Local News.

Colonist, Issue 23, 8 January 1858, Page 2

Local News.

Mh. Knvvett's Concert, at Campbell's School Room, on Tuesday evening last, transpired with gratifying success. The attendance was large and of a highly creditable character, the place being well filled with ladies, and gentlemen. The interest ofthe occasion was excellently sustained from first to last; and singing and instrumental execution were of an order that would generally have pleased, and, in some parts have delighted, we presume, more fastidious tastes than we could ever find time to foster. Accustomed as we had formerly been to the choicest music of civilized countries, we were not prepared for anything so good as the little festival in Nelson, —never having befoi'e during many years listened to the sweet entrancing voices of the viol, the flute, the pianoforte, or more than all, the voice of human song in its diviner pathos. Our readers may be sure that our being's small iceberg melted into a strangely delightful warmth. And if any curious eye could for an instant have been diverted from the magic circle of melody, we should not have been ashamed had something unlike icicles been seen on our ruggedness. Had the various performers been from a higher sphere we could not have been more oblivious of every unkind thought, or have been more responsive to phonetic touches chiming through the soul an unearthly enjoyment. We cannot but think that plain country people like ourselves lose great benefits by being absent from such truly pleasurable and refining recreations. It must be wise, and exquisitely agreeable, to promote the higher attributes of humanity by such felicitous agencies. We" remember seeing a design of golden and singing angels lifting a saphire dome over a syinphonious harp : thus do the charming agents of song, sublimely eloquent, raise the hearts of mortals, and fill them with emotions as precious as they are exalted. Where are the grosser enjoyments in comparison with such purer, nobler gratifications ? One matter, however, was to us a source of deep regret: neither were the poetical compositions presented in print, nor the names, with two or three exceptions, of tlie various, and to us,' exceedingly interesting musical amateurs. ' We have commissioned a friend to hunt the latter out. for us. And we pause awhile to have the honour of transferring them to our journal; for we shall feel humbled indeed if we have to merely'number them, as if they were to be undistinguished, like the bright instruments of a band, although it might be that of the high and beloved Victoria. The graceful execution of everyone of the party engaged in the performance of Macbeth, could not we think be happier than it was, as to the music. The yOung gentleman who played the violin, did so with tlie self-possession of an old performer and with an instrumental expression very decided and superior. Could we have closed our eyes to have allowed more play of imagination,,, under the singing of the ladies, so charmingly did it ring along our inner cords, we might have felt all the witchery of our great dramatic master; but, somehow, we preferred lo king for the enchantment; and it came in tones that yet chime their softness and clearness, captivating both eye and ear. The echoes—the "soft responsive voices heard at every close" were most fairy-like; and here we think nothing could be finer, more subduing, or more perfect than Dr. Greenwood's suipassing efforts on the flute. To our thinking there was a purity and harmony of expression in his countenance and the delicate handling of his subject, that'declared a matured taste and skill. We felt, too, that if Dr. Monro had only allowed the full poetry of his nature, which he evidently held in too severe a restraint, the mellowness of his most excellent and well-tuned voice would have made us forget ourselves-, to " mingle " with the " spirits " as if they had all been transformed by his rich singing to " white." We may here remark, never.heles*, that either from nervous causes, or the novelty of their situation, almost all the corps of amateurs on this occasion, indulged the singularly Parisian fault—so opposite to genuine French vivacity—of austere uniformity in face and feature, as if unwilling to aid the merit of their singing, by the play of visible feeling. Dr. Monro's singing of '-'Sweet Home" was exceedingly choice. • His voice possesses singular 1 combinations of bass and tenor, and appears to have rare affluence of capability. Never having heard that gentleman before in the capacity of a singer, we were surprised into admiration. In ! this song his heart shone in his expressive face and I gave a sort of splendour to the melody, if we may be allowed to say so. The encores were abnn- ! dantly deserved, nor was the part he took in the subsequent duett less interesting; indeed it seems to us as if his whole performance ofthe latter were fresh from the land whose every word is song. The laughing produced by Mr. Collins' Gooseberry Wine, and "Four and Twenty" prodigies seems even yet to ring in our memory—aiid the encores were most enthusiastic. Mrs. Greenfield arid Miss Knyvett, like varied sister stars, shone conspicuously and, with eminent influence " benign and holy." We are sorry -that we cannot recollect the names of the other performers, but we are sure the parties implied displayed very high merits. If. we be again favoured with such a treat—a concert so replete with unmixed fruition—we shall use the means to do better justice to all, and more particularly such promising young people as adorned the orchestra, not forgetting the matronly Lady who came to her task when the evening was far advanced, from the other-side of the bay, we believe, but whose treatment of her instrument declared her to be fitted to preside over an accomplished family of musical offsprinn. POLICE COURT.—Wednesday, Jan. 6. Before the Resident Magistrate. William Campbell appeared before his Worship, having been brought from Massacre Bay by a warrant, charged with obtaining money under false pretences; but in the absence of the prosecutor, who lives in the Waimea West, he was remanded until Friday. William Boyle, of Nelson, gardener, was charged with drunkenness, and ill-using and besting liis wife, so that she was compelled, for her own protection, to lay an information against him. 'flfi' was ordered to find two sureties in £25 each, and himself in £50, to keep the peace for twelve months towards his wife, and in default was sent to gaol. George Stott, of Nelson, labourer, was charged with being drunk, and assaulting a constable in the execution of his duty. The prisoner pleaded .guilty, and was fined £2 and costs, which was paid.

