SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

PORT OF LYTTELTON. ARRIVED. April 9. —Luna, p.s., from Wellington. April 9. Taupo, s.s., from Northern Ports. bAILED. April B.—John Knox, barque, for Sydney. April B.—Ocean Gem, barque, for Newcastle April 9. —Taupo, s.s., for Southern Ports. April 9. —Southern Cross, barque, for New castle.

COMMERCIAL TELEGRAMS.

At the sittings of the Waste Lands Board held on Monday, April Bth, 2059 acres 1 rood 16 perches were disposed of, realising /S9IS 14s. The land is situated as under : Ashley, 28 acres 4 roods; Selwyn, IS3 acres 3 roods 16 perches ; Akaroa, 370 acres; Ash burton. 2101 acres 3 roods; Geraldine, 210 acres i Waimate, 65 acres.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency received the following telegram yester day from their London offices :—‘

Wool—The sales, comprising about 225,000 bales, closed at an average decline of >4<l. to id. on last sale prices. 225,000 bales have been taken for export, and 37,000 held over for future disposal. The principal decline has been in medium and inferior greasy, which has de clined id. per lb. since close of last sale. Lambs—Market firmer. Crossbred, easier. Trade in the manufacturing. dist’ icts is un changed. The home trade are purchasing spaiingly. There is a moderate competition on French account.

Timaru, Monday. Fat cattle, £los 55., equal to 275. per 100 lbs.; store heifers and steers, eighteen months to two years, ,£5 ss. to £6 55.; yearlings, L' 15 s - milch cows, ,£lO ss. to ,£ls, saleable in full profit ; sheep, crossbred hoggets, 7s. qd. to Bs. 6d.; lambs, ditto, ss. 9c]. to 6s. 6d.; merino ewes, 3s. to 3s. pd. A large number of horses changed hands at good prices ; colts and fillies, two to four years, .£37 to /,sc;; heavy, staunch colts, draughts, ,£SO to £6O ; medium, .£3B to £IS 1 os. to

ASHBURTON PRODUCE—PRICES RETAIL.

In the produce market we have to report : Butter is plentiful, in good quality, at is.; inferior qualities are bought as low as Sd. Eggs are scare at is. per dozen. Owing to the dry weather, bacon is offered freely at 7jZd. to B>4d.; primed smoked is selling at lod. Prime hams in cloth are worth is. per lb. Cheese is in good demand at iod. per lb. retail, prime quality. Flour in bags, retail, 15s. per 100 lbs. New oatmeal, having advanced, is now sold at 265. per 100 lbs.

TO SUBSCRIBERS.

COMPLAINTS having been made to us by Subscribers and others of difficulty in procuring copies of the EVEmYG ECHO, we beg to inform our readers that we have appointed Mr Harry Staples to the charge of despatch and delivery in town of the EI'EiVEVG ECHO , and beg to intimate that orders for the paper left at our office, or at Mr. Weston’s Press Agency, or given to Mr. Staples, will be attended to with punctuality. Ihe h I'ERING ECHO will henceforth be published as early after 4 o’clock as possible, and all Advertisements for the day’s issue are requested to be sent in as early in the day as convenient. Furness and Dixon, Publishers Evening Echo. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Weekly - - - - - 6d. Quarterly, in advance, ss. 6d., booked, 6s. 6d. Half-yearly „ 10s. ~ 13s. Single copy, One Penny.

POST OFFICE NOTICES

Mails at the Ashburton Post Office close as follows :

For Christchurch and North at 10.20 a.m., 4 p.m., and 7.30 p.m., daily. For Cherlscy at 10.20 a.m. daily.

For Rakaia at 10.20 a.m., and 4 p.m. daily. For Ashburton South, Winslow, Hinds, Coldstream, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, and Geraldine at 10.30 a.m. daily. For Ashton, Waterton, and Longbeach at 2.45 p.m. daily. For Greenstreet, Ashburton Forks, Mount Somers, and Ashburton Gorge on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10,30 a.m.

For Temuka, Timaru and South at 10.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily.

UNCLAIMED LETTERS,

The following letters are advertised at the Post Office, as having been received from places beyond the Colony, during the month

of January, and remaining unclaimed on the Ist April, 1878 : Cadle, W. C. Doorman, John Durham, Robert. Hearn (2) Elliott, Wm. Flanigan, Daniel ITandasyde, John J. McLoughlin, Denis Miller, T. Parsons, James (3) Smith, Robt. Letters originating in New Zealand are not now advertised, but are sent to the Dead Letter Office, after having lain for two clear months.

