THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1892.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8799, 12 February 1892, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1892.

' The interior of Russia is, under police espionage, very much aland of mystery to the outer world ; but a momentous change would seem to be impending, if the occasional telegraphic and other reports within the last week or ten days, be at all accurate. A revolution —the breakdown of the existing political system—WDuld appear not far off, as a consequence of terrible social •jalamity. There was a possibility of this from the commencement of the famine, because the peasantry, thus sordy smitten, is the only class in the Empire which is not honeycombed with conspiracy against the present system of government. It is notorious that excepting persons connected with the Government by employment or patronagethorough disaffection pervades all other classy — the nobility, middle classes, and mw townspeople generally, students it the universities and a large proportion of officers in the army. Some belong to She party for constitutional and national reforms ; some hold the sweeps views of the furious Nihilists ; but all detest the management of the'empire by a corrupt bureaucracy, w»jch, holding the Czar in its hand, put* him forward as its head with the title Autocrat. It is easy to see that the system could not last an hour but for the lotent hereditary influence which the Giaras head of Church as well as State and recognised as "Father of Holy Russia" —is able to exercise over the peasantry, who, constituting the bulk of the nation, furnish the bulk of thearmy. It is necessary to bear these (acts in mind to appreciate the significance *f the present situation. The serb were emancipated, and each grantel an allotment of land by the late "Jzar, j Alexander 11. No doubt he was heartily glad to do it, but an act so large could only be at the option of the Government behind, which hid two reasons for it, namely to strengthen its own hands by a great circumstance in keeping with the Czar's popularity, and also to weaken the power of the old nobility as among the disaffected classes. But the change did not turn out as expected. Except in some Southern provinces where the population is not really Muscovite, both climate and soil are often very unfavourable ; and the cultivators, stupitied by long serfdom and densely ignorant, managed badly and ran heavily'into debt, and so now when a famine has come round, the disgusted Government is called upon to supply i the means of subsistence—a thing all the more difficult to do where corruption is monstrously rife in every branch of the public service. Accordingly, as we are told by telegram, the present Emperor has now to recall and annul what was introduced thirty years ago by his father. The Czar proposes to robind the peasantry to the soil, as they were in former days, ami compel them to cultivate it, the State retaining two-thirds of the produce, and onethird being stored in the magazines of each commune for the support of the peasants. Another telegram says that the old system will first be restored in the Samara and Saratov districts, and if successful there will be replaced throughout Russia. It seems incredible that the Government should take so audacious a step, even with such obedient supporters. But they perhaps think that the emancipated serfs may be indifferent about retaining their new privileges, not having derived the benefits they expected from them, and a potent temptation to the official mind in Russia must be that part of the proposed re-arrange-ment, by which the State would retain two-thirds of the produce of the soil, while the other third would be stored in magazines for the support of the peasants. What might happen to the supplies thus stored for the peasants may be imagined from a telegram just to hand, dated St. Petersburg, Bth instant Riots have been caused by the discovery that the food was adulterated which was intended for the famine districts. The police who connived at the fraud are being dismissed. Of course the punishment in such cases is only counterfeit, as each offender knows that his superiors, from the heads of Administration downwards, cannot afford to be too critical. As another instance of the kind, accounts from St. Petersburg!) of 28th December last says that a consignment of flour, intended to regulate prices in St. Petersburgh— and measuring 300,000 poods, or 7,800,000 English pounds was found to be so adulterated with chalk-dust and other substances as to be wholly unlit for food. And remarking thereupon the Novo Vremya observed :—" If such frauds can be perpetrated in the capital of the Empire the appalling accounts of similar crimes in the famine-stricken provinces cannot be over-estimated." It is a new thing that the editor of the principal journal of the capital would venture to say as much, for it seems it is the rule in official circles, and with the Czar himself, to publicly declare the reports of the famine exaggerated. And now we learn that even the rural managing bodies have come