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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 134, 9 June 1868, Page 2

A correspondent from Cobden expresses astonishment that the wharf at that township should have been constructed of rwnu

and white pine, when it is known that neither of these woods last more than four years. Fine blocks of stone are within six yards of the wharf, and when once built of this material the repairs would be very trifling, whilst, on the other hand to reconstruct a jetty or wharf every four years would prove a very expensive matter. The wharf at Cobden already requires extensive repairs, although only a portion of it has been completed, and stone work would have been far more economical, particularly as there is Bometimes as much as 400 tons lying on the wharf. Our correspondent adds that the late company have done the Brunner coal mine great injury, having left no supports to the roof and completely gutted the mine. Unquestionably this has proved the excellence of the roof, but brickwork to replace what the late company have ruthlessly taken away, will cost much more than is generally imagined, particularly aa bricks at Cobden are £13 per thousand. Our correspondent concludes by stating that general indignation is felt at the absurd manner in which Mr Donne has conducted himself during the present session of the Provincial Council, and adds, 'you must take "a last fond look" at him, for I am persuaded he will not be there again as a member, to interrupt business in the insane manner he has been doing lately.' Captain Clouston informs us that the thermometer this morning stood at 30, being four degrees higher than on Thursday last, when the cold appeared to be be far less Bevere. This misapprehension probably arose from the damp produced by the thaw which took place at a very early hour to-day. Public opinion last night fnlly endorsed the high encomiums with which Mr and Mrs J. L. Hall's entertainment has been received elsewhere. Although the audience at the Oddfellows' Hall was by no means so numerous as could have been desired, yet the whole performance passed ofF with much spirit, the hearty applause of those present doubtless assisting materially in enabling the performers to fulfil a task which the cold must have rendered more than ordinarily arduous, for our readers can . easily understand that the toilette of a Marquise or of a Mephistopheles must be exceedingly trying to the sensorium under such circumstances. Mrs Hall is evidently an accomplished and graceful actress, whilst her execution of the many songs incidental to the two last pieces of the programme proved her to be a very pleasing vocalist. Mr Hall is equally good, and his Mephistopheles in the burlesque of ' Faust 5 must be seen to be thoroughly appreciated, for it is one of the most artistic impersonations which we have ever witnessed, full of weird diablerie and grotesque withal. The pretty lively music in the absurd operetta, 'Terrible Hymen,' was given very effectively, and in the opening piece * Snapping Turtles,' the amusing changes of character and dress were admirably managed, aided by some excellent acting. This evening, Mr and Mrs Hall will appear in their original entertainment, ' The Seven Ages of Man,' illustrated from the works of Charles Dickens, with tableaux, concluding with, the burlesque of Faust, when we shall doubtless see the Hall well filled. We regret that Mr and Mrs Hall should have been annoyed on their first appearance here by some low ruffians in the gallery, who, though repeatedly called to order by the audience, persisted in interrupting the performers, until Mr Hall addressed them from the stage requesting them to leave the Hall. Surely such folk come under the head of public nuisances removable summarily by the police? We yesterday stated that Lord Derby, previous to his retirement from office, had recommended to her Majesty the creation of four new peerages. We find that to these may be added a fifth, in the person of the Rev. William O'Neill, of Shane's Castle, Co. Antrim, who has been created a peer of the United Kingdom, under the title of Baron O'JSeift. This is a graceful recognition of the claims of the represen-

tive of a family renowned in Irish history, which will be cordially welcomed by the Irish people, and we may add that, apart from his additional claim on ancestral grounds to this dignity, the present recipieut, by his generosity and kindness of heart, has made for himself a claim to the honor which aIL will readily acknowledge. We learn from our Hobarton files, received yesterday by the Margaret Campbell, schooner, which made a very excellent passage of five days to Cape Farewell, that a serious fire occurred in that city on the morning of the 29th ult. on premises occupied by a baker named Gannon, and situated at the corner of Davey and Ad till streets. The house and furniture were insured. — The installation of a newly elected minister of the Jewish congregation, the Rev. Mr Stone, in the room of the Rev. J. M. G-oldreich, who has left for Ballarat, took place during the services in celebration of the feast of Pentecost, on the 26th ult. — The funeral of the Rev. W. Waterfield, Independent Minister, afc Hobarton for 18 years, took place on the 26th ult., a long procession of mourners following. — Her Majesty's Birthday was celebrated at Hobarton on the 27th ult. by a levee and ball at Government House, a review, races at New Town, and other amusements, the weather being very favorable. The New Zealand Gazette of the 22nd ult. contains the correspondence between the Board of Trade in London, and the Colonial Secretary, relating to the sentence passed by the Court of Inquiry upon Captain Machin, of the Panama Mail Steamer Kaikoura, by which his certificate of competency as master was cancelled. The Board are of opinion that the sentence cannot be enforced owing to an informality in not receiving the confirmation of the Governor. The last clause of the despatch says: — The Board of Trade trust that the informality which, in this case has compelled them to return Mr Machin's certificate will not lead to any serious consequences, as they would wish to believe that the act of drunkenness, of which Captain Machin was found guilty, will prove to be single and exceptional. A new publication is announced entitled 'New Zealand — its Physical Geography, Geology, and Natural History,* by Dr Ferdinand Von Hochstetter, and translated from the German by E. Sauter, A.M.. with two maps, seven chromo lithographic cuts and 103 wood cuts, published for the New Zealand Government. A Gazette extraordinary was published on Thursday, the 28th ult., containing the following : — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 28th May, 1868. His Excellency the Governor directs the publication, for general information, of the following reply from his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh to the numerous addresses of sympathy from the different parts of the colony. It is hoped that the reply which his Royal Highness has been graciously pleased to make will be accepted in the case of each of those addresses. E. W. Stafford. — * Government House, Sydney, April 6, 1868. — I desire to return my warm thanks for the expression of sympathy which these addresses contain. Through the merciful interposition of Providence, the injury I received was but slight, and I believe no further evil consequences are to be anticipated from the wound. It has, however, been considered that I shall be unequal to any great exertion for some lime, and therefore decided that it weuld be most advisable for me to return home direct. It is a great disappointment for me not to be able to visit New Zealand, and I am afraid it will also very much disappoint the people there. The cowardly act of one individual has not in any degree shaken my confidence in the loyalty of the people of these colonies towards the throne and person of her Majesty, or in their affection for myself j and I shall gladly convey to the Queen the universal expression of horror and indignation which the attempt to assassinate me has called forth from her Majesty's faithful subjects in Australia and New Zealand. — Alfred.' The Grey River Argus, mentions that it is notified by the Nelson Authorities that the price of coal at the mouth of the Brunner Mine will for the present be 10s, 6d. per ton, instead of 12s. as heretofore charged, and adds that this reduction has not been made at all too soon. The Grey River Argus of the 4th inst? reports the opening of fresh ground a> the. New River, at tha Eightmile Creek near Maori Creek. Three parties are re

