THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 1892.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8814, 1 March 1892, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 1892.

We feel sure that many of our readers, amidst the mass of exciting news in yesterday's paper, did not fail to read somewhat attentively the abstract of the llev. Mr, Calder's sermon given under the title of " Present Day Religion." The subject is one of great interest, being a consideration of the amount of religious feeling at present shown, especially amongst the young. Mr. Calder is known as a man who utters fearlessly what he thinks, and who always speaks straight to the point without at all mincing matters. Mr. Calder commences by showing that young men nowadays are irreligious and disorderly. He gives several instances of brutal rowdyism, which, he says, no tribe of savages would have been guilty of, one of the occurrences having happened in Auckland. As for the inattention of young men to matters religious, Mr. Calder has not to go so far as Sydney. He takes them from his own Church, which is certainly not the dullest in Auckland. He says that about 400 children had been turned out of his Sunday-school since he had been in the pariah, "but they were not before him that morning nor would he see them that night." He has counted twentyfive young men sitting at the back of the church, and of these eight would go out after the first hymn, "because they had had enough of it." If that is the practice in All Saints, what must be the practice in other churches 1 If this is done in the green tree, what will be done in the dry.

Some time ago we discussed the question whether the Sunday school teaching was sufficient to make up for the omission of all religious teaching in the State schools. It will be remembered that when the present system was introduced, it having been decided to leave out all religious or scriptural teaching, it was thought that a splendid field would be opened for the Sunday school, and for the energies of religious people. It was pictured that the churches would be put upon their mettle, that the clergymen, seeing how vitally important it was, would devote themselves to the oversight and improvement of the schools, and that the religious teaching imparted by persons who felt the importance of their work, would be far superior in thoroughness and in efficacy, to the mechanical teaching of the schoolmaster. But things have turned out quite differently. Sunday school teaching is, if not a

failure, next thing to it. Mr. Calder'a remedies may do something, but we confess that we do not think much of them. He proposes to give object lessons, and to organise "a surpliced choir of boys to lead the afternoon singing." There are abundant means of giving picture a.nd objeot lesson 3 in the various publications of the Sunday-school Union. As to the surpliced choir which is to "enkindle their affections," it might only move them to ridicule. Our proposal was that the churches should take i up this matter thoroughly. At present Sunday-school teachers are not paid, generally they are careless in making any preparation for their work, they are not punctual in their attendance, and generally set an example of indifference which the children are not slow to follow. There is no systematic teaching, but a weak kind of talkeetalkee, like speaking to babies. What we proposed was that the churches should organise a system, and that the teachers should be paid. That at all events would secure proper teaching of what the Bible contains, and would render available to the education of the young, the most wonderful book of our literature. Probably the difficulty which Mr. Calder sees in the inauguration of this plan is, that it would be difficult to get the money. Churches can scarcely raise cash wherewith to pay their clergymen, and what would happen to the fund if it were subjected to an additional drain for Sundayschool teachers. But, then, perhaps a new and vigorous spirit would be infused into the whole concern. Mr. Calder does not deal with the causes of this religious indifference amongst the younger people of the community. Perhaps it has arisen from the breaking down of old interpretations and forms. Much of what our fathers believed has gone. A great many people are resigned to their own ignorance, and think that nothing can be known for certain. A spirit of Agnosticism is in the air. The intellect of the present generation is labouring pitifully at the problem of whether men can be satisfied with this world and its enjoyment. Then, again, there is a revolt by the young against authority. Parental control is not what it was. Young people will not go to church now even although their parents do. The results of this condition may be evidenced by the occurrences mentioned by Mr. Calder. The conclusion come to by the rev. gentleman was, we think, utterly wrong in every way. He says : —

"He did not think much would be done in the way of increasing the spiritual life of the community until the present generation had passed away and their children took their place, when ho hoped there would be a sensible spiritual movement in the whole mass."