to speak out, and very boldly it will be seen, by the following extracts : The Zemstvos, or Provincial Assemblies, have issued a manifesto denouncing the indifference of society in general to the ravages of the famine. It accuses the Government of filling the gaols and Siberia with suspects, and robbing the country of the benefit of Alexander ll.'s reforms, and demands a conference of eltfjtttd representatives of the country as the only means of averting revolution. And again The memorial issued by the Zcmstvos predicts that, unless the Government changes its attitude, Russia will become bankrupt or will be dismembered by a popular rising, which will deluge the country with the blood of its inhabitants. Our cable messages this morning state that at the half-yearly meeting of the Bank of New Zealand the chairman of directors was able to inform the shareholders that deposits had increased, and that) the position of the Bank was improving. Referring

"Jhs, tiM reducing advances there t , '""'j **> recent failures in Victoria ««3 v gh 11,9 Wales had not in any wVSectT ? 0 "' number of memorial sefvicef wA A held in the Metropolitan Tabernaoln ! been nection with the death of the Rev A OO * 1 ' bourgeon and have been attended bv m if " of the leading Dissenters. Although Blaine fa not to contest the Profit' evidently does not intend to keen L < from the struggle as it is reported h« ? : intriguing to defeat President Haritl" election. The Spanish Government S caused the death sentence passed upon th! leaders of the Xerea anarchists to be into effect. There is in consequenceS excitement In several parts of the count! and rioting la reported to have token ft Sir James Caird, whose death i* nn nounced to-day, was the highest authority on all matters relating to the agricultural resources of the United Kingdom He «, born at Stranraer in 1816, and educated !! the High School and University of Edin burgh. He first came into prominence m. writer on agricultural and kindred subiert. by a treatise which he published during th. Protection controversy in 1849 on "HiVl Farming as the Best Substitute for p r ' tection." In the same year, at the reouiJ of Sir Robert Peel, he visited Ireland and reported to the Government on the m sures which he deemed requisite or ~t couraging the revival of agricultural enter prise in that country. During 1850 and 1851, he conducted an inquiry into th state of English agriculture for the London Times, his articles being subsequently pub lished in a volume, which hag had an im. mense circulation. He afterwards entered Parliament, and during the time he occupied a seat there took an active part in a l" subjects connected with agriculture. I was owing to his efforts that theacricultura statistics for the United Kingdom, whic' are now published annually, ve're fir« collected. He sat on several iinportai commissions, and in 1889 was appoin:,-,*i member of the new Board of Agricultui with the rank of a Privy Councillor. 1890, at the request of the Koyal A"ric> tural Society of England, he prepared r their Journal an account of the 50 yearn! the valuable work of that Society. The New Zealand Shipping Compar'g chartered steamship Duke of Bucking''m is timed to arrive at this port from Loiin on the 21st instant, and will sail forLordu via South on the 23rd. This steamer .'eav* Port Chalmers finally on tho sth proxinu and therefore offers a splendid opportunity for our local orchardists to make shipments of fruit. The Company have been doing their utmost throughout the season to influence large shipments of fruit even going to the extent of preparing a separate cool chamber for this commodity but as yet very small shipments have gone forward which certainly does not give the company due return for their enterprise. The s.s. Ruapehu took a quantity here and about 600 cases apples and other kinds were shipped south by the s.s. Te Annu tc pick her up at another port. It is to bt hoped that the growers will recognise the opportunity now being made for them, so that the good impression made by New Zealand fruit on the Home market, may be maintained by regular and large shipments. The following letter has been received lecently by the Rev. Charles Bright, hon. secretary of the Baptist Union of New South Wales : —" Mentone, December 12, 1891. To the brethren comprising the Baptist Union of New South Wales. Beloved Friends, — thank you with all my heart for remembering me in your pravera in the hour of my deep decline. I was sick unto death according to the order of nature, but prayers offered by the universal Church held ma back from the grave. In these you tcok a loving part. Again I thank you for the telegram; and now for the written resolution, with signatures most dear to' me. God bless you all : I am resting here. lam much better in my own jtdgment, drawn from my foelings ; but I am obliged to admit the fact drawn from snrgical tests that the disease is terrible in Its wasting effect upon me. This makes me very weak, and 1 fear it may be months before I can return to my pulpit and my people. I entreat) the continuance of your prayers that I may be fully