The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 207, 1 September 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1 874.

Mrs Palmer's *En_ertain__!nt.— ■ ■ •We remind, our: readers t of tbe entertainment to be given at the Oddfellows' Hall this evening. ';:;/. Meeting of El_C-ORB.— MrLuckie invites the electors to meet him at tbe Provincial Hall to-morrow evening, at half- past sevens : ' "-•■ ' Reform League.— A meeting of the League; was held last night when four members were nominated for the City Council,, Exception, was taken to jthe action: of Mr Fell as a Councillor being a party to renting of the Corporation officers, for tbe leasing of which he was agenti.l-, :.' ' a';.. A - Our telegrams to-day report the arrival of four English: ships; three at lyttelton, and one at Wellington, With an aggregate of over 1,600 passengers. All the Nelson Members have now returned from Wellington, with the exception of Mr Curtis, who remains there in order to be present at an inter view to take place between tbe Premier and a deputation from Greymouth, with reference to. Mr Moriarty's report upon'the-harbor protective works. Horticultural A meeting of the members of this Society will be held at the Masonic Hotel to-morrow evening at seven o'clock. Ketch Collinowood — We regret to learn that this useful little vessel has gone to pieceß, after being knocked about for four or five days on, the Waimea Sands. Mr. Akersten, the owner, we are. sorry to hear, is a. loser of nearly £300, tbe vessel having been uninsured. The English Opera Company are now performing at Napier. Prior to their departure irom Auckland, a presentation of a valuable locket and necklace was made to Miss Alice May. A caucus of members of the Opposition was held yesterday. It was attended by eighteen, members, ind- ten gentlemen who are not members", r It was agreed that steps should^ be- taken to form a New Zealand Constitdtional Association, and a sum of some was- subscribed to assist in atumpiog

the provinces, and spreading the principles of the Association by means of newspapers, pamphlets, &c— Times, August 26. The first of the Karad Oi Company'a ma*l steamers "to pass through the Sues Canal for Galie and China, will leave\ Southampton on ihe Ist of September. The Pera, which sailed from Melbourne with the mail early in ; the; present month, will be the first of the regular line to go through the Canal direct for Southampton. It is expected that a day will bo gained on tho passage by tbe non-necessity of transhipping passengers, luggage, and cargo. The. N. Z. Times 'is hard upon the Wellington football players. It says : — It is hoped tbat those in WelUogton who take : an interest in football do not entertain the delusive idea that the local players are practising for the forthcoming match wiih Nelaon representatives;, or — judging by the present state of affaire—that they stand the slightest chance of doing anything .but make an exhibition of themselves when the- contest takes place. Certainly there are a few persevering ones who go regularly up to the ground arid do their best to prepare for the expected game, and they deserve credit for it ; but when a large majority of those who are likely to take part in the interprovincial match persistently absent themselves from the practice ground, it impedes all that the willing few are trying to effect. For the last two Saturdays — although there has been due notice of the intention to play— onlg some 8 or 9 on each side could be mustered, and this fact points to one conclusion, and this is tbat something has laid its hold on many of the Wellington players, which, wherever allowed la creep in, effectually prevents success in football or any other manly sport; and that something is inexcusable laziness. It is well known there are many good players in Wellington well fitted to do battle for the honor of the local club; but if the present apathy is allowed to continue, the most advisable course will be to decline the contemplated match with the Nelson men, and ask them to substitute a team of schoolboys. , Our Volunteers. — The hon. Mr Mantell moved in the Legislative Council, " That tbe report of Major Gordon, on the Volunteers of the Colony should be printed." The hou. Colonel Brett hoped the Council would give bimcredit for having been animated by no desire to condemn the Volunteers. .It was necessary, that portions of the report should be read to the Council, to enable them and the country to know the state our defences were io. There were several parts of the reports, and he was proud to say it, which gave considerableC'credit to the Volunteers for efficiency; but there was a large ngmber of partsqf the report where, the reverse was the the case. In me! instance he was about to cite he would not be invidious, and therefore would not mention the district; but the report said of it:— This company 29 strong On the roll, produced Only two men, one of whom was very drunk." (Laughter.) Major G.ordon went pn to . say, after admitting that the force had been in an inefficient condition for many yeara past s-t*M regret to, have to , place on record my conscientious belief that the amount of publio money expended on capitation on the 31st of March last is lamentably in excess of the sum which should otherwise represent the state of efficiency of the force in general, so that immediate and effectual measures shall be had recourse to, to arrest for the future the useless and wanton expenditure, which has for so long a period been carried on, and for' which officers commanding districts are primarily' responsible/' This was not very creditable to the officers. The report went on to cite instances in wrhjch tiie Government officer had recommended and procured capitation for men who had earned their certifl; gates asefficient "Volunteers, who had oot so much as heard of such a document; cases where no monthly parades, were held as the regulations directed, yet; it had been certified that these parades took place;, instances in which efficiency certificates _ad been thrust into tbe hands of men, and capitation thereby obtained for them, who did not admittedly possess the knowledge which theße certificates affirm that the men did possess; and, parenthetically, he expressed a fear that the Provincial Governments had been similarly imposed upon, with respect to the remission certificates, in the acquisition of land. All this was dishonest. The publication of this report, and in Hansard of the debates on this subject, would open the eyes of the country, and probably lead the House at some future time to raiee the present; force to its proper standard. The motion was - negatived on the voices.