The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1886.

Evening Star, Issue 6802, 6 January 1886, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1886.

Stewart Island will be represented at the Indian and Colonial Exhibition by specimens of cured fish. It is asserted that a carpet snake, measuring 3ft, was seen in the ladies' room at the Ellorslie racecourse. Earl Dalhousie paid a visit to the Land Ollico yesterday, and made a number of inquiries touching the system of land tenure and laud registration in vogue in this Colony. Tho members of the various Presbyterian church choirs in the City met last evening for j/ehcarsal of the selections to be given at the ttymi conversazione. There was a good attendance of lady 'members, but only four or live gentlemen put in an appearance. Mr W. H. Rose officiated as conductor, and Mr Lomas as organist. The Council of the Binniiiglutni Chamber of Commerce recently considered the questions addressed to them by the Commission of Trade, and, among the remedies proposed, .suggested "#,\o imposition of protective duties. This reply .excited great dissatisfaction jn the town, ami recently a general meeting of jtho Chamber was held, when the reply in question' w#si .disproved of by (32 against 39. It has been brought jjfldcr our notice that some unauthorised pur*,n on board the Tekapo during the New Yew's J)ay excursion made a collection on behalf of tho band engaged by the Union Steam Ship Company. Mr Wilinott, the secretary of .the band, promptly handed the amount collected (LI 4s lOd) over to the Union Company, who have in turn forwarded it to tho Benevolent jpsjitution.

A woman named Elsie Smith hao just found her husband in Melbourne, after having tracked him round the world.

The Treasurer has wired to Mr J. C. Brown, M.H.R., that the survey of the proposed railway extension to Roxburgh via Lawrence will shortly be commenced. A four-roomed house on l Run 100 (Tuapeka West), owned and occupied by Mr Jamieson, was burned down on Tuesday morning. Mr Jamieson loses LSO above the amount of his insurance (LIOO in the .Standard ollice). Dr William B. Carpenter, the well-known scientist, met his death in a singular manner. While taking a vapor bath the lamp got out of order, and some spirits were placed in a gallipot. This upset, anil the flames catching in the blanket in which he was wrapped, he sustained injuries which caused death in a few hours afterwards. Miss Smithson and her Pantomime Company had an enthusiastic audience at the Lyceum Hall last evening. The bnrlesque of "Robinson Cruisoe" formed the first part, and in this Miss Smithson and Mr Holloway caused plenty of fun as Crusoe and Friday respectively. The pantomime followed, and was apparently much enjoyed by the audience. To-night is the final one of the season, and it is hoped that there will be a large attendance.

The attendance at the Princess's Theatre last night was on a par with those of the previous evenings. The programmo was carried out with much spirit, and the audience showed their appreciation to the fullest extent. Messrs Emerson and Alf Lawton work hard as tambo and bones, and their energy does not flag in the slightest. The other members of the troupe are equally enthusiastic in their different departments, and the consequence is that the interest of the audience is sustained to the end.

Mr Justice Stephens, during the hearing of a case against three Irishman charged with assault, and tried on the oth November at the Cambridgeshire Assizes, strongly rebuked one witness who spoke in contemptuous terms of the Irish people. His Lordship said that he had passed a great portion of his life in Ireland from choice. He was glad to testify on any occasion to the kind and sympathetic character of the people. It was a great mistake on the part of many Englishmen to look down upon Iroland. Dr Hector has completed the rainfall returns for 1885, and finds an extraordinary deficiency all over the Colony. The deficiency at Auckland was S3 per cent, at Wellington 28 por cent., and at Dunedin 30 per cent. ; but for the month of December the deficiencies were enormous, no less than 81 per cent, at Auckland, 72 per cent, at Wellington, and 71 per cent, at Dunedin—all reckoned on the averages of the last thirty years. It is no wonder that there are grievous complaints of drought. The criminal sittings will probably be brought to a close on Saturday. To-morrow the charge against Mrs Margaret Brown—the South Dunedin murder case—will be taken ; and on Friday Henry Cracknell and Charles Anderson will be arraigned for assault. The charge against Rowlands and Wilson of conspiring to defraud has also been fixed for Friday. These are the remaining cases on the calendar. At this morning's sittingsentences were passed asfollows:—Frederick Henry Kessler, embezzlement, fonr years ; Robert Dickson, ditto, three years ; Joseph Bland, ditto, five years; Alice Clayton and Walter E Harris, larceny, six months.

