The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1867.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 309, 31 December 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1867.

',' 'Ever* man,' says that now neglected essayist, Charles Lamb, 'hath two birthdays, two days at least in every year which eet him upon revolving the lapse of time .as it affects his moral duration. The one is that which in an especial manner he termeth his. To the gradual desuetude of old observances, this custom of solemnising our proper birthday hath nearly passed away, or is left to children, who reflect nothiug at all about the matter, nor understand anything in it beyond cake and orange. But the birth of the New Year is of an interest too wide to be preter- . mitted by king or cobbler. No one ever regarded, the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left. It is the nativity of pur common Adam.' ; To the inhabitants of new countries the /anniversary is perhaps fuller of interest : than to those of old, because the period of time comprehended between it and its predecessor embraces so much larger an amount of incident. The events cannot, of course, compare in magnitude and grandeur with those which make up the history of a twelvemonth in Europe, but they are of equal importance to ourselves ; just as, to the inhabitants of an English •village, the coming of age of the lord of the manor, or the death of the old squire, creates a profounder impression locally that the accession of a sovereign or the fall of a dynasty. Then, again, it must be conceded that the march of events in a young country is much more rapid than in an old one. Ours is the eager impetuosity of youth ; theirs is the staid gravity of sober manhood. There is this difference, too, in the feelings with which the close of the old year is regarded in Europe and here at the Antipodes respectively — that there men occupy themselves with the retrospect of the past. There is, as the essayist felicitously expresses it, 'a gathering up of the mind to a concentration of all the images that have been diffused over' the past twelve months,' whereas, in this part of the world, we busy ourselves more ' with the future. Our survey of the bygone year, of all it accomplished, aud of all it failed to perform, is a hasty one. We set our faces towards its successor, and 'dip into the future as far as human eye can see;' for the sphere of effort is so wide and the hope of reward so animating, as to justify this preference of anticipation over retrospection. Therefore, our regret at parting compauy with 1867 will be greatly lessened, and we shall be the better prepared to offer a cordial "welcome to 1868. We know the worst of the old year, and we , hope the best of the new. The veiled figure which approaches us with so much of mystery in his movements may in time reveal to us a benignity of aspect, a suavity of demeanor, and a large-hearted bounty ■which will more than compensate for the . frowns of his predecessor, for the reverses : : we may have undergone while he was with us, and for the disappointments to which he may have subjected us. / Therefore let us welcome the New Year "with frank heartiness, aud propitiate his good will by the cheerfulness and geniality ..•with which we meet him, on the threshold, ; wishing each and every one of our friends .and subscribers that besfc of good wishes, ,*A Happy New Year and a Good Balance Sheet,' aud though, alas, we have as yet v-no merry bells in our steeples to peal out welcome to the New Year, we may :: adopt the words of Tennyson and say : ; V: y ; . King but the grief that saps the mind, \-k : , I "% \:'f. :;-Eor. those. that here we see no more; '{:■: ::: ,V: '-> "JRing but the feud of rich and poor. ,: ; : '\ ■ jEjJn&in .redress" to :all .mankind,. l : l^':';;^j?^i%^>^^^ ; '3yiiig cause, 1 , " . v- i '> 6trife: ■■ ' ■ $ vSgf |iMingr|uQ^^iiogeiS:nipdes ; bf life, -, " • ' . v^-'^*^jK^w^^t^maimiers, -purer laws.-' ■' ' : •'•, isfl-:o%3?'MssosS-& : '- : ''-- ■• ; ; "-- :V ■'•'"' - ■

