Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 634, 4 June 1870, Page 2

Local and General.

"■ . ■• ■♦ , Magisterial. — There was no criminal business transacted at tbe Christcburch Magistrate's Court this morning.

Primitive Christianity/.— lt is announced that Mr T. Wright will preach to-morrow in the Ferry Road chapel, at 11 a.m., and in the Town Hall in the evening, at 6.30. Legal Honoubs.— UnderJ 'the heading "University intelligence," the Pall Mall Gazette of March 4 states that the degree of L.L.M. has been conferred on Joshua Straage Williams, Trinity College, Cambridge (in absence.) General Assembly. — For the convenience of members of the General Assembly, we believe that it has been arranged for the Phoebe to leave Dunedin on the 10th, Lyttelton on the lltli, and arrive at Wellington on the 12th instant. The Bellringers. — The Bellringers, according to announcement, reappeared at the Music Hall, last evening, for the last time but one, but as in the case" of the Theatre; the inclement weather militated against a good attendance. The programme was equally successful to those of former entertainments, and evoked frequent applause. Pbebbleton. — Mr S. D. Glyde gave an interesting lecture upon America, in the schoolroom, on Thursday evening. The physical features of this wonderful country, its social and moral condition, its immense resources, and the great future that is in store for it, were all touched upon, and the lecturer forcibly pointed out the advantages likely to accrue to New Zealand through the opening up of steam communication with San Francisco. A hearty vote of thanks, proposed by the school chairman, terminated the proceedings. New Zealand Flax Manufacture. — The following is a copy of the telegram sent to Mr Fox by his Honor the Superintendent, as requested by the meeting held on Thursday: — " A public meeting about flax requests me to ask you to instruct Commissioners in England by the outgoing mail to inspect and report on all machinery now in use for flax, to ascertain which is best adapted; also to what uses fibre can be turned, for linen or other fabrics, and to give other information." The following is Mr Fox's reply: — "It shall be done by to-day's mail." Both telegrams are dated June 2. Theatre Rotal. — Tho performances last evening were announced for the benefit of the Benevolent Aid Society, and a good house was expected. As it was, however, the dress-circle was very thinly patronised, and the other parts of the house were by no means well represented. The paucity in the attendance must in a great measure be attributed to the inclemency of the weather which so inopportunely Bet in. The programme comprised the drama of " The Octoroon " (in which Miss Matthews' acting as Zoe was most meritoriously conspicuous), and the Hibernian comedy of " More Blunders than One," in which Mr Martin Forde appeared to advantage, as he usually does in Irish character. Christt Minstrels. — The Christys are inexhaustible, and the hold they have taken upon the public was clearly shown last night, when, considering the very unpleasant weather, they had a good house. As usual, the programme waa divided into two parts, the first comprising solos by Messrs Rainf ord, Howell, Bent, Sayers, and Carroll. Mr Howell deserved the acknowledgment which the audience gave him for " Let the Dead and the Beautiful Rest." It was decidedly well sung. Mr Rainford's best song was "Rock'd in the Cradle of the Deep," which he gave by request. The last verse but one of " The Village Blacksmith," by the same gentleman, waa also very noticeable, alike for its expression and execution. It is the merest commonplace to say that Mr Bent is irresistible. He is grotesque, witty, and quaintly humourous, and everything he does gives the impression of being perfectly natural. To see him in * Slim Jim," " The Four o'Clock Train," "A Bad Night's Rest," or any other of tbe pieces which he has made peculiarly his ow>, is to furnish the memory with a picture which provokes the heartiest laughter every time it is re called. If, as we are told, they are true artists who can conceal their art, Mr Bent assuredly deserves the title. Mr Carroll's nautical and Irish jigs were the perfection of that class of dancing, more especially the latter, which we don't think could be excelled. Mr Northcott's cornet solo deserved a much heartier recognition than the audience accorded, one or two of the passages being almost, if not quite, faultless. The same remark applies to Mr Sayers' flageolet solo, the latter portion of which was executed with marked finish. The company will give a mid-day performance to-day, ie addition to I the performance in the evening. Both programmes have been selected with great care. We believe the company intend before they leave Christchurch, to give a performance for the benefit of the Benevolent Aid Society. A Gentle Hint. — We read in an American newspaper the following letter from a Yankee to his grocer :— "MrTuttle,— This here thing has got too much hemp in it for molasses and not quite enough for clothes lines ; so I've strained off the molaeses, and send you the jug to make up the measure, and have turned over the hemp to the Vigilance Committee to be spun up for future use. So be sure to send me the real thing this time, as all hemp goes to the V. C, and the rope is agrowing." Dissimilar Portraits. — The Paris journals devote the greater portion of their space to the Tours trial, and indulge in the minutest description of every incident cenneoted with the proceedings. As a curious illustration of the extent to which prejudice may distort the judgment, we contrast two descriptions of the appearance of Prince Pierre Bonaparte when summoned before the High Court to listen to the reading of the indictment against him. According to L'Histoire, "the accused is very pale. He has lost that deep complexion — that well-to-do air, which he formerly had. He spoke thickly. He wore in his button-hole the rosette of. the Legion of Honour. In phy-

