THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILEY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume x, Issue 3182, 1 May 1879, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILEY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1879.

The first anniversary of the Thames Young Men's Christian Association will be celebrated this evening at the Congregational Chapel, Mary street. TheKevs. It. Laishloy, "Watkin, and Neill will deliver addresses, and recitations will be given by members of the Association. The Grahamstown Wesleyan Church Choir will be in attendance. At the close a collection will be made towards the funds of the institution. -

The Bay of Plenty Times is continually harping on the recent railway meeting there and regretting tbat-Tauranga should have incurred the displeasure of the Thames. Tiie following appears in the issue of that paper of Saturday last:— " The railway meeting—at which it was resolved to promote a line to Ohinemutu rather than the Thamec—'ias caussd considerable ill-feeling against Tauranga at Grahamstown and Shortland. The residents of these towns are naturally anx'ous to make the Thames the central market for the produce of Eatikati, whereas our interests lie in a diametrically opposite direction. Nothing has been heard from the Government as yet about the Lake Eailway, and it is hardly likely that anything practical will result for some time to come. The Auckland folks set their faces steadily against the idea. They say there are many line* of much mors importance which will have to be made before this one is thought of." We canassureithe people of Tauranga that no such ill feeling as the Times writes about exists on the Thames, although Thames residents are all cognisant of the somewhat selfish remarks made by some Tauranga residents at the railway meeting. A railway between Tauranga and the Hot Lakes is quite as important to the former place as would be railway communication with the Thames.

The only business at the E.M. Court to-day was the punishment of one drunkard in the ordinary manner. Mr G. N. Brassey, J.P., took his seat on the Bench for the first time, and in commemoration of that auspicious occasion paid the defendant's fine, thereby saving him from 24 hours' incarceration.

To-day is the beginning of the New Zealand winter, and the clerk of the weather seems determined to remind us of the fact. Aquarius has been using his watering pot all day. Tjin uiual monthly meeting of the County Council was held at the Council Chambers, Pollen street, this afternoon. In another column we publish two of the reports submitted. We were informed this morning that some thief or thieves last week burglariously entered the dwelling of a resident of Hape Creek during his absence in Auckland, and abstracted therefrom three moss and fern pictures, as well as a case of ornamental specimens. The matter has been.bandled to the searching investigation of our "detective force, and before long we may hear more of,the matter. * l

We have received from tho Chief Post muster the amended regulations ro returned letters, which specify that :— Letters posted within the Clony, having the names and addresses c the senders printed on the address side of the envelopes, will, if not claimed within one month, be returned unoponed to the senders, through Chief Postmasters; also that letters posted within the colony, having tlte names and addresses of the senders printed on the address side of the envelopes, accompanied by a request that the letters be returned if not claimed within a stated period, will also be returned unopened. Provided, however, such letters shall have remained in the Post Office to which they may bo al-d-essed at least ten days.

We have to acknowledge receipt of tho thii tieth annual repprt of the' Australian Mutual Provident Society.

The cablegram forgery was establishei 1 beyond question in our issue of yesterday. By the arrival of the steamer City of New York we have further proof, through the files of the Sydney Evening News and Melbourne Age. No such messcge as thai sent o.ns appears in any of the papers, and all the statements founded upon the supposed publication are therefore false. It could not have been " pilfered " by anyone, because it did not see the light of of day. The question arises, to whom was it forwarded in Sydney, and who put upon it the "cypher" of the Press Association ?—Herald.

IN a recent issue of the Bay of Plenty Times is an article on the disagreement between Mr Itobfc. Graham and Government re the latter occupying certain land at Botorua. From the article referred to it would appear the first person who suggested that Mr Graham should settle at Eotorua was the Native Minister himself, shortly after the native disturbance at Maketu in June last when Mr Graham managed to reconcile two tribes on the ere of bloodshed. Six months after the natives wrote to Mr Graham inviting him to Ohinemutu. Mr Graham went and the Maorie» asked him to live with them and help them with good advice, and they would give him a free gift of land to build a house oh. After demurring for some time Mr Graham at length accepted the offer, and shortly after io doing saw the Native Minister who said : "So far as I am concerned I should be delighted to let , you have the land, "but Sir George Grey doesn't hold the same views as I do, and he will very likely oppose the idea. The best thing you can do is run down to the Kawau and see him." Mr Graham replied to the effect that it was not favor, but justice, he wanted, and he did not see what the Premier had to do with it, Mr Sheehan being the responsible party. Subsequently, on the asiurance from the Native Minister that all would be right, Mr Graham moved to Eotorua, and the next time Mr Sheehan was interviewed he told Me Graham that the Government would turn him off. Some days later a telegram was received from Mr Gill advising him to leave Eotorua, as if he stayed he would not get anything. This, of course, Mr Graham declined to do, and, indeed, when he consulted the donors of the land on the matter they would not hear of it. They told Mr Graham he was not in fault, and the Government could deal with them. The Times says:—The Premier and Native Minister seem to be simply courting another Waitnate difficulty, i.e., they are acting without accurate knowledge of the provisions made by their predecessors. So confident is Mr Grahac on this point that he has wired to Mr Sheehan, strongly advising the Government not to proceed with the action without carefully investigating the right of the natives to dispose of the property. We trust, for his own sake, that the Native Minister will listen to this wellmeant warning. There are not many men who would have taken the trouble to send it, but Mr Graham has a holy horror of litigation, and feels naturally anuoui to end the matter peaceably.

