St Leonards Assembly Rooms, which on such occasions is a veritable palace of enchantment. Should these amusements not have sufficed, we take another round, commencing on Saturday at the Music Hall, where for the last time, Pepper's Ghost gets the Artist in a fix. Then on Monday, if our taste lead us that way, we can join the social tea and talk of the St. Leonards Wesleyans at their schoolroom in Shepherd street. On the Tuesday, if we are privileged, we can enjoy the delight of a charade and ball at 84 Marina. Then, on the morro - and still on the morrow we may attend the levees of General Tom Thumb at the Market sale. During three days and thrice each day these levees are held, and on each occasion the lilliputian general exhibits his little wife and daughter and the magnificent jewels presented by the crowned heads of Europe. These and other pastimes are those which served the healthy population of Hastings and St Leonard during the Christmastide of 1864.
A Local Divorce Case
In the Divorce Court on Wednesday the 15th of June, the suit of Turner v. Turner and Garde, was tried, when the Queens Advocate and Dr Spinks appeared for the petitioner, Dr. Wambey for the respondent, and Mr Day (or Dale) for the co-respondent. The London papers in reporting the case appeared to have fallen into some errors with respect to dates, and to be otherwise conflicting in several of their statements. The facts were briefly these:-
The petitioner, Dr. Turner, who was in professional practice at St Leonards and who had been married some seven or eight years sought a legal separation from his wife on the ground of illicit intercourse between the latter and a Mr. Garde, a gentleman who had once been at the Irish Bar, but who had more recently resided at St. Leonards as a tutor of young gentlemmen, and had also been a patient of Dr. Turner. The improper conduct of the respondent was alleged to have taken place first at Hastings, and afterwards at Guildford, the evidences of witnesses being taken as proof thereof. The attested deposition of the respondents father was also handed in he having been examined abroad under a commission, as to the respondents confession of guilt. This attestation was, no doubt, painful to a parents feelings, but it appeared to be neccessary to complete the evidence in support of the petitioner's claim for separation. The father, H.Selmes, Esq. had been a respected resident of St Leonards, and had supported its institutions. At the close of the examination, the court declared in favour of the petitioner but as affecting the co-respondent, reserved the question of costs for a future decision.
Public Entertainments
Overland Route to India was shown in an exhibition of dissolving views which was given in the Alfred street Reading room, together with a descriptive lecture.
A Shakesperian Reading was given in the St. Leonards Assembly Room on the 24th of November by Mrs. Fanny Hemble. Hamlet was the subject of -