The Evening Echo. TUESDAY, APRIL 9,1878.

Mr. Stephen Massett will give his promised entertainment in the Library Hall to-night. Before H. T. Winter, Esq., J.P., to day, William O’Neal was dismissed, with a caution against being drunk again, on pain ol punishment. Annie Walsh and John Walsh were remanded to Lyttelton for eight days. They were charged with lunacy through drink. Thomas Burns, an old offender, was fined 20s. for being drunk and dis orderly.

At the Dawn of Peace Lodge of Good Templars’ meeting last night, a large number of brothers and sisters assembled; six new members were initiated and several more were pro posed. A “ lay sermon ” from the text “ Paddle your own Canoe,” was de livered by a brother of the Order. In dealing with the subject, the speaker urged the necessity of perseverance, self-reliance, and courage to achieve success, not only in the temperance cause, but in every enterprise of life. The address was replete with happy anecdote and racy local allusions, and at the close the brother received a vote of thanks. Next lodge night, we be lieve, the platform will be given to a very able brother, whose subject, how ever, has not yet transpired. At the Star ot the East Lodge, meeting on Saturday evening, we are given to un derstand a selection from Charles Dickens’ “Pickwick Papers”—the Trial Scene—will be given, and doubtless will be a great success, the performers having been in steady training for some time back. It was reported last night that all the shares in the new Templar Hall had not yet been taken up, but that only a very few remained for allot ment. It is gratifying to see so good a cause thus making progress. At Timaru on Sunday night, a child fell into an underground tank and was drowned.

From the training school at Auckland on Saturday five children went away on French leave.

A great temperance pic-nic has been arranged for at Waimate, to come off on Easter Monday. The man Musker, who was injured at Timaru by being jammed between two railway trucks, died on Sunday. Mr R. Turnbull was elected yesterday without opposition to the vacant scat for Timaru in the House of Representa tives.

A meeting will be held to-morrow at Temuka, to consider the advisability of bringing the Counties Act into full force in Geraldine.

The New Guinea fever has spread to Timaru, and it is said a number of peo ple intend starting at the first favorable opportunity for the new El Dorado. His Excellency the Governor, with Commodore Hoskins, went yesterday f r om Auckland to Tauranga in H.M.S. Wolverine, on a visit to the Lake coun try.

Yesterday morning a house in Auck land, occupied by Air Alfred Porter, narrowly escaped destruction by fire through the servant placing a box of hot ashes near an outbuilding.

A fire occurred at Temuka on Sun day night by which the house of a man

named Donald McKay was totally destroyed. Only a small portion of the furniture was saved. McKay has been arrested for arson.

By last night’s telegrams we learn that Sir George Grey and Mr Sheehan were to proceed to-day to the Waikato, and that a banquet awaited them at Hamilton. Colonel Whitmore was to leave Auckland for Wellington, his place with the Premier’s party being taken by Mr Fisher.

The Census returns for Blenheim give 573 males and 817 females—total, 1690 —against 935 in 1574, made up of 494 males and 441 females: an increase is thus shown of 755. In Picton in 1874 the males numbered 393, the females 339 —the present population returns show a decrease of 24. The province’ of Marlborough, in which Picton and Blenheim are situated, num bers 7552 inhabitants, against 6146 in 1874. The Timaru Herald speaks of the native shrub koromiko as an almost infallible cure for bowel complaint in both man and beast. The green leaves should be prepared like tea, and a cupfull taken morning and evening. Cattle will take a larger quantity. The liquid is not unpleasant. The shrub is common in all parts of the colony, and grows to a height varying from three to twenty feet. Its branches, which are generally very crooked, grow close together; and are covered with a dark and scaly bark ; its leaves are small, slightly pinnated, and of a bright green color. The flower in a native state is generally white, but sometimes appears of a purplish blue, and consists of a number of small petals attached to, and growing round, a short stem two or three inches in length. It belongs to the veronica genus.

