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Evening Star, Issue 4043, 10 February 1876, Page 2

omcting of the Dunedin Jockey Club Mdll be held at the Empire Hotel this evemug, to take into consideration the alleged tampering with a rail of ene of the small bridges at the Forbury race-course. According to the * Arrow Observer,’ a private letter has reached the Shotover which states that Mr H. Eager, who was reported as dead some time back, has been seen alive and well at the Palmer diggings. The Christphurch police yesterday arrested on warrant Edward Price, charged with stealing from the Silverstream, on December 6, five horses, the property of Neil J. B, M‘Gregor. Prisoner will be remanded to Dunedin.

»*"The Octoroon" will constitute the performance at .the Queen's Theatre this evening. For Miss Stephenson's benefit tomorrow t "Medea" and the burlesque of " Ixion," with the beneficiare in the principal character in each, will be played. Three charges of drunkenness constituted the criminal business brought before the City Police Court to-day. The offendersBenjamin Barker, Robert Cheyne, and Mitchell Nesbit—were all mulcted in the minimum penalty of ss. Messrs Pyke and Bastings occupied the Bench.

Gambling must be extensively indulged in at Wanganui. The ' Herald' notices the fact that a little clump of trees near the cemetery has been named Euchre Grove on account of a number of youngsters congregating there to play euchre for money on Sundays.

The undermentioned prisoners were received into the gaol last night:-Charles Ogilvie Robertson, under committal for trial at the next sessions of the Supreme Court at Dunedin for stealing a cash box containing L4O in money at Kakanui; Michael and Isabella Kenny, under sentence of a month's imprisonment for an assault at Oamaru.

The usual wtekly meeting of the YoungMen's Association was held in All Saints* School-room last evening,, the President in the ch'air. Mr Kirby's resignation as a committeeman was accepted, and Mr E. A DeCa:rle,,was elected in his place. Mr Alfred Fraser read a paper on "Babylon," which was listened to with great attention by the members present. Next Wednesday Mr Swete will read a paper on "Other Worlds."

I A Wellington telegram in the ' Southland Times' says .-—From private advices, there are serious apprehensions as to the Bafety of the Grenada, with the San Francisco mail. As she had passengers for New Zealand it is thought likely that she would go on direct to Sydney. All the other Pacific Company's boats came on to Auckland. It isMeared that she has either broken down or is on a coral reef, like the Macgregor and the Tartar. If she has gone to Sydney the mails cannot reach southern New Zealand for three weekß.

The Loyal Unity Lodge, 1.0.0. F., held [ their usual fortnightly meeting last night at Maloney's Hotel, South Dunedin. There was a large attendance of members. After the ordinary business of the lodge had been gone through, • the officers of the Star of Otago Lodge and Pioneer Lodge, Dunedin, were introduced and welcomed in the usual manner, and a hearty vote of thanks accorded to the visiting brethren. This is the first official visit that has by any of the Sister Lodges to this new and floiuishing Lodge. The Lodge then went into harmony, and a most enjoyable evening was Bpeat.

M SWough's troupe of Marionettes will positively appear for the first time at the Temperance Hall en M'dridfty nighi, and judging By the criticisms of the Australian Press the people of Dunedin will have the opportunity of witnessing a novel but withal lnnth-provokinf entaftahimeni A reward of LSO is offered for the appre hension of Richard Milford, charged with committing rape upon a girl, twelve years old, at Otepap Bush, near Hampden, on J&nuary 4. Milford is a native of Hampshire, twenty-seven years of age, sft. 7in. high, and arrived at Port Chalmers from England in the Charlotte Gladstone about two and a half years agp» A M&lbdttfne engineer (a Mr Eawlinson) is dttt with a big project. He proposes to widen the Yarra basin to a thousand feet, to deepen it to».twenty feet, and to out a channw to Wilhamßtown of the same width and depth. The cost of this work is estimated at ten millions, but there is to counterbalance this email expenditure an estimated revenue of eleven'miilions!

