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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2654, 19 August 1871, Page 2

Clutha Railway. —Messrs McLeod and Co’s, tender for the Clutha contract of the Otago Southern Trunk Railway has been accepted by the Minister of Public Works. The amount is, avc believe, considerably under the engineer’s estimate. Religious. —We have been informed that the Rev. Mr Roseby of Sydney, who was recently in Dunedin, has accepted the call to the pastorate of thr Congregational Church, Moray Place, and is expected to arrive here by the Tararua about the 6th September. Mayor’s Court. —At this Court to-day, Alex. M‘Crae was fined 20s for using obscene language, and mulcted in the sum of 15s. for damaging constable Turnbull’s uniform. Fred. Jones was remanded until Monday, on a charge of oi tabling money from P. Allen, of the City Buffet, by means of a false pretence.

Fine Arts. — The drawing of Mr Irvine’s Art Union came off this day with the following results:—Mr I'avid Baxter, first prize ; Mr William Hepburn, second prize; Mr David Iloss, third prize; Mr James Black, fourth prize ; Mrs Main, fifth prize ; Air J. S, We oh, sixth prize ; Mrs Tains, seventh prize; Mr David Hunter, eighth prize. St, Andrew’s Church. — The Presbytery of Dunedin at their meeting on Wednesday last, at the request of Bt. Andrew’s congregation, fixed Wednesday, the 30th iust., to moderate in a call to a minister for them, and appointed that the Presbytery should meet for such purpose in St. Andrew’s Church on the evening of that day. Acclamitisation. —The acclimatisation of the brown trout appears to have been very successful in Southland. One day last week Mr Howard, the local society’s curator, caught a male trout, age I 2 years 10 months, in the breeding ponds at Makerewa. In the home country it would be considered above the average, being eighteen inches long, ten in girth, and weighing 21 bs 7oz-».

Concert. —We were glad to see that the concert given at the Masonic Hall last evening, in aid of the widow and orphans of the late John Craigic, who was drowned in the Upper Harbor recently, was largely attended. A programme comprising an unusually large selection of vocal and instrumental music, was gone thtough, to the evident satisfaction of those present.

Telegraphy. —One great drawback in telegraphic communication throughout the Colonies is the want of a uniform method of transmitting messages. This evil it is sought to remedy; and the Postmaster-General of Victoria (Mr JDufFy) has placed himself in communication with Ministers in other Colonies, so that Morse’s code for telegraphing messages might be universally adopted throughout the Colonies. If this attempt be successful, the task of operators will be rendered much easier, and the convenience of the public will be increased.

Gaol Return. —The following is the state of H. M. Gaol, Dunedin, for the week ending 19th August Awaiting trial, 3 men, 1 woman ; under remand, 1 man, 0 women ; penal servitude, ,8S men, 0 women ; hard labor, 51 men, 13 women; imprisonment, 0 men, 0 women ; in default off bail, 2 men, debtors, 3, Total, 140 men ; 14 women. Received during the week, 7 men, 3 women ; discharged, 8 men, 1 woman. One of the prisoners in default of bail is also at labor. The prisoner under remand is also at labour.

Our Provincial Council. The Evening Post, a journal that regards with favor the action of Mr Reid’s tail, speaks of the Land debate thus :—lt should be remembered that the tax-payers of the Otago Province may not exactly appreciate the course adopted of devoting several weeks to the discussion of Land Resolutions -the sittings costing something like LOO a day -and then so framing them as to make it almost certain that they will be rejected by the Colonial Legislature. Certainly the electors of Otago have not much reason to be proud of their Provincial Council, and in face of the recent wasted session, it is not surprising that the Superintendent, in proroguing it, declined to stamp its proceedings with any word of approval. The Shady Side of Pedestrian ism, —A curious case, and somewhat of the nature of an exposure, came before the Resident Magistrate’s Court at Wellington a few days ago, A young man named Pyke sued Bird, one of the champion pedestrians, for L 4, the prize won by the claimant at some foot-races a few days before, and which defendant refused to pay. The defence was that the race was a sham, Pyke being allowed to win by previous arrangement, and having no claim on the nominal stakes, as he paid no entrance money. Pyke denied this; and the Bench gave judgm-nt for the amount, and costs. Considering that Bird netted LIOO by the day’s performances, one would have thought that, for his own credit’s sake, ho would never have allowed the case to come before the Court.