restored. I wish for. you all abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, and that the Lord may be glorified by you, and among you. Receive my Christian love and gratitude, and believe me to be, ever yours most heartily, C. H. Spitrckon." An argument of considerable interest took place at the Bankruptcy sitting of the Supremo Court, yesterday, in which his Honor Mr. Justice Conolly decided a question which has been a moot point for some time. It was the question of when the time of bankruptcy commenced. The motion was to rescind a judge's order, made on the application of the Official Assignee, in regard to the sale of certaiu chattels said to be in the order and disposition of one Fen ton, a carrier, at) Tauranga. When the application was made, it was on an affidavit that the chattels were in the order and disposition of Fenton, with the consent of Mitchell Nisbet, the alleged owner. Nisbet claimed that the order should be rescinded, on the ground that at the time the first act of bankruptcy was committed he was not the owner, that the goods were then held under bill of sale to one Dunnett, from whom he subsequently purchased before Fenton was adjudicated a bankrupt. His Honor held that the time of bankruptcy was the commission of the first act of bankruptcy, when the bill of sale was given ; that the bill of sale was then valid, and that: the bankrupt did not, as alleged, hold the chattels with the consent of Nisbet. Ha rescinded the order, and granted costs. Ssubsequontly tho debtor, Mr. Dunnett, and Mr. Nisbet were examined before the Official Assignee, Mr. llesketh and Mr. Cave appearing for tho Official Assignee, and Mr. Cotter, instructed by Mr. M. H. Wynyard, for Nisbet.* The examination was a lengthy one, going exhaustively into accounts. Mr. A. Porter, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, has received the following telegram, in regard to the Chicago exhibition, from the Hon. Mr. Seddon :— Seems there will be no expense, only the trouble in getting exhibits together. I sincerely hope your committee will commence work in real earnest, for there is no time to b< lost. Any information as to details I will forward by post. It will be some little time ere I can reach Auckland. —K. J. Skddon." In consequence of this Mr. Porter lias convened a meeting to be held in the Chamber of Commerce on Monday next. Amongst the galas being organised to comprise a good send-off to our popular Governor, Lord Onslow, a very good idea has originated with Mr. Malcolm Niccol, Chairman of the Harbour Board, and which be is now taking steps to have cariied out. It is, to have a monster muster of the yachting and small sailing craft of the port) on the evening when Lord Onslow leaves by the s.s. Mararoa. These, with the rowing clubs, ore to gather near the Queenstreet Wharf, and if weather permits to form a double line, through which ie steamer might pass. Anyone who has witnessed the imposing spectacle which hai often been exhibited on the Wait-emata. when its scores of white-winged small crafl are congregated, will at once recognise that a display such as intended would leave it Lord Onslow's mind a vivid picture of th< last scene he witnessed in New Zealand, which absence and time might dim ( but could never wholly efface. Mr. Niccol, with the assistance of Messrs. C. C, l)acre, C. Bailey, J. Wiseman, and others, is arranging the matter promptly, and it is to be hoped that the gathering will be a really characteristic one of our port, and vvorwy of the occasion. A kauri log of dimensions seldom seen in town was sent to the Waitemata Timber Company's yards yesterday, by a special train from Helensville. The log was cut from a tree 011 the property of Mr. Dye, Kaukapakapa. This tree measured fully 84 feet to the first branch. Tho log measures 51 feet in length, 18 feet 3 inches in girth, and over 6 feet in diameter. It contains from 13,000 to 14,000 feet of timber, valued at about £90. The dimensions o the log are such that it cannot be cut by the ordinary machinery in use, but will have to be cut by special appliances. Quite a number of people called to see this i' no specimen of kauri at the Company's yards. The death is announced at Wellington of the wife of the Hon. John Martin, ag 73.

' The following promotions have bee ttde in the Customs Department :—E Ciiinan, landing waiter at Wellington, t bt collector at Hokitika ; A. W. Prain lading waiter at Wellington, has beei ted to Dunedin, where he will act in th gate capacity; K. R- C. Bowen, landing sureyor at Dunedin, to be collector a Ktiiier; R. Carter, examining officer a Pi'aptir, to be landing surveyor at Dun e din; A. McDowell, landing waiter a Chrifcchurch, to bo collector at Grey juouh ; A. Elliot, landing waiter ab Nel on, m be collector at Wanganui. Tr-niorrow evening an appropriate marl of recognition of long and arduous work oi cirjain of the West End Rowing Clul is to bo made to Mr. F. \Y. Ed wards by his members, at the British Hotel. The token of appreciatiot: js a handsome ono and valuable, being £ monster shield of all the club's members, i mounted in silver and black and