THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2803, 7 February 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1878.

The inconvenience of holding sittings of the District Court here once in two months, instead of onco in three weeks, as was the caso formerly, has been brought under the notice of the Hon. J. Shechan, Minister of Justice* by Mr G. N. Brassey, barrister, in a letter recently forwarded. Mr Brassey points out that the principal business of the Court here it bankruptcy, and that sittings are only held once in two months, whereas in Auckland, where the Court has no jurisdiction ia bankruptcy, the sittings are held fortnightly.l This causes Tery great inconrenience to counsel ard their clients, and entails Tery heavy wor!: lfy the accumulation of business. The business of lastjCourt day is instanced, on which occasion the Court sac, from ten in the morning, till seven in the evening, with an adjournment of twenty minutes' only. Another result'of the present arrangement is frequent delays in the settlement of cases.. On lastCourt day Mr Brassey,. for instance, made an application for a rehearing. This will be granted or refused next sitting of the Court, two months hence. If granted an«ther, two months must elapse before the hearing, so that a delay of four months is certain. The reason* ableness of the, application for a more frequent sitting of the Court will, we should imagine, commend itself to the Minister of Justice, and induce him to make the required change-

The usual monthly meeting of the County Council was held this afternoon, commencing at half-past two o'clock. Our report of the proceedings is crowded out. Wb are sorry to hear that Mr P. , Burke, an old identity, is very unwell, having been prostrated by the brrak:ng of a blood vessel. The regular meeting of tho Corinthian Lodge., E.C., will take place this evening at half-pest seven o'clock, when the District Grand Master will make a visit. Brethren of other lodges are invited to be present. The Mirror of the World was again exhibited last night, London being the speciality for the occasion. To-night the first part of Scotland will be shown for , the last time, with fine statuary and other features.

A meeting was held at the Governor Bowen Hotel last night to consider the advisability of getting the. Australian Cricketers down for a one day's match, many cricketers and others having expressed a desire that such should be done, as it would give them an opportunity of seeing the play of the Australians, although it would not be as satisfactory as a two days' match. There was a good attendance of cricketers present, and Mr J. IS. Macdonald wos called to the chair. After some conversation it was agreed to invite the Australians down for a day, and Mr .Gellion was requested to telegraph to the: agent to-day,* and arrange for the match on Monday next; also to communieato with the Corotnandel contingent of the twenty-two with a view to get them to come up and take part in a practice match on Saturday, with twenty-two men in the field. [Late this afternoon Mr Gellion received a telegram to say that the Australians could not play at Grahamstown.]

. To-MOBRbTr morning, at 11 o'clock, l£r William Carpenter will sell at the I x change Buildings, Albert street, the batteries known as the Ballarat and Clunea and the Hose and Shamrock, situate at the Waiotahi Creek, also the well known Manukau battery. Farther particulars may be gathered from an advertisement of the sale, which appears in another column. • Thk directors of the Thames Gold Mining Company met on Tuesday, arid declared a dividend of 6s per scrip share. This absorbs the sum of £1367, and enables the company to retain £600 to their credit, .exclusive of a reserve fund of £3000. . We regret exceedingly to have to record the death of Miss Gary after a long and painful illness. -The -deceased lady had been a resident of the Thames for a number of years, during which she kept a school for young ladies. Before coming to the Thames she resided for some time in Wanganui, and previous to that in Dunedin, in both of which places she has left many friends who will be sorry to hear of her death. , The election of first Major of Hamilton (Waikato) took place on Tuesday, and resulted in the return of I. It. Vialou, the numbers . polled being ;as follow: "Vialou, 90 ; Potter, 72; Cummings, 8.

At the meeting of the Auckland Waste Lauds Board on Tuesday the following resolution was agreed to on the motion of Mr J. C. Firth : " That this Board learns with great regret that no progress is being made iv completing the negotiations for the purchase of lands opened by Mr James Mackay in the Thames districtThat in consequence no lands suitable ifor settlement in that district are being placed at the diposal of the Board, and tho Board is therefore unable to reply favorably to, the numerous applications froth parlies desirous of founding special settlements^ or to individual parties of settling in the district. The Board respecfuity but strongly desire that Government would take such measures as may effectually place at : the disposal of tup Board the Jands for which negotiations hare already been instituted by Government in the Thames Valley, in order that the Waste Lands Board may be able to meet the very pressing demand for land in that district, and that a copy of the resolution be forwarded to i he Minister for Lands."

