The Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1878.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIIL, Issue 211, 15 October 1878, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1878.

Ouit telegrams state that the Premier an■ouncedin the House last night that the Government hoped to prorogue on Tuesday uext. If this is to bs the case the Railways Construction Bill should certainly not, find a place in the Statute Book, as our members will surely be able to offer a sufficiently determined opposition to pi event its passi g by that time, and to eusure its postponement until next session, when the Ministry, which has fallen so enormously in the estimation of the public in cousequeuce of its late weak and vacillating conduct, will probably be defeated, and the Otago Minister for Public Works being got rid of, the Nortlirrn portion of tbe island will have a far better chance of its claims being recognised and allowed. Major Pitt returned from Wellington by the Weliigton this morning, having performed his duties :is a delegate at the Rifle Association's meeting iialu well. We learn from him thai ihere was a ciosr run between Nelson and Marlborough in ihe sele tiou of a site for the prize firing. We are glad to hear that this has been fixed upon permanently as the locality for the annual competition, and that it is noc to be changed about from year to year.

A mukting of those who were present at the Cnuucil Chamber when the R.ulway Committee was formed, is culled by the Mayor for to-morrow afternoon at four o'clock Obb Wainiea readers will be glad to learn that temlers for the erection of the Wairoa Bridge have at last been called for They are to be sent in by the IGth November. Mr. Woodyear, the agent for the Burton Circus Company, wishes ».o correct a mistaken notion that has got abroad that one of the performers is identical with one Moffltt, who once before travelled with a circus and was convicted of iarceuy. The names are different, Maffit being that of the performer who is to arrive here on Friday. A -meeting of Sunday School children, who are to take part in the forthcoming united gathering, wjii be held at the Congregational Church this evening at 7 o'efock. The annual tea meeting of the Loyal Marine Lodge, 1.0.G.T., will be held at the Port Fire Brigade Hall to morrow evening. A convention of all the City Lodges, 1.0.G.T., will bp held in the Normanby Lodge liooui this evening at £j o'clflpk. "Colleen Bavn" was last nighfc'pufc on the stage for the first time in Nelson. The piece commeuced under very unfavorable circumstances, the management having cornmii ted the fatal error of wearying out their audience by half an hour's delav, ihe currain not rising until half-past eight, instead of eight as advertised. Of the dresses and scenery we cannot speak in too high terms, pome of the former were exceedingly handsome, and inusjt- harp been very expensive. The latter was really charming, and reflected the greatest credit on the artjst,' Mr N. Thornton, especially that known as the " water cave " In the foreground was a huge cleft in the rocks, Femiodtug onp very strongly of the scenery off Cape Farewell; in the centre was a solitary rock rising out of the sea, from whence the murder of the Colleeu Bawn is attempted; in the distance a beautiful bay, on which the rising moon is shedding a soft light, the shimmering of which .9a the water was faithfully represented. Or the siting y/e must speak in varied terms. Beginning with'ide ladies, tLe place of honor must be given to Miss Thornton, who entered with much feeling into the part of the simple minded, loving, trusting JSjly O'Connor, the Colleen; Anne Chute was represented by a young lady who on that occasion, we beljevp, intj.de h.er tjrst appearance in public, aud who. certainly displayed » grpat natural taste for the drarua. Wjth 3, little careful training aud instruction she would take a high rank amongst amateur performers; Mrs Cregan and Shelah suffered terribly from defective memories, 1 aii insuperable obstacle to successful acting! ] Mr Thornton, as Hardess Cregau, was not so ' much nt home as we have have seen him in e.ijier characters; Mr Oakshot, us Father Tom, looked hia very well, but in the course of the jiitoe 'he occasionally gayo unmistakeablc evidence that he hrid not been brought up to the Church- Mr' Glover entered with great spirit and real humor' into phc .character of Mvles Na Coppalceu, but was a littic jtoo ( SG£ur to maintain the brogue, 111 his endeavor to' do so occasionally rendering hinis'df "quite "unintelligible; 'Danuy Mann was represented by a geritleomo. 1 who

has become a very great favorite with the theatre- going people of Nelson, and who Sained fresh laurels by his acting last night; Kyrle Daly was acted fairly, but a little too quietly, particularly in his making lore to the sprightly Auue Chute, in which he scarcely came up to the ideal that would be formed of au Irish lover after a perusal of one of Charles Lever's novels; the same lack of spirit was observable in Mr Corrigan, who in every other respect performed his role in a most creditable manner. The great hit of tlie evening undoubtedly was the sceue in the water cave, where Danny, having pecsuaded the Coiliei to accompany him to the rock, in obedience, as he believed, to hia master's wishes, threw her into the sea, and immediately afterwards was himself shot by Myles who, unknown to him, was in ths neighborhood, and who plunged into the water and reseued Eily from a watery grave, drnggiug her half drowned on to the rock from which she had been hurled. The scenic effect was remarkably good, and the audience showed their approbation by loud and prolonged applause. The performance will be repeated this evening, when we hope to see Mr Thornton's enterprise and skill rewarded by a bumper bouse. The Lyttelton Times, a journal which has hitherto given an unqualified support to the present Ministry, says of them, in reference to the defeat they experienced on their financial policy:— "They have naturally to submit to the fire of hostile criticism, and no doubt they do not find opposition quite as pleasant as it was with the laugh on " their side. Major Atkinson took the opportunity as they retired to rake them with a little good-humored banter upon the folly of being too overbearing. This they perhaps required, and will be none the worse for remembering, carefully. An uninterrupted succession of large majorities had given— thefe is no disguising the fact— the Government a tone somewhat too despotic for the control of a political party, as parties are constituted nowadays. The lesson they have received is sharp enough to teach them more moderation."