ported to have been working there for some short time, and making good wages. The sinking is deep, being upwards of 40 feet. There were about 50 men' on the ground on Tuesday last. A case was heard at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Grey mouth, on the 2nd insk which may have some interest for lovers of the turf. It was an action brought by a jockey named Murtagh, who sued Mr Spiers for £5 for riding a hurdle race at the last Hokitika races. From the evidence it appeared that Murtagh had been engaged to ride the race in consequence of a representation he made to the effect that his name was Phillip Morris, and that he had ridden at the Grand National Steeplechase at Melbourne in 1866, and had won the race. The evidence for the defence however went to show that Murtagh had pulled up on two occasions during the race on the Hokitika course in order to put his foot in the stirrup irons, and at every leap he was thrown on to the mare's neck. One of the witnesses went on to say that he had never seen a more disgraceful exhibition of horsemanship on any course. Judgment was given for the defendant with costs. The West Coast Times of the 3rd inst., remarks that while persons at Hokitika were that morning, at 9 o'clock, complaining of the cold, with the thermometer at 30 degrees in the shade, what must the poor fellows stationed at the Bealy have felt with the thermometer at 19 degrees, a temperature 13 degrees below freezing point. Probably a similar thought has occurred to many of our readers in reference to the diggers on the Keramea, if indeed they have not been already forced to abandon such Alpine latitudes. The Argus gives the details of a most painful case of destitution brought under the notice of the Melbourne authorities on the 16th ult. On the morning of that day information was given to the police that a family of four persons were lying in a state of the most fearful . destitution, in a cottage in a right-of-way off Madelinestreet, Carlton, On hearing the state in which these persons were, Mr Inspector Kabat decided on taking a medical man with him, and accordingly, accompanied by Dr Moloney from the Hospital, and some constables, he visited the place alluded to. Here, in a two-roomed cottage, containing no furniture and no food, but a halfeaten mouldy loaf of bread, they found in one room, lying on aheap of filthy vermincovered rags, a man about 30. In another room, equally filthy and squalid, was found a woman of two and twenty, and by her side was an infant of three months and a child of two years. The baby was perfectly naked, the child was scarcely able to speak, and the man and woman were speechless and insensible. Several neighbors were endeavoring to restore them, but in vain. On the advice of Dr Moloney wine was administered, and at last the wretched creatures were removed to the Hospital in cabs, the woman still insensible, the man just able to articulate. From what he said it is known that the name of the man and woman, who are brother and sister, was Lynch, and the children were the illegitimate offspring of the latter by a man named George Hunter, an actor, who had seduced her and gone to India. Lynch and his sister died soon after their removal to the Hospital, but the children are stated to be recovering. The sale of the Duke of Beaufort's stad, caused by the 'depreciation of mineral property' on his Grace's estates in Wales, took place a short time since in London, and as a criterion of what horses are worth there, it may be mentioned that the Derby crack of last year, Vauban, realised the large sum of 3200 guineas. Jones complained of a bad smell about the postoffice, and asked Brown what it could be. Brown didn't know, but suggested that it might br caused by the dead letters. A friend, having met Sheridan, asked him how he fared. *O, answered Sheridan, * I have turned over a new leaf, and now go on like clockwork.' 'Aye,' replied the other, ' tick, tick, tick.' 'Vitals cooked here,* is the appalling announcement placarded in the window of a New York eating-house. Upon this a terrible wag remarks, c That is probably where the good livers go.' A wise moralist remarks that a man is most likely to become a rake in the hayday of his youth.