The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1874.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1832, 16 November 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1874.

DtniNG service at the Presfcytorisn Church last evening, the Eer. Mr Hill announced that a communion service would be held on next Sunday forenoon, the reason of its being held so early being that, the rev. gentleman is about to proceed to Wellington for m brief period.

'Xhe Wangauui Chronicle, writing on the law of libel in tnia colonr. with special reference to theatrical criticism, eajs : —We have no wieh to have reserved for the Press tho iigl.it. of exercising petty tyranny, or of reck■leasly obueing any class of men who may be engnged in tho pursuit; of an honorable calling. But if tliero should cosre amongst Ui, in the name of trade, a class of dealer/) whose mode of business elevates them but asmall way above tho ordinary " pickpocket ;" or suppose we 6hould be visited by some "■wandering stare," offering popular entertainment of such a kind as is fitted only to degrade and demoralize the populur taste, are -we to 60 gagged in speaking of such nuisances, or are wo to bavo the privilege of exercising that liberty which is indispensable in tbe case of all who are called upon to r.t.and upon behalf of tbe right, tho Eoble, and the good, and which for many a day has been the proud prerogative of tho British Press?, This is really tbe question the law of libel has to nnswer.

■ At a Tccent meetiug of the Dunedin Athe'njeom Committee, "the Secretary suggeeted that the Lowpr- Hall should bo made iato two billiard roorr.g, and if they had two tables the membership would be increased by one hundred within a month. Mr 8 out thought they should find bettor implc'yment for their members than poking balls. Tbe KeTi Mr Stanford said that billiards formed an excellent jcieutific gome, and should be

encournged. In the Homo country the tables were ranted at. po much per hour, tho doors locked, nrd the keys returned-to tho officer in rhnrge. Th« Srfretary enid it would bo far bctl«r for those who pliiyod billiards at public houses to have -a, place where they could enjoy the game free from certain temptations. Tho tables would cost cbont £80 each, nnd by charging bo much per gamo or by tho hour tho outlfiy would soon bo recovered. Tho Chairman enid the proposal was an :nnoratior, and if it. was 1 nought desirable, the question, rould bo ventilated at the general meeting, which was clos'o at hand. Mr Stout said they would not; need a license for the billiard tables. The Rev. Mr Stanford wished they had several billiard rooms connected with tho Athenraum. It was capital exercise —as good as cricket. Mr. Stewart humorously naked the Secretary whether bo would have tho billiard rooms opened on Sundays."

The Roman Catholio Bishop of Nottingham reproved a priest tho other day for walking with ft woman on his arm, and her hand in his. The piiest asked the bishop to whom be was talking. " I am the Bishop of Nottingham," said his lordship. " But. we ltavo no such bishop in iho English Church," replied the priest. " Oh! " exclaimed tho bishop, "then you belong to the English Church. lam delighted to hear if, and I beg your pardon with all my life; but I wish you would not walk about in o;ir uniform. 1'

Thb P. B. Herald, of Thursday last, says : —"A case occurred on Monday in a rising township near Gisbome, which affords a striking proof of the danger of allowing strangers to bo present whilst important, private business is being transacted. It seems tha*j a Gieborne merchant had arranged to pive a well-known hotel-keeper the sum of £40 to quit his house of business, owing to come slight difficulty which had cropped up. Tho hour arrived, and so, did the merchant, and the parties interested adjourned to a private room to com pie to the transaction. Meantime, however, an unobtrusive individual was hanging about the room will apparently nothing to do to kill time, who on being asked if ho required anything, replied that he ' only wanted to hav3 a game of euchrs with Tom.' The game was played, but still tho stranger lingered, and immediately after tha rfec^ipt had been signed, and the merchant had placed the money on the table, in front of the hotel-keeper, this meek-looking stranger 1 laid a firm hand upon the crisp, clean, bank notes, and announced that he seized them under distress warrant on behalf of a brewe-.y firm not entirely unknown to fame."

The following appeared in the Church Times of Bth May last: —" That in our opinion the opening of museums, libraries, uud art galleries that aro under the management of Government, on the afternoon of Sunday, would greatly promote the moral and intellect ::al improvement of large classes of Her Majesty's subjects, and i 3 thoroughly in accordance with the object and meaning of the Christian Sunday." This is signed by the Dean of Westminister, by three of the Queen's chaplains, by the EBV. R. Hawiea, and 200 other clergymen.

