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Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 41, 10 February 1864, Page 2

In a case of larceny heard in the Resident Magistral c's Court yesterday, one of the detectives, Forrester, who had apprehended the prisoner, on* giving his name^ in the witness-box, elicited from' the Resident Magistrate an enquiry whether the officer was any" relative to the "celebrated London detective officer of the same name. Mr. Commissioner Weldon informed his worship that Forrester was a son of the celebrated officer referred to. We may remark ■that an observance, of th©;shrewd detectivity displayed in one or-' two - instances lately, enables us to state our, belief that the officer -will prove a valuable acquisition to the detective force of the Province. The Provincial CounciLwill be .opened by His Honor the Superintendent tq,-day at 12 o'clock, in the Mechanics' Institute. * I

I Yesterday the transmission of messages by telegraph between Invercargill and the Bluff was commenced, and in the course of the day i the rapid means of communication were made I available by a number of communicants at cither end. It will, be seen by reference to another column that we have received our first I report from our Bluff Correspondent by telegraph, containing the latent Bluff shipping, 1 and news from Melbourne to the 29th ult. This message, although of a very lengthy , character, was promptly conveyed by the 1 department after eight o'clock last night. This fact augurs well for, the future management of the telegraphic department under the superintendence of Mr. Weldon. Wo received the following official communication before ten o'clock yesterday morning : — " I have the honor to inform you that telegraphic communication was established | between Invercargill and the Bluff at 9.37 1 a.m. this dny. The line is now open for the 1 use of the public. A. M. Wkkdon, Director |of Telegraphs. Bluff, February 9th, 1864." ~ We understand that a Police Gazette for this Province will shortly be compiled and published periodically by the police authorities here. Such an addition to the periodical literature of the Province, has now become a necessity, arid will likely prove oi* great service^both in the prevention and detection of crime. The opening of the Theatre "Royal on Monday night by a regular theatrical company may be termed the inauguration of the drama in Invercargill, and, in noticing the commencement of the dramatic season, we may, in passing, remark on the completion of the internal arrangements and decorations of the, theatre itself. The upper portion is now divided into a dross circle, and a number of compartments running on each side — or, as they are more commonly designated, the " slips." The lower portion comprises the pit and stalls. Around the front of the dress circle and sups the decorations are executed in a very neat and chaste style, which is also characteristic of the decorations of the proscenium. In the front of the proscenium is placed a large medallion -portrait of the immortal dramatic poet, Shakespeare, the whole surmounted by a highly finished painting of the Eoyal Arms. The act drop represents a scene from the Lake' of Como, which, together with all the decorations of the theatre were designed and painted under the immediate superintendence of Mr. Puttelkow, the proprietor. The proscenium and Act Drop, when presented to view, combined with the other decorations of the theatre — the latter painted by Mr. Webster — were subjects of commendation and approval by the audience, who very justly called Mr. J. Holland, the scenic artist, on the stage to receive a well-merited compliment to his talent and labour on the prettiest model of a theatre in either this or any Province in New Zealand. The piece selected for the opening night by the company (of which Mr. T. Fawcett is manager for a period) was the comedy of Still Waters Run Deep, the cast of whicli was as follows :— Mr. Potter, Mr. T. Fawcett ; Captain Hawkesley, Mr. .. Sandford Fawcett ; John Mildmay, Mr. Carey ; Mrs. Sternhold, Miss Kate Grant ; and Mrs. Mildmay, Miss Royal, the above named, with a few supernumeraries, forming the strength of the company. Although not given to fault-find-ing or carping, we certainly think that, as far, as the representation of the comedy was concerned, it would have been more advisable for the management to have delayed the opening of the theatre until the company was strengthened by borne of the additions from Dunedin which are announced, than to have opened with a small company, wluch, however talented, was hardly sufficient for a really good and entertaining dramatic representation. The first act of the comedy (the plot of which nvust be too well known to the playgoing portion of our readers to necessitate explanation) flagged rather in consequence, and with the exception of