The Evening Star. DUNEDIN, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15, 1865.

Evening Star, Volume III, Issue 789, 15 November 1865, Page 2

The Evening Star. DUNEDIN, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15, 1865.

Mr. B. C. Haggitt took his seat at the Executive table to-day, he having been appointed Provincial Solicitor.

An adjourned meeting of the Dunedin Dodge, 631 E. C., will take place at the Masonic Hall to-morrow evening, at half-past seven o’clock.

Mr Vogel, M.P. C. , and M.H.8., addressed his constituents at Waikouaiti on Monday evening last. We regret that our limited space will not allow of our reprinting his speech.

We understand that a grand fete champitre will take place at Vauxha.ll Gardens on St Andrews Day, the 30th inst., in aid of the benevolent funds of the English and Scottish Masonic bodies.

On dit that a testimonial banquet is to be given to Mr Vincent Pyke in recognition of his recent successful expedition to tba West Coast.

There was no alteration in the programme at the Princess Theatre last night, “The Truant Tamed” being repeated with moderate success, followed by the burlesque of “Ye Lady of Lyons,” the excellence of which was evidently appreciated by the audience. The construction of the first piece is, as we have already remarked, somewhat feeble, and affords but little scope for the display of talent. The acting of Miss Julia Matthews was, however, very superior, and so charmingly natural in its style as to elicit the warmest expressions of enjoyment on the part of every one present. The performance of the burlesque was an unqualified success. Miss Julia Mathews exhibited all her accustomed grace and talent as Claude Melnotte, and Mr John Dunn was extremely amusing as Pauline. In fact the per o.'inance of these two artistes in this burlesque is really inimitable, and should be witnessed by all admirers of original humor. During the evening Little Laura danced a hornpipe, which was encored. This evening there' will be a partial changeiu the performance, the drama of “Harold Hawk” being the first piece, followed by “Ye Laiy of Lyons.” Other entertainments will also be presented, introducing the .grand National Tableau, illuminated by the magnesium light, and several songs by Miss Julia Matthews. This is an attractive programme, and will doubtless ensure a full |IOUE«,

Ih iho Resident Magistrate’s Oororfe to-day Jane M'Kay was fined 20s and eosts for drunkenness. Gao. Macaulay, charged with lunacy, was remanded for medical examination. Jas. M'Kellar, Thos. Edwards, and Wm. Matthews were each fined 20s and costs for fighting in Stafford street. In the case of Huston v. J. A. Chapman, a claim for a £IOO, an adjournment was granted until the 29th inst., on account of the illness of the defendant ; a cross action between the same parties was similarly adjourned, Geo. Pearson, jun., v. David Proudfoot, claim of £45, was adjourned until the 13th December for the production of a material witness. Dyer v. Hoskruge, claim of £IOO, was adjourned until the 29th inst. on the ground of insufficient time. Nonsuits were given in the cases of Hannigan v. Herbert, Haynes, and Co., £3l 10s 4d ; Cairns v. Brenchly an d Rush ton, £23 ; and Christie v. Bissett, £2O, on account of the non-appearance of the plaintiffs. Judgment for the plaintiff was given in the case of Fargie v. Borthwick, £7.

Miss Edith Palmerston’s entertainment is evidently increasing in popular favor. A very good audience assembled last evening, which, judging by the many tokens of satisfaction that were elicited, was highly pleased with the versatile accomplishments of the fair artiste. The programme of characters assumed by Miss Palmerston in her Household Sketches included “ Mrs Flyntskin” the Boarding House keeper ; Jemima Jane, the “ Slavey;” Kittyßrushit, the Housemaid; Dickey Hartshorn, the Doctor’s Boy ; Peggy Paring, the Charwoman, Miss Letitia Doubleface, and Handy Andy. Of these various characters, Miss Palmerston’s best representations wore undoubtedly Mrs Flyntskin, Kitty Brushit, and Dickey Hartshorn. As portraitures of below-stairs life they were excellent ; and elicited a considerable amount of laughter. As Mrs Flyntskin, Miss Palmerston gave a very vivid photograph—if jwe may use the term, of a London lodging-house keeper, whose profits depend a good deal on the habits and weaknessess of her lodgers, and who hates the “chop lodger,” from whom “ pcrkisites” are impossible. Her Kitty Brushit was certainly an amusing and clever performance. Kitty—a good-looking and loquacious housemaid, has a “young man in the Hoss Guards,” who takes her to the play, and other amusements, as regularly as Kitty’s quarter’s wages are paid, and who smokes an awful lot of cigars at her expense—and she, as in duty bound, thinks a great deal of Jack; her soliloquies on whose virtues interfere considerably with the quick performance of her duties. Then Kitty must needs talk about the lodgers—of Miss Gushington, the amateur actress and dramatic writer in particular, and describe how she receives her friends, and so on, —all of which Miss Palmerston does to the life. The Doctor’s Boy is an intensely amusing character, and affords the opportunity for a description of the interior regime of a practitioner’s establishment, which is wrought out admirably by the actress. BLandy Andy is another good portrait. In fact, the various sketches are excellent of their kind, and evceedingly amusing. Of course, Miss Palmerston intersperses a number of appropriate songs and ditties, some of which are very comic, and all are tunefully sung. The scene from Lady Andley’s Secret, although it disclosed considerable dramatic power on the part of the actress, is in our opinion an inappropriate adjunct to the entertainment, and throws upon Miss Palmerston the hard and impossible task of giving Uriah led an incident crowded with sensational points, and involving dialogue which no one person not a ventriloquist can keep up, and at the same time preserve any approach to illusion. We would also recommend that in the ‘ ‘ Household Sketch,’’some unity of locality be preserved, and it would be far better to present them as sketches of London life than to admit the confusion consequent on Mr Quilter talking of “ talcing a walk down Bourke Street,” “coming out in the Great Britain,” and at the same time reading Dunedin papers, whilst Kitty Brushit speaks of jaunting out to “ Woolioh” with her sweetheart in the “Horse Guards.” On the whole, however, we must pronounce Miss Palmerston’s entertainment very well worth witnessing.