South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900), Monday 2 January 1882, page 5


A HAPPY NEW TEAR

P.TCVT5N U K 'RETURNS.

The officers of the Treasury Department have again displayed most praiseworthy promptitude in making up the imrnnna returns. ~Rv fTiA ftnnrtpsro nf

he Under-Treasurer we are able to rablish this morning the figures for the quarter which closed on Saturday. The ?eturna are, of course, approximate, and lubject to audit ; but as a rule the lorrections which are found necessary lpon a detailed examination of the various items are only trifling. Che results of the quarter's operaions, so far as the Revenue is loncerned, are, in the main, reassuring; rat for the exact position of the accounts ye 'shall have to wait for about a fortnight intil the audited statement of expenditure as well as of income is published. Prom the comparative tables subjoined it vill be seen that the revenue for the juarter is upwards of £47,000 in excess )f the income for the three months inding December 31, 1880. It should be loted, however, that in the first-named jeriod there is included under the head )f Miscellaneous the sum of £34,132, jeing the 'premiums, Ies3 floating iharges, on loans, under Acts 159 of L879 and 189 of 1880.' On the )ther hand, in the Christmas quarter of 1880 there is included i sum of £14,098 for .interest. Both of these are special items, and in iomparing the two periods it is fairer to eave them out of account. The difference Detween the two deducted from the £47,000 above mentioned will leave about 627,000 as the real improvement in the juarter just etided. This is not a large ncrease; but, taking'all the circumstances nto account, i is perhaps as large as ?ould reasonably be expected. For the lix months the growth of the Revenue iaa been much more rapid, the idvance being more than £161,000, or, naking allowances to the special items 0 which we have before referred, ibout £140,000. When we look more slosely into the figures, the comparisons ire not so encouraging. Thus, the re:eipts from land sales show an advance of E40,000 for the three months, and )f £98,000 for the six months ; ind as it is highly probable that in extension of time for payment of interest instalments has been sought and granted in many cases, it is fair to assume ;hat the greater part of the improvement s due to the increased receipts on account if capital. If this be taken into account t will be seen that in the revenue proper ie real advance is not equal to the apparent advance during either the three or Jie six months just ended. Whether the receipts for the year will :urn out to be equal to the estimate will, Df course, depend almost entirely upon the results of the harvest. The deficient field of 1880-81 had a depressing influence upon the figures for the second half of the last financial year. Thus, up to December 31, 1880, the sum of £276 695 had been received on account of Customs ; but the revenue for the entire year was only £515,680, The receipts under this head for the first half of the current financial period of twelve months have been £303,679. Even if vre assume — which is not probable—that there will be a similar falHng-off during the second half of the year the estimate will be reached ; and for reasons which we have more than once stated in detail it is most likely that it will be materially exceeded. Nevertheless, it is wise not to discount our prospects too largely ; and taking the revenue as a whole, and not merely the income from this particular source, it must be admitted that there is not much room for boasting. Turning to the next item —

Probate and Succession Duties — it is gratifying to note that there is a decided improvement, the increase for the quarter being about £1,300, and for the six months upwards of £4,000. In Marine there is a material decrease for both periods, which may probably be accounted for in part, if not altogether, by the revised scale of light dues which has been in force for some time. Under the head of Education there is a rise of between £1,500 and £1,600 for the three and six months, which, we assume, is principally due to the increased receipts from the Education Lands. For the three months, Rents from Crown Lands exhibit a decline of upwards of £10,000, but for the six months there is an advance of nearly £9,000. The discrepancy is explained, we have no doubt, by the fact that in the reletting of some of the lands an alteration has been made in the time at which the rents fall due. The next line that attracts notice is Postal and Telegraph, in which we are glad to see there is an advance of nearly £4,000 for the three months, and of upwards of £7, 000 for the six months. In Miscellaneous there is an advance of £32,000 odd, which is explained, as we have already stated, by the inclusion of the loan premiums. The least satisfactory item is Railways, the revenue from which exhibits a decline of £12,000 for the quarter, and upwards of £9,000 for the six months. In the income from Waterworks there is a slight falling-off for the quarter, but an advance of nearly £4,000 for the half-year. The comparison of the figures under the heading Land Sales we have already, given above. Taking the returns as a whole, they are not at all discouraging. Indeed, in some respects