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Evening Star, Issue 7254, 4 July 1887, Page 2

Our supplement to-day contains a re vised report of the Premier’s speecli at the Princess’s Tiieatre on Friday night, correspondence (including Mr J. F. M Fraser’s letter, which was accidentally overlooked on Friday), our American letter, and an especially interesting letter from our travelling correspondent “ The New Zoalander Abroad,” who deals with the labor question in the United States, Today being the “glorious fourth” of July (American Independence Day), the American flag was unfurled at the Consul’s office in Bond street. The ‘Mountlda Chronicle’ asserts that the 800 acres of land in the Upper Taieri district which is at present being offered for lease as a pastoral run for eleven years would be taken up by several settlers under the perpetual lease or any other system which the Government might choose. How the property tax is viewed at Home may be gathered from the following extract from the speech of the chairman (Mr J. Rae) of the Otago and .Southland Investment Company at their annual meeting in London on May 7 “ There is just one item in this report I should like to refer to, It appears in the profit and loss account, and is the item of ‘ Property tax and license fee in New Zealand, L 3,555 7s fid’. That is a tax that we have been hoping would be wiped away and repealed altogether or very much modified, but we have been disappointed. I cannot help tninlang that it ia a very impolitic tax. I think a colonial Government should do everything it can to put every facility in the way of the influx of British capital, but they think differently. It almost appears as if they wished to repel capital. Perhaps, however, they find that money must be raised by any means. In any ease we must, in the meantime, submit to it.” Amongst the gentlemen who were summoned to serve on the Grand Jury at the Supreme Court tbia morning was Mr G. W. F.lioU, who recently left somewhat suddenly for England. Mr Mouat stated that he had received a letter requesting him to ask that Mr Eliott be excused. Mr Eliot had left for England, and he (Mr Mouat) had known for a month before that he had made arrangements to leave the Colony, His Honor, on looking at the letter, remarked that the document he held showed that Mr Mouat had been asked to state that Mr Eliott was going out of town. That was no doubt true, but still he was asked to state a truth that was pregnant with untruth, because the phrase “going out of town” would not convey to anybody the notion that he was going away to England. Mr Mouat said he had declined to state tiiat. His Honor refused to accept the excuse, and inflicted a fine of L 5 for nonattendance. A meeting of gardeners find others favorable to the formation of a new horticultural society in Dunedin was held in the Young Men’s Christian Association Rooms on Saturday evening, and was attended by about twenty-five persons. Mr Charles &onntag, who was voted to the chair, said he was glad the meeting had been called, as it would be the means of bringing horticultural matters more prominently before the public, and the formation of a new society would be of great advantage to practical men, as it would afford an opportunity of bringing into notice any new specimens of flowers or fruit that might be raised in the district. Several of those present expressed the opinion that the movement should not be antagonistic to the present Horticultural Society, It was resolved, after discussion, that a committee consisting of Messrs Sonntag, Arrol (convener), Purdie, Gillies, Matthews, Spence, and Williamson should frame a constitution for the proposed Society, and report to a future meeting, A sermon was preached at All Saints’ Church last evening by the Rev. A, R. Fitchett upon the subject of “ Ritualism.” The rev. gentleman took for his text the words of Christ in answer to the ritualistic argument of the woman of Samaria: “ God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” He said that complaints had been submitted to him concerning the nature of the recent Jubilee services, and, although that was a point upon which he had no responsibility —his church having been unconditionally handed over for the special purpose—yet the occasion seemed a fitting one for consideration of this much-vexed question. The leading argument of a y,ery interesting discourse which followed was that matters of ritual were entirely indifferent and unoonneeted with conscience. Upon no question was toleration at once so requisite and so rare. People had no more right to complain of the services at that church than he (the preacher) had to complain of the Bacchanalian gestures of the Salvation Army. Absence of ritual ia worship wa s an absolute impossibility, no service being more really ritualistic than the mute impressiveness of the Society of Friends.' Ornament and music were not worship—that must always be borne in mind—but: still they might be important aids to i spirituality, which was worship. Necessities differed, and allowance must be made for. the differences. The world progressed, and, instead of clinging to a false Conservation, : we must join in the progression. The chief. cause of increased ritual was the extension of intelligence and appreciation of art. Spirituality, with or without ritualistic existence, was the one thing needful.

The four-weeks-old infant of John Cahill, ’ of St. David street, met its death by overlying on Saturday night. An inquest was held this afternoon. The Riverton Harbor Board find themselves in the unpleasant position of having only a revenue of LIOO while the expenditure is L3OO. The members tendered their resignation in a body, but ttie Minister for Marine finds there is no law under which they can do so. To prevent the Board having to “file,” an attempt is to be made to get a full meeting to dissolve it. It was resolved to give masters of vessels trading to the port notice that there is no harbormaster now at Riverton. Caversham Baptist Church tea meeting tomorrow. Mr Allen’s Committee meet to - morrow evening. Hand and Heart Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., meet to-morrow. Standard Investment Society’s meeting on Wednesday. Rev. R. Waddell gives the sixth lecture of the series to-morrow. Those attending Sunday school in Morniugton Council Chambers meet to-morrow evening, District Grand Lodge of Otago and Southland, E.C., attend installation at Waikouaiti to-morrow. The admissions to the Dunedin Hospital last week were thirteen, and the discharges therefrom six. On Saturday there remained 129 inmates. The deaths were two (Alfred Larkin and John Warden). At the Leith street Congregational Church on Friday Mr Robert 0. Jones, electrician to the Union Steam Ship Company, exhibited by limelight a collectionof views comprising nearly all the principal sights in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Palestine, and some comic scenes. The feature of the entertainment was a collection of statuary—including her Majesty and Nelson. “The Albert memorial” (seven or eight views), “ St. George and the Dragon,” “ Tam o’ Shanter,” and “ Souter Johnny,” “The Fireman,” “Innocence,” “ Love,” “Coquetry,” “Treasure Trove,” “Shepherd Boy,” were also exhibited. Mr Jones was assisted by Messrs Shaw and Cleland, and Mr Troup supplied the descriptive readings. During the evening the proceedings were varied with singing by the choir and friends, the entertainment being brought to a close by the Rev. D. Johnstone (the pastor) proposing a vote of thanks to-Mr Jones and bis assistants, which was carried by acclamation.