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Southland Times, Issue 1027, 25 September 1868, Page 2

The last of Penny Reading's Entertainments for the season takeß place at the Theatre Royal this evening. The Committee, having decided on making the concluding performance of the series take the shape of a benefit in aid of the Hospital, have made a slight advance in the price of admission to one part of the house — the iJress Circle. As these entertainments have enjoyed tininterrupted success from first to last, it is scarcely necessary to bespeak a full houße for to-night, especially bearing in mind the manner in which the proceeds are to be disposed of. The programme will be found in our other columns. It appears well arranged as usual, one new feature in it being a reading in character. A meeting of the Committee of the Southland Art Union will' be held this afternoon, at the Club Hotel, at four o'clock, for the purpose of adopting the prospectus, and fixing the date of the show. A full attendance is desirable. We would call the attention of subscribers to the Hospital to the advertisement calling a meeting for this evening, at 8 o'clock, in the Provincial Hall. The evening and hour appear to be about as inopportune as possible, there being a performance at the Theatre at the same time for the benefit of the same institution. We might suggest to the committee the desira* bility of a speedy revision of the Hospital Ordinance, which, in some respects, operates most injuriously to the success of the establishment. One clause requiring reconsideration provides that all adjourned meetings must be held precisely fourteen days after the time first fixed. It would surely be muchhetter to allow the committee discretionary power in this matter, merely providing that no meeting should take place without due notice — say ten days. Several other clauses, including that providing for the annual election of the committee, and that relative to the time at which a subscriber's right to vote expires, might also be rendered less arbitary, with much advantage to the institution. The Bluff people have resumed their Penny Reading Entertainments. On Wednesday evening last the first performance of the second series came off with marked success. The programme comprised piano solos, songs, duets, readings, and recitations, all of which, were rendered moifc tastefully. Two Piano Solos — selections from Martha, and Beethoven's last Valse, were very prettily played by a lady amateur. Mr Scandrett gave two recitations — ' Pahing time anticipated,' and 'The Retired Cat,' both of which were well received, as they deserved to be. •I am leaving Thee in sorrow, Annie,' and ' Ellen Bain,' two sweet ballads were admirably sung by Mr M'Xellar. Mr Campbell read ' The Wags,' and Mr Waddel's • Bloomsbury Christening,' both gentlemen acquitting themselves very creditably. The duet — ' The . Minute Q-un at Sea' was sung by Messrs Stevens and M'Kellar, with first rate effect. The evening was brought to a close by the company singing the Queen's Anthem. We are glad to be able to notice the arrival of 1000 tons of G-uano from Howland's Island, ex ' Maria.' This is evidence not only that the New Zealand and Australian Company is about resuming operations, but also that the farmers who desire to, can obtain a supply of this valuable manure. The arrival of the 'Maria' is most opportune, and will tend to give an impetus to agriculture for the season, as we understand the company will not require the whole, and a portion is for sale. The sample forwarded to us by Messrs Cochran, Granger, and Blackwood, agents for the vessel, ia of a superior discription, and in splendid condition. Mr E. Prosßer has been elected Mayor of Hokitika for the ensuing year. The following appears iv the 'Times' of the 2nd July : — " In the simultaneous matches just concluded between rifiemen of Britain, Canada and Australia, the first prize, value £16, at short ranges, has been won by Mr Stephen Lynch, of the Sydney Volunteers. The first prize at long ranges was won by Mr J. Rigby, of Dublin, and the prize for rifle clubs was won by the Bristol Rifle Club squad.

We learn from the 'Canterbury Mail' that Messrs Gh Coats & Co. have manufactured two gold medals for the Mandeville Farmer's Club. They are represented as being of superior wort manship. There has been an animated discussion in the South Australian Parliament as to what shall be done with the Northern territory, Burkeland, which has hitherto been all expense and no profit. The ' Herald * (Melbourne) acknowledges the receipt of a small pamphlet, entitled "Who Discovered Australia." The author gives the credit to Signor De Quiros, a Portuguese navigator. We have to acknowledge the receipt of a file of a new daily newspaper, called the • Otago Daily Mail.' It ia very creditably got-up, and we understand is in the interest of the Macandrew party. The * Herald' of the Bth inst. thus describes the horrible sufferings of the passengers and crew of the barque Dayspring, which vessel arrived in Hobson's Bay, on Sunday afternoon, from Hong Kong. It says : — " On the voyage not less than twenty-five of thoae originally shipped have died of scurvy, the last death having occurred after the vessel had anchored. The crew consisted of Kanaka men, and the passengers were ail Chinese. Mr Shillinglaw, the Government shipping-master, proceeded on board yesterday, and took off those remaining of the crew. Some of the unfortunate fellows were well nigh unto death, and it was with difficulty that they could be removed to the Hospital. A number of the Chinese passengers have been taken care of by their friends in Little Bourke street. The vessel in the meantime has been taken charge of by the Harbor Department. An inquest was commenced at Williamatown yesterday, and adjourned until to-morrow for additional evidence. Tenders for gravelling sixty-five chains of the East Boad, were opened on Thursday last, with the following result : —