they are quite the reverse. How far the diminished income from railways is due to the lowering of the tariff, and how far to an actual falling-off in the traffic, we are unable to say. Seeing, however, that several additional miles of line have been opened during the year it is rather disappointing to find that the receipts are so far behind. It may be, as we have before pointed out, that the charges are still too high to admit- of the lines being used so much as they ought to be. If so, an improvement of the revenue is to be looked for in a still further decease rather than in an advance on the rates now charged. Subjoined is the Treasurer's approximate statement of revenue for the three and six months just ended. For facility of comparison we have also added a table giving the revenue For the three and six months ending December 31, 1880 :— HEAD OP If!*? Il3§ * §§1 |8g g Customs .. .. £560000 £156729 £146950 £303679 Prolate and Succession Duties 20,000 4,617 3,526 8,143 Marine .. .. 14,000 2,630 2,702 5,337 Education .. 10,900 4,062 6,145 10,207 Bents, &c., Crown Lands .. .. 104,632 47,645 10,376 58,021 Rents, ordinary 1,110 258 267 525 licences.. .. £8,496 1,789 1,633 8,422 Postal and Telegraph „ .. 145,000 36,492 38,116 74,608 Fines, Fees, and Forfeitures .. 48,062 14,139 12,710 26,849 Sales of Government Property 1,795 1,973 799 2,772 Reimbursements ? . ? . in-Aid .. .. 34,653 9,515 8,610 18,125 Miscellaneous .. 40,322 2,379 36,404 38,783 Interest and Exchange.. .. 20,000 1,307 6 1,313 Railways and TramwayB .. 445,000 104,617 104,754 209,731 Waterworks .. 60,700 12,425 19,718 82^143 Land Sales— Pro- } Latest on t2600°[ ***» ™#* **#* Credit Sales .. 105000 ) Immigration .. .4,000 1,411 799 2,210 Total: .. ..^2068720 1 610,450 543,759 1154209 RECE1PT-- g .gg=3.g g-g 8.&J.&3 s Customs .. .. £146950 £140172 £303679 £276695 Probate and Succession Duties. 3,526 2,229 8,143 4,043 Marine ? 2,702 3,429 5,382 6,323 Education .. .. 6,145 4,662 10,207 8,535 Rents, &c.,Crown Lands .. .. 10,376 20,732 58,021 49,121 Rents (ordinary) 267 255 525 262 Licences .'. .. 1,633 961 3,422 2,069 Postal and Telegraph .. .. 38,116 34,345 74,608 67,425 Fines, Fees, and Forfeitures .. 12,710 10,616 26,848 24,054 Sales of Government Property 799 603 2,772 1,333 Reimbursements .. .. 8,610 11,075 18,125 22,122 Miscellaneous .. 36,404 4,710 38,783 6,571 Interest and Exchange .... 6 14,098 1,313 14,938 Railways and Tramways .. 104,754 116,974 209,731 219,015 Waterworks .. 19,718 20,535 32,143 28,195 Land Sales, pro- S IntedreOst onf 150'239 110'134 358'651 m-m Credit Sales.. ) Immigration .. 799 834 2,210 1,766 Total .. .. I 543,759 I 496,364 1 1154,209 992,555

The 'Register.'— There are three facts connected with the present issue_ of the Register which deserve special notice. In the first place the decision to alter the price of the paper take3 effect to-day, the charge per copy being twopence, in place of threepence as heretofore. In the second place it will be seen that the paper has an entirely new face, fresh type being used throughout. In the third place all copies sent by post will have upon them a halfpenny stamp — a charge which the Legislature in its wisdom has seen fit to impose. New Year's Day.— Always kept as a close holiday, the first day of the year, or that lecognised in its place, is generally a favourite with holiday-seekers, and various public amusements are accordingly provided for their delectation. To-day will be no exception to the rule, for in addition to the attractions of the watering-places, the hillside resorts, and the marine excursions down the Gulf, there will be the regatta at Port Adelaide, races on both the Old and the Morphettville Courses, the military picnic on the Kensington Oval, and a cricket match on the Adelaide Oval between the North and West Adelaide Lifeboat Crews. In the evening the usual performances will take place at the Theatre Royal and the Academy of Music. Welcoming 1882. — The infant year has no cause to complain of any lack of heartiness in the reception accorded by the citizens of Adelaide. Large crowds flowed steadily up and down the various streets throughout the last hours of the old year, and it was evident from gaily - lighted windows and well-occupied balconies that but very few I of the citizens had any idea of showing such disrespect to the interesting visitor as to retire before his arrival. The Town Hall bells— which from 11 o'clock onwards had rung a raerry peal— stopped at a few minutes before midnight, and a solemn tolling marked the last fleeting minutes of 1S8L Simultaneously with the last stroke of 12 on the Post-Office bell the peal again rang forth. Guns were fired in all directions, and from the crowd, temporarily forgetting that it was Sunday morning, there arose a cheer, which, if not very harmonious, was at least hearty, and was clearly heard more than a mile from town. During the evening the usual services were held at various places of worship, and we understand that in most cases they were well attended. The weather wa3 really delightful, and just cool enough to make open-air exercise a luxury. The bell-ringing went on until the New Year was nearly an hour old, by which time the people who had been assisting at its recognition had mostly dispersed to their homes.

