The Evening Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1876. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 135, 26 September 1876, Page 2

The Evening Mail.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1876. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

♦ — " 'Words are things, and a drop of ink falling upon a thought mav produce that which makes thousands think."

It will be seen by a notice in our advertising columns that the Rev. Mr. Agnew will deliver a Farewell Lecture this evening, iuthe Maaonic Hall. As the rev. gentleman his immediate departure for Australia, this is positively the last time he will appear before the public of Oamaru. It being the intention of his many friends and wellwishers to make the occasion as profitable and attractive as possible, several well-known amateurs have kindly volunteered their services, and wc trust that their efforts may be further backed up by a good atteudance. The following are the subjects chosen : "The Astrologer," "The Points of Law," "The Abbot and the King,'' "Paddy Shannon," &c.

Mr. Zachariah Dunlop Patterson appeared at the Resident Magistrate's Court, this morning, as defendant, not in an assault case, but as a debtor to Mr. J. R. Clement. Patterson was asked if he wished to put any questions to plaintiff. Zachariah jumped up and commenced hi examination in true legal style. In the first place, he ascertained from from Clement that he had not a lawyer's office in town. He considered that the outplace the plaintiff practised in was the street. The only abusive language lie used towards plaintiff was that he told him "He was as hungry as he looked." Zachariah informed the Bench that Mr. Clement turned his barber's shop into a lawyer's office. Mr. Clement denied the soft impeachment, and added, further, that the shop had not a very pleasant odour about it. The barber retorted that his shop smelt a great deal nicer than a good many of the aromas one met with in the street. The professor of the tonsorial art expressed his belief that Mr. Clement had only brought the case into Court to show himself, as this was about the first case he had ever had. He had been charged Gs. Bd. three times for looking at the lawyer. Mr. Clement's office was the street. He always found him there oftcucr than any where else. Mr. Patterson was mulcted in the sum of one guinea and costs.

The concert by the members of the Philharmonic Society, advertised for Friday evening, will doubtless prove a success. Entertainments of this description generally " draw**' well, and the present io not likely to form an exceptional instance. Not to mention the fact that some of our most talented local amateurs count amongst the performers, there is the additional attraction of an instrumental element in the programme.

The Wellington Argus, referring to the debate on Macandrcw's resolutions, says : "Mr. Burn3laat night told the House that he represented more people than the three members for Taranaki put together did. As we should be sorry to accuse Mr. Burns of wilful exaggeration, or even of making a mistake, we must express our surprise at the enormous progress made by the district of Roslyn since he ha 3 represented it. The recently published volume of statistics says Roalyn ha? only 843 electors, wb.'le the three Taranaki constituencies are represented as including 1,444 electors. Roslyn must therefore have nearly doubled its number of electors within the last few months.

The following extract from a Melbourne pajjer explains a telegram receutly published : ** A curious, but unfortunate, mistake Las been made by one of the banks, which promises to be of a rather costly character to the victims of the blunder. On the suspension or failure of any firm it is customary, as a matter of form, for bills coming due, even long after the stoppage, to be sent forward for presentation at whatever bank they may happen to be domiciled. After the suspension of Messrs. Witney, Chambers, and Co., the usual course was adopted. It appears, however, that on September 4, five days after the suspension of that firm, five or six bills were forwarded and presented to the Bank of Victoria, and by some unaccountable mistake paid. The blunder was only brought to light on the Wednesday night or Thursday morning succeeding, when immediate application was made by the Bank to the payees for a refund of the amounts. The question, however, arises whether, in the event of refusal, the payee 3 can be compelled, under such unusual circumstances, to repay the money. The amount involved is from £7OO. to £I,OOO. We understand that the payees intend to meet together to consider what course they should adopt in the matter." A new tobacco factory has recently been started in Melbourne, and a sale of the first " turn out'' held. Speaking on the subject the Age says : —"The exhibition of the various samples elicited the warmest commendations from all sides, experts pronouncing them almost equal to the far-famed Two

Seas and Venus brands. The practicability of manufacturing high-class tobacco in Victoria has now been proved to a demonstration, and the firm establishment of so important an industry will be hailed with general satisfaction. The prices paid at the auction sale represent a large advance on the highest price heretofore obtained for Colonial tobacco, a substantial evidence of the excellence of the quality of the production of the factory under notice.

It was recently stated in the Victorian Parliament that all the;-members of the Melbourne Club, 128 in number, were enrolled as electors of the city on the ground of being householders, the Club itself being the household qualification. Surely the Club should be allowed to return a member of its own to Parliament.

A strange story of adventure comes from Siberia. About fifteen months ago, five Russians, who had been banished, started from, or near, Samarov, on the Obi. They were not missed for a week, and though after thi. they were diligently searched for and hotly pursued, were never heard of. A Chinese paper states that they turned up on the Hohang Ho River—at least three of them —dressed as Chinese, and that two of them have escaped, probably to Japan, but that one is being brought to Pekin. The men, most probably, taking detours and all, have walked for tneir lives many thousands of miles. But as yet the story is a vague one, as particulars will only be known after the Russian is brought to Pekin. The two who are yet at large have, it is supposed, probably escaped on merchantmen, working their passages as common sailors by way of some Japanese port to America or elsewhere. Under the heading " Satisfactory," this is the pobte style in which the Wanganui Chronicle speaks of its rival the Herald: — "It gives us pleasure to notice that our young contemporary is following in our wake in the matter of compiling interesting and readable matter for its subscribers. It is some months ago since we first commenced giving regular reports from the hospital and gaol, and now we find that the Herald has at last had to fall in -with our view of the matter, and acknowledge the excellence of the system adopted. We also were the first to introduce weekly Customs reports, which our contemporary now recognises the advantage of doing also. There are several other further little innovations which we purpose carrying out in course of time, which we shall be glad to find adopted by the Herald. That journal can rest assured that no feature introduced by us can in any way damage its position, but rather the reverse. Occasionally, of late, we have been obliged to correct and reprove, but such ha 3 been dictated by a desire to see our young contemporary act up to a respectable model of journalism.