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Evening Star, Volume III, Issue 832, 5 January 1866, Page 2

It is notified in another column that the Directors of the Caledonian Society will meet this evening at 8 o’clock at the Committee Rooms, “to settle business connected -with the games.”

The sooner the Provincial Council is prorogued the- better for the places of- amusement in town. What with the attraction offered by the legislative antics at Parley’s Hall, and the wet weather last evening, the Princess and Royal Theatres were but thinly attended. At the former house “ Gwynneth Vaughan ” was repeated with Considerable success, and the Farce of “ Little Toddlekins ” was rattled through with great spirit, dt is a thoroughly laughable affair, and the united efforts of Miss Cassy Matthews, Miss A. Wiseman, and Messrs Richardson and F. Howe kept the audience in a constant state of laughter. The Burlesque of the “ Maid and the Magpie ” concluded the entertainment, not before Miss Julia Matthews bad delighted all present with the character of “Pippo.” Tonight that very excellent comedy of “ Faces in the Fire” will be produced, and as the weather hast cleared up there will no doubt be a full bouse. There will be a “ fashionable night” at the Royal this evening, and the programme of ■the wizard-Jacob’s wonderful entertainment will be entirely changed. The “ Davenport ropetrick” is very successfvlly exposed, and a “mysterious bag” is spoken of as being something wonderful even for a conjurer to behold. “Barlow,” the inimitable,!also operated against the other places of amusement last evening by commencing the first of his short series-of performances at the Corinthian Hall. The Hall was pretty full,- and the novel songs and musical performances of the artiste were continually encored. The bills announce an entire change of programme each evening. Mackay’s Almanac, of which we have received a copy, maintains the high character former ■ issues have gained for it. -It embraces directories for the various goldfields, and statistical information, speaks well for the

diligence and research of hhe compiler. It also contains an itinerary, which, will he of great use to travellers in the Provinces

The Edinburgh Weehly Scotsman writes thus of an old Dunedin favorite :—On Thursday night Mr Holt appeared at the Princess Theatre as Hamlet and received a very warm reception. One-of the disadvantages which an actor has to contend with in essaying :this part is the high degree of excellence which playgoers are apt to demand, from having become accustomed to the delineation of the character by great artists. The public are too apt to judge the aspirant not so much on his own merits as by a standard with which the acting of our best tragedians has made them familiar. It therefore .not uhfrequently occurs that the performance of a secondrate actor, although good, is not in itself so well received as it would be under• other circumstances. Mr Holt; however, possesses abilities sufficiently high to.give something of individuality in his acting, and -to overcome the prejudice to which we refer. His -talents are far above mediocrity, and his manner creates a very favorable impression on the audience. He has a good conception of the part.;-and if he fail to stir the higher sensibilities, or grasp comprehensibly the more delicate subtleties of the text, he makes amends by the good taste and discrimination which he displays. One noticeable feature in his performance is his freedom from. rant. His interpretation is that of a careful and diligent student ; and-alt. cugh he does not move by the depth or power of his personation, he guards judiciously against whiimsicality or exaggeration. He, -moreover, posses a merit that is sufficiently rare on the stage to be worthy of mention. His enunciation is clear and-distinct, and tells with effect upon the audience. As a whole, his performance deserves praise and encouragement.

The Oamavu 'Times accounts for the stoppage of Telegraphic communication with the North. It says :—One day last week the telegraph posts in the bed of Waitaki -River were carried away by the flood—of course also breaking the wires-and stopping all communication with the North: Steps have been taken for re-

placing them, but fim cost'%ill 'doubtless be cdn* siderable ; and it is to be hopedthat the repairs will be made in such a manner that a like accident will not occUr 'agam. The cost of replacing the posts cannot he compared to -the inconvenience occasioned to the, public, both north and south, and it is only further - aggravated 'by the thought that three or four week’s revenue is lost to the General Government in consequence of these posts being erected on the cheapest, and consequently least secure plan. We 'are informed that a like mishap occurred about the same time in the bed of the Eakaia in -Canterbury.”

The Bruce Herald criticises the present Government thus:—“Of the new Ministry Mr Adam was a prominent member of the Executive celebrated in connection with the Land Tax Proclamation, which alone should clisquaHfy him as a member of any Government, -even were his antecedents far more favorable than they are. Mr Moss, Mr Haggitt, and Mr Hughes were members of the Executive which '-was in office when the Council met. 2STo one wanted them to resign at all, but they chose to do so on-a cer-tain-question, and now by returning to office without even the slightest attempt to rescind the vote on which they resigned, they must be held to have sacrificed all political-honor and consistency. Poor Otago is very much in the position of the geese in HSsop’s well-known fable. Money is being squandered, and public business neglected, while the Council is amusing -itself. vVe have repeatedly advocated the entire aboli-’ tion of those mischievous institutions—-Provin-cial Councils—and to this it must sooner or later come ; but for the present the only remedy'We see for the existing absurd state of things is a dissolution, and an appeal to the electors -to return a very different class of persons as members; men who,-as.entrusted with a grave trust, will endeavor to discharge it faithfully; who will rule their votes according to the measures -themselves, without regard to by whom introduced, and who will endeavor to make the Council at least as respectable and business-like as a Parish Vestry or Town Board,”