Mr. Calder must not give way like this. This is the very extreme of pessimism, and we never thought to find Mr. Calder an apostle of that philosophy. Mr. Calder has no hope for the present generation of young men, but looks forward to the generation which is to succeed them again. Hut if the present generation is bad, and will not listen to " a sermon of Hooker's," nor endure a homily of thirty-five minutes of Mr. Calder's own composition, what influence can be brought to bear so that the next generation shall be spiritually-minded 1 If the Sundaychool teaching is a failure, and if, as Mr. Calder says, the prison records of the colony show that 75 per cent, of those convicted had been Sunday-school children, the reasonable expectation is that the next generation will be worse than the present, and that the succeeding generation will not enter the church at all. But in any case it will never do merely to look forward to the next generation. All right-thinking men must learn to labour as well as to wait. Might not some modicum of Scriptural teaching be introduced Into our State school system 1

The latest news from Berlin is to the effect that owing to the measures taken by the authorities for the suppression of disorder, tho riots are regarded as over. The political crisis in France has ended for the present. A new Ministry has been formed, largely composed of the members of M. da Freycinet's Cabinet. The most noteworthy exception is M. Constans, who has not been included in the new Government, owing, it is said, to intrigues among the supporters of the President. The press does not hail the new combination with cordiality. Tho murder of the Bulgarian agent at Constantinople has roused an intense antiRussian feeling in Sofia. General Booth, in an article in the Contemporary Review, advocates the compulsory transfer of the surplus population from the cities to the country. The distress in Vienna is increasing, and fifty thousand people are reported to be starving. It is feared that renewed attacks will be made upon Europeans in China in the spring. Yesterday the Hon. P. A. Buckley visited Sir George Grey at his residence at Parnell. An English paper has the following Many people are, wisely enough, employing eucalyptus oil as a preventive against the influenza epidemic. In offices a good plan is to sprinkle a few drops of the oil on the blotting pad, while a sufficient precaution at homo in tho bedroom is to sprinkle the pillow in the same way. For many other things beside influenza the eucalypti agency is a most efficacious remedy, and thousands of lives would be saved and prolonged yearly if the excellent practice—already in many cases adopted in London —were brought into general vogue, of keeping young gum trees "potted'' in the dining and drawing rooms. The virtues of eucalypti can only be appreciated by those who have lived in gum-growing countries. These virtues are many and various, and more attention should bo given this useful tree than is at present the case. Among the passengers by the Tekapo from the South, yesterday, was His Honor Mr. Justice Conolly. During the stay of H. M.s. Ringarooma, at Russell, Captain Bourke had the stone grave fences of soldiers who fell during the war freshly painted. At the attack on Kororareka four soldiers were slain and a number wounded, but soldiers who died of their wounds were also buried there. For many years past the various warships visiting the Bay of Islands have made it a sacred duty to renovate the grave enclosures of the men of H.M.s. Hazard, who fell around Captain Robertson, in resisting Kawiti'a men when they came through M&tauihi Pass. The inscription on their headstone is :—" Sacred to the memory of Colour-Sergeant J. McCarthy, R.M. ; Private Alexander May, R.M. ; W. Lovell, seaman ; W. Love, seaman; Whitaker Denby, seaman ; F. Minnikin, seaman ; late of H.M.s. Hazard, who fell in the defence of Kororareka, 11th March, 1845." The fencing of the cemetery was recently repaired. A letter was received yesterday by the Mayor from Mr. W. B. Perceval, AgentGeneral, London, for this colony, acknowledging receipt of the cablegram asking him to convey to the Prince and Princess of Wales the expression of extreme regret of the citizens of Auckland on the death of the Duke of Clarence. Mr. Perceval states that as desired he at once communicated the cablegram to their Royal Highnesses.