St. Peter's Cathedral.— The services, at the cathedral on Sunday were well attended, especially in the evening, when His Lordship the Bishop of Adelaide delivered his last public address in the colony. The Rev. Dr. Dendy, who preached the sermon, made an illusion to the Bishop's departure, and the Bishop afterwards took the pulpit and spoke is follows :—' Our Heavenly Father has in His goodness suffered me to recover my strength a little before I leave you. I desire, therefore, by way of remembrance, to stir you up to follow after godliness, and to ' lay bold' of eternallife. Take heed then, brethren, to St. Paul's words, who lays down the law Df the inner Christian life and the rule of Christian conduct in these words — Romans xiv. 7 and 8 — ' No one of us liveth to himself, md no one dieth unto himself, for whether we live we live unto the Lord, and whether we die we die unto the Lord ; whether, therefore, we live or die we are the Lord's.' So far as we realize and act upon this truth ire we Christians indeed. Consider, then, brethren, whose you are, for ye are not your own. Of all His creatures man alone God created in His own image, and when by disabedience man defaced that image God in His boundless love took this fallen manhood into God ; God the Word became flesh as the second Adam to restore in us that image which had been marred in the first. The God of man Christ Jesus suffered death as the wages of sin (not His own, but ours). Rising from the dead He raised us in Himself to newness of life, both in the flesh and in the spirit. We are not our own, then, for we have been bought with a price, even the blood of the Lamb, ordained before the Foundation of the world. Thus by creation and by redemption God claims our service. Nay, more, look how He has provided for sanctifying His redeemed. God the Holy Ghost came according to the promise of the Father to abide with the Church for ever. What more could God have done for man's recovery from sin and death ? Receive then, dear brethren, with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. Realize in your daily life and intercourse with the world that ' ye are not your own.' Amid trials, sorrows, and discords they who are led by the spirit of God are guided from above. They receive not the spirit of bondage and fear, but of love, and power and a sound mind. St. Paul has illustrated this, showing how, even in things indifferent, they who are Christ's neither judge nor despise one another, for Christ liveth in them. They are not their own, and they glorify God in their body and their spirit, which are His. Thus the Gospel by the power of the Cross reverses and repairs the curse of the Fall. Only strive to remember at all times that, whether living or dying, you are the Lord's. Then will His Word come to you with the power of His Spirit. ,, You will know whom you have believed,* that yoii are Christ's and Christ is God's. Amen.' Agricultural Prospects in the North. — A writer in the Areas Express on this subject remarks :— ' So deceptive have the crops already proved that it iB almost impossible, with any degree of certainty, to say what the harvest will be. In many instances those whose hopes were buoyed up by the general appearance have found that in the gathering all they expected was not to be found, whilst others who expected little have been pleasingly disappointed. In the Hundred of Pekina the reaping has commenced, and many of the fanners seem so far satisfied. The hay yield has been almost one ton to the acre, and anticipations are that four or five bushels will be the result. Willowie in many places is very light. Some farmers only reaped two bushels to the acre. Booleroo reveals many changing scenes; some say ten bushels, others six, whilst some are as low as three. One crop produced between fourteen and fifteen bushels to the acre. Many of the crops in Appila will give an exceedingly good yield. Booyoolee holds its own, and compares favourably with many others. Crystal Brook shows a stunted growth, and much is 'blighted. Broughton, Broughton Extension, Mundoora, and Barunga, the latter especially, are better favoured than they were last year. The general average is supposed to reach about six bushels.' Port Adelaide Regatta.