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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 176, 28 July 1868, Page 2

The Rev. P. Calder delivered the fourth of his series of Lectures for the Times, on Sunday eveuing, at Trinity Presbyterian Church, before a very crowded and attentive congregation. The subject selected for the occasion was the character of our Lord, as pourtiayed in the Ecce Homo— a work which has lately attracted very considerable notice, and the authorship of which is still a matter of conjecture. This was treated with all the ability tvhich had characterised the previous lectures. Perhaps we could not better give expressiou in the limited space at our command to the views enunciated by the reverend lecturer, than by quoting almost the concluding words of his address, which, in effect, give its very gist and substance: — 'My charge against this work is not that it gives us a half truth, for a half truth which does not profess to be the whole truth is an absolute truth. Were this a work merely on Christ's Humanity, I would not complain that it did not treat of Christ's Divinity, any more than I would complain that a work on His Divinity did not treat of His Humanity. You may discourse as long as you please on the Humanity of Christ, but you cannot treat the character of Jesus on its human side exclusively. The author of Ecce Homo has left unsolved his own enigma when he speaks of Jesus as the most self-abnegating, and yet self-asserting of all religious teachers, and I am almost inclined to add that there is a latent consciousness of the weakness of his own position when Gethsemane and Calvary have no place in the line in which, on the exclusively human side, he undertakes to exhibit to us the Christ. There are passages in the life of Jesus which expose the fundamental weakness of the very plan of the book, and when looking at Jesus only on the human side, not only do we miss God manifest in the flesh, but the man Christ Jesus is left a character misrepresented as well as misunderstood.' The lecturer quoted from the opinions of Mr W. E. Gladstone, Professor Tulloch, and from the : Quarterly Eeview, on the Ecce Homo in part-illustration of his views. The entertainment given last night at the Provincial Hall by Mr Charles Russell, in aid of the Nelson Institute, passed off very successfully. Mr Russell is the fortunate possessor of a highly trained baritone voice, of very agreeable quality, which was displayed to great advantage in the various specimens of

Irish minstrelsy which lie introduced into the entertainment. He is also an accomplished pianist, as was proved by his skilful accompaniments to his songs, and also by his performance of a 'Reverie,' one of his own compositions, which was received with much favor by the audience. Altogether it may safely be affirmed that a more agreeable entertainment has not been given in Nelson for, some time past, a fact which was sufficiently testified by the applause showered in no stinted measure upon the performance throughout. Indeed the desire to encore many of the songs, which had been already gratified in one instance, became so unmistakeble pronounced, that Mr Russell was, in selfdefence, compelled to remind his audience that a considerable portion of the programme was yet unexhausted. The second portion of the programme consisted of a few sepcimens of Welsh minstrelsy, with a very humorous descriptive song '.King Alfred,' and some curious illustrations of the strange transformations created by a change in the original time of musical compositions, which afforded much amusement. The prose part of the entertainment was well written, and served very efficiently as a vehicle for the introduction of the musical specimens. At its conclusion, Dr Irvine, who occupied the chair, expressed in a few appropriate words, on behalf of the President of the Institute, (for whose absence he apologised), the obligation under which Mr Russell had placed the committee and indeed the public generally, by his generous offer of assistance on that occasion, and a formal motion to that effect was proposed by Mr R. Burn, M.P.C., which was carried 'by acclamation.' Mr Russell having gracefully returned thanks, the entertainment was brought to a conclusion, a very general wish being expressed that another opportunity might present itself of listening to Mr Russell once more.

We have received a communication from a gentleman who was lately staying in this city, a member of a well-known mercantile firm inDunedin, giving the following statement. He left Dunedin, about a fortnight ago, by the Alhambra, in rather bleak and stormy weather. On arriving at Lyttelton, in order to allay the anxiety of his wife, whom he had left at Duuedin, he handed in at the Lytteltoa Telegraph Office window, written in fair legible characters, two words — ' Delightfully right,' believing that he would thus briefly convey to his better half what she desired to know. Our reader may imagine his surprise, (doubtless not unmingled with amusement), on receiving a letter shortly after his arrival at Nelson, enquiring what he meant by being ' delightfully tight?' The good lady was evidently in blissful ■ignorance of the slang meaning of the word 'tight,' on her anxiety as to her husband's safety would hardly have been allayed by this communication. Now, as our correspondent observes, although this may seem to thoughtless boy-clerks in Lyttelton or Dunedin a very smart and innocent bit of fun, it simply defrauded him of a telegram, and instances may readily be conceived in which the utmost pain and uneasiness might have been occasioned by such a communication. Boys will indulge in freaks, but if they are to be entrusted with the working of the wires, the indulgence of their propensities in this direction should at least be followed by a severe reprimand.

We have been requested to state that the drawing for Mr W. Davis's Art Union will take place on Tuesday the 11th of August, and not on the 4th, as stated in. our issue of Saturday.

We learn that Mr E. Burn has been re-elected as representative for Cobden at the Central Board of Education.

