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Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2800, 4 February 1878, Page 2

Thb Quarterly Licensing Meeting for the districts of Thames and Hauraki will be held at the Court House, Thames, on Tuesday, sth March. A numdee of forfeited shares in the Alma G.M.Co. will be sold by auction at 11 a.m., to-morrow, at tho Exchange Buildings, Grahanistown. The members of the L.O.L. No. 6 are notified by advertisement that their monthly meeting will take place this evening at 8 o'clock at the Oddfellows Hall. Bishop Cowie held a Confirmation service at 8. George's Church last night, when eight candidates received this rite of the Church. The Bishop previously preached on Religious Education, taking for his text the 14th verse of the 3rd Chapter second Epistle of Paul to Timothy: " But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them." The Bishop said education had been a burning question for a long time, had been mixed up with political and other questions with which it had nothing to do. He referred to the case of Timothy, who had kuown the Holy Scriptures from his youth, as an example of the good resulting from a mother's teaching, and inculcated on parents generally the responsibility _ of giving their children religious education. Youth was the time for this, as children were more apt to learn than grown men. Then he urged the advantages of religious teaching as a safeguard against the prevailing infidelity—the scorn of creeds of this so-called scientific age. A child, the preacher said, might be precocious in acquiring a knowledge of grammar, languages, or any other branch of secular knowledge, but that would not increase its love for its parents or its reverence for God ; whereas a knowledge of the Lord's Prayer, or any other prayer, would influence its whole moral life. The Bishop concluded an excellent sermon with an address to the candidates for Confirmation on the importance of the step they were undertaking. There was a large congregation. As a means of assisting to liquidate the debt on the Grabamstown Wesley an Church harmonium, it is intended to make an excursion to New Brighton, Miranda, on Wednesday next. The fast p.s. Huby has been chartered for the occasion, and if the weather is favorable, th§ excursion will be a very enjoyable one, as it is not too far away, which enables visitors a chance of seeing something of the country. The fares are very moderate, only 4s return tickets, and those who intend going should make early application, as only a limited num> ber of tickets are available for the public.

A mak named Joseph Williams had a narrow escape from a serious injury yesterday morning. He waa standing on the Shortland Wharf conversing with some friends when hesuiidenly, fell back drer the wharf into a fishing smack lying alongside. His head narrowly missed striking against the anchor, but no serious injury was done by his tumble. He waa taken on to the wharf by his friends. It appears that Williams is subject to fits, and it was the sudden taking of one of these that caused his fall.

When Sir George Grey was requested by tbe Governor of New Zealand to make arrrangeuients for placing the Government steamer Hinemoa at the disposal of Sir W. Jervois, for the work of inspection of the coast defences, he replied that this could not be done, the steamer bring required for other, special purposes. The accounts \rc hare since received from New Zealand agree in asserting that since the prorogation the steamer has only been employed in taking Sir Goorge Grey and his friends on excursion trips. These cirenmatances raise some rather important questions affecting the personal honour of Sir Goorge Grey. When Sir George Grey returned this answer to the Marquis of Normanhy, were the " special purposes " he had if; his mind the excursion trips that hare since taken place P If so, and he wished Lord Normanby to fairly understaud the position, would it not have been the manly and honest course to state so definitely? If Sir George Grey meant that the work of surveying the defences conld not be carried out because the steamer was wanted for picnic purpb>es, ought he not to hare openly said so, and placed that statement as his defencepolicy boldly before the country? On the other hand, if some other work for the steamer was contemplated at the time, but tbe intention has since been abandoned, would it not be interesting to know what this work was ? These suppostions do not exhaust the possibilities of the case. There is one left, that when Sir Gearge Grey was mentioning some special service for the steamer, he was relying on a ground that he knew had no real existence, and was only adduced for the purpose of evasion and deception. We must leave readers weighing the case in the light of alt the circumstances to balance these probabilities, and estimate the degree to which Sir George Grey's character is affected by them. —Australasian.