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Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4, 5 January 1903, Page 4

Sir Joseph Ward, Minister for Railways, will arrive in Auckland on Wednesday or Thursday next. The Hon. James Carroll, Native Minister, left by the Waihora for Gisborne on Saturday evening.

Mr Thomas Wallace, an old identity of . Auckland, passed away at Birkenhead last Friday morning. The deceased, who was 78 years of age, was born in Ireland, and had for the past 40 years resided at Mangere and Mt. Albert. Mr Wallace was of a quiet retiring disposition. He leaves a wife, three daughters and two sons. "There are a number of people in Atickland who ought to be where you are," said 'Mr Haselden, S.M., at the Police Court this morning to a man convicted of rising- obscene language. "It is not possible," continued His Worship, "to go down the street without hearing the most filthy language." The following is the state of the Auckland prison for the week ending Saturday last: On remand, 9; awaiting triai, 11; penal servitude (life), 3; hard labour, 183; imprisonment, 1; default of bail, 2; • received during the week, 26; discharged, 16; total in prison, 194 males; 12 females. • The many friends of Miss Ivy Hill, daughter of the late Mr Thos. Hill, Collector of Customs, who is gifted ■with a very rich soprano voice, will be pleased to learn that she has been engaged by Algar Leslie for an extended tour through America. The Sydney press speaks very highly of her as" a dramatic artist. Mr Leslie says she wil cut/a figure sure in America. The death is announced of Mr Leonard James Chambers, youngest son of .the late Mr Chas. Chambers, of Birkenhead. Deceased, who died unexpectedly at Sydney from typhoid, served his apprenticeship as engineer in the Auckland and Sydney workshops of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, and until recently was an engineer in the company's steamer Fiona. He remained in Sydney to go np for his examination, and contracted fever there. Mr Chambers was only 24 years of age, and the news of his death has been received with deep regret by his friends in Auckland-

It cannot be said that the New South Wales Railway Commissioners, sprang any surprise on the public (says the Sydney "Telegraph") when they announced the necessity of reducing the number of persons casually employed. Their income has been seriously affected by the drought, and, besides having less freight of different kinds to carry, they have been obliged to make heavy reductions in the charges on the carriage of cattle and fodder, and so forth. The drought has also had the effect of diminishing the revenue which in normal years the Commissioners derive from bringing wool and wheat to market. The Commissioners have had before them the alternative of retrenching all round in order to make up for the £ 60,000 of additional wages ordered by Parliament, or of dispensing for a time with the services of. 500 casual employees who were earning amongst them something like £54,600 a year. They have adopted the latter course, feeling perhaps that it would be unjust to penalise all the regular employees because Parliament had ordered an increase in the wages of some of them.

The date fixed for the hearing of the Grey Lynn and. Parnell electoral petitions is February 2, before the Chief Justice-(Sir Robert Stout), and His Honor Mr Justice Conolly. The Chief Justice left for Rotorua to-day, and then proceeds to Napier to hear some lands for settlement cases.

\t St. Benedict's Roman Catholic Church yesterday high mass was celebrated at 11 a.m., a special feature beino- the fine rendering of Mozart's "Twelfth Mass" by the choir and orchestra. The evening service was also noticeable for the excellent manner in which the choir sang the difficult music allotted them. At the offertory in the morning Mr. M. Gleeson, of Wellington, played as a violin solo Maseagni's "Intermezzo," and m the evening Miss Lorrigan sang "Aye Maria" (Gounod), obligato by Mr. Gleeson. Mr. A. B. Reynolds conducted, with Mr. H. Lamb at the or-

gan. Last night, in the Theosophical Society's rooms, Miss Davidson lectured on "The Sufferings of Hell." While we continued to be dominated by any lower element of our nature, we must (Miss Davidson said) be connected with Hell, and were liable to find ourse.lves in that state at any moment; but the peculiar suffering of that state after death consisted in our finding ourselves living in the atmosphere of our own evil, objectivilyzed round us. Discussion followed

Messrs Sairisbury, Hood, A. D. Martin and Clements arrived in town to-day in order to represent the Kaipara'Flats at the public meeting of the Railway League this afternoon. They ask the co-operation of all the Northern members of the House of Representatives, and also of the citizens of Auckland, to secure £100,000 this year "for the North of Aucklatr.l railway extension.

