DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 359, 27 May 1874, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

{From our own Corr?#pondent^ [Held over from our last.] Your readers will be gald to learn that Mr. H. Eastwood, who met with an accident and waa so. long an inmate of the Tuapeka Hospital, had a really capital house at a benefit at the Princess Theatre, tendered him by tha Press Amatuer Dramatic Club, last night. The house was filled in all parts, and as the expenses were merely nominal, Mr. Eastwood will have realised, I should think,, somewhat about £80 by the performance. ' The amateurs play«jd capitally in the first piece, the favorite comedy of " Still Waters Run Deep ;" but to the farce the same remark unfortunately dods not apply. It dragged in. a paiuful manner, and, in fact, had it not beeu for the efforts of Mr. Mitchell would have beeu an unqualified failure. Mr. R. H, Leary played John Mild way in the comedy, and making allowance for a few- defects which will no doubt disappear on a more intimate acquaintance of stage business being gained, it must certainly be classed as a- performance of which that gentleman has. every reason to be- proud. The character of John Mildmay & one which very lew amateurs perform with any degree of satisfaction to an audience, and the pleasure derived from witnessing the part dime- justice to, is all the greater when this is borne in mind, " ,

Church Committees and congregations are all pretty good &t ''raising the wind ;" but I think as a specimen of; 'cuteness in this line the programme of the Port Chalmers Episcopal body for next Monday stands pretty well up for preeminence* Monday is to be observed aa a general holiday, in honor of her Majesty's birthday, and the Port will doubtless be thronged with visitors interested in the regatta wjiich takea place on that day. This wa3 an opportunity not to be missed, so the Episcopalians have announced a tea meeting in aid of the building fund, and in- order to pick i>p. stray- shillings, tea is to be on the table at X o'clock, and to be obtainable with other refreshments during the day. No doubt the monetary return of the day will establish the idea as being well worthy of the trouble the Committee may be put to. One of the hon. members fop your district was placed in a rather- awkward predicament in the Council Hall last night. During a division, the figure of Mr. J. Q. Brown was observed in the Reporter's Gallery, and the Speaker's attention being drawn to the fact, the erring member made good his escape as quickly as possible. This Reporter's Gallery, occupies a very- exalted .position at the end of the Council Chambers, where is situated th& Speaker's chair, and access ia only gained to it from the outside, and by asoending a flight of stairs, consequently the hon. member QpuJW not bavg won. 4pto to tte body of

at the hall to vote except by first going outside, and then having the doors of the hall unlocked for him to enter. The Speaker, although strongly opposed by Mr. Stout, ruled that the hon. member was not within the precincts of the House when the doors were locked, and consequently was not guilty of any breach of rule. The Speaker's ruling has been called in question, but I should think- it correct, for unless hon. members who happened to be in the Reporter's Gallery on a division being called were lowered down by ropes, they could not possibly make their appearance in the body of the hall to vote without the doors being unlocked to give them admittance.

The report of the Select Committee appointed to enquire into the acceptance of the Southland light railway contracts is looked for with some interest. It i 3 shrewdly suspected that the Provincial Treasurer will be placed in a very awkward position by reason of the remarks which fell from him in reference to this matter during the debate on the no-confidence motion last week. It will be remembered that he made the rather startling statement that the late Secretary for Works and the Provincial Engineer had opened the tenders and analysed them before they came before the Executive in the ordinary way. The investigations that the Select Committee are making, it is well known, will show that this damaging statement is utterly untrue. The Treasurer, I understand, makes a sort of shuffling statement about his having been misreported, and that his word.3 had been misconstructed ; but there were too many in the House on that evening who heard the words fall from Mr. Turnbull's lips to admit of any such lame explanation ; and the Treasurer will, so far as can at present be seen, have very great difficulty in getting out of the mire into which every day seems to prove him to be more and more deeply immersed. This little affair, and the notorious muddle into which he is reported to have got the Treasury books — a muddle apparently so hopeless that notwithstanding the fact that the Treasury officers- have been working late and early for weekß, there is yet no balance sheet forthcoming to present to the Council — these matters*, I repeat, are likely to have' the effect of lessening public confidence' in Mr. Turnbull to an extent which it will not be very difficult for him to understand, if he ever again require^ the electora' " votes aud interest."