gold. The design is novel and most tasteful, reflecting credit upon tho artist, Mr. H. V. Martin. The centre of the shield is occupied by a massive silver plate, bearing in neat ongraved lettering an appropriate inscription, ground this are beautifullydesigned wreaths and sprays of ferns, roses, shamrocks and thistles, emblematic of New Zealand and t ho mother country. The groundwork is nished, and throws out the engraved and carved portions into bold relief, while a series of gold medallions, with figures representing every kind pi athletic -port, aro arranged along the lower portion of the plate, and gives a rich and unique effect to the whole. Above the plate is a large photo of the recipient, Mr. wards, surrounded by satin bands of the club colours, ebony and white, while tin- balance of the space is taken up by over 30 rarce <!(. ri*i(e photos* of the member?. These are sunk into a splendid satinwood mount, and each picture is enclosed in a silver frame of twisted cable design, the whole being enclosed in a rich black and g. M frame. The presentation is to bo made to morrow evening at a smoke conceit held [or he purpose, and it is expected several icores of rowing, football, and athletic rieiu!s of Mr. Edwards will bo present at he function. A case of somnambulism has been the übject of discussion in one of the eastern üburhs of Sydney of late. It seems that : three o'clock one morning a lad was li-sed from his bed by his parents, and iuli!)_r the window which overlooked the \r,l open they concluded that he had left ie house bv that means. An alarm was ,i-ed and the aid of tho neighbours iniked to institute a search, the supposition ' •ing that the boy, being a somnambulist, h i fallen from a sloping roof which led up ij hi# bedroom window into one of tho jirds below. A very careful examination 3 the yards was made, but the boy was not fund. Whilst proposals were being dis- : «ed to make a more extensive search the ijy walked homo, and in reply to inquiries •tited that he must have unconsciously (So.«.ed himself, got through the window, f. 1 walked towards the city. Whilst he Ms walking in the neighbourhood of Hyde l'ark a policeman spoke to him, and the Mtll oi somnambulism being thereby 'broken, heat once retraced hissteps. With iu view to preventing a repetition of the S exit through tho window, the parents of ] the lad have had the space opposite tho lower sash protected with wire netting. The Minister of Public Works met the represent itivesof tho Wellington City Council and Harbour Board yesterday with referfaeetathcextensionof the railway to To Aro. Matters were arranged satisfactorily and lie Minister has given instructions for the west tender to be accepted, and the j u>rk proceeds without delay. The lowest ■• mler for the Te Aro railway extension is "hat of Cronin and McGrath, the amount )eing i'.'ijod. There is something very touching (says a of the Sydney Morning Herald) in the unaffected modesty of the fra les and Labour Council at Wellington, n New Zealand. That body has intimated •*> the Government that "the Council darns the right to bo consulted in regard m the selection and appointment of labour i;preventatives to the Legislative Council." That is all. It does not claim the right to nominate tho Ministry nor to tell my Lord Inu'jford the name of the representative it Her .Majesty whom that nobleman mould appoint to do t he honours of Govern.writ House. Neither has it claimed to frame the Estimates for the year, or to lay down the lines on winch ways and moans are to be constructed ; nor yet to draw up the Governor's speech, nor to do a variety of things to which it might" claim the right." I: is, no doubt, surprised itself at its own moderation ; but everything in good time; and an institution like that very properly does not like to be precipitate or to claim everything at once. In what way the "right" accrued to it to exercise the prerogative of the Crown in nominating members of tho Legislative Council, or to have representative* of ib in a non-repre-tentative Chamber, is not distinctly apparent ; but that is a matter of no moment whatever ; and it can only be hoped that it will exercise its rights in this regard in a beeoiinig its large prerogatives. It would be an impertinence to suggest to such a b'dy the propriety of acting justly by all the various affiliated trades ; but it is to be hoped that the susceptibilities of the various unions will not be wounded by any unbecoming preponderance being given to one over another, i'o;: instance, it would be urtHirtosuj pose tint tailor could represent the ordfr of bricklayers, or that a shoo"inker oot Id adequately present the claims "j! th'; laundresses ; and if anything like just representation is desired, the Council should rioini.