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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4788, 27 July 1876, Page 4

His Excellency the Governor and party, who have for the past few days been at Nelson on a shooting excursion, returned in the Luna yesterday. We have been requested by Lady Vogel to ask the guests invited to her calico fancy-drt s ball this evening to bring with them a card on which is legibly written their name and the character they impersonate, in order that they may be properly announced. The card to be given as they enter the reception-room. The Pacific mail steamer City of New York was unable to get over Port Chalmers bar yesterday. It is anticipated that she will got across by this morning’s tide, and arrive at Lyttelton early to-morrow, leaving in time to allow of her arriving in Wellington about midnight of Friday. The work of coaling will at once be got bn with, and she will leave early on Saturday afternoon. In the. House of Representatives to-day, Mr. Murray is to move, that in the opinion of this House, an opportunity should be afforded it of considering any appointment which the Government may purpose making of Agent-General, before making such appointment. We learned last night that Master Bell, the pupil at Wellington College who has been for some time ill with tjphoid fever, succumbed to the malady. Master Bell was sixteen years i of age, and his parents live near Castle Point. ' Owing to a correspondence in our columns, the case, which has we are informed just terminated fatally, has excited a painful interest. Mr. Larnach is to move in the House of Representatives to-day, that the Government be requested to make early arrangements for the establishment and working of an Imprest Stamp office in Dunedin and other important towns in the colony, for the purpose of stamping cheques, bills of exchange, &c., as the necessities of commerce may require. Crowded as was the state of the Odd Fellows’ Hall on the occasion of the first De Murska concert, last night it was even more so. Long before 8 o’clock the second seats and gallery were packed to their utmost capacity, and the doors were closed on numbers unable togainadmission. By the time the curtain rose the whole of the reserved seats were also occupied, and after all the additional chairs were filled many had to be refused for this portion of the hall also. The audience was in fact one of the largest ever witnessed within the building. The concert was, like its predecessor, an immense success, and the enthusiasm appeared at times to know no bounds. Mdlle. De Murska treated her audience to another specimen of her high artistic skill, and gave as her first solo a beautiful Hungarian song with variations, composed expressly for her by Doppler. The effect was electric, the audience appearing perfectly spellbound from first to last. At its conclusion a succession of rounds of applause compelled her to come forward again and again to bow her acknowledgments, till at length she complied with the universal demand for an encore, and gave a delightful little vocal waltz with an exquisite brilliancy of style and finish. Her second number on the programme was the grand cavatina from “Norma,’’“Casta Diva.” This, from the knowledge of the great singer’s powers, was anticipated with more than usual pleasure, and her appearance was therefore a signal for a further display of enthusiasm. We may safely say that never has such a piece of vocalisation been heard before in this city, nor indeed anything approaching it. The whole cavatina was a succession; of the most brilliant musical phrases with such wonderful and perfect execution as renders a proper description impossible. The admiration of the audience could scarcely be restrained during its progress, and: when the finish came the tumult was uproarious,, and the fair enchantress was greeted with a perfect shower of bouquets. Of course, an encore was demanded, which Mdlle. complied with by Singing the popular Scotch ballad "Cornin’ thro’ the Rye” in really excellent style. A great feature in the programme continues to be the splendid violin and piano, playing of Maestro Strauss Ilia. Last: evening he gave specimens of both, and confirmed the very high opinion at first entertained of him as a most finished artist. Signor Rosnati sang two solos in his usual effective manner, and gained a couple of encores inconsequence. He certainly never was in better voice. Signor Susihi opened the programme with the grand aria “ O tu Palermo ” with great power, and subsequently gave the aria “Non piu Andrai ” most tellingly. Both these gentlemen took part in the closing number on the programme, in conjunction with Mdlle De Murska, in the grand trio “Belisario,” the result being a magnificent rendering of one of Donizetti’s gems. Mr. J. F. Hadley acted very efficiently as aocompanyist at intervals during the evening. The concert throughout was of the most enjoyable description, and a treat of the highest order. A word of praise is also due to the management for the excellent ! Seating of the audience, a difficult matter where so large a crowd is so quickly assembled. We are requested to direct attention to a notice in the advertisement that holders of tickets unable to gain admission owing to the crowded state of the hall- can use the same tickets for the next concert. To-morrow night another change of progamme is announced, and his Excellency the Governor has signified his intention of being present. : We have heard it stated authoritatively that there exists in Wellington, to a limited extent of course, the overcrowding of houses in certain localities-—an evil which has frequently been the cause of great distress in some of the large cities of older countries. As an instance of the fact it may be stated that in one direction there is at present a family, consisting of four adults and five well grown children living, or dragging out, an oppressed existence in two rooms in Alpha-street, each room being under 10ft. Bin. by 9ft. 6in., which gives about 170 cubic feet to each person. The lowest amount allowed by the London Poor Law Board is 300 cubic feet. Such a state of things is not particularly uncommon. Not long ago we were shown two small garrets in which a party of eleven Swedes were living. To persons who have seldom been placed in a condition of life to experience the baleful effects of a want of fresh air, too often the curse of poverty, 1 this, will not appear satisfactory or even sate, in respect to the health of the pubfio’gOnerally. ■. l ‘ ’ i A meetihg of those mterested in the question of'cheap,’ gas ; is called;for’ thia evening at the Odd Fellows’ I''-'.'' ■ -

