The Evening Star MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1891.

Evening Star, Issue 8554, 29 June 1891, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1891.

A divorce suit, in which both parties are aboriginal Natives belonging to Puketeraki, was btought before Mr Justice Williams this morning. The wife obtained a rule nisi.

The Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. G. Ward) and Mr H. S. Valentine arrived in Dunedin by the express from the North on Saturday night. Mr Ward was to proceed South this morning.

At the City Police Court this morning, before Mr D. Wishart, J.P., a first offender, who did not appear, and Thomas Bowie, for drunkenness, were each fined ss, in default forty-eight hours' imprisonment. In speaking in support of the Dentißts Bill Mr E. M. Smith told the House that he had been promised a set of false teeth by a friend if he won his election, "and, Mr Speaker," he continued, " I finds them very useful."

We understand that Government have received as many as a hundred applications for the position of messenger of the Customhouse, which was filled by the missing man Whittock. No new appointment will be made, but the position be given to one of the messengers in the Government service. There was a large attendance at the University on Saturday afternoon, when the first of the ambulance lectures for women in connection with the convalescent fund was given. Dr Scott was the lecturer, and the instruction he gave seemed to be highly appreciated by those present. The next lecture will bo given in the University by Dr Barnett.

The 'North Otago Times' records the death of Mr John Murray, an Oamaru resident who went to Dunedin to undergo Koch's treatment for lupus. He had been in Dunedin for some time for treatment, and his relatives in Oamaru received most encouraging accounts' from himßelf and others of the progress he was making under the treatment. These accounts continued encouraging almost up to the period of his death, which took place on Saturday. He had expressed a strong wish to bo placed under the treatment. Dr Macpherson brought to a close on Friday night the series of ambulance lectures which he has been delivering at the Southern Club. The lectures have been well attended, and have proved most interesting. Mr Loring and assistants will continue ambulance work on Friday evenings. The elocution clas3 (Mr A. Barrett), shorthand (Mr R. G. Whetter, M.A.), writing (Mr Eudey), arithmetic, and other classes are largely patronised, the teachers in each instance giving their services gratuitously. The floor is now laid in the large hall, and the lecture hall is approaching completion. A cou.-se of cookery and other classes for ladies are in contemplation. A French journal records an instance of longevity in a tortoise, which is somewhat remarkable, though tortoises have been known to live even longer. It is stated that last August a planter captured in the St. John River, Florida, a tortoise which had the following inscription on the carapace : " Captured in the year 1700 by Fernando Gomez in the St. Sebastian River; taken later od by the Indiana to Montanzis, and from there to the Great Wekima." The Great Wekima was the ancient name for the St. John River. Above the inscription the armß of Spain and date 1700 were plainly discernible. After showing the tortoise to his friends the captor released it, adding the date IS9O to the older inscription, The Peninsula Naval Volunteers held their seventh annual ball in the Anderson Bay Drill shed on Friday night. The hall was gaily decorated with fligs, ferns, and Chinese lanterns, which had a pretty effect. There were between seveuty and eighty couples present, and dancing was kept up with spirit until morning hours. During intervals songs were contributed by several ladies and gentleman, and step dances by Messrs G. and R. Coxon and Hurrell, and Master Popham (a veritable midship mite) danced a Highland fling excellently. Messrs Yates Brothers supplied the music, Meyer and Son (of Roslyj) catered, and the diities Gf M.C. were ably carried out by P.O. Coxoa and Gunner Swete of the corps. At the opening of the Civil Sittings of the Supreme Court this morning it was intimated that the oa'eee pf the Bank of New Sostjj Wales and Eagar *, Drury had been Bettled. Doake v. Doake and another was i fixed for to-morrow ; Kerr v. Kediie for jj itAieStb July.; Sparrow v. Shotover Dredgi jog Company for the Bth July; Pitches v. J'-M*a tat the 22nd July ; £saac and another '\j , -«U/e aad ethers for not earlier than the 9Xrd T «vly{ Walker v. M'Majfch was ordered to sW J* »•**£» ° f <J» *M the cases of Leary aT>d &#»> and others, and Telford and Wh.M V.the United Hercules Hydraulic Slu!C»flg MWpany were ordered to stand over by consent till the August sittings ; the ease of the Bank of New South Wales v. Rolands is to be mentioned again ; and Bußh v. the Mornington Tramway Company is to come on not before the 14th July.

