Untitled

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1090, 16 October 1879, Page 2

Low-il.ass variety entertainments are the oiiler of the day. I >isplays of muscular development. with a spice of lewd and inane songs, have almost crushed out the legitimate drama. We arc vapidly drifting into a condition under which the elevating and educating influence of the drama will only be matters of history—into a condition of immorality, in which a dramatic performance will lie intolerable. The effeminacy of such things is only now beginning to dawn upon a world advancing in civilisation and enlightenment. Xo longer shall we be rslile to take our wives, sisters, and sweethearts to histrionic representations, for there will be none to -which to take them. 'We shall not be able to accompany them to the -• gatl"," beep.use there things are to be seen and heard tb.-t would shock their oversensitive natures. .>uch places are only fit for fathers of families, who inculcate molality while they have it not. Morality, in fact, is an adjunct desirable in females, whilst it is unmanly in the sterner sex. Xo mor.ii code c:iys so. but 110 moral code is perfect. "Inti.r consciousness"' is the moral code by which fathers, brothers, and sons should 1"- /I'.iided. Its principles arc not so .stringent that a brother may not say to his sinter that sije is to remain at home, whilst lie. sociable being that he is, enjoys the ennoblin.' pastime of witnessing haltnude females, or listening to bawdy talk as •It diii/uised as the configuration of their persons. Its principles are not so stringent that a husband may not leave tiie wife of his bosom at home to read moral 1. ssons to his nous and daughters whilst lie in another place witnesses—pays to witness —pays lewd females to treat him to—evidences of human depravity. That a father, a brother, or a son should be asked bv a. wife, a sister, or a daughter how it is that she c.t:::: •? accompany the present or future lord of creau..:i to the amusement hall is nothing. It is >iotln;>i- {hat the females of a household should discover by the pubiie prhts that its head has made one o: 1: ■- ; u-:.i:r to witness, to listen to, (•> uphold. -11-ss immorality. Habit overcome-; •jwr ; at !ir. ; t created by remarks such as " Oh, was there. ' The inclination for the embodiment of all that is <_'ood and noble in a household to hide his diminished head beneath the table cloth when his lisping oIF-pring discover such an apparent Haw in his character gradually disappears. He shelters himself at last behind the convenient, but questionable, maxim, " Do as I say, and not as I do."

A coivcqiondent of the Otago Daily Times I jj.iv.-s : —"T!u:sci;hc in the House last evening between Mr. 1 Mr. Ballance was very exciting. The latter acted with great forbearaii- and had the House entirely with him in denying fi;at he wrote against Sir Ceorge in the way alleged. 1 ' He says that the Government supporters talk against time: that Mr. Whitaker, junr., seeks to divide the Auckland arid Otago members by givii:.- notice . his intention to ask for L'J 0,001) fur roads and bridges in Auckland. He also says :—" Sir George has since his retirement gained favor. His speech to-night had a great effect when he described the Hon. Mr. Hall as representing the land ling in the Middle Island and Mr. Whitaker in the North Island. The utmost silence prevailed in the House, lie made several good points." The majority are so determined not to be governed by what they call "the land-ring and the Bank of New Xealnd" that they will petition the Governor to dismiss the Hall Ministry if they do not ret'igii. Lite Sydney Morning Herald and the Sydney Evening News strongly denounce the action of the Hall Ministry, and say that i: is bringing New Zealand into contempt by its conduct. It will do more than that: it will, if it remains much longer in power, damage our credit in the English market. The whole of the Australasian Colonies are interested in the good behaviour and government of each other. W.'iat ai'ts injurious!}to one tends to shake confidence in all,"

A goodly number of gentlemen interested in the matter attended a meeting at the Imperial Hotel last evening for the purpose of considering the charges levied by the railway authorities. Mr. John Currie ' occupied trie chair, and in introducing the matter commented upon the discrepancies contained in the notices sent out by the railway authorities to the different merchants concerned. Mr. G. W. Draper then moved, ami Mr. Cowlcs seconded, "That it is the opinion of this meeting that the railway department in Oamaru is making an unjust overcharge of <>s per truck on goods required to be shunted into any of the public sidings, more particularly as it has always been done hitherto without any extra charge." This was carried. Mr. .Tames Craig moved, "That a deputation, consist: ing of Messrs. Currie, Draper, and the mover, be requested to wait on the Traffic

Manager, and urge that the overcharge be at once remitted." This was seconded by Mr. Anderson, and carried. The following reso-1 lution, moved by Mr. Cowles, was also carried, " That should the deputation not succeed, they be requested to communicate with the members for the district. Messrs. Hislop and Shrimski, laying the whole matter before them, and asking them to have an enquiry instituted." A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings. We need scarcely remind our readers that the Oamaru Dramatic Club will this evening '.'ive. at the Volunteer Hall, the first of two performances in aid of the Oamaru Hospital funds. Wi; have already mentioned the efforts whieli tii>* Club have made to render the entertainment a complete success, and no further recommendation from us is necessary. To-morrow evening there will be a change in the programme, and special train arrangements have been made for the conveying homewards of those residents along the north line who may be desirous of attending the performance. On Saturday afternoon the Oamaru Cricket Club will play a match between sides chosen from A to L and M to Play will be commenced at a quarter-past two o'clock sharp. The teams will be chosen from the following players : —Messrs. Anderson, E. Booth, W. Booth, Balmer, 0. Borton, (Sr. Borton, Cooke, C'reagh, De Lautour, (I. Fen wick, F. Fcnwick, Davies, Finch, Coates, (iordon. M -Donald, Rule, Snow, Lintott, Walls, Kice, .J. Millington, O. Millington, Nicholls, J. Reid, Murison. Kerr, Sumptor, Kett, Ferens, Newton, and W*. J. Smith.

We observe that the North British and Mercantile Insurance Company have been the successful tenderers for the insurance of the whole of the waterworks aqueducts, buildings, and materials-total value about LI-1.000. Mr. C. O. Moore is the agent of the above Company.