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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5218, 12 December 1877, Page 2

A letter has been received by the Government from the Agent-General, covering correspondence between himself and the Rev. A. Beazor, rector of Portland, in which the latter says it is in contemplation by friends of the passengers lost in the Avalanche to build by subscription a small memorial church at Portland for the use of fishermen and quarrymen of the island, and in memory of those drowned. A site for the church has been purchased on the sea-board on rising ground, not far from the cliff, and probably directly opposite the spot where.tlie collision occurred, and where the ship now lies entombing possengers and crew. A monument in brass is to be erected in the church, with a record of the occurence and names of passengers and crew. The estimated coat of the building is £IOOO, exclusive of monument and site already purchased— £2OQ. . There has been, promised by Shaw, Savill, and Co., £lO ; by S. H. Williams, brother of captain, £3O. The rector asks Sir Julius Vogel to' ascertain. if friends in New Zealand would like to assist, arid it is understood that subscriptions will be, received and forwarded by the Under Secretary of Immigration if required, or can be sent by the donors direct to Mr. Beazor, Portland Rectory, A meeting of the cpmmittee of the Wellington Benevolent Institution was held yesterday afternoon. Present—The Yen. Archdeacon Stock (chairman), Rev. B. W. Harvey, Rev. J. Dumbell, Rev. H. B. Redstone, Messrs. J. G. Holdsworth, D. Lewis, and the secretary. The following subscriptions were received—F. T., £5; J. G., 10s.; Mr. Justice Richmond, £5 55.; Government grant for two months, £25. Several cases iwere considered and relieved. The funds of the institution are at a very low ebb, the account at the bank is overdrawn, aud current expenses for relief are very large. The Hutt' County Council met yesterday.' ; Present—Councillors Mason (chairman), Lancaster, Taylor; Chew, Morgan; Speedy, Dick, Monaghan, aud Smith. An agreement was laid before the Board, signed by landowners in the I locality through which the road would pass, agreeing 1 , to the proposed line'of road from Kaiwarra to Johnson ville, the , cost of which' was estimated 'at £6OOO, and in favor of which a petition was presented. It was agreed that the power of the County Engineer to enter upon the lands and to lay off the road should be ascertained, with a view to further action being taken at the next meeting.. A letter was read frohi Mr. ! Graham, chairman of the Karori-Makara Highway District, pointing' out ■ the ! necessity of certain repairs being made to the Karori bridge, over the Kaiwarra stream, and ! the approaches thereto: ‘ It was resolved that the- ‘engineer Shhuld consult with Messrs. Monaghan and Lancaster ,on the subject; A vote of thanks was unanimously passed to Sir William . Fitzherbert . for the action he had taken in securing a piece of laud at the Hutt for the use of the Council. Accounts amounting 'to £256 were passed. The Council then adjourned. Our readers in the city and elsewhere will be glad to know how much music is cultivated in the Wairarapa. The Rev. A.'Knell has been the director, and to some extent provider, of excellent concerts in that district for years past. He has stood in-the same relation to musical society in that large and fertile valley, that the Choral Society does to the music-lov-ing public of Wellington. Music is therefore not dormant in the rich plains “ over the hill.” It is cultivated by all classes of society, and greatly, encouraged at amateur concerts, and no one has done anything like so much in cultivating this noble taste and appreciation of the musical art as the' reverend gentleman named. This has been brought under our notice by a correspondent writing in eulogistic terras of an amateur concert given in the Town Hall, Greytown, last Friday night, in aid of the organ fund of the pretty church of Greytown. •He says the concerted ’ pieces were rendered in the most pleasing and perfect manner, truly wealthy in musical harmony and ideas; The first part of the “ Blue Danube” was as good, or better than would be given by the Choral Society in Wellington. Ona of the glees was deservedly encored, A number of ladies aud gentleman sang some of the good old English melodies of a higher stamp by far than the usual music-hall class, aud many were well sung, notably, “ I cannot mind my wheel, mother.” '

St. George’s Hall was attended last evening by a large and fashionable audience, on the occasion of Herr Schott’s benefit. It was the final performance of “ Girofle Girofla,” which has had such a good run ; also, the last appearance of the Lydia Howarde Troupe. Tonight Mr. Charles Dillon, jun., the celebrated English actor, and Miss Edith Tender, a charming young actress, will occupy the boards, commencing a short season of seven, nights. “Belphegor the Mountebank” will be the first production which the management announce for to-night and Thursday. Several new faces will support Mr. Dillon, and we have no doubt but that his season will be a very successful one in Wellington. 1

A well attended and in every way successful entertainment, was given by the Bijou Minstrels at the Princess Theatre, Tory.street, last evening, in aid of St. Mark’s Church organ fund., The programme . comprised a variety of songs, operatic duets, .banjo manipulations, baritone solo, &c., and concluded with a moat laughable farce, entitled “ The Mischievous Nigger.’’ The audience appeared thoroughly well pleased with the evening’s entertainment. ,

; At the R.M. Court yesterday John Booth, charged with being drunk, was fined 55., and Alfred charged frith' being drunk and disorderly, was mulcted in, the larger penalty of 20s. —J. Cotterell aud another person were each fined ss. and costs for riding round street ,corners at a pace faster than a walk.—On,the civil side judgment was given • for plaintiff iu the case of J. M. Cleland v. R. ,Mackey, for ,£1 17a. Gd, ‘,

According to the Ballarat Star , the disposal of children to the Chinese -is much more common than many persona suppose. A few days ago a woman disposed of a little boy to a Chinese at the Haddon camp. The conditions were drawn -up by a Sniyt lies dale lawyer.’ Since, another Chinese at Haddon, in a well-to-do position, who' is married 1 to a European, with a family of one girl, is very anxious to secure the boy that'has already passed to No. 1 Chinese, and to induce the mother to comply with his request : she has been offered £2O for the child. The mother is now. anxious to ascertain if she can annul the first bargain and barter her child for tho £2O to No. 2.

