THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOOK P.M. Resurrexi WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3344, 10 September 1879, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOOK P.M. Resurrexi WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1879.

To-hobbow's polling will take, place for Marsden, and at a late hour last night, a certain individual here receired an urgent wire to send, sereral Thames residents who were on the roll for that district to proceed to Auckland and thence by special steamer to Whangarei. The i.s. Pearl arrired at Shortland this afternoon at about 3 o'clock, from Ohinemuri, with a red flag at her mast head. It was thought in Grabamstown that something important was in the wind, hut on enquiries being made it was found that the steamer had brought down no Maori news. A long address aupears in this day's issue from Mr John Usborne, a candidate for the Middle Ward seat. It deala rery fully, with matters of moment to the Borough, and shows that the candidate has giren considerable thought to the wants of the municipality. Mr Osborne has not, op to the present, taken a very prominent part in local politics, but while he has been a member of the Harbour Board, he has given considerable attention to the business of the Board. He seconded the proposal of the Mayor to dred^o the channel for the Sauaeranga Creek, which fact we omitted to mention when the subject was referred to by us in a late issue. Gub old friend, J. S, Maofarlane, must hare fallen rery much in the estimation of the Devonport electors, for wo find by the numbers polled, that Mr Wood receired 233, and Mr Macfarlane 83. Some tall roting is anticipated at the Buy of Islands election, it appears there are 560 natives on the roll out of a total of 1100, and as there is a natire candidate in the field, it is not beyond the possible that he will slip in between the two white men. It can be done if the satire toters stick to their countryman.

" Have you any sympathy for Fox," a prominent Oppositionist was asked one day recently. '• Not the slightest, because I consider he injured a good cause by the bitter mean spirit he exhibited, while leading the Opposition," was the answer.

Polling for the following places takes place to-day:—Auckland City Knst, Wai pa, dire, and Christchurch. Except the last mentioned great uncertainty exists. Mr Speight 13 thought by some certain for the city, Mr Whitaker for Waipa, Mr Ormond for Olive, the latter in a great measure owing to the fact that Mr Sheehan did not get down in time to properly canrass the district. Ms Bawden's address will compare favorably with those) of the other candidates. It appears in our columns to-day ■nd should be read with the ethers. The Franklin, Gladstone, Ashley, Clutha and Marsden elector* will be called upon to ezeroiie their privileges to-morrow.

We learn that the Hero Ims this trip, brought oTcr the uniforms for the Thames Rifle Rangers Corps. A considkkable number of otir Wesleyan t'rieuds assembled at the Shortland Wesleyun Church for the purpose of holding a mectiug re tho Home Missions of that connection. The meeting was addressed by the Revs. Messrs Morley (President of the Wesleyan Confcrece) Buddie, and Watkiu. The latter oconpicd the chair. At the close the Chairman stated that the collections for the Missions had amounted to £15 2s. Mb James Renshaw, through our columns lays his views upon Borough matters before the electors of the North Ward. Mr Renshavr is well known !o have always taken a lively interest in matters touching the welfare of the Thames, and will no doubt, if elected, display his usual care and attention to such mutters in the future. * Sin George Gbky besides being distinguished as a statesman, his name is well known to most litterateurs. While at Cape Colony he laid the foundation of the famous Grey library, ranking to the institution most munificent donations of books and valuable literary curiosities. Mb G. N. Bbassby addresses the electors of the Middle Ward nt the Academy of Mime this evening. It is a pity that the candidates did oot adopt this course at an earlier date in their candidatute. A much better course for Mr Brassey to have adopted would have been to publish in the columns of the newspapers his views, so that many who will not be able to attend this evening would have been able to form an opinion of his fitness for office. « The travelling correspondent of the Sydney Town and Country Journal, who was recently on the Thames, sends a long account of the field, its past riches and future prospects, to that journal. We extract the following from the report referred to: —" The Thames has been sadly neglected, but of course the native humbug has been the cause. It has an agricultural backbone of several million acres of grand country, an extensive tract of gold-bearing country, and a large tract of kauri forest, but notwithstanding these advantages the Thames is without road or railway to tap them. However, a better time is apparently at hand, for the Waikato-Thames railway has been spoken of, and already work has been started at the Thames end, but when it is to be completed is another thing ; for I do not very well understand how the railway is to be sent through the native country, when the natives will not allow a road to be made in some parts. Had the Thames had its railway five years ago (as it should have had) there would probably now be a population of 20,000 on it, while the district would have been optned up and settled upon, and the colony would have been the gainer in a measure much greater than most people believe. In tho great Piako valley there is an immense tract of grand swamp country that can and will be reclaimed, and by that alone there probably would have been by this time £20,000 a week expenditure, draining and other improvements, by large capitalists, had the railway been made at the proper time. However, quiet as the Thames is, and much is it may yet suffer, tber* is a day coming when it will ba the large and prosperous town it should have been now." The Auckland City East election is proceeding to-day, and by all accounts it promises to be one of the toughest fights of the campaign. The candidates are J. M. Clark and'W. J. Speight. The former is an old Aucklander, justly respected for his many high social quail ties, and a man thoroughly identified in' the place. He, however, lacks the crowning and necessary virtue of being a Grejite Liberal. On the other hand, Speight is an ultra Greyite with strong Liberal views, and is supported by the Central Election Committee. He is well knotvn as a thoroughly conscientious man, and has the reputation of being one of the best speakers in this Provincial district. The contest is expected to be very close, though Speight's supporters hare no fear as to the result. The latest from the mad prophet Te Whiti:—-There is a talk amongst tae natives about Te Whiti having converted a pakeha named Brown, who is going to convert the pakehas. in the Southern Is- j land, that ho has taken a mat and other i presents in token of bis (Brown's) allegiance to Te Whiti, and that the pakehas of the greenstone country (the South Island) were going to make the pakeha of Taranaki return to tho Maoris all the confiscated lands. Te Whiti says that more pakehas will soon come to him to hear his word and be converted, and when all believe in him the end of the world will be close at hand; the pukupuka (newspaper) man will write and advocite him (f c., his religious views), and that he sends him forth as his akonga (i c., disciple) as Christ sent forth Peter and Paul, so that he may preach unto the pakehas the true faith, that they may believe and be saved. Te Whiti seems satisfied that the result of the pakeha's visit will be the means of converting the people in the South Island to his way of thinking. j