Elsewhere we publish a full list of the gentlemen who have been called to the Legislative Council, and from this it will be seen that our prediction of the reason for Mr fhrimski's resignation of his seat in the House of Representatives was correct, Mr Shrimski being one of the newly-created " Lords." Three other vacancies will also be created in the Lower House by the translation of Captain Morris and Messrs Shepherd and Taiaroa.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court today, before H. W. Robinson, Erq., R.M., Richard Beabtie was charged with being drunk and refusing to quit the Star and Garter Hotel when requested to do so. The accused, when asked if he lud anything to say, stated that when, ha was in liquor he was off his head, and asked the Bench to take out a prohibition order against him. Inthis his Wor-hip concurred, but said there were other charges against the accused ; he would hear them before he dealt with this case. A second charge against the accused for assaulting Constable Young, a third for damaging the constables coat, and a fourth for assaulting Micha ;1 Sweeney whilst 'ocked up together on Saturday evening, ai& a fifth for teing drunk in Itchen-street, were heard. .His Worship inflicted a fine of 20s, with the option of 24 hours' imprisonment, f r the first offence; on the second charge tha accused was fined 40?, or three days' imprisonment ; for the third offence he was ordered to pay a fine of 103 and 15s to make good the damage done to the coat; and for the fi'th he was fined 2fy, with the alter, native of going to gaol for 4S hours. The list offence was dismissed owing to the man Sweeney not wis ing to press the charge. A first offender for druukennes3 was discharged with a caution. Bridget Dinan was charged with sly grog-selling, and after hearing a portion of the evidence, it was decided to adjourn the case till Wednesday. Thomas Barns wa? charged wi:h having no visible means of Eupport, and was remanded to Dunedin.

Abont half-past 3 o'clock yesterday morning a two-roomed house, the property of Mr Edmund O'Connell, was totally deatr yed by fire. Constable Macdonald noticed the glare of fire, and proceeded to thß scene, when he found the house to be ablaze. Mr O'Connell was away harvesting at Hakaterainea, and Mrs O'Connell, with her three chi'dren, retired to-bed about balf-past 9 o'clock on Saturday Dight, leaving a sraaji

fire burning in a closed-in stove, thinking it probable that her husband might come home by the night train. A bout 3 o'clock on Sunday morning she was awakened by her li'tle girl, and soon discovered that the north end of the house was in flam;s. Ihe fire spread so quickly that it was with difficulty Mrs (VConcell rescued her three children, having had to scramble through the bedroom window with them, and being unable to save any of their clothing; however, their immediate wants were attended to by a kind neighbor. The Fire Brigade turned out, but their services were not needed. The house aud furniture were insured in the North British office for LI 12. The cases which wero set down t r hearing against so re 12 persons for driving lover Thame.-street crossing at'other than a walk were adjourned till Tuesday, in consequence of , a decision given by Judge Johnston in connection with by-laws in Christchurch, with which the Bench wished to become acquainted before proceeding with the cases. The annual meeting of the Oamaru Football Club was held at t- e Queen's Hotel on Saturday evening last. There were 26 gentlemen in attendance, and Mr Forbes presided. The minutes of the last annual meeting having been read aud confirmed, the Secretary (Etfr J. Todd) read the annual report, as follows Yrur Committee, in submitting the annual report, are pleased to be able to state that the past season has been successful. The first fifteen played three foreign matches, of which one was lost, one drawn, and one won. The first match, played in Dunedia against the Pirates, was lo=t, the score being one goal and one try to nil. The match with the Dunedin Club, played at Oamaru, was drawn, each side" scoring o.e try. Jn the annual match with the South Canterbury Club, played at Oamaru, the home team won by one goal and six tries to nil. A match was arranged with tbo North Canterbury Club, but fell through, as that Club were, unable to send a team South, The second fifteen played two matches with a team from the combined schools, winning one, the other being drawD. A third match was arranged, but as the second fifteen were unable to go from homo it di l cot take place. Your committee have to congratulate the Club on haviog obtdned t• c use of the cricket ground, and hope that they will be able to procure as goo.l a ground for the coming season, if not tho same one. As regards the financial position of the Club, your Comm tt:e have to report favorably, which is very satisfactory, considering that during the past sea on the expenses have been teavicr than in former seasons, through the use of the cricket ground." Tht following new membsis were elected : —Mess r s Strode, Christie, Taylor, Steel .Aitken, Meek, Roxby, R. Butt, and Hunter. Tne election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows : Pres'dent, I>r de Lautour (re-