sique, Prince Pierr^f ia a powerful man, tall and big, with a strong and deep head, black hair drawn back over the skull, which is bald, eyes and nose of the Napoleon stamp moustache, and -short beard trimmed a la Guise. The-"inaiihor in which he wears his coat closely buttoned brings into prominence his robust obesity.? La Marseillaise describes the Prince as:' "tall in stature, of great breadth of shoulders,- with swelling paunch, reminding one of a meat dresser {depeceur) at one of the abattoirs^, in his Sunday clothes. His forehead is low; harsh, and retreating, the arch of the eyebrows crooked, and the eyebrows in shape Hke an untrue blade; the eyes ashy cold and glassy, the eyelids red and swollen. The head is partially bald, the hair forming an angle with his wolf's ear, brought over to almost the back of the head, and bordered with- enormous cartilages. His look is insolent, ferocious—' Shoot down my foes.' The nape joining in a straight line with the neck with ridges of flesh, such as are Been in the slaughterers and executioners of antiquity. His face livid and of a greenish hue, the distended skin showing in the cheek a hollow as wide as a sf. piece, and above the lips another disagreeable furrow. The beard of pepper and salt colour, and the thick moustache cut off transversely to the lower part of the head from the nostrils to the neck. The voice, embarrassed by a barbarous accent, is hesitating, hoarse, and cracked; Upon his countenance is marked a dark bestiality, and it assumes impassability, but beneath the furtive twitching of the muscles it is easy to detect the wild beast which is preying on its own vitals, because it cannot give vent to its rage. In his left hand he holds a kind of note-book, bound in red Morocco leather. That has been given to him that he may expend his passion {upon 'something, lest he should crumble away with his fingers the woodwork of the tribune where he stands." A New JPlan with Drunkards.— We take the following from the Melbourne Herald : — " Photograph him, and take him away," it is suggested should be the sentence pronounced by < the Magistrates on all inebriates who may be brought before them. This hint has been thrown out by a corres pondent of a London journal, and the plan advocated is that every drunkard should be photographed, and then a copy of his portrait ba forwarded to every publican in the city, with a notification that should drink be supplied to the individual photoed, the publicans will have to pay the penalty for so doing. i The publicans would, in course of time, supposing the hint were taken, have a beautiful set of portraits to adorn their bars— in fact, they might in course of time paper their walls with likenesses of the lovers of strong drink. The suggestion, though we jfear, however striking, is not likely to be adopted, though we have no doubt that the operation of being photographed would prove in some cases a stronger deterrent from getting drunk than the fine of five shillings and costs. What would the magistrates do with the man whose photographic cartes were in every publichouse already ? Would they re-photo him, and send him round a second time? They mi.ht give orders that any one found drunk a second time should be photographed the second time in his drunken state, and order that this picture should form a companion to the first. Beyond this stage we know not what could be done in the way of ornimentiog- the hotels and holding up to public gaze the man incapable of keeping sober. There is one objection to this scheme of punishing the drunkard, and it is thia — What is there to hinder some wicked spirit of mischief from getting copies of the portraits multiplied of some of the moat virtuous of our citizens, and sending such round for exhibition' in the various bars ? We might find, some day, that such an ardent temperance man as even the Hon. W. M. K. Vale, or Mr Burtt, or even Matthew Burnett, might find themselves held up as shocking examples to every dram-drinker in Melbourne. We believe that one of the American States has a plan of taking the likeness of every man who is charged with drunkenness, while he is in a j state of intoxication, and these are exhibited in publio, so tbat publicans might bs warned againßt selling drink to the original of the portrait, and tbe transgreisor be shamed out of his drunkenness. Melbourne would supply a most varied selection of portraits, and perhaps if a drunkards' portrait gallery were! formed, and everyone brought up at thej police court, convicted of being drunk, were taken, and then sent to form part of tlie collection of portraits, it might, at least, lessen the beastly sights that are often to be seen in the streets of this city.