Edmond About, the French journalist, used to tell a charming story, which was quite untrue, of a "man with a broken ear." A true story, charming as to one of its incidents and painful as to another, comes from Vienna of a girl with a broken car. She applied at a hospital, and complained that she had suddenly become deaf. Being urged to give she said that her sweetheart, who had been long absent from her upon a journey, on his return had pressed his lipa to her ear and kissed her with considerable ardor. Her hearing was gone from that moment. An examination of the ear that had been kissed showed that the tympanum was ruptured. A meeting of members of the Catholic congregation was held at St. Joseph's School-room last evening in order to make arrangements for giving a due reception to Cardinal Moran and the other prelates who will shortly arrive here from Sydney to assist at the opening of the cathedral. There were a large number of gentlemen present, and Bishop Moran presided. After discussion, a committee of forty, with power to add to their number, was formed to make the necessary preparations. The work of finishing that portion of the cathedral which is intended to be used for the first four years is being rapidly pushed on, and will be sufficiently advanced to allow of the formal opening on the date fixed for the ceremony, viz., the 14th of next mouth. At an inquest at Napier the other day on the body of an eleven months' child, some peculiar evidence was given. The police sought to prove that the child had died from neglect, and the mother put the blame on the stepfather, and vice versa. The mother swore that her husband prevented her givinc the child sufficient sustenance, and also that he ill-used it, giving it black eyes on two or three occasions. In her own words: "My husband once put a baking dish over its head, and a broom and two saucepan lids on its chest. The child was nearly suffocated, and I called my sister's attention to it. My husband was in the kitchen, and when I went to take the things off he was laughing. He would not let me take the things off, and said it would do the little beast good. He has often said that he wished the child was dead, and that some day I would find it dead. Another day I was washing in the kitchen, and the child was in the spare room. He pulled up a root of grass and placed it on the child's face. I tried to take it off, but he knocked me on the floor and knelt on me to prevent me moving it from the child's face." At this stage the inquiry was adjourned.

The circumstances of an interesting event which took place at Dunchurch, arc told of the Middlesex regiment (the old 57th), who had just returned from Lydd, where they had been undergoing a course of musketry instruction. As the regiment was passing through that place for practice at Lydd from Dover, one of the color-sergeants got into conversation with an old pensioner, named Bernard Morris, ninety-four years of age, who asked what regiment it was, and on being told it was the old "Die-hards," exclaimed that it was his old regiment. The sergeant took the news to the camp at New Romney, where the men were staying for the night, and the non-commissioned officers sent a conveyance to fetch the old soldier. They entertained him hospitably, and made a collection of L'2s for him, which they handed over on his behalf to the rector. A stirring incident, however, happened previous to this; on the march from Lydd to Dover the regiment was halted before the pensioner's house, unfurled the colors, and gave three cheers. The old soldier brightened up with animation at the sight. As the regiment marched off cheers again and acain rang out from the whole regiment.

Mr Service is still in communication with the Premiers of Queensland and Tasmania (says the ' Age ') relative to the subjects to be discussed at the Federal Council, which meets at llobart on the 25th of this month. International defence is to he placed on the business paper, buttlie subject can only he discussed in an Informal manner, as Parliamentary authority must first bo obtained before the question can be reniittod to the Council. Up to the present the subjects agreed to be considered by the Federal Council are the following : Status of incorporate bodies, the arrest of deserters, and power to enfor.ee in' one colony judgments ,'obtaiucd in another. With regard to the status of incorporate bodies, the difficulty prominently brought under the notice of tne Premier is that public companies registered in Victoria are unable to hold land ju Queensland, and the deliberations of the Council will be directed to remove p this disability. Relative to the arrest of deserters the law is to be made applicable not only to persons deserting wife and children, but also to deserters from Her Majesty's ,navy. The Australian Natives' Association have asked Mr Service to alter the date of the meeting of the Council from the 25th jnst. to the 20th (the latter being tile anniversary of Governor Phillip proclaiming the foundation of New South Wales a Britisjh Colony) and to proclaim the day as a public holiday in the colonies represented at the Conference. Mr Service has gent a favorable reply,

The new Government offices in Wellington are to oust close on LKU.OOO. We believe that the appointments of Mr J. 0. Brown and Mr H. Clark to the Land Board will be gazetted immediately.

