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Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 215, 12 February 1866, Page 2

In order to make room for tlie interesting and important speeck of the Hon. Mr, Stafford, we are compelled to hol.i over our leader and other matter. By a proclamation of His Honor the Superintendent, the Provincial Council of Southland is summoned to meet for the despatch of business on the sixth day of March. The monthly meeting of the Invercargill Fire Brigade will be held at the engine house, this evening. Important business has to be transacted, and a full attendance of members is requested. In the sittings in Banco, in Dunedin, on the 7th inst., a rathei" important insurance case was heard, viz : — Calder and Others'?;. Ross and Others — This was a special case for the judgment of the Court, the question involved being the liability of the Otago Insurance Company on a policy for a small amount;, on the Straggler ketch, which got ashore at Stewart's Island about the middle of last year. The policy was for six months., and the ketch was "to sail only on the south and east coasts of the Middle Island, the West Coast being prohibited." She sailed for Hokitika, but did not get to the point west of the Solander, which was admitted to be tbat of divergence from fair sailing "on the south coast," to sailing on the West Coast. She was then driven back by heavy weather, and no blame for her getting ashore was attributed to the master. Judgment has not yet been given. We learn from the Lyttelton Times, that " Her Majesty's Government have offered the dignity of Knighthood to Dr. Munro, who has been Speaker af the House of Representatives of this colony rince the year 1861, and that tho offer has been iccepted. The learned gentleman will now bear the title accordingly pf §ir Dftyicl Musrc),"

Mr. and Mrs. Case (Grace Egerton) have arrived, and will give their first entertainment at the Theatre Royal this evening. The very high eulogiums which have been passed upon their performances by the most reliable authorities in Australia and New Zealand, leads to the conviction that a great treat may be expected. The refined versatility of talent displayed in the acting of Mrs. Case is spoken of as being almost beyond praise. We hope that they will receive a hearty welcome from a crowded house. We extract the following notice of these celebrated artistes from a Dunedin paper of the 7th inst. : — " Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, St. George's Hall was last evening crowded with a select and appreciative audience on the occasion jof Mr. and Mrs. Case's farewell benefit. The first part of the programme was " The Drawing, Koom Moor," the plot and characters of which we have previously described. It is only necessary to add, that Mrs. Case succeeded in eliciting from the audience a unanimous expression of approval for the successful and accomplished style with which she played throughout. During the concluding portion of the entertainment, Mrs. Case introduced her very excellent imitation of Sims Reeves, and, in reply to an enthusiastic encore, sang " Come into the garden, Maude," and " Good-bye Sweetheart," with admirable mimicry of the great original. Mr. George Case was deservedly encored for the brilliant execution and I expression displayed by him in his concertina solos, the baritoae, an instrument of great power and tone, being introduced by him for the first time. At the conclusion of the entertainment, the beneficiares took leave of their patrons amidst very general and hearty applause." The Evening Star (Dunedin), of the Bth inst., has the following particulars of the accident mentioned in our telegraphic intelligence of the same date. It saya-: — "We have just received particulars of a shocking accident. It appears, that at about half-past eleven this morning, a Mrs. Johnston, residing in the North-East Valley, beyond the Water of leith, went to weed the garden adjoining her house, in which were her two childi-en — Ellen Overton Johnston, aged 15 months, and Thomas James Johnston, nine years old ; twenty minutes afterwards, she heard a report of fire-arms, and looking towards the house, saw her little boy holding his hand up, beckoning her to return. He then went into the house and brought out the infant, and the mother, on entering, found a pool of blood, and it became evident that the child had shot his sister with an old pistol, which she believed was safely placed beyond reach. The child was taken to the Hospital, and we are informed, that upon Doctor Yates proI nouncing it to be in a dying state, the mother removed it to tho house of a friend in Georgestreet."