THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR o'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1877.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2502, 12 January 1877, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR o'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1877.

The Hon. Mr Whitaker has said in a telegram that the gold duty raised within the Borough will be handed over to the County Council to keep the Big Pump going, should the County come to terms to take over the pumping works. Our readers will not have forgotten that in the new legislation providing for the change of government nothing was said as to how the gold duty raised within the Borough should be disposed of. This was manifestly an oversight, as we cannot conceive it was ever intended that special revenue like the gold duty, raised in the Borough, • should be handed over to any body other than the Borough Council. Indeed we were told, when we urged the repeal of the gold duty, that we ought to be reconciled to its continuance, as the Government would regard it as local rates to be expended by the local governing bodies of the districts within which such revenue was raised. Now we are startled with the positive statement that the gold duty raised within the Borough will be handed over to the County, to be expended on a work within the Borough over which the Borough Council will have no control, and in the expenditure of which money the Borough will not have the slightest say. At this stage of the negotiations for placing the Pumping Association Works on a satisfactory basis we would not say one word to hinder the work ; but in the interest of the Borough, and before a flagrant injustice has been perpetrated beyond remedy, we' protest against the arrangement as proposed. We do not believe the Government ever contemplated diverting the Borough's portion of the gold duty, and the omission of any provision for handing over such duty to the Borough must, we should say, have been an oversight—one, of those unfortunate inadvertencies which were too frequent during the late session of Parliament, at the tail end of which some of the mos.t important measures were rushed through with a haste that has entailed a host of errors which will yet cause confusion and possibly result in injustice.' What we protest against is the promise to hand over a portion of the Borough's revenue without giving the Borough Conncil any voice in its expenditure. We maintain that the Borough should have been asked to take over the Big Pump. If the offer had been refused, then there would.have been some reason in offering it to the County. It is not top late, however, for the Borough Councillors and Burgesses to protest against the proposed diversion of their gold duty, and if they allow the transfer of the pump to take place on the terms mentioned without protest, it will be their own fault, because the result will be that property owners will have to tax themselves to maintain roads for goldfields Jtraffic while the- County Council will control the expenditure of the duty raised from the works necessitating the traffic. We could say much more on thifi subject but our time is limited for this issue, and our readers can see the reports of the conference in another part of this day's paper. We offer no objection to the amalgamation iof the Borough and County : that may be brought about in time; but it certainly is not likely to be accelerated by such an injustice at the outset. To enrich the County at the expense of the Borough will be to raise an antagonism which will be fatal to the scheme of amalgamation, instead of bringing it about as some Councillors imagine.

Theeb was a clean sheet at the Eesident Magistrate's Court this morning. At a meeting of the householders in the Waiotahi School District held to-day, the late committee were re-elected. Our report of the proceedings will appear tomorrow. By pigeon message received by us from Owharoa this afternoon we learn that the crushings for the Smile of Fortune and Morning Light Companies are shaping for payable returns. The new reef struck in 'the crosscut of the Welcome Company is also looking very promising. ' It will be seen by advertisement that Mr John Leydon has altered the time of sale from the 18th of January to the 17th at 2 o'clock, to enable persons desirous of attending the Ohinemuri cattle sale a chance at both. Mr John Flett is busy erecting substantial stock-yards for Mr John Leydon to hold his fortnightly sales in. The Secretary to the Post Office announces in the Gazette that the postage on book packets and pattern parcels, whether posted for transmission within New Zealand or to foreign countries, will, on and after the Ist of January, 1877, progress at one uniform rate for every two ounces after the first two ounces, instead of for every four ounces, as heretofore. The installation of the officers of Lodge Coromandel, No. 456, 1.C., took place under a special dispensation on the evening of the sth inst. Past Master Leers, from Auckland, was present, and conducted the installation services. Tbe following were the officers installed: — E. W. Basley, W.M.; T. Warner, S.W.; E. Wilson, J.W.; C. Fraser, Treasurer; H. Picket, Secretary; A. King. SiD.; A. Kelso, J.D.; Organist, F. Woodward; H. Macdonald, 1.G.; C. Coglan, Tyler. After the ceremony of installation the brethren adjourned to a banquet at which over 50 brethren sat down. An English paper writes : —" A very sensible proposal is being urged upon cricketers, namely, to increase the number of balls delivered before an over takes i place. It is a loss of time, and renders

the game dreary to spectators, especially as cricketers move oft" to their respective places in such a lethargic way as to infect the mind of the looker-on with something of the same all-forlorn spirit. TJio controversy might be settled by Jetting the two bowlers bowl each four balls from one end ot the wicket. There would be no extra fatigue for the bowlers, and less time lost in changing the position of the Held."

