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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2781, 12 January 1878, Page 2

It is notified by advertisement in another column that the Thames County Valuation List for the year 1878-79 is now open for inspection at the County Council Chambers. Instructions as to making objections, etc., are given in the same advertisement.

Mb John Butt announces that he is a candidate for a seat in the Harbor Board at the forthcoming election.

The United States Minstrels made their second appearance at the Academy of Music last evening, before a large and appreciative audience. The programme was the pame as that - gone through the previous evening, and everyone appeared thoroughly satisfied with the treat prepared for them. There will be an entire change in the programme for this evening's performance, when we expect to see another crowded house.

We have heard that during his recent stay in Tauranga Capt. Fraser purchased an allotment on the Beach, or Strand, as it is called, for the sum of £2500. This part of the township of Tauranga is principally owned by the Ghurch Mission Society. The rise in value of town and country properties in Tauranga has been very rapid during the last few years.

An advertisement in another column informs slaughter-house licensees that their licenses expired on Dec. 31st last, and require renewing. It is also notified that Sergt. Itussell and Constable Day, of.the A.C. Force, are'appointed Inspectors of slaughter houses in Thames County under the Slaughter-house Act, 1877.

In a second edition of the Auckland Star published on Thursday night appeared a piece of news which we transferred to our columns last evening, acknowledging the source. The news was to this effect: " Cessation of hostilities. Armistice concluded direct between Turkey and Russia." It was preceded by sensational headings of a more decided tone than the news itself, namely : " Cessation of hostilities. Peace concluded." In last night's Star the items, or what purported to be the items, which appeared in the previous evening's second edition were published in this form: " Cessation of hostilities. -Armistice is being concluded direct between Turkey and Russia." We should not have referred to this matter had it not been for the mention of it in this morning's Adrertiser, which is of a character to lead people to the inference that we had altered our Auckland contemporary's calogram. "When we copy from our contemporaries we are at all times willing to Acknowledge our indebtedness, and we did so on the occasion referred to, quoting also correcting. We are sorry we cannot say as much for eomo pf our contemporaries.

At the Willoughby street Homan Catholic Church to-morrow some members of the U.S. Minstrels will take part in the singing, Mr Amery will sing at morning Mass, and Messrs Campbell and Amery in the evening. Mozart's Twelfth Mass will be sang.

We have received from the proprietor and editor, D^'Wazirßejj,-he January number of the Australian Freemason, a journal of Magonic art, science, literature and antiquities. It is now in its fourth volume, and has lately been enlarged by several additional pages. It is liberally sup* ported with advertisements, and contains a considerable amount of craft lore. The editor has. lately received Diplomas of Honorary Membership from ledges in Peru, in acknowledgment of his unflinching defence and advocacy of the principles of Freemasonry.

The parents of children attending the Karaka School are notified by advertisement that Mr Jones intends resuming tuition * after the holiday season on Monday next the 14th inst.

By advertisement it will bo seen that scholastic duties will be resumed nt the Convent Superior School, St. Joseph's and St. Thomas, on Monday next, 14th inst.

rOua readers will notice an advertisement in to-day's issue, announcing a visit to the Thames by Eev. Dr. Somerville, who is expected here about the 24th inst. According to his desire, and in preparation for his visit, United Prayer Meetings will be held in several Protestant Churches nextweek, as followi, at half past 7 o'clock each evening :—Monday—in the Presbyterian Church, Key. S. J. Neill to preside; Tuesday—Baptist Church, Rev. B. S. Bunn; Thursday—Grahamstown Wesloyan Church, Eev. J. T. Hinton.

With all his "experience, says the ; Australasian, Sir George Grey is but a clumsy bungler in Parliamentary management compared with our own Ministry. The Premier ef New Zealand is adverse to doing anything for the defences, even to the sending a siea-. mer to convey Sir W. Jer7ois on his contemplated tour of inspection. He considers that the financial condition of the colony will not allow it to provide for its defence, which is something like saying that a man has so largely spent his capital in furnishing his house that he can't afford to buy a lock for his front door. He holds, moreover, that ll the home Government is bound to defend the colony "—one of the meanest and most ignominious contentions that the Premier of a wealthy prosperous community could put forward. That a ■country which has spent enormous sums of borrowed money should decline to provide for its defences, and attempt to throw the responsibility of defence on its creditors, would be a policy discreditable iv the highest degree to the community were it not that it expresses rather the feeling of an erratic, eccentric politician than those of the people of the country. These views thoroughly exhibit that wild, irrational, petulant character that stamps all of the proceedings of Sir George Grey. But what we wish to dwell upon is the absurd- way in which he givea effect to them. Entertaining these opinions, Sir George Grey flatly refuses to send the steamer applied for, and brings forward these arguments in a despatch to the Governor. We read that " there is great and general indignation at his action." Naturally. But why did not Sir George Grey taka a different course ? Why did he not publicly pledge himself to assist Sir W. Jervois in every way and to lake measures for giving prompt effect; to his report when it was presented, and then when the time came lend the necessary bill up to the Upper House in such a form that that Chamber would be compelled from self-respect and a regard to its privileges to lay it aside P In the arts ot political insincerity and party tactics, Mr Berry could give Sir I George Grey many useful lessons.— Australasian. .

