DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 261, 30 January 1873, Page 8

DUNEDIN.

(From our oxo.i Correspondent.) In consequence of the very liberal support accorded to the opera company during their season of twelve nights just concluded, another season of a similar length is announced. Certainly the encouragement given to Messrs. Lyster and Cagli — or rather the "lessees" of the company — has been most liberal, although when the company arrived in Dunedin the prospects of a successful season looked very black. Ridiculously high prices had bten fixed, and the consequence was that when Signor Cagli and his company arrived, a very limited number of season tickets had been disposed of, and rumors of a summary departure without any .performance being given were circulated. Three or four euterprising citizens, however, offered to take the risk of a season of twelve nights, guaranteeing Signor Cagli £100 per night ; and the result of this venture must, I think, have been highly gratifying to the speculators, for as a rule the theatre has been well filled with large audiences : and to the wise reduction of the prices of admission must certainly be attributed this result. The operas have on the whole been most creditably produced, and the old Dunedin favorites among the company were most enthusiastically greeted on their reappearance. Signora Coy, on the occasion of her benefit, received a perfect ovation, and concluded the finishing solo in the last act of uLa Sounambula " amidst a shower of bouquets and the long-wntinued clapping of nearly a thouaan 1 pairs of hands. The mw Queen's Theatre lias proved itself admirably adapted for performances in which vocal music is the principal feature. When coin pletely finished inside, it will be a most comfortable building, and will no doubt be selected by tLe Philharmonic Society for its future concerts. " Formosa," having acquired the reputation of having a little of the " naughty " element in its composition, has, of course, drawn full houses. It is years since a play has had such a long run at the Princess's. And after all is said and done, there is really little or nothing in it which' to cavil. Polite society in a measure shuts its eyes to the actual existence of their fellow-creatures whose moral characters have become tarnished, aud who lead lives that their virtuous sisters, who have not fallen from the his^h pedestalof unblemished innocence, look upon it with such severity, and, therefore, polito society deems it right to be shocked when the lives of its " soiled dove " sisters, and their reckless, pleasure-seeking associates are brought so prominently before the public gaze. The various phases of fast life are, however, too well-known to acquire much additional publicity by the production of plays of the " Formosa " stamp ; and so far as the question of the pernicious influence upon society which their production exerts, I hold it to be a fallacy. Much more probable is it that those wh ) go to witness plays of this stamp, who have been drawn into a fast life, and who have not committed themeelves , beyond the hope of redemption, will

be led to see the folly, the utter senselessness of their mode of life, and pause in the " railroad to ruin " on which they are hurrying at sight of the results as set forth in the play they are witnessing. A number of young scoundrels were brought up at the Mayor's Court the other day, charged with an aggrevated assault on an unfortunate Celestial, who unluckily chanced to meet these true specimens of the colonial genus boy while in a mood for a "lark." They waylaid the unfortunate Chinaman in Cumberland-street, and after the usual preliminary chaff and annoyance, the "lark" resolved itself into unmercifully pelting the poor wretch with stones — one of which cut his head. The ringleaders were talked to in seveio terms by the Mayor, and a fine inflicted on each of them. Dunedin is of course not singular with respect to the impudent, swearing tnobs of the boy stamp that loaf about the streets ; but, as His Worship the Mayoi very truly remarked, they have become an intolerable nuisance in this city, and it will be necessary to adopt rigorous measures to stop the nuisance. The Supreme Court has been occupied for the last four days in hearing the case M'Combe i>. Low, an action instituted by the plaintiff to recover £2500 for false imprisonment on a charge of sheepstealing. The charge out of which the present action arose, was heard by Warden Carew, at Clyde, in August last, and the case was dismissed, and the prisoner discharged. In consequence of a falling off in his business afterwards, and the alleged injury to his reputation, M'Coinbe instituted against defendant the action just concluded. The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff, damages, £770. with costs.