THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3496, 9 March 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1880.

The Thames Scottish Battalion mustered in fair strength last night for Commanding Officer's inspection. Uniform was worn on this occasion. It cannot be said that the Thames volunteers as a rule attend drill for the sake of showing themselves off in regimentals, for a full dress parade only takes place once a month. None of the Thames volunteers are supplied with undress uniforms, but we -believe it is the intention of the officers of the Thames Scottish to provide their men with fatigue suits, that all parades may be attended in uniform. The following officers were present last night:—Major Murray, in command, Capt. Watson) Lieuts. Johnstone, Coney, Brownlow, and Perry, Adjutant Schofield and Quartermaster Symington. After some battalion drill, occasion was taken to present the handsome champion belt of No. 2 Scottish to Volunteer George White. The night was too wet for a march out as was intended, but the band which was in attendance, played at intervals during the -parade, and also fora time at the Pacific corner,

A Native"" Church Board, for the Hauraki and Waikato districts, was held yesterday in the large carved house at Parawai. The Bishop of Auckland presided, and there were present three native clergymen; of whom two were representatives from Waikato, aud one from Hauraki. T' c Eevd. B. G. Ashwell was also present, together with thirteen Maori laymen, delegates from various districts in Waikato and Hauraki. The Synod commenced at 9 o'clock, and with the exception of an adjournment for dinner from 1 to 2 o'clock, continued till 3.30 when the Bishop and Mr Ashwell left to proceed to Auckland by the Koto mahana. Several matters of importance connected with the Native Church were discussed in a most orderly and business like manner, and the Bishop expressed himself as highly gratified with the result of the proceedings. The chiefs and leading men of Farawai gave a sumptuous dinner to the Bishop and the members of the Synod, and to a large number of visitors from Waikato and distant parts of Hauraki.

Me Hanlon, who has the contract for constructing the branch tramway connecting the Moanatairi tramway with ; the Prince Alfred mill, is making first rate progress. The contractors for repairing the battery building and overhauling the machinery will be finished in a few days, and it Is expected that crushing will be commenced for the Alburnia before the end of the month.

, The Caledonian company have made a call of 15s, sufficient to pay for the mine and to properly start work.

"We are requested to remind the lady friends of the Orphanage that the first of the monthly " bees "will be held to-tnor* row afternoon from 2 o'clock till 6 o'clock, at Mrs Lush's residence, Mary street.

We are requested to intimate that the season for taking out dog'collars commenced on the beginning of the month. Collars of all sizes can be obtained at the Police Station for ss. .

At a late meeting of the Board of Education it was agreed to pay the usual capitation allowance to the school in connection with the Thames Orphanage.

. A melancholy case of sudden death occurred in Normanby on Friday. A woman, who has been ill about six months and was confined about two months ago, was ordered by the doctor to New Plymouth for treatment. "When they had lifted her into the cart for removal, she ashed for her baby, which being given her, she pressed it to her bosom and died.

At the Carnival at San Francisco in honor of General and Mrs Grant, the latter was presented with a bouquet composed of the. flowers indigenous to the various countries she had passed through in her .tour round the world. The flowers were placed in regular order, starting with Philadelphia and ending with San Francisco. The bouquet holder, 5 inches long, was made of pure Californian gold, and inlaid with quartz and metals found on the Pacific coast.

These has come into force this year in England an Act to " facilitate the control and cure of drunkards." It is proposed to establish. " retreats" where such persons may be located, and they are to be licensed. An " habitual drunkard "is defined to be a person dangerous to himself, or incapable of managing himself or his affairs. An habitual drunkard is to apply in writing for admission into a " retreat," and to state the time he wishes to remain, and two justices must attest the signature, and inquire into the matter. If this is a true account, we should think that the " retreats" are not likely to become overcrowded, inasmuch as habitual drunkards have a predilection for remaining so till the end of the chapter.

The Globe says it seems possible that the attention of the world will be drawn before long to the little known kingdom of Siam. A Straits paper records a great rush of Burmans and Shans across the frontier into Siam, attracted thither by a reported discovery of a great field of sap ■ phires. Another stream of Eastern adventurers had passed through Penang, en route to Bangkok by sea, and should these pioneers meet with success, vre may depend upon it they will be followed at; no late date by a full tide of Australian miners. It is said that already mauy subordinate Government officials, both in Burmah and at the Straits, have resigned their appointments iv order to bo early on the field. There seems little doubt that a discovery of valuable sapphire mines has been made in Siam, as not a few stones of price have filtered down to Bangkok lately {ii}d there met with ready purchasers.

