LOCAL INTELLGENCE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1755, 19 August 1862, Page 2

LOCAL INTELLGENCE.

The Coming Man.—" Let rae but make the ballads of a j eople and I care not who makes their laws" is the remark of a celebrated French writer ; and albeit not accepting this doctrine in its fullest sense, we admit that it contains tbe germ of a great truth. Let the sceptical on this subject just fairly weigh what an influence has been exerted in moulding and forming the public mind by the songs of Beranger io Fiance; or of Burns in Scotland. In tbe days wben those productions appeared, the ballad satirist io many instances took up the ground now so ably filled by the journalist ; but happily the modern song writer has now few crying abuses to ridicule with bitter wit, or turn to contemptbyblightingsarcasm,andsoiu tbese days he plays the more genial part of the humourist. Of this class is the •*• coming man," the inimitable Thatcher, whose quips and cranks, and songs and stories, have raised a smile ou even the saturnine features of some of the original coven au ter stock among our southern fellow colo. nists. Have a care then all ye bellicose miuisters of the Crown, ye long-winded oiators of botb Houses, upper and lower; and ye too of our fast men who act as walking embellishments of our promenades in "the mould of fashion aud the pink of form," look out we say— for Thatcher will soon be amongst you ! Great Billiard Match for £500 a Side.— The* sporting world of Dunedin has been thrown into a state of excitement, by a Billiard Match for £1000 which recently came off in the Royal Princess Theatre there ; between Mr. Lamb of Victoria and Mr. Townsend a gentleman amateur of the Province. The game commenc ed at half past eight o'clock, in the evening and continued with slight intermission, until ten minutes past five on the following morning when it lesulted iv Lamb being declared victor, the score tben presentingthe following numbers Lamb, 1000. Townsend 915.

Mr. Hall's Entertainment. — The most palpable hit in Mr. Halls performance on Saturday evening* was the new and original song entitled " Yankee Bluster, "—Being ye Hystorie of ye passage of Armes between ye American Warre ship San Jacinto and ye British Mail Steamer Trent— which he gave in thecharacter of a British Tar, the make up being thoroughly " ship shape and Bristol fashion." Each of the verses brought down a round of applause, and the closing one in which be describes how the Yankees were

" Now forced to play the sneak The Yankee bullies eat their leek "And soon give up the Southerners neat and handy O ; " And thus for all their brag " Our glorious British Flag " Ocr the ocean floats triumphant quite the dandy O ; was enthusiastically cheered. Boyal Lyceum Theatre.— lt will be observed Irom an advertisement in another part of our columns, that the Welliugton public will have tbis favourite little theatre reopened for a season of twelve nights, commencing on Monday evening the 25th inst. Advantage has been taken of the lengthened recess, to effect alterations and improvements in the internal economy of the house, and new scenery bas been painted by Mr. Marriott. The selections of pieces for

the opening night Comprises judicious selection of Comedy and Farce, and we anticipate the indefatigable exertions of Mrs. Foley and Mr. V. Webster will be rewarded by a bumper bouse on the opening night.

Coromandel Quartz. — We yesterday inspected some specimens of quarlz from Coromandel, presented to the Museum by His Excellency. Tbey give promise of a good yield, and if fair specimens quartz crushing will pay at Coromandel first rate. Few of our rerders are aware how small a proportion of gold will pay for crushing. Tbe fol lowing extract shows that in some cases less tban two pennyweights of gold to a tun of quarlz will yield a profit; while in parts of Coromandel district, we are led to believe tbat several ounces, will be readily obtaired. "It has been sometimes doubted (says a July Melbourne Argus,) whether the poor quaitz crushed by some of tbe Ballarat companies has given a profitable return to the shareholders. A proof is offered io tbe mining surveyors' reports for June, Mr. Fitzpatrick (who has charge of No. 2 division of the Ballarat district) reporting that tbe Independent Company had paid a dividend of £28 Bs, per share for the month, from 1000 tons of quartz, which yielded only 151 ounces of gold, or a fraction over tbree pennyweights to .the ton. A still stronger fact is stated by Mr. J. W- R. Pringle, of Buuniuyong division, who reports that the New Perseverance Company, on the White Horse, paid all working expenses, and placed £150 to the credit of the Company, from a month's crushing of 1600 tons of quartz which gave only 119 ounces of gold, or about one and a-half pennyweights to the ton. The quartz was taken from an open cutting about foity feet deep."