DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 404, 31 October 1874, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

{From, our own Corespondent.) The Dunerlin Athenaeum Committee is a body whoso proceedings have over and anon for the past few years been viewed by the citizens with more than passing interest, owing to the incongruous elements of which it is composed clashing in the discharge of tho functions appertaining to it. We no doubt all remember the in'enso bitterness which characterised the discussion that followed on the motion to move the locale of the institution from Manse street to its present site ; more recently, too, I may mention the celebrated controversy re the abolishing of the free table, and the banishing from the reading room of the " Marrborough anp Diuiolly Advertiser," the " Religio-Philosophical " journal, aud other magazines holding and advocating principles obnoxious to the orthodox members of the Committee. These and other subjects were discussed with a spirit and intensity of feeling, accompanied by personalities and hard words that might very well have been dispensed with, leading to the belief that the Committoe might easily be composod of more congenial elements than it has been, and at present is. «The Committee .men have now another subject occupying their attention, which in all probability will not be disposed of without' a characteristic display of antagonism. I allude to a proposition to convert a portion of the lower slory of the building into a billiard room. They will no doubt bo conscientously performing fc what they consider to be their duty in so doing, and therefore cannot be much blamed in the matter ; yet I think if only fair consideration is given to the question, it can be pretty clearly demonstrated that the game of billiards is one eminently calculated to call forth a display of skill and science on the part of its devotees that cannot be called anything else but intellectual culture. Dissociate the tables from the admitted evils which follow from their being placed in hotels, and the game is one that laya as much claim to favourable consideration as chess, draughts, cricket, golf, or any other similar game which is practised by ardour by our young men, and generally looked upon and written of as being highly desirable as a means of recreation. It is to be hoped that a spirit of enlightment and liberality will pervade the minds ef the very orthodox of the Committee men when discussing the question, and that before long Dunedin will have the gratification of knowing that her young nfen can spend an hour at a highly skilful game without running the •■ risk of falling into undesirable habits in connection with it. Th© ministers of. religion of the city have ■ taken up the Sunday funeral question, and I . think with every show of reason on their side .have declined, except in cases of emergency, to officiate at funerals on the Sabbath. Case 3, „ of course, do sometimes occur where it is not ■ easy to avoid burial on Sunday, but in many cases where the practice is carried into effect, the day following or preceding, as the case might be, could be substituted. In cases where Sunday burial is unavoidable, no doubt oar ministers will be quite ready to give their services, but the public in general will see the reasonableness of their decision to discourage _. the converting it into a general practice. The case of Dodson v. Macandrow has <• occupied the attention of his Honor Judge . i Chapman and a special jury for a. few days. It is a claim for £1000 damages, arising out of ■ ■ the ejectment of the plaintiff in January last from the Port Chalmers Railway Refreshment ,v .Rooms, of which he was for the twelve *■'»•., months preceding that date lessee. Your readers will doubtless remember that the pro- -., ceedings which resulted in Mr. Dodson's \ , .ejectment from the Rooms, in order that possession might be given to the new lessee, ive-e the cause of considerable interest and excitement at tho time; Mr- Turton, the then Provincial Solicitor, having on behalf of the Executive, and with the aid of two or three bailiffs, obtained possession. There has boen a great deal of evidence taken, and last night, after about six hours' deliberation, the 6pocial jury which was empannelle.l to try the ense brought in a verdict for the plaintiff, damages £200.