The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1894.

Evening Star, Issue 9502, 26 September 1894, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1894.

A meeting of the Committee appointed to ■endeavor to raise the guarantee of £3OO required to secure a visit to Otago from Mr A. E. Stoddart's English cricket team was held last evening, when lists were handed in slewing that the guarantee is virtually .assured.

Yesterday the Premier telegraphed to the mayor: "It is impossible to pass Municipal Corporations Bill thig session. The Bill was amongst slaughtered innocents. There is not the slightest chance of getting it through"; and His Worship replied : "Am glad to hear Municipal Bill not to go through this session. Your proposed alteration of the franchise is outrageous, and such *3 I trust will never be assented to by the legislature." The weekly meeting of the Benevolent Trustees was held this afterrfoon, and was attended by Messrs J. Roberta (chairman), C. Haynes, R. Chisholm, A. Solomon, and Dallas. Accounts were passed for payment amounting to £lB2 4s fid. A letter was sead from Dr MacGregor intimating that His Excellency the Governor assented to the expenditure by the Benevolent Board of t' 1,500 in the erection of new wards. About forty eases of relief were dealt with.

Our readers will note with regret the announcement of the death of Mi' T. M. Hardy-Johnston. The deceased gentleman was a godson of Admiral Hardy, captain <sf Lord Nelson's ship Yictory at the Uattle of Trafalgar, and during the years 1843-1856 was engaged as an engineer on the surveys of numerous railways in England under Mr Brunei and others. He was specially engaged to make the survey of the great tubular bridge over the river Tamar, at Saltash. After a long service on the Madras railways Mr Johnston was appointed acting chief • engineer to the Government of Travancore. In August, £869, sie left India for England, and on returning was in January, 1870, appointed to the otlice of secretary and consulting engineer in the Public Works Department of the Nizam of Hyderabad. For two years he was actively engaged in conducting the administration of a department extending over a country comprising an area of nearly 100,000 square miles and a population of 10,000,000. in September, 1872, finding that his health had suffered from a long residence in India, Air Johnston left that country and returned Jto England In 1873 he emigrated with his family to New Zealand, and arrived in Auckland in 1873, ultimately coming to Canterbury some eighteen years ago, •nince which time he ha* fcy.ed a comparatively retired life. He was elected a, member «of the Institute of Civil Engineers <u> the 77th February, 1860- The deceased gentleman leaves five daughters and throe song.— '.Press.'

The Kennedy Dramatic Company repeated * Time and Tide' at the City Hall last evening before a large audience. Mr Albert Lucas and Miss Lilla Wilde were able exponents of their parts in the cast, while the comicalities of Mr Kennedy evoked demonstrative marks of appreciation. ' Mad' will be reproduced to-morrow evening. An important ruling has been given by the Registrar-General of Lands in connection with brokers' charges under the Land Transfer Act. The effect of the ruling is that the schedule under which brokers have made a practice of charging 5s for every extra covenant in mortgages and leases is to be read as for one class only. However long and intricate a deed may be the maximum charge, therefore, allowable by him for deeds where the consideration is under £4OO is only 15s. He also rules that no extra copies of a deed if required by the parties may be charged for. The RegistrarGeneral gives his decision with some hesitation apparently, as he says that the schedule is not as clear as it might be.

