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Southland Times, Issue 1578, 14 May 1872, Page 2

Our I/ong Bash correspondent writes : — Since my last communication, few events have occurred worth chronicling. The ball at Woodlands came off with great eclat. Under the able and judicious management of the committee, everything was conducted with the greatest decorum and harmony. On the 29 th ult., the Eev. Mr Stobo preached a very suitable and impressive sermon to the children attending the Sabbath school here. The school room was filled to overflowing, and a very liberal collection made in aid of the funds of the school. The following week, John Hislop, Esq., made his annual visit of inspection to the school here. The inspection — a very minute and searching one — lasted upwards of five hours. At the close, Mr Hislop expressed his delight with the whole arrangements of the school, and his astonishment that bo much had been accomplished during the short time it has been under the management of the present master. After a few practical counsels to the young, and complimentary remarks directed to both teacher and taught, he requested that a holiday might be granted as a mark of his high appreciation of the excellent appearance they had made. Our attention has been called to the inconvenience which the settlers of the Mokareta Hundred and the surrounding country suffer from the difficulty of crossing the Mataura, •specially in winter. It iB well known that the Mataura is a river subject to rapid rises, and that several fatal accidents have already happened at the crossing, known as Menzies' Ferry. No special difficulty exists to prevent the construction of a bridge, and as the present road, when the river is flooded, involves a detour of from twenty to thirty miles, there can be no question of the advantage of such a work to the district. Now that the Provincial Council is in session, the attention of the Government might be advantageously called to the matter. A telegram received yesterday by the Town Clerk, from Mr G. Lumsden, M.P.C., conveys the satisfactorj intelligence that a motion has been carried in the Provincial Council setting aside over 1700 acres of land as an endowment for a New River Harbor Trust. "We understand that a memorial, for presentation to the Provincial Council, is in course of signature by the residents on the line of railway, requesting that proper sheds may be erected at the different wayside stations. It is absolutely necessary that thia boon should be granted, as many farmers are now precluded from using the railway, for the conveyance of their grain, on account of the absence of suitable accommodation I for its reception. We have been requested to iiitimate that signatures for the memorial will be received up till Saturday next by the following gentlemen : — Messrs F. R. White, Winton ; David Wallace, Byal Bush ; Jacob Ott, Junction Hotel ; and Messrs John Mitchell, and Cochran and Blackwood, merchants, Invercargill. Mr Yogel has received a magnificent series of engravings representing scenes in America. It is said that they were presented by the Government of the United States, and were forwarded per last maiL

