THE CZAR'S GRATITUDE.

Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 15, 18 January 1889, Page 2

THE CZAR'S GRATITUDE.

If the cable messago as to the Czar's manifesto of gratitude for his escape in the late railway accident is correct it must bo a very extraordinary document, and if orthodox, the doctrines of the Holy Greek Church must be rather peculiar in regard to the omniscience of the Deity. We are told that His Imperial Majesty claims that God is directing the destinies of Russia. Can his subjeots doubt it, or is it consistent with the tenets of the Eastern Church to believe that the destinies of any part of the world are otherwise direoted, or that the Supremo Being has a greater regard for Russia than for any other portion of his Creation. The Czar's gratitude for his own escape is, no doubt, honest and proper, but, certainly, the form of expression adopted strikes a stranger as almost approaching the blasphemous. Christendom will scarcely concede tho possibility of Russia enjoying any special, peculiar, or oxclusive measure of Divine protection or direction. A telegraphed account of the proceedings at Christchurch in connection with the arrest of G. E. Hodgson, particulars of an interesting Customs dispute in Auckland, sporting news, and lotters to the Editor, will be found on tho fourth page to-day. The Bpecial feature of our Saturday supplement to-morrow, will be an interesting historical sketch, by Mr. J. H. Wallace, entitled, " The Forty-ninth Anniversary of the Foundation of the Colony." The other items are:— "Temperance," "The Confessions of a Baby Farmer," '" What Her Heart Said," " Wouldn't Reciprocate," " The Deflections of the Nile," "News in Brief," &c, &c. The luncheon to be given by his Worship the Mayor to Admiral Fairfax and the officers of the Squadron will be held on Tuesday next in the City Council Chambers , instead of in the saloon of the Tainui, as was originally proposed. Durinpr his lifo the late Mr. Joseph Bnrne set a noble example of charity and liberality, and in his will he has continned this example. It contains the following bequests to deserving objects in this oity: — To the Wellington Society for the Relief of the Aged Needy, .£2000; to the Wellington Benevolent Institution, £1000 ; to tho Wellington Ladies' Christian Association, to be applied by snob, institution for the support and maintenance of the Alexandra Home for Friendless Women, J3IOOO. Mr. Burne's name will live in the gratefnl recollection of Wellington as one of its greatest public benefactors. It would be well if others whom Providence has blessed with wealth made as good a use of it. New regulations as to reoruiting for the Permanent forces are gazetted. Some new Postal and Treasury regulations appear in last night's Gazette. Mr. Arthur W. D. Bell is appointed Engineer-in-Charge of Public Buildings throughout the colony. Polling in connection with the election of a gentlemen to represent the Kilbirnie Ward in the Melrose Borough Council closed at 6 o'clock last evening, and shortly after the hour Mr. W. J. Foster, the Returning Officer, announced the result as follows :— Wm. Kerehaw, 3b" ; Thos. Chegwin, 24. A further adjournment for two weoks was this morning made by the Resident Magistrate for the hearing of the prosecution under the Beer Duty Act against Messrs. Hamilton and Edmonds, brewers, of Mitchelltown and Petone respectively. In addition to Admiral Fairfax and party, several of the Captains and other officers of the Squadron have notified to the management their intention of being present at the Opera House to-morrow to witness Mr. and Mm. George Darrell in " The Sunny South." '

The contractor for the Te Aro reclamation is now filling in the area underneath the shore end of the Queen's Wharf. In order to expedite the work, the Harbour Board has decided to close the Grey-street approach to vehicular traffic for a fortnight, still keeping room open for foot passengers, and diverting the heavy work to the Bran-don-street arm. Messrs. Jame3 M'Kerrow, F.R.A.8., W. M. Moskell, F.R.M.S., and A. S. Atkinson have been elected Governors of the New Zealand Institute by the incorporated societies. Mr. James Moore, who was a passenger by the Alma, sava that vessel sailed from Liverpool for Wellington direct, and arrived here in May, 1857. On taking his seat at the meeting of the Harbour Board yesterday afternoon, Mr. s>. Brown was congratu'ated by the Chairman of the Harbour Board on his election to membership of the Board as representative of the rat pajers. Mr. Brown heartily acknowledged the compliment. The increase of wool and flax traffic from the Wairarapa and Manawatn districts is shown in a return just prepared by the Secretary of the Harbour Board, showing the quantities received in Wellington by rail during the last eight seasons. In the wool season 1880-81, the numbe* of bales w« 8 6421; 1881-82, 6137 s 1882-83, 7313; 1883-84, 8146 ; 1884-85, 