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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 44, 21 February 1881, Page 2

" The Octoroon " was capitally put upon the stage at the Theatre on Saturday night and the acting throughout waa exceedingly pood. Thi3 evening, for the first time in Nelson, there will be a genuine [pantomime, and as the clowu, who of course is a most, important personage in such performances, ia reported to be one of the beet in tho Australasian colonies, such an amount of fun may be anticipated as should make the building ring with laughter. Owiug to the compauy being about to leave to-morrow there is not time to give an afternoon performance tor children, so that we expect to see a crowd of them to-night, as well as of their seniors, many of whom have still a laugh left for tho comicalities of a pantomime. We are glad to fiud that Captain Edwin has come to the front again. He never issued a more welcome prediction than that of to-day, in which he tells us we are likely to bare heavy rain. ''Amen" will be fervently uttered all over the country. Ihe Volunteer Reception Committee will meet at the Council Chamber this evening, and as this will be the final meeting, at which all the arrangements for the reception of our visitors will bave to bo made a full attendance is requested. An advertisement appears to-day announcingan alterationin the place for Madame Summerhayes' concert on Wednesday evening, which is to take place in the Provincial Hall instead of the Theatre Royal. Seats can be reserved at Mr Stanton's where plans will be found, and those who had already secured sea's at the Theatre can have them changed to relative positions in the Hall. Mr John R. Madin reports that on Saturday last he held his usual sale at bis rooms and yards of produce and general merchandize, good prices being obtained for some of the principal lines. Onions brought a penny a pound, and codlin apples in very good condition, 2s 3d to 3s per case ; white potatoeß. £2 10s to £3 per ton ; brown rivers, £2 15s to £3 ; Nelson cheese, 5d to s£d ; Becond hand sacks iv good condition, 3s 6d to 4s 3d per dozen , last years good clean cocksfoot seed, Id per Ib, and timothy, 3d. Afterwards he offered a mob of horses including nearly every class, but although the attendance was unusually large the bidding was very languid. Those that were disposed of were at much below the owner's estimated value, and for others the bidding was so low that they were bought in, and several were not offered, but disposed of privately. At the same sale he disposed of 75 Hematite Paint shares, on which 25s has been paid for £1 per -share. Where the battle is, (says the Lyell Timea) there will the— well— lawyers be gathered together. Last court day's proceedings brought no less than four lawyers to Lyell ; Messrs Lynch and Jones, of Reef ton; Mr Bunny, of Nelson; and Mr Haselden, of Westport. We don't think we are exagerating when we say that their fees for that one day's work will exceed £100; and we daresay that this will recompense them for being parboiled during the sitting * • * • ♦ Given— A close day, and a few Btiff cases, and, by tho time that the court has been opened a couple of hours, that room becomes warm enough for the abode of our worst enemy. We confess to a prejudice against lawyers, but on Tuesday there was a Bpark of pity in our heart for them, even. Of course there is no such thing as a railing between the public and the tables, so that whenever the cross - examination grew particularly interesting, or a witness became obstinate, the onlookers formed an ever narrowing ring, as they became more interested, hemming the lawyers and witnesses in on every Bide. But the climax was reached when a gust of wind came whirling down the street and in at the open windows — which, as usual, only opened at the bottom — and brought iv its train a cloud of dust; for a moment the awful seat of justice itself was enveloped in a ■ cloud, and then came the order— to shut the windows. Referring to the Australian-Wanganui cricket match the Timaru Herald says :— From our telegraphic report of the Becond day of the cricket match at Waoganui, it will be seen that the Australians have aus- , tamed their first defeat in New Zealand. It is pretty evident that the visitors did not try to play ; the number of times Murdoch 'could not hold the ball/ when trying

for catches, shows this, if there was nothing else to guide one in forming an opinion. For such p. ' ceam t 0 De beaten by ten wickets a ' such a place as Wanganui is simply ridiculous, and the inference is plain that they played Avit h their opponents in more wayß than one. ThalgHettw limes replies to the foregoing intbefolJpwirg manners — 'Now why in the world should the Australians sell the match to Wanganui, for that is what the polite effusion above really means i Does the ftbrald suppose that eleven men, who have gained the approbation of all Englaud for tbeir gentlemanly behaviour aud manly couduct> would condescend tb take bribes from an oiit of the way little comer of the world that most of them never heard of till the last. few days? Or does our friend imagine that any cricketer will let his opponents beat him if he cun help it ? No ! Let the cobbler stick to hia last; cricket is evidently a thing not uuderstauded of the Herald, while honor is a word of which it has yet to learn the meaning." E" ■■ ' ' ' . it" ii ii .~l i ■ r ■in ii ■