The committee of the Society of were yesterday busy hanging the nicff rt * to hand, bub they have bfen sX rea by the tardy arrival «' some couJnlf ? ye '' Chnstchurch and Danedin, m until T arrival of these it was impute i 1,18 et ° the hanging on the soutlorn the hall. A number came by the 8 « t' Kapo yesterday, and are expected t 1" landed early to-day. From hi )e which have already been plac'd 0 °f walls ib is evident that the preset Action will be one of the best, if no the u which has yet been held. Mess, P„,, f > (principal of Elnm School of Art), t« w? i Bros., Blomfield, Drummond, Bill 'i "" 1 with, and other local artists contrite«£!?i work. The Wright Bros, have notiurnifhj so many pictures this year, their m raer "„ art classes precluding their dvotin', much attention to picture paintitr. Amor? the foreign contributors is Mr. Gmbh, * of the late Consul Gamblo (U.S.*) o ('tr" city, who is successfully studyig art i Paris. A new phase of art at the enibition V 1 a bust from life by Miss A. G. Piclias h is believed to be the first of te kind i, Auckland, if not in the colony. A carver! panel was sent in yesterday " It-.w/z Renaissance," by W. F. Short which i! one of the finest specimens of leal carvin* we have seen. Invitations for he convor* sazione to-morrow evening avo be • issued to the commanders nd officers of the German and Englisl warship At a meeting held yesterday f the ladv friends of the Society ib was eciilcd to dispense " afternoon tea" on Thursday afternoon, from three to live o"ock. bast evening the members of the ccimittreo' the Auckland Photographic Siiety Wure busy placing their exhibits in thenteroora about half the space being utilise! by the Society, and the remainder beir devoted to the overflow of picture exliit* f raai the main hall. There will be Jout 05 tQ 30 exhibitors (amateur and passional) and over 80 frames. ' The following are the results of ie recent Civil Service examinations, so *• as the Auckland College and GrammarJchool is concerned :— W. A. Speight and is? A. E. McPherson obtained complete p;ae.«, and P. H. Watts and Miss M. H.Burfoot partial passes in the senior exaination. Amongst the successful Candidas tk-rj also five who had obtained their sioniary education at the school, namel li. jj, Roberton, who left in May, I SOI \\ j' Munro, F. J. Stewart, T. 1. Kubiion and G. R. 0, Walker, who left at earli' dates. In the junior examination, J. S Butler obtained 10th place (the highest >tained by an Auckland candidate), D. L.. Clavton was 38th ; B. J. Dudley, 39th K. i, Gordon, >.)th ; T. M. Alexander, 103 rd • also, E. W. Carter, who, on lean" the school in 1889, passed 10th, has novj^ssed Cell, and Mies A. M. Caldwell, wl left a year ago. has passed 46th. In all, llcandidates passed the junior examination. On Sunday afternoon, as Mr. obert Eaton, a farmer who resides at East Tamaki, was driving a horse and sprij trap through Newmarket, the animal fef dead in the street. The circumstance was urely an accidental one, as the horse was i good condition, and had not in any wa;beeu over-driven. A correspondent writes respectin Mr. White's incomplete work on " The Anient History of the Maori," inquiring wht has become of the MS from which thevork could be completed. He thinks thatf the Government have these in their posission they should get the work finished a&aras possible. A copy of the New Testament ii the Motu language of New Guinea—th first New Testament published in a F.puan dialect —was placed in the Queen's had? at Christmas by the Duke of Connaugit, at the request of the committee of the Bible Society, conveyed through the edtorial superintendent. The version was begin b> the Rev. J. Chalmers more than ten veari ago, and has been completed by the 'Kev W. G. Lawes. The Port Moresby dialect in which the version is made, is the mothei tongue of about 5000 natives, but it is tin best known of the various languages along the coast, and the missionaries have resolved to make it the literary language fjr the entire east of the Island from Possession eastward. As those concerned in the establishment of a Board of Examiners in Dentistry in Auckland have not decided v.\\o the three dentists shall be who are to form part of the Board, the Hon. Mr. Buckley has not yet made the aupointmtnt. The Board, as in the other chief cities of the colony, is tc comprise three medical men and three dentists. We have to acknowledge receipt of a pamphlet and price list of Count Mattel's electro-homceopatbic remedies issued by Messrs. I. Hopkins and Co., of Lower Queen-street, who are the authorised agents for sale of the same. We have from time to time published in our columns some account of these remedies, which have of late been making a considerable stir in Europe owing to their proved curative properties in different diseases. They differ entirely, except in the minute doses, from the ordinary homoeopathic remedies, and it is claimed for them that they go to the source of the disease and eliminate from the blood or the lymph, or from both as the case may be, the impurities therein, and strengthen the system, and, as naturally would be the case under these conditions, there is no recurrence when once a cure Is effected. Dr. Kennedy and many other medical gentlemen of note in Europe have recorded some wonderful euros of cancer and other diseases which have hitherto been considered incurable. The pamphlet, which consists of 12 pages, contains full information with regard to the remedies and the diseases for which they are applicable, also directions for their use, and a list of cures effected. It may be had free from the agents, I. Hopkins and Co., whose address will be foand in our advertising columns. Last evening Dr. Lucas, Methodist dele gate from Canada, delivered a lecture ii: St. John's Wesleyan Church, Ponsonby, on "The Indians in the North-west." Mr. Alexander Russell presided, and the Rev. Mr. Lawry was also on the platform. he, lecturer gave a racy and humourous lecturo describing the social and religious condition of the Indians among whom he had laboured. He described the method taken by the Canadian Government of dealing with lands of the aborigines, of civilising and instructing them. Specimens were given of their oratory, and the lecturer said that Canada contained no more loya people than the Indians. The lecture was free, but a collection was taken up. *0 ' morrow night Dr. Lucas lectures hiirit • street Wesleyan Church, on "Thumbs F and Thumbs Down." A . telegraph messenger named SlyfiaW narrowly escaped serious injury last e ing. Whilst on the front platform 01 trunjear proceeding down Queen sre 1 and standing 011 the step preparatory alighting, he slipped off and was somew . severely bruised by the passing axles, was unconscious for a minute or s0 shortly afterwards felt equal to resu h duty. An "Admirer of Horses" writes descrit ing the manner in which the heavy 1 chinery of the Kapanga mine was br v,. up to the site by a team of 13 te c horses owned by Messrs. Dickey, L '.J. and Co., of the Thames. He sa J in ' "They were the admiration of even i and the comparative ease with yvhie - did their work, all pulling well to' > and the efficient manner in whic , driver, Mr. William Verran, handled tnei , called forth from the onlookers in y clamations of praise." The codlin moth is said to bel ing its ravages in the orchards , g Auckland, and that some of those wlr • been cultivating fruit have ivßn ie J t |, ( struggle, having unsuccessful tned W various remedies propounded. f , irme r greatly to be regretted, as the sma fani* needs every incidental aid to his 1 h make a decent living. It was pest was disseminated by uncle. : boxes, but some orchardists * ho . {ruitJ ! thing but new boxes complain of the being injured by the moth. I Major Charles Brown writes suggesting that if the ironworks at Onehung* to be removed, they should be taken Mokau as the most fitting place. He J that all the requirements for the «ne » of iron, and for its manufacture, a 0 * there in unlimited quantities in the -M of iron-stone, titaniferous iron-sand, c . Urn©, clay, and »ood for "'ST i» " I understand, however, that there intention of moving the ironworks.