At Friday's sitting of the Oamaru District Court, in its bankruptcy jurisdiction, Judge Ward suspended the discharges of G. M. Aldrichfor twelve months, and of W. H. S. Roberta for six months, fn the case of John Everest, of Palmeraton, Hia Honor said he had always refrained from making an order for imprisonment because a bank- ■ rupt had not kept reasonable and proper j books. He held with Mr Justice Williams; on this point that it would require to be \ Bhown that fraud was intended. In the' present case the Assignee, who was quite rigfct in bringing the case before the Court, waa acting as administrator in the estate of Jordan, aafi there waa nothing to show how Jordan's booitfi xvere kept. They might have been as badly tent aa bankrupt's. He did not think it would be right to strain the Act (for it would be straining .the Act) to punish bankrupt with imprisonment, who could be dealt with when he came up for h£s, order of discharge. No order would be granted. The fourteenth annual report of the Otago Educational institute notes with regret the departure from tke colony of Mr G. H. Smith (of the Georg« street School), who haa been an active and useful member of committee, and always took a lively ,«#3reßt in t&i affaire of the Institute. Meniiofl is mado of the annual gathering of the parent Institute q.t Auckland, of the Auckland's ' Herald's' attack on the education system, of the Executive/a interview with the Minister of Education « the syllabus, and the action of ths Education Board re the reduction of bonuses. On this letter subject the report Bays :—" Considering %»fc the reductions have very seriously affected teachers whose salaries were already small, the Committee hope that the Board will make some arrangement whereby those salaries will not be permanently reduced. The extent of redaction in the _ smaller salaries by the abolition of bonuses is shown approKimatelybythefollowingfigures:—Four teachers lose L3O each; six teachersloseL2D each; sixty-seven teachera lose LlO each. Almost all the salaries affected as above are under L2OO per annum. Jn cqnneetion with these financial arrangements, the cannot overlook the fact that whilst teachers' salaries have been considerably reduced daring recent years, it has at the same time been deemed advisable to increase the salary of some of the Board's officers. _ The Committee do not call attention to this fact in any spirit of dissatisfaction with the increase itself. The Institute, however, is of /opinion that any policy of increase or retrenchment should be made to apply to ev<a*y branch of the service." The Committee of Management took prompt and, we believe, successful aotion during the General Election to influence public opinion in the right direction on the education question. It is satisfactory to learn that the Balclntha branch has been revived, and tiiftt increased interest haß been taken in the work of acme of the other branches. The annual seßsioß will be held next week, when Profeaßor Gilray v'}M read a paper on « Edncation in Prussia,' and .among other matters to be discussed will be the syllabus, as amended by the Minister of fidacaiipn.

Tbo licensee of theOUgo Hotel is to be charged on Thursday uext with permitting quarrelsome and riotous conduot to take place in her house.

A Glasgow doctor in his will registered > recently leaves the whole of his estates to ; hiß two Bisters, and then inserts this extraordinary clause:—" To my wife, as a recompense for deserting me and leaving me in peace, I expect the said sister Elizabeth to make her a gift of 10b sterling to bny a handkerohief to weep in after my deoease." The Rev. Mark Guy Pearse preached in the Garrison Hall yesterday, morning and < evening, to congregations that completely' filled that spacious building. Hiß discourse | on both occasions waß muoh enjoyed. In j the Trinity Wesleyan Church this afternoon ! he gave an interesting account of the work of the West London Mission. The Church was filled to overflowing. Mr Pearse'a remarks were listened to very attentively throughout, the audience evidently recognising that the leoturer, from his three years' connection with the mission, speaks on the condition of the poor of London from his pastoral knowledge of them and their surroundings. The Postmaßter-General (the Hon. J. G. Ward) is to be presented with anepergne by the officers in the instrument rooms of the six prinoipal stations in New Zealand. It is in the form of a vase, at the elaborately embossed base of which are two figures in classical attire. From the bowl of the vase is suspended a cradle of New Zealand silver, gilt, shaped like 0 boat, and bearing the following inscription:—"To the Hon. J. G. Ward, Po3tmaster - General and Electric Telegraph Commissioner, from the officers of the telegraph staffs, Auckland, Napier, Wellington, Blenheim, Christchurch, and Dunedin, to commemorate the birth of his son, Gladstone William, born May 14, 1891." The vase is surmounted by a handsome dish of cut glass for fruit.

On Friday evening, In the Choral Hall, a benofit concert will be given in aid of a member of duurtEnterprise, A.O.F. Dunedin Polo Club practises at the Ocean Beach on Wednesday afternoon, and a meetiug will be held at Wain's Hotel in the evening.

Kev. Mark Guy Pearse will leoture to-night ia City Hall on 'Cornish Characters' and ' More Old Folks at Home.' This willbe his last address here.

The fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Excelfior Lodge, Wo. 41, of the P.A.F.5.0.A., waß held in the Baptist Chapel, Gieen Island, on Thursday evening, W.M. Bro. George Russell presiding. There was an initiation, and the receipts for the evening were L1919s 7d.

The City Hall skating rink will be open tomorrow night (Tuesday), when the usual weekly ladies' invitation eveuing will be held, but owing to other engagements the rink will be closed for the Test of the week until Saturday, when it will be open in the afternoon and eveuing.

