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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5437, 30 August 1878, Page 2

Mr. Hansford, R.M., notified'at the Hutt on Wednesday that he would hold a Court at tho Upper Hutt on the 18th o£, September, and alter that date, every eight weeks,

In the House of Representatives last evening the Speaker read a telegram - from the Mayor of Dunedin, inviting hon. members to a public dinner on the occasion of the visit South next week.

According to the new municipal, by-law the cabmeu'plying for hire within the borough will have to wear a badge displaying’ their number.

An information has been laid against one of the , cabmen for obstructing the tramway in front of the Opera House on Wednesday night. The information has been laid under the Act of 1872, and will be heard to-day. His Excellency the Governor has appointed Ebenezer Baker, Esq., to be Registration and Returning Officer for the election of members of the House of Representatives for the Electoral Districts of Wellington City, Hutt, and Wellington Country, and also to be •Marshal of the Vice-Admiralty Court of New* Zealand, vice J. 0. Crawford, Esq., resigned. Dr. Wallis in his speech on the Triennial Parliaments Bill said that the vast sums of money squandered in this colony on the Civil Service was money drawn out of the bones and sinews of the working classes. In the next breath ho remarked that the enormous sums of borrowed money at the command of the House placed great temptation in the hands of the representatives to be lavish in their expenditure. It is a question for others to decide whether, if it be true that the Civil Service expenditure is lavish and extravagant, this expenditure is not defrayed out of loau money. It seems strange that a supporter of the present Government like Dr. Wallis should reproach the Ministry that came into office with promises of a great reduction in the administration of the Civil Service, with the vast sums of money squandered in that service. The tenor of the Financial Statement was that no largo reductions had been found possible. Dr. Wallis will have an opportunity at an early date of pointing out the extravagance he complains of, and may then remind the Ministry of their promises before they took office.

Last evening at the Imperial Opera House “ The Handsome Husband ” (Mrs. Wyndham, Miss Florence Colville, Mr. Wyndham, Mr. Hoskins) and “ A Kiss in the Dark,” in which Mr. Hydes was remarkably good, were performed, the whole concluding with “Lalla Rookh.” This evening Miss Florence Colville will take her benefit, under the patronage of Captain Townsend and the officers of H.M.S. Nymphe, when “The Jealous Wife” will be performed, after which Mr. W. F. Baker has kindly volunteered to ay?g the exquisite song “ The sweet little shamrock.” In consequence of the great success of the “ Game of Speculation ” it will be repeated to-uighfc, and a crowded house may confidently bo anticipated on the occasion.

Mr. George Thomas held an important sale yesterday of freehold and leasehold properties in the estate of Messrs. Beck and Tonks. The leasehold property in Manners-street, with buildings and machinery, was bought in at £2OOO, and the freehold, having a frontage to Manners and Willi’s streets of 116 ft., was bought in at £67 per foot. One does not often hear a hearty laugh in tho Upper House, But yesterday the Hon. Mr. Robinson succeeded in evoking a roar of laughter from his peers. While Mr. Robinson was speaking to the money clause of the Oamaiu Waterworks Bill an hon, gentleman shook his head in the negative. Mr. Robinson was instant in the retort that the hon. member might shake his head, but still there might be nothing in it. As he did not stop to inform gentlemen whether there was nothing in the head or the negative the mirth was loud for the moment. At the meeting of the Education Board yesterday Archdeacon Stock remarked that he did not agree with the system of so many prizes being given away in schools. Ho thought that there were many pupils who did not receive prizes who were far more deserving than those who received them, simply because they were not blessed with so good brains as the fortunate ones. He would only like to see prizes given where the scholars really deserved it.

