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Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2979, 2 September 1878, Page 2

We would call attention to the facts notified by advertisement elsewhere, that Mr H. Vernon has. been appointed agent for the .Norwich Union Insurance Company, and the Mutual Lite Association of Australasia respectively. We omitted to state in our report of the presentations to Mr Macdonald, in Saturday's issue, that the address was illuminated by Mr E. W. Hollis. The address is on parchment, and the lettering simply perfect. The initial letters are of the style of the 15th century, when the illuminating art may be said to have been at its highest state of perfection, and the body of the address is composed of red and black German text letters. We also neglected to notice the presentation of the gold watch to Mr Macdonald. * Membebs of Nbs. 1 and 2 companies Thatnes Scottish volunteers and band are requested to parade at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon at the dr.ill shed of the late No. 3 Company, Shortland, to attend the funeral'of the late Sergeant Skene of No. 2 Scottish. No. 1 Scottish will parade in uniform and with arms, as they provide the firing party. Members of other companies are also invited, to attend. Some little amusement was caused amongst visitors to the Whakatane Native Camp yesterday by a number of natives playing draughts on a board improvised out of a'large slab of timber, the squares being indicated by lines of chalk and charcoal. The k'men" were pieces of kumera and pipi shells, the players being divided into sides of three each, each taking a move alternatively. This is another step,in the march of civilization and shows that our native friends are gradually acquiring the arts and graces, as well as vices, of European society. The allcomers' match at the Brown street rifle gallery on Saturday night was as usual, well attended. The pr ze—a a complete suit of oil-skins, viz., sou'wester hat, coat and leggings—was won by the medium score of twenty-five points, a civilian, Mr Charles Hands, being the highest competitor by one point only. We notice that the energetic proprietor, Mr Barlow, again offers a prize for Wednesday night. . Although the majority of our dusky brethren have their pockets pretty well lined with " metal cash" just now, there are a few who are not in the same happy circumstances.' These pariahV consequently sponge on their! monied countrymen, who, on the. whole, cannot be accused of selfishness.. One of these spongers came it too strong on a halfcaste relation a few nights ago, his importunities for wipiro, being too much even for the good nature of his hybrid relation. The half-caste then determined to cure the Native once and for all. He did it thusly : Catching the mendicant Native by the scruff of the neck he deposited him in a sitting posture on a form in the bar, and called for four quarts of brer. The^o were bought, and the Native was forced to drink them. During the " putting away" of the first two quarts he seemed rather to enjoy,this means of correction, but while gulping down the third he,evidently becamedistressed. He gasped for breath and pointed piteoiisly to his distending stomach. The half-caste did not relent, and the third quart was finished just as the clock struck 10—the hour for closing the hotel. The heavenly smile of hope pervaded his dusky countenance as the bar door was closed, and. he managed to gasp out a joyful " Too rate," and intimated that if he drank any more he would be breaking the law, and probably breaking himself too. The half-caste then seized him and half drowned him by pouring the contents of the fourth quart measure down his throat, and the poor victim staggered off evidently filled, with a high resolve never to sponge any more, especially on a half-caste. The special of the Herald at Wellington, in the following, refers to what he calls .burlesque legislation:—For an old campaigner like myself it is painful to witness burlesque legislation used to magnify the office of a member, of Parliament, and think what lofty and sacred duties were given him to fulfil. You can point a moral and extend the doctrine, if you will, when you have read what follows. I spoke or wrote yesterday of the manifold harbour endowment bills which have been introduced, without the slightest intention or expectation on the part.of those who introduced them that they would pass, and now. just read the subjoined extracts from the order papers of this day (Friday); Sir R. Douglas, the Whangarei Harbour Endowment Bill; Captain Morrii, the Gisborne Harbour Endowment Bill, the Hick's Bay Harbour Endowment Bill, the Opotiki Harbour Endowment Bill, the Matata Harbour Endowment Bill, the Whakatane Harbour Endowment Bill, the Katikati Harbour Endowment Bill; Mr Rowe, a bill to provide for a grant of acres of land as an endowment for the harbour of the Thames. " Something too much of this," and it brings legislation into contempt, because this, if you please, is the way by which it is intended to bring scorn on those who have made so many demands of this kind. Surely it were better for Government to plant the Ministerial foot firmly down, use their majority, and say at once, " We shall not agree to any suph extravagant demands, made merely to curry favour with exigent constituents at the expense of the colony at large. To think what I have seen, "What now I see.

