THE ELECTION OF SUPERINTENDENT.

West Coast Times, Issue 204, 15 May 1866, Page 2

THE ELECTION OF SUPERINTENDENT.

Tho nomination for tho Suporintendency is fixed for the 23rd inst., and tho polling clay for tho 30th.

Concerning tho prevailing opidomio in town at present, of which nearly ovory ono complains, it may bo assuring to somo of our rcadors to stato that no foundation whatovor exists for alarm as to tho conscquoncos. Sovorol of tho medical men iv town with whom wo havo convorsod on tho subject, say that is moroly a slight autumnal .fovor, accompanied by bilious attacks, iioadacho, and low condition generally; but that no danger nood bo apprehended, unless combining with oxisting disease. Thoy say that a fow days caroful nursing, togothov with a light diet, will romove all tho annoying symptoms of tho fovor. Wo aro indobtod to Sorgoaut M'Mynn for tho following gaol returns, for tho wook ending 12th May : — Number of prisoners added during the wook, 12. Of those, 2 woro committed for trial by tho Eosidont Magistrato lioro 5 2 eont from tho Groy, sentenced to different poriods of imprisonment 5 1 dobtor, and 2 lunatics placed under restraint ; thoso, toCothor with 29 prisonors in gaol at tho ond of last wook, mako a total of 86 imprisonod during tho past weok. As a sot-off against this number, 12 havo boon disohargod, consisting of 10 sentenced men, 1 debtor, and 1 romanded to Auckland. Tho numbor and classification of tho prisoners now in tho gaol aro as follows : — 13 Bontoncod mon ; 2 inon and 1 woman committed for trial ; 6 dobtors and 2 P 1 atics. Total in gaol yontorday, 24. rosterday tho camp officials, who for tho fr-twelvomonths havo lived at tho roar of tho old Court llouso, h,<ul thoir buildings— if wo may dignify a fifty shilling tent by such a name — removed to the resorvo eituato at tho ! upper sido of the Custom llouso. Wo havo been informed that tho sohoonor from Syduoy, was yestorday off the Grey. Tho Kaniori Steam Drainago Company havo at length gotnoarly into working ordor. Thoir engino, whioh a fortnight ago was at tho bottom of tho Hokitika Eivor, has boon sot up, nothing the worse It is expeotod to mako a start on Friday. An immense quantity of flrowood has boon out whorowith to food tho iron horso. This company desorvo evory success, as thoir mishaps in various ways haro boon numerous and voxing. Wo hear that ahandsomo holol is about to bo oroctod at tho south cornor of Sowoll and Hamilton streets, on tho site now occupied by (ho privato dwolling houso of Mr B. Eoovoe. Tho situation is admirably suited for tho intondod puvposo.

