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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2788, 21 January 1878, Page 2

Up to three o'clock to-day all we receired from the Press Agency regarding the cricket match—Australians v. Christchurch —was that the latter on Saturday afternoon scored 105 runs for ten wickets. Subsequently we received another message, staging that through heavy rains the play had been postponed till Tuesday and Wednesday.

These was no business of any kind at the H.M. Court to-day.

At tbe meeting of the Board of Education held in Auckland on Friday, an application for a teacher's residence at the new Tararu and Shellback school was referred to the Buildings Committee.— An application re the proposed site for a new Thames School wag referred to the Buildings Committee to enquire into and report upon.

The usual monthly meeting of Lodge Sir Walter Scott, S.C., will be held in the Freemasons' Hall to-night, at half-past seven o'clock, the principal business being the installation of the K.W.M. for the current year, and investiture of other officers. Visiting brethren are invited.

Mb J. H. Jefferson, Pollen street, intimates that he has received a supply of Moody and Sankey's hymns, of an enlarged edition. As these hymns are used at the evangelistic services of the Rev. Dr Somervilie, expected here in a few days, there will no doubt be a demand for copies.

A Southern contemporary says: Mr Moorhouse, M.H.R., has been nominated by the District Grand Lodge, E.G., of Freemasons at Wellington, as successor to the late Sir Donald McLean as District Grand Master.

" Steady " writes in reply to the letter of "Barney Maylone" which appeared in a contemporary, and refers in a vague manner to " the trio." The subject matter treated does not appear to be of sum' cient publio interest to warrant the insertion of ■• Steady's " letter. Covert allusions to the private lives of citizens we object to gif c publicity to in our correspondence columns.

_Mb John Calder baa now on view at hia studio. Queen street, two pictures in an advanced stage. One is the entrance to the Bay of Islands, and the other is Waitangi, memorable as the place where the famous " treaty" waa signed between Her Majesty's representative and the assembled chiefs of New "Zealand. These pictures are equal to anything we have seen from Mr Calder's brush, the coloring of the foliage, mountains, and water being admirable. Mr Calder has a number o,t other pictures in different stages, one very large one, possessing historic interest, representing the " Opening day at Ohinemuri."

At the meeting of the Great City Lodge of Freemasons at the Cannon street Hotel, London, on Nov. 10, an announcement was made by one of the grand officers that subjects of the greatest interest to the entire craft would be brought forward at the next quarterly communication of the Grand Lodge of England. The first, following what has been done by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, is the consideration of the step taken by the Grand Orient of France in eliminating all reference to the Deity from their ceremonials.

The Wairoa correspondent of the Herald writes :—lt is with pleasure that I chronicle the success of the Acclimatisation Society's efforts to stock the Wairoa with salmon. Mr Hamilton, Otau, a salmon fisher from the Clyde, has repeatedly seen the young salmon about 6 or 7 inches long, rising to the flies on the river.

Phofkssoe Meiklejobn delivered his in augnral address as Educational Professor of St. Andrew* in November. He condemned tho present system of cramming and the tyranny of the class-book. The subjects taught were too multitudinous, and it was perfectly impossible for the intellect of the children to grasp what was being taught. If he thought this were anything but a passing phase—a period of transition, with all the weakness and mistakes Ibat clung to such v time—he would

join heart and hand with the stiflfest Tory in the county to pull down this wretched Tower of JJtibel, «ml to bring their educational programme down to the simplicity of the nncirut Persians, who taught their children only lo speak the truth and draw the bow.

Tite Oamnru Mail says:—A sfory is going the rounds about a gentleman who bought a handsome gold wutch as a present, and had it suitably inscribed. The jeweller from whom ho bought it avers that a few days afterwards lie returned, and asked it' it would not be possible to alter or altogether change the inscription, ns the lady for whom it was got didn't like it. The words engraved on the watch were—" To my wife, on her 40th birthday." The jeweller acknowledged that in all his experience he never met so innocent a gentleman.

Ekfereino to Tawhia Takerei Te Ran, whose death is announced in our telegraphic columns, the Alexandra correspondent of the Waikato Times, writing on the 15th insfc., states: —There was a meeting of lome 300 natives at Kopua, on Sunday, by the invitation of the old and principal Waikato chief, Tawhia Takeri Te Eaue, who has been ill for some months past, and who is now apparently at the point of death. Tawhiao, who is in great grief at the illness of his maiua (father), as he calls him, was about to remove him up to Hikurangi. Hence, the meeting to see him previous to his departure. The old fellow managed to murmur a few words and hoi'gi (rub noses) with a number of his visitors, who he told not to lament over him.. The Rev W. Barton aud Major te Wheoro were both present, as were all the principal Kingite chiefs. Tawhia hasnevershone conspicuously asa warrior, but was always a mediator in tribal wars or disputes—in fact a Maori diplomatist. He has for some years—since the fall of Bangiriri, when he was taken prisoner while covering the retreat of the King— receired a Government pension.

