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Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1850, 7 December 1874, Page 2

- THI B«y. E. S. Hasiard preached at St. George's Church yesterday morning and craning. In the evening the rev. gentleman gave a Tery able and impressive serraon, taking hit text from the 13 chapter of Mark 13th v«r*e, "No'hing but leares." Heolao addressed the children of St. George's Sunday Schorl in the afternoon at three o'clock. A number of the parents and friends of scholars attended.

Wb publish no sharemarkefc quotations today. There were none to publish; It is preturned that the Association have become tired of quoting the value put upon stock by sellers, and buyers, without being able tq record a •ingle sale. This looks ominous for the Exchange. Other pursuits should b<? mow prof table {han booking just now. A little hard Work, it. might almost be fancied, would be preferable to some—certainly more profitable. The Thames Naval Brigade fired for the prize cup on Saturday. Seaman Nelson was the successful competitor, making a score of 65 points. At the Wesleyan Church, Grahamstown, yesterday the anniversary sermons of the Church were preached by the Key. A. Heed, •f Auckland. Tho attendance at both services was large, collections being made on behalf of Ib* trust fund of the Church. A Niw Ziaiakd Gazetib published on November 26th contains a comparative return of the number and value of telegrams forwarded over the New Zealand lines for the quarters ended 30th September, 1873 and 1874. Ok Saturday, w« noticed that the steam launch designed by Mr Segar bad been removed from the cradle on to tha hard near the goods wharf. When the tide rose, at about 4 o'clock or a little afier, the boat was Honied, and the result proved as satisfactory as could hove been wished. She rode like a »wan upon the water, and her graceful outlines were rendered BtilL more noticeable by her being in the water. The boat was taken to Bhortland for the purpose of completing her ■ as regards decking and other fittiDgs.

Thebk aro many circumstances which render the position of a responsible officer of police anything but enviable. He is, so to epeak, a castigator of the erring aide of human life. He ia often therefore regarded by the erring ones ss a "deadly enemy and inveterate persecutor of them, when he is eimply discharging one of the duties of society which more than any other is requisite to keep sdciety in its propo? condition, physically and morally. "Therefore, th« head officer of polica is unfortunate. At the R.M. Court this morning, Mr Sub-Inspector Bullen had to do violence to the feelings of a prisoner by asserting that he could rot recommend the man to leniency. The man was sentenced to be imprisoned for a month in consequence, and as be was going away, he cast a look at the Sub • Inspector, which, had he been possessed of the power of Faust, would havo shrivelled up that gentleman to cinders. It is two to one that that man will carry to the grave an unquenchable abhorrenoo of the official who witnessed to his fault.

' Ay excellent moral lesson was given practically in the B.M. Court this morning. A n.an named William Wilkinson, who appears to be a slaro to drijk, was charged with having used obscene language in the street, and lje was fined £5, with the alternative, which he accepted, of undergoing one month's imprisonment. Thi« will doubtless prove a wholesome lesson to Mr Wilkinson, and it is to be hoped others of his class, with whom all manner of depravity seems to be looked upon as the vital necessity for the proper enjoyment of the earth. The Board of Education held their usual meeting on Thursday last. The appointment of Mr Brown as teacher of the Kauaemiga School was sanctioned. — A letter was read from Mr Cornee protesting against the treatment he had received from the Committee (Kauaeranga) The gecretary was instructed to acknowledge tho receipt.— A letter waa read, asking for an increase of salary for Mr F. Mason, at Shellback. The consideration of the matter was deferred until after the examination. —With reference to a grant for additional fittings to the Waiotahi Creek school, the secretary was requested to wri c for further information.—The Board having considered the question of establishing a High School at the Thames, decided to inform the Waiotahi, Kauaeranga, Tararu and Parawai committees that the Board have resolved to amalgamate the four districts with a viow to the election of a committee on the ISth init. The temporary appointment of Mr Nodder to the Kauaeranga school was sane tioned.

The Napier Telegraph b»j:~ One family of free immigrants by the Bebington had, among their luggage, a piano* Probably ib pays the colony better to give free passages to small capitalists than to persons -without »dj money at all, but it is not pleasing to think we are defraying th« cost of the emigration of people well able to pay for themselves. A qtiestiox having been raised whether the Disqualification Act of 1870 applied to Members of Assembly who are also Justices of the Peace, and who in the latter capacity sometimes act as coroner* and receive the statutory foe of £2 2s, tile late Minister of Justice, G. M. O'Eorke, Esq., submitted it to the Attorney General, whose opinion is as follows :—" I think that Justices acting as Coroners and taking the fee allowed by law are not disqualified. No profit is attached to I the office of Justice cf the Peace, and they are not appointed Coroners by the Governor; but by law, wis hout appointment, act as Coronerf.—J. Pbbndebo-ast."

