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Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3045, 18 November 1878, Page 2

The City of New York, with the London mails of October 10, having left San Francisco on the 28th ult., her due date, is due iv Auckland according to time table, on the 20th instant (Wednesday), but she may pat in an appearance a day before her time.

_ The furniture and effects, and commodious cottage residence of another old identity who is leaving the district—Mr J. D. Wickham-—will be submitted to the hammer by Mr James Craig on Wednesday next, the 20th instant. ,

A meeting of persons interested in getting up races for the holidays will be held at the Governor Bowen Hotel tonight at 8 o'clock. It is to be hoped there will be a full meeting, and that prompt steps will be taken to provide a programme of races and sports that will not only induce residents to remain and spend their holidays here, but also attract paople from a distance.

An addition has been made to the schedule of exhibits of the Ladies' Benerolent Society show on Wednesday next, and prizes will now be given for the best cactus and second best cactus.

The Star Dramatic and Pantomime Company concluded their season at the Theatre Koyal on Saturday night, when "The Colleen Bawn" was produced. There was not such a good house as might hare been expected, consequently some of the actors seemed dispirited, and the piece did not "go" so well and evenly as it would hare done under more favorable circumstances. The company left for Auckland by the Enterprise soon after the performance closed, and we are informed that they join the Darrells on a tour south.

The Oamaru Mail says the words of Mr Bracken's New Zealand National Anthem are beautiful, but that the tune is about as common-place as it is possible for music to be. That had notes been indiscriminately showered upon blank music paper the result could scarcely have been worse, and that it is unworthy of a first-class nursery rhyme, much less of words such as those of Mr Bracken.

In noticing that Mr Frederick Dicker Hamilton, well known throughout the Colonies under the name of " Tout Cela," as a writer on sporting subjects, and perhaps better known as* " The Adelaide Stag," has been lecturing at the Ballarat Mechanics' Institute on " Turf Trickery," a contemporary remarks that the lecturer probably knows as much of his subject as any man'living.

Commenting upon recent agrarian outrages in America, the correspondent of the Otago Daily Times says :—" It will be impossible to continue large estates in any family for generations. The form which the land question appears to take in the public mind, judging from political platforms and speeches, is this; limit in future all purchases in land to 640 acres as a maximum, and render it impossible to demise any greater quantity. This would prevent land monopoly in future, and break up existing estates within the lifetime of the present generation. Should an attempt be made to evade the second provision, regarding wills by transfer before death, the tax schedule is to be so framed as to render the posses* sion of unimproved estates exceedingly costly. I don't say these provisions will be generally adopted at first, but I am strongly of opinion they will be embodied in the new constitution.of California, which suffers enormous evils from the multiplicity of large estates."