At tho Princo of Walos Opora llouso, last night, tho play of Romoo and Juliot was produced for tho third time Wo havo a good deal to say in praiso «f this production, which was morilorious in tho highosfc degree, both as to its getting up and tho individual oxccllonco cf tho sovoral porforniora. Mr Bartlotfc sustaining tho charaotor of Morcutio, rondcrod it ncoessary that that of Romoo should bo allotted to tho noxt bosfc artisto iv tho company who would bo most capablo of undertaking it. In fgiving it to Mrs Poolo tho stago managomont oxhibited very commondablo judgmont, and tho highly oroditablo mruinor in which that lady boro horsolf in tho part was a confirmatory assuranco that tho soloo_ tion was a wiso ono. Wo trust wo aro not preno to unmoritod praiso, but wo aro bonnd to acknowledge that wo havo with ploasuro remarked tho improvement which has taken placo iv Mrs. Poolo's acting sinco wo saw her some fow years ago on tho Melbourno stage. Wo fool convinced that sho regards her profession as every artist should 5 namely, as one in which oxccllonco is tho result of" industay, study, and porsovorauco j theso qualities invariably bring that succoss, though tho approach of such a dosidoratuni is ofton less rapid than tho oagornoss or perhaps tho uiorita of tho possossor of thorn might wish for. Whilo commending thoir obsorvanco to Mrs Poolo wo aro by no moana desirous that sho should regard, us as unobsorvaut of nor dofioionoios 5 sho has yot much to loam } ' but soo. ing that, should bo rathor gratifying than tho rovorso, for it docs but indicato a point betweon which and hor prosout oxcollcnco there is Btill somo spaco, and it assumes a furtkor completeness, tho hope of attaining to whioh may ohoor amid tho difficulties and labors of tho oxisting time, To tho study of tho charactor of Romeo sho Las manifestly allotted vory much caroful attontion. In tho gardon scones sho oxhibited a nico apprcoiation of circumstanco and situation j in tho combat with Tybalt hor impetuosity was dashing without being ovor violont, and tho vault scono, though somowhat loss uniformly coinploto than could havo boon wished, was yet striking and. impressive. Wo havo seen fow thiugs which havo nioro improssod — wo may say which havo moro startled — us thau Miss Rosa Cooper's roading of that passago beginning with — " What if it bo a a poison whioh tho friar Subtly hath ministor'd to havo mo dead." Tho way in whioh she works up hor imagination to tho uttornnco of— " O look ! mothinks I boo my cousin's ghost !" had so much of tho somblanco of real earnest in it, that wo confess for a fow seconds ws sliarod tho intsnso paroxysm of fancy which sho oxhibited, and wo joined in tho thoroby ovoked tumult of applauso with a most ready onorgy. Wo do not think wo ovor saw Juliot moro completely " lookod" than by Miss Rosa Cooper. This lady hsu an almost spcoial power of imparting to hor features a cltarining juvenilo simplicity when tho part roquiros it. In tho scono with tho nurso, whoro that rhoumatio old lady is disposed to lay moro stress upon hor back-aches than display hasto to communicate her nowa to Juliot, tho exhibition of winning, insinuating, fascinating tonclernoss was boautifulfy fondored by Miss Rosa Coopor, and this unartiflcial juvonilo expression was stikingly obsorvablo. Mrs. Crosby's Nurso was immeusoly humorousi without being caricaturod as it somolimcs is. Hor transition from the sonilo playfulnoss with with which sho outors Juliet's chamber for tho purposo of awakening her on hor marriage morning, to tho horror at finding hor darling dead, as sho supposos, was clovorly artistic In tho part of tho starved apothecary Mr. Tomliuson showed how a subordinate charactov may bo made prominont by a carofal attontion to tho points of its oxcollonco. Not a touch seemod wanting to make tho picture porfect 5 tho vory expression of tho wig was symptomatic of starvation 5 tho rough dry stiff tail, which privation from food invariably occasions, was carofully looked to j tho tottoring gait, tho feoblo, half-whispor voico, tho tromulous head shako, tho oonvulsivo clasp of the money, all indicated an artistic knowledge of tho details nccossary to mako up tho portrait of tho poor starvoling, in whoso cheoks (as Romeo desoribos him) is famine, in whoso oyes aro need and oppression, and upon whoso baolc hang contompt and boggary. And Mr Bartlctt'a Moroutio 5 was it not a dolighlful picturo of tho warmhearted, dashing, humour-loving, but unfortunato young follow. Wo always feel intonsoly sorry that Moroutio is killed, and could wish that ho woro allowod to livo and divert us by his vicacity to tho ond of tho play. Wo folt this rogrot all tho moro last night, and wo oxporiencod an amusing kind of satisfaction whon Tybalt was pinked by Romeo. Morcutio cannot bo said to bo a minor charaotor j yot, inasmuch as in tho dramatic pcrsonna} it yields prccodonco to that of Romoo— it is so comparativoly; and Mr Bartlett is entitled to moro than ordinary praiso for proparing a character, which, boing extinguished boforo half tho play is ovor, doprives him of tho usual advantages which aro posaossod by such as exist until tho fall of tho curtain. The ro" drama of tho Soa of Ico will shortly job produced, as wo aro informed, "with Itort-ling effects." Tho managomont havo iucurrod considorablo oxponso at all ovonls, in mechanical and sconio dovolopmonts, and wo l^doubt not. will bo rowardod by a succession of full houses. Wo loam that Profojsor Noutnayor, of Molbourno, tho illustrious inotoorolo<uoal observor, purposos at an early datd to visit tho Wost Coast, in tho intorcsl9 of tho Violorian Government. Tho Harbor-mastor, Captain Turnbull, and assistants, havo had thoir loisuro fully employed during tho past fow days in making observations aud survoys in ordor to arrive at ■ tho acourato timo of lidos at tho various parts of tho Wost Coast. About thrco o'clock yostorday, a man suddenly foil down in an opiloptio fit in front of tho ofDco of Mr W. A. Oakos, solicitor, in Rovoll-strect. Ho was at onco takon into tho Robert Burns Hotol, whoro temporary roinodiofl having boon applied to tho sufforor, he wa9 recallod to consciousness, am] convoyed to tlio hospital.

In Iho prosont stato of suspension of GtoTcrnmont works, wo aro glad to soo increasing oridonccs of tho disposition to employ tho roBources of privato enterprise, in tho proseoution of undertakings for tho construction of roads and tramways. Wo haro already roforred to tho projoot for tho construction of a railway to connect Hokitika and Gtooymouth. A similar suhoino, though on a moro modest and inoxponsivo scale, lias boon for somo timo gradually maturing for tho formation of a tramway from Hokitika to tho Kanieri. Tho promoters havo already gone to a considorablo oxponso in suryoys and other preliminary works, and havo subscribed ono half of tho capital required. Thoy havo succeeded in obtaining a grant of tho nocessary land from tho Govornmont, and now only wait for" tho sharo list to bo flllod up to commence operations in earnest. Wo bolievo that tho total oapital requirod for tho work is only L4OOO, and considering tho importance of tho Kaniori goldfiold, tho stoadiness of its yield, the pub* lio spirit displayod by tbo miners thoro in the construction of costly ongincoring works and tho employment of steam machinery, and the largo trafflo with tho district, wo can hardly do\\bt that tho funds still noedod will bo at onqo forthcoming. Tho tramway, or light railway, whiohovor may bo dotormined, will b 0 of groat bonoflt, not only to tho Kaniori itself, but to tho wholo distinct tho lino will pass through, and will greatly promote tho oxtonsiou of gold workings in tho direction of town. Tho fact wo have mentioned — that half of tho capital has already boon subscribed, in, wo beliovo, four shares of L6OO each — is a guarantee of the entiro faith of tho promotors in tho profits to bo derived from tho enter, priso." Tho onquiry into the wreck of tho Maria was ro»umod jOßtorday boforo tho Rosidont Magistrate, and again adjonrnod until two o'clook to-day.