The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1867.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 251, 25 October 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1867.

At the time of our going to press -the English Mail had not arrived, but the Taranaki, which left Picton at 5 this morning, was steaming up the bay, and would probably be at anchor about 5 o'clock. The Rangitoto was also signalled at ten minutes to 3, having left Wellington [at 5 yesterday afternoon. The business transacted at the Resident Magistrate's Court during the past week has been but of slight importance. The following civil cases were heard on Monday last : — John Norton v, Blair & Co. This was an action to recover £40 os., She price of :our hogsheads of ale supplied to defendants, and also a shop front made to their order iv Nelson, the price of which was £35, of which the plaintiff had received £17, making a total of £40 ss. The defendants, who did not appear, had acknowledged the debt and promised to pay it. Judgment for plaintiffs for the amount claimed with costs. James Watson v. IT. Firth. An action to recover £35 11s. 3d., the part amount of certain goods disposed of by the defendant on behalf of the plaintiff. It appeared that the total amount of the transaction was £113 7s. 6d., and from this sum had been deducted freight by the Claud Hamilton, commission fees, &c, leaving a balance due to the plaintiff of £90 4s. 3d., of which the defendant had paid £54 13s. The defendant appeared and having admitted the debt, was adjudged to pay the balance £35 11s 3d with costs. — W. R. Waters v. Edwin Gough. An action to recover £26 for the rent of the premises in Bridge-street known as the Oxford Billiard-rooms, which had been sub-let by Mr Charles Harris to the defendant now a publican at Westport, who failed to appear, at a rent of £25 per quarter. Judgment for the plaintiff for the amount claimed with costs. — On Wednesday last, Charles Warrington Kingsley was charged with being a stowaway on board the steamer Nelson, and the offence haviug been fully proved he was fined £3, together with the amount of his passage money £2 10s and costs, and in default was sent to gaol for two months. The only matter before the Court yesterday (Wednesday) morning was an assault case, arising out of a squabble between two of the Italian fishermen. The complainant, Giovanni Intronicci, was asserted to have thrown some ' professional' slur upon the defendant, Antonio Wachni, by stating that he could not ca'eb. fish and was starving, which latter statement he however disproved by producing a handful of silver in court. This ho resented by striking the complainant on the face and knocking him down. The defendant was fined £2 and costs. We understand that the engine belonging to the Liverpool London and' Globe Insurance Company lost 2 lengths of h ose which were destroyed by the late fire in Bridge-street. These have lately been replaced from Sydney. The company are evidently determined to keep their smart little engine in working order, and wo trust that a generous rivalry will exist