"Vmdaht" writes—The other day I heard the following little story of the good old times, concerning a Mr Blank, at the time connected with a newspaper in this district. My informant said : "My mates and I bought a claim for £50, con* sidering it was a pretty good one, as a number of good crushings had been taken out. After working in it some days, however, we found that the leader had taken a decided turn, and in a very few feet would be out of pur ground altogether. We resolved to keep the thing'dark and try to dispose of the property by auction on the Monday, Friday being the day .that we made the discovery that the leader had turned. On Saturday morning to our great alarm, who should we see coming up to the claim but Mr Blank, the newspaper man, who,, from his integrity, we knew that if he got down below our little game would be knocked on the head. 'Necessity is the mother of invention,' and we quickly resolved on a plan to deceive Mr Blank. I was to detain him at the mouth of the drive by conversation* while my,mate3 pulled out a set of timber in the drive and caused a heap of mullock to fall accidentally on the face so that the true state of affairs could not be seen. Blank was awfully impatient to got in, and I had a darned hard job to keep him out. At last by a pre-arranged signal, I knew that Jim and Bill, my mates, had succeeded in making the mock slip, and I then permitted Blank to go in when he found my worthy mates assiduously employed in clearing away the slip, which they took care to tell Mr Blank would take several hours to do. The latter expressed his regret at the accident, and departed, leaving us in a happier frame of mind than when we saw him coming up the hill a few minutes previous. Well, Monday came, and we managed to get £45 for our " duffer " claim, and, on asking the auctioneer; we were surprised to find that the 'cute newspaper man was the purchaser. Blank put on a couple of men to work in an old drive at the other end of claim, and in a fortnight cut a rich lode, which yielded several good crushings, and enabled him to sell out for a few hundred pounds, while we cursed our luck, and remained poor men."

As noticed in oar telegrams, a new iron steamer intended for the Thames trade, and owned by the Auckland and Thames Steam Navigation Company, was launched from the yards of Messrs Niccol and Son, North Shore, on Thursday. The new boat was purchased on (he Clyde by Mr John Buchanan, and was christened Tongariro by Mrs John Hay. Tho dimensions of the steamer, as given by the Herald, are—ll6 feet on the keel, 15V feet beam, and 6 feet 10 inches depth of hold. Her machinery, which arrived prior to the holidays, in tho barque Iron Queen, from London, consists of a high - pressure engine of 25-horae power nominal, bat capable of working up to 100; geared on diagonal framing, while the boiler is 16 feet long and 5-i feet in diameter, made of the best material, and the paddles 13 feet. The principal saloou, which is amidships, is 26 feet long, the full width of the vessel, ventilated by a large skylight and a number of sideports, capable of giving sleeping accommodation for 30 persons, while the capacity for ordinary travellers would be doable that. In addition to this there is a ladle*' cabin oh deck, which will be fitted up with every convenience and taste. /The fore-cabin is 22 feet long, the width of the vessel, and, like the other compartments, wiil be finished in a neat and substantial manner. It is expected that jthe Tongariro will be a fast boat. Sbe will be plaited on the Thames trade in conjunction with the other boats of the company as soon as she is ready.

On Saturday evening last a meeting of the officers and men of the Ist Waikato Regiment was held at Tauranga, convened by Capt. Fraser, to consider the best steps to take for restoring the monument erected by the regiment at Drury to the memory of their comrades who fell in an engagement with the Natives at the Maaku, in November, 1863. It will be remembered that in the fight referred to Lituts. Nor* man and Percival, with six or seven men, were killed, and their bodies fearfully mutilated. They were brought into Drury and there buried, and some time thereafter a handsome monument was. erected over their common grave by the Ist Waikato Regiment. The monument and its surroundings have lately fallen into disrepair, and for some time pait a movement has been on foot to restore the same. It was deemed advisable, however, before any public ; action was teken, that the nucleus of the Ist Eegiment stationed at Tauranga should be consulted. This Captain Fraser took upon himself during a visit to Tauranga at the holiday season, and the meeting was hrld on Saturday last. There was, we learn, a good attendance, and the matter was very warmly taken up. It was considered that the monument would never be properly looked after in Drury, and that the best course to adopt would be to exhume the remains of the brave fellows who are buried, and transport them with the monument to Tauranga, where they could be re-interred near the last resting place of many braves who fell at Gate Fa, Te Banga, and other places. This idea was warmly supported, and subscriptions were at once opened to carry it out, a good amount being collected at the meeting. It is stated, and with reason, that if the monument is left at the village of Drary, there will not be any one to look after it; while r if it were removed to Tauranga, it is reasonably certain that there will be always a number of residents there who will preserve the traditions, if not the recollections of the Ist Waikato Regiment, and willingly give a helping hand to keep in good preservation a memorial.erected in honor of their brave dead. ,