k fha Northern Railways League is Aa ,nf completing the information as o e? irou3 merits of the Stratford they have decided to * aMr Wilson, C.E., to explore the legjwtc • Contra i line, which was not ■orf' oll ■ Messrs. Cad man and Frank 5 51t !,;,-n their late journey overland from Tn arm Mr. Wilson will, in all likoliS '"We Auckland on Monday next, I 1,0 should be able to complete tlio s sin c link of evidence which is needed, "To The respective merits of the rival roe?, either its to settlement or from an giineci point of view. !me further interesting items in regard L ao/ horticultural section of the Chicago Ex bit ion are the following : On the roof I* ,o horticultural building, around the 0 _ a | dome, an elaborate display of roofearning "ill be made. It is expected tLthiAvill not only be pleasurable to isirs, but w.ll afford valuable suggestions a ivii Ibe utilised by persons who live in |.' r n cities, mid are deprived of gardens .)/(i« :i.°. 1" the centre of the horticulbuilding will be a miniature mountain, 0 jet high, upon which will grow* tree L ami ' palms, and other vegetation, [ n them a congenial home. A stream ♦iildiish from one declivity to another. Uath this rock-mountain will bo a cave, i.-.t in diameter and til) feet high, bril'iiiiv lighted bv electricity, where, during !|(jvholo ix months of the Exposition, the 1 rinient will be tried whether plants <;r<iw under electric light as well as ail sunlight. Mr. J. Thorpo originated 3,.1 an. ; 'he printed schedule of marks for the ' ior University Scholarship Examination j jjvs that the telegrams, though accurate jl egat'ds those candidates who obtained itiairsliips, mid those ho passed "with jjijt," ere misleading as to the order 0 i uerit of those who merely passed on his examination. Those from the \>land College and Grammar .School placed as follows:—\Y. A. Speight, 9; C. W. Field, 11th ; Miss K. M. l> Mcjjiio, 12th ; T. K. Keosing, lSth ; Miss \|l. Dower, '2;; rd ; I'. H. Upton (whose tl .,c whs omitted from the telegrams), ji, From the same schedule it appears Mi.-s E. J. Kiinliii, who was first of a,,, who parsed " with credit," missed a jfilarsiiip by only 1.1 marks out of a ruble 01.30.

