LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3146, 13 March 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Supreme Court. — The March Civil Sittings in fche Supreme Court open to-day afc ten o'clock before his Honor Mr Justice Johnston. The following cases are down for hearing : — Palmer v Field ; Brandon and Quick for plaintiff, Travers and Ollivier for defendant. Saunders and another v Owen ; Travers and Ollivier for plaintiffs, Hart; and Buokley for defendant. Allen and others v Ruck, Hart and Buckley for plaintiffs, J. G. Allan for defendant.

Tauran#a Mail. — It will be seen from Col. Harrington's telegram, being dated Auckland 11th March, that mail communication via Tauranga with Auckland has been returned. v Choral Society. — A meeting of the Wollington Choral Society will be held on Thursday evening next, " to ascertain if something cannot be done with regard to fche continuation of the Society." Surely the social taste and culture of the community are at a low ebb when it needs such stimulus to keep in existence a musical society, on however humble a scale. The smallest hamlet or village in England is not without ifcs choral society, and ifc says very little indeed for fche oity of Wellington to allow its musical status to arrive at such a languishing stage. The Hiltons.— As will be seen by advertisement, the opening entertainment of these talented artistes is postponed for a few days, in consequence of the Odd Fellows' Hall having been previously engaged. Presentation to Captain Kennedy. — On Saturday evening, March 4, a public presentation of a testimonial, signed by nearly all the inhabitants of the town, was made to Captain Kennedy, afc fche Taranaki Institute, by His Honor F. A. Carrington, Esq. The following sentences conclude Captain Kennedy's speech in reply : — " I have hitherto been very fortunate, for during the seventeen years I have been on this ooast, I have escaped without an accident; — bufc the pitcher fchafc offc goes to fche well is apt; afc last; to be broken, so likewise, gentlemen, haß it been my misfortune to be at last cast on your shore. Gentlemen, I again thank you, and again repeat thafc I am deeply grateful for the sympathy you have shown, and feel proud of the confidence you still place in me." The List of the Dogs.— On Saturday only one victim of the raid upon " curs and whelps of low degree" appeared before his Worship, in tho person of Mr Samuel Crowthor, who was fined 5s and costs. The police deserve credit for fche despatch with which they characterised the crusade ; and we opine it will be the means of making their annual labors in this direction lighter in future.

The Airedale.— Mr. Baker, second officer, and two others of the crew arrived yesterday from Taranaki in the Rangatira. Mr Baker states that the Airedale has gone in halves at the gangway amidships. Everything portable has been taken out of her, there being now nothing left bufc the plates of fche vessel, and her coal, and fchis latter article is being taken out by some Taranaki lightermen on shares. Captain Kenedy and the other officers still remain at Taronki.

Catholic Cathedral. — The extensive alterations in the interior fittings and arrangements of this fine building aro rapidly approaching completion. The whole of the plastering is nearly finished and the general interior appearance greatly added to in point of beauty. Great credit is due to Mr Toxward, the architect, under whoße supervision the work is boing curried oufc. Billiards. — An interesting game afc billiards between two crack " knights of the board of green cloth" will be played on Tuesday evening next, the 14fch instant, at the Panama Hotel. The opponents on the occasion will be Frank Lessington, the well known lessee of the lower billiard room at the Empire Hotel, and Nesbitt, the present lessee of the Panama Hotel. Play will commence at eight o'clock, and the game is to be 500 up, Lessington conceding to Nesbifcfc eighty points out of fchafc number. Tho stakes are to be £5 a side.

Excuesion Teip.— The Tararatt, v£ h the last batch of excursionists for tbe season, left the wharf yesterday morning with a fair crowd of passengers on board. The probability of fine weather, and the Bteaming powerß of the Taranaki, will really render this trip what it professes to be— an excursion trip. Auckland Fine Arts Exhibition.— The Auckland " Herald" makes the following observations on some of the exhibits :— " From Wellington, Mr J. C. Richmond sends a few paintings which have added to the list of colonial exhibits. Of (330) "Landscape," aud (331) " Mount Egmont, from Hurworfch," we must soy thafc we consider the colors too violent ; but to (332), " Wellington Harbor" we can heartily give our full approbation. The scene is a mere nothing, but nevertheless there is a real picture. A rippling blue eea and distant pinkish-violet land, an albatrosß skims over the surface of the water, whitet a Maori canoe under sail is fche prominent object in the sketch. The dancing glimmer on fche sea, fche light on tho canoe and on the heads of the natives and fche fleeoy sky— all form a picture which reward the visitor for a careful inspection. The "Southern Cross" is very brief in noticing the exhibition, and merely remarks :—" The chief subject of interest to ub we confess to be tbe relative

merit of Southern and Northern artists, and and we most hxunbly confess that with the solitary exception the Northeners have tbe best of the comparison. The honorable exception fco which we allude is made in favor of Mr John Gully, of Nelson, for he possesses fche rare power of imparting to paper thafc quality of sentiment, uncommon to landscape paintings, seldom felt but in looking to the actual scenery. For the time we forget the artist, and wander in fancy to the scenes suggested by tbe drawing, returning to him with admiration for his powers. Although so particular in our exception in favor of Mr Gully, still we cannot omit to mention Mr Arden, of Taranaki. Had the remainder been of equal merit, we would nofc have been so certain in our decision against them as a body." .