Mr Macandrew addressed his constituents at Port Chalmers on 6th inst. He received a unanimous vote of confidence. The Wellington Independent suggests that the Government should assist Mr Webb's agent to send out a steamer to look for the missing mail boat, if she does not arrive soon. The excitement on the subject of Spiritualism^ raised by Mr Smith's lectures, seems increasing jn Dunedin. A paper war is raging between controversialists of every kind and degree — lay and clerical — orthodox and heterodox. Mean^' while the photographers have improved the' occasion by taking portraits of Mr Smith, which are in great demand. We understand that this month's San Francisco mail was forwarded to Auckland from Dunedin on Friday last, and will be taken to Honolulu in the City of Adelaide, chartered for that purpose by Mr Webb's agent. The adjourned meeting of members of the Southland Building, Land, and Investment Society, for the consideration of the proposed alterations in tha rules, takes place at the Courthouse this evening at 7 o'clock. A large number of proxies have been duly registered, so that there is every probability of the matter being finally disposed of to-night. Those shareholders who have not appointed some one to act for them should make it their business to be present, in order that such an important question as the one under consideration should not be allowed to lapse on account of apathy on their part. The ordinary meeting of the Town Council was held on Friday evening. There were present Councillors Pratt, Groodwillie, Garth waite, Ross, Blackwood, and Tapper. The Town Clerk reported that the Receiver of Land Revenue had handed over the deposits of one -fourth of the purchase money of the land sold in Tay-street, amounting to £778 15a, and the promissory notes for the remainder, which had been paid into the bank. Also that the rates already received amounted to £1005 Is, leaving about £4.0 yet unpaid. The Council, after some discussion, resolved, on the motion of Cr. Blackwood, to form the foot-path in Gala- street at a cost of £25, from the corner of Dee-street to the corner of Deveron-street. Mr Cuthbert was appointed Engineer of Reserves, at a salary of £25 per annum. The Council then adjourned to Wednesday next for a special meeting for the consideration of bye-laws. At a meeting of the Waste Land Board, Dunedin, on the Bth insfc., the Hon. Dr Menzies claimed to be entitled to run 375 great cattle on the Mokareta Hundred, instead of 225, as he was allowed to do by the Regulations. He argued at great length that the Regulations pressed unfairly upon those who had fenced in their land, they being allowed to run less than those who had not done so. At his suggestion, be was requested to state a case in writing to be submitted to the Judge. We observe by intelligence received in Sydney, ria California, it is stated that the Queen had presented her groom, John Brown, with a gold medal, and granted him an annuity of £2000, for his promptness in arresting O'Connor when he assaulted Her Majesty. By the more sober news via Suez, we learn that the amount of the . annuity is exactly £25, while the medal becomes a watch ! The name of the man reported in the telegraphic news in our last issue as having been wounded by a bullet at the Anderson's Bay volunteer firing ground, is Walter Young. It appears that Young was walking on the beach at the time with his two brothers, when the ahot struck him in the groin. The bullet must have gone about 500 yards wide of the target, and been fired at such an elevation as to pass over the sandhills, and travel nearly a thousand yards. There were about 15 volunteers practising at the time, and there was no officer in charge . An official inquiry is likely to be made into the circumstances of the accident. Mutton birding this season has been unusually •uccessful. The cutter Mary Brilliard, which sailed from New River about four weeks ago, returned yesterday with 10,000 birds, and a quantity of oil. The oil is worth 4s per gallon, and the birds 4d each, so that her crew have not made a bad month's work. The Tuapeka Times has received authentic information that " an immigration of Chinese on a scale of unprecedented magnitude — at least for New Zealand — will set in to Otago next summer. The collection being made for the erection of a Chinese immigration barracks in Dunedin seems confirmatory of this information." We have to acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Provincial Land Resolutions, the Shires Bill, and several other Council papers. Invercargill is not so far behind other places in the accompaniments of civilisation as some people think. We can now boast of an accomplished burglar as an additional variety of local talent. The other night this gentleman favored us with a specimen of his skill, by entering Mr Erskine's shop in Dee street, and abstracting the contents of the till, between £4 and £5. The entrance was effected by a small window in an apartment at the back of the premises. The window consists of a single row of panes, at some height from the ground. To reach it conveniently, an empty case wa9 placed on end outside, and two of the panes, with the piece of wood between them, were taken out so neatly that not a fragment of broken glass could be found. Having secured the money, the robber took his departure by the back door, which he unfastened easily from the inside, and left standing wide open. This occurrence will suggest the propriety of using more caution in securing premises and locking up loose cash than has hitherto been thought necessary. Alluvial gold has been found, and is now being worked, on confiscated land not far from Tauranga, on the east coast of the North Island. The Education Committee met last evening with seven members present ; Mr T. Watson chairman. The business of the meeting was ' almost wholly confined to matters of communication with the Provincial Government, on which it was deemed desirable to advise Mr Lutnsden, a member of the Committee, now on Council duty. A sub-committee was appointed on the question of advertising for a staff of teachers. Mr E. B. Cargill, who is about to visit Europe, was presented with a piece of plate by a large meeting of the citizens of Dunedin in the Theatre on Tuesday last, " as a mark of their appreciation of the many valuable services he has rendered the community." Mr Cargill was also entert a i ned at a public dinner in the evening.

It is not often that we have in Tnvercargill the opportunity of criticising an entertainment such as was furnished la9t night by Mr Morton Tavares and Miss Surtees, with the help of their amateur I assistants, at the Theatre. Shaksperian readings are confessedly a severe test of elocutionary and dramatic powers, and much more so, it will be admitted, are Shaksperian selections, detached from the works of which they form an essential part, and rendered without the usual accessories of scenery, and the assistance of a regular company. The selections from Othello were rendered under many disadvantages by Mr Tavares and tne amateur who supported the part of Othello, Miss Surtees appearing as Desdemona. With an intelligent appreciation of the mind of the great dramatist, though with an occasional failure of effect attributable to circumstances inseparable from the limited means at command, the great merit of Mr Tavares's acting was made evident by the fact that the audience continually lost sight of the actcr in their vivid appreciation of the part which he represented. Mr Tavares j was nowhere — lago was a striking and living reality. As Desiemona, Miss Surtees was everything that could be desired — a simple loving wife, without a bit of the actress about her. Mr Pafcchett'a impersonation of Othello, for an amateur, was wonderful. Mr Tavares's conception of the character of Hamlet, though diverging from the beaten path of stage traditions, exhibited intellectual power and conscientious study of the original idea, and waa also conspicuous for the great and unusual merit of sinking the actor in the creation of the poet. As Shylock Mr Tavares was simply inimitable, and as Portia, in the assumed character of the judge, Miss Surtees won golden opinions from the audience. Mr Wotton's effective performance of the part allotted to him in this selection ought not to be pasßed without notice. Want of Bpace prevents any detailed criticism upon the performance of The- Honeymoon, in which, several amateurs took part with decided success. We are glad to observe that another entertainment, with a change of programme, is announced for Wednesday evening. On Thursday night a performance will be given in White's Assembly Rooms, Winton. A meeting of licensed victuallers is convened for this evening at 8 o'clock, in Colyer's Princess Hotel, to take steps to provide one Licensing Act for the whole colony, and to abolish, the bottle license, this being the only province in which such a license exists.