AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVI, Issue 1243, 12 August 1859, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION.

We have to acknowledge receipt of the second report of the Otahuhu Agricultural Association, to which we have given immediate insertion. Their first report will appear in our next. To explain this apparent awkwardness, we must state that the Secretary to the Association informed us, so*ae little while since, that the Society would forward their reports to the 'New-Zealander 1 and 'Southern Cross' alternately, requesting us to copy, when not in direct receipt, so as to save the trouble of transcription. To this we readily agreed, but owing to heavy press of matter, have not yet been able to publish the first report, a long one, forwarded to our co-temporary. We should have preferred postponing report No. 2 until our next number, so as to print Nos. 1 and 2in regular succession. But as we are to be copied from in turn, it becomes necessary to publish at once what has been entrusted to us

We acknowledge receipt of a card for the Public Dinner at Well's Inn, Papakura, to commemorate the discovery of coal and limestone in the district. We desire to express the pleasure it would have given us to be able to attend ; but as it was fixed for a Thursday (yesterday) the day before our "publishing day, it will be readily perceived that it was impossible for us, on account of other duties, to avail ourselves of the invitation.

In the New-Zealander of Wednesday last, we read a 9 follows : — The " White Swan," s.s (Captain Cellem), started on her Northern trip yesterday morning, with a goodly number of pussengeis, though not so many as had been anticipated. This was, peihaps, partly owinz to a change in the weather, threatening rain, but partly to a mistake in our so very accurate contemporary, by which the hour for starting from the Queen-street Wharf, instead «f being stated ten a.m., was convetted into one a.m. ! As usual, the Nevo-Zealander will say or invent anything tosuit a purpose. The statement is a flat untruth. We have preserved the manuscript sent to us by the agent for the White Swan, by which it is shewn that our. advertisement is strictly according to copy. We never notice the railings of the New-Zea-lander against the editor of this journal, because nobody minds them j but an attempt to injure the oomaiercial value of the Southern Cross, and thereby to enhance ift own, wast not be passed by without exposure.

Classical Concert.— By the notice in our advertizing columns, it will be seen that Herr Cnrl Schmitt's concert w ill take place at the Odd Fellows' Hall, on Monday next. We beliave that this will be the last occasion on which this very clever professor will perform in public, as a concerto player. We ceitainly wish that it may not be so, but Buch is the intention which he has signified. The programme speiks for itself; but we may add that the members of the Philharmonic Society have volunteered theii assistance— not is n Society, but as individuals, recognising the services of their able conductor. We hope that Herr Schmitt's concert will be well attended, not only on account of his talent at a violinist, which is of a very remarkable order, but also because of the good nature— the bonhommie which he has always manifested, cheerfully giving hit services wherever he could promote the amusements of the Auckland public. His freedom from professional vanity could not be better evinced than ' by his making no difficulty shout playing among the 2nd violins at our Choral Society, merely .because he was most wanted there, and under the leadership of an amateur. The taste for good music is now so rapidlydeveloping itself in Auckland, and our amateur societies are so strong in number, that the assistance of so finished an artist becomes important. But if we desire to retain his services, we must give him proper encouragement to make Auckland his permanent abode. Young Men's Christiax Association. — We are requested to call attention to an advertisement in cur columns to-day, announcing a lecture by J. Morpeth, Esq., late vice-president of the Young Men's Christian Association in Charlotte Town, Prince Edward Island, instead of the one advertized for the Rev. D. Bruce. We are also informed that that gentleman intends to preface his lecture by a history of the social and commercial progress of that city. We may fairly anticipate an interesting lecture. Mechanics' Institute. — Mr. Varty's lecture on I "Humour and Humourists" came off on Tuesday evening last, in the presence of a very large audience. We anticipated a good lecture, and were not disappointed. Mr. Varty possesses great powers as a lecturer, and never allows the interest of his hearers t o flag. The subject of his lectnre on Tuesday is of course one that has been often treated, and we therefore anticipated listen-ing to many old facetia and anecdotes. We did do so. but were delighted to hear many an old friend introduced by so able a raconteur as Mr. Varty. He gave the points of his minor hits admirably, and all present evidently thought so. But his longer quotations showed still higher capabilities of dramatic expression. We may mention in particular his quotations from Ben Jonson's "Every man to his humour" and one of Mrs. Caudle's "Curtain Lectures," both fendered with great comic powers. We hope to hear Mr. Varty again. His "Evening Star" newspaper gave great entertainment to his friends on board the ship which brought him out, and he has already succeeded in giving a most pleasant evening's amusement to the Auckland public. .