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Southland Times, Issue 995, 31 July 1868, Page 2

The tenth of the serie3 of popular Entertainment, takes place at the Theatre Royal this evening as usual. Xhe programme (see adver* tising columns) appears as attractive as ever, and includes one or two favorite pieces of music, which have a^eady been given, but now repeated by special desire. The performance will commence with the first of a limited course of short lectures on Life Assurance. As the weather promises to be fine, with moonlight, we trust to see as good a house as there was on last Friday evening. The business at the Resident Magistrate's Court has for some time been next to nil. On Wednesday there was one case of drunkenness. On Thursday, also, there was little to do, viz : — Two civil cases, Reese v. H. Preston, £3 9s ; Mackenzie v. Edwards, £10. Judgment for the plaintiff was given in both suits. Two parties, for allowing horses to stray, were fined five shillings per head. Mr M'Miniman obtained a publican's license for the Shamrock Rose and Thistle Hotel. The case of Mackenzie against Edwards, showed an amouut of hearfcleasness on the part of the defendent, degrading to human nature. It was stated that Edwards placed in the charge of Mrs Mackenzie, a little girl, his daughter, engaging to pay ten shillings a week for her support. The plaintiff stated that she had clothed and fed the child ; that tha defendant for twenty weeks had payed her nothing, although he had been in town with money during the time. Th eCommissioner of Police stated that the defendent was a good workman at his trade and well able to pay, and often came into town and squandered his money. Judgment with immediete execution wa3 given. The child was in court, and its appearance, both as regards health and dress, proved that it had been well ceared for. A Mr W. E.Sadler, of Auckland, writes to the ' Daily Times ' (Otago) : — " A petition, in purport as follows, is now being prepared for Auckland District, for presentation to our General Parliament. Nine-tenths of the electors will, it is confidently anticipated, promptly subscribe their names to it (Auckland members are generally judged remiss) : — First — The total abolition of our monstrous tea Parliamentary Governments for the two island countries, with a direct view to the establishment of one centrallyseated Parliamentary Government for each Island; and then, 3econd — That each Central Parliamentary Government shall have appendel to it a congress of local Municipal self-governing Road Boards. This, Sir, in substance, i 3 here deemed the only proper method of the necessary retrenchment — the means that shall prove safe, sufficient, and permanently satisfactory." The Ahaura correspondent of the ' Grey River Argus ' gives an account of the doings and say ings of thn inhabitants of that locality, and illustrates as follows the customs of 'ye native of ye period.' He says: — 'Raffles of hotels have been the order of the day hero lately. The proprietor of an hotel and billiardr-oom having decided to dispose of them by this popular mod'), a fair young damsel who officiated as barmaid, &c, induced a well-know merchant, hailing : from the Grey, to invest a note in the arrangement, kindly promising to shake for him shoull i he be absent. She did shake to some purpose, i for, this particular throw having won the prize, J my fair towuie was bush lawyer sufficient to i to stick to the hoase and table, leaving the < too confiding gent to chew the cud of bitter re- " flection as beßt he might.' 1

We observe that the butcher's shop, at the corner of Dee and Spey-streets, recently occupied by Messrs Paterson and Craik, and formerly by Mr Ritterath, has just been enlarged, refitted, repainted, and reopened in the same line by Messrs T. Swale and Co. The business, we understand, i 3 under the immediate management of Mr Swale, who, from his position as an extensive stockowner and grazier, ought to be able to supply the public with meat of the best quality at a moderate price. The carcases displayed in the shop since opening have certainly been excellent. A portion of the province of Canterbury has been declared to be infected with pleuropneumonia, and the transport of cattle from that district into the county of Westland prohibited. Last evening a large number of friends and acquaintances assembled to partake of the hospitality of mine host of the Shamrock end Thistle Hotel, on the occasion of the reopening of the house. The hotel itself, formerly known as the Newmarket, has received at the hands of the new proprietor, Mr J. McMenamin, a thorough renovation — the entire premises having been freshly painted, papered, decorated, and replenished with handsome furniture. In short the house has been fitted up and furnished in a style to render it a commodious and comfortable hotel. The old Theatre at the back is also under process of improvement, and last night formed a