Maxy of our readers, says the Auckland Star, will remember Mr Thomas S. Coppoek, who resided for many years in Auckland, and was for some time engaged in journalistic pursuits in Ibis city. He

loft Auckland soroo years ngo for Sydney, where he tfbiiiraehced business as a tobacconist,. and was a contributor to the Sydney NeiKa and Empire. We observe from Sydney papers to hand by the Hero that the body of Mr T'.ioraas Sidnoy Coppock wns found between the rocks about 200 feet from the bottom of Jacob's Ladder, South Head. Deceased whs about 34, and leaves n widow and three children; Ho was lost employed as a canvasser in connection with the Sydney Evening News. The evidence showed that deceased was not addicted to intemperato habits, and was perfectly sober when last seen alive. There had been nothing in his manner to indicate an intention of committing suicide, and ho could not have fallen from the cliff, neither could the wavos have washed the body to that spot. Medical testimony showed that the ckull wits fractured, and Ihe left thigh broken. Tho Coroner pointed out that the case was a very mysterious one; and in accordance with his suggestion an open verdict was returned. .

The fame of the splendid article in beer manufactured at Messrs Ehrenfried Bros', brewery, is spreading fast. Yesterday a shipment (the first) of 12 hogsheads was sent down to Christchurch, and one hogshead wai sent as a sample orer to Melbourne. - Fatheii Hennebehby and Charles Bright, according to a Press Agency.telegram, gave lectures on Sunday, night to crowded houses in Dunedin. Father Henneberry hinted that Mr Bright saidthere was a person lecturing that night telling people there was no moral obligation except to keep out of'the iron grasp of the law. - "E?er (Father 'Henneberfy> wondered that the devil did not ruu away straight to hell -with such a man. He had no doubt the devil would, and ought to have him. ' ■ ■ .;.-■• ' ; Mr and Mrs Hornsby were amongst the passengers by the City of New York for San Francisco; .Mr Hornsby has accepted a position in London under-the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile i Agency Company. '' 1 4 : i; i . ?• *'.-! '■■:

Da Somerville and his son took their | departure for Taranaki by the Taiaroa on Tuesday. 'The doctor expressed himself much, pleased with the kindness and at-; tention shown to him during his stay at' Waiwera by Mr Robert Graham. Of George Cruikshank, whose death was reported by cable message yesterday, Chambers' Encyclopaedia furnishes the following particular? :—Cruikshank, George, the most celebrated of living English caricaturists, was born in London about 1792. Hia father was a native of Aberdeenshire*, and the son of a person who had fought for Prince Charles Stuart at Cullcdeu. C. at first thought of the stage as a profession; but some of his sketches having come under the notice of a publisher, he was induced to engage in the illustration of children's books and songs. When about twenty years of age,' a publication, called The Scourge, afforded scope for the display of his satiric genius, and from that time forth he has continued to pursue with remarkable success this his true .vein. His illustrations for Mr William Hone's political squibs and pamphlets attracted much attention, and sent | some of them through no less than, fifty editions. But these political caricatures, many of which were personal, were not altogether'to C.'s taste, jffor,'indeed, in this narrow party field did .he find verge .enough for the full exhibition of bis rich fund of humour and depth of-moral sarcasm. He consequently abandoned this style about 1824. In Points? of -Honor, and the designs for Grimm's German Tales, 2pm Thumb, Peter Schlemihl, Punch and Juay, iMy Sketch ■ boohi JBosj Oliver Ttoist, and the Comic Almanac, his comic genus first found ample manifestation; while in his Sunday in 7 ondon, his Gtnshop, The Upas Tree, and especially The Bottle, he showed himself a niotal teacher possessed of a grim Ffogarthian earnestness and force. The -Bottle consists of a series of eight large-sized plates represent--ing the various stages in a drnndark's career; and throus'%. the instruimntality of the temperance s cietios, ns well as on account of its own merits, the work has] i had an, enormous circulation. Latterly, ■p. has devoted himself to oil-paiutiugs; and in his pictures, ' Dressing for the Day,' • A ltuuaway Knock/, ? TainQ'Shan* ter,' and ' Disturbing the Congregation/ he combines humour with artistic skill. To these may,be added tjie 'Fairy Sing/ and .the 'Merry Wives 'of Windsor/ His latent production in oil-painting is a large picture, ' The Worship ofßaechus/ He. p is said to have bceii rocently employed in writing his autobiography.. ■

W. FiNiit, one-of the earliest established Watch and Clock Makers on the Thames, WISHES IT KNOWN that he lias again commenced business in Williamson street, in connection with the Manufacturing Jewellery Business of his [brother, Mr Jaaiea Fin lay, and is prepared to undertake all branches of the Watch and Clock-making business. Repairs executed with promptness. Charges moderate. —[A.DVT.] .