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Otago Daily Times, Issue 3367, 20 November 1872, Page 4

An Executive has been formed. It consist* of Messrs W. A. Tolmie, George Turnbull, Hugh M'Dermid, and Duncan M'Arthur. Mr Tolmie is Provincial Secretary and Secretary for Lands, and Mr Turnbull Provincial Treasurer.

We understand that the General Government have instructed the Agent-General to offer free passages to all suitable emigrants from Great Britain.

A round robin, we are informed, is being signed by a number of members of the Provincial Council, requesting the Superintendent to call the Council together upon an early date.

Some excitement was caused in the city yesterday afternoon by & report that a boiler explosion had occurred in Cumberland street or Great King street, in one of the large establishments which render that locality a ncene of industrious activity. At first it was rumoured that one or^more lives had been tacrificed ; but enquiry aoon duspelled this alarming view of the case. The scene of the accident was the Albion Soap Works, in fJreat King street, conducted by Messrs M'Leod, Robins, and M'Leod. It appears that about one o'clock a large iron pan, called a digester, heated by steam, and used for melting the tallow, &c, required for the purposes of manufacture, suddenly exploded, making an ascent of about 50 feet in the air, clear over a neighbouring house, and fa'ling to the sjround in fragments. A workman named Graham, who, unfortunately, was at work close to th« digester, received a portion of its scalding contents on his arms and shoulders, and thereby sustained considerable injury. A boy, who happened to be in the yard at the time, was struck by a fragment of the digester on the arm, which was broken. These casualties form the only damage done to life or limb, and it in matter for congratulation that we have to record no more serious consequences, as bad the digester taken a different direction in its flight, there v little doubt that the results would have been very much more serious. We are not in a position to say whether or not the accident was one which, with proper care, might have been prevented ; but it is stated that the pressure shown was considerably below the supposed capacity of the apparatus. The man Graham and the boy were conveyed to the Hospital, where their injuries were at once attended to.

A very successful meeting of the Otago ; Institute was held last evening in the Uni- , versity Building, Mr J. T. Thomson, VicePresident, in the chair. The first business was the nomination of an honorary member of the New Zealand Institute, and after some conversation and discussion, Admiral Stokes, whose services in the marine survey of the Colony are so well known, was proposed and carried by a majority, over Mr F. Buckland. Mr Allan Holmes was elected a member of the local Institute. Dr Deck then read a very interesting and valuable paper on "The Influence of Temperature on Infant Mortality," illustrated by diagrams showing the death-rate and the rise and fall of the temperature during several years, and for different sorts of infantile disease. Mr H- Skey then read a paper describing a new style of construction for astronomical telescopes. This paper was a very elaborate one, and wan illustrated by diagrams and abstruse calculations on the black board, and also by a working model of the apparatus, which was a very ingenious piece of mechanism. The principle was, that a fluid, on being made to revolve, will of itself assume just the e:*act form of parabola which is best suited for a reflector or speculum. The fluid in this instance was mercury, contained in a circular vessel, Mfhicix