Ik his address to the people of Tauranga, Sir George Grey urged upon them the formation of a municipality. lie said: My advice to you would be, get a Municipality, and make it a great Municipality. They could manage the harbor; they are on the spot, and the same staff of officers could do all the work equally as well. If such a course as I have marked out is adopted, you at once could secure for the Harbor Board the fore shore here, and various other valuable endowments for tho harbor. We could possibly put you in a position in which the Municipality would be able to raise money for specific purposes. Your Municipality might take charge of your parks, your race courses, and hospitals as Trustees for the public, I cannot help thinking that a body of that kind called into existence here would be of great service in training you to a knowledge of public duties; men would be brought forward into public lite, they would have the administration of considerable funds, and they would be in a position to have improvements carried out in various directions. I cannot but think that even in the course of a very :few. months I might, if I come back again, see greai ' bustle, stir, and activity here; that I might see thi3 place making rapid strides, and see all endeavouring to make Tauranga the place of importance which I think it ought to be. If the citizens of Tauranga would awake to public life on local affairs, and insist upon the establishment of a Municipality that would take charge of the endowments and all public matters, they would do very much to educate the public in political knowledge, and to advance the prosperity of the town. (Cheers.) I think the knowledge they would acquire in these local details, would ennble them to exercise considerable influence in public affairs generally .throughout the colony, and turn their minds to the consideration of public questions which clearly they ought to consider. Therefore, my parting advice to you is this : To determine upon some form of local self-government which you will have, and see that it is established in its integrity. If you agree with me that, the Municipality is the best, the law authorises me immediately to secure to you endowments to tho extent of one hundred acres within the limits of the Municipality, and 2000 outside those limits.

The bowstring has cot been altogether discarded in Turkey if the well-informed correspondents of the continental press are to be credited. The Political Correspondence of Nov. 10, referring to one of the recenl conspiracies in Constantinople, supplied the following:—Placards were recently posted up in Stamboul calling upon the people to assassinate Mahmud Damat Pasha, who was accused of intendint; to bring about peace and betray Turkey to Russia. On the other hand, Mahmud Da mat Pasha accuses the exSultan Murad of conspiracy, in consequence of which the Sultan had his brother removed from the Palace of 'J cheragan to the old Seraglio. This was forcibly opposed by 40 of Murad's servants, who considered his life in danger, in consequence of which they were strangled, although the Turkish papers only speak of them as being exiled. Since that occurrence Murad is at Topcapu under surreillanee as a prisoner of State,' and his life is generally considered to be in danger. In the meantime many par* tisans of Midhat Pasha have been arrested. An attempt to poison Mahmud Damat Pasha has been frustrated by his physician. Great excitement prevails at Constantinople, which has been increased by a rumour that the prophet has appeared to the Sultan commanding him to conclude peace.

A Home paper says :— "At a floral concert at Corent Garden on September 7, some novelties were introduced into Jullien's inspiriting ' British Army Quadrille." But the effect of the night was caused by the march through the hall to the orchestra of tho various bands —first, the brave young drummers and fifers of of the Coldstream Guards, who moved the thousands to vociferous applause as they swaggered in to the pulse-stirring tune of the' British Grenadiers;" secondly, the representative French band warmly cheered as they played ' La Marsellaise ;' thirdly, the German band, soundly hissed as they played the ' Watch on the Shine ;' fourthly, the Russian band, greeted with groans and hisses by the many, but cheered by the few, fifthly, the Turkish band cheered so loudly that the tune they played could scarcely be made out, so great was the hubbub of theTurcophiles ; and lastlyj, the pipers of the Scotch FusiDiera, whose bag piping was not un. favourably received. Finally tho united bands combined to illustrate the crash and noise of battle, with all their might and ' God Bavp the was ihe termination,"

At the election for mayor of the borough of East Hot ford, England, the parties in the council were equally divided, and the two aspirants to the office of chief magistrate, Mr Alderrnnn Jorikinson and Mr Councillor Gurlis, agreed to toss, the conditions being " best two out of three." Alderman Jcnkinson won the first toss, and Councillor Curtis the next two, and he was unanimously declared mayor for the ensuing year.

The editor of the London Scottish Journal having written to Mr Gladstone to ask if he could explain why something like three-fourths of tho- city of London are madly in favor of the Turk and wildly denunciatory of Russia, the right honorable gentleman has replied as follows : - " Sir, I hope and renture to believe thafc your estimate is too unfavorable, but the people of London, from deficient local institutions, have had less of politics geuerally; and it is in London, too, that tbo evil interest of the money power is concentrated. When poor King Bombs was assailed and toppled over, for offences infinitely less, hardly any one raised a voice in his behalf, for it was not thought there was any British interest in the matter."

Was it n. Watch or a Clock you thought of buying ? or were you thinking of making a preterit of a - nice Brooch, or a Pair of Earrings ?—then go to WILKES'S, the Old Established House, Shortland, for there jou can make your selection from the largest and Best Selected Stock on the Thames.—Established 1867. Watches and Clocks Cleaned and repaired at Auckland Prices.—CA»TT.]