THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M Resurrexi. MONDAY, APRIL 23, 1877.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2587, 23 April 1877, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M Resurrexi. MONDAY, APRIL 23, 1877.

A telegram from Wanganui states that the pakeha-Maori, Moffatt, has at length been caught, and, after a hearing before a magistrate, committed for trial. This individual is the same who was at Tokangamutu about three years ago, at which time he was reported to be engaged in the same occupation as that through which he lias come to grief, namely, manufacturing gunpowder for the Natives. But besides this offence, Mr Moffatt was '.' wanted," if we mistake not, to answer a charge of forgery, he having put the name of Robert Graham to a cheque when he was obliged to leave Tokangamutu in disgrace. It is worthy of note and somewhat of a coincidence thatoneof the principal witnesses against Moffatt in the powder making business is a man called Nott, because some years ago a man of the same name resident in this district was in regular communication with Moffatt, some of whose letters we have seen. One of them was an infamous attack on the late Sir Donald McLean, portions of which after being refused insertion in several papers, found their way into the columns of our contemporary. At one time Nott was interviewed by two Natives who had come all the way from the King Country with a note from Moffat, asking Nott to supply the bearers with a large quantity of saltpetre. Subsequently Nott went from here and journeyed part of the way to Tokangamutu, at the invitation of Moffatt, and on the way he fabricated certain correspondence purporting to be written from the heart of the King Country, but it was believed that he never reached Tokangamutu. Where this worthy has been" since we r'o not know, but if he be identical with the JNott who has helped to sheet home the charge to Moffatt, there must have been'a serious split between him and his quondam friend. We hope and trust that both of them will have a full measure of justice meted out to him j if they do they will not give much trouble in future.

Ik addition to widening and making other improvements in the Richmond street vater channel, which carries off the water from Woke Creek, a very large

body iv time of flood, Mr liawdqn, Foreman of Works, has bad fitted a flood gate, capable of being lowered by a chain to dam the water back. Ttie object is to make use of the water in case of fire, because in ordinary seasons there will be sufficient water to iniinersu a suction hose a few minutes after the gato has been lowered. We hope it will be long before it may be required, but the arrangement is a very good one. The Assessment Court for hearing objections to the Couuty Valuation was held by Captain Fraser at S. George's Schoolroom h"fc aoon to-day. There was a considerable number of objections, which were variously disposed of, some of the objectors not appearing to support their objections, others getting the valuation reduced and some confirmed. Counsel appeared in several instances, but there was no question of very great interest 'raised, and the valuation was mostly confirmed. On Saturday night shortly after six o'clock; the well known souiid of a firebell was heard, and a rush was made to ascertain its whereabouts. Luckily after a few minutes the sound ceased, and it was discovered that the alarm had been caused by finding that a chimney was on fire in the neighborhood of the Governor Bowen Hotel. Me James Ceaig sold by auction today 2320 forfeited shares in the United Kingdom Goldmining Company at 5d to 7d each. Alsoj on account of wb.om.it may concern, 20 Waitekauris, which fetched 18s each, and 50 Eed. Queens at 3s 9d each. To-ijAY being St George's day, and a recognised bank holiday, the.bauks here were all closed.; In the sharemarket there was very little doing, and some other business establishments, judging by appearances, might as well have been closed. Partial holidays are invariably very dull days. TitE late Sergeant Mathias, who committed suicide by shooting himself in the head at Tauranga on Monday last, was a son of the late Colonel Vincent Mathias, of the retired list Madras Army. He had been in the.Armed. Constabulary for eight years. Pecuniary embarrassment is the,cause assigned for his committal of the rash act which ended his life. '• The Herald states that the Georgia Minstrels, about whom so much has been said, are not all full-blooded negroes, " the majority being mulattoes or halfcastes, whose lightness of complexion will render absolutely necessary the use of the much-abused burnt cork." A meeting of football players was held on Saturday evening at Mr Waller's, Mr Gavin in the chair. Mr W. W. llobinson was re-elected captain and Mr F. J. Burgessto the joint .offices of treasurer and secretary. Mr Burgess announced that there was a balance in hand of 12s 2d with which to begin the year, also, that the club had two practice balls and good posts. Some suggestions were then made as to the advisability of reducing the subscription, but it was determined to allow it to remain as at present, 3s, as it was thought that no one would grudge that sum. The question of uniform was then discussed, and it was determined to adopt, a blue jersey instead of the white one hitherto used. The uniform as it now stands consists of a blue jersey, blue knickerbockers and scarlet stockings. This was all the business. The following figures we take, as is our usual custom, from the [Registrar General's report on the vital statistics of Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and Hokitika during the past month. It will be remarked that even with the alteration in the estimated population, the Thames shows a low rate of mortality. In this return Christchurch stands unusually low, and Hokitika exceptionally high:—

We have received from the Government Printer Index to New Zealand Gazette for 1876, and Gazettes for April 9, 11, and 12. A number of proclamations appear delegating the Governor's powers under the Marine Act to certain Harbor Boards ; Colonel Reader's report on the Colonial Prize Firing for this year is published; the official list of New Zealand exhibitors, to whom awards were given at the Philadelphia Exhibition is published. A number of statistical returns are published for general information.

