THE BUBLIBHED DAILY AT FOUR o'OXOOK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1877.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2505, 16 January 1877, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1877.

We have to remark on a letter published in our columns of yesterday signed by "Observer," and speaking generally of the late Borough and County conference. In this letter he imputes motives—and bad motives too—to many people, chiefly to Mr Whitaker. Without professing to know what Mr Whitaker's motives, or any other. person?s motives really are, we must speak against those who seize on any idea that occurs to them, and if there be a shadow of ground for the accusation, immediately try and make out that a man is self-interested, and therefore committing a wrong action when he acts in a way he really deems best, both for himself and others. Surely " Observer" might be more, charitable in his notions, and instead of attempting to see all things in a bad light try and see some in a good one. If any one who has an interest at stake in any public concern is to be immediately accused of acting solely for bis own interest, then we fear that not many will consent to fill offices which involve censure on their actions, whether the same be deserved or not. The writer says that the Borough and County must be amalgamated at the dictum of Mr Whitaker because that gentleman has large interests in the mines in and around Tookey's Flat, and, further, proceeds to say that the business of the Council is to drain the surface of the earth and " not the centre." It is not likely that either Council, even if they amalgamate, will attempt to drain "the centre of the earth," but if " Observer " imagines that that centre is situated somewhere about 650 feet from the surface of Tookey's Flat, as his words seem to imply, he.;s either very much out in his reckoning, or else the generally accepted authorities on geography are ; we leave it to our readers to say which is the more likely to be wrong. Wje do not object to the opinions which " Observer " expresses on this subject. He is as much entitled to his ideas as we are to ours, but we do object to him, or any one else, imputing unworthy motives to any one whom, for aught he can know on the subject, is doing what he thinks is right, and striving to perform such duties as he was elected to carry out. The eleotions, the past elections that is, were, says "Observer," "controlled form Wellington." Can he point out instances P The idea is absurd. There is not the slightest ground for these sweeping assertions, and the sooner they cease to he made the better.

These were no cases brought on for hearing at the B.M. Court to-day.

The Water Supply Corporation were to have met yesterday evening in'the Borough Council Chambers, but as only Messrs Davies and Scott put in an appearance it was necessary to adjourn the meeting. The scanty attendance may be accounted for by the fact that several members were absent in Auckland, and that the evening was an exceedingly wet one.

We would call attention to Mr John Leydon's cattle sale at Parawai to-mor-row, commencing at 2 o'clock. Yards have been erected for Mr Leydon's sales, of which to-morrow will be the first, and Parawai should in every respect be a convenient situation for a cattle market.

Me E. Targett, who has on many occasions rendered good assistance to benefits got up in aid of charitable objects, will, to-night, be presented with one himself. The Queen's Minstrels are the tenderers of the same, and the programme they offer is a varied one and embraces the names of many well-known on the Thames for their success in affording amusements in their several ways. There are two parts to the programme, and after these a local farce will be performed. A dance, to which holders of front seat tickets will be admitted, will close the evening.

The Committee of the Dunedin Caledonian Sports lately disqualified a man named Eadie, who contested in the walking matches on the Ist and 2nd inst., for ever from competing at the Society's Sports, the groundß for so doing being the use of foul language on the course, and insulting language to the directors.

A beautifully illustrated address, which has been on view in the window of Mr Dann's shop for some days past, is to be presented to the Rev. James Hill by the brethren of Sir Walter Scott Lodge this evening at the ordinary meeting of the Lodge. The address reads as follows: —"Lodge Sir Walter Scott of Free and Accepted Masons, No. 533, Scottish Constitution. Bro.: the Eer. James Hill, Eight Worshipful Past Master. Eight Worshipful Sir,—We, the brethren of the Lodge Sir Walter Scott, take the opportunity of your retirement from the .office of Eight Worshipful Master, held by you for the past two years, to testify our high appreciation of the services rendered to this lodge and Masonry in general by the interest and ability displayed by you in the discharge of your duties. Trusting that you may be long spared to be an hanor to the Craft, and to instruct the brethren by your valuable lectures, we beg your acceptance of the accompanying testimonial.—- Signed on behalf of the Lodge, T. L. Mfbjuy, E.W.M.; E. Skebn, Secretary."— The illumination was done by Mr Arthur Morrow, ,of Auckland, and the framing by Mr Dann. Both are works of art, and creditable to the artists. The address has nothing florid about it, but the. lettering and coloring are very beautiful.

The following appears in the reports of the proceedings of the recent session of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars:— " PjttESENTATION TO BROTHER SPEIGHT.— A special eeseion of the Lodge was held at 7 p.m., for the purpose of making some recognition of the valuable services performed by the Past Grand Worthy Chief Templar, Brother Speight, during his

late term of office. Sister Collins (Taranaki), on behalf of the sister delegates, presented him with a beautifully-worked Grand Lodge regalia, which had been manufactured by them. In doing so, she referred to the high esteem in which he was held by the sisters of the Order. Brother Jenkins (Newmarket), on behalf of the brethren, then presented Bro. Speight with a purse of sovereigns. He also bore testimony to the kind consideration of the P.G-.W.C.T. in all matters which had been brought before him. Brother Speight, in replying, expressed himself both pleased and surprised. He had not expected to receive any present whatever, and he thought it a matter for wonder that he could have been kept in the dark.

