The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1867.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 288, 5 December 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1867.

The Mail for Europe, etc., via Panama, by the s.s. Taranaki, will close to-morrow at 1 p.m. Money-orders, registered letters, and newspapers must be posted by noon.

At the. Resident Magistrate's Court this morning-, William Blanch was charged with stealing 20lbs of coals from Gibbons's Wharf. The prisoner was seen by Constable Beattie to secret th coal in a bag, which, finding he was watched, he threw down. He acknowledged the offence, and was sentenced to 21 days' imprisonment with hard labour.

The • quarterly Richmond Cattle and Horse Fair took place yesterday on the ground adjoining the Agricultural Hali. Buyers were not so numerous as on previous occasions, and comparatively few sales took place. About 100 head of cattle were on the ground, of which 70 odd were sold at prices averaging from £5 to £& per head. Milking cows met with a ready sale at from £11 to £16. A very considerable number of'3addle horses were also exhibited, ranging from £12 to 27, and about 200 head of sheep were exposed 'for sale, but the high price demanded prevented their being disposed of.

A very interesting festival took place yesterday afternoon, when the scholars of the school founded and erected by Mrs Scaly some years ago far the education of children living in Toi-toi Valley and the adjacent suburbs of the city, were entertained at the schoolhouse near Victorysquare by that benevolent lady. Tea, with all the customary accompaniments, in every possible varict}*, were served to from 70 to 80 children, and the prizes offered by the kind foundress of the school were then distributed to the successful pupils by Mr A. Pitt, M.P.C. After this ceremony, at which a large number of friends •were present, the children indulged in various sports and pastimes with the greatest glee until an advanced period ot the evening. ••

The drawing for the prizes in Mr Davis's Art Union took place last night, at his Gallery in Trafalgar-streetj the fate of the various tickets being decided by two youths who drew for the different members. Mr Luckie was the lucky possessor of the first prize, a handsome case, to contain eight colored cartes de visite, to be executed by Mr Davis; and Mr Hugh Campbell obtained the second, a choice mother-of-pearl album, valued at £7 7s; the other prizes, varying from £3 10s to £1, falling to the lot of the remaining subscribers.

Our musical readers — and who is not ? -will be glad to learn that a telegram was received this morning, stating that Madame and the Misses Carandini with Mr Walter Sherwin, may be expected to arrive here from Christchurch on Monday next, and will give their first concert on the following evening. The reputation of these accomplished vocalists is now so generally established, that we need only congratulate our readers on the speedy prospect of participating in a musical treat of a very rare order.

The Taranaki left the Manukau at 2 p.m. on the 3rd, and arrived at Taranaki at 6 a.m. on the 4th; left the same day at 3 p.m., and arrived here at 9.20 a.m. to-day. Experienced fine weather throughout.

The final performance of the Nathan Juvenile Troupe will be given this evening, when Little Marion takes her benefit, and promises to present her portrait as a souvenir to every lady visiting the reserved seats. Besides this inducement, the bill is a more than ordinarily attractive one, including, notably, the appearance of Mr Small as Felix O'Callaghan in ' His Last Legs;' of Little Marion as 'The Unfortunate Man,' and as Dr O'Toole in the Irish Tutor, with the farce of the Colonial Servant, a menu sufficiently varied and abundant to please the most fastidious taste. We hope to see a bumper house for the last appearance of this very talented family, "who leave for the West Coast to-morrow.

Our readers will perceive that the Trial of Dr Abstinence, which created so much amusement some time since, at the Temperance Hall, will be repeated this evening at the same place.

A despatch has recently been received from the Secretary of State for the colonies, suggesting that in every colony containing naturalised foreigners -who are likely to travel in Europe, it would be convenient that notice should from time to time be given in public newspapers of the necessity for such persons providing. themselves before leaving the colony with some official evidence of their identity and description.

The Westport Evening Star of the 3rd instant says : — Several gentlemen who arrived from Mokihinui to-day report mining matters there to be in the same unimproved state. Like many of the goldfields in the southern districts of the West Coast trade is rather overdone. Great hopes of a fresh rush up the Mokihinui River are entertained, in the meantime the terrace is all that is to be depended upon.