Bishop Moran, preaching at Dunedin on Sunday, explained that marriages by a registrar, though sinful, and carrying with them a penalty of ex communica tion in the case of Catholics, were yet valid, and indissoluble by any power on earth. The Hokitika correspondent of the Auckland Star telegraphs as follows regarding Father Hennebery : —lt is very much to be regretted that a matter in which the social relations of Protes tants and Catholics are so intimately bound up should have been made the subject of any public remarks calculated to excite feelings of religious animosity. The distinction which Father Henne berry draws between marriages celebrated with and without a dispensation from the Church, is one unknown to the law; and whatever punishment he may pro mise offenders against the rules of the church in the world to come, he may rest assured that any reflections upon the honor of any members of the com munity, no matter what their religion, will be very quickly resented. The Wairarapa Standard rejoices in the fact that a lady in Carterton has blessed her husband and the world “ with another case of twins.” Possibly the husband may not consider “ a case of twins” as an unmixed blessing. A newspaper is shortly to be pub lished in Maori and English, at Moe raki. The local Natives have pur chased a small printing press and a fount of Type, and have advertised for an editor who understands both lan guages.

The unemployed in San Francisco were estimated in February last at 15,000 out of a total of 30,000 working men and boys, exclusive of the Chinese. Among carpenters 20 per cent are idle, and the shoemakers claim that from 50 to 75 per cent of their craft are idle too.

At a recent sale of old wine in Bor deaux two bottles of Chateau-Lafite were sold to the proprietor of one of the Paris restaurants for 310!’. (£l2 Ss.) each. The wine was of the comet year (1S11), and had been purchased by the seller a few years ago at the rate of ,£4 16s. per bottle.

One of the most brilliant batsman of his day, Julius Ciesar, who played for the county of Surrey, and rendered good service, is now in ill-health and adverse circumstances. Julius Ccesar, on his retirement from cricket, went to reside at his native locality, Godaiming, and by accident shot a man, which so shook his nerves that Julius has never been well since.

WHAT IS TEMPERANCE?

The Lancet discussing “ The Drink Question,” gives the following formal judgment : —“ Alcohol in any shape or form should never be taken except at meals, and, we believe, preferably at only one meal in the day. The habit of drinking in the forenoon is pernici ous in the extreme, and in our opinion wine or beer is best avoided at lun cheon. In quality there are two things to be considered, combination and di lution of the alcohol, and digestibility of the liquor. That natural light wines and light ales are better, when they do not disturb digestion by their other in gredients, than alcohol, every one will admit, and, where these disagree, re course must be had to stronger liquor diluted. In the opinion of many foreign authorities much of the evil of drinking in England is due to the fiery and potent nature of our habitual drinks. As to quantity, it is far more difficult to lay down any rule, for that which may be taken with benefit by one person, or at one time, may injure at another. The quantity which is usually taken at a dinner party would, if taken habitually, be undoubted excess. For young and active men a glass of beer, or one or two glasses of claret, at din ner is, we believe, an ample supply ; while men of middle age may with ad vantage “stop at the third glass” of claret, or sherry, or port, and fear no ill result. But beyond such general injunctions the infinite variety of con stitution, habit, and digestion, would make any detailed prescription worth less. The ultimate test in every case must be experience, aiid until men have enough moral control and discretion to limit their drinking to that which they absolutely require, all direction and re buke will be thrown away.”

A STRANGE DISCOVERY.

Last week (says a New York paper) two young men who were out hunting had occasion to go into, a piece of wood belonging to Mr. Gardner, about a mile north of Alexander. They de scended into a gulf, through which runs a small stream of water, for the purpose of getting a drink. While kneeling down drinking from the stream, one of them discovered a hole in the bank, which, on investigation, was found to

communicate with a cave about twenty feet square. The cave was enclosed with a wall of cut stone, and in the cave was the corpse of a woman, about 22 years of age. She had a chain fastened to the right leg, which was attached to an iron ring in the wall, and fastened with a heavy brass padlock taken from a New York Central Railroad car. In the cave were found some packages of clothing, books, cigars, and eleven oyster cans. A shelf held a lot of bottles and tumblers, and a broken kerosene lamp. The matter is being invested by the coroner, and the result will soon be announced. The inhabi tants near by are greatly excited, and talk of lynch law to the person who chained a woman in such a shape, and doubtless caused her death by starva tion.

A terrible case of death from drunken ness is reported from Chadwell Heath, Essex, the victim being a young man only nineteen years of age. He took part in a debauch at a public house, whereat they were supplied with pints of rum at a time, and also with gin. He reached home somehow, but while un dressing he fell face forwards on the bed, and, being helplessly drunk, was suffocated. At the inquest one of the witnesses stated that he himself drank about twenty glasses, and he had no doubt the deceased drank as many.

THE EVENING ECHO, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1878.