Mr J. H. Cook announces his intention of giving two ententainments to-morrow

and Thursday evenings at the Temperance Hall, illustrative of those mysterious sciences, Electro-biology and Mesmerism, of which we understand that Mr Cook is an able exponent. Much amusement may, be anticipated from the experiments to be made on subjects which, it is stated, will be taken promiscuously from the audience. From a letter received from a correspondent at Cobdeu we learn that as the tug steamer Despatch was bringing in a vessel named Pat the Rover, into G-rey--mouth on the night of the 15th inst., the tow line came home just as the vessel was entering the surf, She is now a complete wreck on the North beach, about a mile from Cobden. Fart of her cargo consisted of 93 tons of potatoes, and th,e beach was strewed with apples and potatoes right up to Point Elizabeth. Subsequent enquiries show that the rope was not made fast on board the sailing vessel, only one half hitch having been taken ; hence the accident. No lives were lost.

The Nelson Government Gazette of Saturday last contains notifications of the appointment of Mr Alfred Hibble as Collector and Assessor under the Waterworks Act, 1868 ; and of Mr. Harry Hall, as Third Pilot for this port. The Gazette also contains notifications of declarations of insolvency by Thomas Gellibrand, accountant, and of David Henderson Murdock, dealer, both of Westport.

We understand that Captain Loeketfc has succeeded in raising the fifty Volunteers required by the Government for Colonel M'Donneli'B force in the North Island, several being members of the local Volunteer Corps. They are enlisted on the understanding that they will serve for three months certain, and longer, if required, and in any part of the colony. They will be equipped either here or at Wanganui, and. will probably leave this place for Wellington at the end of the present week.

As a rather illnatured paragraph has appeared in the Wellington Evening Post, in reference to Captaia Levy's petition, praying for payment of the compensation awarded to him by the Commissioners appointed by the General Assembly to investigate hia claims on the Government, we may mention that so firmly convinced was Bishop Selwyn of the injustice to •which he has been subjected, that when his Lordship last visited Nelson on hia route for England, he entrusted £5 to Captain Rough for transmission to Captain Levy in testimony of his sentiments in the matter. The petition will, we understand, be forwarded by the Taranaki on Saturday next to his Honor the Superintendent, who has kindly undertaken to present it.

A very gratifying testimonial was presented to Captain Edwin Lusher, of the Lady Bird, by the passengers on board that steamer on her late trip from Dimedin to the Manukau, expressive of their sense of his courtesy and gentlemanly behaviour during the voyage, and also of the arrangements made for their comfort by the N.Z.S.N. Company.

A report has been circulated to the effect that Mr Fox's election for Rangitikei will be null and void in consequence of Mr George Roberts, a non-elector, having seconded his nomination.

The Dunedin correspondent of the Grey River Argus says that the bonuses offered by the Otago Provincial Government for the encouragement of local industries, are likely to prove effectual. A meeting, took place at Tokomairiro the other day,' at which it was decided td take steps to start a woollen cloth factory.. The manufacture of sugar from beet is also likely Tto go ahead. .;■;.'• The Grey Eiver Argus of: the 23rd inst* announces the fact that Greymouth has been proclaimed a Municipality, under

the Municipal Corporations Act, 1867, the Governor's proclamation being published in the Gazette of the 16th inst. The Evening Post of Friday last says that the first shadow of coming struggles was outlined that morning by the adherents to Provincialism. A number of members of the House of Representatives met Mr Fox, and from what has yet transpired of the result of the meeting, a strong and determined opposition is expected to be formed, ready to lend its aid in overthrowing the obnoxious measure which ■we learn by telegram has been postponed for farther consideration to Wednesday. On the other hand, the ministerial element expresses very little fear upon the ultimate result. A fierce contest will, however, undoubtedly take place, and well may opponents fortify themselves for the occasion. It seems that a lengthy debate arose on Thursday night, on the further considera" - tion in committee of the Various Offences Punishment Bill, especially with reference to the clause prohibiting work being done by any one on Sundays, which called forth the expression of a large variety of opinions, practical, theological, and theoretical on the subject, Mr Fox deprecating, in a very lucid and brilliant speech, the idea of such religious matters being brought before the legislature of the colony, and stigmatising it as class legislation. Ultimately the Government were defeated, and the clause struck out by 30 votes to 18, Mr J. C. Richmond voting with the majority. The Times' correspondent gives the following description of the discovery of the body of King Theodoras at Magdala: — -A little beyond the second gateway I saw a hammock slung from a pole, and containing a dead body, borne by four Hindostani bearers; it was set down in the road, and upon being examined by the late prisoners, English and native, who recognised both the face and a broken finger, declared to be the corpse of Theodore. The King's forehead was both high and broad, his chin square and massive, his nose small and tolerably well shaped; his lips were thin, and his mouth was •wreathed in what appeared to me a melancholy smile; his complexion was as dark as the average of his countrymen, and far darker than that of many I have met. Theodore had no dress shirt, and except an inner vest made of fine linen his clothing was extremely coarse. He appeared to have been wounded in the leg, and there was in addition a large hole at the back of his head. His Imperial Majesty the Sultan opened the new Council of Stale with a speech remarkable for its liberality in the part of reform. He said that the time had come when Turkish manners and customs must yield before and conform to European civilization. An American editor remarks that he is glad to receive marriage notices, but repuests that they be sent soon after the ceremony, and before the divorce is applied for. He has had several nocices spoilt in this way.