The Evening Star. Thursday, December 20, 1883.

Evening Star, Issue 6478, 20 December 1883, Page 2

The Evening Star. Thursday, December 20, 1883.

A slight shock of earthquake was felt at Timaru yesterday. la New South Wales there are fifty-five males to every forty-five females. The promoters of the Christchurch Industrial Exhibition are to be entertained at ft public luncheon. Professor Shand and Messrs Begg/and Elder are the retiring members of the Education Board this year.

Tho session of tho District Court which was to have commenced to-day was postponed until the 20th inst. Bishop Thornton, of Ballarat, has called upon one of his clergy to reaigu, the said clergyman having Bounded his grievances through the Press. Robert Fc-rehau, who had been locked up for drunkenness, was found dead in tho police celi3 at Auckland yesterday. Apoplexy was the cause of death.

Mr M'Kenzie, at to-divy'a meeting of the Education Board, gavt notice of motions for a reduction in the staff of the Board and the aboliehinthu of committees.

Lady Jcrvois has founded in Wellington a society foi helping young girls aud thosu workiug ia factories. This Girls' Friendly Society has already done good work. A telegram from Port Darwin has been received at Adelaide announcing the discovery of Sturt's marked trees on tho northwest coast. His initials were cut clear and distinct.

The Seaside Assessment Court was held at the ltesident Magistrate's Court-house today, Mr Carew, R.M., presiding. The only reduction made was iu the case of A. and J, Fleming-LI.SOO to L 1,520. The Mayor of Timaru was able yesterday to make tho satisfactory announcement that during the past year the rates of the Borough had been reduced 43 per cent, and there was a probability of them being further reduced this year. White the Rev. E. R. Chambers was riding through Rakaia yesterday his horse got entangled in a tether-rope and fell. Tr.e rev. gentleman sustained ft severe shock to the system, and inferred his spine. The skeleton of a human being was found on Saturday last on the Clutha River beach at » place called "Dead Man's Beach," abo\it ten miles below Beaumont. The remains were beyond identification. The service of song " Under the Palms " was given in tho Caversham Presbyterian Church last night to a large audience. Tho choir, numbering nearly 100 voices, was led by Mr Reid, and Mr J. Lomas was accompanist. Messrs J. Logan and H, F. Hardy were the presiding Justices at the City Police Court yesterday. Catherine Moore was fine 1 for drunkenness, and H. M. Morrison and William Wilson were charged with assaulting Valentino Marx on the 15th inst, in Albany street. A great deal of evidence was taken, at the conclusion of which the defendant Wilson was fined 10s, or three days' imprisonment, and Morrison ss, or twentyfour hours' imprisonment. Tho Native Minister ha* hsld a meeting at Kihikihi frith the opposing Ngatihauas. They object to the survey being carried on, ?.n'd hold by documents signed at the Kuiti meeting in 1881, in which the land was assigned over to Tawhiao. Mr Bryce said : " The paper on which thoso lands are handed over to Tawhiao is waste paper. My march is onward, and the sooner this is understood thd&ettcr for the Maoris. lam speaking in your interests. There is no tnch Authority in this country as that put forward. It never existed in my eyes-, and does not now." At the Inveroargill criminal session Thomas T«?oSiard, fifteen years of age, pleaded guilty of stealing a watch, and was pxntenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labor. Alfred Frank Young, for obtaining money by means of a valueless cheque, was sentenced to nine months' hard labor; Chung Sue, for stabbing one Campbell, ono month's hard labor, the jury having found that the prosecutor had given the Chinaman strong provocation. Richard Dickson, aged thirteen years, charged with an indecent assault, and Francis Cassidy, charged with a common assault, were acquitted. The St, Leonard's school broke up for the holidays yesterday, and was followed by a picnic, which was attended by 100 of the scholars and a number of their parents and well-wishers of the school. The usual out door games were provided, and heartily enjoyed by the youngsters, who spent a very pleasant day, and on separating gave hearty cheers for the master and sewing-mistress. Substantial prizes were awarded to the pupils who had passed in tho standards, V/hilst prizes (presented by Mrs Nott and Wise, Caffin, and Co.) were given to the most efficient boys and girls in the school. Recitations by William Cooper, Maggie M'Kenzie, and Lizzie Ball were much applauded, and the exhibits of sewing attracted much notice and commendation from the ladies present. Concerning the progress of the Welling-tou-Manawatu railway works a correspondent of the' Lyttelton Times' says that" between 600 and 700 men have for some time past been employed on the Wellington, and a number at the Manawatu, end. Already twenty-five acres of land have been reclaimed hy the Company from the sea at Thorudon. In another twelve months the bulk of the hard work of forming the line will have been done, and the thirty-five miles to join the ends running through easy level country will not take long to finish. The Company have a large and splendid landed estate. Amongst their other work will be the draining of the big Manawatu swamp, a work laborious and costly, but safe to yield a rich reward. The line will cost a little over L 500,000, and be completed three years hence. This largo expenditure of money prevents the Eevcre depression in trade which otherwise must have obtained in Wellington. It has brought large numbers of people to our city; it has' filled our empty houses; given employment to tho sawmills in the country ; and has saved tho Government from the cry of work for the unemployed."

Flower service in St. PaoA'd Church this evening. Walton Park Coal and Pottery Company meet to morrow. We thank the secretary of the Post Office for the Ueylon-Brindisi timo-table for 1884, We have received the neat almanacs of the Northern and Australian Alllanca Insurance Companies. The monthly convocation of Kilwinning Ofeago Royal Arch Chapter, No. 116, 5.0., is postponed till the 28th prox. We reciprocate the seasonable good wishes of that deserving body of men the postal carriers of Dunedin and suburbs. The programme for the Otago annual regatta, to be held at Port Chalmers on Boxing Day, will be found In another calumn. Mr Stout lectures in the Lyceum on Sunday evening on " A Trip from Napier to Wellington Overland." The annual picnic of the Freethought Association takes place at Quarantine Island on 2nd January. The employes of the Mornington and Roslyn tramways met last evening to celebrate the event of Mr J. W. Duncan's marriage. The company numbered over thirty, and a veiy enjoyable evening was spent, Rosa andM'Neill, ironmongers, are showing a superior selection of electro-plated goods suitable for Christmas and wedding presents. Opposite Bank of N,Z.-[Advt,] Mr H. Benjaain, of Mansa street, has issued a novel almanac, which takes the form of a keyless watch's face. The index bands point not only to the day a of the week but to the months of the year, and as the almanac has b.'en got up wl hj the special Idea of durability, it ought to do duty for a considerable time. The letterpress is black on gold, and 1j well executed.

Tho funds of the Benevolent Institution not being equal to the demands made upon tbem, it is proijosed by Mr Pyke, life-governor of the Institution, that a series of entertainments should be given ia order to supplement the funds; and those persons who sympatb.be with this proposal are requested to meet at the Chamber of Commerce on Monday next at 4 j>.m. To-morrow evening, at tho Garrison Hall, the Choral Society will give tbolr usual Christmas corc?rfc, when Sir Michael Costa's oratorio "Naatnan" will be given. It is nearly six years since the Society performed this grand work, which for various reasons is justly considered the composer's masterpiece It Is always received with much enthusiasm in England, and no doubt tho subscribers Rud patrons ©f tho Society will appreciate the reproduction in Dunedin. The performance will, as usual, be under the direction of Horr Scherek as conductor ; and tho orchestra, always a feature in ihese concerts, has been made specially efficient for this oocasiqn,,