— This annual treat to lovers of aquatics within reach of the Port takes place to-day, when there is every prospect of fine weather and a large attendance. There are seventeen events provided, four of which are sailing races. For the firstclass sailing race, however, no entries have been received. In the second class the Ada, Philadelphia, Banshee, and Trio will compete, and in the third class the entries are for the Goolwa, Gazelle, and Minnie. Five dingeys are entered for a sailing race, namely, Minnehaha, May, Lily, Dove, and Emu. Of ten rowing races., eight are entered for. The canoe race will be competed by the Wild Rose, Never See Her, and Gipsy. The Amateur Champion Race will be decided between two of the P.A. Rowing Club's crews. There are seven entries for the ships' gigs, including Maravel, Gurli, Andaman, Casman, Harbinger, Hesperus, and Franklin. For the Working Men's Race the following boats will be pulled : — Fleur de Maurice, Zoe, Blankfell, Eva, Gurli, Olive Thurlow, Adolphine, Brier Holme, Maravel, Euchre. The Zephyr, Blue Bell, and Sylphide will be rowed in the Youths' Pair-oar Race. The Amateurs' Pair-oar Race will be represented by the Victorian (P.A.R. Club) and Franklin. There are five entries for the dingey race, two for sculls, and several for duck hunt and greasy pole, &c. The Samarkand will be the flagship. Every provision seems to have been made for rendering the affair successful. Tug and other steam boats will run up and down the river throughout the day. Tongan Affairs.— With regard to Tonga, the correspondent of the Fiji Times writes: — ' Our Premier left in the schooner Myrtle for New Zealand on September 17. It is not known when or whether he will return. He has succeeded in bringing these islands into a condition bordering on anarchy, and it is expected and feared from day to day that the discontent of theprincipalchiefsand their followers will lead them to a declaration of open defiance to the existing Government. The first outward sign of dissatisfaction was evinced about three months ago, when an application was made to Her Majesty's Deputy-Commissioner at this town by a large body of men, headed by a numb3r of chiefs, closely related to King George, requesting that they might be allowed to become British subjects. Since that time the natives in various parts of the island have declared that they only waited to see the result of the application to, if successful, follow the same course. The ringleaders of the above movement were charged with treason, and, being officers in the Tongan army, were tried by a court-martial, and every means adopted to make the accused sue for mercy and acknowledge the error of their ways. Intimidation and cajolery were alike unsuccessful. The men defied the Government, and persisted in declaring their wish to become British subjects; but their rank being so high and their connections so powerful, it would have been dangerous to attempt to carry out any of the threats of shooting and banishment used, and so the Government were compelled to ignominiously drop prosecutions which ought never to have been commenced. Hudson's Surprise Party.— The Academy of Music was well patronised on New Year'3 Eve by an enthusiastic audience, who received with very great satisfaction the change of programme presented. The usual nigger minstrel business was concluded by a laughable sketch entitled ' The Birthday Party,' which highly delighted a certain section of the audience, who appeared determined to encore every item. After the usual intermission the Misses De Gay performed some selections to the evident satisfaction of the audience. Mr. Hudson then rendered a song entitled ' The Giraffe,' and danced on stilts, for which he was encored. The remainder of the programme, which included a ballad by Miss Burton and a very laughable sketch ' You don't say so,' was brought to a close by the farce ' The Doctor's Shop,' in which Messrs. Bromley, Hudson, and Cottier. took. part, and which produced much merriment. The same programme is announced for to-night, and during the performance the rider of the winner of the New Year's Gift will be presented with a handsome whip.