The following letter appeared in a recent issue of the Otago Guardian on the transit of Venus:—"To the Editor. Sir, —For the benefit of those, apart from the ofliciallyappointedfltaffsof observers, who are anxious to ace the coming transit of Venus, it may be here stated that that event will take place oa th» Bth of the ensuing month. The present writer deems this statement necessary in consequence of its having been announced on more than o»e occasion in the public prints that Cite phenomenon will occur on the 9:h. Ihis announcement while, astronomically correct, requires a word of explanation to bring it within the limit of popular approciti'ion, and reconcile the two datas as referring to the same instant. The sidereal or astronomical day commences at high noon, while the commencement of the eiril day is calculated from 12 o'clock midnight:—First contact of the planet with tha solar disc will be observed at and around Dunedin within from 8 to 12 minutes past 12 o'clock jaqsn ; but, in consequence of the astronomical day (the9tb) having then begun, that date will 08 the recognised instant when, in scientific language, the transit will be said to have taken place. While the transit commences in New Zealand on the astronomical 9th, first contact will take place at Melbourne on tha astronomical Bth, the 9th not commencing there for something like 1 hour 40 minutes afterwards. la either case the transit will take place on the day popularly known as the Bth : in other word*, the day on which the nextissus of your paper bears date Bth will be the day on which those who wish to witness tho transit must look for it. — lam&c. J. B."

Thh Wakatip Mail is responsible for the following.—" A farmer, lmng mar Miller's Flat, had a daughter a little orer 13 jears of ago. The Chinese on the Big Beach, Shotorer, were purchasers of this farmer*! poultry, ducks, and pigs. Some of theao were delivered by the daughter referred to at their, huts. The farmer and his family afterwards removed,, from this district. About, two months ago the girl, who had gone to Southland, was confined of a half-caste child. We understand that the parents turned away their erriug daughter, and that she was afterwards btholden to the charity of the stranger for care and succour. The 'childlike and bland' putativu heathen father was worthy of the occasion. Ho said, bo we are informed, 'that the girl came after him teasing him and other fellow-Chinamen.' Of course, that is an improbable story, for the girl was of but tender year;, and going io school at the time. The allurement in this case was a set of jewtllery, which tha girl secreted when at home, but wore when away, out.of eight of her parents. This painfnl example ought to act as a caution to parents." An accident of a serious kind, but, fortunately*, not iesulting bo seriously as might have been, happened on Saturday afternoon' in Shortland. while the trap of Messrs Ballia was proceeding along Polisn street in the vicinity of the Bendigo Hotel, tho horse by some extraordinary effort managed to get one of his hind legs on the foot-board of the cart, and then, as was natural, commenced to floun-

der, nud perform Jmndrv feats of horse gymnastic?, the finale being a complicated somersault on to the footpath. The result of thia was to carry away tho veraudah post -in a second, and the horso reposed. He was goon rightocl again. Some feeling per ons who had collected were much horrified to discover that there were acme d«rk red stains upon the edge of the wooden footpath, and tender enquiries wera rcade for the driver. It; turned out, however, that- neither the driver nor hit horge had loft their goro there, kufc that it was some raspberry vinegar, a bottle of which had been spilled. . - The Auckland correspondent of the Hawke* s Bay Times writing on recent political events, thus refers to MrO'Rorke;—Mr Or. M. O'R«rke ho s joined tho Provincial Executive. He still holds the office nnd emoluments of the Speakcwbip. ,He fans been an ally of Mr Williamson's throughout nil his public career, and to that gentlcmnn ho owes, more than to any other M.G-.A., his elevation to th« Chairmanship of Committees, and doubtless much of his good fortune in politics. He is always a favourite with the Press, and always gets patted en the back by the wielders of tho mighty pen. But. he obtained hi» firet election by menus to few of our public men would care to resort. He hsd largo flaming placards circulated, calling oh his countrymen, as Irishmen, to rally round him and not be represented by any other than aw Irishmen! It was the most glaring cusa of the kind that I have any experience of in the Colony, and it proved successful, the constituency (one of the pensioner yiJlagfß) numbering a large proportion of eons f>f the Green Isle. It was a close contest 5, and won by a Tery narrow majority. . At the contest in 1869,, he retained the seat by the cast ing vote of the Keturning Officer-; and at the general election in 1870-71, he was fortunate enough to induce hit opponents to be quiet-, and had a walkover. Since that timo his seat has been deemed secure ogaimt all comers. He is one of the " heaven-born," having uninterruptedly been in receipt of public money since 1858. He has been a consistent supporter of his party throughout bis career, and has made very <ew political blunders. "Whether his abandonment of office last cession was one is not quite clear ; for, had there boon a change «f Ministry, as some folks anticipated, his friends would have endeavored to include him in the new Cabinet. Qknts' clothes cleaned, dyed and pressed. Gents' light suits cleaned, 53. IST.B.—In future all goods and orders will* only be received at the Thames Dyeing Establishment, Eolleeton street, Shnrtland.