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Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 620, 29 April 1878, Page 2

A disgraceful spectacle was presented in Tees-street last evening. A number of lads, whose ages ranged from 14 to 18, were congregated on the footpath, all more or less under the influence of drink. Their language and general behaviour were of the most disgraceful nature. One of them was so drunk as to be unable to walk, and had to be removed to the lock-up. He was brought up at the .Resident Magistrate's Court this morning and fined 55., with the option of 24 hours' imprisonment. The rest of the young rascals, however, got off "scot free ;" but it is a pity that a good whipping could not have been administered to the whole of them, as well as to the individual who supplied the boys with liquoi. It is seldom that St. Paul's Church is so well filled as it was last evening, when the Rev. Joseph Copeland, from the New Hebrides, delivered a most interesting address on his missionary labours in those islands. It was very gratifying to see such a large and attentive audience. The devotional part of the service was conducted by Mr. Jeffreys, who read the 7-ud Psalm. Mr. Copeland then delivered a most practical discourse from the Parable of the Good Samaritan, in the course of which he sought to show Christians their duty in regard to -the heathen. After explaining the parable, he gave a description of the manners and customs of the heathen in those islands, applying the word rude to everything connected with them. He then pointed out one or two ways in which we

..:ight show that we realised them to be our neighbours by seeking to benefit them morally and spiritually. The address was listened to throughout with marked attention.

The annual meeting of the Oamaru Football Club was held on Saturday evening at the Koyal Hotel. There were present— Messrs. Holdsworth fi.-h.-iir), Walls. Hickey, Hardy, Church, Ferens, Crawford, H. Thompson, Kerr, W. Finch, Beuist, Atkins, and Blackburne (Hon. Sec.) The minutes of the previous meeting having been read confirmed, the Treasurer read the balancesheet for the past year, showing that the total receipts had been LI3 15s and the expenditure L 9 6s Id, leaving a balance in hand to commence the present season, with. The election of office-bearers took place with the following result t President, Mr. Otterson; Vice-President, M. J. Walls ; Captain, Mr. Caverhill; Vice-Cap-tain, Mr. E. Booth; Committee, Messrs. Hickey, Thomson, and Ferens. It was decided to defer the election of Secretary and Treasurer until a future meeting. On the motion of Mr. Hickey, seconded by Mr. W. Finch, it was resolved, "That 'Extracts from the Eugby Union Rules' be adopted as the rules of the Club." A letter from the Secretary of the Dunedin Club was read, stating that they would be willing to meet an Oamaru team on the 22nd June. The letter was referred to the Match Committee. The meeting terminated with the usual vote of thanks to the Chairman.

We, on Friday, visited the lately-improved hotel of Mr. J. S. Campbell, Ngapara. Instead of the old building containing seven rooms, with its meagre accommodation, there is now a handsome hostelry worthy of the name, fitted up in a style that would do credit to any city hotel, and containing 22 rooms. On the ground floor there are three bedrooms ; kitchen, 13ft x 19ft, with all the culinary apparatus necessary to supply the requirements of a large business; private parlour, comfortably furnished; dining-room, 13ft x 20ft, tastefully fitted up and wainscoted, and containing a table capable of accommodating at least 50 persons; billiardroom, 19ft x 25ft, fitted out with one of Alcock/s tables and seats all round on a raised platform. On mounting the stairs, and reaching the first floor, we were pleased to find that everything with regard to the health and comfort of the inmates had been carefully attended to. Immediately at the top of the stair in a commodious recess is a linen closet. The bedrooms are eight in number. The space could have been cut up into more; but that would have marred the healthfulness of the rooms, which vary in size from 10ft x 12ft to 12ft x 14ft. Four of these are double-bedded, and the remaining four contain one or more single beds each. The bedsteads are all iron, and the rooms are otherwise furnished in a very superior style, and contain everything that one could desire. The first floor sitting-room is 13ft. x 14ft. in size, and possesses a lively appearance. The walls are covered with a light green and gold satin paper, a handsome mirror is placed over the mantelpiece, and the complete suite of horsehair and mahogany, a circular table, and a carpet of a pretty pattern, complete the the apartment. The bath-room, plunge and nhower bath, is a which we must not forget to hotel is complete without one,