•lected); vice-presidents, Messrs Oroxton, R. Butt, and Forbes; Captain, Mr H. Snow (reelected); Deputy-Captain, Mr J. H. Todd; Secretary, Mr G. H. Godwin ; Treasurer, Mr JJ. T'.dd ; Committee, Mcss-s Strode, Borton, Church, R. Hewat, and St onach ; match Committee, Messrs Moore, D. Hewat, and Snow ; delegates to Ot go Rugby Football Uiion, Messrs Forbes and Godwin. The opening match was fixel for Saturday, the 18th April. sid?s to be chosen by the president and vice-president. On Saturday evesing considerable anxiety was felt for the safety of Messrs C. Headland and J. Creagh, who were sailing in the ha:b r when the heavy north-west squall came on. The squaU struck the boat, tearing the sails, and it was w th great difficulty what was lefs of the canvas was taken in. The boat was blown to sea some eight miles, and it was fortunate for its occupants that th y had on board an anchor and a quantity of lice, which they made timely use of, r-lsa they would certainly have been blown out of sight of land. However, all fears were set at rest about 10 o'clock, when the boat and her occupants arrived in port. A meeting of " those interested in doing away with the railway crossing in Thamesstreet" was held at the Empire Hotel on Saturday evening, It was resolved " That all those who have been victimised join in bringing a test case in the t>u;reme Court." It was pointed out that there was no necessity for impeding the traffic all da 3', as only a few trains crossed, and those at stated tin es with Jong intervals. It was also urged that proper signals should be placed at ea .h Bide of the street to warn all persons driving of the approach of a train. It has been pointed out to us tint Mr Fleming was in error when he stated on Saturday that he had been charged as much for the carriage by railway of three head of cattle as ha would have been for a truckload. The amount paid by Mr Fleming was L 3 9a 3d, and'the charge for a whole tru-k----load would hive been L 3 18s 3d. The difference, in truth, is very slight, and Mr Fleming was justified in declaring that the charges are anomalous and ridiculous. Owne s of horses should bear in mind that entries for the local race-meeting must be sent in ti Mr Yeitch, the Secretary, tomorrow evening, at the Royal Hotel. Those willing to join Mr Rice's evening class are invited to meet at the South School at 8 o'clock this evening. On Saturday evening a social little gathering took place at the Queen's Hotel. The occasion was to wish Mr J. M. Glasgow good-bye. An number of that gentlemen's fritnds assembled round the festive board, and the chairman, Mr G, Sumpter, made an approp:ia l e speech, in which the good qualities of their guest as a cricketer and a business man were duly set forth, and his promotion to a bettor'position in tho Union Bank at Christchurch made the subject of hearty congratulation. Mr Glasgow's health was then drunk with musical hon-rs, and in acknowledging the honor, he said he should carry away with him kindly recol'ectiona of his connection with the Oamaru Cricket Club. The. annual match between the Oamaru Cricket Club and a team representing the banking and legal professions wa* played on Saturday afternoon, on the Club's ground, and resulted in the defeat of the latter team by 15 runs. In their first innings the banks and law representatives put together 54 runs, Glasgow being top scorer with 20 to his credit. R. Hewat and Walla divided the honors for bowling. The Club's innings closed for a total of 69, G. B rton (17), R. Hewat (11), and Walh (11) being the only batsmen to reach double fiaures.

" What has become of the Opposition ?" is a question frequently asked by persons who take aii intelligent interest in New Zealand i-olitics. Ceitainly there is just cause for curiosity on this point. Though the Premier and Colonial Treasurer and a number of other members of the House have taken the country into their confidence since tho close of the session, no leading member of tha Oppositioa has spoken, and- we hear nothing of the intention of any leading member of that party to adlresa his constituents. In acting thus, the leading members of the Opposition are guil'y of a grave dereliction of duty. It is absolutely essential to good government that the-e should be a -well organised and active Opposition. We never see in the United Kingdom a parallel to the condition of affairs at p esent obtaining in this colony. When a party have been j jected from power there they do not "throw up the sponge" and let things lip." They exercise an unceasing vigilance over public affairs, just the same as if they were in the majority. They criticise all Ministerial measures, and during the recess they continually keep before the public their views on the leading questions of the day. By this means they prevent the Ministry of the day from acting in all things acording to " their own sweet wills they keep up in the public mind a living interest in politics ; in siort. they discharge their duty as a constitutional Opposition.— ' RaDgitikei|Advocate.' The, first colonial instance of the new annotati n of time yet brought under our notice, appeared in an advertisement published in the Auckland fctar last evenin?, when a Masonic meeting was called for the hour of 19.30,

An Ofcago paper draws attention to the necessity of protect : ng cible communication. It says :—Our submarine cab'e takes water at Cable Bty, a little place near Nelson. Boats land there easily, a d a dozen men could take the shore end of the cable, roll it into a sh : p, and carry it off a few miles in a few hours. This would effectually prevent our obtaining any Australian aid for about ten days." Since Waterloo Russia is S4O miles nearer to Berlin, Vienna, Dresden, Munich, and | Paris. She is 450 miles nearer to Constantinople than she was 50 years ago, and she is 350 miles nea'er to Stockholm than in Peter the Great's time,