THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3460, 27 January 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1880.

The Provincial Grand Lodge, Irish constitution, will hold their quarterly meeting this evening in the Masonic Hall. The officers for the ensuing year of the Lodge of Light will be installed in the presence of the Provincial Grand Lodge A banquet at the Governor Bowen Hotel after the Lodge business is transacted, will commemorate the visit of the Auckland brethren. By advertisement members of other lodges are invited to be

present

We were in error in mentioning yesterday that the sum of £3 17s 6d, subscribed by the employees of Price Bros, was for the Irish Relief Fund. It should have been stated it was for Moses Ensor, the man injured in the Alburnia mine.

The following letter was presented to Mr Porter, at Paeroa, yesterday :—" We, the undersigned teachers of th"c Ohiuemuri District Schools, having heard that it is your intention to resigu the position you now hold as Chairman of School Committee in the above district, beg to express our very great regret that you should have so determined. We, one and all, desire to bear testimony to the unvarying kindness with which we have been treated by you, and io the efforts you have made to contribute all in your power to our comfort and convenience; the devotion, moreover, you have shown in the cause of education; the time you have given, and the energy and ability you have displayed in the advancement of the same in this district must make your resignation a matter of regret to teachers and settlers alike. We have ventured, therefore, thus to address you in the hope that you may be induced to reconsider the matter, and give the district the benefit of your services for another year.—We are, Sir, yours rery obediently, C. K. Cobnforth, Puriri; Henry E. Hyatt, Hikutaia ; Thos. M. Minchin, Mackaytown ; T. Mxjbphy, Waitekauri.

The natives interested in the Waitewheta land held a meeting on Sunday last at Paeroa, at which it was decided to take the tapu oif certain lands, on which it is supposed large quantities of gum are deposited. The field will shortly be open to Europeans and natives.

At a meeting of the committee of the Anniversary sports of Tararu held last night, the handicap for the mile*race was declared: —Hope, Day kin, and W. Joy scratch, A. Thomas and J. McPike 20yds, S. Fisher, H. Gordon, and Andrew Thorburn, 50yds.

Owing to the recent floods at Ohinemuri, the settlers' crops iv the low lying lands have sufferred severely. Iv many instances the potatoe crops have beon ruined, one farmer loosing no less than 40 or 50 tons.

At the conclusion of the business of electing a School Committee at Hastings, Mr Hawkes informed the meeting that he was appointed collector in Tapu to secure subscriptions to the Irish Famine Fund, and begged that those present would give their mite to relieve their affected countrymen.' In a few minutes the sum of £4 10s was placed on the list, which amount was highly creditable considering the few present and the dull times.

The Free Lance in its Thames letter has the following:—Colonel William Eraser has found by this time that it is much easier to play the judge than the jumper. There is no difficulty ia pronouncing judgment, but a good deal of trouble in proving your case. The kurnel pleaded his own case, and if the old saw be true, had a fool for his clieut. Although he has lost his case, I don't say his cause is bad; the probability is that Kenrick's judgment is no better than Praser's. If the Government would curry out the longtalked-of reform, and place none but professional lawyers on the judgment seat, it would give move coufidenee and satisfaction to the public. Eraser's case shows how little wisdom is required to be a judge.

The famous patriot Kossuth has just lost his rights as a Hungarian citizen. The Chamber of Deputies has adopted a Bill declaring that any native of the country who voluntarily resides abroad for au uninterrupted period of ten years shall lose his civil status.

Great excitement was caused in Lima by the capture of the Peruvian iron ciad, the Huascar. Subscriptions were at once opened for tho purchase of another war vessel, to be called the Almirante Gran, and to swell the fund devoted to this purpose Peruvian ladies are reported to be contributing their diamonds and their plate. One lady sent diamonds Talued at £2000 to be converted into money for the purpose the day after the subscription was opened.

The Waio-Karaka School opened yesterday with a large accession to its numbers. The now scholars are for the most part children of new comers, or sued as have been previously uuder private tuition, so that they may be ?ooked upon as a genuine increase to the numbers attending our public schools. Additional desk accommodation will be shortly provided, which is rendered necessary by the augmented numbers in attendance.

The Timaru Herald, writing of the changes in the Telegraphic Department, speaks highly of Mr Hawley, the gentleman who is to succeed Mr John Bull on the Thames. Mr Hawley lias filled the post of head of the Telegraph Department at Timaru for the last live and a half years, and has done so in a manner in every way satisfactory to the public, and we feel convinced, to the

Service also. His unwavering courtesy to all with whom the business of his office brought him in contact, and his readiness at all times to oblige the public so far as lay in his power, have won for him golden opinions.

The only business at the RM. Court this morning was the granting of an extension of license to R. S. Brown to Tararu on the 29th inst.

At a meeting of tho Orphanage Committee this evening it was decided to hand over Mrs Fitzsimmons' child to Mr Anderson.

A grand concert will be held at the Academy of Music on the evening of the 29th, in aid of the funds of the Catholic Boys' School. This evening a rehersal will be held in the Convent Select School.

A mesbtieg of the Naval Cadets will be held to-night, re the trip to Auckland to-morrow.

The committee appointed by the Harbor Board to visit and report on the silting up of the channel of the Kauaeranga Creek, met yesterday, and at dead low water, accompanied by Mr Aitken, Mr Tookey, Captain Souter, and the Harbormaster, proceeded by boat along the Kauaeranga as far as the lamp-post from whence the two branch creeks start. All present then waded up and down both branch creeks, and ascertained the depth of each for their entire distance, and where they required dredging. They found also that on the spot indicated as the channel to be cut on Sir J. Coode's plan, no creek or bed of a channel existed, both of tbe present channels being considerably more to the northwest. After returning, it was ordered that rough plans be drawn, showing both channels as they are at present, and Coode's proposed channel; that such rough plans be sent to Messrs Aitkin, Souter, Dalton, Tookey, and McLaren, asking their separate opinions in writing as to the best to be done efficiently to maintain traffic to the Shortland Wharf—to be sent to the committee on Friday afternoon.

Pending the proceedings for the recovery of Pbaroah's chariots in the Bed Sea, another Egyptian speculation has been set on foot for picking up the remains of the French vessels sunk at the battle of the INile, which, besides the Orient, which blew up, were five in number. Aboukir Bay, it seems, is favourable for such operations, aud portions of two.of the wrecks have been visible until quite lately; pieces of them continually come on shore, and flint-pistols incrusted with barnacles are always to be bought of fishermen in the locality. What the company hope to get is the copper, eighty tons of which, it is supposed, will be obtained from each ship. The French government have waived their rights to it, but the Khedive, as might be expected, wants thirty-five per cent, of the salvage.

Anew postage-stamp is to be issued this month in Great Britain. It will bear a portrait of the Queen as she looks in her mature age, quite unlike the portrait of her Majesty on the stamps now ia use, which represent her as she was when just entering womanhood.