THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2928, 4 July 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1878.

We hear that tenders for the extension , of the Good* Wharf will be invited at the end of the week. Arrangements have been come to by the Board with the Bank of New Zealand for the necessary funds to carry out this work, which is regarded " as being most urgent, the disabilities under which vessels of moderate tonnage labor when visiting the port being such as almost to deter owners from coming here at all. The Chairman of the Board has lately been in communication with the - Premier regarding the handing over of the foreshore, which was one of the con-dition*-under which the Harbor Board accepted the control and management of

harbor affairs. The non-fulfilment by the Government of their promise tends to embarrass the Board in dealing with applications for portions of the foreshore.

The drill of No. 2 Scottish was well attended last evening. Captain Macdonald was in command. After the men had been put through by Instructor Schofield, they were sized and divided into four squads of 25 men in each ; and as soon as the election of officers and noncommissioned officers takes place each squad will have its own officers told off to it. The names of several candidates for membership were handed in, and approved of. Captain Macdonald said that he meant to continue recruiting for the present, over the authorised limit of one hundred. He announced also that the extra rifles applied for were daily expected from Auckland, and as soon as received arrangements would be made for their issue. He was glad to mark the progress the new members had already made under Mr Schofield, and he hoped in a short time to be able to separate the men during drill to allow advanced instruction to be given to efficient members. . '

Db E. H. T. Gilbert gives notice in our advertising columns that he intends to apply on the 10th of next month to Mr J. M. Waylatfd, JRegistrar, Auckland, to nave his name placed on the New Zealand Register of duly qualified medical practitioners, under the provisions of the Act of 1869; and that he is now practising and intends to practice his profession at the Thames. Dr Gilbert is a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and was registered in the Imperial Register of ( reat Britain in 1861."

Otrn calograms bring news of another defeat for the Australians, this time at Sheffield, 'i he total of the Sheffield first innings, it may be said, does not tally with the details of the scoring (one player's score appears to have been omitted). The Colonials had some heavy metal opposed to them.

To-day, the Fourth of July, is. the 102 nd anniversary of American Independencel The occasion was observed by Mr C. Curtis, who turned but a carriage and four horses for a drive. The weather was against any great display.

The businsss of the Lands Court to-day was confined to the taking of evidence in the Waiharakeke East case, that taken not being of much importance. Judge Fenton has gone to Auckland for a few days and will not return till the end of the case, which is expected to occupy four or five days. „.

In an article on the late Waitara meeting containing some'" gush," the N. Z. Herald says :—The ,first step to be taken by the Premier and Native Minister was, to establish a friendly feeling with Tawhiao and Eewi, and that has been completely accomplished. It cannot be said that all the benefit of these meetings is in the future, and that all that has passed is but talk. In reality, the most important "step has ' been taken. Good feeling has been established, and really very little else is required. Everything besides will follow naturally. The natives have many far-seeing men amongst them, and upon them and also upon the Government it devolves to see that ample provision is made for the promotion of the best interests of the native race. ©

" Heaven helps those who help themselves " was evidently the truism which imbued the worthy Chairman of the Thames Harbor Board at last night's meeting. The letter from the Government melted all the bright hopes of a fat Government grant for temporary harbor works into thin air, and the Chairman, wisely t° our mind, took the bull by the horns, and had the temerity to suggest one of the most required of our temporary works—the extension of the Goods Wharf —be proceeded with on borrowed money. The members of the Board, being convinced by the Chairman that the necessary funds could be obtained, readily fell in with the suggestion, so that in all probability we will soon have the convenience of the port greatly enhanced. The Board have also decided to obtain estimates for the repair of Tararu wharf, lengthening of Shortland wharf and other Jiecessary works. Prompt measures like these are necessary, as, with the present appliances, we can hardly retain the present small trade, and have no chance of increasing it. We can therefore most cordially approve of the action of the Harbor Board, feeling sure that it is a step in the right direction.

