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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5170, 17 October 1877, Page 2

A public meeting will be held this evening at eight o’clock at the Provincial Hall, at which his Excellency the Governor will preside, to consider what steps should be taken in aid of the Indian Famine Relief "Fund. From telegrams received yesterday from the Thames it appears that some twenty Maoris at Wangamata have been resisting two policemen in the execution of their duty, in arresting an aboriginal son of the soil, by warrant, for horse-stealing. They appear to have maltreated the officers of the law and rescued their prison. Here is a splendid oppoitunity for the new Premier and the Native Minister to “ vindicate the law," and show the influence they possess amongst the Maoris, by getting the offenders quietly given up to justice.

The present Ministry combine talent and business capacity. This is shown by the manner in which they answer questions. They respond to interrogations by reading replies from sheets of paper carefully written on beforehand. Could not their intellects go a little further and cause them to learn their replies by rote before hand ? This would have a better appearance than the present inode, and would lead people to believe that Ministers were capable of answering questions for themselves.

By an error in our report of proceedings ip the House of Representatives oh Monday, it was made to appear that the present Government intended to drop the Education Bill of their predecessors. This is not the ease. They intend to adopt this amongst the many carefully prepared measures which they opposed until they got into office. The burlesque of “ Black-Eyed Susan” was performed for the first time at St. George’s Hall last night, and drew a large and appreciative audience. Tho piece was well mounted and placed upon the stage. The new scenery, painted for the occasion, was most creditable 'to the scenic artist, and the performance ran smoothly from first to last, The prizes as usual caused no little excitement. To-night “ Black-Eyed Susan” will be repeated, and the leading prize will be a silver watch.

The proceedings of the Supreme "Court yesterday were somewhat disturbed By a scene in which a leading counsel was the principal actor,-' Mr; Barton wis noticed addressing the Registrar o’f the Courk in afi excited manner. His words were rapid ,‘fnd low, but not sweet; judging from the visage of “Mr. Allan. His Honor, seeing the state of affairs, stopped Mr. Barton, and told him if he had any fault to find with* an officer of the Court he should address himself to, the . Court, and if there were any just ground of complaint the Court would reprimand the officer. Mr. Barton said the Registrar had treated him disrespectfully, and had addressed him in a manner in which he would not dare to address Mr. Travers or any other gentleman practising in Court. He (Mr. Barton) was born a gentleman, and expected to be treated as such. His Honor asked the Registrar to explain. Mr. Allan stated that he simply asked the learned counsel to hand up certain documents singly, and not in a heap. His Honor said it was a very proper request,,and informed Mr. Barton that it was he who was evidently to blame, and in future he would have to address the Court on such matters, and not the Registrar. Mr. Barton said he did not know what to do; his Honor told him to look for redress to the Court, and others advised him to look for it outside. “However,” he continued, “ I suppose I must struggle through it the best way I can.” Mr. Barton then slowly handed the papers one by one to , the Registrar. The above was not the only scene which disturbed the course of the proceedings, Mr. Justice Richmond some time after warning Mr. Barton that if he continued to treat the Court disrespectfully he would be sent to a place where the Court would be free from his discourtesies. The Public Reserves Bill,was discussed in the House yesterday afternoon, and many of its clauses afforded scope to hon. members for displaying their powers of debate. The clause relating to the rental of racecourses roused thevirtuous indignation of those who are opposed to horse racing. Horse-racing, according to the hon. member for Dunedin city (Mr. Stout), was the beginning of nearly all the iniquity, embezzlement, intoxication, and other sins that the frail flesh of man is heir to. Mr. J. O. Brown, another hon. member who does not appear to have a very exalted notion of the turf; was understood to say that he thought a municipality might just as well take .over the charge of a casino as a racecourse. Another hon. member expressed himself thoroughly /mss-tile to racing altogether. The Hop. Mr. Gisborne argued that as a borough had a Mayor, it. followed it should have a racecourse. Major Atkinson knew of a racecourse that was also a recreation ground, and was vested in an Education Board. The Hon. Mr. Fox cordially endorsed the views expressed by Mr. Stout for the suppression of the sale of liquor on public recreation grounds. Mr. Barff, who may or may not have travelled from “Dan to Beersheba,” admitted that his experience was not so great as that of Mi. Fox, who had travelled from the “ sea of Galilee to the Egyptian pyramids.” 'Mr. Barff knew of many racecourses in the colony where neither drunkenness nor very objectionable characters were to be met with. And thus the main portion of the afternoon was absorbed.