The Salvation Army's farewell meetings to Adjutant and Mrs Mathers! and Adjutant and Mrs Colvin, held yesterday in the Albert-street Salvation Army Baracks, were well attended and very successful. This evening the final meeting will take the form of a musical programme and coffee social.

Last- night at St. Patrick's Cathedral Haydn's masterpiece,. "The Creation," which was performed on Christmas night, was repeated before * a crowded congregation. The choruses were rendered with expression and devotional feeling, and also with precision and good attack. The soloists were Mdlle. Lilian Tree (soprano), Mons. Casier (tenor), and Mr. Rupert Mantell (bass). The singing of Mdlle. Tree was greatly enjoy cd.her fine voice being heard to great advantage in this truly majestic work. The difficult soprano solo, "Hear Ye, Israel," from "Elijah," was a feature of the programme, and gave the singer an opportunity to bring out the full capabilities of her voice and musical expression. The organ accompaniment to this piece also deserves special mention, and reflected great credit on the organist, Mr. Harry Hiscocks. The conductor, Mr. P. F. Hiscocks, is to be congratulated upbn"the successful production of the work.

Advices received in Sydney by Messrs. Burns, Phil'p, and Co. by the last island mail concerning the Australian settlement in the New Hebrides show that most satisfactory progress is being made by the colonists in the clearing and planting of their selections. Despite the drawbacks of the wet season, which is now at its worst, the general health is good, and very little malaria has been experienced. The Annandale- settlement now numbers about 40 to 50 souls, and a further party passed through- Vila in the steamer Tambo to join the pioneers. Another party is being organised, to sail from Sydney on February Ist, and will be followed by a further small batch in April. Messrs. Burns, Philp, and Co. expect to receive the first shipment of maize from the new settlement about March next, as over 150 acres have now been cleared and planted. It is not intended to send away any large number of settlers at any one time, but- to despatch them in small parties, so that each lot may be conveniently settled before the next party arrives.

Out of the total population of Victoria of 1,201,341, no fewer than 876,003 were born in that State, and 65,094 in the other .States of the Commonwealth, while 9020 hail from New Zealand. Only 117.108 persons are natives of England and Wales. The Melbourne "Herald" says:—"Were it not for the fact that the census figures are unimpeachable it would be difficult to believe that only 35,751 people are of Scottish birth, 19,003 being males and 16,748 females. The Emerald Isle is represented by 28,796 of her sons and 32,716 of her daughters—6l,sl2 all told. The balance of the population is made up thus: — Natives of Germany, 7608; of other European countries and possessions, 9286; of the United States and possessions, 2135; of China, 6230; of other foreign countries, 323. Then there are 1531 of who are at sea on the average who are British subjects and 33 foreigners. About 3000 people have come from British possessions, and there are 5000 odd people whose place of birth is unspecified.

Mme. Melba had an unexpectedly boisterous reception at Warrnambool, Victoria, on Tuesday last. A large crowd assembled outside the railway station, and just as the train arrived broke the barriers, and surged on to the platform. After a long struggle, the Mayor, who had been waiting to officially welcome Mme. Melba, and had been swept out of sight, *vas found, and dragged through the densely-packed throng to the railway carriage. There was no chance of clearing the platform, and eventually Mme. Melba was persuaded to take her chance of pushing her way through'the crowd to her carriage. An avenue was made for her, but as soon as' she was halfway across the platform the crowd closed in, jostling, pushing, and almost fighting to get a glimpse of the diva. She became tightly wedged in, but after a 10 minutes' struggle she was-rescued, minus her cloak, which had disappeared. Finally she reached her carriage, exhausted after the struggle, and the crowd cheered and cheered again. For her concert in the evening the Town-hall was not able to hold all those anxious to pay a guinea or half a guinea to hear her.