THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3143, 15 March 1879, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1879.

The remarks upon the manner in which fire insurance business is being carried on just at present in New Zealand, in the account of the late fire in Dunedin, published in yesterday's issue, may with equal force apply to this place. We have been requested to call attention to the fact that there is a great increase in the number of risks taken out lately upon the Thames; The competition between the several companies doing business in this place has so reduced the premiums that many persons are taking advantage of the circumstance and insuring, and others are increasing the amounts upon their property, in many instances above the value. That it is quite right to insure all sane persons believe, but is is just possible that such may be overdone, and, the security felt by many persons that they are safe in case of fire leads ve.'y often to negligence upon their part. It has often been said, and we believe with a great deal of truth, that the Thames has to thank the high rates charged for insurances in years past for its comparative immunity from fires. It i» not a very complimentary statement to make, but from the fact thatall the fires that have been on the Thames, have bean pretty generally considered to be the result of incendiarism, there is ground for the statement.

On Monday, St. Patrick's Day, there will be played at Parawai Gardens, the cricket match, Thames v. Coromandel. Considerable interest is expressed concerning the match, and by virtue of the licking the Coromandelites gave the Thames boys in a recent encounter, betting is slightly in favor of the former.

We have been requested to call attention to an error in the advertisement notice of the extraordinary meeting of the shareholders of Kowe's Caledonian tribute, and which has been rectified. The meeting is called for Thursday, the 27th instant, instead of Wednesday, as stated in the advertisement.

The Herald, speaking of Messrs Norrii and Allen's exhibition of art and science, which will be opened in Owen street this evening Bays:—There are, besides the mechanical contrivances, many objects of interest in this show, and the amateurs in curios would do well to see the monstrosities of animal nature, and the ingenuity of savage mechanism in the formation of weapons. The cavern, on the same principle and with the same effects as that introduced by the Fakir of Oolu, is a beautiful effect, and the evergreen tragedy-comedy of " Punch and Judy" continually gives rise to either humorous mirth or agreeable emotions.

It is intended, we are informed, to apply to the Warden to perfect some of the claims held by the United Pumping Association, and mortgaged to the Government as security for the £50,000 advanced' to the Big Pump. The very little prospect there is of the pump being soon started, and the difficulties which seem to be thrown upon the matter on every hand, leads to the impression that it will be many a day before work is recommenced with such a prospect. A number of miners intend demanding the forfeiture of the ground held by some of the companies for non-working.

As a proof of the extraordinary season we are passing through, Mr Wood informs us that he has a cherry tree clothed in Spring verdure ; a pear tree in full blossom, and grapes (second crop) getting ripe.

In another column an advertisement of the County Council will be found calling tenders for several road work contracts, four of which are on the Oljinemuri and Katikati road.

We publish elsewhere the programme for Mr Pulliene's Concert on Tuesday evening next.

A town in Victoria requisitioned for an extra policeman, but'the commissioner refused, on the ground of the force becoming demoralised by the action of the Kellys in locking them up with bankmanagers and others.

The Herald speaking of the present position of the native race, the result of civilization, and the best remedy to be taken to counteract the evils of the past, says:—A remedy is quite possible, and the time has come for adopting it. This remedy would enable vast progress to be made by the North Island, would give the remnant of the natives a chance of leading good and useful lives, and would enable the race to survive for many years to come. There is at present a competition between the Government and private parties, under sanction of the law, to prevent native land coming into the hands of Europeans, and the same competition exists to demoralise the natives. This should cease at once. We may say that the plan we now propose for dealing with the native land question, and for settling the relations of the races on a satisfactory footing, has been frequently put forward, and especially by Mr James Mackay. It is, that a Board or Commission should be appointed, who should travel over all the Island, visit each tribe and each hapu, take careful census of their numbers, ascertain how much land they would require (making liberal allowance), and what parts they would prefer to be located upon. Then let those lands be assigned as reserves, and placed in such a

position that the natives could not dispose of them. As to the lands left, arrangements could be made by which a great deal of the litigation in the Lands Court might be avoided, with the consequent waste of money. The tribe owning could be made known, and dispositions be made to enable the owners to sell in small parcels, and without much trouble and expense to the purchasers. It would have to be arranged by the Government that a proportion of all money received by natives should be retained and invested for the benefit of the tribe, bo that it might not be squandered in drink, and as a further security against any of the natives becoming paupers and a burden and, a shame to the community.

The Josephine schooner cleared to-day for Lyttelton with 63,000 feet of timber, loaded at the mill of Bagnall Bros., and on arrival and discharge she will re-load for the Thames direct.