At the Native Lands. Court to-day the first business was the calling on of the Takapau block of 417 acres, which however was. adjourned till to-morrow, when it will be taken first thing. Owing to some misunderstanding re the survey the Manuku case was also adjourned. The Murataki block of 120 acres, situated opposite Paerba, was awarded to Eihitoto Mataia. Several succession orders and applications for sub-divisions were then either" adjourned or dismissed. The hearing of several cases has been adjourned in consequence of the surveys not being completed, and it is expected the Court will finish its session here by the end of this week or the beginning of next. The only important case remaining to be heard is the Moehau or Cape Colville case, and efforts are being made between the parties claiming it to settle it out of the Court. The London correspondent of the S. F. Weekly Post writes:—All our English papers are deploring the untimely death 1 of Mr McGahan, formerly correspondent of the New York Herald at the time of the Franco-German war, and during that between Russia and Turkey one of the correspondents of the London Daily News. In the last named journal of Wednesday's date is, in: addition to other notices of him, a handsome tribute to his memory in the shape of an eloquent letter from one of the most distinguished of his brethren of the pen, Archibald Forbes. The funeral, at Constantinople, was attended largely by Americans and, English; six correspondents to British newspapers of different shades of politics, to wit, the Daily News, Times, Telegraph, Standard, and Graphic, held the pall, and General Skobeloff, a friend to the deceased of eight years standing, acted as chief mourner. Apropos of this sad event, a Writer to the Echo draws attention to the fact that warriors are by no means the only heroes' of war, and says that correspondents who, in search of information for the public " brave bullets, assassination, and fever,- like Mr Ogle of the Times, and Mr McGahan of the Daily News, should have a monument erected to their memory." Amen to that, will answer many lips, right heartily. Being on a funereal subject, let me here mention that Russell Gurney, who died recently, was a man blessed with a numerous circle of warm friends. It is a curious fact that well-to-do people usually are so blessed. Many mourners, therefore, would have followed him tearfully to the grave, but that, most unfortunately, the day selected happened to be that also of the Derby. Now, though it is hard to lose those to whom we are attached, it is harder still to miss the chief iface of the whole twelvemonth ; and so evidently thought the sorrowing survivors, for they sent their empty carriages to Kensal Green and hurried off themselves to Epsom. Thus, as some one has touchingly and beautifully remarked, in life Russell Gurney had many friends, and in death they were very extensively divided. . The new Central Station of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, situated in Southwark Bridge road, was opened' on>' Saturday, June Ist: It affords ample accommodation for upwards of 50 men, a residence for:the chief officer, Captain Shaw, drijl grounds,, workshops, storerooms, married men's quarters, and officers' quarters ; as well as stabling for horses and sheds for the engines. The site cost £35,000, trade interests cost £3000 more, and the buildings about £33,000, thus making a total of over £70,000. The present strength of the Brigade shows: 50 fire engine stations, 108 fire escape stations, 4 floating stations, 3 floating fire engines, 104 miles of telegraph lines, 27 land steam fire engines, 98 manuals, 141 fire escapes and, long scaling ladders, and 406 men and officers; The new Station was opened by Sir James M'Garel Hogg, Chairman of the Board of Works, most of, the members being present. . i Ouk (Australasian) Italian correspondent, writing from Borne, gives the following curious, anecdote: of the present Earl .Russell: —"I may mention before concluding this letter that both the King and the Senate have sent telegrams of condolence to the family of the late Earl Russell. In the Senate Signor Cairolo said the name of the deceased statesman would never be forgotten in Italy, as a consistent friend to progress and to Italy. And having thus been led to speak of the late Earl, I may'give you ah original and certainly nowhere else recorded anecdote of the present Earl, now a boy of 13. He was at Rome about four years ago with his parents, Lord and Lady Amberley, both since dead; and on one occasion was out in the town with them, when they were purposing to dine at some famous restaurant in the city. Little Frank, however, was guilty of some 'naughtiness' or other, I forget what, whereupon Lady Amberley, a strict disciplinarian, said, ' Now, Frank, you cannot dine with us. You must go home, an 3go without your dinner !' And Frank went off on his, way home. On coming home in the evening, Lady Amberley asked him how he had got on, and whether he was very hungry P 'Oh ! I had some dinner, mamma; I had two oranges.' 'And where did you get two oranges, Frank? ' 'Oh I saw a man in the street who was selling oranges; and he was buying ends of cigars from boys who picked them up—a very common, and well known industry in Italy—and so I looked about till I picked up cigar ends enough to change for two oranges!' A strange episode enough in the life of the heir to an English earldom, but one, if I mistake not, that gives very unmistakable promise of more than one quality that may, duly seconded by circumstance and opportunity, lead to greatness."