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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2806, 11 February 1878, Page 2

Triß annual meeting of the District Officers of the Ancient Orcbr of Eecbabites will take place in tho Masonic Hall, Queen street, to-morrow, commencing at 9 a.m. Visitors, or representatives, are expected from Auckland, Napier, and Coromandel by tho steamer this evening, and the business to be transacted will comprise the general affairs in connection with tho Order. The anniversary soiree of the Star of Hauraki Tent will take place in the evening at the Templar Hall, at which the visiting brethren have been invited to bo present.

At a recent meeting of the. Melbourne Zoological Society the attention of the council was directed to a letter from Mr J. C. Firth, of Auckland, lately published in The Argus; in which he charges Sir Samuel Wilson with omitting to state that the salmon ova lately received from San Francisco were a free gift to the colony from the Government of the United States. The correspondence between Mr Firth and Sir Samuel Wilson was also read by the meeting, and the council came to the conclusion that there was nothing to justify Mr Firth!s imputations, as no letter had been received from the United States Government on the subject, and nothing to lead Sir Samuel Wilson to imagine that it was any other than an ordinary business transaction.

: At tho annual meeting of the members of St. Peter's Church, Hamilton, on Wednesday evening last, advantage was taken of the occasion, says a correspondent of the Herald, to present to the organist, Miss Yialou, a handsome gold watch and chain, on behalf of the parishioners, for her kindness in so long and ably presiding at the harmonium. The watch was subscribed for in small sums by nearly every member of the church.

The Government have allotted to Auckland £II,COO out of the £50,000 voted last session for school buildings throughout the Colony, and the Board of Education have passed a resolution to the effect that that sum is not more than half the amount required by the urgent necessities of the district.

As Was expected, Mr Alexander Aifcken has■ elected to retain tho position of County Engineer, and, he has therefore, resigned the office of Inspector of Mines. ; '

Two men, says Saturday's Star, named Beeson and Sinel left the wharf on Thursday artcrnoon in the Amy, a sailing boat belonging to Me?<?rs Partridge and Wollams, with the view of sailing to the Island of Motutapu, and have, not since been heard of. As the night was tempestuous nnd stormy, it is feared the men are lost. Kvery possible enquiry is being made respecting the fate ot" the two men, and their friends naturally are in a state of painful anxiety; Sine! is a married mau, with one child. [A correspondent furnishes in another colucuu an account of the rescue of these.men.—Kd.J

' At Uic meeting of the Board of Education held on Friday, with referencivto the site for the Thames School the Chairman said that a sum.of £550 had been offered for this site, provided Mr Graham could include the road (marked on plan), but it turned out that Mr Graham could not convey the land marked as a road, which is still in the hands of tfie natives. No doubt the ground could be got.—After considerable discussion a resolution was passed to the effect that the Board were Still willing to give £500 for the site, &c.

An indisposition for plain speaking cannot, cs a rule, be charged against colonial politicians. Mr Berry and Ids party ere proud to designate themselves

revolutionists, nnd a member of the New Z&iliuul..Ministry, rdut'iitly desiring to say something cpmplimeutury of liim?elf and his colleagues, called thorn "high-, waymen." Tho manner in which the phrascvTfis used h rather curious, as iudicatiiiff the ethical principles which are avowed by tho Grey ■'Ministry. The speaker was Mr bhechan, and tho subject was the action of the Government in seiz- j injj tho provincial land fund. He said " while tho late Government had come behind the South, like a common prig; stealing a pocket-handkerchief, they had acted the part of bold highwaymen, and the South, had met them by acceding to their demand." Wo do not wish to express any opinion for or against this appropriation of tho Jocnl land fund to the purposes of the general revenue. When the intention was attributed to' the Atkinson Government the Opposition made the nir .shrill with their shrieking, iv .which " robbery" was the mildest term employed. Mr Shechari still admits —or, rather, asserts —thet it was robbery, but; calls on. tho public to"• admire the clashing stylo, in which it was done. Moreover, the South " hid met them by acceding to their demand." . Many buiihrangers iv early Australian days might have urged this hnd they thought of doing so, and have attempted :■ to mitigate the character of their proceedings by instancing the promptitude with which their demands were "met" by the coach passengers when, they exhibited their revolvers. But the foolish bushrangers were deficient in legal training, and never thought of this palliation of their doiugs. Those moralists who are ready to point out the demoralising influence on j'outh of plays and novels of the " Jack Sheppard" order might usefully turn their attention to the moral effect of a Minister of the Crown challenging the admiration of the community for himself and his feUo»v Ministers oh the ground of their resemblance to a baud of highwaymen. Pope was struck by seeing in his days " all our fools aspiring to be knaves," but it wasf; reserved for. Mr Sheehan to make the achievement of this stage of development a elainvto popular sympathy and esteem. It is only the extreme modesty of Mr Berry which prerents him, in his capacity of leader of the gang of Treasury filibusters, from designating himself " first robber." And as on general grounds it is desirable to assume the virtue of honesty, whatever may be your deficiencies in that respect, we trust that Mr Berry will maintain the reticence and self-abnegation he has hitherto so laudably displayed in this direction.—Australasian. ''' '. '"■'.'': ■ .;'.)'■' ■"-.'.'■

Sib W. Gull, the eminent physician of Guy's Hospital, in his evidence before the Select Committee of the House cf Lords said: —" If I am fatigued with over work personally, ray food is very simple ; leat the raisins instead of taking wine. I have had a ve»*y large experience, in that practice for thirty years. It is my 'own ■'personal experience, and I have recommended it to my personal friends.

In .spito of tho caluniinators of'the Colony. JNew Zealand securities have a decided upward tendency in Talue. The supporters of Sir George Grey endeavoring to make us believo that this rise is attributable to that statesman's accession to powen There is not much in Sir Gebrge: Gray's 'antecedents-to'War-rant such a belief; and possibly nineteen twentieths of the membersfof itheStocY Exchange are'profoundly ignorant of Sir George Grey's history. The rise in the value of our securities is owing to the threatening state of Europe, and not to tho assumption of the- Premiership by Sir George Grey.—Taranaki iYews. :

At a Cerporation banquet in London, Nov. 28. Mr Koebuck, M.P., in replying to the toast of the Houses of Legislature, mado the following reference to French affairs:—Living as. we do in a state of security, it behoves us to cast our eyes across the Channel and sco the speclaclo which that great nation presents. At this moment the Assembly of France is on its trial—sufferers from difficulties which the British House of Commons lias already passed through. As Englishmen' we cannot but sympathise with them in gll that they have to encounter. I only wish we would, and that Uio voice of England couid iuake that nation understand how much depended on the mode, the character; and the energy with which the government is conducted—how much tho safety of .Europe and the happiness of the world depend upon that people being properly governed. Unfortunately, at the prosenlmomehl the destinies of the French nation arc in the hands of a mau brought iip in the tnuirdrooni. He does not uuderstuml tlie business of the Legislature; nor can ho understand one's feelings when speaking of a free Parliament. I only hope the example of Eugland may have its effect upon; Franco, so that it will lead to the peace and the security not only of the nation, but the world. Each one of us here, I doubt not, is a friend of that great people, and in the difficulties they are going through I am sure that each one of us sympathises with them, and each one of us wishes tlieui success, and that Liberal views and free government may be the destiny of France. (Cheers.)