We understand that the Naval Cadets purpose making a trip to Ohinemuri tomorrow to be present at the Bt. Patrick's Day sports there., .i ' , ;

Some tjjirie-yea™ ago T. Muckenhoupt of this city went fishing, and, as he supposed, caught cold, which nettled in his ear. At all events, the hearing wa» seriously impaired, and for a few days there was an itching sensation. This subsided, but the deafness has continued up to this time. On Saturday last, while in conversation with Dr W. B. Hull, Mr Muckenhoupt spoke of the trouble, and the doctor told him if he would come to his office he would see what was the trouble. Dr Hull made an examination, and soon discovered that there was a foreign substance in the ear of some kind. By the aid of a small pair of forceps he soon drew out what seemed to be the leg of an insect, and continuing tin Operation, succeeded in removing the body of a bug known as the "beetle". After.its removal Muckenhoupt was able to hear considerably better. It is a remarkable case, and may seem somewhat incredible, but the facts are beyond question.—S.F. Chronicle.

The business transacted at the B.M. Comt yesterday was:—Brassey r. Schofield.—Claim, £5 7s 4d, professional services. Judgment for plaintiff, amount claimed with costs. Butler v. Hargreaves. —Claim, £5 10s, damage to silt works. A considerable amount of evidence was heard. Judgment was given this morning for the plaintiff, with £3 Is costs.

We hare received the March number of the Illustrated New Zealand Herald, which sustains the credit of the journal as a first-class illustrated paper, though, we must admit, we would like to see more New Zealand sketches in it. For Australian sketches we can go to the Australian Illustrated Papers. •

To-mobbotv, in accordance with annual custom, is set aside for the special collection in our churches for the benefit of the Hospital. Hitherto the churchgoing public, when called on to contribute to the support of this—one of the most deserving of our charitable institutions — have responded liberally, and we trust that spirit of liberality will be exemplified to-morrow.

The attention of Volunteers is directed to the District orders in another column. "Comrade's" letter will be inserted on Monday.

The Eev. Thomas Johnston is advertised to preach in the Congregational Church to-morrow, both morning and evening.

Professor Eddison is celebrated for ready ingenuity in the adaptation of science to meet temporary difficulties. In his early days he was a telegraph operator. One day an ice-jam broke the cable between Port Huron, in Michigan, and Sarnia, on the Canada side, and sopped communication. The river is a mile and a-half wide. It was impassable, and no present means existed of repairing it. Young Edison jumped upon a locomotive and seized the valve controlling the whistle. He had the idea (hat the scream of the whistle might be broken into long and short notes corresponding to the dots and dashes of telegraphing. " Hallo ! there, Sarnia! do you get me P Do you hear what I say ? " tooted the locomotive hastily. No answer. "Do you hear what I say, Sarnia P " A third, fourth, and fifth time the message went across without response, but finally the idea was caught on the other side ; answering toots came back, and the connection was recovered.

The following letter from Sir Wilfred Law son appears in the Times, and gives the text of his resolution re " Local Option: " —Bir,—On the last sitting of the House of Commons, before the Christmas adjournment; the chances of the ballot gave me the opportunity of fixing on Thursday, March 11, as the date for moving my resolution relating to the licensing system. At that moment I was unable to place the exact terms of the resolution on the paper; but, as lam aware that many people are anxious to know its precise form, you would, I believe, confer a service on them, as well as on myself, by finding room for the resolution, which runs as follows :—" That, inasmuch as the ancient and avowed object of licensing the sale of intoxicating liquor is to supply a supposed public want without detriment to the public welfare, this House is of opinion that a legal power of restraining the issue or renewal of licences should be placed in the hands of the persons most deeply interested and effected —namely, the inhabitants themselves—who are entitled to protection from the injurious consequences of the present' system by some efficient measure of local option." In order to be allowed to move the above, I understand that the rules of the House require me previously to withdraw any bill for which I am responsible pointing in the same direction. I shall, therefore, for the present time have to move the discharge of the order of the second day, for the second reading of the Permissive Bill, which now stands for April 30, being anxious to take a division on the principle involved in the above resolution, uncomplicated, for once, with the details of the Permissive Bill, to some of which I know that several decided supporters of " local option " take exception.

"Men may come, and men may go, but I go on/ as erer, selling the best lock-stitch sewing machines at £4 each, and always keeping a supply of needles and other requisites for them.—J. Gbigg, Pollen street.—[Advt.]

Count Metternich, the well-known sportsman, died at Pisa, from consumption, on Jan. 4, at the early age of thirty, leaving a young widow and two children. Count Melternich lived at Baden-Baden, and was the eldest brother of Count Fritz Metternich.