The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1874.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1851, 8 December 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1874.

We learn from Mr Aitkin, Dispenser at the j Thames Hospital, that the two men who met with accident* yesterday are both doing well. It appears that Fletcher who was hart in the XJral mine sustained a compound fracture of I the leg, besides the severe bruises caused by j the fall of the body of stone. Ik the letter which we published yesterday from the Otago Guardian on the transit of Venue, the writer appears to have made a mistake, which he corrects in the following, published in a subsequent issue of the Guardian :—-Sir,—Oa revising the calculation upon which the statement contained in my letter of yesterday was baßecl, relative to the day and hour on which the transit of Venus would take place, I find that I hare fallen into an error. The transit will take place on the 9th, reckoned by civil time, and not on theßtb. I also find that first contact will take place in the longitude of Port Chalmers close upon 10 minutes past lpm. Apologising for nay mistake, I am, 4c, J.B. i A cobbbsfondknt of the Gippsland Mercury says sweetbriar is threatening to be • greater scourge than thistles in the country between Holey Plains and Bosedale. ■j^Tra Grahamrtown contingent of the Borough Fire Brigade met for wet practice last evening, at the shed, Queen street. There was a very large attendance of the Brigade, under Superintendent S. Young and Captain Wright. The various plugs were tried, and answered satisfactorily. The new well, being constructed to the order of the Council in Abraham street, fast approaches completion, beiHg timbered inside. This wiU prove of great use in cast- of fire. The well' holds a large body of water, and with the aid of the pumping engine should supply a good powerful stream for a length of time. Amongst our exchanges from the South we discovered a paper addressed to a gentleman on the staff of a Napier contemporary, who is styled " manager, sub-editor, scissors hand" As the paper may be useiul to the factotum in the eoissprs department we have j repostedit. APboyikoiat. Government Gazette was published on Saturday. It contains schedule of pilotage rates for Port of Thames and rules and regulations for public ferries; statement of the account of the Province of Auckland for the quarter ended 30th September, 1874; and notices of times and places for holding sittings of the Native Lands Court. In the Eesident Magistrate's Court this morning, a pitiable, case of children being made acquainted with witness-box business might have been seen. A woman was charged with assaulting another, and her motherly instinct did not prevent her from bringing two little children—girls—into court to make them say what appeared very like well taught lessons, and to swear to all manner of foul language, which, had .been used against her by complainant. It was abhorrent to see' these mites lisping forth the foulest and most disgusting words ever framed by old depravity. With such heme influences what great results can be achieved by crowded Government schools.

It seems that the difficulty presented by the grasping dispotition of old Bewai ia the way of cuttirig a road through the Parawai Hill to the settlement has not yet been overcome. Mr Spencer, Chairman of the Parawai Board, said at the meeting last evening that it was purposed to bring the matter before the Native Minister on his visiting the Thames. / . Ws have jo» thank Mr H. EL Wright, the local agent, for copies of the New Zealand Insurance Company's large card almanac, book ditto and office calendar for 1874* The former is the best specimen of the kind -which the company has yet published, and is alike creditable to Mr A. Hutchinson, del., and the establishment of Mr W.C. Wilson, printer. .