The Odd Fellows’ Hall was again crowded in every part last night, when the Rev. Charles Clark delivered his lecture on “ Charles Dickens,” which was enthusiastically received. This lecture has been delivered before to a Wellington audience—some few years ago—but it well bears repetition, for both in matter and manner it is one of this talented lecturer’s finest pieces' of declamation. Its mingled pathos and humor fairly entranced the audience. The illustrative recitations of the “ Friendly Waiter,” “ Bob Sawyer’s Little Party,” “Sairey Gamp,” and “Betsy Prig” elicited hearty laughter, and on the other hand the '“Death of Little Nell” was so affeotingly rendered as to draw tears. Tonight the “ Tower of London,” another masterpiece of Mr. Clark’s, will be produced, and a full house may be confidently anticipated. i A tea and public meeting was held last evening in ' the schoolroom, Courtenay-place, in connection with United Methodist Free Churches. There was a large attendance, and the Rev. Mr. Redstone occupied the chair. The meeting was addressed by the Rev. Mr. Paterson, the Rev. Mr. Moir, and the Rev. Mr. Dumbell. The choir, under the directorship of Mr. Hudson, contributed to the evening’s enjoyment by their excellent rendering of some sacred music. The meeting separated shortly before ten o’clock. The members of various religious denominations in town have lately been holding a series of prayer meetings, preparatory to the expected visit >of Dr; Somerville and Mr. Varley, who are coming here in January on an Evangelical mission. On Monday evening a well-attended meeting was held at the Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Mr. Paterson in the chair. The Rev. Mr. Trivett, Messrs. Knowles and Eeist, and other clergymen and laymen, took part in the. proceedings, and during the evening a number of Moody and Sankey’s hymns were sung by the congregation. . These meetings are being very largely attended, and considerable interest is being evoked in the progress of the movement. ‘ At the. Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday Larnboni Yincenei, charged with damaging property at the Metropolitan Hotel, was discharged, nobody appearing to prosecute. —-There were several civil oases set down for hearing, but they were either settled out of Court or adjourned.—John Sykes was fined 10s. and costs, for a breach of the Municipal by-laws, in leaving his horse with no one to take care of it in a public thoroughfare. A similar charge against Philip Water was postponed until to-day.

“ The Shaughraun ” was repeated last night at the Theatre Royal to a fair house, and was, as it deserved to be, well received. Tho management, which is always providing novelties for its patrons, has made another change in the programme for to-night, when the beautiful drama entitled the' “ Two Orphans ” will be performed. The fine band of the Choral Society, led by Mr. Isherwood, had an excellent practice last night at Mr. Hunter’s rooms. The instrumental portions of Spohr’s “Last Judgment ’’ were gone through in a style that reflected great credit on the performers. The music is very difficult, and at the same time very grand. - A meeting of the committee' of the Wellington Benevolent Institution was held yesterday afternoon. Present;—The Bishop of Wellington (in the chair), the Yen. Archdeacon Stock, the Revs. B. Coffey, B. W. Harvey, J. Paterson, W. H. West, Messrs. J. Woodward, J. G. Holdswortb, H. 0. Wilson, and the secretary. Several cases were considered and relieved.

At the Faversham Police Court, on August 8, Joseph Coveuey, an engine-driver in the employ of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company, was charged with being drunk while on duty.- The prisoner was in charge of an excursion train from London to Dover on a bank holiday. At night, on the return journey, he disregarded the signals at Faversham Station, goiugsome distance beyond where he should have stopped. The guards had applied the brake, but found that it made no impression on the speed of the train. The head guard refused to continue tho journey without another driver being substituted. The station-master at Faversham requested the prisoner to get down from, his engine; he did so, but fell, and it was found that he was the worse for liquor, and the station-master gave him into the custody of the police. The magistrate sentenced prisoner to two months’ hard labor, and regretted that it was not in his power to inflict a heavier punishmeilt. The train would have come into collision with a train from Ramsgate if the officials, who noticed the rate at which the prisoner’s train was coming,, had not stopped the Ramsgate train just in time to avert a disaster. The excursion train also ran the risk, through its going on with the signals against it, of running into a train which had arrived from London, and which was being shunted on to a siding. ‘We learn that whooping-cough is prevalent just new in various. parts of the city and suburbs.

A Masterton paper thinks that the pest known as the Colorado beetle existsdn Hawke’s Bay and other parts of the colony.

Mr. Charles Hillsden, well-known in connection with the Theatre Royal, who has been in ill-health for some time past, died on Monday night last, aged thirty-one years. The usual weekly meeting of the Wellington Literary Association was held last evening, when a series of readings and recitations were given and duly criticised by the members present. On Tuesday evening next a discussion will take place on the question “ Is a monarchy preferable to a republic ?”

A local committee has been formed in Wellington in aid of the Australian Juvenile Industrial Exhibition at Ballarat. Applications for space can be received up to "December 24, addressed to Mr. S. Carroll, Secretary Chamber of Commerce. Bull particulars will be found in our advertising columns. The Melbourne Argus of the 3rd instant gays :—Dr. Thomas Embling petitioned the Legislative Assembly yesterday to take prompt and energetic measures to prevent the Republic of France seizing upon and annexing the islands of the New Hebrides, as he was of opinion that such action would be detrimental to the colonies of Australia.

The Home News of the 23rd August states that an application has been made to ViceChancellor Malins with respect to the man Oosgrave, who in March last threw an egg at the Vice-Chancellor. He was then committed for contempt, and has since been adjudged a lunatic. Authority was given for his delivery to the captain of a vessel about to sail for the United States, a brother in Arkansas having undertaken the care of him. Mr. G-. Thomas notifies that his sale of fat pigs, which was postponed from yesterday, will be held to-day. ' •