The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 324, 2 October 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1874.

'Ffioaa private telegram we learn that the Alhambra arrived off Hokitika this afternoon, but as no telegrams have reached us we presume that she was too late for the tide, and consequently will not be tendered until early tomorrow morning. The City Council will meet to-night, for the first time, in their new offices in Trafalgar-street. The Albion, with the Suez mail, arrived from Wellington early this morning. Meeting of Electors. — Mr Curtis invites the electors to meet him at the Provincial Hall on Thursday evening next. Artillery Entertainment. — Another entertainment will be given by tbe members of the City Artillery Company, "assisted by a few friends, on Tuesday evening next. It will comprise tbe drama, Black- Eyed Susan} and tbe farce, Retained for the defence. His Excellency 'B yacht Blanche (says tbe Times of yesterday) returned late on Tuesday night to her anchorage in the harbor. Sir James Fergusson, bow/ever* was not on board. The severity of tbe weather lately has bedh eo great that hie Excellency determined to send tbe yacht back from Nelson, and to proceed by H.M.S. Blanche to carry out his intention of visiting, the fine scenery of the Weet Coast. "The yacht has had, a most severe time of it, both in Blind Bay and the Strait, where sbe experienced tbe full violence of the late galea. Sbe lay-to throaghont Monday night, and had both her boats slaved. The London correspondent of tbe Auckland Star writes : — The Pall Mall Gazette of a few days since thus alludes to your friend Sullivan/ of whose company yon have apparently become very tired: " We learn that the interesting person known as 'Sullivan, ttbe New Zealand murderer/ hag sailed for England, whose hospitable shores

will no doubt welcome him, and whose admirable detective police wiil receive him, it is to be hoped, with a cordiality tempered by intelligent rjeaerye," Asstciatidn, says the Herald, have a " consignment of copper coinage on board the ship Oxford, from London. These tokens to the value of one hundred and sixty pounds, r have been Btruck off at Birmingham, specially for the society. A Dunedin telegram to a Wellington contemporary dated Saturday last aaya: — There is another licensing muddle, as all the night licenses in Otago expired last June, and the new Licensing Act is silent on the matter. There is not now a Bingle house legally authorised to keep open after ten at night. The police intend to take steps to cause all honeea to close at that hour and nothing can be done until tbe Legislature meets. '■>■..- As indicating the productiveness of our railways, it may be. mentioned that the traffic on the tramway from Foxton to Palmerston brought in £2,030 in eight months; there were 30,507 passengers on the Auckland line in seven months; between Wellington and the Suit there were 23,398 passengers in three months ; the Canterbury lines earned £77,000 in nine months ; while the Port Chalmers line ou »bt this year to retarn over £30,000. Another drawing-room entertainment including a puzzle entitled " The Arabian Box Mystery," ba? been introduced to the colony by Mr\nd Miss Stoneham, who have arrived i«\ Auckland after performing In Mefbduntae and Sydney. The mystery.Nwhichurey claim to have brought from India, is described as an extraordinary illusion. The young lady stands on the stage " with a sack hanging over her arm, while beside her stands the magic box — lorked, sealed, elaborately corded, and covered with a canvas wrapper to fit it. An extinguisher is then placed over the fair performer, and at the expiration of two or three minutes, on the removal of the extinguisher, the raagicienne bas disappeared. The box is then unwrapped from its canvas casing, the cords removed, the seals broken, and when unlocked and opened is found to contain the yduog lady, securely tied up in the sack. This trick has been shown for many weeks in Sydney acd Melbourne to crowded hours, but we understand that no one has succeeded io suggesting a reasonable hypothesis of the way it is managed, j They appear to suffer in Wellington , in the same way that \we occasionally do in Nelson. The Times of Monday N last says* — The street lighting of tho City seems to be an everlasting cause of complaint Last night at the hour when people were returning from . church it was intensely dark ; the streets were — well, in their ordinary state, and the lamps as usual on dark nights. There was no moon until a late hour, and whatever the arrangements are between the City Council and . the Gas Company, they must be bad for the convenience bf the public when the streets are left in darkness on such a nigbt as the last was. Commenting upon recent events, and ; tbe propriety of abolishing the Provinces in the Norlh Islandj tbe Taranaki Herald says. — "From this it is evident that tbe abolition of the Provinces in tbe North Island cannot be brought about too quickly, for there can be oo doubt that those in power, j both in Auckland nnd Wellington, wilf do (heir utmost to sacrifice their land at aoy price." ■ • - i ' ' Tbe following remarks upon the extent and management of colonial railways are from the New Zealand Christian Record of September 19th :— The total length of railways authorised by Parliament is 1010 miles. When com- i pleted the whole will be under tbe Minister of Public Works, assisted by a competent staff, and the cost of management wiil thus be minimised. Each province cannot manage its own railways, because whenever the iron way is finished, running through more provinces than one must follow, ond through tickets must ba granted. If each province were to retain the management of its own railways then the expensive clearing-house system would be required, with several hundred clerks to balance the accounts. Thia of course would bearidiculousand unnecessary expense. Like tbe post-office, and the telegraph, a railway system naturally leads to an efficient central administration. Some (Linkers advocate that private enterprise should do everything, and tbe State nothing. Let them digest tbis fact. All the Irish railways do not much exceed 2000 miles, or double our New Zealand mileage. In Ireland there ara fifty-six companies, each with an average length of fortythree miles. They are managed by 400 directors, all paid, and tbe solicitors, managers, engineers and otber officers are innumerable. What would we think if we had to bear a tithe of such an unnecessary burden? It is only by such a plan aa that likely to be followed in the colony, that outlay in management as well as jobbery eau be kept under proper control. A Minister giving all bis attention to thia important department, and responsible to Parliament, is tbe only mode of management likely to ensure economy, A tragic occurrence receutly occurred af Clareoidrli»,^Gdunty of Mayo, v A young man, named London, attempted to commit suicide by stabbing himself, Hia mother, who witnessed the act, immediately dropped lifeless. The son has , been lodged in gaol, charged with attempted suicide and accelerating the death of his mother. 1