8175 j 1885 86, 9655 ; 1888-87 (when the Wellington-Manawatu Company opened for through traffic), 11,215 ; 1887-88, 12,849. For the present season the quantity of bales received by rail up to the 15th January was 14,470, of which 13,558 was wool and 912 flax. The total quantity <>f bales of wool, flax, Ac, shipped from Wellington was as follows :— lßßti, 53,187; 1887, 59,488; 1888, 78,092. The number of bales at present in the Board's shads is 12,500. Mr. Alex. J. Fraser, late of Wellington, and now manager in Sydney for the New Zealand Press Association/ has jnst won high honours at the Sydney Technical College. Mr. Fraser has for some years been an enthusiast in matters relating to electricity, and since his removal to Sydney he has attended the lectures at the Technical College, with tho result that he presented himself at the annual examinations in practical electricity and tejteraphy. Tho examiners' awards havy iust been announced, and Mr. Frasoa 6 distanced all other candidates in prt N-alN -al telegraphy, heading a long list, while. { practical electricity he has secured a HO^oud-grado pass. In both classoß many of those with whom he had to compete were students who had attended the lectures for more than a year, whereas he has only had the advantage of seven or eight months of such instruction. The Public Works Department have written to the Harbour Board, relative to the missing metal from the bells of the old Post Office clock, to the effect that considering the length of time which has elapsed since the fire took place, it is not considered that any benefit will result from continuing the enquiries into the matter. A most satisfactory letter was received from Admiral Fairfax at last night's meeting of the committee formed by the Templar (town) Lodges to entertain their naval brethren. The Admiral promised to allow all the Templars of the Squadron who could possibly be spared leave for Wednesday i.ext, 23rd inst., and as the entertainment is to take the form of a fruit banquet and conversazione, at which all the members of the order will appear in full regalia, a largo gathering of Templars and their friends may bo expected. It is probabJo that the sailors and their civilian brethren will march in procession from the wharf to the Roohabite Hall on that evening, headed by a band. It was decided that only the delegates from the lodges distribute the tickets. During the month of December the number of arrivals in the colony was 2298, and the number of departures 1250. Of the arrivals 658 were from the United Kingdom, 528 from New South Wales, 944 from Victoria, and 50 from Tasmania. At Auckland 339 arrived, at Wellington 521, at Lyttelton 233, at Dunedin 150, and at Invercargill 991. Of the departures 67 were for the United King, dom, 386 for New South Wales, 700 for Victoria, and 16 for Tasmania. From Auckland 335 persons loft, from Wellington 134, from Lyttelton 48, and from Invercasgill 693. An action for damages, brought by Robert J. Blakoy, expressman, against Kong Loe Young, a Chinese grocer, of Taranaki-street, was heard beforo Mr. Robinson, R.M., yesterday afternoon. The case arose out of an assault which was said to have been committed by tho defendant upon tho plaintiff on the 2Sth of last month, and damages wero assessed at £26 12s 6d. The evidence disclosed the fact that the plaintiff had been engaged by a Chinaman to do some carting, and upon completing the work he sought payment, but his employer took refuge in defendant's shop. Plaintiff followed him in, and becoming impatient at not receiving his foe, demanded payment from the defendant, who, it was alleged, became enraged and struck Blakey with a heavy stick, breaking one of his ribs and inflicting other serious injuries. His Worship, in giving judgment, commonted unfavourably upon the plaintiff's behaviour while in the defendant's shop, but considered tho assault was not justified. Judgment was given for £4 damages, with £3 costs. Mr. Menteath acted for the plaintiff and Mr. Morrah for the defendant. The concert of the Fisk Jubilee Singers' songs given at Kent-terrace Chutoh last ovening passed off very successfully. Thero was a large and enthusiastic audience, and their frequent bursts of applause no doubt indicated their appreciation of the excellence of the entertainment. Great praise is due to the choir, under the leadership of Mr. D. Donaldson, for their faithful interpretation and imitation of the rendering of theen slave songs, and to Miss M'lntyre, who played the accompaniments with such expression. In addition to tho choruses, appropriate sacred songs were rendered by Mrs. Bedford, Miss Cooper, and Mrs. Donaldson, each of which was encorod. The latter's singing of the unaccompanied bolo "I'm Troubled in Mind" was a special feature of tho entertainment. Mr. Cooper also contributed a solo entitled " The Promise of Jacob." A poll of the ratepayers of Petone will bo taken to-morrow, for