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Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3111, 6 February 1879, Page 2

The usual monthly meeting of the County Council was leld to day, at which all the members were present. Our report of the proceedings is unavoidably crowded out.

The only business afc the R.M. Court tbis morning was a case of drunkenness and bad language preferred against an old soldier named Halliday. He admitted botb offences. For the drunkenness be was fined 10s and costs with the usual alternative, and for the secoud 10s and costs or 48 hours' imprisonment. There was a charge of assault on the sheet, but it was adjourned till tomorrow. Major Keddell, .K.M., occupied the Bench.

Mr Brassey has resigned his seat in the Borough Council. Tnere will therefore be a vacancy for Middle Ward.

It is notified by advertisement that the Hydes Gem Burlesque Company intend visiting the Thames and playing for afevr nights. We are sure that many people will have pleasure in renewing acquain tance with J. P. Hydes, and seeing the company he is working ihrough the Colony, their performances being highly sp.oken of by the Press.

A. meeting of the Thames Scottish Battalion was held last evening after-drill for election of a Quartermaster and other business. Mr George Symington was unanimously elected Quartermaster (in room of Mr Carpenter, resigned), and Mr Thomas Eawdon, Quarter master-Ser-geant. The desirability of going in for a trip to Waikato on Easter, and having a day or two's drilling with the splendid cavalry corps of Cambridge and Waikato was diseased, and seemed to be favorably received. It was adjourned till next meeting. Several new members were elected, accounts passed, and other routine business disposed of. A church parade for 23rd February was agreed on, and monthly inspection on 24th.

A meeting of the Thames Scottish Band is called for this evening on important business.

An impression seems to have gained ground through telegrams that for politi chl reasons the Waikawa murderer Walsh had had his sentence commuted'to imprisonment for life. A Dunedin paper of the 28th ultimo says, on the authority of a correspondent at Wellington, that up to the evening of JanuaTy 27th the consideration of Walsh's case had not come before the Governor.

The advocates in Dunedin of reading the Bible in the common schools of the Colony, by their exertions managed to secure the elect ion on the Dunedin School Committee of five out of six of the candidates put forward by them, and one of the other successful candidates was of the Jewish persuasion.

The breach of promise case, Cayford v. Carruihers, lias been settled, and the public are disappointed in the matter of interesting correspondence and other details. Defendant's counsel, when the case was exiled on, consented to a verdict for plaintiff for £200 without costs. The damages claimed were only £1500!

The Melbourne correspondent of a Bailarat paper tells this story. He says :— A friend of mine, a Government officer, who.h»s just returned from his holidays, spent in the Gippsland district tells me the folio win tj :—" One day he, in company with a friend, fell in with an aboriginal camp, situated near the Lakes. They were well treated and highly amused at the. behaviour and manner of the blacks, who pointed out the best fishing and shooting grounds, but more so at one of the tribe, who had been brought under the infiueure of a branch of the Christian religion, anil when asked if he could say his prayers, answered in the affirmative. He was then promised one shilling to do so. He at once knelt, down, folded his hands, and called upon the Almighty to bless blrfek and white fellow, all gins and picanninies, and others who had been kind to him and his tribe, and at the conclusion of his offering said on rising, ' Now, you gib me that d —d bob ' This rather astonished his listeners, who thought he could not have been guilty of making use of such an expression. He was paid the promised coin, but accompanied with a remonstrance as to his conduct, which only caused him to grin the more."

The following are some oF the utterances of Professor Wiuchell, of Syracuse University, U.S.A.-, in a recent address :— V That education is the most valuable which best qualifies a man to aid in the world's progress, flow many devices have the schools to shut out knowledge from a boy's mind. At the age when every active power is ready (o spring forth

and seize the living truth, we try to satisfy him with syntax and a list of names from Siberia. When a boy is aching to take a locomotive to pieces, we set' him to dissecting a verD- I^Bl hi™ gratify Jus curiosity; let him entertain himeslf with chemical reagents ; give him means to make a telephone or a steam engine ; allow him to drive nails, and a jack-plane; give him a .geological hammer. With these things he will unite; hand-work with head-work in a ..most fruitful alliance, and when he becomes a man he may be either a mechanically expert scholar, or a scholarly mechanic. As a scholar he will understand affairs, and possess the common sense which will turn every situation to account. As a mechanic he will understand his business, and make a ' boss ' who may be trusted without misgiving."