Evening Post. FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1881. THE PREMIER'S SPEECH.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 122, 27 May 1881, Page 2

Evening Post. FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1881. THE PREMIER'S SPEECH.

In another column will be found a carefullycondensed telegraphic report of the speech delivered last night at Leeston by the Premier. ' Owing to- the length to which the report extends, see are compelled to defer until another day our comments on the numerous matters touched on by Mr. Hall. It will be seen that the Ministerial programme for the ensuing session as finally decided upon is practically the same as that whioh we had already intimated as likely to be adopted, including the plan for the reform of the Legislative Council recently explained in our columns

It is rumoured to-day that a farther release of Maori political prisoners is likely to take place almost immediately, the previous experimental liberations having proved wholly satisfactory in their results It is also reported that the Hinemoa will convey these natives to Wellington before bringing up the members of Parliament for the session. Private information indicates the probability of Mr J. C. Richmond having a hard fight for the Nelson seat, if indeed he be not defeated by his opponent, Mr. Levestam. In the latter case the Government would lose and their opponents gain a vote, thus making a difference of two in the relative strength of parties. Great efforts are being made to get a strong candidate in the Opposition interest to contest the Grey Valley seat' with Mr.'G. G FitzGerald. It is believed that an influential local candidate will shortly be announced. It is reported that Sir George Grey still contemplates a "stumping" tour of the colony before the session, or at least before the real work begins. He is expected to deliver addresses in Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill. Rumor says that he would have started earlier but for the announcement that the Premier would speak just prior to the session.* On this Sir George experienced a severe relapse of his troublesome complaint in the leg, which has entirely prevented his going "onthe stump" until Mr. Hall had spoken. We notice that Wellington does aot appear to be included" in his list. " Mr. Hautrie West, the new organist and choirmaster of St. Peter's Church, Willisstreeti arrived from Inveroargill - to-day bythe To Anau. He will enter on his duties on Whit Snndayj sth June. We have much pleasure in welcoming him to Wellington, and wish him all success in his professional career in thia city. " J.B<" writes to us as follows :—": —" As a very vague idea has been given of the position of the comet, it will render it more easy for observers to find its position readily by ! explaining that it is at the apex of a triangle, of which the stars Canopus and Sirius form the extremities of the base, and that it is below these stars." oertain nott-payiftjj 'stations., in the Wellington District affected' by the change are Hutt, Ca9tlepoint Jr; Tinui, Turakina, Sanson, and; WoodviHe. - Several new reserves; have been made in the Wellington district for the growth and preservation of < .timber. These reserves comprise (-36,405/ acres in the Waiohine, Eritonga and Akatarawa survey districts, 13,860 in the and Akatarawa districts, and 31,^00 acres in the Rimntaka, Wairarapa, Onoke, Pencarrow and Belmont survey districts. The hist reserye adjoins that proposed to be made for the Wellington waterworks at Wainuiomata. The following Wellington tickets drew horses in Tonka' sweep on the Adelaide Birthday Cup: —357 (Adventurer), 386 (Sovereign), 377 (President). Tne annual meeting of the Wesleyan Mutual- Improvement Society was held last evening l/ and'wafr numerously attended, the Rev. W. Kirk (president) occupying the chair. The report of the committee showed that the society continues to be in a satisfactory condition. The "good" members on the books amount to thirty-seven, and the average attendance at the weekly meetings fifteen. The balance-sheet exhibited the cash in hand at £4 18s 6d. Alterations having been effected to a number of rules, the election of officers for the ensuing term took place, and resulted as follows:—President, Rev. W. Kirk (re-elected); vice-presi- . dents, Rev. R. Bavin, Messrs. G. B. Clarke pnd G. Tiller; secretary, Mr. W. J. Dust (re-elected); treasurer, Mr. A. Goddard (reelected); librarian, Mr. E. Fuller; committee, Messrs. W. J. Helyer, W. G. Tustin, \V. E. Fuller, and R. Renner. Thanks were accorded to the retiring officers, and the drawing up of the new regulations was postponed until a fr.ture meeting. Cadets H. M. Smith and J. T. Phillips have been appointed Assistant Surveyors. Mr. G. B.Davy has been appointed Examiner of Titles for Wellington, and Mr. J. W; Shaw Assistant Laud Registrar for the same district. Messrs. W. Littlejohn and Sons write to .us pointing out that our allusion to the watches shown by them at the Industrial Exhibition may be liable to misconception, and requesting to be allowed to state positively that the watohes in question were made at their establishment by a member of their firm. We can only assure Messrs. Littlejohn that our paragraph was not intended to cast the slightest doubt on the matter. A proclamation defining the " middle line" of a portion of the CTofton section of " the railway from Wellington to Foxton by Johnsonviile and Porirua" is gazetted. Mr. W. G. Beard has been appointed the agent of the Public Trustee at Greytown. • Sir William Fox, Mr. J. G. Holdsworth, and Mr. C. P. Powles have been appointed School Commissioners for the Wellington District. The removal of the Government Insurance Office to the Government Buildings, Custom Honse Quay, is gazetted. At the opera last night, Weber's " Der Freischntz" was produced. It is needless to describe the performance, as we criticiaed it fully very lately on the company's former visit. To-night, Verdi's finest work, "Un Ballo in Maschera" will be given for the first time by thi3 company in Wellington, and his Excellency the Governor has announced bis intention of being present. The Star of Wellington Lodge was convened last evening, in a room over the old Supreme Court, Bro. Thompson occupying the chair, 'i hree candidates were duly admitted as members of the Order. After a variety of discussions on different topics, the; meeting closed with the usual ceremonies, At the Vivian-street Baptist Church tonight a service of song, founded on Bunyan's " Holy War," will bo given in aid of the Church fund. The police are blamed—sometimes justly, frequently ucjuatiy —for carrying out their duties in a harsh manner. It is right, therefore (says the Lyttelton Tjmeg) to record what may be said on the other side of the question. Recently the wife of a citizen of Wellington, over-elated at a turn for the better in her husband's prospects, developed snob a strong tendency towards dipsomania, thai) thg section of the Act which pro'.vido3 for the incarceration in a Lunatic Asylum, of persons co afljioted, had to be brought into force. The ooqssabie charged with the duty of arresting the lady, learning that the form which her insanity took was that of extreme extravagance, and that amongst other of her requirements was a magnificent mansion, commensurate with her husband's increased means, hit upon the plan of presenting himself in the capacity of a house agent. The lady cheerfully entered the cab in waiting, and, on being conveyed to the Mount View Lnnatio Asylum, instantly offered a rental of £95 per annum, and took immediate possession. There, w»s both tftot ami kinojijieaa in the proceeding.