-i.fte at least one member for each fil iated trade. If that might tend to miinly inflate the members of the Council, ifis diltieiilty might bo overcome by the retirement of all the old members of the Ipper House; and as they pay Legislative I 'Aincillors in New Zealand, the opportunity will bo afforded for handsomely pensioning for the remainder of their lives ''•'■e principal leaders who have borne the burthen and heat of tho day in maintaining tiie just. rights of labour. He.'erring to the rabbit pest, the Hon. Henry Copeland, of New South Wales, in a fpeech delivered at Cobur recently, said tint he was of opinion, nay, certain, that hal the scourge been dealt with with a L tro:ii; hand earlier in its existence, the pre-ent lamentable catastrophe would never have occurred. The ta:<k now of ex'■ruinating the pest, he regarded as an alinsurmountable one. No less than Ks specifics for tho extermination of trie rabbit, each claiming to be infallible, had been offered to the Government. So varied and so complicated were those al- ''•". r ed infallible euros that he had hesito'cd to give an opinion as to the most ti.ieaeious. An idea of the varied methods •"iiJ.'U'ested might bo gleaned from the fact '•mt tin less than 7" schemes from all parts oi the globe for solving the difficulty by the employment of electricity, and five H'parare proposals to do away with 'bunny" with prayer had been received. The usual social gathering of the Caledonian Society was held in the Foresters' "'ill, Karangahapo Road, last evening, and in attractive programme was arranged, lhinran Simpson presided, and Mr. ').J. England played tho accompaniments, •Ihe following programme was performed : -—I'iaiio selection of Scotch airs, the Misses John-ton ; song, " Woods of Dunmore," r - 1). Men/ies; Highland fling, Master C Johnson ; whistling duet, Messrs. Mars-l'-'i: triple sailors hornpipe, Miss Agnes. John -"ton, .Messrs. Johnston and McLean; >l ' ,l '. r , Mr. U. Davis; sword dance, Miss Agnes ''"'•ton ; rig, Miss Marsdon. As usual, a "li'ii/'e followed, and about 50 couples took port in it. \y e are informed that in order ,0 render the gatherings of the society more attractive, Mr. England proposes sorting an orchestra class in connection '•Hi the society. A presentation of a dinner service was fiiadt; at Helensville railway-station on * ri(li '.y last to Mr. E. J. O'Keefe, the Heln>v'iii" guard, on the occasion of his apprci'iehing marriage with Miss E. Smith. » presentation was made by Mr. Thus. » jr'"'iagale, on behalf of himself and 24 a ,. ( . nvv railway employees. The gift was -'oiiipiuiied by a congratulatory address, o'Kef W;,S feelingly acknowledged by Mr. Inn i' 1 '" 01 ' 1 '" °f the committee of the Auck- ' . ociety of Arts was held yesterday iiee»"" 11 01 f ' ie PurpoßO of making all ,itiT"^ (k ' rra g m0 nts tor the twelfth antliil " ( ' x , tion, hich is to be opened on juilt'" U March : sub-committees for in,, L ' t, " I Pftitions, selection, and hangj-;^ le appointed. The local studios are and f" W Vei y bus y preparing for the event, , ro '°« . all we can learn there is every t vd ol a most successful exhibition.

a Yesterday evening, about half-past foui !. o'clock, a rather serious accident ocourroc 0 to two seamen, named Albert Schultz and , Robert Brown, belonging to the larg( » steamer Morayshire, lying at the Queen a street \\ barf. The pair were engaged ; painting the bow of the vessel, and were t seated on a ladder suspended just beneath t the anchor, when suddenly the anchot • slipped and knocked Schultz off his perch t into the water, while his companion, by the - disturbance of the balance of the ladder, • was similarly precipitated into the harbour. The accident was observed by those on board, and the two men were promptly rescued by their comrades. Brown escaped ' with soma scratches and bruises sustained ' by contact with the vessel's .side, but Schultz received a nasty knock on the ' head. Mr. Robson, chief officer of the 1 vessel, had the men attended to at once, 1 and a doctor was sont for. Dr. Kin" came, 1 and found Schultz to have broken his leg, ' and to bo otherwise hurt. The injured seaman was later sent to the Hospital, where the broken limb was set. Mr. ' Robson, the chief officer, cannot account for the accident, except by supposing that someone must have been tampering with the windlass, and let out the anchor cable by several links. Old colonists will regret to learn of the death of Mrs. David Lundon at Wamjanui. The deceased lady was highly esteemed by all who knew her for her kindly nature and many amiable qualities. Mr. Lundon and family were on the eve of their departure for Auckland, as Mr. Lundon has been promoted to the position of Collector of Customs here. It is sad to think that instead of old friends again meeting the late Mrs. Lundon in friendly greeting they must now pay the last tribute of respect to her memory. As appears in our obituary column, the funeral will leave Onehunga wharf on arrival of the s.a. Gairloch tomorrow. A serious accident occurred to Lieutenant Percy Chirnside at Worribeo, Victoria, some days ago. While walking past a newly-shod horse with a mask of a reddish colour in his hand the animal lashed out from behind, striking Chirnside full in tho face. He stood for about twenty seconds, and then fell heavily. Ho was picked up in an unconscious condition, and taken to his residence. Mr. T. N. Fitzgerald, the well known surgeon of Melbourne, found that his nose was