was kept up to a late hour. We would remind the dog owners that the time for the collection of the Dog Tax commences on the Ist August. All who value the lives of their canine appurtenances should register them at once. * His Excellency the Governor, Sir George Bowen, has expressed his determination to visit the Southern [Provinces, immediately after the termination of the present session of the General Assembly. In all probability he will visit Southland early in January. The second and third of thesa most enjoyable entertainments were but poorly attended. Such an op portunity of hearing realiy artistic singing is too rare to be missed without regret. Despite the discouraging appearance of the house, our a ccomplished visitors exerted themselves most vigorously and well, and the execution both of Wednesday's and last night's programmes was irreproachable; In the former, we must particularly commend the duet ' The Sailor Sighs,' — the scena from ' Matilda of Hungary,' — (' Ply hence each idle fear,') the duet ' Sainted Mother,' above all, the two trios, Smart's ' Rest thee on this mossy pillow,' (a fine specimen of clear part writing, dpaning gaily and simply, but expanding into rich harmonies with a skilful use of chromatic modulation, and Curschmann's ' I/Addio ' (one of the three famous trios) a pur a cannon in octave, very similar in method to 'Li Prego,' but without the inversion of subject which renders the latter so striking. We did not admire either of Arditi's new vocal waltzes (' lima ' and 'L f Ardita,') so much as his earlier work ' c II bacio,' both were beautifully rendered by the Misses Rosina and Fanny, as was ' Old Robin Gray,' (the finest Scotch ballad extant) by Madame Carandini, who was in superb voice* Mr Sherwin's excellent singing deserved a better song than the one he chose, and we never did appreciate ' Maria, you know,' which is unworthy of such finished artists. Last night one of the grand points to the musical audience was Costa's masterly quartette ' Ecco quel fiero istante,' a canon ia the fifth, on a most melodious subject, the counterpoint to which is very elaborate and effective, the execution was perfect. It may be mentioned that Rossini has written a quartette to the same words, signally inferior to this production of the Sacred Harmonic Society's renowned conductor. Another point was the trio 'Li prego; O madre,' which has before beeu described. Madame Carandini was in great force in the matchless scena from Webber's 'Der Freischutz,' and no less so in the unfading 'Last Ro3e of Summer.* Misses Rosina and Fanny gave their songs and duets in their usual charming manner, and again displayed Bkill and taste as pianists. The duets from 'Tl Tancredi ' and ' Fra Diavolo ' were admirable, but ' Soft Music is Stealing ' was better rendered last year. Mr Sherwin again had only one song and that a trivial one, but sang it capitally. The next performance will be on Monday evening. i The terms upon which the Brunner Coal Mine will be leased are published in the Nelson papers. They are as follows : — That the lessee shall construct a line of railway from the mine to Cobden within two years from the date of lease ; such railway to be of a guage of four feet eight inches and a half. The line of railway to be laid subject to the right of the Government, or any company with the sanction of the Government, to use the line and connect other railways therewith. That not less than LIOOO shall be expended during each and every month on the construction of such railway till it be completed, such expenditure to commence with the second month of the term of lease, and to be certified to the satisfaction of the Board. The lease of the land for the line to be co-terminous with the lea3e of the mine, and therefore entirely dependent upon tho fulfilment by the lessees of the conditions of the lease of the latter. Lessees to bring to the port at Cobden, during each of the first two years or lease, ten thousand tona of coal ; during the third year, twenty-five thousand tons of coal; and during the fourth and succeeding years, fifty thousand tons of coal. Tho dead rent to be four shillings an acre, and the royalty to be one-fiftieth of the coals raised ; such (in money value) to be deducted from the rent of each year; or if the amount of royalty for any year shall equal or exceed the rent for such year, no rent shall be paid for that year. The lease to be for twenty-one years, an din case the conditions thereof have been duly fulfilled the lesses shall be entitled te a renewal thereof for the same terra, at double the rents and royalties. Lessees to repay the Government the amount in full paid to tho late company for the mining plant, and any additions thereto. The lease to contain all the usual conditions inserted in leases of coal mines. Applicants for a lease of the Brunner Coal Mine shall satisfy the Waste Lands Board that they have the, means to carry out the conditions thereof.