THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3081, 2 January 1879, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1879.

This was the day for the usual sitting of the District Court, but it was adjourned by Mr J. B. Mason in the absence of Judge Fen ton and the Clerk of the Court.

The old custom of welcoming in the New Year passed very tamely here. At the hour when churchyards are supposed to yawn, etc., however, there was a good number of people, in Brown and Albert streets, where an open air concert was commenced, causing considerable amusement; and subsequently a large party paraded ithe town, filling the early morning air #ith stentorian melody. The only illumination we noticed was at Mr Bull's residence, Parawai, that gentleman having caused a brilliant display of Chines 9 lanterns, etc. . i

The annual meeting of the members of the Loyal Waikato Lodge. No. 5444, LOOP., was held on Tuesday evening last at the Oddfellows' Hall; Richmond street. The Lodge wag J»M!j£d at ?3KT p.m., Bro. George Jhu:\ CoSjSfer, Noble Grand, presiding. ..The iisual routine business baying been gone through, the principal business of the evening was' proceeded with, viz., the election of officers. The various offices were keenly contested for with the following result:— Noble Grand, Bro. George. Fisher, Tice Grand, Bro. Kicbard Oates; Elective Secretary, Bro. Henry Siinmonds. Drs.Payne and Eowbottom were appointed Lodge Surgeons, and Bros. Gentle* P.G., Potts P.G., and Simmonds Auditors. Bro. Geo. McCowatt, P.G., acted as Installing Master, and delivered the charges in his usual impressive manner. A vote of thanks was tendered to the outgoing officers, which was duly responded to by the retiring Noble Grand, Bro. G. J. Cooper. During the evening a distress gift was voted to a Brother, and and substantial assistance was rendered to a member who has of late, suffered considerable losses. The Lodge was closed with, the usual ceremonies at 10 p.m. ■ . ■- .. • ' : The Thames Borough Council ordinary meeting which should take place to-night will probably be adjourned owing to the holidays and the absence of councillors. At the E.M. Court this morning, before Messrs H. €. Lawlor and J. Skene, J's.P., one person was punished in the usual manner for drunkenness, and another was ordered to flud sureties to keep the peace for making use of threatening language. The, Herald's own correspondent in Wellington says ;—PriALe letters re.''M4.: ' .-■

ceived from friends of Sir Julius Vogel by the last mail go to show that he meditates au early visit to the Colony. I should not be at all surprised that even now his resignation is on its way, and that he will follow it so as to be here to get elected for a Southern constituency in time for the meeting of Parliament, by an arrangement which is to be made for him in that respect by some of the Canterbury squatting interest.—The telegrams here announced that Thomas Kennell, charged with murdering the late Captain Moller, was remanded to gaol at Auckland, pending the pleasure of His Excellency the Governor, 'ihe law officers have given the question of jurisdiction their consideration, and the accused will be taken to Fiji for trial at the earliest possible opportunity. The Auckland Superintendent of Police has been in communication with the proper department here in connection with the case, and the result is that the Minister of Justice has authorised the payment of the necessary expenses of witnesses for the prosecution, from the time they leave your city until they return to Auckland, if so needed, from the Fijis.—lt is now generally believed that the visit of the .Native Minister to the Waikato in the commencement of next month, to meet Eewi, will be the forerunner of a Native Lands Court being held at Cambridge about the beginning of February, when a number of small native cases, involving no matters of public policy, will be gone into, and memorials of ownership ordered to issue to the different hapus and members of tribes. This is as it should be, as many instances of loss and hardship have have followed upon the postponements of Waikato ■aNative Coorl sittings.

Messes Kelly and Fraser have presented to the Thames Hospital a five dozen case $f Puriri water for the use ot the patients.

At a meeting of the Board of Education held on Monday last, after some discussion, it was agreed to grant the request of the contractor for the Thames School and return his deposit, as immediately after the acceptance of his tender linaber had risen two shillings per hundred feet.

A Heeaid telegram says:—During the week trains have been arriving from the North laden with natives for Korerowapuna. There is considerable consternation among the settlers in the vicinity. Some females are leaving for Wellington. Hoani Mehana sent a message to the editor of the Manavvatu Times, containing an assurance that there was not the slightest cause for anxiety. He states the meeting was called by himself and other chiefs to urge various tribes to abandon Hauhauism and embrace Christianity. It does not matter whether they become Homan Catholics, Wesleyans, or other Protestants. Hoani Mehana is an ordained clergyman of the English Church, and is honored by the natives and respected by the whites.

It is often truly said that it is better to be born lucky than "rich, and as an instance, we may allude to an occurrence which came under the notice of a correspondent within the last forty-eiuht hours in one of our fashionable city hotels. Two gentlemen, Captain —— and iMr i , were having a quiet "go" at a game which neither the late Chief Justice Arney nor Mr Hesketh knew anything of, namely, "Yankee-grab," and within half-an-hour the modest sum of £600 changed hands, all of which went into the pockets of the player last specified. The dice business being finished, the lucky winner gave a general invitation for "drinks." When the merriment was at its height, the winner proposed that the loser and himself should each give a Christmas present to the sweet Hebe behind the bar. The challenge was accepted, and in a few minutes that young lady, who does so much "lounging" during the, long, tedious bar- hours, had £100 added to the dying year's income. The thing was done instanter, and the topics of sunny lands and far-off climes were indulged in, when in walks another captain, and lo ! before he had been there ten minutes, forty good sovereigns had gone to the tortunate winner in the first play. Our correspondent was so much astonished that he quickly hurried oat of that hostelry.-^-Herald.