In the Conrt of Appeal yesterday argument was commenced in Thompson v. Hand-1-y and another (a special case reserved), and was not concluded at two o'clock this afternoon. The case came on for trial at Wanganui in April la3t, before the Chief Justice and a special jury, the action being to determine the ownership of the lease of a piece of native land. Messrs Handley Brothers had acquired the lease of the land originally.bnt the term having expired, they obtained a renewal from the natives, but failed to register it under the Deeds Registration Act. Mr. Thompson had also obtained a lease of the same land, of which he claims to be the rightful lessee^ The question at issue beings purely legal one, it was resolved to submit a case to the Court of Appeal to decide as to who is legally entitled to the land. The license fee for shooting game in the Wellington District has been reduced from 30s to 20s. A cricket match played at Johnsonviile 8n the jQneen's Birthday between juvenile teams representing Johnsonville and Ohariu, resulted in a win for the former with 14 runs to spare. Not content with showing up Trickett on the Thames, Hanlan has been telling the Transatlantic public what a profound contempt he entertains for his abilities as a sculler. Says the Canadian, "Heis a blowhard, and much inferior to Laycock." All the time Hanlan was trainingj so he states, Trickett was chaffing him, as if the business he had in hand was but a farce. " That," goea on the Torontonian, " was why I played with and finally gave him such a dressing. I could have had a comfortable nap on board my skiff, so .little did I fear him catching me." A London telegram to the Sydney News, dated 10th May, says :— " Mr. Bradlaugh has formally renewed his demand to be permitted to enter the House of Commons and take the oath and his seat, as he has already declared his [willingness to do. The House has agreed to the demand, and Mr. Brad- | laugh is to be admitted. Sir Stafford Northcote's motion, it has been determined, shall i remain in abeyance' for the present, contingent on Mr. Bradlaugh engaging not to disturb the deliberations of the House." Spelling reformers in Germany propose to hold an International Congress in September at Berlin, simultaneously with the Congress of Orientalists The objects .for consideration are the formation ot a common alphabet for Europe, a common alphabet for the East, and, finally, a universal alphabet. This is a sufficiently ambitious project; but the scheme is approved by some of the most eminent philologists, and presumably competent scholars avow their confidence in its practicability. On the subject of juvenile performances^ a deputation, representing School Boards .Qf Advice, waited on Mr. Berry on the 15th inst., and urged the Victorian Government' to adopt measures to prevent the employment of children of tender years in theatres or places of amusement. In reply, Mr. Berry said it would be very deplorabliJf it should become a practice for young children to be trained to amuse adults in theatres at an age when they ought to be ocoupiedwith schoollessons. But for pressure of business he would have made it a point to witness the perform incea in question, and would probably have taken some steps to stop them. The Government had power to prohibit dramatic performances, but it should only be exercised in extreme cases. He was in favor of adopting fresh legislation to prevent the employment of children in this way, Bave in exceptional coses, as where a child had developed extraordinary talent for music, and it was desirable to cultivate it in a special way. It was his intention to bring the matter under the notice of his colleagues ; before next session. France is naturally .very proud of the latest proof of her ability to raise a milliard loan without an effort ; but (remarks the Pall Mall Gazette) after all has been said concerning the evidence which it affords_ of the wealth and credit of the Republic, this system of mortgaging the income of posterity cannot be regarded with complacency. The money iB wanted for carrying on the, great public works designed by M. de Freyoinet, over -which the French Govern- 1 ment propose to spend twenty millions a year for the next ten years. France already owes £940,000,000, and the issue of the new loan, to cay nothing of those whioh are to follow, will raise the national indebtedness to close upon, a thousand millions sterling^ — a colossal burden for even the strongest shoulders. The proceeds of the new loan will be applied solely for the construction of railways, canals, roads, &c, but every fresh demonstration of the ease and rapidity with which France cau fill her- ' treasury will increase the anxiety with which she is watched by her^ neighbors across the jeaffiern frontier. It is not wonderful th*t ?ffllfce~" d S^bSriftr ¦ -are, asking, moreover, .whather iiria all really destined for public works. - From an announcement in another column our readers will perceive that there is to be a special display of new autumn millinery, in the- spacious showroom at Te Aro House, to-morrow (Saturday). J