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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 242, 15 October 1867, Page 2

The; departure of the Otago having been delayed, the Mail for Europe, etey via Suez, will close at 5 p.m. this day. # We are informed that the statement made in our leading article of yesterday with reference to the over-expenditure on the Southwest Goldfields was not strictly accurate. It is quite true that there is au overdraft of £20,000, but thi3 sum has been incurred on the one item voted for tbe formation of roads and other public works in that district, the total amount : voted for the Goldfields Service not having been exceeded. We would remind those of our readers wbo are interested in the proposal of Bishop Suter to secure tbe permauent and undivided services of a clergyman for the western parish ofthe city, that the meeting for that purpose takes place this evening at the Bishop's Schoolroom, at 7 o'clock. new daily paper, the Westport Evening Star, lately started at that townBhip, has the followiug remarks with reference to onr connection with the Southwest Goldfields: — We trust it may be long ere Westport sends forth a cry for separation; for, notwithstanding our positiou is more isolated and we are further from the seat of Government than Westland is from E: stland, we are under the control of a wise and liberal Government, alive to the importance of developing the riches of the district, although a mountain range divides it from the parent town. The liberality of the Nelson Government towards her goldfields has been repeatedly thrown in the face of selfish and unjust Eastland by Westland; and we hope that it may never be our duty to retract the opinion we expressed above, that we are at present wißely / *!_a liberally dealt with. The members of the Provincial Council, who, in accordance with the resolution passed last session, are to visit the West Coast. during the vacation, leave to-day by the Kennedy for the Buller. We understand that the selection of the members who were to take part in the trip, was decided by lot, but some of those originally selected having either declined to take part in the excursion, or having been compelled by unforeseen cireunwstances to forego their anticipated trip, the number has been reduced from sii to ' fonry and will' consist of the Speaker, with Messrs & Burn, Pitt, and Beitt. A paragraph which appeared this morning in the columns of our contemporary the Examiner, founded on information received from ai miuer who ha* been .over r Hough** P«88 affords additional tegtimojiy

1-— ■■■■*- : 1 * * II I as to the preferable character qf that route into the Karamea Valley over any other which has yet been discovered. It is . stted in the paragraph to which wa allude that, whilst the saddle on therajige over which Gordon's track passes has been buried deep iu the snow, aud more than one party of miucrs who had set out for the the Leslie have been compelled to turn back, rather than eucouuter- the rugged and precipitous track before them, whose ascent was still more difficult by the snow which lay ou its summit, Hough's saddle has never at any period during the winter had such an amount of snow upon ifc as to render the crossing of it a work of .auy difficulty. Iu fact the testimony in favor of Hough's Pass seems to be quite unanimous, and all the miners who have beeu to the Upper Karamea by that route agrees in describing it as the only really feasible route into that country at all seasons of the year. We need not remind our readers of the fact that there has been the heaviest fall of snow this winter that has ever been experienced since the settlement of this province, and yet the road-makers over Hough's Pass have been exposed to it all, and when the suow lay twelve feet deep on Button's track, and there was not only snow, but even glaciers, on Groom's track, the Examiner's informant as we bave already stated, affirms, though the snow has fallen ou Hough's Pass on one or two occasions during the past winter to a depth of from twelve to fifteen inches, yet that, . in spite of tbis, men ou foot could at any time get over it. The same authority repeats what has on more than one instance been affirmed in these columns, thst the formation cf a drayroad over to the Karamea by Hough's Pass is perfectly feasible, and that in fact a horse might canter along the whole distance. We understand that a considerable number of miners — several of whom have visited the couutry, with the prospects of whicb they express themselves well satisfied — have intimated their intention not to leave town for the Karamea uutil such a road has been made over Hough's Pass as may enable them to procure their supplies without difficulty from the Baton. In view therefore of the large accession to our mining population which may very shortly be anticipated from the continued favorable reports received from the Leslie and Skeet rivers, we are of opinion that tbe Government should lose no time in opening up the Karamea by such a road as will facilitate the transmission of supplies for tbe miners located there, and thus very materially forward the interests of trade in Nelson. We regret to hear that Mr Thomas Mackay met with a very painful accident only about two hours before the completion of the track, through bis axe slipping and cutting the instep of his right foot, and he bas been brought down to the Baton, store, where he is now lying until he is sufficiently recovered to return to town. Shortly before going to press we re- 1 ceived telegraphic information of the safe arrival at Greymontb to-day at 1 1 a.m. ; of the Wallaby, having on board his Honor the Superintendent and tbe Provincial Treasurer. The Pakawau Coal Committee leave, according to the intention which wean*... nounced some few days since, by the Lady Barkly to-morrow, for the. purpose of ••-*■ visiting the newly discovered coal seam at Pakawau, specimens from which have 7 lately been exhibited in town, and have excited much attention from its fine - quality both for household aad steaming purposes. ~ "'■ JJJ^J^' '■■'■'" ! The Dramatic Compan} l^tider 7sM>7. ; ; management of 'Mr. W. "K.,Newtoji *.wh]cif .^ arrived here on Friday last, oaade tlwir <' first . appearance at the Oddfellows* Hall -last night The audience was an unusually ":' , ..... .-*■*' -4i*.. •; .'*,.-» _*_'..>._; '■;■" $vv**rj?.*3V*.~.-un numerous w»d respectable O.qe \ we wtf ,*_ .. ' r-.. .' ,! -.'.'■■.. ■• >! '--'■!:. i ;*k,j '.i-i?