between those who are connected with both engines by which the public may be the gainers. The Australasian of the 28th ult., in a notice of the contents of the September number of the Australian Medical Journal, quotes from an editorial article which appears in that useful periodical, and which comments strongly upou a presumed want of due appreciation of the medical profession on the part of the public. The writer blames medical merr' themselves for this state of things: — 'For they appear to be so determinedly bent upou cuttiug each other's throats — to use an expressive if very vulgar phrase — that they are incapable of perceiving that the only advantage to be gained through this practice of mutual homicide is by the very naturally selfish public, who take the readiest means of plundering tlie bodies of those who are slain in this internecine war. They appear to regard themselves as engaged in a perpetual conflict for the profits of their calling. They hustle and elbow each other, and push rudely by their fellows, and crawl abjectly in the dirt, and go through all manner of degradation, so that they may secure a temporary advantage, which somebody else the next moment may snatch out of their hands. ... It may be an unpleasant truth to admit, but it is none the less a truth, that only exceptionally do we find in our ranks men whose educatioual training has been of that kind which helps to discipline the mind into the " emollit mores" condition.' These are hard words to bo spoken of his brethren by one within the pale of the medical profession, but local experience proves that they are never thelees far from being devoid of truth. A correspondent directs attention to the beneficial results consequent .on using potato-water mixedwith kerosine to cure blight on apple trees, cabbages, &c. It is used iv the proportion of a pint of kerosine to three gallons of potato-water, and is said to be iv fallible. It will be in the remembrance of our readers that Mr F. A. Weld, our lute Premier, met with a severe accident on going on board the Mermaid at Lyttelton. We regret to state that information was received by last mail to the effect that the accident had proved more serious than was at first anticipated, the small bone of the foot being broken. Mr Weld was under the treatment of an eminent London surgeon, but was still suffering much pain and inconvenience from the results of his accident. We sincerely trust that the Suez Mail has brought news of his entire restoration to his accustomed health aud activity. The following is the telegram received by the Chairman of the Annexation Committee at Grey mouth, in reply to another announcing the departure of Mr Harrison with the petition, aud inquiring whether it would be in time to be received before the prorogation of Parliament: — 'Edward Masters, Esq., G-reymouth — Assembly may be prorogued in two or three days; time still uncertain. Committee need not be uneasy. Question of future position of the Grey (Teremakau) district, not concluded by Westland Bill, and will not be prejudiced by their accepting funds and Road Board organisation in the meantime. — J. C. Richmond." As our readers are already aware,- Parliament was prorogued before the petition could reach Wellington, but Mr Richmond's telegram gives ample ground of assurance that the boundaries of the county of Westland will be so re-arranged as to admit of the exclusion of the Grey District, and thus enable it to be annexed to this province. The performance last night of Lord Lytton's fine drama 'Richelieu or the Conspiracy,' by the Empire Dramatic Company for the benefit of the manager, Mr. W. H. Newton, was a auccoss, the Hall being well attended, and the audience testifying their approbation by repeated applause. A five-act play such as that which was produced last night by this painstaking little company requires no ordinary resources to ensure its success, but in spite of all these difficulties, its representation last night was highly creditable. Mr W. H. Newton's Richelieu was really good, and especially in the closet scene with Mauprat, and in the scene between the Cardinal, his ward Julie de Mortemar, and the wily Baradas, Mr Newton eviuced very considerable power, and gave ample illustration of his careful and intelligent study of this difficult part. Miss Annie Merton's impersonation of the heroine of the play, the object of so many aspirations and counterplots, v/as all that could be desired,

and gave us the truthful presentment of a loving woman faithful to the choice of her heart through all temptations aud trials. The audience insisted on recording their approbation of the efforts of Miss Merton and Mr Newton by calling them before the curtain at the end of the fourth act, amidst general applause. Mr Seymour as the conspirator Baradas, a second lago, luring his victim de Mauprat on to destruction, played the part very successfully, aud Mr Sefton, as the Chevalier de Mauprat, the lover of Julie, aud the tool of the two conspirators Baradas and Orleans, showed a very able conception of the part, which is one which requires no small skill to personify. Mr Pluramer, an nmateur, who kindly undertook the very ungrateful part of Father Joseph, the creature of the Cardinal, acquitted himself as if 'to the manner born," and the other minor parts were very creditably filled by Messrs Manton, Hood, and the rest of the company. The programme concluded with the favorite operetta A Loan of a Lover, so often patronised by amateur theatricals, very neatly given, with the incidental music, and the performance did not ter-, rninate till after midnight. To-night The Corsican Brothers will be repeated for the third time, a wish having been expressed by many families in the city that another opportunity might be afforded them by witnessing this very seusational drama with all its ghostly and ghastly 'effects.' As an appropriate contrast, and, we conclude, to dispel the gloomy thoughts engendered by the first piece, the 'screaming' farce, to adopt the descriptive language of the playbill, of the Spectre Bridegroom is announced as the afterpiece. A new anaesthetic has come into fashion of late; it is quadrichloride of carbon, which possesses an agreeable smell of quiuces, and can produce insensibility in less than a minute. This insensibility may be maintained with or without loss of consciousness; its effects cease speedily when desired, and are not followed by vomiting. It has also been successfully used for obstinate headache.