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Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3487, 27 February 1880, Page 2

It is rumoured, with apparently some ground for: belief, that before yery long a step more deeisire than ever will bVtaken. by." the Constabulary afc the Waimate Plain!. The ground on which Major Tuke's men will-shortly commence work ing has always been regarded by the Maoris as peculiarly their own, and it is thought that if any resistance to the force it contemplated it will b,e there.. In view of this Jt is possibly that the force under Major Goring here will be moTed nearer Parihaka, in order to act as a support ihould it unfortunately bo necessary.— Herald.

Fbom Ohiueniuri we hear that some of the Ngatihako discontents, finding little to do in the way of creating a disturbance in this district, have transferred themselves and their grievances to Paribaka, prepared uo doubt to take a hand in any quarrel in that locality.

Oufiold >hortland resident, Mr Endres, of the Shortland j-Jotel, has determined to try his fortune in the upper country, and has purchased the business premises of Mr George O'Halloran on the Waihou Kiver. Mr Eudres has been for nearly 10 years in the Shortland .Hotel, at first as manager for the late Mr John Butt, and more recently on his own account. He has earned the reputation of being a quiet, obliging, and strictly upright man of business, and he will be greatly missed by the frequenters of the old hostlery. Messrs D. M. Gel lion and Co. will sell his furniture and effects on March Ist and 2nd on the premises, Shortland.

His Worship the Mayor has applied to the Government for authority to appoint arbitrators in the matters of the claims for land for railway purposes, but has as yet received no reply.

■ z Mb Andeew Hoi/DEN notifies through our advertising columns the fact of his having commenced business here, his premises being those lately occupied by Mr Ledingham in Owen street. We trust that the amount of patronage bestowed on Mr Holden will be such that he will not have cause to regret having thrown in his lot amongst us.

Anticipating that Mi* Rpwe would be unable to float the New Caledonia Company, and fulfil the conditions of s his purchase, it is rumored that a- member of the County Council is in Auckland attempting to negotiate the sale of the Caledonia and - the Tookey mines to Auckland capitalists—with the* bargain, it is said, the County will relinquish its claims to the Oiago portion of the Caledonian mine, that is, if the purchase is made on behalf of the shareholders of the old company. It is probable that.tbe negotiations, will end in smoke, as Mr Bowe asserts, he will be able to fulfil the conditions under which he bought the ground of the Caledonia Company. Should it, however, happeD that he fails, it is said that a few capitalists noted for their friendship vto the Thames will purchase the ground upon their own account,- and although principal shareholders in the old company will float a new one between themselves and friends, thus ousting the smaller and probably.poorer shareholders, with shares costing large sums, from receiving any benefit from the transaction. . . . .

On Monday morning the new steamer Blanche, chartered by Mr Baker, will make an excursion to the Miranda. With a fine day very few more enjoyable trips can/be found than one across the bay.

< FkeqttentiiY of late- statements have been made that the County authorities were determined to claim from the .Caledonian Company-' tbe ground known as the Otago, as the amount received from the securities has not realized £10,000 the. sum raised on mortgage. It appears that a legal opinion has been obtained, and upon it the County intend to proceed.

The reverses of General Roberts in Cabul, his retirement to the Sherpur cantonments, and the very language he uses, are' all calculated very omiuously to remin&us of what occurred under similar circumstances in'this very place in 1841----42. Dost Mahomed had given himself up to,, and claimed the protection of, the English .precisely as Yaboob Khan has done. He had been sent to India precisely as Yabbob has been sent. Afghanislan then, as now, was occupied, and then, .as now (to quote Marshman), " the circumstances of the period appeared to be moire favorable to retirement than they had ever been. The Court was on the most friendly terms with us; the Russian expedition to Khiva had totally failed/ just aa the Russian; expedition against the Turcomans has/now failed. On the 6th November, 1841, General Elphinstone wrote:—"Our case is not;yet desparate, but it must be borne in mind that it goes very fast," just as General Roberts now telegraphs that he is " confident of being able to restore British authority." ■■ Oh the 11th December, after holding out for forty days the General signed the convention to:evacuate the position; on.the 61th Jannary, 1842, the army, 4500 strong, with 11,000 camp* followers, began its retreat, arid within s a week ifc was masv sacred to a man, the only survivors being the prisoners handed over to the Afghans and Dr Brydon, Msit omen.-r- Vanity .Pair. :'■ •■■ ; •■-'.:■ ';. '

Thb water owing to the cessation of pumping operations has risen very rapidly of late and by measurement thii morning it was found to be within 14 feet of the No. 2 level of the Caledonian mine. The matter is getting serious and something decisive must be done if there is any intention on the part of the proprietor of the pump to recommence work, or the owners of the mines to make arrangements for the future. If within fourteen days nothing is done it may be irnpossile to undo the damage that may result from the delay.

Thk following ladies have consented to act on the committee of the Duchess of Marlborough Irish Relief Fund :—The Duchess of Roxburghe, the Duchess of Leinster, the Duchess of Abercorn, the Marchioness of Londonderry, the Countess of Granard, Lady Randolph Churchill, Lady Listowell, Lady Blandford, Lady Camden, Lady Fanny Lambert, Lady Cornelia Guest, Lady Rosamond Fellows, Lady Gough, Lady Baudou, Lady O'Hagan, Lsdy Headfort, Lady Michel, the Hon. Mrs Caulfield, the Hon. Mrs O'Hagan, the Hon. Mrs Robinson, Mrs Ball, Mrs Fitzgibbon, Mrs Morris, Mis C. Guinness, Mrs M. Brooks, Mrs Taylor, Mrs Roe,. Mrs Browne, Miss Bush, Miss Hart, Mis* Hillier, and Mrs King Hariaan.

At the Auckland K.M. Uourfc on Wednesday, Herbert Vincent, alias Bombshell, who was recently on the Thames, was brought up . under the Vagrant Act, charged witli having no visible means of support. Tbe prisoner intimated that he was deaf and dumb. Mr Isaacs interpreted through his fingers. Prisouer pot in a written-paper denying the charge. Sub-Inspector Pardy stated that the prisoner, who was deaf and dumb, had been about Auckland for gome tiiae with a petition, and had obtained a considerable •urn of money from citizens, which he spent in hotels and billiard rooms. His representation! about going to Sydney were entirely false. A warrant had been issued for prisoner's apprehension at -Dunedin on charges of embezzlement. He would therefore ask for another remand.