The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1874

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 302, 7 September 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1874

I Mrs. Palmer's entertainment, which / passed off so satisfactorily on Tuesday last, will be repeated thisevening, when the amusing farce, Dandelion's Dodges, will be substituted for the comedietta, A Happy Pair. We bope to see us large an audience a 9 tbat which assembled on the last occasion. ; * Confirmation. — The rite of confirmation was administered at Christ Church yesterday afternoon to thirtytwo candidates in the presence of a crowded congregation. The Waipara arrived yesterJay afternoon from Wellington, but as her departure bad not been telegraphed there was considerable speculation as to what could be the steamer from the south, many persons being under the impression that it must be H.M.S. Blanche. We are sick of complaining of the irregularities with which shipping notices are posted at the Telegraph Office, and repeat now what we have frequently stated before that it would be better to bave no such notices at all tban tbat tbey should be forwarded in so unreliable and spasmodic a manner. Abchdbaconbt of Waimea. — Tbe ceremony of formally instituting the Rev. R. J. Thorpe as Archdeacon of the Waimea was performed at Christ Church after the second lesson yesterday morning. The Bishop of Nelson having in a short address explained bis reasons for again appointing an Archdeacon, namely, that be might have an officer to assist him iv tbe work of the diocese, called upon tbe Rev. James Leigh ton to present the Rev. R. J. Thorpe. Standing before tbe altar rails; tbe newly made Archdeacon read and signed the usual declarations, after i which the Diocesan Registrar, Mr Fell, read the Bishop's letters conferring the appointment. Tbe Bishop tben oro- I nounced tbe benediction, which brdugbt I the ceremony to a close. The steamer Claud Hamilton, we observe, bas been placed for a time in the Melbourne, and Adelaide trade. ! Tbe G. R. Argus of Friday says: — " Tbe Albion Grand Derby Sweep on the Sydney great Metropolitan Stakes was drawn last night at the Albion Hotel. There were present a large number of the subscribers, who took a lively interest in tbe drawing. Tbe committee took every precaution tbat there should be no mistake, and they were happily successful, tbe proceeding from beginning to 'end without the slightest interruption or bitch. It iB a remarkable coincidence in connection witb tbe drawing tbat on each occasion tbe last ticket taken from tbe box bas been successful io getting v horse, and the drawing last night was no exception to tbe rule, tbe last ticket drawn representing " Stirling '' — a not at all unlikely winner." As we understand tbat a number of tickets io tbis sweepstake ' were taken ia Nelson, we give tho winning numbers as advertised in tbe Argus: — 9, Alberto; 772, AU Fours; 133, Andromeda; 265, The Arrow; 30, Burwood ; 838, Calumny; 907, Champagne; 213, The Conqueror ; 714, Crazy Jane ; 424, Dagworth; 318, Duke; 588, Ella; 810, j Eugenic; 718, Excelsior; 793, Fitz Tattendon; 455, Gladstone; 451>Go > idß--borougb; 798, Horatio; $70, Javtfliu; 932, Beltran; 802, King of Ike Weat; 925, Kingsborough ; 434, Ladybird; 334,Langar, 959, Llama; 856,; Lord John; 680, tord Lyon; 788. Lttrline; 170, Maid of Avenelj 60, Afl^ter