The Illustrated New Zealand Herald is to hand. It contains a series of views in connection with the repairing of the Darwin and Banjoewangie cable, views of the Queensland Lakes, the English Cricketers, sketches in Japan, rescuing passengers from the steamer Otago, and some Australian scenery. There is.also a very well printed .colored supplement, entitled " Australian Pets." The number is a very good one, and should prove acceptable to subscribers.

The theatrical critic of the Licensed Victuallers' Gazette, writing on the 11th instant, says:—Mr and Mrs John Hall and Miss Laura Wiseman have been engaged by Mr Hoskins to appear again in Christchurch at the termination of Mr Emmett's engagement.

The other day we copied a paragraph from the Auckland Star having reference to the republication of "Old New Zealand" by Mr John Bently, and under the editorship of the Karl of Pembroke. The same authority now says that " the paragraph in question contained several blunders and was apparently written under a misconception of the' true circumstances. Between the Earl of Pembroke and Judge Manning the most friendly relations exist, and the re-publication of 'Old New Zealand,' "under the editorship of the Earl, was undertaken with the full concurrence and approval of Mr Manning, who gladly welcomed the publication of the work under .such influential auspices, and under the editorial supervision of one who was so well qualified by his experience in New Zealand, and his literary attainments to produce the book in a creditable form, and free from those typographical mistakes which too frequently disfigure the pages of books sent home for publication. So far from there being any misunderstanding between Judge Manning and the Earl of Pembroke, the latter wrote a very courteous letter to the author of ' Old New Zealand ' offering to undertake the sole risk of republishing the work, without any desire to reap pecuniary advantages from it, and after the publication of the new edition had been agreed upon, Mr Bently wrote offering to pay Mr Manning a royalty on the proceeds of the sale, which, however, the author declined to accept, having no merely pecuniary desires to satisfy by the undertaking, but simply the natural wish of an author to place his work, which was out of print, within the reach of home readers."

The present perhaps is a fitting time to dispose of, once and for all, the only charge against the official character of the late Sir Donald McLean worth taking notice of—one which, unjustly made, still lingers in the minds of many, and one theft we have heard occasionally cited against him—that he was the cause of the war which commenced in 1860. The charge implied against Sir Donald, then Mr McLean, that he, being the confidential adviser of Governor Browne at the time, was the real cause of the outbreak in 1860, can be easily disproved. The truth is, Governor Browne was pressed by the party to which Mr Richmond was allied to make the Waitara purchase, and the same party gave the advice which led to the enforcement of the purchase at the point of the bayonet and all our subsequent native troubles. A contemporary has lately pointed out that the late Sir Donald McLean was on a bed of illness when this advice was given, but the following quotation from a despatch written in 1863 by the Duke of Newcastle, and part of which, curiously enough, we came upon yesterday in searching some old papers, finally disposes of the charge so commonly made c gainst Mr McLean. The late Secreta:/ of State for the colonies, thus writes :■—" The decision to complete, by force if necessary, the purchase of this [the Waitara] land was adopted at the advice, not of the Native Department, but the Executive CounciL * * * It was under this pressure, with this advice, and through this agency, that Governor Browne took the steps which led to the war."—Woikato Times.

This is what the Wanganui Herald says of the Broomhall special settlement.—What will follow supposing that Mr Broomhall finds a block of suitable land P We can say with confidence, from the Fielding precedent, that a iarge tract of good land will be sold at a price not exceeding the upset price, on terms which will give Mr Broomhall and his fellow capitalists several years in which to pay for it; that a class of people will be brought out who will not have capital to cultivate the land; and after keeping the letter of the agreement by bringing 1200 needy immigrants, large blocks will be sold to the colonists, who have the capital and want to employ it in making homesteads, at a figure to give a profit to the persons interested in the speculation. We have repeatedly 'pointed out that the true materials for the settlement of the colony exist within its shores, and that all the Government have to do is to give the proper facilities, and the waste lands will be occupied by the class most capable of subduing them. Then the supply of labor can be maintained by bringing out a portion of the surplus population of Europe. The folly of bringing out this population to settle the country ought now to be fully realised, and a different course pursued. The period for grand schemes is, we hope, on the decline. Our statesmen should try to accomplish?.some solid work. They should above all things seriously encpurage the co-operation of the true men who are floating about the colony only awaiting an opportunity for settling down and establishing a family and a home.

An extraordinary flight of birds recently noticed at Brisbane is thus described by the Courier:—They (the birds) consisted of *reenleeks, blue mountain parrots, and leatherheads. They can only be described as in myriads, and so dense that they completely darkened the sky, and they flew so low that numbers were caught in the branches of the trees about the residences in their line of flight, and the cats,

in some instances, caught and properly disposed of, and the noise they made was something to remember. They came from the north-east, and were travelling in a south • westerly direction, and must have taken about 15 minutes at least in passing over. In former years, in the case. of long continued droughts, we have known the same thing ! to occur, but from all we know, there has been no such drought to account 'for this flight of birds. About 20 years ago, we remember, Brisbane was visited by such a flight, and thousands alighted at the waterholes, and even at the river, and drank, but the salt-water sickened them, and the small boys might be seen going about the streets iv all directions with strings of them on sticks. What has given rise to this may be known hereafter, whether it be they are driven before any severe hurricane, or whether they have arrived from the far interior, where there may have been severe drought, and come in search of water. Be it what it may, it was certainly a sight that is not often seen in a lifetime.