was made to revolve steadily by means of a small electro-magnetic machine, when the bright surface of the mercury was at once seen by those present to form a most excel-1 lent reflector. Great interest was taken in i the apparatus by the audience, as Mr Skey explained all its principles and advantages. Mr J. g. Webb then read a paper on the " Zodiacal Light," giving all the latest that is known about this rather occult phenomei non, ami somewhat combating the conclusions arrived at by Mr Skey in a paper read before the Institute some time ago. A slight dis_ cushion ensued, and the m«etii)g then termin. atod Mr James Walls, ironmonger, who has been in business in Princes street south, at the corner of Walker street, for the past eight years, is now replacing the old wooden building in which he baa carried on business by a substantial two-storey brick and stone structure, the whole of which will be devoted to hia business. The cellar, which is asphalted, contains a labour - economising and convenient contrivance — namely, a syphon, which sucks the water out of a well in the cellar, and keeps that place dry, instead of the clumsy pump, which comes in everybody's way as often as it is used. A handsome flight of stairs is to lead from the shop to the upper storey, which is to be used as show-rooms. For this purpose it is very highly adapted, being very well lighted by a number of circular-headed windows. Mr Walk has not yet moved into his new premises, but will soon do so. The only hairiness done at the Mayor's Court yesterday was the hearing of a charge of drunkenness against Robert Grieves, who was fined 10s, with the- option of imprisonment for 24 hours. Mr J. Brown was on the Bench. A meeting.of Castle street residents, and others interested, was held at the Queen's Hotel last evening, for the purpose of taking steps to induce the Government to form Castle street to its full width. Councillors Barnes, Neale, and Woodland were in attendance by invitation. Mr Russell was elected to Jill the chair. After the matter had been fully discussed by the Councillors present and Messrs Selby and Blackie, a deputation, consisting of Messrs Meenan, Russell, Blackie, Guthrie, Howie, and Hooper, was appointed to wait upon the Superintendent for the purpose of inducing the Provincial Government to carry out the desired work, which can be very advantageously undertaken at the present moment, as the necessary plant is on the ground. It was unanimously resolved— "That a hearty vote of thanks be given to the three Councillors present for the able manner in which they have looked after the interests of the ratepayers they represent." A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the meeting, which was not a very numerous one. Between the 25th October last and yesterday, 45 persons—equal to 40J Btatute adulta —were nominated as immigrants by their friends here through the Otago Immigration office. There were amongst these—2o domestic servants, 2 miners, 1 farm labourer, 1 tailor, I labourer, 1 female cook, 1 dairymaid, 1 baker, 1 blacksmith, and 1 carpenter. 2G were Irish, 7 Welsh, 7 Scotch, and 5 English. A numerously attended meeting of the ; Council of the Otago Rifle Association was held at tUe Drill Shed, last evening, Capt. Stavely in the chair. A report was received from the Committee appointed to collect subscriptions. It was regarded as ratisfactory so far as the collection had proceeded up to the present time. A sub-committee was appointed to prepare a programme of the coming matches of the Association—the programme to be brought ap for adoption before the general meeting of the committee of the Council, which is to be held on the 25th Must. The programme is, on adoption, to be advertised. We are requested to call the ai'ention of the members of the country Companies to the fact that the 29th inst. will be the last day for receiving members' subscriptions to the Association. They can be paid to the representatives of their several Companies. It is intended, should a sufficient number of country Volunteers join the Association for the ensuing year, to shoot simultaneous matches —the members to shoot in their own districts. It would be well for the country Volunteers to bestir themselves in reference to this matter. On account of the great increase of population in the suburban townships of Linden, Roslyn, and Maori Hill, and in that neighbourhood generally, and on account of the inadequacy and unfituess of the present school accommodation, the Government have erected the locality into an education district, known as the Kaikorai Education District, and have built a new school in the township of Linden in a central situation. The building is constructed similar to that of Mornington (described elsewhere), except that it contains three class-rooms and is somewhat larger, being intended to accommodate 200 pupils. It waß designed by Mr 11. F. Hardy, and the contractor is Mr Kobert Williamson. It is built on an acre of ground pnrehased by the Government, and which, minus the part taken up by the school and another piece on which the schoolmaster's residence is to be erected, will be used as a play ground. The school will be openc d in January next.

