Local and general.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 625, 25 May 1870, Page 2

Local and general.

Foresters. — The Lyttelton Lodge celebrated their anniversary by a conversazione at the Colonists' Hall last night. The attendance was very good, and dancing was kept up to an early hour this morning. An excellent quadrille band, under the direction of Mr Horsefield, was in attendance. Band of Hope. — The tea meeting at the Temperance Hall last evening was a success. About fifty members and a sprinkling of friends took tea. The entertainment which followed was also a success, both as regards attendance and the number of pledges obtained. To-morrow evening the usual meeting will be held. Promenade Ball.— A promenade ball took place at the Music Hall, Cathedral Square, last evening, and was highly successful, alike in the attendance and the manner in which the ball was conducted. There was a capital band in attendance, and dancing was maintained until an advanced hour in the morning. Snt George (they.— The London correspondent of the Otago JDaili/ Times says: — Sir George Grey will, in all probability, revisit New Zealand within a few months. He would have left by the Great Britain in March, but the. interest he takes in colonial topics, and the importance he attaches to them ju9t now, make him somewhat uncertain as to his date of sailing. The San Fjiancisco Mail RourK.— The following is taken from the London correspondence of the .Otago Daily Timesj^'Ehe steamship Nebraska will leave San Francisco for Sydney this day, March 25. She ia intended to be the pioneer vessel of a line to run between the two Pacific ports. In taking this action the Yankees have exhibited another instance of their propensity to " do" whilst others are only talking. In London meetings have been held and plenty of talking indulged in on the subject of utilising the Great Pacific Railway for the purpose of Australian communication. The Americans have, in the meantime, commenced work, and they deserve to succeed Theatre Rotal. — TTTere was a capital house last night, the pieces being " Aurora Floyd" and the burlesque of "La Som'nanibula." Both went well, evidently meeting with the full approval of the audience. The first, we have already noticed as one of the few dramas which the company can play reasonably well, and the only new point connected with.it was the appearance of Mr Searle as Steve, the Softy. "Why he was substituted for Mr Wolfe, we cannot say, for although securing considerable applause, he certainly failed to give effect to the principal feature of the part as implied by the term softy. Mr Wolfe, on the contrary, played the part remarkably well. Mr Searle is evidently well at home on the stage, and will yet no doubt appear to better advantage. In the other characters there was little or no alteration from the manner in which they were rendered on the first production of the piece. The cast was precisely the same, Miss Mathews again playing "Aurora Floyd " with excellent judgment and success.; The second piece of the evening was also played with the same cast as before, and without material alteration. * Christy Minstrels. — This company, after an absence in Dunedin of about five weeks, re-appeared at the Town Hall last evening. The doors were literally besieged, and numbers were unable to obtain admission. The management scarcely anticipated that the rush of people would be so great as it turned out to be, and the result was that a large portion of those who succeeded in gaining admission to the hall were obliged to stand throughout the entertainment) In this emergency, however, the management exerted itself to add to the comfort of the audience, and to seat as many as possible. The troupe is not quite so strong as on the occasion of its debut here. Then it was composed of eleven or twelve performera, ■while now it is reduced to eight. It is nevertheless as highly deserving of public support, as it comprises one or two strangers who might be said to be a valuable accession to its strength. The programme was much the same as that presented on former occasions, with the exception of some songs by Mr Howell, and a few other items in thei first part. The " Morocco boot dance," by -Mr Carroll was vociferously applauded. Indeed almost every performance w s hailed with loud applause. There will be a change

of programme this and every: succeeding evening, and we doubt not' but that the present season of the t hristys will be as successful as the last. The English Commissioners. — The !f Anglo Australian " in the European Mail says : — Messrs Featherston and Bell are" still staying at the Charing Cross Hotel, and have been working might and main in the objects of their mission, which are, however, apparently doomed not to be realised. They have been received most courteously on all occasions by the members of the Government, even by Mr Lowe, who, it is said by his enemies (and their number is legion), ." hates the colonists" with all the bitterness of a renegade. Besides applying themselves to tbe subject of troops, the New Zealand Commissioners have devoted practical attention to the project of a mail to New Zealand via the Grand Pacific Railroad and San Francisco, in which enterprise New South Wales and Queensland would probably co-operate. That route would be a saving of nearly 20 days on the present one. The English Ministry are not inclined to support the project with any pecuniary aid, although it is certain that this country would share in the benefits of its realisation. Other matters of great importance have also taken up the time of the commissioners, who have impressed every one with whom they have come in contact with their statesmanlike qualities; and, indeed, it is said by many who have good opportunities of judging that their great abilities make the talents of some of our own politicians appear in unfavourable contrast. However this may be, New Zealand has certainly benefited in estimation from the high character of her accredited representatives here.