Hawkesley's scene with Mildmay in the second act, in which the .latter reveals the character of Hawkesley, and thwarts his villainy, the' acting of the other members of the company, generally, barely rose above mediocrity. Mr. Tom Fawcett's" impersonation of old Potter was certainly made the most of by a performer who must have felt,, as we did ourselves, that he had apart not well suited' to him. He, however, made the. best of it, and by an { occasional well directed point, or humorous piece of acting, succeeded in relieving the. character he was playing from monotony. Mr. Carey's representation of the cool, shrewd, and straightforward John Mildmay, was evidence of the result of a painstaking study, of the part. Mr. S. Fawcett-^-especially in the scene we have referred to — enacted the character of the finished adventurer, Hawkesley, very creditably. The characters of Mrs. Sternhold and Mrs. Mildmay, by Miss Kate Grant and Miss Royal, would probably have been better sustained by these ladies -but for the drawback of an evident want of self possession, from feeling themselves on a. new stage, and before a new audience. The ' per-, formance conchided with the farce of " Nan the -G-ood for Nothing," which elicited the approbation of the audience,'from the highly humorous acting of the principal performers. With the disappearance of that stiffness which is common to first theatrical-jrepresentations, and the accession of the stars who may be expected in a few nights, we anticipate a -sue-" cessful season by the new management. * Amongst the lossess at the Bluff by the gale on Monday week last, the G-overnment has not come off unhurt, as the police boat, which broke .adrift, from her moorings, and took a cruise to sea by herself, has not since been seen or heard of. The Hobart Toivn Mercury says that "an unfortunate man named William Johnson, fifty-five years of age, employed as a farm servant by Mr. Charles Butler, was dreadfully injured by a bull, on Wednesday last. The poor fellow was engaged in driving some cattle on his master's farm of Green Island, Muddy Plains, when a bull turned suddenly round, pursued him, knocked him 'down, knelt upon his |chest, and finally tossed him into the air. The cries of the unhappy sufferer soon brought , a number of persons to his assistance, who, on coming up, drove the infuriated animal away, and picked Johnson up. Dr. Butler was sent for, and' on his ' arrival the;injured , man was, by his advice, brought to town and placed in the general hospital, where he arrived at half-past four p.m. on Saturday. On examination there, it was found that several of his ribs were broken, and that he was severely, gored by the bull's horns, one of which-had penetrated his lungs. He lies at present in a- most precarious''con-j dition."

t'-An inquest, was -held yesterday, bjr-Dr. M'Olure, tHe Coroner, at Pelling's Acoommo^ dation House, Wallacetown, on the body of Catherine Cameron, a child' .five and a-half months old. It appeared that on Monday night, the child was put to bed alongside of its mother, who, on awaking in the morning, found-it .dead by her side, Jhe ipttly apparent , cause of death being that the mother had accidentally overlaid it. That was" also borne out by the post mortem examination of Dr. ~ Murray, and his opinion that the ca"u*se" Of* f death was asphyxia. The jury returned a verdict in accordance, with Dr. Murray's opinion. An amusing circumstance 'connected with-, the J.P. agitation, is stated by the Wakatip Mail to have occurred on the Dunstan :~" It appears that the Progress Committee of tfiafc "^ township had taken three gentlemen under their wing to get them created J.P.s, and called a meeting of the inhabitants to sanction this proceeding. The meeting took place on the Ist instant, at Kilgour's Hotel,' but the said three gentlemen, to spare their " conscious modesty," did not show up ;" and the meeting , therefore amused themselves withj canvassing the merits of other gentlemen. The candidates' for this doubtful honor, however, seemed to have been remarkably few, as almost every individual nominated, energetically fepuaiated ■« any claim ; and it was riot till after the expenditure of a considerable amount of time, labor, and breath, that the bellman of the town, a saddler, and a tailor of bacchanalian propensities were elected, amidst the laughter and cheers of a house crammed to excess. We are glad to tee the Dunstan is taking the initiative in casting deserved ridicule on the insane desire manifested by a few individuals, possessed of .more ambition , than sense, to perpetuate in Otago the abominable course of ' Victoria in this respect. We can very' well * afford to do without the "i" great unpaid" judicial quacks that at present disgrace the sister colony." Within the last month, since the last sittings of the Supremo Court, there have been no loss than six committals