Me. Phillips, bu3 proprietor, has determined to try an experiment in his lin^, by putting on busses from Grahavns.(owa ana Shortlar.d to Paiawai for the. convenience of bathers. Theso conveyances are to leavo punctually at aix o'clock every morning, the faro being one shilling from Gxahanistown and sixponco from Shorlland — return tickets. The bathing trains from Melbourne to Sandridge have been aa institution for years, and there seems uo reason why Mr. Philiips' spec should not turn out a good one.

A eomantic but sari drama is reported by tho Paris papers. Some months ago, a young vino merchant, Earned Eoustel, made the acquaintance of a poor work girl, and aefc her up in business. Tho faux menage went on very well for a little while, but the lover ultimately got tired of his mistnss, nnd sought a rich young lady in marriagp. The wedding rook place on « Wednesday. The cast-off mi3tress determined to bo revenged. l>isguised as a servant, she obtained admittance to her ex-lover's apartment, and cut her throat on. his bed, find it was not until the newly-marriod couple entered tho room that the deed was discovei'ed. Tho sight of the body drova the bridegroom out of his mind, pnd the bride home to her pai-er.cs.

The London Times soys :— " The proposed annexation to our Empire of ft whole nrcbipelago in the South Seas is a fresh illustration of the unique position which Great Britain occupies a! ong nations. It is a position hardly intelligiblo to many among ourselves, and wholly inexplicable, v. not incrstlibl?, to communities which look upon us with the jealousy naturally bestowed upon successful rivals. Come nationalities seem bora to empire, others laboriously achieve it with their blood and their treasure.. England stands io tho position, o'herwiee unknown to the modern world, of having empire in all quarters of'the globo literjlly forced upon her."

A coerespokdent to a Melbourne paper says:—"l cannot help pointing out; again, even at the risk of being tedious, the immense ismonfc of gambling which is going oa now, and the serious responsibility which mei\ of wealth incur when they play with persons of a 'hundredth part their income far stakes which, although small to a landed proprietor •with a income of a .hundred thousand a year, may mean ruin to a Government oflichl with thirty pounds a mouth. If men must gamble, the eagles should havo their comtesfs and the sparrowa theirs. TUe fights between eagles and tpnrrowo cannot be very interesting to Uib monarchs of the sky, and they are simple death to tho littlo fellows."

Fevebali of our contemporaries have jerpeiraled a curioua orror by tho publication of the following paragraph :— " When Mr. Adam, tbe Immigration Agonfc for Outgo, was in Southland recently he was surprised to find American pamphlets scattered about tbe district, combining New Zealand and Australia together as piscea that are burned up with hot winds. He nlsp saw a letter in ono of tbe papers written by an American ngenfr, warning people of tho cannibi'.ism of Stewart's Island ! " An immigration agent in one part of the Pi-ovinco to induce people to go to another would be rather' anomolous. Besides, the people of Southland know n ore of Stewart's Island than most people. Thpy arts near to ii—ihey make pleasure trips to it— and thoy-keep up constant communica'ion with the few resident fishcrnrrn and sawyers who compose the inhabitants. 'If readers will substitute "Shetland" for "Southland" in thu abore extract, thq error . will ba explained.

We nro informed by one of tho collectors of the Education rnto that fiumrccnfej will bo issued shortly agaiist n number of householders who baro not paid their current rates -"—not agninafc defiui'.ters whoso rafrs and capital ion fVca for last year remain unpaid, but pcsoTis vho paid last, jomt and have not Teh satfe fieri Ibo legal demand for the ye.tr 1574. This may bo ju'&t and light; in tho ei'jhfr of Iho Provincial Government, tho re ccireil of tho rate, and the collectors, but we quostion very much if the householders will sco it in th<* same light. If thoro is any summonsing, to be don°, let. the Government cominonco with those persons who arc ptill in arrears for Last, year's rate—of whom there are numbers able but unwilling to pay ; if ibis is not done, others will presume upon the lenioncj shown to defaulters, and collection of tho rate will prove to bo a difficult matter.

TnE preliminary announcement of the Flower and Poultry Show io be held in connection with tho Ladies' Benevolent Society apponrs in our sdveriising columns. In connection therewith it has beensuggestsd that two omissions havo been made. In tho flower department, cut floweru, carnations are excluded ; and a 9 these attractive flowers will bo in perfection in about hen days the chow should bo much enriched by exhibits in this clafs. Then ©gain in poultry, Dorkinga are excluded. Why, ifc may be asked, considering Lhero is no breed to beat them ? These omissions may be wilful or inadvertent, but the suggestion wo givo is woriby of consideration.

Tun Thames Scottish Volunteers had a prize firing on Saturday, pnrado in the evening, and a complimentary presentation to Pipe-Mojor Fotheringham—tha report of which proceedings i 3 excluded from our present icsuo. It; will appear to-morrow.