The returns of provincial revenue ortftexpenditnre of the Provf nee of Otago for the^Er ending 30th September are published. ThW?usto__3 Receipts (three-eights of gross) amO-jited to £2936, and those from Waste Lands £13,628, which, with smaller items, make the provincial revenue for the year £18,982. The saving on the year's income amounted to nearly j>4oook>ver the expenditure. The budget adopted for next year shows a total expenditure of £48,670, of which £10,000 is for immigration, and £6300 for (education. The current revenue is estimated at about £16,000. ; We are informed that the Authorities have ordered the name of this port to be changed in the Customs and other official documents, from ' Prot Victoria' to 'Port Lyttelton.'— Lyttelton Times. D„cemb;r 26. Osmiridium.—The following letter, taken from a late number of the Melbourne Argus, will be read with interest by those dealing in gold in New Zealand:— " Sir, —May 1 request space in your columns to state the existence of the so-called Osmiridium in the alluvial gold from Haldane's Creek, Anatokr, New Zealand. The interest of this announcement depends principally upon the following facts :— " The specific gravity of this native alloy- being about the same as that of alluvial gold, while this compound is of an exceedingly hard and refractory nature, it will therefore be'liable to become diffused through the ingot, and in such cases to cut and damage steel rollers and dies in working and minting. Owing to itschemical relations, it would1, in cases where unnoticed,' give rise to error m the assay, passing intact through all the operations by which the metals ordinarily alloyed with gold are separated. " Advantage of the hardness Of this alloy i» taken in its employment for the tips of the ' Mordan's gold pens;' but it would be a shortsighted view to consider this as the limit of itsapphcability, for, containing four metals of the platinum group—irridium, ruthenium, rhodium, and osmium—whose properties, as yet but little known, are yet ascertained to. be bf the highest interest, it is proper to regard these as material in reserve for the future wants of the industrial arts. "As this alloy is usually accompanied by the other metals of the platinum group, it is quite possible that platinum and palladium may be also present in the same locality. " Among the few small grains which I was allowed to select from the sample no platinum grains were present; hut I hope to he soon in possesson of a larger sample and to make a further examination. " Respecting the market value, crude platinum is worth about one-eighth the value of gold; osmiridium somewhat less; manufactured platinum,, about 30s. per ounce—the process of working beingr elaborate and expensive. " Thpse quotations are only roughly approximative. The impression that platinum is more valuable than gold is quite erroneous. " I am, Sir, yours obediently,. "George Foord, Assayer."' Geology.—Prof. James D. Dana, Geologist of the 11. S. Exploring Expedition under Commander Wilkes, proposes to publish by subscription, the Report of the Expedition. This report consists of a quarto volume of text of 750 pages, illustrated' by several maps and numerous wood cuts, and a folio atlas of 21 plates. It treats of the structure, growth, and distribution of coral reefs and islands r of the geology of the Sandwich Islands; the Society Islands; the Feejees; the Navigators; of the phenomena of volcanic action ; changes of level in the Pacific, and origin of the general features of the globe; of the geology of New Zealand, Chili, P ru and Fuegia; and of a part of Oregon and California. The folio atlas contains figures of fossils ofthe coal and inferior formations of New South Wales, and ofthe Tertiary rocks of Oregon. Only 200 copies of this Government Report have hitherto been printed. The author proposes to have 250 copies published for the benefit of those who are interested |n the subjects. The copies will be furnished', to,, subscribers for 120Q dollars, the text bound in' '(loth, the payment" to ' be made on delivery. A "copy was recently sold' in New York City "for 4000 dollars. Should the subscription list reach 500, the edition would be increased accordingly, and the price reduced to--1000 dollars. The work, if undertaken, will bo ready for delivery in the course of the year 1858.