The Westport Evening Star has ascertainad some particulars of the fortunate doings of the miners up the Buller River. There are about 35 men working 40 miles up the river, near to Jakelin's Store, and about the same number up the Lyell. Many of them have built substantial liuts, and show signs of remaining for some time. The great drawback up the Lyell is-.getting provisions, as there is no store there. The men up the Lyell are said to he doing pretty well with that drawback, but not so well as tho.-.e on the Buller. Dillo and party have been doing exceedingly well, making from £10 to £15 per man per week. M'Cabe and party are also s»aid to be knocking out considerably more than tucker, notwithstanding the high prices thereof; they are working about three miles from Jacklia's store, the carriage of provisions to the store taken by boat from town is £25 per ton. All the men are working on the banks of the river, and expressed themselves frequently as content with their earnings, which are obtained without any extra hard work or long hours.

The Grey River Argus, in an amusing leader devoted to the ridicule of the proposition, advocated by the West Coast Times, that his H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh should be invited to visit Hokitika, says that the reasons adduced by that journal for 'dragging England's second son to a town of sand, wood, and calico,' are profound and strongly suggestive of a wish to ' utilise' royalty. The article concludes thus: — Considering the many valid reasons which exist for H.R.H. visiting Hokitika we would certainly recommend that a petition should be forwarded in something like the following terms: — ' Whereas Hokitika is the metropolis of the richest goldfield in the world, etc.; and whereas your Royal Highness would attract large numbers of persons to the profit of your petitioners; and whereas Hokitika has a Mayor and Corporation most humbly devoted to your Royal Highness, provided your Royal Highness will confer some mark of your distinguished consideration on the said Mayor and Corporation, your petitioners humbly pray, etc' We feel confident that if such a memorial were forwarded, accompanied by a copy of the West Coast Times, H.R H. could not refuse. If he did, why the next best thing would be for the Mayor, Corporation, West Coast Times, and all to go to H.R.H.

Mr Aitken, late of the District Engineer's Department, has been appointed by the General Government to survey the line for the telegraph between the Grey and the Buller. He proceeds to Westport by the first opportunity.

The West Coast Times states that a rather amusing scene lately occurred in Tancred-street, Hokitika. It appears that a house near the Tan-cred-street Hotel had been taken by a gentleman, but the actual tenant turned out to be some young ladies. Tlie landlord objecting to the occupants, required them to quit, but as they failed to do so, he quietly had the roof removed from the cottage. The next evening the rain descended heavily, and so incommoded the occupants that they quitted the domicile.

A melancholy accident occurred at Switzer's diggings, Otago, recently, which resulted in the death of a miner, named Malcolm Maclean. The deceased was cutting a chamber in the face of his claim, on Frenchman's Hill, when the ground gave way and fell on him, before his mates, who were on top, had time to signal to him. The poor fellow w:is extiicatcd as soon as possible, but only lived about ten minutes.

Much indignation has been aroused in the public mind in Otago, and especially at Tuapeka, owing to the summary dismissal of Major Croker, the Warden and Resident Magistrate on the goldfield. The Daily Times however states that Mr Stafford has reinstated Major Croker, at the instance, it is believed, of the Governor, who received a personal remonstrance from that officer. Major Richardson also, it is said, used his influence in the same direction.

The London correspondent of the Lyttelton Times saj 7 s:— Lord Lyttelton and Mr Selfe set oil' to visit Canterbury by the December Panama steamer, having postponed their passage for a month from the first intention They will hardly see any part of New Zealand except your province, in which they have proved themselves so deeply interested ever since its foundation; and they propose to return by the March Panama boat. Lord Lyttelton and Mr Selfe ought to receive the very warm welcome that Canterbury can extend to distinguished visitors who arc also true and tried friends.

The inhabitants of Invercargill last week enjoyed the novelty of seeing two locomotives running along streets which, throe or four years ago, were nearly impassable for even bullock drays. Two of the Agricultural Company's locomotive steam-engines were moved through the streets, as an experiment prior to their being forwarded to the company's stations in the eastern district of the province.

The Canterbury Press, referring to the efforts of the people of Hokitika to obtain the honor of a visit from the Prince, coolly pooh-poohs the idea, adding that it is not absolutely certain that the Duke of Edinburgh will visit the Middle Island at all; but if he does, a short stay at Christchurch and Dunedin will be all that time will allow, and probably all that those who advise his movements will think it necessary to. recomment. It is possible that the Press has forgotten the proverb which recommends that a man should be just before he is generous. Perhaps the responsibility of entertaining the Prince might, by this rule, devolve more properly and conveniently upon a province which is not in that unhappy state of impecuniosity in which Canterbury is described to be in a late nnmber of the same journal..

During the last three months nearly POOO kangaroos have been destroyed on one station in Victoria (Harton Hills). These kangaroos consumed the grass of 12,000 sheep, and the wool of these' sheep may be calculated as worth £2000 per annum.