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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1913, 19 February 1875, Page 2

The nomination of auditors and assessors for the Borough of Thames for the ensuing year took place to-day, in Urms of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1867. Tht'persons nominated for auditors were Messrs Dennis Gilmore Maedonnell, Darid Philp, Edward Thoaus Wildman, Alexander Hirnio and JBeoi y Jtmw Lee.

The Hoh. Dr ■. Pollen catno down from Ohinemuri in the steamer Alert to-day. Sir Donald McLean, we learr, will return by the Luna, he having stayed behind to further smooth matters (in case of necessity) with the Maories after signing of the agreement.

We understand that the arrangement wo mentioned come dajs »ince as haying betn decided upon for the over»ight of the Ohincmuri goldfield will bo carried out. Captain Eraser will proceed thither in time for the proclamation, as Warden and Resident Magistrate, and Mr A. J. Allom will also go up as Mining Registrar and Receiver of Goldflelds Revenue.

Tax usual fortnightly meeting of the Thames Borough Council was to hare been held laßt night, At the regular hour —seven o'clock—Councillors assembled, but it was decided to postpone the meeting out of respect for the memory of His Honor the late Super* intendent. There was no business of a pressing nature to be transacted, the wages sheet being the only matter calling for immediate attention.

It is, we are informed, the intention of a number of gent'emen to get up a compliment tary dinner to James Mackay, junior, Esq., for his exertions in forwardiug the opening of Ohinemuri, and also as some slight recognition of his sarviees in various ways in promoting the welfare of this "■ district. Wei can only say that if it will be any gratification to Mr Mackay to be entertained at dinner by his fellow colonists, he certainly deserves such ft compliment, and we should be happy to assist at such a gathering.

We are authorised to state that the Luna will be placed at the lerrice of those wishing to proceed to Auckland to attend the funeral of the late Superintendent, should if be found possible for her to be down in time. In all probability the Luna will lea*e Ohinemuri with this evening's tide, and arrive here tomorrow morning; when she will proceed U Auckland and take persons as above stated if in time.

It will be noticed that the paddle steamer Enterprise will make a special trip to Auckland to-morrow^leairing Grahamstown Wharf at eight oclock, and returning from Auckland at four oclock on Sunday. This will afford an excellent opportunity for persons who wish to be precent at the funeral of the late Superintendent.

Tub Melbourne correspondent of the Ballarat Minor says:—Sullivan still remains an inmate of the Melbourne Gaol, but there is no doubt in illegal custody. If an application were made to release him on habeas it would certainly result in his discharge. He could, of course,, be re-arrested, and sentenced to imprisonment, or sent about his business. At present the law is held in suspense intelation to him, and the authorities are fairly puzzled to get out of the ; difficulty Ihey hare created for themselves. * )

A eecent article in the San Francisco News Letter, on the South Sea Island scheme, concludes: thus :—lt is plain that the com* pany wish to make New Zealand the Emporium of the Pacific, and our merchant* may before long find a powerful competitor for even the trade of the Sandwich Islands. That it is an eminently wise schenw, wo are ready to assert. It is only second in importance to the great railroad and immigration policy by which Mr Togel is-fyefc making a nation of "Stir Zealand. With jtocurate knowledge and a clear appreciation of I,What we aro writing about, we hare little hesitation in saying that no part of the British colonial possessions is to day blessed with. ,a "more far-sighted statesmanship than that long displayed by the very remarkable man who, by this scheme, proposes to acquire the.com: mercial supremacy of the SoutfcPaeifi v ? • We are informed tha ; t a.pwfl^;Jof miners hare recently been getting y^t^it^nwa%^ alluvial gold on one of tb^/I^^RhM^f, Ifjp Toirua Creek, ard that tho^indift^n|^>Te so encouraging that the party wnTw^piT^ for the attractions of Ohinemuri. 'Tstoj|r»*£ua is, we believe, included' in the .distriefci over which the Government have obtained control by purchase.

It is rather hard (says the Manchester Times) on tbe Freemasons to hare theit secret brotherhood, which it generally supposed to be founded on principles of and sociality, mixed up with euch horrors as those which are laid to have befallen an English member of the craft for violating some of the secrets of the lower grades. This persox, we are told, was punished in accordance with the terms of the Masonic oath by being branded with hot irons and then murdered, his body being hung up in the Grand Lodge, Londoa, during the admiision of a new brother. This is the story quoted by Archbishop Manning's secretary, on the authority of Primate Des* champs, of Belgium, and. the object of telling it, of course, is to show cause why the. Roman Church should maintain her hostility to a society which could practise such a barbarity. The mention of the story does not remain long unnoticed, for, in Thursday's Times, " Aiefr Grand Warden" comes forward to assure us that the Grand Lodge records of England contain no referenco to such a deed, and, as the year in which it it said to have been committed is mentioned, 1736, he is enabled to giro the names of those who must hare been present at the time, most of them noblemen, and not any of them likely to take " part in tho Tery disagreeable proceedings to which the recusant brother is said to hare been subjected." If there is any provision made for branding and searing and killing at all, " Past Grand Warden" gives us to understand that this portion of the ceremony is always "judiciously omitted." Freemasonry, we may be sure, if it ever did leek to possess men's minds by such silly terrors; must know well enough their value at tho present day: nor will the society suffer much by having bogus stories *uch as the above circulated about its doings. - •