Mr. Karl Lange, dentist, Lambton-quay, died somewhat suddenly on Sion day evening. Deceased .was about fifty, years of age,, and was well known as a skilful practitioner.

The Board of Education is convened to meet at a quarter past 11 o’clock this morning. We have received a copyof Watt’s Almanac and Calendar for 1878. Notice is given in our advertising columns that a branch of the Bank of New South Wales is now open at New Plymouth.Mr. Plirniuer’s new hotel at the corner of . Willis and Manners streets will, we understand, be opened en the Ist of January next. The examination of candidates for scholarships open to the primary r schools under the management of the Education Board will commence to-day at the Wellington College. The opening of the Ilechabite Hal! in Courtenay-place will take place.on Thursday evening next, and will be celebrated by a tea meeting, at which speeches on the temperance question will be delivered by several friends of the cause. A congregational tea meeting will be held in the school-room of St. John’s Presbyterian Church this evening at half-past 6 o’clock, after, which a public meeting will be held in the church, when addresses will be delivered by various members of the General Assembly. Tenders are invited up to the 17th inst. by Mr. D. P. Davies, 0.E., for cutting main drain at the Mungaroa Swamp, Upper Hutt ; and also by the clerk of the Wellington District Highway Board, up to the 2nd January, erectiug a bridge across the lower ford at Pahautahui, and for for eight and a halt chains of road at Stokes Valley. Yesterday morning as two men, named respectively Haalom and Marshall, were at work at Messrs. Turnbull and Co.’s bonded store; Willis-street, the chain attached to, the hydraulic lift parted in two, and the men were thrown down with considerable violence. Both of them appeared much shaken by the fall. Dr. Harding was sent for, and we are glad to hear that no dangerous results are anticipated. , ' ' '

There was a fair attendance at the Theatre Royal last evening, when “ Playing with Fire” and “The Widow's Victim” were repeated, and were well received by the audience, Mr. Walton’s imitations of popular London comic singers being particularly good. To-night the complimentary benefit tendered to Mr. Sackett (late business manager, of the Theatre Royal), and Mr. Gardner (agent of the Majeronis), will take place. One of the best programmes ever put before a Wellington audience has been prepared for the occasion. The performance will commence with an entirely new and sparkling comedy, entitled “A Kiss," in which Signor and Signora Majeroni will appear, positively for the last time. They will be assisted by Mr. 0. J. Hughes, who makes his first appearance on the boards in the character of Eustace, and the dramatic company. Mr. J. K. Purdy will sing the new local dity “Our Wellington Fire Brigade." Mr. Walton, who has kindly volunteered his services, will appear as Felix O'Callaghan in “ His Last Legs.” The Melbourne Telegraph of July 30 thus speaks of Mr. Walton’s delineation of the character : “ The performances last night at the Academy of Music were for the benefit of Mr. H. E. Walton, a gentleman who', since he made his debut lias afforded many proof* of his ability as a capable and versatile actor. That his abilities have been appreciated was made apparent last; night by the crowded audience which warmly greeted him on his entree ; and- also at the conclusion of the drama he was called before the curtain, and presented with a number of bouquets. He subsequently appeared as Felix O’Callaghan, in that splendid comedy, “ His Last Legs,” which, it appears from the bills, he played with great success at the Strand Theatre, London, last August. He has certainly ably overcome the difficulties attending the proper representation of a very delicate part, and presents an O’Callaghan that cannot fail to please. His make-up is excellent, his voice has'just sufficient of ' brogue to render it natural, and he played with a raciness of humor and a perception of the .necessities of each particular requirement so as to display' to best advantage all the good points in it.” Mr.; Tom Margetts will favor , the audience during the • evening with his budget of songs, and [the whole will conclude with the laughable: farce of “Your Vote and Interest,” in which our old friend Mr. J. P. Hydes will appear as’Bill Hearty, and will give his opinion on things political. Reserved seats may be obtained at Mr. Jackson’s/ A large number of seats, we understand, have been taken. Theßritish Trade Journal says :—One result of the Rus dan’General Gourka’s adventurous rush through the Balkan chain is seen in the desolation of the lovely Tunja valley, and the almost complete extinction of a branch of agriculture peculiar to Roumelia. We refer to the culture of roses, carried on for the sake of the inestimable essential oil known as “attar.” Kezanlik—which has not long been relieved from the odious presence of the marauding Cossacks —is the centre of this remarkable industry, the annual value of which is computed at £BO,OOO. But the Roumelians have now to thank Russian aggression for depriving them for some time to. come of this source of livelihood. The great rose field of Turkey, formerly the abode of peace and plenty, has been converted into a wilderness, and Europe must henceforth look elsewhere for its attar. It has been suggested that India is able to supply the deficiency, but this is doubtful, and there is a significance in the fact that rose oil has made a great leap upwards ■within the last few weeks, the best being worth, at the present time, 40s. per oz., with every probability of a much further advance. Mr. N. J. Isaacs has requested us to state his trade sale of. Thursday will commence at 2 o'clock, and not II o’clock, as previously advertised.