The building at Mornington, which has long done duty as a schoolroom, church, concert-room, Temperance Society's headquarters, and as a public hall generally, is no longer to be used as a schoolhouse, a new school having been erected by the Government. The new school site is south of the present one, and closely adjoining the residence of the schoolmaster. It consists of an area of about two acres, purchased by the Government for the purpose, and forms a very nice playground. The new building consists of the schoolmaster's class-room, 38ft. by 20ft. ; and infants' room, 20ft. by 10ft. The building being open up to the roof, the rooms have a height of about 16 feet. There ia a separate entrance porch to each room. The outside of the building is of tongued and grooved boards fixed upright. The inside lining of the wall is also tongued and grooved, and the roof is closely lined, which will make the school more endurable for the children in the winter months than the present one. Frovision has also been made with a view to the proper ventilation of the schoolhouse. Each, room will have a fireplace, and the desks and seata in the master's room will be upon an inclined plane. The master's room will accommodate 100 pupils, and the infants' room about 50. A neat little belfry which surmounts the centre gable, has a nicely toned bell, cast by Messrs A. and T. Burt, hnry, in it. Messrs Roach and Martin are the protractors, and Mr H. P. Hardy the arcbiteru. The building iB, we believe, to be opened at the commencement of the Jjuuary quarter. The playground

has been fenced in with a good substantial fence, and the school is altogether a great improvement upon the former one. .

The Taranaki News says :—"A marked feature in many of the Maoris at this time is their utter contempt of Sunday observance— ploughing, harrowing, kumera planting, and horaybrcaking being performed by them on that day more zealously than on any other.'*

A project has been started at Hokitika within the last fortnight or so, of holding an exhibition there in connection with the Literary Society, just as an exhibition was held a few months ago at the Thames, in connection with the local Mechanics' Institute. In view, however, of the superior attractions of the Colonial Exhibition at Christchurcb, the project does not seem to have met with much public support.

At Timaru, according to the Herald, the wool clip of two or three stat ons is already in store.

The Arrow Observer says :—" We are much pleased to learn that through, the exertions of the enterprising firm of J. \V T. Robertson and Co. a woollen factory will shortly be started in the district."

The Auckland correspondent of the Hawke'a Bay Herald writes : —" From what I hear, it appears that there will be almost or quite a rush here for shares in tluj Colonial Bank of New Zealand, and those of your readers who mean to join the new bank will, I think, do well to make early application for shares. Well informed people say that it is absolutely certain that the new institution will pay larger dividends than even the Bank of New Zealand. It is statod (and from all that can be gathered on the subject, the statement seems to bo perfectly correct) that some leading men connected with the Bank of New Zealand are getting very uneasy at the prospect of encountering a formidable and wealthy rival."

A boy 11 years of age was lat«ly brought up before the Police Magistrate in Sydney, on a charge of drunkenness.

Referring to Mr Mackay's visit to Tawhiao, the Thames Advertiser says:— " Tawhiao, we believe, sent a formal and ceremonious invitation to Mr Mackay, to meet him at Rckanui, and expressed a desire to ' talk ' with that gentleman. Why the King should take this opportunity of snubbing Mr M'Lcan and the Government, by selecting a gentleman who holds no official position, through whom to make his desires and wishes known, is not at present apparent. One fact is, however, very clear, namely, that Mr Mackay has accomplished, without presents of flour and sugar or ' seed potatoes,' that which Mr M Lean vainly tried to do a few months back—he lias gone om a friendly visit Vo the King party."

The Auckland Volunteers seem, inclined to earn a reputation for being the worst and moat reckless shota in Now Zealand. The local papers are always prophesying that they will shoot some one, and the following paragraph from a recent issue of the Auckland Star shows that there is a great probability of these prophecies being fulfilled:—"This rnoraing a rifle bullet came through the bodroom window of Mr W. J. Green, at Mount Eden, passed through the window blind, and entered the wall on the opposite side of the room. Five minutes before, Mr James E. Green had been standing at the dressingtable, which stood right across the window, and in the lino of the bullet. Had he been in the same position at the time, the bullet would have entered his body."

The Tuapeka Times asserts that 18,000 copies of Mr E. P. Whitworth's work, "Spangles and Sawdust," have been sold iv "Victoria.

