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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5428, 20 August 1878, Page 2

It has been decided to officially open the through line between Christchurch and Dunedin on Monday, September 9th. Parliament will adjourn on Friday, the 6th, until the following Tuesday week, to enable members of the Legislature to take part in the opening ceremonies. The Hinemoa will leave Wellington at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 6, and will arrive at Lyttelton about 11 o’clock next forenoon. The excursionists will spend Saturday and Sunday in Christchurch, and on Monday will proceed through by train to Dunedin, where a banquet will take place to commemorate the event. The excursionists will leave Dunedin on the following Saturday, and will arrive in Wellington in time for the afternoon sitting of the House on the Tuesday after. The Wellington tramway, wo understand, is to be open for public traffic on and after Saturday next. His Excellency the Governor and Lady Normanby, the Ministry, members of the Legislature, and others, together with the ladies of their several families, are to be invited to take part in the ceremonies on the opening day, which will probably be observed as a whole or partial holiday by a large number of the citizens. A private trial trip along the entire length of the line will be made tomorrow.

The Hon. Mr. Hall, M.L.C., and Mr. Bastings, M.H.K., waited upon the Hon. Colonel Whitmore, Colonial Secretary, yesterday, and placed before him the official report of the proceedings of the County Conference lately sitting here, and explained the reasons for the adoption by the Conference of the amendments that body desired to be made in the Counties Act and the Rating Act. Colonel Whitmore said that the representations of the Conference should receive the attention of the Government.

Those who failed to attend last night at Mr. Hoskins’ representation of Charles Surface in Sheridan’s celebrated comedy of “ The School for Scandal” missed an intellectual treat. Those who have only heard of Mr. Hoskins as a veteran actor about to retire from the stage would not expect to see him appear and acquit himself so well in the youthful character he sustained. A stranger without a play-bill might, during the first three acts, possibly suppose that Sir Peter Teazle would be the part chosen by Mr. Hoskins. The burst of applause and the consummate art that elicited it in the screen scene proved that Mr. Hoskins as Charles Surface was the right man in the right place. Mr. Walter Hill as Sir Peter Teazle was certainly a success ; a critical ear might desire a less decidedly English accent in the few French words ho lias to deliver, but in every other respect ho made the most of a telling and effective part. Mr. Graham as Joseph Surface had the ungrateful task of representing this unpopular character ; as a whole his part was well performed. Sir Oliver Surface, played by Mr. Tom Burton, was a neat conception of the part, and left little to be desired ; ho was the popular idea of the Indian nabob uncle personified. Lady Teazle was well acted by Miss Colville, and the leading characters were ably supported by the rest of the company. To-night Gilbert's comedy of 11 Pygmalion and Galatea" and the burlesque of “Turko the Terrible" will be performed, and will doubtless draw a good house. There will bo a sitting of the Supremo Court in bankruptcy this morning. The following appMcations for discharge are set down for hearing :—ln re. Thomas Evans, in n Thomas Henry Macaulay. Last winter a poor woman in Denmark, past fifty years old, rescued, at the imminent peril of her own life, three children, who had broken through the ice on a lake. The King of Denmark thereupon presented her with the ribbon and medal for civil acts of bravery, she being the first woman who had over received that honor.

At the meeting of the Wellington Jockey Club held last night it was resolved that its name be changed to that of “ The Wellington Racing Club” A report of the proceedings will be found in another portion of our columns. There was a crowded house at the concert at the Athenseum last night, when, as is almost invariably the case, an excellent programme was gone through in a moat creditable manner, and was heartily appreciated by the audience. Where all the pieces were good in themselves, and were admirably rendered, it seems like an invidious task to select any particular items for especial mention, but among the many gems of the entertainment the following were certainly not the least brilliant, and were deservedly loudly applauded ;—“The muleteer,” “ The blind girl to her harp,” “ The warrior bold,” “ Alice, where art thou ?” and “ The sailor sighs.” The Walca Maori is again afloat, with Mr. James Grlndell at the helm. Wo have to acknowledge the receipt of an advance copy of the first number, which is to be published at Gisborne by the Maori Newspaper Company (Limited) on the 21at instant. It comprises 10 pages foolscap, is neatly got up, the reading matter well selected, and there is a good show of advertisements. In his “leader” the editor says :—“ When the resuscitation of the Walca Maori was first mooted a great outcry was made by certain parties whose aim and interest it is to keep the Maoris in leading strings at the expense of truth and honesty for their own ulterior purposes. We were stigmatised as venal, dishonest, and altogether corrupt. It was said in the pages of the organ of these immaculate gentlemen that we * might, by cunning tricks and barefaced falsehoods, try to sow dissension in the Maori ranks that we might ‘do something in getting stray town Maoris to write letters (to us) aud then pass their letters among Europeans as expressive of genuine Maori opinion.’ We could if we thought proper produce letters from many very respectable natives (not ‘ town Maories ’) making exactly similar charges against the organ of the Repudiation Party in Napier. The Walca was first published in Napier in the year 1863 ; and we defy these malicious detractors to show that even one { falsehood * ever appeared in its columns during the thirteen years of its publication. However, we can afford to laugh at such calumny, knowing as we do the high estimation in which the Waka has ever been held by the general body of the Natives throughout the colony, and the eager expectation with which they now look for its reappearance. With respect to our obtaining letters from * stray town Maories' only, we need merely say that we are supported by large bodies of the Native people in various parts of the country, that a considerable number of chiefs of acknowledged standing and influence are shareholders in our company, aud that several respectable Natives of known position aud intelligence are members of our board of directors.”