Theßifle Challenge.— With reference to the public challenge of MrJ. W. Walker, of the Thames, to shoot a match with

Capt. Wales, the obampion of ;New Zealand, or ‘‘any other man,” for any sum from LSO to L 250, and which challenge has been conditionally accepted on behalf of Capt. Wales by Mr W. Kennedy, of Otago (at present resident in Auckland), we are informed that the latter gentleman yesterday deposited in the hands of Inspector Thomson, of tne Armed Constabulary (also an old Otagan) the sum.of L 25, pending the expected arrival in town of Mr Walker, when, if satisfactory arrangements are concluded, the money will be handed over to Captain Murray, of the Thames Scottish Volunteer Corps, who already holds a deposit of a similar amount from Mr Walker.— l Veto Zealand Herald, August G. Canterbury’s Cathedrae. —; The grand Canterbury Cathedral (-ays the Wellington , n osi) that was to have been built in Cathedral square,’Christchurch, for which L 25,000 was promised in a few weeks, and the foundation stone of which was laid with all the pomp and ceremony possible on such an occasion, lias come to a most ignominious end. For years the foundation stone has been lying uncovered in a dreary waste, enclosed by palings, and looking more like an uncared-for tombstone than anything else. The Canterbury people commenced to build and were not able to finish, and perhaps it is not too much to say that, in so doing, they have made themselves the laughing-stock of the rest of the Colony. It is now suggested that the grand idea of a cathedral should be altogether abandoned, that the site should be sold, that the foundation stone laid with such honor should bo knocked down a little lower by an auctioneer’s hammer, and the proceeds should he devoted to meet the increasing Church necessities throughout the Province.

Marriage: with a Deceased Wipes Sister. —The Bill to legalise marriage with a deceased wife’s sister is, We understand, to bo introduced by a private member of the Bouse of Representatives, but will most likely receive the support of the Government, The Dally Times is in error in stating that the South Australian measure was disallowed by the Privy Council. Advices wero received by the South A ustra'ian Government by the June Suez mail that the Queen had assented to the Bill in consideration of the strong feeling expr ssed in that Colony in favor of the measure. Apropos of the subject, Hr Adler, chief rabbiof the Jewish Church, speaking at a meeting in London in favor of legalising marriage with a deceased wife’s sister, said he was convinced such unions wore not prohibited by the law of God, adding, “ I know that for throe thousand years such marriages have been contracted among my own people, except in those countries whore they are prohibited by the law of the land; and I have learned from my own experience that such alliances have proved happy. ” Important to Millers. — According to the Mark Lam Express to hand, by the Suez mail a revolution in the practice of mining is imminent— u Carr, of Bristol, has brought out a machine for grinding corn, without the intervention of stones of any kind, except for the purpose of reducing the inferior products of the grain which are left incomplete by the machine. The machine occupies the space of o -ly 12ft. by Bft., while, as is said, it will reduce, ‘ with perfect ease,’ .from 20 to 25 quarters, or from 160 to 200 bushels, per hour, thus doing the work of more than 20 pairs of stones, reduced to 25 by requiring five pairs to grind tho semolina, or middlings, and bran, if required. The Hour, of which a sample has been sent, handles very soft, which in other flour would indicate a want of strength, and consequently a less production of bread per sack. It is ma : ntaincd, however, that this flour wiil produce more bread than the common flour, and that it fetches several shillings per sack more than that made by millstones on the Edinburgh market, where, at the mills of Messrs Gibson and Walker, one of the machines has been at work for some weeks.” Our millers will, doubtless, quickly ascertain the value of the assumed improvement.

