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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2600, 8 May 1877, Page 2

A statutory meeting of the Borough CouncU will be held this evening at the usual place and hour.

Bad as typhoid fever is, Were it possible to have typhoid fever on the braiu, a bad case would be made worse. It was intimated in the Advertiser this morning that this worse case of a bad thing had affected some one noar tbis'bffice on Saturday night last. We are happy to state this is not the case, neither is there any danger of the hypothetical disease affecting the editor of the Advertiser, for, to have »ny one organ affected, it; is first of all necessary to have the organ which to affect.

We hear that the Messrs Reed have met with great success in the entertainments they have beell in the Waikato.' From private information we learn: that they will conclude a most successful season to-night at Mercer.

The N.Z. Herald understands that " surveyors are to proceed to the Thames during the present week for the purpose of commencing the survey for a line of railway between the (Thames and Waikato." -

The Herald published as a supplement, gratuitously with yesterday's paper, a map of the seat of war, showing Turkey in Europe and Turkish Provinces, with p-rts of Russia and Austria, and Asia Minor. The map will be found very useful for reference, but we must say it was execrably printed.

The question of spontaneous generation is to be set at rest very shortly. Dr Charlton Bastian still maintains that life is spontaneously generated in certain liquids after exposure to a heat sufficient tg destroy any life they have contained before. M. le Pasteur, the great French physiologist, denies this, tells Dr Bastian that he never exposed his liquids to a greater heat than 100 degrees centigrade, which is insufficient, and says :—" I entreat you in the name of truth to confess loyally that the conclusions you have advanced on the subject of spontaneous generation . . are entirely errcix as. You will gain by doing so a reputation for. 1 scientific probity and honor which wi]l '.Vil more to your name, and to the distine ; >n of your career as a conscientious worlior, than even an important discovery." But Dr. Bastian sticks to his theory, and Gp a commission of savans in France has b ,?q appointed to thoroughly investigate ; w matter. The committee consists of Mesrrs Milne-Edwards, Dumas, and Bossingauit. Dr Bastian is to. apply to the Royal Society for a similar commission.

The Christchurch. correspondent of the Otago Guardian says:—^-Johnny Hall has got together a scratch; company at the Gaiety, and by dint of drilling them well, and putting out good bills, manages to get decent audiences. Johnny has a propensity for hanging on, however, and will yet prove a thorn in the side of the other "shop/

The Timaru Herald intimates the probability of Sir George Grey retiring from Parliament. That journal : says :—We are not possessed of any absolut3ly authoritative information on this subject;: but we hear from a variety of quarters that there is little likelihood of the present leader of the Opposition overtaking his seat in the House again. The gallant old bore his burden of the work during the last wearisome session, with all the courage and ardour of a youth, and sacrificed to the service of his party much of what remained of his once vigorous constitution. We are told that he has never been ia good health since the House rose, and that lately his strength has declined so seriously as to prevent his taking any part in public affairs. Should this account not prove to be exaggerated, we may expert at any time to hear of his resignation of his seat for the Thames; and there is no saying what boulversements of party arrangements may ensue. The Ministry, probably, would willingly be rid. of an opponent who was ever implacable, indefatigable, and incorruptible.

A cmcuMsrANCE of some interest in the life-insurance world, and in which a Scotch lady plays a prominent part, deserves to be noted. A short time ago, says an English exchange, a proposal was made, on the part of a noble earl, presumed to. be enormously wealthy, to insure the life of his wife for no less a sum than £50j000. The office to which the application was made is the Mutual Life Assurance Society, of which Captain Ernest: Villiers, brother-in-law of the Governor-General of India, was made a director a few months ago. This gentlemen occupies a subordinate position in the household of the eccentric Earl of Dudley, and his election formed the subject o't a warm personal discussion at the annual meeting offthe Society, held a few days ago. It was then represented that a person then holding the position of private Secretar; to Lord Dudley, and wholly inexpe: -hi. :d in life assurance matters, ought :;_:.■ ! o have been put forward by the bbavii sa suitable candidate for the direction, .^t was also alleged that no sooner . :id Captain Villiers got upon the board .'c'txn he endeavored to get Mr John W. ;- field Malcolm, M.P., of InverL :\ Lockgilphsad, Argyllshire, to be iris colleague. This precipitate action is vesented by the independent members of the Society, who have started a candidate

against him. The lady whose life has just been insured afc the Mutual Office is the Countess of Dudley, wife of Earl Dudley, and daughter of Sir Thomas Moncrieffe. The premium on the policy amounts to between two and three thou.sand a year, but as the Mutual Office is not allowed to lake more than £5,000 upon any single life, the remaining £4-5,000 has been divided among a number of other offices. -'

Sir William Cairns, with great regret, lias informed the Ministry that owing to the broken state of bis health he has been compelled to tender to the Earl of Carnarvon, his resignation as Governor of South Australia. Lord Carnarvon, in reply to a telegram which his. Excellency, sent, signified his acceptance of Sir William Cairns' resignation with much regret. Sir William has taken this momentous step with considerable reluctance, and only because he feels the apparent hopelessness of recovering from the illness he suffers from, the only remedy for which is perfect rest. His Excellency will leave for England by the next Suez mail Steamer. A dinner: was given to His Excellency at the Adelaide Club. In replying to the toast of his health, Sir William Cairns said he had been compelled to take a year's rest on account of ill health. If his health improved by the end of that time, he would,gladly assume the reins of Government in South Australia again should an opportunity be offered.