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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2594, 1 May 1877, Page 2

The statement of receipts and expenditure for the Borough of Thames during the year ending 31st March, 1877, is published. The Very Rev. A. P. Stanley, D.D., Dean of Westminster, when distributing prizes at the Quebec Institute, London, speaking of Milton, called him " Our second greatest ;English poet," Shake* speare being, according to him, the first. Dean Stanley also speaks of Mr Matthew Avnold as " The greatest critic of this age and country." Me W. Garbuthebs, Engineer-in-Chief, arrived by the Rotomahana last night, and was to-day engaged with Mr A. Aitken, late Resident Engineer, on matters connected . with the Thames Water Race and other public works. A West Coast telegram states that Mr Gisborne's return for Totara, in room of Mr G. H. Tribe, deceased, is certain. The state of the poll, so far as received, gives Mr Gisborne a majority of 20, and it is affirmed that the returns to com& in cannot affect this resuli ..axO-t The prospects of the new.rush on the West Coast are to day reported to be improving, and the next news is expected to be of a still, more encouraging character. This morning about scwt_ of good specimens were broken down in the Alburnia company's workings. The intelligence was wired to Auckland, and shares were soon in demand at an increased price to that previously ruling. This mine has much improved of late, and the wonder seems to be how its riches could have remained so long undiscovered while being worked under company direction and with experienced mine managers. Thames shareholders will not fail to appreciate the disadvantage at which they are placed in regard to any fresh discoveries in mines. The news is at once wired to Auckland, and the market operated upon before they can do anything. Simultaneous publication here and in Auckland of important news should be insisted on by shareholders in all mines. s What are the rights of poachers ». game preservers ? The Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Lord Coleridge, in trying a recent poaching case, ?p----proved the punishment of the convicted poachers, but declined to allow costs, on I the ground that the prevention of poaching was a matter which concerned the wealthy, who must be prepared to ray for the vindication of their legal rights in the matter. Sir Charles.,, Legard, the member for Scarborough—in face and figure the alter ego of the Prince of Wales —directed on March 5 Mr Cross's attention to this report of Lord Coleridge's ! words. The Home Secretary, in reply read a letter which he had already jreceived from the Lord Chief Justice of the •Common Pleas, in which his lordship justified his remarks by reference to' precedent, but arguing that he was not compelled to justify them at all, disavowed any responsibility to the House of Commons. On this, Sir Charles Legard

gave notice of a"resolution. The nextday (March 6) Lord Middietbn withdrew a question which he had proposed to ask the Lord Chancellor to a similar effect, on the ground that the matter had already been brought before the House of Commons. As the Times says, it would have been better if Lord Coleridge had abstained, according to the custom of Lord Mansfield from stating his reasons. Whatever may be the arguments for or. against the Game Laws, no good can come of. handicapping the law in the interests of the ; poor and to the detriment of the rich.— j Home News. j Many years ago at Ballarat (says'j jEgles in the Australasian) there was a j splendid alluvial mine, about which it was ; said by the management that six years' j wash dirt was opened up and ready for blocking out. Two large holders of the stock, both shrewd men, went down together to have a look for themselves. They inspected, but exchanged no opinions. They didn't meet for three or four days afterwards. When they next conversed it was a curious coincidence that neither ;of them possessed a single share in that mine. Each of them had silently counted the sets of timber as he passed along tho drive, and had made a rough estimate that the ground opened meant, not six years', but six mouths' work. Amongst other items of news by the San Francisco mail, more or less improbable, is the following :—" M. Bourgoing, the French Envoy, had a stand-up fight with Edhem Pasha. Bourgoing, taking offence at the language of the Turk, is alleged to have so far forgotten the dignity of his situation as to grapple with Edhem Pasha, who thereupon drew his scimitar. This naturally created the greatest consternation among the diplomats, until Chaudordy rushed forward and pulled back his - colleague by the coat-tails." The following incident will give a pretty clear idea of the recent scarcity of water in the country districts of Victoria. Quite recently (remarks the Ballarat Courier) the driver of a horse and buggy, when on the plains near Eokewood, offered Is for a drink for his horse. The offer was refused, and the driver at the next public house had to purchase four bottles of lemonade and put a dash of whisky into it to make a drink for his steed. It is said the latter highly relished his compound. . A somewhat dissolute old gentleman, who wa3 more remarkable for the length of time he had lived in the colony and sound judgment with respect to whisky than for other virtues, called on a wealthy merchant of this city last week (says the Sydney Evening News), and entreated, on account of auld lang syne, for a loan of £25. The opulent citizen leaned back in his comfortable arm-chair, placed his thumbs in his waistcoat pockets, and shook his head slowly from side to side. "My dear, sir," quoth the wealthy merchant, "I am grieved, but I cannot comply witH your request. I am not bound to give < my reasons, but you are welcome to them. I have a wife, my friend—l have a wife." "Is that your reason?'' asked the dissolute colonist, " because for the matter of that, I've had several." " Hear me out," continued the merchant. "My wife is a source.of great pride to me, but she is also a source of great expenditure. She must have carriages, horses, a villa in the suburbs, boxes in the theatres, dresses from Worth, and mahy other trifles that mount up. A lady, you know, of such delicate refinement, such fashionable tendencies, must be humored and, in short" r——, •• Well, I don't know," interrupted'the needy one, who had been biting his nails during this oration, " She usen't to be so partie'lar when she was washing for my mate and me on Bendigo." The loan was not only granted, but to show his regard for an old friend in distress, the wealthy merchant readily consented to pay his passage to other shores. It must have been at St. James', Hatcham, or some similar place, where such antics are practised, that a lady of my acquaintance took a servant some time ago, wliom she had lately imported from the Highlands. " Well, Jeannie," inquired she as they walked home together, " and how did you like the service?" "Eh, maam, it was beautiful; but what an awfu' way o' spending the sabbath!" , ; Wb (Tuapeka Times) hear that several runholders in the Tapanui district have ; discovered a . number of their sheep shorn in a manner that would satisfy the most critical manager of a shed, and for which they have not had to pay directly. The only thing they complain of is, that some one else has appropriated/ the wool, and they have not derived any benefit from the transaction. We understand that this style of robbery has actually been going on. The sheep have been carefully shorn, and then sent adrift on the runs again. The perpetrators evidently do not care for mutton, their weakness appears to be wool. ■ The cool audacity of the thing gives evidence of the " originalty," if not " genius," on the part ' of those who conceived the idea, and carried out the robbery. Every effort is being made to discover and bring the offenders to justice, but as yet, no clue has been obtained as to their identity. Arctic exploration is the subject of the following jeu d' esprit in the New York Times :—" There is only one feasible plan for reaching the North Pole. A succession of camps should be made from Smith's Sound northwards at intervals of half a mile from one another. In each of these camps two or three men, provided with a few years'rations, should be placed, with instructions to. keep a lamp constantly burning in the kitchen window, as a beacon for belated explorers, and to keep the sidewalk swept as far as the next camp. The explorer who desired to reach the Pole would then have an uninterrupted series of half-mile stations all the way to his place of destination. He could warm his feet at one station, lunch at another, and sleep at a third. Thus, by easy and safe stages, he could reach and discover the Pole, and return to Smith's Sound without difficulty. The Arctic explorer can always travel half a mile in a given direction. Divide the distance from Smith's Sound to the Pole into half-mile walks, and all the difficulties which are now insuperable would vanish. This undoubtedly is the true way in which Arctic exploration should be conducted, and it is a wonder that no one has hitherto thought of it." .