Amongst the many brilliant and eloquent things (says “Ogles’’ in the Australasian) that have been and that will be said in recognition of England’s re-assertion of herself in Europe under the leadership of Lord BeaconsfieM, I question whether anything will be found happier than a few sentences spoken by Cardinal Manning at the Newspaper Fress Fund dinner, the chair being occupied by the Marquis of Salisbury :—“ He spoke,” said the cardinal, “merely as an Englishman, and therefore as a member of the great European commonwealth, of which England was a leading part. It had been truly said that the prestige of England had been lately raised to its ancient dignity, (Cheers.) He could confirm that statement, and he did so with the greater pleasure because when some years ago he was daily in familiar conversation with diplomatists of other countries he was painfully reminded that the foreign policy of England was like that of Holland—the cultivation of tulips. Since a certain date, which the noble marquis in the chair probably knew better than anyone else who was present, there had been a revived sense throughout Europe that England was not only an island but an empire. A newspaper of great moral and political force in France had in one single expression given utterance to the fact by affirming that at the voice which proceeded from England, Europe again awoke to consciousness of itself. (Cheers.) He said this without regard to Conservative or Liberal, but merely as an Englishman who desired to see the comity and the commonwealth of nations once more restored to peace, but to peace with the only guarantees that could restore or preserve it, viz, international law and international right. What had given to England its great glory among the nations was the Parliament, which, springing from the council of the King, had, through au uubrokeu tradition of a thousand years, developed itself into the greatest and grandest Legislature in the world, and which had also shaken from its spreading branches legislative' acorns of the old English oak that had reproduced themselves in the Dominion of Canada,in Australia, and the United States.” Now, not only are these, in themselves, brave words, but they possess, I think, a higher interest and a broader significance from there having been spoken by a chief in the hierarchy of Koine. A general meeting of the Wellington Cricketers’ Association was held at the Pier Hotel last night, to consider the financial position of the association. Mr. Kelly, being voted to the chair, explained in a very few words the object of the meeting, and the result was that Messrs, Blacklock and Kelly were appointed auditors of the secretary and treasurer’s statement of accounts, &c., and the meeting adjourned until Monday, the 26 th instant.

India is said to possess a convenient tree called the “ kapas,” which is used as a telegraph post. When cut down, its branches partially removed, and stuck in the ground, it readily takes root, thus checking the ravages of the white ants and becoming a living telegraph post. The theatre at Pompeii was recently opened with the following unique announcement:— “ After the lapse of more than eighteen hundred years the theatre of this city will be reopened with La Figlia del Regg'mcnto. I solicit a continuance of the favor bestowed on my predecessor, Marcus Quintus Martius, and beg to assure the public that I shall make every effort to equal the rare qualities he displayed during his management.” If there is any truth in the popular impression, says the Pall Mall Gazette, that “ the beer-drinking Briton will never be beat,” an account which has just been issued by the Statistical Department of the Custom House is of peculiar interest at the present moment. This paper gives the number of barrels of beer exported from the United Kingdom, the declared value and the place to which they were exported from the Ist of October, 1876, to the Ist October, 1877. It appears from the report that Russia took from us 2,475 barrels of beer, of the declared value of £8,694, whereas Wallachia and Moldavia only took one, the declared value of which was £2. European Turkey, however, is put down at 569 barrels, of the declared value of £2,346; and Asiatic Turkey at 206 barrels, declared value £1,047. One barrel only, value £2, was sent to the Austrian territories; 31,128 barrels, value £133,190, went to the British possessions in South Africa ; Germany had 7,564 barrels, value £26,628 ; France 11,166 barrels, value £39,606 ; Italy, 210 barrels, value £930. British India consumed a large amount of beer from the mother country, the continental territories taking 132,924 barrels, value £434,495 ; the Straits Settlements 7,226 ban-els, valuo £29,451 ; and Ceylon 3,831 barrels, value £45,904. The Australian colonies were also large importers, West Australia taking 6,381 barrels, value £47,420; Victoria, 30,210 barrels, value £163,532 ; New South Wales, 36,528 barrels, valuo £100,304 ; Queensland, 16,647 barrels, value £67,736 ; Tasmania 772 barrels, value £4,737 ; and New Zealand 9,270 barrels, value £49,083. The United States are down iu tho account for 17,526 barrels, at a valuo of £92.503. Those and other foreign and colonial customers were supplied during the twelvemonth with a total of 472,342 barrels of British beer, at a declared value of £1,918,886.

AVo again remind our readers that to-day Mr. 11, J. Duncan will submit to pub ic competition some especially valuable city properties, to the particulars of which wo have called attention In a previous issue, and which will be found iu detail in our advertising columns. The lota are such as to command the attention of investors and speculators in city land, which Is day by day rising in value. Thla day, as will bo seen by reference to our advertising columns, Mr. J. H. Wallace will hold an Important sale of city and country properties, land scrip, insurance, gold, coal, and other shares in public companies. In drawing attention to Messrs. J. 11. Bcthuuo and Co.’s extensive land sale to-morrow of building allotments in Creswiclc, we are reminded that at an auction sale in Dunedin recently 50 suburban sections, averaging about one-eighth of an nc-o each, were sold by Mr. Henry Driver, and realised at the rate of about £IOOO per acre. The allotments sold were in the township of Burke's brewery, and distant live miles from Dunedin. Late sales of suburban sections, distant about two miles from the city, have boon effected in Christchurch, the price realised being at the rate of £IOOO per acre. Those facts may enable intending purchasers to form an opinion as to the ultimate value of suburban lands contiguous to this city, and uo doubt the opportunity of procuring such a freehold to-morrow will bo taken advantage of,