At the Oargill road Mutual Improvement Class (the fcev. G. J. Spence in the cnair) Miss read a paper on 'The Life and ■Writings of St. Peter,' after which the adjourned "mock election" was held, resulting in the election of Mr A. Dickson with a majority of one vote over Mr S. Bridgman. Messrs N. lily and W. Metz wore well up. only six votes separating the first and last candidates. A miscellaneous entertainment was given by the members of the John street, Caversham, Mutual Improvement Society, assisted by a frw friends, on Thursday evening. A long and varied programme was gone through, and amongst the items may be mentioned song» by Misses Guthrie, Craigie, and Milligin; duets, Misses M'lvor, Guthrie, and Tily; and a clarionet solo by Mr W. Metz. Readings, recitations, and a scene from 'The Heir-at-Law were rendered by the members of the society. A concert was held in the Mornington Temperance Hall on Friday evening in aid of the Mornington Church of Christ Band of Hope. The hall was crowded. Those who gave their services were Misses A. Cooper, L, and F. MiKigan, G. Davidson, B. M'Ksnzie, Smith, Morrison, Craig e Wren, Mri Ford, Messrs W. M'Kinlay. Dickinson, Cooper, W. Keid, W. Powell, Ford, Donaldson, and R. Williams. Miss B. M'Keozie and Mr W. M'Kinlay acted as accompanist", and four mtmbera of the Kng'neers' Band rendered an iustrnmental selection. The Band of Hope is conducted by Mr Ad-sm Miller. The half-yearly meeting of the Loyal Caversham Lodge. M.U 1.0.0. F., was held in lodge room on Wednesday last, N.G. B'O. 8. D. OroninpresidiDk. The election of officers for the ensuing term resulted as follows*:— G.M., Bro. S. D. Croniu; M.G, Bro. J. M'Kelvay; V.G., Bro. J. Briggs; E.S., Bro. M, Burgess; warden, Bro, Gillies; guardian, Bro. Kussell; R. and L.9. to N.G., Bro3. Newey and Bremnei; R. and L.S. to V.G., Bros. Hdmonds and Yates. Bro. Nutting, on behalf of the Loyal City of Westminster Lodge, England, replied to the second toast, and Pro v. G.M. Lake to the third toast of the evening. The receipts amounted to LSB. A fairly 'arge audience assembled at the Anderson Bay Schoolhouse on Wednesday evenr ing last to witness the Bpelliue bee promoted by the Break cf Day Lortgr, I.tXG.T. The winners were: —Class for school boys—Neil White 1, James Luke 2; class for school girls— Henrietta Vine 1, Flora Sl'Donald 2; ladies' class—Mias Smith; gentlemen's class—Mr M'Curdy, In the latter clas* the competition was very keen, and Mr M'Curdy and Mr Guardiola (who was the last to give in) fairly earned the hearty round of applause bestowed upon them by the audience. A consolation prii.3 was also given, and was awarded to Walter Paine. Votes of thanks were accorded to Mr Jeffrey <(who actt das conductor) and to the judges {Messrs St. White and B. Vine).

Jf; 9 following in<juirips fgr missing friendß are ffifcd* in 'Lloyd's Weekly':- oiroline Marking (Biesj was at Dunedjn In 187?; brother Frfderiok, Alfred and Louisa Sylvester were last heard of at Perth (W.A.) four years ago; th«y were performing in Melbourne in October, 1889, the former utder the name of Professor Sylvester ; unolo and aunt Bailey ask. George Werry. or Mary Ann, his wife, or son William, who ltffc London for Auokland in the beginning of June, 1856; their sister (Lucy Padweli) asks, (bwell William Andrews was working on the Coromandel goldfield in ember, 1881, and in March, 1882, was at Northern Wairoa; his sister Emma inquires. James Oliver, believed to bo ft sheep-shearer, was heard of six yoars ago at Tiraain; mother very ill and anxious. Joseph Mdunt[(G«crge Wilson) left Heme Bay In 1575 and laWnesfrd of .on February 19, 1880, at Mafclkihi (South Cani6rbaiy}; sister Phyllis inquires. James Edward Llbby left Glasgow for Dunedia la October, 1873; Bis mother seeks news, .lames King voat t'o .New Zealand - from J Holloway about thirty-eigUi years'ago; brother! Henry. Henry and Emma Kenny left West-l minster about Blxteen years ago to jo'.» their I grandfather at Wellington; father writeß, Mrs M'Donald Fletcher resided at Dampier'B Bay (Lyttelton) twelve years ago; his mother and sister long for news, John Allen (Smith) sailed in 1C75 from Scotland to New Zealand in the Jesse Osborne, and about ten years ago wrote home from WelHogton; his daughters Emma and Mary inquire. • Arthur Austin sailed from London to New Zealand jtk 1862, and is believed to have beaa for many 'yaars> part wner of a vessel trading from Auckland. T&steiril!m£lie ; in-j quires. Frederick Wm. Dowdier in May, j was at Siwyers Bay; sister inquires. Henry Alfred Boys left London for Auokland in the Oxford in 1878, and when last heard of in \IIQ at Inverca gill wasprnspeotiog with a timoef' company; brother Fred Jobn Challojjer, of Lockߣehj, Walworth, enlißted in the 64th Foot, was jn 1864, and Intended gMtse to Auckland; micfcher anxious.; [Communications «i these suftj>'ctß, addressed "Missing Friends, ea*« of eJitor Evkn.'NC Stab," will be forwarded to foe editor of 'Lloyd's Weekly.]