In their journey between Sandhurst and Eaglehawk, the German princes (cays the Bcndigo Advertiser) were much struck with the extent of the goldfield, its astonishing quartz resources, and instituted comparisons between the Bendigo quartz mines and the celebrated Gongo Soco and St. John Del Rey quartz mines of Brazil, where the work, iugs are 1000 feet deep. The Bendigo machinery was also considered much supe rior to that employed on these mines. The princes were greatly struck with the orderly character of the miners, and with their neat cottages ; the handsome appearance of somu of the residences of the wealthy quartz reefers also attracted their attention.

A correspondent of the Melbourne Telegraph has been furnishing that journal with an account of a tour made by him in South Australia. In one of his letters he has the following :—" Another hour or so, and we are steaming up the river which leads ua into Port Adelaide, a more miserable looking place than which it has been my g..od fortune never to see. For dust it stands unrivalled. Everything is covered with it. No one has a clean coat there ; and if it is at all hot, and you perspire, you have not .ia ten minutes a bit of clean linen on you. As might be naturally expected, a place so full of sand would be full of fleas, which is a fact, I believe. I was assured that the city people knew the Portonianß by their scratch, which they are always up to. One of the Adelaide Presbyterian ministers was preaching at the Port one Sunday, on the occasion of some Caledonian festival. He noticed the restlessness of hia congregation, especially an aged Highlander, who was dressed in full costume, and he thought the sermon had made an impression ; so after it was over he took the opportunity of walking with the old man part of the way home, and told him he noticed his attention to the few remarks he had made—how restless he seemed to be—and hoped that the word preached that morning had taken effect. To which the Highlander replied— ' Nae, nae, mon, U vxus nae Mir, sermon : it taint the JkaxJ' "

The Enderby- Jackson Troupe repeated th c programme of their opening night at the Masonic Hall last evening. The back seats were all occupied, and the front portion Of the Hall wan also well attended. Most of the items submitted appeared to meet with general approval. The same programme will be presented this evening.

The " Merchant of Venice" was played at the Princess Theatre last night. The portraiture of Shy lock, which Mr Hoskins gave, is not that of a Jew whose only aim in life seems to be the accomplishment of one fixed purpose —revenge against the Christian race, betraying his hatred in his every aspect, subordinating everything to his brutal cravings for the life of his enemy. It is rather that of a much-wronged sufferer; one upon whom obloquy has been cast, not for his own faults, but that he is one of a hated nation ; one who is reviled, scorned, and trampledoofn f and whose sense of his unmerited treatment engenders the idea, of revenge which he risks so much to carry out. And this rendering of the character is allied to a true reading of the text. The just remonstrance of the Jew, who reminds his would-be debtors of the treatment lie baa received at

their hand*, is met by tfcje harsh tferejtt of Antonio—

. "fam ■« itk« to call them so ag*la, To spit on tk«e «e*in—to tsfKU-n the*, too." Ths part was pleasing and effectively performed. Portia t« not Mies Colvillc's best impersonation. la the earlier and latter scenes she was all that could be desired, but in the fourth act, wh«re Portia sinks her womanly nature and assumes the rfde of Doctor Bellario's deputy, she was not so effective. We take it that in the trial scene passion has no place in the character of Portia. She is there to enact the part of ono who is to give a calm and dispassionate reading of the law; and in thedeltvery of the beautiful lines, " The quality of mercy is not strained," the tone of voice should be seductive in its softness rather than loud in declamation. Her disguise, too, or rather want of it, did not add to the effect. Miss Nyc was a pleasing Jessica, and Miss Willis a fair Nerissa. Mr Douglas and Mr Booth were good as Gratiano and Bassanio, the other characters being respectably filled. The play was produced in five acts, winch is unusual here, but very acceptable. The last suit contains some of Shakspeare's elegant fancies, and it is a pity that so delightful an ending should ever be omitted.

In a case before the It. M. Court on Monday, and published in the report which appeared in ■ur issue nf yesterday, the initial of the defendant M'Donald was VV., and not A., as stated.

The half-yearly meeting of the North Dunedin Itillea will be held in the Company's Drill shed this evening at 8.