Cricket.— A telegraphic report of the first day's play in the match All-England Eleven v. Combined Eleven of Australia will be found in another column. Shaw's team went in first, and scored 294, Ulyett making 87, Pates 58, Selby 55, and Midwinter 36. The Colonials begin their innings at 11 o'clock this morning, but unfortunately there is very little chance of the game being played out if the wicket wears well, as the Englishmen leave for New Zealand to-morrow evening. On the Oval on Saturday the Hindmarsh scored 246 against the Kensingtons. Jarvis made 83, and showed very fine cricket. The North Adelaides made 96 against the Kents' 26 and 21 for 5 wickets. Mr. Riddoch and the 'Register.'— The Border Watch says :— ' In a previous issue we referred to an article in which the Register made some comments on the alleged dummy case against W. Mason, of Penola, These reflected very severely upon Mr. John Riddoch, who, we were assured, would be able to clear himself from all complicity with Mason. Mr. Riddoch was then absent in Tasmania, but has since returned. We take the liberty of making an extract from a note he has sent to us, which will throw some light on the action he has taken relative to the article. Writing on Tuesday he says :— ' I returned home on Sunday night after a rather hurried run to Tasmania, where I had gone for a little change. I have lost no time in taking steps to clear myself of the charges made against me by the Register. I forward by to-morrow's mail ajfull statement of the whole case from the beginning until now, with the view that Mr. Baker may use it for the purpose of putting the Register right and obtaining an apology from them, which I feel sure they cannot refuse. I was not aware at the time the enquiry was held what evidence Mason gave, as I was not allowed to be present while he was under examination; but on seeing the report of the case in the Border Watch I submitted a copy of it to Mr. McLennan, and he at once made a statutory declaration in contradiction of what Mason said. This I forwarded to the Commissioner at the beginning of last month, so that had the Register made proper enquiry before writing the savage article, they would have found that Mason's evidence, upon which they base the article, was nothing but a tissue of falsehoods, and had been contradicted in the most complete manner.'' Nothing has yet reached us from Mr. Baker, but the probability is that the communication will not be in his hands until this morning. The DeLissaville Sugar Plantation. — The Northern Territory paper of December 3 contains the following paragraph : — ' On Monday last a number of gentlemen met at De Lissaville to witness the first crushing of cane in the Northern Territory. It has turned out an utter failure. The machinery was in fine order, and worked well, but they were crushing dry sticks ; as well might they have expected to get sugar from the bamboo cane taken from the jungle. About the middle of September the cane was in fine order and would have yielded welL Ten weeks passed over, the cane was sprouting, and, to please the fancy of some Adelaide shareholders, thirty tons of canes were cut and conveyed from the nursery to the mill, just to show, it was said, that sugar could be made here. Why, every fool knows that good cane will produce good sugar. This cane was lying knocking about, first on the beach, then on the jetty, ajid, after being well dried in the sun, thermometer standing at 150°, was put through the mill. Would a Devonshire fanner expect to make good cider from dried apples? We think not! We hear there was some growling in the camp, the manager being opposed to the crushing, as it interfered with his regular work. It was only at the earnest instigation of Mr. Bean, one of the Directors of the Company, that Mr. De Lissa reluctantly consented to try and produce the required sample. Mr. De lissa stated at the outset that he feared there would not be enough juice left to cover the steam and air tubes in the evaporating pan, and his forebodings turned out to be true. Gradually, as the watery portions of the juice went off in the vapour, the copper coils became visible, until finally the tubes were quite above the line of the syrup, and so, in despair, the juice was allowed to run into the cooler underneath the evaporating pan. It was very disheartening to see two practical and successful sugar-boilers like Messrs. De Lissa and Sackse struggling to obtain crystals out of the effete material at their disposal and as things have turned out, it is to be regretted that the attempt was ever made ; at the same time it was only natural that Mr. Bean should be anxious to take the earliest possible opportunity to obtain a sample of sugar for the satisfaction of his brother Directors in Adelaide.' The Late Shooting Case on the Hiltonroad.— William H. Justin, Hilton, writes as follows :— ' I find that the police state that they have made every enquiry into my report of having been shot by a man on the Hilton-road, and that they have arrived at the conclusion that the wound was accidentally self-inflicted, and that I only told the story to gain notoriety. This I stoutly deny, as such a thought never entered my mind. Their reasons for believing this appears to be that a pistol was found lying on the scene of the occurrence, and that when shown to me I denied all knowledge of it ; also, that the person to whom it belonged was discovered, who lent it to me, and that when confronted with this person I admitted having the pistol. This I also deny, as the police never brought any such person to me. When Detective Hampton showed me the pistol I did deny having seen it before, but when I next saw him I told him that I had it in my possession on the evening in question, and that I had it from the previous Monday, at the same time showing him the young man who lent it to me, as I saw him going towards Rundle-street. The police also say that when the pistol was found it bore evidence of having been recently discharged. This I also deny, as it was never discharged during the time it was in my possession— from the Monday to the Thursday.' Perth Exhibition Award.