The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3112, 7 February 1879, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1879.

A meeting of the United Pumping Association directors was held in Auckland to-day, at which the County was represented by Councillor A. Porter, who this afternoon wired to the County Chairman that it had been decided to call a meeting of the County and Borough authorities and all the mines interested in the Big Pump or the drainage question for the 13th instant. Mr Morrin is said to have ventured the opinion that things may be made all right, and aa effort is to be made to get the Co^J. Company to contribute something. We are at one with the gentleman who believes that things can be made all right, which could have been done long ago had the U.P.A: directors depended less upon the generosity of the Thames local bodies, or the slender hope of another loan from the public purse. As the Bay of Islands Coal Company has its best customers at the Thames, and the consumption of coal will be very much reduced if the Big Pump remains long idle, the directors may reasonably ask for some concession in the matter of a reduction in price of coal, if not any direct assistance in the way of subsidy. As we said before, if the directors of the United Pumping Association, and the directors of the other mines benefited by the pumping operations but not directly concerned in the U.P. Association, will show a disposition, to help themselves, the Thames local bodies may be induc3d to meet them in a liberal spirit, and this resolution passed to-day looks as if the directors had awakened to the fact that they have some responsibility in the matter. As Mr Morrin was present at the meeting and took an active part in the proceedings, it maybe regarded as significant, for we learn that that gentleman has taken very little interest in mining affairs for a long time, and has seldom attended the meetings of the U.P.A. directors. The information contained in Mr Porter's telegram to the County Chairman is supplemented by one received from the Press Agency, and we are pleased to notice that the directors have recorded a vote of thanks to Mr George Black, the manager of the U.P. Association, who was relieved of his duties on Friday last.

We hear there is likely to be a contest for the representation of Middle Ward in the Borough Council, in room of Mr G. N. Brassey. The names of gentlemen we have heard mentioned as probable candidates are Mr J. Kenshtw, Dr Kilgour, Mr J. Osborne, and Mr J. Leydon. The latter made a good fight for it at last general election.

We are sorry to have made the discovery of an error in such a pretty piece of printing as the North British and Mercantile Insurance Company's Almanac.. However eminent as printers the titled firm of " Sir Joseph Causton ajd Sons,' London," it would appear that they are not perfect in their classics, for under the "Lion rampant" of Scotland, the motto of the Scots is printed "Memo me impune lacessit."

An amusing instance of the absurdity of the employment of the pronoun "we " by lawyers when speaking of their clients occurred, says the Post, at the Eesident Magistrate's Court, during the hearing of an action "or breach of agreement. Mr Mansford having inquired what the defence to the case was, Mr Olliver naively replied: "We deny that there was any agreement, and if there was any writing actually sigued by us, we say that we were in a state of intoxication at the time, and we are not bound by it."

With reference to the insult alleged to have been offered by Eewi to Major Scannel, Mr A. Warbrick telegraphs :— " The itinerant reporter of the Bay of Plenty Times at Taupo, wires to that journal that Major Scannel had been grossly insulted by the celebrated Chief Eewi. lamin a position to state that there is no truth whatever in the statement, as that gallant Major was treated in a most respectful manner by^ Kewi. These itinerant individuals, like the reporter in question, who: have no settled location, may perhaps be excused when it is found they have got hold of the ,wrong end of the stick." Major Scannel also denies the correctness of the Bay of Plenty Times' report.

John Goonan is appointed to be Postmaster at Waitekauri.

A death of a very singular nature is related by the Townsville Standard as follows :—" As a boy named Peter Clarke, about 13 years of age, .the son of Mr James Clarke, an old resident in Townsville, was bathing in the sea on the 30th December, he was heard to scream out loudly. Mr Joha Winniett hearing the boy's screams, and thinking that he had perhaps got out of his depth, plunged into the water and went to his assistance. Having reached him he took him up in his arms, the boy apparently having fainted. Mr Winniett carried him up to the Eetreat Hotel, when Dr Geldard was immediately sent for, and on arriving ascertained that the boy j was dead. The lower part of the body had the appearance of being whipped across the thighs, and it is concluded that he must.have come into collision with a poisonous fish, known as a devil-fish or octopus, and thus met his untimely death. We are informed by an old resident in town that these kind of fish are very prevalent this season of the year, and are mostly to be met with on the Queensland coast in shallow water."