The Evening Star. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1888.

Evening Star, Issue 7449, 18 February 1888, Page 2

The Evening Star. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1888.

Oar supplement to-day contains correspondence ; the full text of the Rev. Mr Lewis’s address to the Congregational Union on ‘The Responsibilities of Religious Democracy ’; book notices ; the proceedings of the Seacliff Inquiry Commission on Wednesday { apd other interesting matter. Messrs M. Sullivan, W. Ings, T. Cousens, J. Chetwin, and .G. Stokes have been elected members of ih,c So\ith Dunedin Licensing Committee, The Wellington Tramway Gonjpany are about to initiate a penny tariff for short distances. Despite the rain this morning, Messrs Reid and Gray’s employes went down the bay to the Quarantine Island for their annual picnic. The Auckland Education Board intend to appoint an inspector in succession to Mr O’Sullivan, at a salary of L 250 and travelling expenses. The Resident Magistrate’s Court ease of J. Kedzlie v. A. P. Shaw, which was concluded after we went to press yesterday, resulted in plaintiff’s being nonsuited. The members of the Auckland Land Board .complain of the discourtesy of the Governi£est in dispensing with an officer of the standing .of Chief-commissioner Tolc at such notice, The Art Gallery at Auckland was opened with eclat yesterday by the .Governor, who delivered an address, Did Mayor Devore unveiled a picture (after on— of Macliso s) painted by the late Mr Alfred Domett. Mr Richard T, Booth, the well-known temperance advocate, who, with his wife, is at present in England, has just received a cable message calling him back to Australia on account of the illness of the lady in charge of his children. Mr Booth has cancelled all his engagements after the.coming mission at Sheffield, and was to sail on February 2, on the steamer Ormuz, of the Orient line. At a meeting of the Wellington Commissioners of the Melbourne Exhibition the following cablegram was considered: “ Space Committee recommended grant New Zealand 5,000 feet annexes, having few feet frontage to grand central avenue, 2,000 feet for fernery, etc., between main hall and annexes; also space for machinery in eastern machinery annexe.” The Commissioners have decided to despatch Mr Seed to Melbourne to represent the inadequacy of the granted to this Colony. At Chrik,tcuuj7fii ihe movement has fallen very flat. When the lonic arrived,at Port Chalmers a discovery was made by fcl*3 .postal officials that the bag of registered letters hap been tampered with. It was found that’ sixteen letters had been opened, and some of their contents removed. The matter has been placed in the hands of the police, and inquiries ar,c being made as to whether the robbery took place on board ship or while the mails were in course .of transit from the London office to. the docks. Most of the letters opened contained bank drafts, and instructions have been sent to different institutions to exercise great care in cashing any documents of the kjnd out at JJo rss,

Owing to the wet weather, it was deemed desirable to postpone the ladies’ swimming tournament arranged for to-day at St. Clair. The Invercargill City, Cavcrsham, South Dunedin, Gore, and Gordon Brigades left lor Christchurch this morning to take part in the Fire Brigades demonstration there next week. The City and Dunedin Railway Fire Brigade teams went up yesterday. There are no indications of the attendance flagging at the Princess’s, where ‘ Lea Cloches de Corneville’ promises to have a most successful run. Last night there was an excellent circle attendance and a very good down-stairs. The most prominent members were well received. The members of the Harbor Board intended to have visited the works at the Heads to-day. As the state of the weather, however, is such as would have rendered an inspection of the Cargill mole (which now extends into the sea a distance of 4,000 ft from low water mark) not only an unpleasant but an extremely hazardous undertaking, the visit has been postponed until Tuesday next. The Loudon correspondent of the ‘ Argus ’ writes “An agitation has arisen on behalf of the prize beasts who, at this season of the year, are made to stand in butchers’ shops—the living amongst the dead—with rosettes upon their foreheads. It is stated that the smell of the blood is abhorrent to them, ami gives them the most evident distress. If it he so, the practice, which lias nothing to recommend it, should be at once discontinued, for he that can see unmoved a poor brute in pain is sure to lie cruel to his fellow creatures. Wherever in Ireland there has been the maiming of cattle—against which Mr Michael Davitt has, to his honor, lifted up his voice in such just and fiery indignation—there have also been the most font and cowardly crimes committed against mankind.” The ‘ New Zealand Times,’ in an article advocating various kinds of recreation for the pupils of the Girls’ High School in Wellington, suggested a modified kind of football as among the sports which might he adopted. The proposal excited some mild jokes on the part of other papers, and in reply the ‘ New Zealand Times ’ says“ It is not the first wholesome suggestion that has been treated with derision, and its reception does not in the slightest degree distress ns. We are glad to he able to state that the proposal has been actively taken up, and is in very capable hands. Suitable rules for the players’ guidance are being prepared by one of the leading athletes of tills district, and tiie.se will place the game within the reach of every girls’ school in the Colony, while rendering it an attractive pastime for all school-girls. It is needless to explain that the modified game suggested is free from all elements of roughness. There is none of the collaring and pulling about which is so objectionable in some forms of masculine football, and which would lie wholly inadmissible in a game played by girls.’’

A musical night will bo given iu the Lyceum Hall to-morrow. The adjourned annual meeting of the Morningtmi Public Library will he held in the reading-room on Monday evening. Mr M. Cohen will address the ratepayers of Leith Ward on Monday evening. A committee will ho formed at the close of the meeting to secure the candidate’s return. The Gaelic Society hold a special meeting in the Stuart street Hall on Wednesday evening, when Mr W. N. Blair will lecture on “ Reminiscences of Islay—Highland Scenes and Sketches.” It will he seen by advertisement that visitors to the races can proceed to the course by trains leaving the Dunedin railway station every fifteen minutes, and that tickets may be obtained at the railway station and at various shops in town. At a meeting in St. Matthew’s School last evening it was resolved to form a literary and athletic club in connection with the parish. The Rev Mr Yorke, who called the meeting, spoke at .some length of his experience with a similar club in Melbourne. A committee, consisting of the chairman and Messrs Webb and Hamel, were appointed for the purpose of drawing up rules and other necessary matter. The Rev. Win. Morley, the esteemed pastor of Trinity Church, who has labored iu Dunedin for the last three years, is about to proceed Home. Notwithstanding the incessant ministerial labor in connection with the Dunedin circuit, which embraces within its district Mosgiel, North-east Valley, Woodhaugh, and other place?, he has had thrust upon him a great deal of extra work, occasioned by his being treasurer to the loan fund; and the heaviness of this work, which comes from all parts of the Colony, has, in a measure, beou the cause of his health giving way. The president of the Conference sent to his assistance the Rev. Mr Laws, of Auckland, who will remain here until Mr Motley’s successor arrives. From all parts of New Zealand the Rev. Mr Morley has received messages of sympathy, and at Christchurch the other evening a pmse of sovereigns was presented to him as the outcome of a collection from all parts. He preaches his farewell sermon to-morrow evening, and proceeds to Melbourne on Thursday. Wo wish him hot) viiiiikic, and hope that he will return with renewed health after his well earned furlough.