broken in four places. There was a large hole under the right eye, and the upper lip was hanging by a piece ofskin,and the lower jaw was knocked out of place. Both eyes are completely closed. He is now out of danger. Wo regret to hear that the ladies of tho Benevolent Society are at their wit's end tor funds. The hon. secretary says there are some heartrending cases of distress on hand and no means of relieving thorn. The inmates of the Costloy Homo, Epsom, enjoyed a very great treat on Saturday last. Monsignor McDonald, with the conductor and members of his life and drum band, paid a visit to that excellent institution, and discoursed a number of pretty airs to the intense delight of one and fill. Mr. T. F. Longvvorth, traveller for Messrs. E. Porter and Co., who has suffered severe illness from an accident in which ho narrowly escaped drowning some time ago, is we observe again about, but it will be some time yet before he is able to resume his duties. It is estimated that tho Victorian railway revenue this year will be something like £300,000 short of the expenditure, owing to j the depression in trade as well as to the i fact that a large proportion of the mileage I being worked is too new to even pay expenses. The mileage run before the great strike has been reduced by over 1300,000 miles per annum. Annual increases in the staff have not been made for two years, and some hundreds of men have boen dismissed, who aro clamouring to get into the service again. The Commissioners have informed the Minister of Railways, Mr. Wheeler, that they see no way of wiping out the deficit except by raising the rates. It is understood that the Government feci that further reductions might bo made, and are convinced that the rates must be raised to increase the revenue some £200,000 or £250,000 per annum. One of the features of last night's sitting of tho Presbyterian (General Assembly was a most able, instructive, and scholarly address upon Church work and influence, delivered by Professor Dunlop, 1). D., deputy from Ctago. The address was of considerable length, but was listened to throughout with the closest attention, the demonstrations of approval being as frequent as they were hearty. Dr. Lamb, who is about to proceed to the New Hebrides, also delivered an address, his subject being mission work, and the means by which it can be advanced. Influenza is very prevalent at Port Albert but there has been only one fatal case as yet, viz., Mr. John Becroft, senior, who died on Wednesday, aged 78. Deceased was one of the original settlers, and a very successful orchardist. The open boat race in connection with tho Auckland Regatta, which is being organised to dispose of several extra trophies donated, is not to take place till about the 20th instant, before winch date the terms and conditions for competition will be published by the committee. It will be seen by advertisement elsewhere that a meeting of members of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand (Masonic) is to be held at the Masonic Institute to arrange for the installation of the Grand Master at the end of April. The annual meeting of the Grand Lodgo and the installation of Grand Master and officers is to take place in Auckland this year. It is understood at Wellington that only Batger and Hempton will be sent to Enggland to represent New Zealand in the athletic events. The second round for the ladies' tennis championship has eventuated, Miss Gorrie (Auckland) meeting Miss Whitney (Parnell) at tho Eden and Epsom Lawn. After a keen contest Miss Gorrie defeated her opponent, the sets being o—2, o—4. At Purnell, Miss Nicholson (Auckland) played Miss Hall (Mount Eden). Miss Hall won the first set, 6—2, but the second set fell to Miss Nicholson, the scores being 6— The third was very keenly contested, both players acquitting themselves well, but Miss Nicholson eventually disposed of her opponent, (5—4. Miss Nicholson, therefore, came off victorious, winning two out of three sets. The usual excursion of the Newmarket Fishing Club will take place to-morrow, starting at half-past one p.m. The programme of the concert to be given by Madame Goldenstedt (Miss Staunton) at the Opera House, on Tuesday next, is published in another column. A meeting of shareholders of the Secret G.M. Co. will be held on Friday, 26th inst., to confirm certain resolutions passed at yesterday's meeting re winding up. The Official Visitor of the Lunatic Asylum acknowledges with thanks the following sums towards a picnic for the patients J. H. Upton, os ; Monsignor Walter McDonald, £1 Is; Thoa. Ching, oh. A meeting of the members of the Loyal Good Intent Lodge of Oddfellows is convened for this evening in the Cook-street Hall, the business being to protest against the further levying of in ambers for the purpose of sending a delegate to Nelson. Member."" of other lodges are invited to attend. The following were the tenders for the reerection of Messrs. Wingate and Co.'s premises Hutchinson, £2364: Ellingham, £2288; Nutt and Collier, £2050 Morris, £2044; Grandison, £I9SI ; Philcox, £1070; Heron, £1900; Colo and Moody, £1808 (accepted).