A concert in aid of the funds of the Mornington Public Library was held last evening in the Temperance Hall. The entertainment was commenced by Misses Ritchie and Henry playing a pianoforte duet. MrC. T. Patersou contributed two popular songs—' Out in the deep ' and ' The deathless army ' ; and Mr C. Morton was applauded for two ballads. Mrs Wakefield Holmes was listened to attentively while singing Cowen's ' The children's home,' and bowed in response to a recall. Mrs Holmes also took part in the duet 'Gentle spring' with Miss Jessie Ramsay. Miss Ramsay is the possessor of a musical, light soprano voice, and her further appearances will be looked forward to with pleasure. Mr \V. Manson gave an intelligent rendering of ' Thy sentinel am I,' substituting, when encored, the humorous ditty 'The skippers of St. Ives.' Miss Rolfe delighted the audience by her singing of ' By the fountain' and ' Daddy,' and was compelled to return to the platform after each solo. Mr G. B. Dall was in good voice, singing 'Homeward bound' (Marks) and 'Ora pro nobis.' Miss Holland recited the story of ' The owl critic ' in a pleasing manner, and Mr J. Melvin showed considerable aptitude for comic songs in character. His selections were 'The waiter' and 'The cigar girl.' The accompaniments were in the able hands of Miss Munro, and Miss Rachel Grindley played a pianoforte solo, displaying considerable skill. The Morniugtou Library was founded during the sixties, when the enterprising spirits of that day formed themselves into a minstrel troupe and gave an entertainment in the Mornington Hall. A number of cabs conveyed visitors from town. Tickets were 5s per head ; and over £3O was netted as the result. We learn that the library is open on Friday evenings for the issue of books, and the subscription is 5s per annum. The members of the Mornington Magazine Club have generously offered to hand over to the institution a number of their magazines each month.

We have received a donation of £1 Is 6d for the Petrie fund from "Friends." The last train for Port Chalmers to-morrow evening will not start till 10.15. The Ambulance Association's nursing lectures will be resumed to-morrow evening. The Agricultural Society's annual horse parade will be held at Tahuua Park to-morrow. See G. and T. Young's advertisement on first page containing particulars of their great clearing sale.—[Ad vt.] The annual meeting of the Otaso Cricketers' Association will he held at Wain'* Hotel on Saturday evening.

Messrs Froctor and Crawford have sent us the September number of ' Cosinas,' the new Australian magazine published at Sydney. The adjourned meeting of ladies willing to assist in connection with the Port Chahncr3 Rowing Club's bazaar will be held in the Mechanics' Institute on Monday evening.

Mr Slater, the secretary of the Labor Day Committee, intimates elsewhere that lie will be in attendance at his office every night till the 3rd October to receive entries for the sports in connection with the Labor Day demonstra ion. The Rev. J. Orchard will deliver his popular lecture on ' The Reminiscences of My Life in Australasia' in the Bible Christian Mission Ha'l, Stafford street, to-morrow night, on behalf of the manse fund.

The Colorado Minstrels give a benefit concert to the children of the late Donald Petrie at the City Hall on Friday evening, when several of the Kennedy Dramatic Company will assist. Popular prices. The Hope of Dunedin Tent, 1.0. R., held their quarterly meeting in the Choral Hall ,on Monday evening, the C.R., Bro. W. H. Johnson, in the chair. The thanks of the tent were presented to the ladies and gentlemen who gave their services at the recent anniversary meeting, and it was decided to take steps to form a juvenile branch of the tent. The receipts for tho evening were £M 3s M. The Caversham Presbyterian Literary and Debating Society held their fortnightly meeting last evening, when there was a good attendance of members. The programme of the evening was ' A Night with Shakespeare.' The president (the Rev. D. Dutton) gave a short introductory sketch, and the following members gave addresses and readings:—The Rev. D. Dutton, Messrs Roberts, Milne, Stevenson, and M'Laren, Misses Dutton and Mitchell.

There was a good attendance of members and visitors at the meeting of Pioneer Lodge, 1.0. G.T., at the Choral Hall on Tuesday evening, when a programme was gone through consisting of interesting extracts from the writings of Dr Sir B. "Ward Richardson, arranged by Bro. R. Huie, interspersed with songs. The readings were given by several members, who acquitted themselves creditably, rendering the meeting both educational and entertaining. One candidate was initiated, and arrangements were made to hold the lodge's twentythird anniversary during the visit of Bro. Crabb, grand lodge lecturer, to the City.