the purpose of accept ing or rejecting a proposal to borrow £10,000 for water and drainage works to be carried out under Mr. H. P. Higginson, C.E. A majority of the exercisable votes on the roll will decide the poll Active steps for and against the proposal are being taken, so that the contest promises to be very keon. " The Sunny South " was produced at the Opera House last evening, and the performance proved an excellent one. The drama, which was played for the first time in Wellington when Mr. Darrell was last here, is one of the best whioh that gentleman haß written, and although of a highly sensational character it gives the audience a very good idea of what life on the early diggyigs in Australia was like. Some of the effects are very realistic, and, on the whole, the piece as played by the author and his company is one well worth witnessing. The principal characters were of course sustained by Mr. and Mrs. Darrell, the former appearing as Mat Morley, an Anglo-Austra-lian, and the latter as "Babs" Berkeley, and it is almost unnecessary to say that each was taken very satisfactorily. Mrs. Darrell's acting was particularly good, and she was frequently applauded. Mr. Alfred Rolfe was very happily cast for the part of Johnny Jinks, and Mr. F. Berkeley made a favourable impression as Tommy Toffs. Miss Mabel Tracey's impersonsation of Clarice Chester was very creditable indeed, and Mr. H. Diver as Ivo Came, of the genus new chum, had a part whioh suited him well. Mr. J. J. Kennedy was not seen to advantage aa Ben Brewer, a representative digger, and the same might be said of Mr. R. Vernon, who appeared as Dick Dnggan, a bushranger. Mr. C. Hill did fairly well as Eli Grup, a man on 'Change. Mr. F. C. Stephenson's portrayal of the character of Worthy Chester, an English gentleman, was an effective piece of acting. The remaining parts wero filled in a fairly satisfactory manner. The piece was well staged, and was performed without a hitch. It will be repeated ( this evening and to-morrow. _ The Mitchelltown supposed illicit distillation case was fixed for hearing in the Magistrate's Conrt thiß morning, but on being called was further adjourned, at the request of counsel, until Friday next. The adjournment was necessary in consequence of counsel being engaged in the Supreme Court. Alex. Turbett, against whom the Customs authorities prefer two separate charges under the Distillation Act, was admitted to his former bail. The Garrison Band are working very hard to make their dance at the Garrison Hall on Tuesday next a great success. A floor committee has been appointed to get the floor in good order for this occasion. By the departnre of [the Wakatipu yesterday we lost a well-known oitizen in the person of Mr. T. Michie, M.R.C.V.S., who, after a residence in Wellington of about 10 years, again returns to Sydney. Prior to his departure a number of his friends mustered around him and presented him with a farewell address and a purse of sovereigns, the first expressive of their respect and esteem, and the second to purchase a box of veterinary snrgical instruments as a memento of his sojourn in Wellington. Mr. Robinson, R.M., gave judgment for the plaintiffs yesterday afternoon in the civil cases of Mrs. J. Ormsbee v. W. J Hunt, £13 13s 4d, with £2 7s costs, and W. Freeman v. F. Ansdell, £3 13s, with 6s costs. In the case of Mrs. Taylor v. J. Driscoll, claim £2 lla 6d, judgment was given for the defendant. At the Magistrate's Court this morning, before Mr. H. W.Robinson, R.M., a first offender was brought up on a charge of drunkenness, and wag discharged with a caution. Margaret Williams, alias " Opium Mag," similarly charged, begged hard of his Worship for " one more chanoe," which the Conrt was pleased to allow. James Carson, Arthur Briggstead, and Joseph Mandel were each fined ss, with 7s costs, for having been possessed of weights whioh had not been duly stamped, and William Carpenter was likewise fined for having neglected to take a similar precaution in respect to a pint measure. This was all the business. The Tui and Hutt Baseball Clubs try conolnsions to-morrow afternoon at the Hutt, the town players going out by the 2 o'olock train. The following players will represent the Tui Clvb :— M'Gifford, Flynn, Woods (captain), Curtis, Henderson, Barker, Hanlon, Cowan, M'Culloch, and Barnes. A practice baseball match will be played by the Wellington Baseball Club at Newtown Park at 2.30 to-morrow afternoon. In view of the necessity for practice for the match againßt the Hutt on the following Saturday, members are requested to roll up in strength. A tea and pnblio meeting, under the auspices of the Petone contingent of the Salvation Army, was held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Petone, last evening. About sixty 1 arsons partook- of the tea, after which addresses were delivered by Captain RobertBon (from Wellington), U. O. M'Miken (of Petone), the Rev. Thomas M'Donald (Presbyterian), and several others. There were ibout 200 present at the public meeting, rhe Rev. D. J. Murray (Wesleyan) was also present