— The following is amongst the awards published : — ' A. Simpson & Son's Exhibits.— First order of merit awarded to A. Simpson & Son, Adelaide, f or— ( a) bedsteads ; fbj burglar andfireproof safes ; ( cj seamless tinware ; ( d) galvanized ironware. ' The exhibits of Messrs. Simpson & Son evidence the progress of manufactures in the colonies, and reflect the highest credit on that firm, the whole of the goods shown by them in the Exhibition having been made in their own factory in Adelaide. The castings of the bedsteads, both brass and iron, are clean and well finished. The safes have improvements which render them secure depositories for both cash and documents, while the tinware and galvanized ironware are fully equal in finish and quality to any imported. The whole exhibit shows Icearly that colonial manufacturers can compete with the mother country.— James H. Thomas, M. Inst. C.E., London (Juror).' ' The Breach of Promise Case at Penola. —It is probable (according to the local paper) that the case of Hales v. Fennell, in which £250 damageB were claimed for breach of promise of marriage, and which was nonsuited at the last Penola Local Court, will be brought before the same Court again, and fresh, evidence adduced by the plaintiff. Loyal Garfield Lodge, LO.O.F.— This Lodge was opened at the Alma Hotel, Norwood, on December 21, when fifty-four members were initiated. ' La Debutante.' — This is the title of an operetta written by Mr. C. H. Compton, of this city, for three voices. The dialogue is smart and witty, and the music contains much of the dash and vivacity of the French school. We understand that arrangements are being made for placing it on the stage of the Theatre RoyaL South Australian Quartz and Alluvial G.M.C.— A meeting of the shareholders was held on Saturday morning at Mr. J. Boothby's office at the Exchange. Mr. J. Richardson occupied the chair, and the articles of association, which were read over by Mr. Wigley, the Company's solicitor, were adopted. Messrs. J. Richardson, H. Woodcock, andf A. W. Ebsworth were elected Directors; Messrs. J. F. Yuill and H. Stodart were chosen as Auditors ; and Mr. Boothby was appointed Manager. The Directors agreed sot to take any fees until the first dividend had been paid.

Public Works for the Year.— Else-where is published detailel information ?especting the works carried out during last ?ear by the more important Government lepartments. With regard to railways, 158J niles have been ma-le available for traffic luringithe twelvemonth ; there are now 8S8J niles in use, and 146^ are in course of construction. The expenditure of the departnent under the charge of the EngineerinDhief for the various public works in progress luring the last financial year was about 31,115,960. The total amount spent by the Hydraulic Engineer's Department from Fanuary 1 to December 31, 1881, was £216,000, )f which £141,000 was on waterworks and 275,000 on the Adelaide sewers. The Water Rates Assessment.— The BEydraulic Engineer remarks in a report which he has furnished of the year's work in lis department :— ' Notwithstanding the jreat extension which the Adelaide and Suburban Waterworks have undergone luring the last two years, by careful managenent the working expenses have been very nuch reduced, and thus the Hydraulic Engineer has been enabled to recommend a ,-ery important reduction of the water ?ates.' Progress of Port Augusta.— As in some iense indicative of the progress of Port \ugusta, it may be noted that the Dispatch, ;he local weekly newspaper, is in future to' je issued twice a week. Heavy Sheep.— Mr. W. J. Maidment, of ?inniss Flat, has had two sheep which he jred on the farm, and which weighed 260 and !50 lb. respectively when alive, with the^ ivool taken off. One of these sheep is only iwelve months old, and the other was a fullprown sheep.More More Steamers. — Captain H. Creer, of ;he Clarence and Richmond River Steam Navigation Company, is en route for England :-y the Cotopaxi, in order to superintend, the building of two new steamers for the New South Wales river and coast trade. Mail from Port Darwin.— The AssistantSuperintendent of Telegraphs informs ns that ;he Eastern & Australian Company's steamer Pannadice will leave Port Darwin for Port Adelaide on January 4, the mails closing at ;he former place at 4 p.m. Benefit to Mrs. Massey.