NELSON.

Southland Times, Issue 1716, 18 March 1873, Page 3

NELSON.

(from ova own correspondent ) March 8. At last there really seems a reasonable probability that we shall have both gas and a railway. The works actually have been commenced ! On dit that an influential section of the community opposed the introduction of gas because it would lessen the consumption of kerosene and candles, and consequently reduce their profits on the importation of those articles, and hence the long delay. As for the Fox Hill Bailway, it has been for many months a standing joke against Nelson all over the colony ; but now it is about to become a positive and definite reality. Tant mieux ! There also are good hopes that the recent strike among the Newcastle colliers may bring about the development of our admittedly rich coalfield. It is strange indeed that we should have to import coal between one and two thousand miles, when it may easily be procured in unlimited quantity and of excellent quality within one-tenth of the distance and on our own coast. Our Bishop has left us, it is said, only for awhile, proceeding by the Alhambra to Melbourne en route for London. During the last few months his lordship was in Nelson, be experienced two severe " spills" while out driving — the last only just before his departure. Whether those shakings or some abnormal rolling on the part of the usually steady Alhambra were to blame for the subsequent episcopal eccentricities I do not pretend to decide ; but it is historical that Bishop Suter's deportment on the night of his arrival was by no means what might have been eipectedfrom"w<?n« sawa in corpore sano." Doubtless his absurd remark that he " had not come in the best of tempers," and its still more' ridiculous sequel, that his bad temper was occasioned by not " seeing all the people of Melbourne in black, mourning for the passing of the Education Act,'' bare found their way into your papers as into all others in Australia and New Zealand. I sincerely trust that our good bishop — who is, on the whole, a worthy and well-meaning man — may not experience any more carriage accidents, especially as they seem to produce in his

case such curious mental dilapidation in addition to the mere bodily bruises. At tb© last assizes, a man named Palmer was tried for arson under very peculiar circumstances. A neighbor had erected a dam or breakwater which the defendant imagined would subject his (defendant's^ land to risk of flood ; lie accordingly burnt it down; " crowner's quest law" sent him for trial, and he was tried and found guilty, but Judge Richmond merely bound him over to appear for sentence when called upon, and reserved for a Court of Appeal the question — " Is a dam a building ornot?V Of course if it be decided in the negatives Palmer's conviction for arson falls to the ground^ It is altogether a curious case. Another rather singular law case — R. M. Court — came off lately The headmaster of the Bishop's School, Mr Lee, i was charged with assaulting Frank Stanton, a youth of 17, by thrashing him in the street with a riding-whip. The evidence at length assumed very much the proportions of the famous " house that Jack built." Reduced to its " lowest terms," it appeared that Stanton jun. threw stones at Mr Lee, because Mr Lee beat Stanton jun., because Stanton jun. beat Mr Lee's scholars, because Mr Lee's scholars had insulted Stanton's sister, because, &c, &c. A trumpery case, but the people concerned being well known, nearly all the lawyers in town engaged on one side or the other, and voluminous evidence being adduced on both sides, it filled the papers and created no small excitement at the time. Ultimately, Mr Lee was fined £2 and costs. Social matters are not startlingly eventful. Mr Luckie, M.H.R., has gone to Auckland to edit the Southern Cross ; his farewell dinner was a failure. The interproyin.ial cricket-match with Welling- j ton was unfinished, but, being a one-day match, would have been decided by the Ist innings, only, singularly enough, it was a "tie," each eleven making 77. Nelson made 67 off the bat against only 48 by Wellington, but the bad longstopping on the part of the former gave Wellingt'>n 28 byes against only 10 on the other side — but for this difference Nelson must have won. The best score en the Wellington side (20) was made by Mr J. W. A. Marchant, formerly captain of the Invercargill cricket club. He also bowled very effectively. The grand bazaar on behalf of the ttoman Catholic school was a thorough success ; all denominations joined in helping this most excellent institution. Music has greatly fallen off lately ; why, it is hard to say, unless thr 1 heat of the weather be responsible. I mentiuned the rival struggle of the two Societies to produce Handel's Messiah at Christmas. The respectire performances duly cime off, but with yery poor effect. Trn^, the choruses were generally rendered with correctness, and most of th« suilos were judiciously allotted and well sung ; but the numbers were too small to give anything like a just idea of Handel's masterpiece, and the orchestra was pain fully attenuated, not even reaching to the " two diddleß and a frum" generally supposed to be the minimum strength permissible, for at the Harmonic per formance it comprised one violincello and a piano, and at the Philharmonic a piano, et voila tout !