It is proposed to start; a monthly journal devoted to the interests ot the Church of England body in Wellington. Attention is directed to a special advertisement with regard to the New Zealand Times and Evening Post bill-hoards. A special meeting of the Wellington Teachers’ Association is called for Saturday next, at 11 o’clock, intheSydney-street schoolroom. Captain Lloyd, of the s.s. Taranaki, in consequence of the laying-up of the Phoebe, has had to resign his command in favor of Captain Andrew of the latter vessel, the senior officer in the late N.Z.S.S. Company’s service. Captain Lloyd, besides his popularity as a commander, is known as one excellently acquainted' with the New Zealand coast. He is likely to take a trip to Melbourne instead of accepting a mate’s position, with the first chance of promotion, under the Union Company. At the Theatre Royal last night the burlesque “The Invisible Prince,” preceded by “The Married Rake,” was produced to a good house, and by the applause with which it was received, seems to have lost none of its attractions. To-night the burlesque will be preceded by the comedy “Bamboozling,” in which the principal parts will be taken by Mr, and Mrs. Bates, a sufficient guarantee for. the excellence of their rendition. “ David Garrick,” a drama in which Mr. Sothern has gained additional laurels, and which should essentially suit Mr. Bates’ thoroughly natural style of acting, is announced as being in preparation ; and “ Hamlet,” in which the same gentleman made such a hit on Saturday night, will shortly be reproduced. In answer to a letter from the Masterton Small Farm Association, enclosing a very numerously signed memorial and sketch of a piece of land in the Seventy Mile Bush which for situation and quality of soil is considered suitable for the purposes of the association, the Deputy-Superintendent has forwarded the following reply It is unfortunate that the land should form part of a large area of country which is not at the present time at the disposal of the Provincial Government, having been passed over to the General Government as a 'security for an advance of money now in course of expenditure by the province. The General Government have in preparation a Waste Lands Bill, and doubtless will make provision for settlement on Crown lands on a system of deferred payments of a much larger scale than formerly; so soon as I can obtain a copy of the proposed Bill I will direct that a copy shall be forwarded to you for your information, and I shall be glad to receive from you any suggestions you may be pleased to offer. For the purpose of securing consideration to your wishes, I propose handing your letter and memorial to the Hon. the Minister for Land and Immigration, for the information of the General Government. The delegates of the various friendly societies in Wellington met Messrs. Reynolds (chairman), Bastings, Rolleston, Tole, Hursthouse, Stout, and Burns, M.H.R.’s, at the Parliamentary buildings last evening, to confer with them on the Friendly Societies Bill at present passing through the Assembly. There were present as delegates, Messrs. F. H. Fraser, 1.0. R., M. Quin, A.0.F., S. P. Andrews, Sons of Temperance, J. Smith, jun., 1.0.0. F., J. Coogan, H.A.C.B. A number of amendments which had been considered by a meeting of delegates (who, it may be stated, had spent six hours the previous night in going through the Bill) were submitted to the members of the House of Representatives, who at once approved of most, and promised to consider lothers. One of the amendments had reference to extension of the limit of benefits to be obtained from one or a number of societies by one member. The Bill provides that one member shall not be entitled to receive more than a total sum of £SO, no matter how many societies he may belong to. The delegates pointed out that this would be unfair in its operation, and recommended that the limit should be fixed at £IOO at least. It was also suggested that the limit to annuities should be raised from £2OO to £IOO. In reference to the appointment of a valuer, it was represented that the appointment should rest not with the Government, but with the society. Other similar amendments were suggested, but withal the delegates seemed to much wish that the Bill should be allowed to lapse for this session, on the ground that more efficient legislation would be ensured were a twelvemonth given for testing the working of various ideas before carrying them actually into effect. The following items are from Tuesday’s Wairarapa Standard :—The late heavy fresh in the Waiohine has slightly but not materially affected the river works recently constructed by the Board of Conservators.—lt is reported that the Scandinavians at Mauriceville are in a state ot comparative starvation, having to live on seed wheat. It is suggested that the Government should find them in two days’ work per week to enable them to weather the winter season.—On Saturday last Mr. Donecker’s new hotel at Masterton had a narrow escape. It caught fire in an upper room where there was a fireplace, and a hole was burnt through the exterior wall of the building before an alarm was raised. Fortunately the flames were seen in time for them to be, with some trouble, extinguished.