Vmong the recent building improverr,t." at Otahuh is the extension of the Clin stores of Messrs. F. Andrew and Son, Lin :\!nt general produce merchant.-, of [ i; township. Thy annexe, •which is of h two storeys in height, has a frontage ( 4J :cet by a depth of titi feet, with cor--1 iron roof, and has a recessed arch.so that waggons can be loaded or tinladed ia all weathers and under cover, iid ground floor will be devoted to chemiA iris:aires, lime, boned list, etc., and tho op storey to the chaii'eutter /of the latest intent) and the automatic bagger, which ill put through 1. to 1-3 tons per •lav while the floor will afford actfiminixhation for .'SO tons of sheaves. Shaft jig i* to be carried from the ground floor of the building to the shedding in the rear, where the firewood department is j..,,:,;*. to drive the saws. Provision is r.i;iie adjacent for stabling' fur the Ota-hnhu-Auckland 'bus service, on which two 'bilges are running. The facade of the annexe is lur.lt of prs«e<l brick, rind the whole work now has a frontage to the main Jioroufhfiiiv of !<0 to 90 feet). Mr. Wade n>s the architect, and the total co«t of the aerations and improvements is over £1000.

When oil Capo Palliser Inst week the schooler Lo.iie passed through a considerate quantity of ashes, supposed to bo the result of some volcanic disturbance.

Notwithstanding the dry season which we have had it is anticipated that there will be l jood exhibition of fruit at the show of the Birkenhead and -Nnrthcote Fruitgrowers' Avociation on Saturday next. Yesterday M.*. Thompson (president) and Mr. Fuller rice-president) were in town and obtained "ffieroiis extra prizes from merchants and -her commercial men interested in the frait industry.

The foundation stono of a new Presbytism Church was laid at Blenheim by Kev. jlmsiie, of Christchurch, who delivered i.i eloquent, address on terianism. Eon. it. fieddon was also asked to speak, tad made a humourous speech, winding up »ith an eulogium of tho Bible as the foundation of th-j prosperity of the Statu, in the evening tie: conversazione was largely attended, ami £'I-V'2 was collected for the building fund.

Some year." ago the late Mr. James Leslie, baker, of Parneil, left some valuable property to be devoted to the purpose of maintaining a Presbyterian Orpnanage. The balance-sheet of tiie estate will be f.un-1 in our advertising columns, as certifisi to by the secretary of this trust and .lit auditors.

