Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1877.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 299, 18 December 1877, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1877.

We regret that we are still unable t furnish our readers with cable news, the land line across Australia not having yet been repaired. Ths breakage is north of the Powell's Creek statiou, about 1400 miles from Adelaide, or three-fourths of the distance from there to Port Darwin. As the stations on the line are about 200 miles apart it may be two or three days before communication is restored. The Rev. Charles Clark on his first appearance in Nelson after an absence of three years must have been as gratified by the extent and enthusiasm of his audience last night, as were they by his lecture on Oliver Cromwell. With the hand of a master he sketched out the course of events that led to the appearance on the scene of the great Protector, the son of a brewer, whose mission on earth appeared to be to brew a peck of troubles for all those who opposed him in his endeavors to secure the liberties of the English people. The leadiug men of the day were briefly alluded to one after the other in such a manner that they formed a fitting setting for the portrait of Oliver, which was skilfully depicted by the clever word painter, who for two hours kept his large audience interested and amused, and at times almost spell-bound. The recitation of Macaulay's poem descriptive of the Battle of Naseby was a masterpiece of elocution, and was given with great dramatic effect. Mr Clarke, it is needless to sr y, is a devoted partisan of " Old Noll's, and in listening to him one is almost disposed to believe that he musfc have inherited some of the fervor and enthusiasm which led the brave Ironsides to victory. To-night a rich treat may be expected in the lecture on that brilliant satirist Thackeray, and the third and last of the series to-morrow night will be devoted to Westminster Abbey, which is a companion lecture to that on the Tower of London, delivered by Mr Clark on his last visit to Nelson. After hearing evidence at considerable length, the Resident Magistrate gave his decision this morning in the case of Woodhouse v. Woodhouse, the particulars of which are as follows:— Abont sis months ago Mrs Woodhouse obtained an order under the " Married Women's Protection Act " against her husband, who was to pay 15s a week towards the maintenance of three children Mr Pitt moved to have the order set aside or varied on the ground that Woodhouse was only earning £100 a year as lamplighter, out of which he had to feed and shoe a horse and to keep two children who remained with him, and consequently was unable to pay the amount. He offered to pay 5s instead of 15s Mr Bunny, for Mrs Woodhouse, offered to take 10s. Ultimately the Magistrate made an order for 7s 6d a week, thus bringing to a close one of the most disgusting and "disgraceful cases ever taken into a court of law in Nelson. The evidence adduced by the husband against the wife and by the wife against the husband was of so filthy & character that it is impossible to publish it, and for their sakes it is juafc a3 well that it is shut out by the press. It is a pity that in cases of this kind people cannot wash their dirty linen at home instead of exposing their domestic disagreements with all thew abominable accompaniments to the public gaze. A bazaar in aid of the Wesleyaa Church will be held at Eichmond to-morrow and on Thursday. There will be a public tea in the afternoon, and a Christmas Tree in the eveningi A oenbhal meeting of the shareholders in the Para Para Company was held last night when the resolutions passed at the previous meeting for winding up the Company were confirmed, and Messrs Mabin and Scaife appointed liquidators. A kebtikg of the Regatta Committee was held last night when several arrangements in connection with the day's sports were made. The canvassing committee reported that their efforts had been attended with a very fair amount of success. The prizes will be distributed at St. Mary's schools to-morrow afternoon «t haif-paafc one by s{c Curtis}. A meeting of those interested in coursing will be held at the Star and Garter Hotef Richmond, this evening at 7-30. ' The commanding officer's monthly inspection of the Town and Port Volunteers .will take place this evening a 6 the Drill Shed at half-past seven. A movement is on foot in Wellington for closiug all the merchants' offices and other places of business on the day before Christmas Day, thus giving the employes four days' holiday including foxing Day. At the sitting of the Supreme Court held at Bleuheun last week, in the case of Scanlan y r South, the |jury, after twelve hours' deliberation, were uoable to agree. In the case of M'Rae v. Atkinson, the jury, after forty-five minutes deliberation, returned a verdict for plaintive on the niaiq. issues, >yith damages one farthing.. Mr4tkjn§oa moved for leave to appeal. Mit. Frank, at present assistant clerk at the Resident Magistrate's Court in Nelson, has received orders to proceed to Wellington, where he will occupy a similar position in the place of Mr W. James, who has been transferred to Dunedin We congratulate Mr Fpank upon his promotion, which he has fairiy earned $y his painstaking attention to his duties. ' We sometimes eat too much. Appetijte oc T casionally outruns discretion and' th<? consequence is a fit of indigestion which may lay jthe £qundst jon of future wretchedness in the shape of chronic dyspepsia. As a rneaus of counteracting the effects of overeating, and, if used persistently, of completely eradicating the last named malady, tuere is none "mqre certain and agreeable than that admirable anti - dyspeptic and after -dinner cordial Udowho Wodfb's Schiedam Akokatic Schnapps. — [Advt.]