Fboh the Lyttelton Times of April 16th we learn that the opening of the football season commenced on Saturday, 14th instant, when a match was played North v. South. H. S. Paul, formerly oi the Thames, succeeded inscoriug a touchdown for his side. The season opened in Dunedin on the same day, when forty players put in an appearance.

John Bull says :— In reference to our statement last week, of the general belief in the diocese of Lichficld that Bishop Abraham would be the Bishop of the new diocese of Derby (or Derbyshire), we are reminded by the Bishop that so long ago as July, 1875, he addressed a loiter to the Archdeacon of Derby, giving the reasons why he could not accept office as a vdiocesan bishop in England. He said : — "Ever since 1 heard of the Bishop's suggesting my name for the separate see (I never heard him mention it in my presence before), I have given the subject much consideration, and I have never swerved from the conviction that I had better not be put forward for the separate diocese that is proposed. To speak frankty, I could never, as a bishop, be a party to the litigation that has been going on, and seems likely to go on, in our Church. I look upon it with shame and sorrow as a scandal in the sight of Christendom. I have myself, for the thirtyseven years I have been in Holy Orders, conformed strictly and conscientiously, and purpose still conforming, to the law of this Church and realm ; but I could never take prominent office in the Church as it is at present entirely ruled by Parliament and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. I wish you to be able to say publicly that I have no intention of being put forward as 'Bishop designate' of Derby." " If," says the Bishop, '.'those were my opinions then, how much more strong must they be now ! "

Hegakbing the aspect of the Turkish question and the attitude of the British Government, The Times of March 28

spoke out pretty plainly, as follows :— " When we see how our Government does nothing, promises nothing, and exhibits only distrust and condemnation of Eus.sia by restricting itself to the faintest phraseology in which an agreement can be couched, we cannot wonder that negotiations are interrupted. The fact is, the two countries have gradually assumed such positions of antagonism that they are regarded on the Continent as two rivals in a great controversy, which may possibly be developed into a great. conflict. The ! eyes of Europe now turn once more to ■ the members of the Triple Alliance. . If there is war there must be a great war, ■ and any Power that interferes must be j prepared to wage a great war." : The official denial of the runiour that! the ex-Queen of Hanover and her children have joined the Church of Kome was hardly needed, perhaps. But had the rumour been true, the Crown Prince Ernest and the Princesses, his sisters, would, of course, have forfeited their rights of eventual succession to the Crown of England under the Act of. Settlement; but, as his Eoyal Highness is but 35th in the line of succession, this consideration would hardly have been a practical one. As the Eoyal Family of Great Britain stands at the present moment, the first eleven princes and princesses in the succession to the Throne are British subjects. In the happily more than remote contin* gency of the failure of these heirs—namely of the Prince of Wales and his children, or the Duke of Edinburgh and his children, of the Duke., of Connaught, and of Prince Leopold, the next heir would be "the Princess Imperial of Germany ; Prince William of Prussia, her highness's eldest son, recently invested with the Order of the Garter, being thus 13th in succession. After Prince would come his six brothers and sisters. - Failing these the Princess Louis of Hesse inherits the claim, being the 20th in the line of succession. Her Eoyal Highness is the mother of six children. Consequently, her next sister, the Princesa Christian of Schleswig-Holstcin, is 27th in the order in succession. Next" comu the Princess Christian's four children ; next the Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lome ; and, last, of her present Majesty's issue, the Princess Beatrice (33rd). Following these come King George of -dEtanover (34th), the Crown Prince Ernest, and the Princesses Frederica and Mary. The Duke of Cambridge is 38th in the order of succession.—Pall Mall Gazette. A fashionable young lady of Chicago was heard to remark that she hadn't auything new this winter, and didn't expect to get much " until her father failed."

Estimated Pepulatiou. Total Births. : Total Deaths. Proportion of Deaths to 1000 of population. BOROUOII. : Auckland .. Thames .... Wellington.. Nelson Christchurch Dunedin.... Hokitika .. 12,024 4,466 16,130 5,551 12,815 23,365 2,905 • 47 I 14 CO 20 66 80 15 23 . 4 23 ' 9 12 36 13 1-91 •85 1-43 ■ 1-62 •94 1-55 6.20 T0ta1.... 302 125 - • ■