I M'Grath; 580, Mentor; 145, Miss | Jessie, 539, Myrtle; 139, M'Callum j Mohr; 704, Nemo; 377, Newbold; 950, Novice; 585, Poodle; 727, Priam; 47, j The Prophet;,3Bs, Queen of the Clubs; I 679, Reprieve; 745," Rory O'More; ! 350, Rose d' Amour; 963, Speculation; 7773, Stirling; 822, Stockbridge; 454, I Sunlight; 117, Surbiton; 990, Syren; I 697, Viva; 151, Westminister; 591, W0mb0;964, Wrangler; 935, Zanco; I s»*6r ,^tland. * Caucuses. — It rau3t aome day become a question whether too much of jour Parliamentary business is not transacted, or at any rate very much influenced, in caucus meetings, wbere members assembleWn private, and come to resolutions no,ohe knows how or on what reasons. Instead oft being governed by open Parliamentary institutions, it will soon come to this, that we shall be under the rule of a caucus held in some obscure lobby of the Par-liament-house, aud with Mr W. C. Smith sitting as perpetual chairman. There is something suspicious about these frequent caucuses which usually have as their result an attempt to extract money out of the Treasury. This suspicious character is not wholly removed even by the knowledge, that they are convened and presided Never by Mr W. C. Smith. We are drifting into a system that is not English, and that scarcely exist without producing the worst evils of unscrupulous corruption and shameless profligacy' that are exhibited in the political affairs of the country where caucuses were invented, where they most flourish, and whence they obtain their name. — Australasian. The fact is beyond dispute that Marlborough ia able to "absorb" many more immigrants than fall to her lot, otherwise the depot would not be placed under lock and key for want of tenants. However, we may look for some of the direct shipments shortly, and take heart again. — Express. The Provincial authorities of Wellington are likely to be extensive sellers of land in the course of the next few months. It is reported that they have - arranged with Mr. J. Douglas, manager of the Australian and New Zealand Land Company, for. the disposal to him of 20,000 acres in tbe Oroua Block. The land is all, or nearly all, swamp at present. Mr Douglas pays 12s 61 an acre for the land, and undertakes within a given *• period to expend at least £10,000 in improving the property, and to place seventy families in a special settlement, each family to have no allotment of 100 acres. A trout, blind of both eyes, was lately taken out of the river Avon, in Canterbury, It weighed 12lbs, and is supposed to have been one of those which were liberated in that river about six years ago, by the local Acclimatization Society. Inspector Broham, of Auckland, in a very able report to the Commissioner of the Arroed 4 Constabulary Force, says: — " The close competition amongst insurance offices is another source from which incendiarism arises. In the desire of increasing business, insurances are effectet* on premises without due inquiry. The large amount of insurance offers a strong temptation to the person insured; and when to tbis is added a decline in business, the inducement be comes too great, and crime follows. A casein point occurred here lately: — A person insured his stock for £60; some time afterwards he increased his insurance to £100, without any inquiry being made by the office. Shortly after this, the place was discovered on fire early in the evening, at a time when ho person was on the premises, and in a place where it coutd hardly have been the result of an accident. Fortunately a few neighbors discovered it. After doing so, the police got a competent person to value ihe stock, who said it was worth at the outside, not more than £35. I cannot say that the fire waß the work of an incendiary, but it bears a very suspicious appearauce." The Southland Times gives a very good story in connection with one of the domestic servants wbo recently arrived by tbe Carrick Castle. Having been duly installed in a comfortable situation, she was asked by the lady of tbe house if she knew how to trim a kerosene lamp, " Oh, yes," was the ready reply, and having been shown tbe oil can, she was left to her own devices. The surprise of the thrifty housewife may be imagined when, on returning in a short time to see how her " help' was getting on, Ibe latter was found coolly engaged in pouring the oil down the chimney of tbe lamp ! The Wellington Tribune says :— "It is a remarkable fact that on the night of tbe debate on Mr Vogel's ■ Licensing Act Amendment Bill, there were more drinks sold at Bellamy's | than on any other night of the session, tbe receipts being £9 higher than they had been previously — a practical protest, we presume, by certain members against the views propounded to the House by the eloquent and earnest advocate of total abstinence." i It is stated that by the new arrangement with the P. and 0. Company, under which their mail vessels will pass through the Suez Canal, not only will twenty hours be saved in the time of the transit of the mails, but the cost will be lees by £24,000 per annnm. Hares in Victoria grow so strong tbat even the best greyhounds — and many very fine animals bave lately been imported from England — are not a match for them. A recent coursing match took place at Ascot, when not a hare was killed in six courses. Three of the hares are stated to have escaped by getting up into trees.