for trial at the next Circiiit Court.' At this average, there will be nearly forty prisoners for trial at the next half-yearly visit of the judge"; that is; should the authorities be .able to secure the attendance of the various witnesses for such ; a length of time. We have frequently, on previous occasions, suggested' the ' absolute necessity of holding a Circuit Court oftener than bi-annually ; the above mentioned fact shows that it is a necessity which is daily increasing. „, „ Considerable damage seems to have been done in, the neighborhood of the Lake during the late gales. The Wahatip Mail of the 6th inst. says that "on . Wednesday morning Kingston was visited by a gale which, for 1 duration and violence, may entitle it to be con- | sidered the most severe storm that has yet oc- I curred at this end of the Lake. It blew strongly all night, and about three in, the morning it came on a perfect hurricane. As the day broke, the inhabitants might be seen hurrying from their houses in a 'state mor\ easily imagined than described, as each • sa^ .j with amazement not unmixed with apprehension his neighbor's roof' in strips,, floating" in - the wind. About half-past four attention, was ' drawn to the fact that immediate measures were necessai'y to place the s.s. Expert in a fl more sheltered position than that she then B occupied, viz : — the ' Port Admiral's Jetty.' I The captain ordered steam ' to dc got up, im I tending to put out ; but owing to there .being fl such a sea on, while in the act of starting, she ■ broached to, her funnel went by the board in 1 fl a squall,'she became quite -unmanageable, and B in a few 'minutes was deposited, broadside-on, B high up on the beach. Every exertion was fl made to prevent the vessel from becoming a fl total wreck, as at this time the water was H breaking over her in tons, and the spray was fl blown about to such an extent as to positively fl deluge the town. Part of the roof of the Bant fl of New Zealand was removed; the St. John's fl Hotel suffered severely, as also, in a minor fl degree, many other places in the town. fl The Dunstan has also come in for its share of fl calamity. The Neios of the 3Oth_ult. says :— I '• One of the most violent storms experienced B here for a considerable period took place on B Wednesday last. The wind, accompanied.' by B clouds of dust, blew strongly during the day | and gradually increased in violence as night H approached, .reached its climax between eight jg and nine p.m., about which -time it did con- B siderable damage to the, Wesleyan chapel. fl The iron roof was torn off and deposited some fl distance beyond the printing-office, injuring 8 in its passage some portion o"f- the roof of the H Bcndigo Hotel. Several stores and dwellings fl of canvas were completely denuded of their R coverings, and others" were levelled to the B ground. A* heavy- shower of rain fell-at about ■ I 10 p.m., after whicli the wind gradually aied'B away." • i; / , ' 6 On Monday night a fire broke outin a.clus'ler B tof work-shops belonging to Mr.'Davies, the Bj Railway contractor, near the line at the G-reen I 'Hiilsj-and' before any effectual means could be n adopted, the blacksmiths' and carpenters' shops B were destroyed. In*corisequence of the recent B strike and consequent ill-feeling with "some of B the 'men, Mr. Davies is 'suspicious that the B shops were wilfully set*onjfire,and has offered B a reward of, ;6200-.for the discovery; and con- K viefcion of the actual offenders. Thew police have had. the circumstances re* B ported to them, and will, no ' doubt, adopt E measures to ascertain -the cause of the fire.B A land sale took place at the Dunstan on B the 21st ult. In referring to it, the Dmistan B Neics says : — " The allotments on which tbisß" township is built were sold at the Court-house B at the upset price of i ten .shillings- per. footfi frontage. Block 25 was not offered for sale,B' being kept as aTeserve for a railway terminus B .This has caused considerable dissatisfaction B r among the present occupiers of the block is B question, all of whom having erected buildings ß of a substantial character upon their respective B allotments, were naturally anxious to secure fl their freehold. The whole'of the lqts offered Bfor sale were disposed of, and a sum amount- BL ing toijfapwards of twelve hundred pounds MJwas contributed to tl» o revenue in cohsequenctH^ At the previous sale of quarter acre allotmeiJßP of "unimproved lands very few'were disposeJH of, and none above the upset 'prides'. i There is BE* no doubt had greater publicity been 4 given °*Ht the time of sale, by advertisement in the loc^Bjjoumal, the number sold' 'would*- have beesßrj jnuch greater and for more satisfactory prict* Bb 'I realised. On the whole however, we appre;Hhend that-Mr.-Cutton- has no reason to l*Bj 'dissatisfled:wilh the result of his visit to t^flf township." K