Local Intelligence.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1902, 1 August 1863, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

The Volunteer Company. — A meeting of this Com puny was held at the Athenaeum last night, when the rules previously drawn up were unanimously passed and ordered to be printed. The uuifonn for drill is to be a Garibaldi shirt, cap with the letters W.R.V., and dark trousers. The dress uniform is to be provided by Government, free of cost. Mr James Smith kindly offered his store as a place of -drill, and Mr Piimmer also placed bis large room at their disposal. After some discussion Mr Smith's offer was accepted and he was elected an honorary member of the company, while a vote of thanks to him and Mr Piimmer was unanimously curried. The first meeting for drill was fixed for Tuesday next, at 8 p.m., at Mr Smith's store. Mons. Horace Poussabd. — This gifted artiste is announced to take a benefit at 'the Odd Fellows' Hall on Monday evening next, nnder the patronage of Major Dwjer and the officers of the 14th Begiraent, and we hope that a full house will assemble and pay homage to his great talent. Although we have bad occasion to notice this gentleman's performances several times since he ias been amongst us, we cannot allow this opportunity to pass without adding a word or two to expiess admiration of him as a violinist — admiration joined in by all who have heard his wonderful playing. M. Poussard is a soloist of the highest class, and bis wonderful manipulation is a theme of universal praise; he performs the most difficult and intricate passage with a correctness arrd grace, that always wins for him enthusiastic applause. Nor is this all ; as an aecompanyist M. Poussard ranks high, as a composer is eminently successful, and as a vocalist is very pleasing, a quartette of qualities rarely found, in such perfection at least, iu one artiste. In fact the words of an " old salt," when called upon to give evidence before a court martial which the author of the play of " Black Eye'd Susan" has introduced for the stage, could not be more appropriately used than in a notice of this gentleman's playing. After ennumerating all the good qualities of his mess mate, he concludes with an unmistakeable hitch of the trc.'«sers and a significant roll of "the quid," which means, we suppose, that he is in earnest, with '*ay, yer honor, and he can play on the fiddlelike an angel." A glance at the programme will show that several novelties are announced amongst which we notice that Paganini's celebrated feat of performing a solo on the fourth strinpr of the violin will be undertaken by the heneficiare. A French comic duet is also "6n the card" to be sung by MM. Pouasard and Douay, and from the remarks in the Australian press on this part of their entertainment, we should fancy will prove very attractive. Together with these novelties, a capital bill-of-fare is provided, and we heartily wish a full house will be the reward of the endeavors of the company in general, and M. Poussard in particular, to please the public of Wellington. The Dkfenck Conrs.— Seventy-fire more men are expected in about a fortnight from Otago, and twenty-five additional will be raised here. Mr Battersbee is the agent for purchasing their horses. At present he is doing so in the Wairarapa. I Arms. — Four hundred arms have been promised as soou as they can be collected from the Volunteers in the Southern Island ; 200 from Nelson and the like number from Canterbury. A portion of these are directed to be sent to Wanganui, and a portion to Napier ; only about half are to be retained in Wellington. The Superintendent. — The Superintendent left town for the West Coast on Thursday afternoon, and will probably be back again to-day. The visit at this particular moment has exoited a good deal of beach gossip, principally we believe because the object oi his visit has been entirely misunderstood. Odd Fellows' Hall. — The last sacred concert was given by M.M. Poussard and Douay at the Odd.Fellows' Hall last evening, when the advertised programme was gone through in a manner which elicited the heartiest applause from the audience. " Where everything is good, it would be invidious to particularize," is a sentence that we have frequent occasion to use, and although the remark is perfectly applicable to these concerts so far as " everything being good" is concerned, yet we generally find some gem standing out more prominently than another. This was the case last night. In the first part the viulincello solo " Cujus Animan" from the Stabat Mater by Mons. Douay, was a perfect triumph, indeed we never heard this artiste to greater advantage. M. Poussard's violin solo of his own composition was much relished, while the quintett from Mendelssohn's " St, Paul" was magnificent, and was loudly applauded. In the second part the duet sung'by Miss Beverly and Mr Beaumont was very good, and elicited an encore ; indeed a capital night's amusement was provided, which deserved larger patronage. Patchwork, — We notice among the pas» sengers per Tyra from Canterbury, the names of Mr and Mrs George Ellis, and Mr Rutter. They have been giving a series of entertainments in the various provinces, under the Bovel title "Patchwork," which are favourably spoken of by the press/ We understand that they have taken the Olympic Theatre, and, in conjunction with Mi Walter Howson, intend giving their first performance on Tuesday evening next

Military Intelligence — The New Zealander of the 25th inst. says : — " A circular memorandum from the Horse Guards, dated April Ist, directs that the regiments in New Zealand, Australia, and Ceylon — viz., Ist battalion 12th Foot, 2nd battalions 14th and IBth Foot, 31st, 40th, 50th, 67th, 70th, and 99th regimentsare to be thus distributed : — lO service companies, 3 field officers, 10 captains, 11 lieutenants, 9 ensigns, staff, 8, 48 sergeants (exclusive of schoolmaster), 21 drummers and buglers, 40 corporals, and 730 privates; 2 depot companies, 2 captains, 3 lieutenants, 1 ensign, 10 sergeants, 4 drummers and buglers, 10 corporals, and 120 privates; total, 900 coiporals and privates. A return just issued from the War I Office states the number of men servingin New Zealand as being 5538. « Geographers at Fault.— The New Zealander, after alluding to the criticisms of the Wellington Advertiser on the deplorable want of knowledge, about the geography of New Zealand, manifested by the newspapers in England, takes our contemporary up rather sharp about his knowledge of the locale of the Waikato. Wbile it is quite true that the Advertiser ought to have had the geography of the Waikato more at his fingers ends than to allude to it as eight instead of forty miles from Auckland, yet it is perfectly impossible for the most careful journalist to avoid making many similar mistakes in reference, to the relative distances of the places now being prominently put forward in connection with the Auckland war, We are glad, therefore, that a map of the Waikato is about to be issued bj our contemporary, as it will do much to prerent the occurrence of mistakes, such as those alluded to. Survey of the West Coast.— The Nelson Examiner of the 25 th inst, says: — We learn that the Superintendent will despatch surveyors to the Buller river by the next trip of the Sturt. They will complete the laying out of the township, as well as marking off suburban and rural allotments. We lhay hope, therefore, to see land on the West Coast offered for sale in the course of a mouth or so