A.T the shop of Mr Avenell, batcher, .Pollen street, there was to be seen to-day a fine fat pig, which has beea principally fed by Mr Avenell himself. The weight of the animal is believed to be considerably over 400 pounds. It is a shapely carcase, being comparatively short, but of great width and depth of body. It is intended for bacon, and those who like their morning rasher fat, will be able to suit themselves in a few months when Mr Avenell has perfected the curing.

There is on exhibition in the window of Mr Jeffrey, fruiterer, Brown street, Grahamstown, a splendid sample of oranges grown by Mr Austin, of Belmbnt Orchard, Ohinemuri. The sample consists of a bunch of seven or eight, and as far as their external appearance is concerned they will vie with fruit from Byd-. riey or the Islands. ;Wo'can go further, however, as we had the pleasure of sampling one of them, and bear testimony to the delicious flavor of the fresh fruit, which the orange retains for only a few days after being plucked. We are informed that Mr Austin has four ti-ees, each of which is laden with 200 or 300 oranges. They commenced bearing last year. '

Captain Mandeville, commanding the naval forces of Victoria, recently made an extravagant proposition to Mr Berry, that the Cerberus should be stripped for action and ran the gauntlet of the Batteries at the Heads, allowing herself to be peppered by the guns in order to test the value of the batteries, and to ascertain whether it was possible that an ironclad could run through the Heads uninjured. Mr Eerry accepted the proposal, and the necessary orders were given, but there was such an outcry in the Press that it has been abandoned.

The Intelligent Vagrant writes in the Brace Herald :—" The dog tax collector for the Bruce County Council went a collecting to a man at Waihola, who, it was thought, had a dog, but who, upon the collector's coming, swore he had not. The collector went into the man's house, sat down, and talked for awhile, and in the course of conversation happening to say, • Any dog for which no license has been taken out is liable to be destroyed,' was astonished to see the cover of a camp oven fly off, and a terrier jump out of the oven and rush out the

door with a yelp. The nian of the house and the collector looked at each other for a time. Then the collector began to fill up a receipt for 10s, and the man began to get 10s out of a tin cannister on the chimney-piece. It is said that he weighed the dog subsequently, and found that he had paid Is 4d a pound for him. He now asserts this was too much for ' a wee bit doggie.'"

A Melbourne telegram informs us that "Our Girls" is having a genuine run at the Academy of Music, and " Uncle Tom's Cabin " at the Princess. It is in the former piece that our old friend Mr J. L. Hall has achieved such a remarkable success, while we may state that in " Uncle Tom's Cabin," Miss Fanny Wiseman (Mrs South) has made quite a hit as Topsy. Hosea Eason playß Uncle Tom, and the remainder of the "original" Georgia Minstrels are introduced as slaves in plantation scenes, Judge Crusoe's funnyisms being highly praised.

Me G. Bebey, the Premier of Victoria, has prated a good deal since he came into power about the rights of the,, workingman, the tyranny of capital, &c.; but, if the following statement is true, he does not appear to be the disinterested patriot which he assumes to be. The Melbourne correspondent of the Wellington Chronicle supplies the following:— •* A writer in the Hamilton Spectator enlightens the public on as pretty a little family pwty, and piece of political patronage, as has come to light for some time. He has taken the trouble -and evidently made the most of his opportunity—to ferret out the amount pocketed by the immediate family relations of the purest and most patriotic (according to his account, vide recent speeches) Premier that ever Victoria has been blessed with; The list- reads thus:— v Chief Secretary ... ... £2,175 The father-in-law 300 The son-in-law 400 The son (in Treasury)"... ... 200 The eon (in Railwayb) 230 The son-in-law (that is to be)... 260 Total. ...... ... ... £3,565 And yet the Ministerial followers and supporters are happy, though they still seem loth to admit that their beloved chief does aught but from the purest patriotism and disinterestedness." Up to the time of our going to Press we recived no intimation of the mail steamer from San Francisco having! put in an a P* pearance, so we presume she has not been sighted. The steamer was due at Auckland yesterday, having left San Francisco according to time table.