Untitled

Thames Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 3439, 2 January 1880, Page 2

Oub telegraphic intelligence from the South is not as complete as usual, owing to the operators at the principal stations being on strike. The men'object to the system of 8-hour shifts and the abolition ! of overtime. The Victorian Government, purwio, appointing an officer to enquire inj^tbe management of the 3rarftisf charitajble^uir stitutioniiMhrougbout "the colony? **|Si: Bpecial^efere,nceß» the means and anteoto-' dents of the inmates. j^_ „^ A^ »ETicHMßiji|;of fthe; Naval Cadets, under Lieut. Wnue. proceeded in their pinnace to New'Tßriehton yesterday. There being not a breath of wind the lads took to the .oars, and notwithstanding a scorching sun and strong ebb tide they rowed across the gulf, a distance of 20 I miles, in 4| hours. The return trip was I made under canvas in *Z\ hours. The young sailors handled their little craft in an export manner, reflecting credit on their instructor, Capt. Savage. , A.' bbunken man attempted a strange freak at the Rangiriri station on Wednesday. As the train came along, he staggered clear of the engine, and then caught hold of the hand-rail of a carriage. He was dragged along, but the driver (Cooke) slackened his speed, and threw the man clear off the rails. A platelayer seized the eccentric individuaLwho said he was one of tbe Kelly glng, and handed him over to the police. The cost of education for each child in the public schools in London is £2155, lid per annum ; in the couutry, £2 3s 10£ d. The cost in France is 18s Id per child. In this colony the cost per scholar is £6 3s 9d. In Weslland the average reaches £10 10s per child, while in Otago it is £& 17s 3Jd. The following, according to J Frank Fudge in the Saturday Advertiser, was sent by a gentleman in Chriscchur.ch, who believes in the millennial, to a debtor :—- ---"Dear Sir,—^-1 am in receipt of your favor of the 15th, and am sorry that I cannot allow the amount to lie over for three months as you request. Verily, we do not know at what moment the. Lord-may come, and therefore we should make proper use of our time, and set our houses in order before-the advent of the Kingdom.— Yours, &c, -—." Somewhat less that a hundred miles to the north of Napier, there is a township at which an intelligent constable: is stationed. In reference to a case before the Courft the Magistrate asked, " Is this evidence indispensible, Constable " ? To which the reply was, "It's in Maori, sir, if that's what you mean " ! Me Superintendent Thompson, A.C., in accordance with instructions from the authorities at Wellington, interviewed the, Ghiniquy Heception Committee, for the purpose of pointing out the responsibility they undertook, in adopting any steps likely to disturb the publip peace. He also acquainted them, that he was charged with a similar mission to the leaders of the-opposite party. Captain Daldy (Chairman of the Committee) replied to Mr Thompson, that- they were well aware of the responsibility they i«curred, and were perfectly prepared ( to accept the consequences. The question was pufc to Mr Thompson as to whether he anticipated any disturbances, and he replied that, so far as his information at present extended, he'had no reason to thitikjihat they would oc«ur.i~Herald. !

Two natives and two Europeans were charged at the Police Court this morning with drunkenness. The natives and one European were discharged with a caution. The other man was fined 5s and costs.

At the Magisterial hearing of the notorious "Moonlight "at Gundagai, he asked for an adjournment, which was not permitted, and some remark from Moonlight led the Magistrate to say that the prisoner had been allowed more latitude than any solicitor or barrister would have been allowed, and that if any lawyer in Court had used Jthe same language he would have turned him out of Court. "Well, your Worship," said Moonlight, amidst general laughter, "I wish you would turn me out too, and if I thought you would I would usV much stronger language."

A LATE cablegram says :—•" It now transpires that none of the passengers by the Edinburgh-Dundee train, which fell through the Tay Bridge were saved. There were in all ninety victims. The gap in the bridge was half a mile long. The actual cause of the collapse of the structure is unknown. An official inquiry will be held."

The watch which the Prinoe Imperial wore when he was killed, and which is now in the hands of the Zulus, was worn by |he first Napoleon through most of his' campaigns, and afterwards to the end of his life. It kept rery indifferent time, I but the Great Emperor would never wear > any other but this, which he purchased at I Marseilles when he was a poor lieutenant I of artillery. Napoleon 111. wore this watch from the day he was named Prince , President until the': day of his death,at'j Chiselhurst, and it is picturesquely re- j lated that in 1870, just as he was about to j put himself at the head of his troops, the watch stopped. He was superstitious, and this incident served to depress him for days. After his death the widow gave the watch to her son. , * - Messbs Grant and' Foster, the gentlemen deputed by the Lincolnshire farmers to visit New Zealand, may be expected on the Thames in a few days. A correspon dent stof the Times, speaking onfthe subject, says :—A remarkable movement is in progress in Lincolnshire. Over 500 farmers and landowners, who occupy or own in the aggregate considerably more than 100,000 acres, have signed a requisition to two gentlemen, requesting them to proceed to New Zealand in order that, after personal inspection, they may report upon the colony as a field for emigration for farmers possessed of means and capitalists, with special reference to such as have had experience of farming in Lincolnshire. The gentlemen whose services have thus been received are Mr Grant, of Healing, and Mr Foster, from the neighbourhood of Louth. Both are practical farmers. Should their report be favorable, there will probably be a considerable exodus of emigrants of a superior class to New Zealand, especially from Lincolnshire. . .p. The Scientific Corps : — Colonel, (sternly pointing to a large cobweb in a corner of the stables): " What d'ye call that, sir?" Young Subaltern,,, (fresh from the Academy): " That, sir, is the web of the arachnida sedentariadomestica, or common house spider^ We conquer him during the day, sir, -'Bttt he gets the better of us *t night. He is considered a model of perseverance! Of course, sir, you remember ,the story of Bruce and— "^ (Exit Colonel, hastily, muttering something afpht the " Service going somewhere.) fl-~-Punch. The survival of'the fitt^ft! li^it really true that a thing of beauty is a joy for ever ? Teat it agjpurchaaing gome choice article fitonoiN M. J. 'vffJBKK, Watchmaker andl|if«rellar, Shortlan'd^ for he hauaauy beiutifjMthingsin ■ gold andjtijLver suit&tni^for Christmas presents, Belling>JUMM to eifteb a clearanca..; Established IW.- [Advt.]