We have to acknowledge receipt of a pamphlet entitled, "The New Zealand of To-day," with a map, being a lecture by Dr. J. Murray-Mcvre, formerly of this city, and addressed to the members of the Manchester Geographical Society, in tho Memorial Hall. The lecture was illustrated by New Zealand views, especially of Lake scenery, and appears to have been of a most comprehensive character—dealing with the gWi'iMphieil position of the colony, mail and emigration routes, the climate, scenery, pr i'l'ictioii", an 1 industries, social life, religion, education, laws, and the question of temperance. Dr. Moore adds that Colonial federation is a necessary prelude to the grand idea of Imperial Federation. Of the latter question he t-'i'J-* speak-: —" Imperial Federation wouhf son come within the sphere of practical politics if the following concessions, amongst others, were granted :—The Agents-! leneral »: the .-eh governing colonies to have ex tf'io its in the House of Lords, and to be received at court on the footing of am-bas-u'l^r-; the Secretary for the Colonies to be always an ex governor of considerable colonial experience; one member at of the Judicial Committee of the i'livy Council to be a colonial ex-Chief Justice; in the Church, colonial ordinations to he recognised as equal to those a - home, and more inducements to bo held "it to the colonial-born to join both army and navy, whether as officers or privates. •'• •'■r Irt the narrow-minded economists per-'iadf. you, my fellow-countrymen, that our colonies are but a source of embarrassment. and expense to the old country. Quite the contrary is the case. In spite of " pro- ■ Active" tariff's (necessary to them for revenue), England absorbs more than twothirds of all their trade ; they provide tin outlet for our surplus population, for the '"vestment of capital, and for travel and e q>.'wn'ion, bringing health and enjoyment to many ; they afford valuable coal--1!l;' and recruiting stations for our navy and commercial murine ; they arc: loyal to our sovereign, and, a* far as New Zealand is C/fjcerned, they are British to the backbone. The colonies are a source of moral, physical, »id political strength to us; and it wise and timely concessions are made by our statesmen and Legislature to reasonable Colonial demands, the mistakes of the eighteenth will nob be repeated in the Nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and " children will see a dominion of Australia stretching out one hand across the I'acific to the dominion of Canada, and the other across the Indian Ocean to a United Briti-h South Africa, thus encircling tho Eiobewith the grand old flag." I Jr. Moore's work, •' New Zealand for the Emigrant, Invalid, and Tourist," has been quite a Access at Home.

1 lie well • known English temper/nice orator, Mr. K. Tennyson Smith, lias re'':n!ly conducted a most successful mission "i nv wci'.igjll. He was welcomed and en-•-'ttained at a reception and social given by j e local temperance societies on the sth u| 'laivlon the 7th commenced a week's mis--1,1011 in the Theatre Royal, which was r ov\-led nightly in spite of numerous ?° ur, V Jl " attractions in the town. The lec- - ii -citals, supplemented by eloquent '""'nitrous addresses of his own were ''"it'll appreciated, the evenings of poetic eciUils proving specially attractive. In >.i.°°" rse (| f the week nearly four hundred '' c "U'"s wi-re taken. Many are hoping Sibil popular English.lecturer will bo 11 * 10 pay a return visit to lnvercatgill. t Ur ' Ul ,[''dance-sheet of the Auckland Scrip2''K l." 1 "- Association for the year ending tlil * tibruitry, shows that the balance on >« iV|, February, 1891, was £4 7a lid; ( ™ii <,Cn ' Jto " s lUK ' donations, £217 19s; misJ 'nneotiH, £20 lis hi: total, £242 19s. ' u (; xp'.-nditure was £-2.'14 19s 3d, leaving whand of £7 19s 9d. The accounts j. < audited by Messrs. Goulstone and VV. '• •'lastsey.

The Elam School of Art has about 60 pupils on the books, and judging from the competitions sent in to the Auckland Society of Arts Exhibition, the institution is doing good work under the mastership of Mr. E. \V. Payton. It will bo seen from our advertising columns that Mr. Pay ton's private art classes, which are also well attended, will be resumed in the rooms of the Elam School of Art, on Monday, the 14th inst.

A man named C. A. G'lagg was brought yesterday from Napier in charge of Constable Wells, on a charge of wife dosertion in November last.

It is stated that a Wellington syndicate are opening up negotiations with Mr. Bailey, of Auckland, for a ten-tonner, on the lines of the Mahina, the winner of the Second-class Handicap Yacht Race at Wellington on Saturday last.

What horticulturist who has not heard of the great grape vino at Cumberland Lodge, for many years tho largest in Britain ? This vine, however, is now surpassed in size by two others, one at Breadalbane in Scotland, which is very largo; but ona at Matiresa House, Hoehampton, a few miles from London, is finer, and in all respects superior. It completely tills a house '224 foot long, with seven rods as straight as vine rods can bo, stretching from end to end. Each rod resembles a vigorous young vine, and bunches averaging about IMb each, with fine berries, hang in the greatest regularity. In 1890 670 bunches were cut from the vino, weighing 9f>olb. In IS9I the number was 642 bunches, tho weight of which exceeded 10001b.

