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Otago Daily Times, Issue 3253, 10 July 1872, Page 2

The Criminal Sittings of the $ Sajprteme Court were commenced yessterda^ foefaraf His Hononr Mr Justice Chapman, and* all the cases in the "calendar, except one,' were disposed of. The only charge to be heard today is that against David-Jones aiul Henry Francis, for fiat tie-stealing.

We note that.tgigJU'o&KiJs>&> of Commerce is to meet to-morrow afternoon. In view of the approaching session of Parliament, and of the many important matters affecting the commercial community that will be there discussed, we hope there will be a good attendance at the meeting.

The Sustentation Fund Committee of the Presbyterian Church met last evening, when the Treasurer reported the receipt of the following amounts during the half-year ended June 30th :—Anderson's Bay, £80 ; First Church, £107 IGs sd; Knox Church, £213 0s lOd ; St. Andrew'n, £121 13a Cd ; North Dunedin, £100 ; Green Island, £89 13s Gd ; Hampden, £50; Kaikorai, £42; North-East Harbour, £72 5s ; Oamaru, £115 ; Otepopo and Kakanni, £100 5s 6d; Palmerston, £100; Port Chalmers, £01 4s; East Taieri, £130 I2a; West Taieri, £145 7s G<l; North Taieri, £G0 1«; Waikouaiti, £75 8» Gd; Clutha, £67 7s Gd ; Inch Clutha, £86 I Is; Popotunoa, £85 Gs : Teviot, £76 ; Tokomairiro, £130 6a; Waihola, £70 An ; Warepa, £73 ; Invercargill, £110 ; Oteramika, £78 ; Wakatipu, £104 10a ; Wallacetown, £70 ; Winton (4 months), £50; Pomahaka (4 months), £80 ; Riverfcon (I month), £15 J0»; Mount Ida, (return incomplete), £8 10a ; Donationa, £13 17a Id; total, £2803 ISs 4d. No return was received from SwJteera, and the Balclutha return was not completed. The equal half-yearly dividend declared by the committee amounted to £94 IGs 6d.

During the quarter ended on the 30th June there were 25 births (10 males and 15 females) registered at Port Chalmers ; and 3 deaths (all of children), 2 being males and 1 female. 4 certificates of marriage were issued during the same period. The totals for the half-year are as follows :—47 births, 10 deaths, and 13 marriages. The excess of births over deaths was thus 37, or at the rate of 370 per cent.

Last evening the officers of the Pioneer Lodge, No. 1, A.1.0.0.F. were duly installed into their respective chairs by the R.W.G. Secretary Bro. Michie, assisted by the R.W.G.T. Bro. Lenton, and W.G.M. Bro. Neale. The officers installed were aa follows :—J P.G. Bro. Walls ; N.G., Bro. P. Kirk ; V.G., Bro. W. Hannah ; Secretary, Bro. llrfjnton ; Treasurer, Bro. Thomson; Conductor, Bro. Pearson; Warder, Err. Goldsmith.

The contract for the erection of the new First Church expires on the 26th November next, and it ia intends to finish the building within that time. Tlbe whole of the principals of the roof are now up. The boarding and slating of the roof have yet to be done, and parts of the gables not yet up will be completed when the roofing is finished. Onethird of the scats has been already made, and there ia little internal finishing to be done. .

A telegram received in town yesterday states that a crushing of 145, tons quartz from the. Elizabeth, claim, Carrick Ranges, produced 70'ounces'gold.' Shares are quoted at £6. ;

The half-yearly meeting of the Widow and Orphans Institution, in connection with the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows^ Otago District, was held in the Hall, George street, last evening. The Secretary laid on the table the audited balance sheet for. the past half-year, showing that the affairs of the Institution are in a prosperous condition. The balance sheet was received and adopted. It was resolved that in future all new members at the time of initiation procure a medical certificate, of good health. The following brethren were appointed as the Anniversary Committee, and to bring up a report by next wee k : —Brothers Allen, Lucas, Hunter, Leighton, Jones, M'Queen, Baxter, Jenkins, Carey, Black, Palmer. The meeting closed with the usual vote of thanks t<> the chairman.

The episcopal residence lor Bishop Nevill is fast advancing towards completion, and will be entirely finished 'in two or three months. ,■■ . , : ■■.;-».

The drilj-shed erected by the Artillery Company, and formerly ÜBed by them bolmly, is now jointly owned by all the town companies, and is used by them. The City Guards Company took the initiative in using the shed, the members being drilled in it on Monday evening.

We understand that the Rev. Messrs Murray and Stewart—the two Presbyterian ministers who came out in the William Davie—do not intend to remain in Otago. The destination of Mr Murray is Canterbury, and that of Mr Stewart is Auckland.