this advisedly, for our Nelson playgoers Are apt on similar occasions to await the verdict of their friends as to the merits or demerits of any new candidates for public favor in the theatrical line, and the at- ' tendance at such debuts is consequently in most instances rather meagre. Considering the very short time which the company have had at their disposal since their arrival here, and the extremely limited scenic and mechanical resources which the Hall affords, the performance of Tom Taylor's drama in three acts, entitled 'Plot and Passion' mi^ht be considered as decidedly successful. The play turns on the wily ,'intrigues of the arch spy Fouche*, the famous Minister of Police under the First Empire, and affords much scope for the display of histrionic talent. Miss Annie Mertou, on whom devolved the delineation of the heroine 1 of the piece, Marie de Fon ranges, acquitted herself with such success as to secure the favorable regards of the audience at an early period of the evening's performances, and this waa still farther increased as the plot approached its culminating point, her denunciation and defiance of the fiendish Minister producing a marked effect on those present. The part of Fouche, entrusted to Mr W. H. Newton was, we imagine, hardly of a nature to illustrate the extent of his powers as an actor, the principle characteristic being its subdued subtlety, which was admirably portrayed. The part of Desmarets, the coadjutor and ultimately the betrayer of Fouche", was given by Mr H. Sefton with considerable force and cha* r&eter, and the ' make up ' was admirable. This was a character in which the late Mr Robson made so great a sensation, and is in fact the principal male figure in the -drama. Mr Hood's performance as De Neuville, the lover of Madame de Font* anges, was nearly all that could be desired, though perhaps a little more * verve ' in one or two scenes might not have been superfluous. The Marquis de Cevennes, a French variation of the stage ' walking gentleman.' personated by Mr Man ton, created much amusement by the various contretemps in which he was involved by bis connection with the unscrupulous Miniiter. At the conclusion of the play Miss Annie Merton and Mr Newton were called before the curtain, and received the hearty congratulations of the audience. A musical interlude followed, and the entertainment concluded with the farce of the Hough Diamond, in which Miss Annie Merton and Mr Newton not only displayed the versatility of their powers as the pair of unsophisticated cousins whose meeting creates bucd apprehensions in the jealous heart of Margery's husband, but literally kept the audience in irrepressible roars of laughter until the curtain fell. At the conclusion of the drama Mr Newton apologised for the meagrencss of the scenic effects which were then at their disposal, promising that every piece in which the company might appear during their stay in Nelson should be produced with all possible effect, in order to entitle them to the support of the public, which we feel sure will not be wanting. We must not omit to mention that the arrangements for the accommodation of the audience were very complete, as was also another desideratum — the lighting of the Hall, and that the orchestra discoursed some most excellent music with capital effect, and with more spirit and musician-like skill than we have heard for some time past. The performance to-night will consist of Planches sparkling drama in two ants — 'Grist to the Mill,' a musical interlude, and the ever-favorite farce of 'Betsy Baker,' and we trust to see that the desire so evidently displayed by the management to place before the Nelson public dramatic performances of a character which ought to secure .their, .patronage, will be recognised by a "Very numerous assemblage at the Haft this evening. We much regret to find that, in epite of the very general feeling expressed in favor of the preservation of the very fine old pukatea tree growing on the banks of the Maitai near the Hardy-street Bridge, the, rutnlesp mandate of the Board of Works has-been Obeyed; and this last relic of the primeval bush' which once existed on that side of oar city has been laid low. We regret this the more especially .at .we are - fcssared, on theiV befet possible authority, that only one limb was at all decayed, and that the tree showed signs of full vitality formaby years to^ome. Perhaps we hare bo right to expect much reverence for the ©ictapeeque or the esthetic from so prosaic « bo^y as th6 Bottd of Works, bat we be-

lieve that a large majority of our readers will agree with us in characterising the destruction of this fiue old ' monster of *. the forest,' as a piece of very unnecessary Vandalism, which deference to the publie wishes, so uumistakeably pronounced, might at all eveuts have postponed for some time to come.