The luxury of being a bachelor is costly in some quarters—Waikato for instance. Six of the poor fellows refused to pay the tax of 10a per head imposed on these unfortunate specimens of the gerwti homo, for educational purposes. They were summoned before the Resident Magistrate and ordered to pay the amduht and L2 17s for costs. It is to be h»ped they appreciate the luxury.

At the Port Chalmers Police Court this morning, before Mr Mansford, R.M., Richard Woodward, a new arrival by the ship Olive, was charged with being drunk on the railway pier last evening, and was dismissed with, a severe admonition. John White, who was charged with a similar offenaa, pleaded guilty, and informed his Worship that finding he could not procure a bed he had sought the protection of the police, for whick he was ordered to pay a fine of ss, with the usual alternative.

It would seem as if Cakobau imagines that notwithstanding the cession of the Fiji islands, he remains King, at least over his own people, as he has, we learn from the * Fiji Times,' very effectually tabooed the sale of all kinds of produce for the present, at all events so far as Ovalau is concerned. So striotly is this enforced that dn one occasion Captain Suttie, of H.M.S. Nymph, who had been on a shooting expedition about seven miles down the coast, could scarcely obtain a cocoanut from the natives, and it was only upon their having been made acquainted with his rank and position that they reluctantly brought him a couple to enable him to allay his thirst. " This," our contemporary remarks, "is rather expressive, and calculated to lead to the inquiry as to'whether the natives are really aware of their position under British rule."

Cases of defalcation, if not Very numerous, ean scarcely be regarded as rare in this Colony, but, so far at least as the public service is concerned, the amounts embezzled are usually small, and consequently the offenders invariably come to grief. Things seem to be managed on a larger scale. in the Cape Colony, where (as the 'Argus' remarks) recently, a Government official was charged in the Police Court with embezzling L 52,000 from the Colonial Treasury., In defence it was alleged that he was insane, and he was accordingly released on his own recognisance for L 5,000, for three months. Of course, a madman who could swindle his sane fellows.to the extent of L 52,000 is not at all likely' to be held criminally liable for his acts. Had the stun been L 5 or LSO, he would, no doubt, have been convicted ; but a man who can rob a Government of L 52,000 is a man to be regarded with admiration.

Westland had its Italian-concert-givine immigrants, and Nelson has been blessed with a consignment of "Christy Minstrels, "t sent out in the ship Caroline. One of the Nelson papers thus refers to the first per'formance of these people:—"A charming entertainment was given by a so-called troupe of Christy Minstrels recently imSsrted into the Colony per immigrant ship aroline. We use the word ' charming' advisedly, but in justice to ourselves we must go on to explain that the sole charm was that of novelty, for novel indeed was the Eerformance, the like of it never having een seen before in Nelson. Description would entirely fail to convey any idea of the astonishing feats, musical, vocal, saltatory, and dramatic, performed by the heroes of last night. However, should so highly imJtrobable a contingency occur as that'this earful and wonderful company should take t# the stage again in Nelson, we cannot honestly recommend the public to rush in crowds to see them. To the Christy Minstrels we would say, the sooner you get to work in the harvest field, on the roads, or in- the mines the better for you, as it is to be feared that as actors or singers you will never shine."

The annual Congregational meeting .oi Knox Church will be held this evenings at 7.30.

A meeting of ratepayers in Leith Ward will be held at Cotter's Caledon'a Hotel. Great King street, tomorrow eve-ing, at 8 o'clock, to. consider the tramway question* Ihe Cta?o Bible and Tract Socitty have sent rs a copy of their chil hen's edition, of the I word's Prayer and Hymns. The little work is capitally got up, and the illustrations are the peifectioa of lithographic art. A match will be played on 8 iturday between the eleven of the C.u.o. that played atPalmerston and the first eleven of the Club. The following are the names of players "ho are requested to be on the ground at two o'clock sliarp —Monaghan, PvOwe, Sheppard, Leith, Pledger, West, Stokes, M'Kay. Wadie, Crawford, J. M*Millan. Tomkina, Peake, At'Kenzie, A. M'Neil, H. M'Neil, Stokes, Fagan, Marsd»-n, Cook, Wells, Haskell, E, Morrißon, fieid.