THE Thames Advertiser. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1874.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1778, 2 April 1874, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1874.

~* Our telegraphic news from England contains the Queen's speech on the ! opening of Parliament, the authoritative mauifesto of the new Conservative Government. Unquestionably, it is ! most lame and impotent, and it is easy to be seen that so soon as the flush of the Conservative reaction. has died away, a powerful opposition to the ! Government will appear, having in it many of those who have assisted to place Mr. Disraeli in power. On several of the questions which have lately been prominent, such as that of Education, Mr. Disraeli is silent, and he promises royal commissions and bills on topics of secondary importance. A telegram informs us that Mr. Disraeli intends shortly to release the Fenian prisoners. This is his method of gaining the Irish vote. Mr. Disraeli stimulated the Conservative reaction against Mr. Gladstone's Government by accusiug that statesman of a desire , to iavour Popery, and he found the "Protestant cry" exceedingly useful. Mr. Gladstone, however, though disposed to do what he considered justice to the Irish Catholics," declined to interfere with t the sentences of those men who had foolishly and wickedly broken the law, but Mr Disraeli wants to be generous if he cannot be just. Mr. Butt, the head of the Home Rulers, has taken the sense of the House of Commons on that most extravagant proposal, with the result of being left in a hopeless minority. Mr. Butt boldly raised the question on the address in reply to the Queen's speech, - -miu-niuoir uave"Deen~prepared-far-tinr defeat he met with. Wool still keeps up, although there are symptoms of a decline at hand. The money market is said to be tightening, and we are afraid that England cannot be expected to lend so freely for some time as she has done during the last two years. The ' City of Melbourne,' from San Francisco, materially adds to the English news we received yesterday by the' Claud Hamilton.' It would seem that the Tichborne case is not done yet, for Dr. Kenealy means to apply for a new trial, and if it is not granted will .appeal to the House of Lords. That Dr. Livingstone has perished seems now to be unquestionable, for it is stated that his remains were to arrive at Zanzibar on the 20fch February, and an expedition is to proceed to the interior to recover his papers. The others items of are full of, interest, as they comprise battles, riots, fires, insurrections, accidents by flood and field. . Owing to pressure of English and American telegraphic news, we are compelled to hold over several local items, ■ A portion of the English and American mails, per' City of Melbourne,' to hand yesterday, may be expected at the Thames this morning per 'Enterprise,' but in consequence of the mails not arriving ia charge of an agent some days many elapse before the whole is received. In reference to a paragraph which appeared in our issue of yesterday respecting the use of certain trucks by the Bird-in-Hand mine, wc have been requested to "state that the motives attributed for the withdrawal of the privilegeare totally unfounded. Mr J. A. Brown, who has been assistant teacher at the Thames.i School for the last month, takes charge of the Shellback school to-day. Mr Comes, lately of the Shellback school, took charge of .the Kauwaeranga school yesterday.i ~,-.--■-.-. - . : - , < ■■■ -•"--■ ■" ' The schooner 'Ocean,' Captain Moeller,'"arrived from Whangarei yesterday,, with a cargo of forty-eight tons of coal for the Pumping Association. This coal is taken out of the seam opened a good many years ago, but which has been for a long time unworked. The workings have been re-opened by Mr Fairbairn, formerly of the Thames, and party. The coal was tested yesterday in the ' Crown' on her down trip from Auckland, but the, trial was ' not very successful,; it having been found' difficult to get up 'the steam required. A parcel 'of tho Whangarei coal was tried here a short time after tho .opening of the field, and it was then pronounced to be inferior to the Bay of Islands coal.. Some; thing,'however, may be done by adapting furnaces to m ike the coal, useful, and the quality may improve as it is worked. The whole of the cargo of the 'Ocean'is to be taken by the Pumping Association, at which it will have a fab; trial. , ~ ; Amectipg of the Royal Commissioners appointed to inquire into the late aoojdent at the Kuranui, &c, met again : yesterday'at the Government Buildings,''Ofahamstown, when Messrs 0. Ellis, W. Siins, .A. Dewar, H. A. Severn, Captain Fraser, >and Captain Ninnis were examined. ' •j. The eleyen' to play in the oricket match on Friday contains ' the following players :— Robinson, Bellers, Lankhatu'r. Steodman, Crawford, Whitford, Hulme,'Crump, Schofield, Higginson, Pullcine or-Logan.