The “ Daily Times ” and Gkeville’s Agkncy. —Our contemporary has had the hardihood to say of Greville’s agent here that “ho ought to hare known better than to rely upon any rumor published in that journal,” meaning thereby the Evening Star. This is intendrd to throw discredit upon a paragraph we published some time ago, giving a reason why the Government declined to go on with the prosecution instituted against Mr Barton, in which it was intimated that Mr Mnston had declined to give evidence in the case in the Supremo Court. If not literally true, this was substantially correct, for though holding the Governor’s pardon, he would give no promise that he would not take advantage of tho privilege which tho law gave hit#, of declining to gire evidence on the ground that it might tend to criminate himself. And this refusal was given in such terms as to lead to tho irresistible conclusion that he intended to avail himself of that privilege. The editor of the Dally Time* must know this statement to be true, and we therefore leave the public to judge of the credit to be given to the assertions made by the Daily Times on this case, in yesterday’s leader, and to-day’s incomprehensible foot-note. Wc can quite credit the statement of our contemporary that it is “immaterial” to him whether the person or firm charged with transmission of telegrams be reliable or not; but the public are somewhat more particular, and require that information transmitted should be worthy of belief. We should not have noticed this affair had we not been dragged into it, for it is not necessary that we should defend Greville and Co.; but wo feel it a piece of impertinence on the part of the Times to presume to dictate what shall and what shall not be transmitted as news.

Pedestrian ism —According to anuouncemcufc, says the Press of the IGth, Pentecost e saved to run eighteen miles in two hours yesterday afternoon at the Plough grounds. Shortly after three p.m. Peutecost appeared at the scratch, and started on his lengthy journey. For the first five or six miles he ran strongly and well, indeed, up to the ninth mile he appeared to he running well within himself. The first nine miles having been accomplished, however, a noticeable fulling off in speed was apparent, and he showed evident signs of distress. Several amateurs, together with Harris and Hewitt, went round two* or three miles to endeavour to push him along, but it was evident from the increasing lime taken in covering the laps, sometimes reaching nearly Imin. 7sec., that he had shot his bolt, and that the chances of his performing the distance in the time mentioned was exceedingly remote. Throughout the whole of the distance ran, Pentecost went as game as a

pebble, making several brilliant but tual spurts. After the exhibition was of an exceedingly painful nature, the ground being got over with great difficulty, Pentecost being much distressed. In some of his later laps, bis pace, despite the judicious coaching of Hams, was scarcely above a walk, and in the fifth lap of the fifteenth mile he had to succumb, being led off the course in a fainting condition. Considering that Pentecost was Tuning for honor only, he deserves every credit for the game manner in which he struggled on when all hope of winning was gone. At the conclusion those present made a welldeserved subscription for him. The time of the various miles was as follows :—lst, smin oOscc ; 2nd, 12min Gsec ; 3rd, 18min 27scc ; 4th, 24miu 4os c ; sth, 3lmin Isec ; Cth, 37min 33sec ; 7th 44min ; Sth, 50min4lsto; 9th, 57min 23soc; the first nine miles, or half the distance, thus being done in 57min 23sec, or 2min 37secs under the hour. The remaining miles were done as follows :—lO hj 1 hour 4min, 22sec ; 11th, 1 hour, llmin, 38sec ; 12th, 1 hour, 19min, Gsec; 13th, 1 hour, 26nrin, 23sec ;'l4th. 1 hour, 34min, 56scc; 15th (five-laps only run), 1 hour 45min. We understand that Pentecost has expressed his intention to run 10 miles within the hour at an early date.

The Annual Soiree in connection with the Knox Young Men’s Society will be held in the class room of the church on Tuesday next. Tea on the tabl at half-past six. The Rev. D. M. Stuart will occupy the chair.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Commercial Building and Investment So* ciely for receiving subscriptions, &c., will be hell on Monday evening, August 21 from six to eight o’clock. We observe from an advertisement in another column tint the office of the Union Permanent Building Society will be open this evening between half-past 7 and half-past 8 o’cl cl<, for the receipt of applications for shares, subscriptions, <tc., and that in future the office wi'l be open every Saturday evening at the same time. This arrangement, wo arefnfoimel, has been resolved upon by the direct rsto afford greater convenience to the working classes than the usual monthly meetings. 'Jhc monthly meetings on the second Monday in each month will, ho vever, be continued as heretofore.