The Napier Telegraph urgea that town to follow the example of Wellington and amalgamate its licensing districts. After a short session of the Star of Wellington Lodge of Good Templars at the Foresters' Hall, Lambton Quay, last evening, the doors were thrown open to receive the blue-jacket members of the Order from the Squadron and the general public, so that at eight o'clock the hall was crammed almost to suffocation, it having been previously announced thai A ffuit batqilet and concert would be given oil this oocdßtoii. The Rev. Mr. Shierer took the chair, aild stated in his opening address tbat he had been 18 years a member of the Order, and was pleased to witness so many of his sea-going friends present. The following ladieß and gentlemen took part in the concert, a considerable portion of them being from the men-of-war : —Misses Glover (2), Murdock, Sawyer, and Messrs. Hamilton, Campbell, Fi3her, Foster, Hale, Balse, Mnnt, Johnson, Printer, Griffin, Jones, Snell, and Spires. One of the Miss Glover's gave a good recitation. Miss Russell and Mr. Curtis gave bell symphonies, which were highly appreciated. The gentleman who presided at the piano gave entire satisfaction. The proceedings, which were of the liveliest character, wero concluded between 10 and 11 o'clock. A. Liudsay & Son advertise thrtt they are opening to-night the Te Aro Mutual Cash Boot and Shoe Store, iri the business operations of which quality, pheapness, uad civility, are to be tne leading characteristics. The firm's premises are in Cuba-street, next door to those of Mr. Cf esi>in, grocer, Several sgecial lines of goods are referred to in the advertisement. At the request of several ladies residing *t Thorndon, a thoroughly trained teacher will open a private kindergarten aud preparatory school on Monday; 28th instant. Further particulars will be found in the ad\ ertisement. Mr. C. E. Matthews, solicitor, has opened a branch office at Riddiford-street, Newtown. Noble Campbell * Co. will aell to-morrow, fruit, horsei, traps, &c. Francis k idey & Co. will sell to-morrow, furniture, drapery, fowls, &c. Cuningham, Badham & Co. will sell to-morrow, at the rear of the New Zealander Hotel, horses, chaff, &c. During the past month our showroom was daily attended by large nnmbers of ladies intent on inspecting and purchasing the attractive items in the millinery and mantle departments at Te Aro House. In millinery we were fortunate in being able to exactly suit the taste of our patrons, and for Btyle, fashion, and the harmonious blending colours, wo are as yet unrivalled in the city. We have still the same ability and means at our command, and during the present month shall show some apeaial noveltiea in ladieß' trimmed hats, millinery, bonnets, and nntrimmed hats, at Te Aro House. Our mantle and costume department has also been the Bcece of great activity. We have Bold an amazing number of ladiea' jackets and mantles of the most fashionable description, and our costumes have been the subjects of much admiration at Te Aro House. We have a very choice lot of ladies' costnmes, in all descriptions of fabi ics, and in a great variety of fashionable styles, comprising prints, zephyrs, sateen brocne, Swiss embroidered, veilings, Pongee and Liberty silks, ranging from 5s Gd to six guineas, at To Aro House. We cordially invite any visitors from the country who may be staying for a while in the city to visit our showroom when every attention and civility will bo shown, without attempting to press purchases, at Te Aro House. — Advt. Hitherto all persons who have ever started a reform in either business or social circles have been persecuted by their fellows, and all sorts of damaging reports spread about, calculated to injure their business. This sort of thing is being done by some of my fellow- tradesmen, who see before them some of their fat profits cut down to a reasonable amount. One of the reports is that the extra pair of trousers are very inferior, and soon wear out. This, I need hardly aay, ia the result of trade jealousy, and is without the slightest truth. The suits purchased at any of my branches are made by the best class of hands obtainable, and of the best tweeds in the market, the only difference in my system is that I halve my profit with my customers by giving an extra pair of tronsers with each suit, and of the same material, if desired, or any other of the same value. Everybody knows that a coat and vest will wear out two pair ot trousers, and that is my reason for giving an extra pair of trouaera with eaoh suit. J. H. Dalton, Tailor, 43, Cuba-street.— Advt. Baxter's Lung Preserver has gained great popularity in this district as a speedy and effectual remedy in the treatment of Coughs, Colds, Bronchitis, and other chest and throat comDlaints. — Advt.