The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1878.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 280, 3 December 1878, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1878.

Right glad were we this morning once more to renew our acquaintance with the sun upon whose face we had not had the opportunity of looking for four whole days. The late Bishop Seiwyn used to write and

apeau: in enthusiastic terms of the "perpetual sunshine of Blind Bay." Incessant gloom would have been the more fitting description of the appearance ifc has presented since Thursday last. We' fear that, in addition to the exceeding unpleasantness of the weather during that time, ifc will have occasioned heavy losses to many of the settlers, particularly to those who depend to some extent for their income upon the produce of their fruit gardens. The cherries present a pitiable sight, being split iv every direction by the heavy rain, even those which are a long way from being ripe. A large quantity of hay, too, must have spoiled as there was much which was nearly ready for carting just before the thunderstorm of Tuesday night, from the effects of which it could not have recovered in time to be stacked before tbe late continuous rain set in. Numekous are the complaints that have reached us ot the miserable state of darkness in which the streets have been left during fhe last two nights, when, notwithstanding that the clouds were too heavy for the moon's light to penetrate them, the lamps were left nnlighted because the luminary happened to be of a certain age. Surely the instructions issued to the lamplighter need not be considered as unalterable as the laws of the Medes and Persians. Because the moon ought to give light but does not, are those who have to be out at night to be left to pick tbeir way through the streaming streets in outer darkness? Mk. Richmond Hursthouse, M.HR, will address the electors at Motueka to morrow evening. We would take this opportunity of congratulating Mr Hursthouse upon tbe excellent speech he made in the House on Mr Curtis' amendment to the motion for the second reading of the Railways Construction Bill. The Hansard (No. 26) containing the report only came to hand yesterday, or we should before this have noticed the straightforward appeal made by the member for Motueka to the Government and the Parliament for justice to the Nelson district, and the well argued demands he adduced for the completion of the trunk line before commencing the construction of branch railways The annual meetiDg of the City Rifles was held last night at the Nelson Hotel when over forty members were present, Captaiu Bunny occupying the chair. The rules were thoroughly revised and a resolution was passed that they be forwarded to the Hon. the Defence Minister for approval. The balance sheet showed that the Company financially was in a sound condition. The following were elected as the Committee for the ensuing 12 months:— Sergts. Whitwell and Jackson, Corpls Kitching and Berry, Pvts. Atkinson, O'Brien, and Crossmau. Sergt. Whitwell was unanimously elected Secretary.

On our fourth page to-day will be found an extract from a leading article in the < Timaru Herald in which the writer analyses 1 the character of Sir George Grey in his publio capacity with pitiless severity. Should the estimate thus formed of the Premier be i a correct one bis apparent eccentricities" are not to be wondered afc. The article is evidently written by one who has had good opportunities of studying the subject of his criticisms. • The dramatic entertainment for the benefit of Mr John Glover takes place at the Theatre Royal to-night, when, as the weather gives promise of conducting itself in a respectable manner, tbere will in all probability be a crowded house. We hear that the proprietors of tbe Theatre Royal have received numerous applications from companies in various parts of the colony for the use of thnt building during the Christmas holidays. Madame Cora and Val Vose, whose entertainments, in themselves always popular, are rendered doubly so by the distribution of valuable gifts by which they are acconiP u Dl^' will make lheir fit3fc appearance at the Theatre Royal to-morrow night: The Richmond Quarterly Cattle Fair will take place tc-niorrow. The Towu and Port Volunteers will parade f °r. ,as)jGction at the Drill Shed this eveciog j at biUf-p'i'sfc Seven. a. Du>-EDijf telegram says:~Jnck.Gatelv, a brother of the Victorian hangman, was sentenced to two months imprisonment today for trying to smash up some children with an iron bar and dislocating a-constable's thumb.