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Southland Times, Issue 1174, 11 June 1869, Page 2

The programme for the first of the new series of Popular Entertainments appears in our j columns this morning. It contains variety enough to form an excellent evening's amusement, and will no doubt be carried out with that eclafc which characterized the movement last year. It is to be hoped the weather may prove favorable, and that a good house the first night may reward the management for their labors. The chair will be occupied by H. M'Culloch, Esq., R.M. The attention of the members of the Volunteer Corps is called to an advertisement in our other columns, announcing a change in the evening appointed for drill. They will meet ' after this on Wednesday evening, instead of Friday. j|* The Poverty BJy correspondent fof the 'Hawke's Bay Times ' says :—" Peka one of Major Bigg's murderers, arrived here this afternoon in the schooner Murewai from Poverty Bay. He has been transferred to gaol, and is to be carried to Wellington for trial. He may get off fcr want of evidence ; nevertheless, he assisted in most of the murders. A better system appears to prevail at present in Tauranganni, murderers are not let off as formerly ; th« fact of Mr Wylie, a Government official, having shot the murderer of his son, and another assassin has probably had something to do with the altered state of affairs. The ' Daily Southern Cross,' of the 17th inst. states that his Eoyal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh went on board the Galatea on Saturday morning, the "> sth inst., and sat as President of a court-martial which was held on board for the trial of an engineer of the Blanche. Captain Ponsonby officiated as Judge Advocate. The accused was charged with disorderly conduct and breach of duty, and was assisted in his defence by Mr J. B. Russell, under whose advice he pleaded guilty, urging extenuating circumstances, and putting in first-cla9s certificates of ten years' service. The accused was sentenced to be dismissed bis ship, and placed at the bottom of the list. Our Biverton correspondent under date 9th inst says : — A teftimonial signed by some 60 or 70 residents in the district, was presented to Sergeant Shury on Saturday last, the sth, by H. Lyon Esq., accompanied by a very appropriate speech. Sergeant Shury in replying stated that the members of the force had at that time very disagreeable duties to perform but; that if a constable did his duty fairly he was sure to gain the esteem of the respectable portion of tke community, and as far as the rest were concerned he need not care about them. A very handsome oil painting by Mr Samuel Morton, of this town, is now on view at the Southland Club. The picture is a copy from a steel engraving of the original, but the filling in of color has, of course, given scope enough for tlie display of talent on the part of the artist, and *his has been done with marked success. The tone of the whole is indeed good, and light and shade have been very effectively produced. The subject of the picture is also a very pretty and pleasing one, being a view of Loch Ard, west of Scotland, at sunrise. The placid loch, the majestic hills, and the quaint highland village, at the foot of the loch, occupying the centre foreground, with the sun's first beams just kindling over the mountains, have all been well treated by Mr Morton, and combine to form a picture which would grace any dining room. The Ministerial policy as regards the war is condemned in very strong terms by the ' Lyttelton Times,' which says : — " We have no hesitation in declaring that the scheme, if carried out, will be positively ruinous to the settlers of Canterbury. The fruits of their labors will be absorbed year by year by the steady increase of taxation, which must ensue if this policy be carried out. Sad as the results will be, it is more than likely that the Ministry will succeed in carrying out their policy. The Middle Island is split up into different sections, divided against each other. The outlying districts of every province have been pitted against the centres by the adroit policy of Messrs Stafford and Hall. Something may still be done by the people. They can still make their voices heard by petition, or at public meetings. These are perfectly legitimate means of bringing pressure to bear upon a Ministry, and all the more likely te succeed when, as at present, the time of a dissolution is near at hand." ■ .' ■ i " i