The following books have been receiver! by the Suez mail, for Wise's Library:—"life and Correspondence of T. S. Duncomb'e" ; "Golden lion of Granpere," by Anthony Trollope ; " Two Plunges for a Pearl," by Mortimer Collins; "Ombea," by Mrs Oliphant : " GVScile," by Hawley Smart; "A Tale of the last War in New Zealand," by J.H.K. ; "Voyage round the World," by De Beauvoir ; " The Prey of the Gods/ by Florence Marryat; " The Day after Death," by Louis Figuier ; " A Man of the People^" by Erickmann-Cliatrian ; " Chrystabcl," by E. G. Worboise ; "Good-bye, Sweetheart,": by the anther of " Cometh up as a Flower.'* The number of persons who arrived it Port Chalmers during the quarter ended on the 30th June was as follows :—From the

United Kingdom, 39 males and 23 females; from the Australian Colonies, 140 males and 57 females; total, 259 (179 males and 80 females). The departures during the same period were as follows :—For the Unitejd Kingdom, 55 males and 42 females ; for tlie Australian Colonies, 216 males and 61 females; for Hong Kong, 190 males (Chinese); for the United States, 15 males and h females ; total, 587 (476 males and 111 females). There is thus a balance against the Province, for the quarter, of 328 souls. During the first quarter of the year, however, the immigration showed an excess over the emigration of 511, bo thab the net balance for the half-year -is 183 souls in favour of the Province.

We have received a copy of a circular issued by the Mount Ida Trade Association, and a copy of which is to be sent tip each member of both Houses of the General Assembly. It describes in a succinct manner the auriferous riches of the Mount Ida district, as shown by the gold yielded by if, statistics of which are given, aad urges that the Assembly should " vote a cer-

tain som^towards the construction of an efficient sludge channel at Naseby, and -the introduction of rushing water from the' Kyeßtfm; also, 'the construction of a- race from the Manuherikui river fpr the j purpose op«tipplji6g the district with an !" ifltycasetC cfifeap, and permanrait supply of water. sWithvnteivv*ay..at £l,por head, the 1 district would ttien be capable of maintaining a population of rcvcral thousands, and the revenue, from tut certainly reproductive nature of the woikp, would be alike considerably increased." A petition to the members of the House of Representatives, to the foregoing effect, ia in course of signature in the district, and, we are informed, is being unanimously signed there.

Mr 'Grant, the late Victorian Minister, has explained the reason which prompted the Duffy Governmentto subsidise to a large extent with Government advertisements an obscure paper called the Times and Mints. Says Mr Grant 'i--'* Under all the circumstances I may be pardoned for Maying that the three daily morning papers in Melbourne being En bitter hostility to us, I did not a bit see the way to give the advertisements to theme papers." Referring to this ; Hubjtct the Argus remarks that the " whole of the land sale advertisements" given to the Times and Mines, " were for land situate in the country, miles away, and yet these advertisements were gtwn to a gratis adver-tising-sheet circulating in Melbourne only," Mr Grant's contention, that the first object of Government advertising is to arid to the profits of such journals as choose to place their editorial columns at the disposal of Ministers in office or their friends, •has been universally reprobated in VictoriaEven supporters of the Dutty Government have not hesitated to condemn such a wilful misapplication of the public funds. Amongst the many jobs that have been brought to light since the retirement of Mr Duffy and his colleagues from office, it is freely recognised that the Times and Mines subsidy is the grossest job of the lot. The remarks of the Argus are uiugularly apropos of the method pursued by the present Government, of New Zealand in advertising the applications to bring land under the .provisions of the Land Transfer Act, at least in this part of the Colony. The principle laid down by Mr Grant on the subject of Government advertising is no doubt one of the cardinal points of the policy which binds together the members of the present New Zealand Cabinet, and we are fully prepared to Bee that principle acted upon, so long as the Government of the Colony is in the hands of a corrupt and improvident administration.

The Sabbatarian petition now in course of signature in Otago, ia characterised by the Wellington Independent as " unreasonable and bigoted."

In hiß speech on opening the Kakanui Athenaeum, His Honour the Superintendent, as reported ia the Oamaru Times, said:— " He had recently taken* upon himself to order froth home £800 worth of books, and would remind them that for every pound they paid into the Treasury they would get £2 worth of books—standard books—at trade prices. He believed that the efforts of the Provincial Government iv this direction would call forth the blessing of generations yet unbora, arid ho was glad to say that there was scarcely a shepherd's hut or gold-dig-ger's tent where books procured by the Provincial Govermhent we^gf'not to be found."

At the annual meeting of the Auckland Infltitute, held a few days ago, Mr T. B. Gillies said that on another occasion he would undertake to prove th • existence of "paychic force."

The Court for 'he revision of the Citizens' Lists, for th« year J 872-3, will sit in the City Council Chambers atiioou to-day. " The statutory half-yearly meeting of the Education Board will be held to day at aoon.

A public meeting will be held in the Masonic Hall at 8 o'clock this evening, when the principles of the Permissive Bill will be advocated by several, clergymen and other gentlemen. The regular meeting of the Lodge of Otago, No. 844, 8.C., will be held thi* evening at 7,30. • •

A meeting of the Dtutscher Vercin will bo held in Shepperd'a Hotel, George street, this evening at 8.30. f