-'The twenty-two will be chosen today; { This| match is causing some interest in cricketing cire'es, as both teams think they can win._■!> The game : is to be played in the Parawai Gardens. Wickets to be pitched by 11 a, m. '~-'.'. The Provincial Government; of Taranaki have offered a reward of £1,000 for the discovery of a payable goldfield witbinUhe province, to be paid when theJrst shall have been espoikd.. I

Auckland harbour was yesterday graced with the presence of two of the Anglo-American mail steamers, which put in an appearance withiu a few hours of each other. The s.s. ' Mongol' arrived without the mails having left Kandavu before the connecting steamer, the 'City of Melbourne,' put in an appearance from Honolulu, The latter vessel, however, arrived at Kandavu 19 hours after the ' Mongol' had sailed for Micklaud, and the captain at once determined upon following her up instead of going on to Sydney direct, The result was that she reached Auckland only, a few hours after the' Mongol,' having made a quick, run of three days 22 hours from Kandavu, We understand that the petition to his. Honor the Superintendent for the removal of the Resident Magistrate's Court to Urahamstown is being numerously signed. The petition will be presented to his lioaor immediately on hiß return from Wellington. A very agreeable day's sports is to be the chief attraction of the Eaßter holidays at the Thames. These are to come off on the Parawai . grounds, on Easter Monday. The programme ; includes three horse-races, for which good I prizes are offered, besides several foot-races and other events. We learn that Mr Hose, of the Thames Hotel, has purchased the right to vend refreshments in the pavilion on the occasion. We observe that an energetic lot of stewards have undertaken the carrying out of thej'day's tports to a successful issue, and we have no doubt there will be a large attsndanoe on the ground, A "Fishy Joke" was perpetrated on the unsuspecting burgesses of the Thames yesterday, that during one period of the day assumed the dignified proportions of a municipal election. The report that a new species of crayfish had been captured at the Miranda, and secured by Mr Severn in the pond at the Bank of New Zealand, drew crowds to see the remarkable stranger from the " briny deep." The wellknown curious propenbities of Mr Severn.lent such a colour of truth to the deception that even the most wary were taken in by the great see "gull." Borough councillors, boiler coinmissioncrs, mine managers and inspectors, reporters (note book in 'hand), butcher.", bakers, undertakers—in fact, everybody came, saw, and were sold like bullocks in Smitkfieid. Staid and scientific gentlomen grave as churchwardens, would drop on their kueca, aud peer (through a powerful lens provided for the occasion) into the depths of the pond with the assiduity of _ antiquaries'till the peal of laughter with the voice of a thunderbolt struck them all of aheap,;with the reflection that it was All Fools' day. The gullibility of an active agent of a metropolitan contemporary bad actually determined the sex of the invisible by discovering the presence of spawn, but this turned out to be merely a drop of sealing-wax, Tnis fussy fellow retired a sadder and a wiser fool. The enterprising agent of our local railway, and steamboat had also a "go in" for the curiosity. After several ineffectual attempts to stir it up with a long pole, he app'arod iuclined to take a header, but restrained his desiroto "stope out" the fish, when he saw the unsuccessful efforts of the by-stauders to maintain their equilibrium. Another gentleman is said to have gone fly-catching for the purpose of inveigling the supposed occupant of the pond into daylight by means of this tempting baitso the joke went round. The last we heard of it was a torch-light procession to view the critter by moonlight. "Enquirer"' writes:—"To the Editor.