To-morrow, being New; Year's :Dayy no publication of this journal will take place. We are requested to state that the Post Office. will be closed to-morrow (New Year's Day). The programme of 'events' to take place tomorrow in celebration of New Year's Day, promises to be more ample than was at first anticipated. First we note a public breakfast, to be given at the Temperance Hall, to young men, at which an address will be delivered by the Bight Rev. Bishop Suter. At 1 o'clock the Oddfellows and Foresters, together with the members of the Fire Brigade, start in procession from the Oddfellows' Hall, in commemoration of the auniversary of the two first-mentionfid bodies, who will dine together at s o'clock, at the Oddfellows' Halljhis Honor the Superintendent taking the chair. A picnic, in connection with the Wesleyan Church, is also announced to take place in Brook-street Valley, on the grounds belonging to Mr Daniel and Mrs Moorhouse, which will probably be very numerously attended. An announcement appears in our advertising columns to the effect that, in order to facilitate the conveyance of parties desirous of taking part in this picnic, the Dun-mountain 'bus will run from the corner of Trafalgar and Hardy-streets to Brook-street-valley during the day. A tea- meeting will also be held on the ground in the rear of the Baptist Chapel,, in connection, with the Baptist Sunday-school, at which the public are invited to assist. A scratch-match will be played on Victory-square by the members of the Nelson Cricket-club, wickets to be pitched at 10 o'clock, and the Lady Barkly steamer will make excursions both on New Year's Day and on the following day to Motueka, of which many will, doubtless, avail themselves, should the weather prove auspicious. With such a varied ' menu ' as. this, our good citizens can hardly complain of "a lack of amusement on this festal day, though many will regret the absence of the usual Regatta from the programme. This city was visited yesterday evening about--8 o'clock by a thunderstorm of no ordinary severity, which continued for a considerable time. The flashes of lightning were extremely vivid and frequent, but we have not heard that any injury, to life or property has been caused by the storm, which was indeed at one time in very close proximity to the city. The atmosphere, previous to the storm, was very close and oppressive, as it still continues to be. The first trial of the new Waterworks was made yesterday afternoon in the presence of his Honor the Superintendent, the Provincial Secretary, the Provincial Engineer, the Clerk of the Works, and others, with very satisfactory results. A small temporary dam had been formed in Brook-street, nearly opposite Mr N. Edwards's property, where a sufficient quantity of water from the stream had been allowed to collect, and this having been let on through the main pipes to the Port during the earlier part of the day, means were thus insured of making a reliable experiment. The pressure was then tested, and it was ascertained that at the lowest level on the Haven-road a pressure amounting to only one-sixt of what will ultimately be obtained when the laying of the pipes^ is completed up to the reservoir itself, could be insured at once. This was proved by the fact that the water was thrown from a 5 -Bth jet to a height of from 18 to 20ft., while at the Fire-engine-house the height of at least 35 feet was attained, the jet nearly reaching to the summit of the Bell Tower, an altitude of 40 feet, thus proving that even at this low pressure a supply of water may be insured ample enough to render very effectual service in case- of fire. The process of laying the pipes is being carried on very vigorously by the Government, and we understand that it is intended that the ceremony of opening the Waterworks shall, if possible, take place on the Anniversary of the Province. Our readers will have noticed an advertisement which appeared in our issue of yesterday, emanating from the Government, to the effect that some maliciously disposed individuals have been doing serious damage to the works by inserting gravel and rubbish in the fireplugs, and reminding such offenders that they render themselves liable to a penalty of £50, whilst a reward of £10 is offered for the detection of such misdemeanors, provisions which we trust will be strictly enforced in case of. any further recurrence of such senseless injury to the public property. We are requested to state that a special service ■wil be held at Christ Church to-night, at 1 1 o'clock, being New-j ear's eve, by the especial desire of the Right Rev. Bishop Suter, which, including prayer, hymns, and addresses, will occupy about one hour, aud on the following morning, the Feast of the Circumcision, agreeably to annual custom, Holy Commuuion will be administered at half-past 7, followed by the usual Morning Prayer at 1 1. The church-bell will be tolled for a quarter of an hour before each of these three services. We would remind our Wesleyan friends that the usual 'watch night' service held on New Year's Eve takes place this evening at the Wesleyan Church, Hardy-street, at 10 o'clock. A fire took place at Picton on Christmas Eve on the premises of Mr Bergin, tailor, which were entirely destroyed. The origin of the fire has not been ascertained.