for it is a recognised fact that cleanliness is, in a great measure, the secret of health, to sav nothing of the delightfulness of a shower bath after a day's travelling. The bathroom is fed by a 4,500ga1. tank, the capacity of which is a pretty good guarantee that-the ; bath-room is not a bath-room in name only. There is also on the first floor a sink and every other convenience. A verandah, from which the inmates may view the beauties of rural life, and those who love the weed may smoke to their heart's content without interruption, extends along the front of the building. The ceilings of the rooms on the ground floor are 12ft., and those of the rooms on the first floor lift, high. .The proprietor is deserving of praise i for his enterprise in incurring an expense of L9OO in enlarging and renovating his house ; but it was, as everybody knows who visited Ngapara before Mr. Campbell's hotel was enlarged, a most necessary work. Mr. Johnstone was the architect, and Mr. Pulton the builder, and the manner in which the extensive alterations and additions have been planned and carried out reflects great credit upon both contractor and builder. We understand that it is the intention of Mr. Campbell to add a five-stall stable, with two loose boxes, to the conveniences ' of his establishment. There was only a moderate attendance at Ben Allah's entertainment on Saturday evening. A meeting of the Calcined Corkonians will be held at the Royal Hotel to-morrow evening, at 8 o'clock. A meeting of assistants in the different business places will be held this evening, for the purpose of forming an Early Closing Association, at the Star and Garter Hotel, at S o'clook. The members of the House of Representatives for Waitaki, Messrs. Hislop and Shrimski, will address the electors at Hampden this evening in the Athenaeum, and tomorrow evening in the Athenasum, Herbert. The " kicking season" was opened on Saturday afternoon, when the members of the Oamaru Football Club enjoyed a scratch match. Sides were chosen by Messrs. Ferens and Hickey. There was only a small attendance of players, and the play does not call for any partipular comment. There were no accidents,

Nine months' imprisonment in the Dunedin Gaol was the sentence passed by his Worship the Resident Magistrate upon George Moore, who was guilty of indecent behaviour at Teaneraki last Tuesday. The evidence showed that the conduct complained of was of the worst description, and the sentence passed upon the filthy rascal served him right. Owners of ixnregistered dogs had better pay their license fees without delay, ortjiey may suddenly find themselves called upon to pay a visit to the Resident Magistrate's Court. The first information for a breach of the Dog Nuisance Act was heard at the Court this morning, and we believe the Inspector of Nuisances intends proceeding against a number of other owners of unregistered dogs immediately. Dr. Lyon Playfair delivered a speech in regard to education at "Liverpool lately. He maintained that Scotlai/Vs prosperity was chiefly owing to her system of education, and said that the admirable feature of our parish schools was, that they enabled talented scholars to pass from them to the Universities.

The Times commenting on the claims put forth by the Begg party in the Free Church for State honours and State pay, and at the same time claiming that the Church shall not only be independent of the State but above it, says :-—The demand is an old one. It was made by Hildebrand, and is the clai7)i of the present Pope ; it was the claim nf John Knox, and is the claim of Mr. Tooth. Ultramontane, Ritualist, and Scottish Puritan meet on the common ground of pretensions to absolute ecclesiastical power.

Locket, ono of the newly-imparted thoroughbred mares brought out by Mr. E. H. D. Fergusson on his return to Waikato, dropped a filly foal to Pero Gomez on Tuesday night. Locket is by Thunderbolt, out of "Keepsakes by Daniel O'Eonrke, out of Hampton. Keepsake is one of the best bred mares in the English "Stud Book." Thunderbolt is by Stockwell. This makes the last of Mr. Fergusson's three English mares that have foaled all right, viz.. Dundee's Katie, which dropped a brown colt to Thunderbolt; Lyra, which brought a chestnut colt to The Speaker ; and now Locket, who has presented a bay filly to Pero Gomez. Pero Gomez himself is by Weather Bit out of Weather Witch, and won the Derby, we believe, in 1859. —Waikato Times.