, The City Council held their first meeting in the new Town Hall yesterday afternoon. The room, though not so largo as the old Provincial Chamber, is far more convenient. The Councillors arc furnished with very comfortable armchairs, lined with leather of a dark purple color. The room is lighted by two gasaliers of four burners each. Previous to the business yesterday, the Mayor congratulated the Council on taking possession of the room. Mr. Tole, when he requested the Govern- , ment to abolish the system of tolls in the County of Eden, said that he had no idea of conveying tho impression that§he was meditating self-destruction, but only wished to see an unsatisfactory system of taxation abolished. Mr. Sheehan stood on very safe ground when ho replied, saying ; The Government would be most happy to abolish all toll-gates throughout the colony if the local bodies would undertake to maintain the main roads of the colony without the assistance of tolls. No doubt the ratepayers in those counties intersected by a main road will be quite ready to tax their properties so as to afford their neighbors in the townships the pleasure of travelling on good roads free of any expense. A comity with a large township on each side of it would no doubt be glad to execute the repairs on a main road made necessary by a traffic that passed through its domain without contributing to its funds. If the maintenance of roads of colonial importance is left to the local bodies, colonial interests will bo neglected in favor'of local requirements. Where the subsidies at the disposal of a county are insufficient for the maintenance of a main road, the ratepayers may levy a rate for their local requirements, but will never consider it their duty to levy rates for the good of the general travelling public of the colony. Tn some cases the subsidies are notoriously insufficient to maintain long lengths of main road. The Master-ton-Woodville road is a case in point. A New Zealand Gazette issued yesterday notifies the appointment of the following gentlemen to be sheriffs under the Act of 1858: Edward Willcocks, Esq., Auckland ; Charles Edward Bawson, Esq., Taranaki ; Duncan Guy, Esq., Hawke's Bay; Alexander Sutherland Allan, Esq., Wellington ; "Frederick de Carteret Malet, Esq., Canterbury; Alfred HassalKing, Esq., Westland; Edward F/raucis Ward, Esq., Otago ; William Stuart, Esq., Southland; vice Theodore Minet Haultain, Charles Douglas Whitcombe, John Thomas Tylee, Ebcnezer Baker, Alexander Back, William Alexander Spence, Isaac Newton Watt, and Henry McCulloch, Esqs., respectively. The above appointments are to take effect on and from tbo Ist proximo. The cricketers’ concert which took place at the Athenmum Hall last night, was a great success. Every seat was occupied, and tho entertainment throughout was most enjoyable. The first part of the programme consisted of a Christy Minstrel performance, given by an amateur troupe designating themselves the “Diamond Minstrels.” The choruses were well rendered, and the voices blended remarkably well. Amongst the pieces most highly appreciated by the audience was the ballad “Close the shutters, Willie’s dead.” The comic members of the troupe, “Tambo” and “Bones,” were rather weak. The principal item in the second portion of tho entertainment was the reading by Mr. of the murder scene from “ Macbeth,” during tho whole of which the audience was wrapt in tho closest attention. This was one of the greatest treat that lovers of Shakspere could have experienced here for some time past, A recita- : tion, entitled ** William Jinks,” rendered by a well-known amateur, caused considerable amusement, and proved to tho audience that tho reciter had a strong vein of humor in hia composition. Several songs and quartettes were given, and contributed not a little to the completeness and success of tho entertainment.

Wo are requested to call the attention of members of the Clioral Society to the advertisement in this issue notifying a change in the work for rehearsal for next concert. The baud aro requested to attend this evening’s practice. Mr. Parker, of Christchurch, is expected to reach Wellington by the Itingarooma this morning, and will in all probability conduct the rehearsal in the Provincial Hall, and all members are particularly requested to be punctual in tboir attendance. The annual general meeting of the Fidelity and Accident Guaranty Company was held yesterday afternoon; Mr. Lipman Levy, chairman, presiding. The report and balance-sheet presented to the meeting wore adopted. The chairman reported that the business was pro grossing in a satisfactory manner. The retiring directors were ro-eleeted. The shareholders nominated for local directors at Auckland, Christchurch, aud Dunedin were duly elected. The auditors, Messrs. W. H. Levin and 13. Reeves, wore re-elected.

A private letter received from Otago states that in consequence .of the recent snowy weather in that province many flockmaatcre will be almost rained,

A N. Z. Gazette , issued yesterday, notifies the division of the boroughs of Timaru and Queenstown into four wards respectively. The Bank of Australasia opened a branch establishment at Invercargill on the 26th, and one at Gore is to be opened to-day. Notice is given that the committee of the Wellington Choral Society have determined to postpone the production of .Beethoven's “Mount of Olives,” which was to have been given at the first concert, and to substitute for it Gounod’s Mass and selections from “ Masaniello.”

Postal statistics show that of all European countries (Russia probably excepted) the fewest letters are written in Spain. Thus in 1815-76 only 87,000,000 letters passed through the post office, being but 5*19 to each inhabitant—a delightful feature in Spanish life not a few of us would be disposed to think.