hall. — Mr Chapman gave another capital entertainment last night, when be went through the performance of being tied up with ropes and freeing himself from their bondage with his wrists fastened together with handcuffs , the key of which was all the time in the possession of one of the audience. Mr Chapman and Miss Ida Bonifon will appear for the last time in Nelson on Friday evening. Reform League. — The quarterly meeting of members of this Association

was held last night, when there was a discussion on the question " whether the Executive Council shall be made responsible to tha people through (heir representatives or not?" The discussion was opened by Mr Stephenson (the President), and several speeches displaying considerable ability were made. The debate will be resumed on Monday next. Chbist Chujrch Bazaar.— lt will be seen that the promoters of this bezaar have published a very attractive list of the goods they have to offer for sale to-morrow and on the following day. We hav9 had an opportunity of inspecting many of these articles and can assure our readers that excellent workmanship and moderate charges will be tho characteristic features of the contents of the stalls. We can cordially recommend a visit to the Hall to-morrow even if the object be only to see the really beautiful th'.ngs that will be displayed for sale. Creature comforts have not been forgotten, and the ladies who will preside at tho refreshment stall will be happy to provide supper each evening for all who favor them with a call. As there has been some correspondence relative to the appropriation of the funda that will be raised, we have been repuested to Blate that the Bishop's handsome present is expected to set at liberty, from the amount which it was »t first calculated would be required to light the church, a sum that will be sufficient, or nearly so, to line the tower. The balance will be handed over to the churchwardens for expenditure on parish purposes. The contributions to the bazaar have been so lnrgjy in excess of what was anticipated that the surplus is likely to amount to a very considerable sum. The Volitnteer Encampment. — The City companies of volunteers returned to town last night after four nights under canvas at Richmoud. The outing seems to have been thoroughly enjoyed by all, and the monotony of camp life was relieved on two occasions, once by a party of men late at night, or rather early in the morning, settiog fire to the fern in the vicinity of the tents, and the other by a cavalry attack upon the encampment. On the first occasion a score of men were sent out with their rifles and a few rounds of blank cartridge, and in a few minutes they bad surrounded the enemy, frightened them into submission by firing at them, and then marched them as prisoners into the camp, where they received a caution and were dismissed, the richest part of the proceeding being that one of the captured men was the owner of the property on which the volunteers were encamped. The cavalry attack was a more serious matter, and will probably end in the death of a fine horse. Three mounted men, bent on a spree, rode up at a smart pace, and on being challenged by the sentry declined to halt but still rode on, whereupon the sentry fired at them, and two of the horses, not being accustomed to such treatment, turned tail and bolted and were seen no more on the field of battle. The third cavalier however pursued the tenor of his way, but the sentry, being as determined as he, brought his rifle to the " charge," end the consequence was that the horse ran against the point of a bayonet, and, as that weapon has an ugly habit of being very persevering in its researches when once they are entered upon, a considerable portion of the horse's body made acquaintance with cold steel. The animal was able to get away and carry its master out of reach of the enemy, but his hat was left behind and was brought into town in triumph last night. There was a sham night attack on Sunday night, and a review and sham fight in the afternoon, in which the country companies and City Cadets took part. The Grey Valley Election — The Grey Valley correspondent of the Argus says that at one of the recent electioneering meetings the candidate had given his address, and was " rupturously applauded," when an elector moved, Mr was a fit and proper person to represent the constituency. The motion was duly seconded, and the Chairman was about putting it to the meeting, when a free and independent elector, who, up, to this time, had been lying at full length, and apparently asleep, on a billiard table in the room where the meeting was held, raised himself on his elbow, and said he wished to move an amendment. He said that, according to the ancient custom and usuage of M — 1 — g— t Creek, every candidate who sought to do himself the honor of representing that important place, anywhere, or at anything, should qualify himself in the orthodox manner. They were a very free and mighty independent body of electors composing that constituency, and he would move an amendment, that unless the candidate ** parted for all hands," he waß not a fit and proper person to represent that part of the electorate, In spite of the remonstrances of the Chairman, the " free and independent " continued, and said that he had heard Mr eloquently discoursing about the best way of getting water for the last hour, but they had for several years been trying to get rid of water at M — l— »g — t Creek. It was not water they wanted, it was whisky, and the candidate who " irrigated " the electors best " thusly," was best entitled to their confidence. As for politics, that subject could be talked about socially and amicably afterwards. The candidate refused to "shout" fearing the bribery and corruption classes of the Elections Act, and would consequently lose his election.