Tho following is the state of Her Majesty's Prison, Auckland, for the week ending February 27 :— On remand, 3 males; awaiting trial, It) males, 1 female; penal servitude, 48 males; hard labour, 6."> males, 1-1 females; imprisonment, - males; default of bail, 3 males, '2 females; boy, 1; received during the week, '20 males, 4 females; discharged, 10 males, 6 females. Total in prison. 132 males, 17 females.

Oil'•■ Tuesday evening, Feb. IG, the annual church meeting of St. Peter s Church, Bombay, was held in the church, Rev. E. .J. MeFarland in the chair. The meeting was rpeued with prayer. The minutes of last annual meeting, also the minutes of last vestry meeting, were read and confirmed. The balance-sheet showed the income for the year from offertory, subscriptions, and seat rents to have been £108 12s 3d, and expenses £109 .'ls fid leaving a debit balance of lis 3d due to the treasurer. The above only shows actual cash received and paid. There are some outstanding accounts to come in, which will swell the deficiency to about £9. There have been several improvements done during the last year, viz., covering the church with iron, new gates to the burial ground, ceiling vestry, etc. The balance-sheet was adopted as read. The deficiency is to be made up by subscriptions. Mr. Fronde moved, *' That the accounts lie squared quarterly, and not allow the deficiency, if any, to go on to the end of the year." The following officers were elected for the present year: — Ministei's warden, Mr. Proude ; people's warden. Mr. Stratford; vestry, Captain .Jackson, Dr. Carolan, Messrs. Hogwood, Cuthbert, F. L. Wright, R. S. White, and J. Swetman. Votes of thanks were recorded to Mr. and Mrs. F. L. Wright for the beautiful chair (made by our local cabinetmaker, Mr. Milburu) for the chancel, and the two beautiful vases for the communion table also to the officers of the chorus, the organist, and the choir. The Benediction closed the meeting.—[Own Correspondent.]

A meeting of the Lodge Ponsonby, New Zealaud Constitution, will be held this evening iu the I'onsoaby Hall,

Dr. Rowley, late of Te Awaimitu, and for seven years at Bombay, Great South Road, lias commenced practice at " Clevelands," Mount Albert.

A meeting of the Mariposa Gold Mining Company will be held at the New Zealand Insurance Buildings, on Wednesday, the 9th instant, at half-past two p.m. The Official Visitor of the Lunatic Asylum acknowledges with thanks a parcel of illustrated papers sent to him by the Town Clerk for the patients.

The announcement made in yesterday's issue of a meeting in connection with the Ara Lodge .'548, LC.. was an error. The meeting does not take place until Monday next, the 7th instant.

The share register of the Thames Gas Company will be closed from Wednesday* till Monday next, when a dividend of Is I'd pershare will be payable at tho company's oliice, Government insurance Buildings.

This evening an entertainment comprising a concert and a comedy will lie given in aid of the Mount Albert St. Luke's Sunday-school Building Fund. The entertainment is expected to be highly successful. In order to aid townspeople to be present, a 'bus will leave Queen-street for Mount Albert at a quarter to eight o'clock p.m., returning after the proceedings are over.

There seems to be 110 end to the enterprise ot business people in pushing their ware. Messrs. McGlashan and Co., of Auckland, actually made a bona jid'. offer of £25 for a case of toothache or neuralgia which Ye Bishop's Bottle could not, cure. There were plenty of applicants, bat at latest advices Ye Bishop's Bottle was triumphant, and the firm have their £'25 still in their pockets.

It will be seen by time table that the n.s. If. Aroluv will leave Auckland for Waiheke (extra trip) on Friday next, at three p.m., and leaving Waiheke on Saturday morning, half-past six a.m. for Motutapu Island with \\ aiiieke school children and residents, arriving in Auckland about noon, and leaving for Waiheke Lsl;-..a «-.t usual tune, two p.m. on Saturday, and picking up the party on the way down.