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

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2639, 23 June 1877, Page 2

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

The news from the seat of war published by us to-day is of a more decisive character than any which has been received for some clays past. This time the Russians have the advantage, the Turks having sustained a severe loss at Delibaba, a town between Erzeroum and Ears. Some ten days ago the Russians were reported as retreating from this part of Turkey in Asia, owing to the difficulties of procuring supplies, and to wait for reinforcements. The information then supplied must have been incorrect, for it is scarcely possible that the invading army can have received in such a short space of time the necessary supplies to carry on the advance, and the required reinforcements. We can only account for it by assuming that the information of their retreat emanated from the enemy. The position now seems to be that the Turks are shut up at Ears and Erzeroum, both of waich places are invested. The ordinary Press Agency telegram to-day is in a measure con Brined by a telegram from the .Agent General to the Colonial Government, and in addition we learn that the Russians are about to cross the Danube, an impoitant battle being hourly expected. Probably we may now look for the more important incidents from Turkey in Europe. There is a greater probability of severe fighting there than in Asia Minor. The influence of the war on the English money market has resulted in a fall in Consols.

A letter has been received by the Borough authorities stating that the amount of jpjold duty accruing to the Borough will be paid directly to its account as soon as the apportionment between the County and Borough has been arrived at. A meeting- of the Thames Water Supply Committee was held to-day to consider tenders for erecting new fluming and for supplies for the year. Mr George McCaul's tender lor the latter was accepted. The tender of Messrs Mclntosh and Basham was the lowest for the flunking, but it was held over for a fortnight. The directors of the Phoenix Goldmining Company at Tairua, who purpose erecting a battery shortly, have applied to the County Council to have something done to the road to the mine, and the County .Engineer will probably be instructed to report on the matter. The Phcenix ground is in the locality o" what was known as The Brothers claim. The Eegistrar General's report on the vital statistics of the principal boroughs of the Colony during the month of May appeavs in the New Zealand Guzette of June 7. The figures are as follows :—

The Eegistrar's report notes that the month of May was exceptionally wet, it having rained at Auckland on 23 days, and at Wellington on 20 days during the month. Of the deaths forty were those of children under five years of age. It is notified in a New Zealand Gazette of date June 7 that His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to accept the resignation" of the commissions held by the following officers :—Lieutenant J. W. T. Lechner, New Zealand Militia ; Lieutenant O. A. Meld, No. 3 Company Hauraki Rifles; Sub-Lieutenant E. Brownlow, No. 2 Company Hauraki Rifles. A private letter from Home received by last mail, referring to the Busso-Turkish struggle, says :—" This war with Russia and Turkey makes the Manchester men pull lon* faces. Trade has not been so bad for many years as now, and we have no prospect of it improving." The writer of the theatrical article in the New Zealand Sun speaks very favorably of the Georgia Minstrels. He says: —I am not going through the programme piecemeal, but I may say at once that the first part—the chair business—was a grand success, judging from the enthusiasm it excited in the audience. The choruses were for the most part splendidly given—with vigour and precision, and at the same time a taste, that made them perfectly enjoyable. Then the orchestra is in every respect a capital one, while the jokes introduced (or " gag," as it is termed), were really what they professed to be—funny. This part of the programme was entirely original, and the matter being novel, the manner was not so much, considered. The corner men per se are not very funny nor very humorous, but succeed by sheer force of physical exertion, and that of the wildest kind, in their manipulation of thr bones "and tambos, and the questions and answers put into their mouths (which are for the most part decidedly witty, without being in the least coarse or vulgar), in catching the tastes of the audience and throwing them into roars of laughter. There are, too, some capital dancers in the company, and Charley Crusoe is undoubtedly very amusing.

Borough. Auckland .. Thames .... Wellington.. Nelson .... Christchurch Dunedln.... Hokit:ka .. Estimated Pepi^atloii. I 12,024 4,403 16,730 i\E34 11,815 23.5G5 2,005 Tot?l Biriiha. I 55 19 04 16 56 SO 6 Total Deaths. I i 10 C 21 12 11 30 8 Piopo:•'•'on of De.iihstO 1000 of popj;a'jion. 1-33 1-34 1-39 2-16 •36 1-23 2-75 T0ta1.... | 29G 104 • •