— Sir, —I should be much obliged to the Kev. Mr Lush if he will answer the following questions ? [ Wheie he got his information that St. Peter spent the day (that we now observe as Good Friday) at the foot of the Cross ? Where are we commanded to keep Good Friday more sacred than any other day? Is there not more harm in disturbing the i>abbath by parading the street with music, to the very great annoyance -afLatflAE-ralifjiaua- on-pack occasions they are generally behind the appointed time for service, and leave the church again before others. Had Mr Lush outside his church he would have seen a large number of young persons, with several 1 members of the band, loafing about the strest during service, and I may say in close proximity to a public-house." A wealthy Victorian squatter who desired to hwe some control over a metropolitan "organ " has had to pay rather heavily for ■ his. hobby. He was sued the other day for various debts due by the Melbourne Express, and Xoim and Country, and during the progress of the case, the defendant, Mr Donall Cameron, admitted that he had been registered as one of the proprietors without his knowledge; that he did not object when he discovered the fact, Mr Hughes, who started the paper, was his brother-in-law. Ha advanced Mr Hughes £13,"00 during the progress of the paper, all of which was lost The Judge gave a verdict against him, aud he will therefore have to pay the entire debts. , The census returns for Auckland just completed, so far as received from the enumerator, show the following items: —Waikato ■ district: 1874. 4,585; 1871, 3,274.' Newton: -1874, 4,847; 1871, 3,957. 'City East: 1874, 4,082: 1872, 4,079. Waitemata: 1874, 2 281; .1871, 2,450. Onehunga: 1874, 2,084; 1871,1,889. Showing a total increase in the districts named of 2,230. ■ .':•,- • A meeting was held.last night at the Drill Shed, for the purpose of making arrangements for the reception of the representatives on their return from Napier. Captain Featon occupied; the chair, and in introducing the business of the meeting, said it bad been called at'the request of a number of Volunteer officers;' It was not intended to have a costly dinner, but it had ■ been proposed that a luncheon might be given; which would be within the reach of all. If the present meeting did not decide definitely, the whole affair would lapse in consequence, of the short time in which to make other arrangements, If that was so, it.,.would be a disgrace to the Volunteers of Auckland,' as the representatives would bring the two ohampion belts with them. The steamer was expected to arrive at Onehunga on ' hursday morning early, and Messrs Brogden had promised to put on a special train to bring the men to town.—After .. some discussion, it was proposed by Mr Cleeve, and seconded by Dr.J)awson,, V.That-. the represlntativeY be entertained at a" luncheon upon their arrival, and that a committee be appointed to carry out the same."—The motion ' was agreed to, and carried unanimously,— Cross, '■■■■'.::■ ..'.-".' We understand that the proprietors of the I Southern Cross' (s.s.) intond having an excursion trip to White Island, orWhakaari, the well-known active volcano, situated in the Bay of Plenty, about fifty miles east'of Taurauga, and we have no doubt but many parties will g'adly avail themselves of so good an opportu-, nity of visiting that wonderous sulphur manu- - factory which the traveller along the coast only sees' at a distance, enveloped in vapour. White Island contains an' area of nearly six hundred acres, and.the general form is that of a horse- - shoe rauge of bills enclosing on rather more than three sides a level area, in part occupied by the hot lakes, and in part by; the deposits from the hot springs which supply it. Dr. Sector, in 1870, Bhowcd that .the flat ocoupied by deposits "ha3,an extent of about thirty acres, and reaches an elevation of sixty feet above the sea. level, rising gradually to the in- •■ terjor of the island between the lake and the sea, and occupying two-thirds of the space within the.ainphitheatro. The portion of the space is occupied by a hot lake, the water of which is strongly aoid." The principal peaks of themountainrangeareMountCißborne, ■■*.- 863 feet high, and Mount Percival,; 815 feet high. The landing is generally effected on the south-west side of the island, whew boats, can be easily beached; and a gentle*incline leads <■,; the traveller to Lako Hope, which Lieutenant <l.k'. Edwin described, in 1868, as containing an area ;\-, ' of about thirteen acres and of ' v / 110 degrees. At the opposite end.of this lakv ';■ ■. but separated by a heavy wall of .deposits, the ~v '' volcanic action is going on, and mud and,water " ' are thrown up at intervals of a few minutes to a height of sixty to one hundred .feet. ■ We hope , > ;. good weather may favour the'; excursionists. "■; while visiting one ol'New Zealand's wOßdera,-*.-;' ■