We (Otago Guardian) understand that judges' associates throughout the Colony are in future to merely act as private secretaries, and not sit in Court as heretofore. The .registrars are to sit with the judges.

Two amusing anecdotes are related of the Prince of Wales by the Edinburgh correspondent of the Otago Daily Times, the events having happened during the deerstalking expeditions while he was the Duke of Sutherland's guest at Dunrobin. In the first instance the Prince was passing through the forest, when he came near the house of a crofter, who ran up to him, saluted him as "my darling Prince," and insisted on his coming in to see the wife and children. As soon as the Prince entered the house the man produced the inevitable whisky bottle, and poured out a glass for the Prince, who merely tasted it. The crofter was by no means satisfied with this, and strenuously pressed his Boyal Highness to finish the glass, meeting a royal remark that it was strong, with the rejoinder—'• Oh, yes, she'll be strong, and she'll be good too; no like yon nasty weak stuff you'll be getting in the South." Of course, after this the Prince had to take a good dram, after which he was permitted to depart, bearing with him the exuberant blessings of the crofter and his wife. The second instance is to the effect that, the Prince gare a cigar to an old man while out deeratalking. The recipient, not knowing what a cigar Was, eat part of it, but flung the rest away in disgust, exclaiming—" She'll no like ta French meat at all!"

The representatives of the Auckland Fire Brigade at the Brigades Demonstration in Dunedin returned to Auckland the other day, and on Wednesday night they were treated to a supper at the engine shed. His "Worship the Mayor and several insurance agents were present, and complimentary tcasts and speeches were given and made. The men comprising the Auckland team speak highly of the treatment they experienced in the South. •

The Wellington Argus gives the following relative to the late Sir Donald McLean :—"He came out to this colony in 1839 as a stripling of nineteen or twenty. He had little to depend upon save his stout heart and willing hands. First he worked on board of a coasting vessel, and after a time became the skipper of a little schooner which traded between Auckland and what is now known as the Thames district. The vessel carried supplies to the natives, and Mr M'Lean, through his dealings with them, became throughly familiar with their language and customs.''

The following notice was published in the New Zealand Gazette :—There being reason to believe that merchants, storekeepers, and others frequently render themselves liable to penalties under section 95 of "The Stamp Act, 1875," owing probably to a misapprehension of the provisions of section 94, which defines the term "receipt," the public is hereby informed that whenever any acknowledgment (signed or not signed) of any sum of two pounds and upwards is made, whether such acknowledgment be for cash received or by contra account, whether for a billof exchange or promissory note, or on final settlement of a debt amounting to two pounds and upwards paid by instalments of sums under two pounds, and whether such acknowledgment take the form of an ordinary receipt, or merely that of an entry in cash book, ledger, or other book, or of any other form whatsoever which signifies or imports any such acknowledgment, a stamp of the value of one penny should be affixed and duly cancelled. Every person who writes or signs, or causes to be written or signed, any such receipt or acknowledgment, unless the same be duly stamped, is liable to a penalty of ten pounds; and a like penalty is imposed upon every person who refuses to give a duly stamped receipt, or who gives a receipt for an amount less than that paid, or who separates or divides the amount paid, with intent to evade the duty.

The following is the allocation of the respective portfolios in the Ministry as reconstructed :—Tke Hon. Harry Albert Atkinson, Premier and Colonial Treasurer ; the Hon. Daniel Pollen, Colonial Secretary and Native Minister; the Hon. Frederick' Whitaker, Attorney-General; the Hon. John Davis Orinond, Minister of Public Works; the Hon. Charles Christopher Bowen, Minister of Justice and Commissioner of Stamp Duties ; the Hon. Donald Keid, Secretary for Crown Lands, and Minister of Immigration; the Hon. George McLean, Commissioner of Customs, Postmaster-General, and Commissioner of Telegraphs.—Herald.