The Evening Star. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1883.

Evening Star, Issue 6479, 21 December 1883, Page 2

The Evening Star. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1883.

Dr Goldsboro, an old Auckland settler, is dead, Mr T, W, Hrsiop has been appointed Crown Solicitor for the Oamaru district. Tire commission of Sir William Foiv Aa West Coast Commissioner has been extended to July 1 next. The members of tho Choral Society last evening made a Christmas present to their conductor* ftevr Schirfsk, in the shape of a ebony bilver-mounted baton, A flower service was hold at St. Paul’s Church last evening, when the Rev. W. Jervoia was the preacher. The flowers collected were sent to the Hospital. A two storeyed home at Snimvdale'fNortheasfc Valley) owned by Mr R. j&'Grath, was burned down shot- '. ftc: twelve o’clock last night. The b:> was unoccupied aad uninsured. It is the intention oi the directors of the Netv Zealand Shipping Company ~o give a soiree on hoard tho Tnvy,To this evening. The large saloon will bo laid .ml as a refreshment room, and the promenu.de deck above it has been covered in with awnings *,ivd draped with flags in order that may be indulged in. A despatch by tbt Inail states that the Confederation and Annexation Bill has been further itaorved for the signification of Her Majesty’s pleasure. Her Majesty will not be advised to assent to the Bill until the result of the recent conference at Sydney has been received,

The Harbor Board-, At their meeting this afternoon, decided to make an offer to Findlay and. Co. to proceed with tho com true Mori of 400 ft of wharfage at Rattray ■street at schedule rates, as per their tender, and in the event of their refusal that fresh tenders for the work be oalß’d for.

Another of the pioneers of Otago has passed away, Mrs Rebecca Goodall, who died at Cavershafti last night, arrived by the Ajax, th? third of the Otago Association’s passenger ships, in January, 1849, and resided at Caversham from the time of her landing till her death. The deceased, who bad been bedridden for the past twelve months, leaves a grown-up family of six sons and two daughters, some of whom reside e,t Invercargill. Tho Committees of the. Dunedin ’Cycling Club and the Otago Bicycle Club decided at a meeting held last evening to hold their combined nvc meeting on Saturday, January 26. The programme is very complete, and includes, besides bicycling, the usual foot events. Tnc leading feature, however, will be the one and ten-mile bicycle championships of New Zealand, which will be run uuoer the auspices of tho New V. mfapd ’Cyclists’ Alliance, end it is expected that several Christchurch “flyers null be down to contest these raeeci,

There was battalion parade bl Ihe town and Riibutbai) Volny,cc6i companies last evening. The NiGll were marched to the Asylum ground and there drilled for a couple of hgnrs by Major Wales. The pava.de Ltmigth was;— City Guards—J. lieutenant, 3 sergeants, I bugler, 33 rank and file. North Dancdip. Rifles—l captain, 2 lieute.n.uits, sergeants, 31 rank and file. Wakari R 1u.,—1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 3 sergeants, 1 bugler, 38 rank and file, .South Dunedin Rifles—l captain, 1 lieutenant, 2 sergeants, 34 rank and file. Garrison Baud —1 bandmaster, 1 sergeant, 19 bandshlen. Staff—l major, 1 adjutant, I sergeaut-majoir, 1 staff-sergeant. Total, 174. A fire broke out m the block of Flumby, dentist, Hobson street, Auckland, last night. It commenced in a building known as the Carlton Academy, but now occupied by Madindefi aft ft Cabinet-making shop on behalf of the Auckland Timber Company. Plumby was insured for LSOO on the building in the New Zealand Office, A fancy goods shop adjacent, occupied by Mrs Turnbull, was damaged. The stock was insured in the Union for Ll,ooo. rinmby’s residence alongside, insured for L7do, was damaged to the extent of LGO. The Auckland Timber Company Were insured ou Mallindeu’s stock to the amount of L3OO, it is believed, in the South British. The origin of the fire was a light being capsized in the polish vat,

There was a fair house at the Princess’s Theatre last night, when the first of the joint entertainments in aid of the Burns statue fund by the fund choir and the members of the newly-formed Amateur Opera Association was given. The concert programme was carried out by the- choir, which was led as usual by Mr T. Stewart, but was not of its customary strength. The soloists were Miss Bell, Messrs W. Morrison, Stewart, and A. D. Donovan, and the lady received a hearty recall for “Caller herein.” The Opera Association made their debut in “Trial by Jury,” The overture was moderately well played by the orchestra, the clarionet solo being deservedly applauded, We shall not notice the opera at any length as it was evident that several of the performers were ill at ease and not doing justice to their powers. Mention, however, ought to be made of the Defendant, who sang the whole of his music well ; of the Usher who sang and acted as if the part were exactly to his taste, and of the chorus, who from first to last performed most capably. Neither the Judge nor the Plaintiffs Counsel made himself heard to the majority of the audience. The concerted piece, “A nice dilemma,” went uncommonly well, and narrowly escaped an encore. Possibly to-night the performers wdl be bettor up to their work, and have acquired some idea of the “business” of the opera, without which it is certain to fall flatly. Signor Motley was the conductor. The operetta is to be repeated each evening, and this evening the entertainment will be commenced with a one-acu original comedy entitled “ Old Fluster.”

K iikorai Horticultural Society hold ttu Ir show to-morrow. Boiioo musicilo in tha Y.M.O.A. K«oms tomorrow evening, Donald Dinnio arrives in Dunedin by tomorrow night’s express. We draw attention to a tramway time-table which appears in this issue. In connection with the Christmas and New Year holidays several alterations in the ordinary railway time-table aro announced, •I. F. Watson, at two o’clock on Saturday, will sell without reserve a splendid and largo assortment of flowers in pots, after which vases and fancy goods.— [Advt.] Kosa and 31 ‘Neill, ironmongers, are showing a superior selection of electro-plated goods suitable for Christinas and wedding presents. Opposite Bank of N.Z.— [Advt.] We are informed that the celebrated athlotei Donald Dinnie, during bis stay in Dunedin, will be the ,'iir c, of Mr A. M'Gregor, of the British Hotel, vdeorge street—an old acquaintance and countryman,— [Advt,] The tramway line to St. Olair Is now finished and will be open for traffic to-morrow, so that the inhabitants of that district will now enjoy the same facilities of access that the other suburbs of Dunedin have long had. The opening oi the tramway in conjunction -with the baths will now enable lovers of the water to get a dip in the briny.