Ova subscribers will doubtless be glad to learn that " alleys are out and hoops t-,e in," at least; so' far as the Star runboys are concerned. During the period when " alleys" were fashionable we frequently noticed some of our subscribers fuming with impatience because the Star boy was late, while the latter was, improving his shining hours at a game of *•' big ring " or '•' follow taw," totally oblivious of the fearful anxiety his customers were enduring. Now that hoops are in the youngsters travel round their runs at a good round speed. Therefore, Star subscribers rejoice; and, if occasionally you should get your shin barked by colliding with a hoop doing the mile in lnain. 25sec. before pronouncing your anathemas on it, remember what a great improvement over marbles.

The police were on the alert during Monday night (says the Herald), watching for the arrival of the s.s. Hero. On the vessel coming alongside, she was boarded, and inquiries were made after a Mrs , one of the steerage passengers, who had left Sydney without the consent of her closest friends. JS"ot content with being unable to pay her passage, she must saddle the steamer with a companion in the person of her sister, about 10 years of age, and it was jibe younger escapee whom the police were desirous of interviewing, as her parents objected to her leaving the paternal roof under the charge of her elder sister. The police took the girl away, and placed her in the charge of the stewardess, with instructions to hand her over to her parents in Sydney.

Dctitedijt has been somewhat crestfallen through the steame. 1 Siad Haarlem not being able to cross the Port Chalmers* bar. The steamer drew 18 feet of water. According to late Dunedin papers it appears that since the Stad Haarlem's failure," the Oregon, a 1500 ton ship, drawing several feet more than the steamer, has safely crossed the bar, and Dunedin is jubilant thereat.

Was it his innocence ? A Harr?atville storekeeper had a visit frcm two commercial travellers, says Jljgles, who failed to place a line with him. Disappointed with their non-success cftcr prolonged efforts, said one of them to tl ? other, " Come along, Jones, to Maltbin'3 and have a drink." "Oh," said tin storekeeper, "There's no need for tha.-. Although I have not bought of you.. . can give you a drink." They thought, that things Icoked better as he led t-hsia' to the bacK of the store, which he passed through, and then point'ng to the pump, courteously presenied Smith with a tin dipper.

Tell us not in mournful number! that this life is tut a dveam when a girl that weighs one hundred gets outside a quavfc of cream—~nd then wants more. —Elm:ra Gazette. Life is real, life is earnest, and the girls know what they need, but cm

cream they are the durndest set to show their grit; and greed. No encore. —New York News. Let us then be up and doing, with a heart for any fate ; but let us never go awooing girls that want a second plate. How's that ? —Newsboy. Lives of' euch girls all remind us, as we float down the stream, that the boys who come behind us will have to pay for lots of cream. N-e-x-t!—Yonker's Gazette Be not like dumb-driven catlle, be a her , in tho strife; never with her mother battle, save the ice cream for your wife Proceed.

The much-maligned printer occasionally makes an amusing improvement .a composi'ions enlrusled to Lira with c:nfidenee. In a suburban parish a farewell address was lately pres3ited to an estimable nu...:sLer of the Gospel about to take a^-c-!--: .ned holiday. Now the handyl- i ' ibe compose? of that address is ny "3 illigible as my own. He had paid a :: bute to tho reverend gentleman in havi::g ably " mainliined the dignity of th. '.teacher." It was something of a shock to the Testimonial Committee when the printed address assured Mr that ke had "well maintained the dignity of the Trustees ! " —iEgles.