The tender of Mr Powell was accepted, payment j to be made in cash or land, at the option of the i [ Government. L The population of Victoria on the 30th of June was 670,148, showing an increase on the quarter of 5578. From a Wellington paper we learn that the gallant representative of a portion of the native race in the Assembly, Meti Kingi, has volunteered his services for the Front, and states that his tribe will fight with him. Kingi has before done good service. By all moans we say let him go. From the 'Lyttelton Times,' 17th inst., we learn that the barque Southern Cross, from Hobarton, arrived there on the day previous with the trout ova. It says : — the Curator of the Gardens, and the Lyttelton agent went down to the vessel, and had the gratification of finding that the perch shipped were alive, and also that the trout ova had been most carefully attended to by Captain Thomson, and Mr Boon, chief officer. The cases were carefully landed yesterday, and the railway manager supervised the conveyance of the same to Christchurch without the contents being shaken in transit. On arrival they were transferred to a spring trap and susupended by hand during the journey to the garden, where the boxes were immediately opened, and on comparing the different modes in which the ova were packed, a most important advantage was perceptible in that where concave sponges had been used. Almost every egg was good *in this instance, whilst in the others more than half were bad. When the whole were placed together and the dead ones removed, there were about 500 eggs having the appearance of vitality. This is half the number originally shipped. A great portion of the ova are in a very forward state, and a few days will settle all doubts as to the number likely to be hatched." A meeting has been held at Wellington for the purpose of raisiug a relief fund for the widows and orphans of those brave men who were recently killed in the encounter with the rebel Maorieß. Tawake, a Maori, has been tried at Auckland for the murder of Miku, at Whikirinaki, Hokianga, and found guilty. Sentence of death was recorded, but it is not thought that the sentence will be carried out. There is a rumor, says the 'New Zealand Advertiser,' 18th inst., that a native emissary from the Front is recruiting in the Hutt district. Our information on the subject is neither clear or definite, but there is evidence sufficient to show that the Government should institute enquiries. The propriety of continuing the system of allowing members of the General Assembly to ' pair ' is condemned by the press. The ' New Zealand Advertiser,' in commenting upon this subject, says :— ' We agree that the system is a bad one, but when an unscrupulous opposition are seeking office they are not very particular how they fritter away the time and money of the country. As yet very little actual business has been got through, but much treasure has been expended. Men cannot be expected to neglect their homes and their business in order to sit and listen to the dreary trash expounded by hon. members who are endeavoring to obtain certain definite objects.' The latest newß from the Fiji is not encouraging, although we learn from private sources that land is to be obtained for almost nothing. One gentleman who left Dunedin about six months since has returned to that town, having secured a large estate, for little more than a shilling an acre, and purposes immediately returning with his family to the i^anda. Still everything is in a state of uncertainty and confusion. Commodore Lambert has punished the natives at Rewa, by shelling and burning their villages, but as the natives are numerous and warlike, the security of life or property is very small The following memorandum was published at the request of the Chief Secretary of Victoria in the ' Argus' of the Bth mot : — Authentic and authoritive information under the latest date, viz., 22nd July— has been received from her Majesty's acting consul at Fiji, in which he states that the arrang.>ui;;ufc which had been entered into by Mess: % -> iivans and Brewer, of Melbourne (on be!. :h' of a certain company about to be formed), with Chief Thaltombau, had been repudiated by ' the chief, and that Messrs lEvans and Brewer's proceedings had been protested against by him, the consul.

From our Canterbury papers we learn that at the meeting of the Diocesan Synod of Christchurch, held on the 9th inst., the Bishop alluded as follows" to the two memorials from the Rural Deanery of Otago and Southland :— " I have laid upon the table two memorials from the Rural Deanery of Otago and Sonthland, which have arisen out of the proceedings of the Board of the Deanery assembled in Dunedin, on the- lßth of August last, and I must request your attention to them, though, probably, you will agree~%ith me, that the questions on which it appears some division of opinion has taken place, may best be remitted for settlement to the General Synod, which is co soon about to meet. The Synod of this dioceße, though it has, under statute No. 3, some authority in the case of Archdeaconry or Rural Deanery Boards within the limits of the diocese, has never' thought- fit to exercise that authority in the deanery of Otago and Southland. It has indeed, with myself, virtually recognised the board as having the powers of a Diocesan Synod, and I can hardly suppose it will now alter its policy when the deanery is about to take its place in our ecclesiastical system, as an independent diocese." . •, . ,

FOB CASH. POB I.AKD. £ S. D. ACBE9. ' John Friskin 606 13 4 1200 XV S. CampbeU 520 0 0 650 George Progatt 585 13 4 7lO£ J. M'Menamin 584 0 0 624 DocqandCo. 520 0 n 624 D.Napier £48 19 7 617 A. Sutherland 579 11 8 747 T. Powell 498 6 8 643