— A matine'e performance was given in the Theatre Royal on Saturday afternoon in aid of the widow of ;he late Charles Massey, who was for some iime scenic painter at the Theatre. There ivas a very fair attendance. The programme ivas a varied and well-chosen one, the first item being the charming comedietta the :| Winning Hazard,' in which the Misses Ellis and Raymond and Messrs. Lawrence, Musgrave, and Jerdan took part. Thi3 was Followed by selections by the Military Band, ? after which Miss Ward gave with much jffect the recitation ' The Little Hero.' Mr. EL Douglas then sang 'The Death of Nelson' with considerable verve. He was Followed by the members of the Hudson's Surprise Party, who gave musical and vocal selections and negro absurdities, for which they were deservedly applauded, the entertainment concluding with the masquerade3cene from the ' Corsican Brothers.' Theperformance was a thorough success, and credit is due to those who took part in it for their clever acting and singing. Beaconsfield Chambers. — These chambers have been built for Messrs. Frearson, Brother, and Bonnin. The main entrance is in the centre of the ground floor, and leads to offices at the back, and to the staircase up to the offices on the first floor. On the north of this entrance is a shop to be occupied by Messrs. Main & Geyer, chemists, with a dispensary and store at the rear. On the south are two shops, one of them occupying the whole depth of the site, with the usual yard accommoda-tion at the rear. Cellarage accommodation is provided under the whole building, 7 ft. 6 in. clear in height, lit at front and back by semi-prismatic lights, and by light and air shafts in the centre. Access is gained to them from the front under the principal stair, and also at the back. The first floor is divided into thirteen fine well -lit offices, with windows facing front and back, and looking into light courts. In the centre and at the back is a lavatory. All the rooms are thoroughly ventilated and provided with iron safes built into the walling. The second floor is gained by a continuation of the main staircase, and is at present undivided. It is well lit and ventilated, and has an entrance for goods at the back, with derricks, &c, for hoisting. The building is Italian in style, and is built of brick and stone, the front being of freestone, with Portland cement dressings. The shop fronts are of cedar. The architects are Messrs. Wright & Reed, and the contractor Mr. C. Farr. Suicide by Drowning.— On Saturday morning, December 31, the City Coroner continued the inquest on the body of the woman who was found drowned in a waterhole in the Botanical Gardens on December 27. The evidence showed that the deceased's name was Mary Crisp, and that she left the Adelaide Gaol very despondent on December 22, ifter serving one month's imprisonment for larceny. She was next discovered in a pond in the Gardens opposite the Victoria House in about three feet of water, with a bag and i large stone around her neck. Dr. Horton, who made a post-mortem examination of the body, said the cause of death was asphyxia From drowning. The Jury returned a verdict af suicide by drowning. Traffic Inspector.— The Gawkr Standard states :— ' Mr. J. B. McNeil, Traffic Manager it the Adelaide Railway Station, has been appointed Traffic Inspector, which position bad been rendered vacant through the resigaation of Mr. E. Saint, who is so well liked in Gawler.' Fire in Carrington-street.— In consequence of a report from the police, the City Coroner made enquiries on Saturday afteruoon touching the origin of a small fire in one of Mr. McNamara'8 cottages in Carringtonstreet east. It.appears that Mr. McNamara had given one of his tenants notice to quit about the 24th, that a Miss O'Connor had in consequence used some threatening language, and that on the afternoon of the 27th the next house was found to be on fire in the front window, where there was a broken pane of glass, and occupied by a. respectable couple. . Fortunately the. wife entered the room and gave the alarm in time to check the progress of the flames. As very little damage was done, and the Coroner not thinking there was sufficient evidence to work upon, he did not consider it necessary to hold an inquest unless further information, can be elicited by the police. Serenade.— On Saturday evening, shortly after 10 o'clock, the members of the Military Band proceeded to Trinity-street, College Town, to the residence of the ColonelCommandant of the Volunteer Force, and played ? 'The Song of Australia,' 'Auld Lang Syne,' and the National Anthem. Colonel Downes came out, and after expressing his pleasure at this mark of their attention, invited them all inside. After this the band proceeded to Kensington, to the residence of His Worship the Mayor of Adelaide, and paid him a like compliment, and were similarly treated. The band then returned to town, and were in time to perform a selection of pieces at the Town Hall in honour of 1882. Development of the Territory.— The Northern Territory Times of December 10 states : — ' Private advices from Adelaide by the Tambora state that a Company, called the North Australian Company, has been formed in that city by a few gentlemen, acting in conjunction with European capitalists, who believe that the Territory offers a legitimate and profitable field for the judicious investment of capital in mining, agricultural, and pastoral ventures. The shareholders have nominated one of their number (Mr. Thomas Harry, who arrived here by the Tambora) to inspect and report upon the resources of the country. Mr. Harry informs us that he proposes to proceed to Hongkong and thence to London, after spending a few weeks in the Territory. One very good feature in connection with the Company is that some of its most prominent shareholders have resided in the country for years, and are well acquainted with its great capabilities. The present Government appears very anxious to do all in its power to further the interests of the Territory, and will no doubt make such arrangements as will facilitate the Company's projecte.'