South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1858 - 1889), Wednesday 2 November 1864, page 2


TOPICS OF THE DAY.

The writ for the election to supply the vacancy caused in the representation of East Adelaide by the resignation of Mr. W. Bakewell has been issued. The nominations will take place at the City Council

Chamber on November 5, and the election, if necessary, on November 10. It is reported that Mr. Reynolds will be a candidate, bat of ibis we have heard nothing reliable. A Ml report appears in another column of the large meeting held on Tuesday evening, November 1, at the Theatre, to discuss the claims of the two candidates for the Mayoralty, Messrs. W. Townsend and W. K. Thomas. The Mayor of Adelaide occupied the chair, and on putting the names to the vote Mr. Townsend'e name was declared carried. The Son. Mr. Baker has given notice that he will more for a Select Committee to take into consideration the various petitions presented to the Council on the subject of the pastoral leases. Instructions hare been sent out to Mr. Finniss to name the capital of the new territory Palmerston. Me. Jefferson P. Stow has been appointed a Justice of the Peace in the Northern Territory, and Mr. Young Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. We are informed that at the meeting of the National Bank held on Tuesday in Melbourne the report and balance-sheet were unanimously adopted. At 12 o'clock on Tuesday from 200 to 250 gentlemen assembled at the new City Hall buildings for the [ purpose of what we may call a progress-opening. The Mayor and Council had issued invitations to His Excellency and to a large number of gentlemen, including members of the Executive, both Houses of Parliament, and the leading representative men of the city. A handsome collation was provided in the new refreshment or supper room, on the southern side of the great hall now in progress of erection. His Worship presided, supported by His Excellency and the members of the Ministry, and vsriou? well-known colonists. TV repast having been done justice to, the usual loyal toasts were proposed and enthusiastically honored. His Excellency spoke in flattering terms of tfae Corporation, and expressed the warm interest he felt in all that pertained to the progress of the city. The recent contretemps between the Government and the City Council at Morpbett-street occasioned some wellreceived pleasantries, and Mr. Stow was very considerately forgiven for the language he used respecting come of the citizens, of West Adelaide, after the learned gentleman had : good-bumoredly and cleverly made the amende. Altogether the mectiug passed off very pleasantly. ! Mr. Thomas and Mr. Townsend were amongst the speakers, and should the proceedings at the Theatre to-night be as convivial as were those at the Town Hall to-day, it will be a delightful proof of the philanthropic tendencies of municipal institutions.

Information reached" ub on Monday night to the effect that gold had been discovered a few miles from Wallaroo; bat we are informed this morning, by telegram from a Wallaroo correspondent, that the statement as to the discovery was not founded in feet. On Saturday last the members of the Koailunga Company competed for the Government prizes. The following are the winners:—Seargeant Fletcher, 83 points; private Longley, 80. Captain Budgen and Ensign Burgess tied for the third, 70. In shooting off it was won by the Captain. The proprietors of the Canidrome intend giving a performance on Friday evening next in aid of the widow and orphans of the late Mr. T- R. Jones. As a matter of charity we hope it will be largely attended. We perceive from the Melbourne papers that Mr. Harry Leslie, the "bones" of the Christy Minstrels daring their successful season in Adelaide, has left that Company, and is now playing at the Haymarket Theatre, Melbourne, where he has appeared daring the past week in the character of " Ginger Blue " in the " Virginia Mammy." His place in the Christy troupe has been supplied by the engagement of Paul Maxey. The Argus says, we have lately had occasion to record the success of the recent conceits of the Orpheus Union, bat scarcely expected to find a breach between them and their conductor bo soon. The case of C. H. Compton v. T. H. Davis, tried in the County Court, however, left the hearers surprised that the science of harmony should lead to so much discord. The plaintiff was the late conductor of the Union; and it appears that in September last he attended a rehearsal, when, after the practice of some part songs, & programme was handed to him containing music which he at once declared objectionable. An issue was soon raised, and the question became, whether the conductor was to go on with music be objected to, or whether he had any voice in the seleotion. He strongly maintained he had; and in support of this assertion, it was pointed out that he had undertaken the office for the extremely moderate remuneration of 25 guineas per annum, solely because of tbe introduction it would give him to the music-loving community of Melbourne. He left the room; snd it appeared from the extremely misty evidence of the plentiful witnesses that he subsequently met defendant, who was the secretary of the Union, in tbe street, and on mentioning something about the next rehearsal the defendant said s fresh conductor had been appointed, adding the words "we ignore you im toto." Consequently this action was brought for £158, the major portion of the amount bong set down as damages sustained by wrongful dismissal, arid for work and labour done. A regular string of witnesses, all musical amateurs of more or less eminence, gave evidence. Those for the plaintiff laid great stress on the unreasonableness, in their opinion, of a society composed entirely of amateurs, deciding upon a programme without even consulting their conductor, whose low salary rendered him something of an honorary officer. The defence was that the dismissal had come from the plaintiff; and an attempt was made by more than one witness to prove that Mr. Compton, after parting with his friends of the Lyster Opera Company on their departure to New Zealand, had come to rehearsal in a <* decided state of beer." The plaintiff indignantly contradicted this, nor was any more evidence on this point offered beyond the opinion of the witnesses for the defence —members of the Orpheus Union. All these features in the quarrel were discussed at great length ; and eventually the Judge gave a verdict for £12 125., which was the remainder of the year's salary, and appropriate costs. Mr. C. H. Compton has since been appointed organist of St. Francis'e Cathedral, in the place of tbe late Mr. Wilkinson.

•3* Messrs. Solomon & Co. request as to call attention of the t*mde to their sale of the cargo of tb* Wjjliam i at the Port, TbU Day, at 18 o'dook-