• At the time that two of the greatest • chiefs of the Nortli were in actual contest, i while Hori Kingi and his warriors were in the act of storming the Waitomotomo Pa, : defended by Matiu Aramii, Sir G. Grey landed at Whangarei, and, accompanied by two natives, rode right up to the pa, and ■ through the flying bullets, into the midst of the attacking party. His appearance so startled the combatants that the firing ceased, . and that day the contest was at an end. All : the Governor said was ; ' I have heard in Wellington that some of you, my children) - were quarrelling, and I have come to say you must go horn e and be quiet.' Few of the present ■■ European public can appreciate the signification of the reminder to Sir G. Grey given by a young chief at the late meeting with Sir G. Grey and the natives at Taranaki, viz : ' My father carried you over the creek at Mokau on his back.' The chief spoken of was held by the Maori people as a sacred man, and the honour so conferred on Sir George Grey was that of master and ruler. Our space is limited, or we could multiply proofs of Sir G. Grey's unbounded power over the Maori tribes of New Zealand sufficent to fill a book. But we forbear, as we know that those of our old colonists who know Sir George Grey the best, need not a reminder of his power, knowledge, or mighty sway over the Maori tribes."— Wananga. There is a pretty legend in connection with the Bismarck family, which goes to show how the oak leaves adorning the Bismarck shield w r ere added to the clover and nettle leaves. It runs as follows :—Many years ago there was a lovely maiden, Gertrude Von Bismarck. Numbers of the noble knights and courtiers sought her hand and heart, but she was, by her own consent and her father's wish, betrothed to a cousin, a noble and princely youth. One day there came to the castle where the beautiful Gertrude lived a Prince of the Wenden, with one hundred horsemen, to try and win her. She courteously, but firmly, refused him. The Prince was greatly enraged, and, incited by her great loveliness, determind to gain her ; so he called his warriors and said he would break the clover-leaf (Gertrude) with his own hand. On the same day he assailed the castle, which was but weakly defended. The castellan was soon overcome, and then the maiden's chamber. "I come to break you in, you golden clover-leaf. You don't sting like stinging nettles. Clover does not sting," he said, and with that put his arm around her. A moment more, and he withdrew it, crying out "Mercy!" Gertrude held a dagger over him, then stuck it in his heart, saying, "The nettle stings hard whoever will break or touch Bismark's golden clover." Since then the Bismark shield wears the oak leaves as a sign and crown of victory.—London Truth. $ ;MM3>i£

At the banquet given to""'Mr.;Clarke, C.E., at Wellirigton last week, this' Hon. Colonel Whitmore stated that the Governor and Ministers were on excellent terms," notwithstanding what had been said in the Press' .and otherwise. The Colonial Secretary.. added that the Government certainly did not require the'services of any Cashmere watchman, referring of course to the silly speech recently made at Albury by Sir Cracroft Wilson, " the Knight of Cashmere. "

Osman Pasha is stated by the Russian papers to be recovering from his wound, and can now move about without the aid of a stick. His suite consists of seven officers, among whom is his assistant in the defence of Plevna—Tevfik Pasha. It is regarded as a somewhat significant circumstance that none of the officials at Kharkoff have paid him any visits yet, and that, contrary to the case with other captive officers, a gendarme belonging to the secret police is always stationed close to the house. Rumor ascribes this to the action of the Imperial Government in connection with the private inquiry that is now going on respecting the Russian prisoners said to have been murdered at Plevna. Several times, on the Pasha quitting his hotel, he has been saluted with abuse referring to the allegation, and no attempts have been made by the authorities to check the insults.

At the last Licensing Meeting the Commissioners granted a licence to a very fine new house, which was really wanted, in Tory-street, and in regard to two other applications stated that they would grant them next time if further sleeping accommodation were provided. Mr. H. Crawford is Chairman of the Commissioners in his capacity of R.M., and privately he is President of the Benevolent Society. Archdeacon Stock is a member of the committee of the society, and took a very active part in opposing any new licences being granted. Failing in this, he turned round and tried to get the committee of the Benevolent Society to ask Mr. Crawford to resign as president, alleging that he should not retain the position when, in his official capacity, he encouraged drunkenness and distrees by granting new licenses. The committee had sufficient sense not to agree with the Archdeacon, but the Temperance Societies collectively and individually have even refused to subsoribe to the Benevolent Society while Mr. Crawford remains connected with it. What a fine example we have here of that Chritian charity which was so beautifully defined by St. Paul, and the mercy which Shakespeare affirms is not strained !—Exchange. The fact that a Bill is to be brought into the British Parliament abolishing actions for breaches of promise of marriage does not seem to receive much faycr from a number of the softer sex, who have entered a solemn protest against such unwarrantable annihilation of one of their glorious privileges. A petition has been presented to Parliament signed by Miss Lydia Becker, Rosanna Battey, Sarah Maria Backhouse, and other ladies, setting forth that marriage is the natural and honorable profession in which the majority of women maintain themselves by the discharge of the conjugal, social, and domestic duties which appertain to the duties of a wife ; that the entrance on this profession pomes to a woman through an offer or promise of marriage; that the acceptance of such offer or promise debars the woman from forming other ties, and the breaking or non-performance of such promise hinders her from obtaining an establishment in life, inasmuch as a woman who has given her promise and affection to one man cannot transfer them to another without grievous loss; that men do not usually marry for a maintenance, while marriage is regarded as the proper and usual means through which women obtain a maintenance; therefore a breach of promise of marriage by a man to a wemau causes a pecuniary loss which is not usually suffered through a breach of promise by a woman to a man ; and upon these and other grounds the petitioners pray that leave may not be granted to bring in a Bill to abolish actions for breach of promise of marriage.