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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 969, 28 May 1879, Page 2

We have received a long letter on things til general tro-n a person styling himself a visitor to I >amaru. We have also received several pressing visits from the writer on the sttfqert of thi> precious epistle f-.n'h time accompanied with the query, 44 W ell, sir, have V"U looked through my letter? I wish you could tell me whether you will publish it or not." We have even been .stopped in the street, and the momentous question buzzed into our ears it» a most unpleasant iii.-mruv. aecomp'>,niv.l by a demand that •' ioir!-n:»Ii-t:e eourt-.-y .••hoilld be extended tov-v.vone v. ho has l. -en eorre.qi'.ndin-.' with tiie I'ivs--, for eight years." Tiie tiling is becoming serious, and in order to avoid a collision and save the tears of our co! res|>oud.'Ut's friends and relations, we have at last mu.-tered up sufficient coinage to look through the valued epistle. The result of that cursory glance at its contents is-that we have d. termined not to publisu tue letter. It cf-ntaiu.-t too many words and too little Our con espondent is too pl ot use. Hi.- l- tter deal.> with everything connected v. i; li tie- tov/n. and that too without grace fu* grammar. e are tohl a hundred tilings that' v.e h.tve hear.! much better told before. Till: whole of the letter is devoted to the impressions of our visitor upon everything, fivin the JJreakwater ami our public buildings down to the situation of the gaol and the character of the boarding-hous-s. Upon raeh of these topics the writer dilates with the air of a man who sees and knows everything. Eut as we are afraid that, in its present form, the letter would not prove edifying to our readers, or serve any good purpose, ami as it would occupy too much of our wpace, v. e have determined not to publish it: but we will not consign it to the waste paper basket, as is done in ordinary cases. The "sweat or intellect" shall be returned to the writer. The consolation derivable from carrying it in his breast pocket may in some mcav.ire alleviate tho suffering that our refusal to publish the epistle mpy occasion bins.

Mr. C. C. Isowen. another member of the bite Miniitrv, addressed his constituents at [vtiapoi evening. V. e informed by telegraph that not more than sixty pcr-ous were present. The ex-Minister endeavored to sdimv that he and his colleagues were the right set of men to be on the Treasury Hunches, and that the present Ministers were merely jjipiare blocks in round holes A telegram iiifor.-ns us that, '-After Mr. I'owen had answered some questions referring' to local matters, Mr. Ellen, midst, expre.-iions of dissent, proposed a vote of confidence in M:\ 7'owen, on the ground that he was not a'' jumped-up " politician. The motion having been seconded, about twenty hands were held up, and the chairman declared it carried."

At the Kesident Magistrate's Court today, before T. W . I'arker, b.sq., R.M., Jaines Adams, for being drank and disorderlv in Thames-street, was fined 10s. or iioiirs" imj»risonment, Isabella Johnston, on r» ch.arge of vagrancy, waa Further remanded till Friday, as were also John Madden and Andrew Hhtck, charged with larccnv.

The concert advertised to take place in the Maheno I'uMic Hall, on the 30th inst., li."u been postponed for the present, out of reap ct to tho memory of one of those who was to have taken part in it, and whose sudden de itli has been recorded.

TJic lion, the Minister for l'ublie Works is expected to arrive in Oariiaru at the end of the week, on business connected with his department. Mr. Thomas Richmond, late of Waimate, and now proprietor of the Terminus Hotel, Christchureh, yesterday filed a declaration of insolvency. This evening Messrs. Thorn, Darvin, and Burton, the lloyal Illusionists, will appear in their entertainment, at the Volunteer Hall.

Despite the wretched weather there was a very good audience at the Volunteer Hall last evening, when Mr, C. (!. Moore delivered his lecture entitled " The Trial of Sir Jaspar." The name given to the enter? tainment was somewhat of a misnomer ; it could scarcely be designated a lecture, and might with more appropriateness have been designated an illustrated reading. There was nothing dull or dry about the enteii tainment, the views thrown upon the i canvas by a magic lantern with lime-light | illuminations ftfforded a pleasing relief to I the reading, and added greatly to the charm of the enter ainment. As has already been announced, " The trial of Sir Jaspar " is a temperance tale in verse, and is from the i pen of S. C. Hall, bnrrister-at-law. Its plot is simple and interesting: Sir Jaspar, a Knight and good citizen, but a distiller, is called into Court to listen to the testimony given as to the ill-effects flowing from the in.mnfactnre, eale, and imbibing of liquor. The language of the poem is in parts powerful and striking, and when given by any elocutionist whose heart was in his work, would prove highly effective. Mr. Moore, who gave the reading last evening, does not, we think, claim to be an elocutionist, but he must certainly be complimented upon the clear and distinct manner in which he gave the reading. At times he was eloquent, but at others his voice, probably owing the strain upon it caused by the great length of the poem, was somewhat monotonous. The views thrown upon the canvas took the fonn of witnesses called at the trial, and

showed in almost every form the baneful effects flowing from indulgence in the inebriating cup, one or two of them alone being given to display the opposite state of affairs as resulting from temperance. At the close of the reading, seven photographs, slightly colored, shoving the various stages of alcoholic disease, were followed by some more beautiful pictures, with changingcolors. Altogether, the entertainment provided was really enjoyable, and was apparently well relished by a most attentive and orderly audience. Mr. Milligan, the President of the Young Men's Christian Association, under whose auspices the le.u'.ry was given, presided, and after on<:i:!ir_' the proceedings with prayer, introduced tii': lecturer. At the close of the proceedings it was announced that the next lecture of "the scries would be given by the Kov. Mr. Green, of Dunedin, and that the subject would be "Luther, the monk that shook the world." Before concluding we would suggest that Mr. Moore should, at an earlv date, repeat the entertainment, for we feel's 11 re that many who would have liked to have seen and witnessed it were deterred from attending last evening by the bad weather.