THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2929, 5 July 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1878.

We hear that some Sheffield men, residents of the Thames, are rather elated at hearing their tewnsmen have achieved such a signal victory over the Colonial Cricketers. If they have experienced any such feeling of elation, we are sorry to undeceive them, but the match, the conclusion of which we recorded yesterday, although played at Sheffield, was against Yorkshire, and the Australians were opposed to one of the strongest teams they expected to meet during their home tour. The names of their opponents would be sufficient to inform cricketers that they were not all " men of Sheffield."

The hearing of the evidence in the Waiharakeke East case occupied the entire session of the Lands Court today. The claimants to this block are the Ngatihinirangi and such of the Ngatihaua as are related to the Ngatihinirangi by marriage. The counter claimants are the Ngatihaua proper, the Ngatihora, the Ngatirangi, the Ngati Tiora, and the Ngati Tawhaki. The case for the counter claimants was closed at the mid-day adjournment, and the claimants' case commenced this afternoon.

By the English mail just to hand the Thames Scottish Volunteer Band has received the following new music :—Quickstep—" Wandering Kefugee ; " Polka-— " Aus Freundjchaft," by Liebich ; Polka Mazurka —" Still Leben," by Haag ; and " Songs of the Day." Quadrille, by C. Coote, junior.

Thebe are not a few of our American cousins who entertain, to our English tastes, queer ideas.relative to the observance of the nat~-l day of their country's independence—glorious Fourth of July. Yesterday, which was the 102 nd anniversary of this memorable event, our reporter was perambulating Pollen street, when he was stuck up by that loyal old " cullud "Yankee who rejoices in the euphonious cognomen of Sharighae—why, we don't know, if it is not that he has but one eye. Shanghai had evidently been "keeping up" the fete day of his nation, and was fully three sheets in the wind. Fixing his solitary optic on our paragraph hunter, he thus addressed him : " Say, boss, have you got a spare quarter dol. about yer pants thet you can lend to an American citizen. Hare, I've bin ' bulljacking' around and spent all my money on beer, and ar'nt haf drunk yet. Thet won't do for the gal-orious foth you know, boss."- Our reporter made him happy with a " Colonial Bobert," with which, it is to be regretted, he increased his temporary mental aberration untilkindly taken care of by the police.

Theee was a large attendance of members of the various G. T. Lodges at the Templar Hall last evening in response to an advertisement from the D.D. notifying that he would hold a Lodge of Instruction in the private work of the order. At the conclusion of the ordinary business of the Star of Thames Lodge, D.D. Bro. John Scott took the chair, Bro. Gillan. W.C.T., Pride of the North, acting as V.T., L.D.'s Bros. Hammond and Bates as P;W.C.T. and W.C., W.C.T.'s Bros. Phillips and Rose as £L. and L.H.S., and Bro. Nicholls as W.M. We call attention to an advertisement in another column announcing a public meeting of the Star Lodge on Thursday next, when addresses and a musical programme will be gone through ; also to the announcement of a Lodge of Instruction on Thursday week.

The Waikato Times, commenting on the recent railway conference, says:— Some little difficulty was at first raised by Messrs Firth and Fergusson, both of whom, as representing very considerable interests, naturally objected to being shut out from discussion of certain questions in the off-handed manner adopted by the Chairman, the Mayor of Thames. The latter, however, having been overruled by the sense of the meeting, business matters proceeded amicably, and it is matter for congratulation that both gentlemen named did not withdraw as they had threatened, for they remained to offer some very useful practical suggestions, which were, agreed to by the Conference." Indeed, but for the resistance by Messrs Fergusson and Vialou, the branch line to Cambridge, which forms a most important feature of the scheme, would have been omitted. It is really hard to understand how practical men could overlook or fail to see the advantages which such a branch would be to the project as a whole.

The Melbourne correspondent of the New Zealand Sun, referring to the reappearance in Melbourne of Mr J. L. Hall, says: On Saturday night last, one of the largest audiences ever seen in the Academy of Music assembled to greet an old favorite, Mr John L. Hall, back to the Melbourne stage. He appeared as Captain Ginger of the Buffleshire Buffs Militia in H. J. Byron's glorious comedy of "Our Girls." The plot of the comedy is well known to your readers, as also its many literary excellences. The cast of characters could not have been excelled in any theatre in Australia, and was as follows :—Captain Ginger, Mr J. L. Hall; Frederick Fanshawe, Mr G. E. Irelond ;'Arthur Medwyn, Mr Hans Phillips ; Doctor Fleming, Mr J. G-. Joyce; Tipkins, Mr Harry Daniels; Edwards, Mr Tasman; Helen Gaythorne, Mrs G. B. W. Lewis; Lilian Gaythorne, Miss Jessie Grey; Mrs Gunn, Mrs W. Ryan. The directress, Mrs Lewis, played Helen Gaythorne most charmingly. Mr Hall, whose reception was most enthusiastic, had to wait some time before he could begin his speech. The applause burst out again and again. His make-up was capital; his pride in the military, his difficulties in managing that the supplies of food, "regimentals," &c, should be kept up without cash, were all told in the- happiest way. Messrs J. G..Joyce, Hans Phillips, and Daniels, Vrere all excellent in their respective assumptions, and greatly assisted in the success of the comedy. It may be noticed that the services of Mr Ingles were not called into requisition for this presentation. Mrs Lewis and Messrs Hall and Ireland were repeatedly called before the curtain by the delighted audience. The comedy will I am certain have a long run. The scenery by Mr Charles M'assey is really excellent, far exceeding any of his previous efforts, the" country scene in the first act especially eliciting universal admiration.