The ' Evening Press' states that MiLeonard Stowe, clerk of the Legislative Council, has received twelve months' leave, and will proceed to England. After twentytwo years' almost continuous service he thoroughly deserves his holiday. The Minister of Defence (remarks the ' Age ') has a scheme on hand for holding a federal review of Victorian and New South Wales troops at Albury next March or April. The Sydney military authorities were sounded on the subject some time ago, and the matter is now taken up afresh.' Further judicial changes are contemplated in Victoria. County Court Judges Nolan and Trench will be retired, and their places probably taken by Messrs Smythe and Chomley, who will be succeeded as Crown Prosecutors by Sir B. O'Loghlen, Mr Walsh, op Mr M'Kinlcy. Judge Kerferd's appointment continues to be adversely criticised. The Melbourne papers are finding fault with Messrs Service and Berry (who will bo accompanied by Mr Justice Kerferd, who will draft the necessary Bills), representing Victoria at tho meeting of the Federal Council, on the ground that they are practically moribund Ministers. Queensland will be represented by Premier Griffiths and Treasurer Douglas ; and Western Australia by the Hon, J. G. L'Esterre.

The Highland Rifles' recruits enrol on Friday night, Paßsengcis per Kaikoura, for London, must join the ship tonight. Court Excelsior, A.0.F., hold their annual meeting to-morrow night. Taieri Horticultural Society's annual exhibition at Mosgiel on Saturday. Laborers in this Colony are advised not to accept work in Melbourne pending the wharfingers' strike there.

The swimming tournament at St. Clnir on Saturday ought to be successful on account of its comparative novelty here, and the liberality ■with which the residents have supported the affair, which will doubtless provo an annual one. Entries close to-morrow night. The undersigned has much pleasure in informing the publio that a friend lias enabled him to obtain his business, and that for cash or monthly credits none shall supply a better article or cheaper. He hopes by the strictest attention to business to gain the sympathy of those who havo not hitherto patronised him. — A. DORNWKLL.—[AnVT.] At tho meeting of tho Valley True Blue Lodge, No. 11, P.A.F.S.A., in the North-east Valley public school (their new lodge-room) last nicjht, Bro. James Brown, P.M., installed the following officers :—W.M., Bro. A. E. Prosser; D.M., Bro. AV, W. Blair; treasurer, Bro. A. Campbell; secretary, Bro. J. B. Anderson. The balance-sheet showed tho lodge to be in a very flourishing condition. The receipts of the evening amounted to Ll2 7s 6d. The election of officers of tho Linden Lodge, No. IGS, U.A.0.D., took place last night in their Lodge-room at lloslyn, and resulted as follows :—P.A., Bro. J. Gillies; A.D., Bro, M. Whale; V.A., Bro. B. Harness; secretary, C. Ellis; treasurer, C. Taylor (both re-elected); J.G., Bro. J. Stewart; 0.G., Bro. T. Sunderland ; A.D., Broa. F. Farley and T. Ryan; V. A.8.. Bros. F. Clough and T. Kay ; auditor, Bro. J. M'Rae (re-elected). District President Bro. Stokes installed the various officers, and congratulated the lodge on its sound financial position. P.A Bro. W. Morrison, of Royal Oak Lodge, was nominated as District President for the ensuing year.

At the half-yearly meeting of Pioneer Lodge, 1.0.0. F., last evening, the Giand Lodge Officers (Bro. H. Gourley, D.D.G.M., Bro. Reid, G.S., and Bro. Alexander, G.T.), installed the following officers:—N.G., Bro. Capstick; V.G , Bro. Blanden; treasurer, Bro. G. Jacobs (re-elected); secretary, Bro. Springer (re-elected); warden, Bro. H. Naphtali; conductor, Bro. Springer; R.S. to N.G., Bro. Latimer; L.S. to N.G., Bro. Treaccy; R.S. to V.G., Bro. Langley; L.S. to V.G., Bro. Cole; R.S.S., Bro. S. Solomon; L.S.S., Bro. Holmes; 1.G., Bro. Goldsmith: 0.G., Bro. Chambers. The receipts for the evening amounted to Ll6. It was reported that the recent picnic had proved a success financially and numerically.