The Lance says the immigrants landed from the ship British Empire and Stratcathro are, without exception, the finest consignment of new chuius I have seen landed in .New Zealand, and present quite a different appearance from the clai»9 of merino dealer goods the Emuiigratiou .Agents have been in the habit of sending us. They are a good sampU of the men and tnaids of Merrie hn^land. I have no doubt tbej' will muke good colonists, and improve the breed of t!;e next generation botb in stamina aud looks. We Aucklanders of the present generation are not a handsome lot by any meaus. Another thing I judge from their appearance—they are all sound constitutionalists, and will not vole for Grey.

The Act in force in Great Britain by which landowners are loaned money by the Government at long credit and low interest for land improvement purposes is being utilised to modify the distress in Ireland. A public notice has been issued from the Board of Woiks, Dublin, embodying the intentions of the Govern* ment. In view of the anticipated distress during the approaching winter amongst the labouring population, the Board of Public Works is authorised to offer to landowners in cases falling within any such unions as may be advertised from time to time by authority of the Lord Lieutenant in the Dublin GazeUe, the following facilities and advantages in obtaining loans under the Land Improvement Acts with a view to early application for the same, so as to afford immediate employment for the laboring class within reach of their home, viz:—l. The proceedings, including plans, &c, which the owner applying for a loan has now to undertake at his own expense, will so far be put on the same footing as those which the Board of Public Works are authorised to undertake. The Board will provide surveyors, where they are requested' to do so, and will defray the expense out of the vote of credit on account of loans for public works, Ireland. All moneys so advanced will be added to the principal of the loan, subject to the paragraph next hereinafter following. 2. The postponement of the first instalment of repayment of-the loan Tor two years from the date of the advance the interest accruing during that period being made an addition to the principal. 3. The extension of ihe period for repayment from twenty-two to twenty-four years reckoned from the date of the advance, in cases now limited to that period, and to thirty sev n years in those other cases in which thirty five years is allowed. 4. The advantages will not be extended to loans sought for in respect of buildings, but only to loans for drainage, planting, and other works calculated to afford general employment to unskilled labour which can be immediately set on foot in Unions in which a want of employment shall be declared to prevail, and carried out with the energy which the urgency of the circumstances demands, and to which the advantages offered are soiely due. So far as the advantages offered by this notice require legislative sanction, it is the intention of her Majesty's Government to apply for it as soon as Parliament re assembles.

The Star's correspondent says:—Many natives are already on the move to Parahaki, and the whole of the Plain natives are to start ou the 15th, including all the grass widows. Native reports speak of some decisive but unarmed measure being taken by Te Whiti subsequent to the meeting of the 37th inst., but the ac counts are very vague, and nothing is known positively what will be done. Te Whiti is not in the habit of letting bis intentions find wind, and as in the case of his ploughing, doubtless the first specific information we have will be conveyed by our usual organs.

The Waikato Times speaks of us as follows : —Bate collectors in some places may have a difficult time of it, but the billet must be an easy one at Grahamstown, where the population, as designated by a Waikato County Councillor, yesterday, mast be frightfully honest, if the experiences of the Clerk of the Waikato County Council are to bo taken as representing the ratepayers proclivities of the Grahamstownites. It appears that Capt. McPherson sent valuation notices to two residents at Grahamstown, notifying that the property of one was rated at £11, that of the other at 9s; almost by return of post he received from the former, a postoffice order for £4, with the further information that the balance should be forwarded at an early date. The second party, a well known boniface, sent 9s forthwith, and both must have felt somewhat agreeably surprised when they received their money back, less the rate of exchange, with a letter from the clerk, they'had mistaken a simple valuation notice for a demand for rates due. They pay up well in Grahamstown.

A young lady up North, who recently jilted her lover, assigned as a reason that her father's circumstances would not admit of his supporting a larger family. What next I—N.Z. Sun.

GkneraTi Grant, replying on December 26th to an address presented to him by a delegation of the Universal Peace Society said that alihougn he had been trained as a soldier, and had participated in many battles, there never was a time when, in his opinion, some way could not Lave been found of preventing the drawing of the sword. He looked forward to an epoch when a court, recognised by all nations would settle international differences. He had found during his late travels • that there was not the same desire abroad, as in America, for such a court, and as regarded the Eastern Question, he thought it would be a long wuile before the nations concerned would consent, to a settlement of their differences by arbitration. All the countries of Europe had been trading with the Hast, and each was naturally jealous of the other. General Grant, in conclusion assured the society that he believed its mission would prevail in the end.

It is on record that Meyer Anselra, the founder of the house of Rothschild, entered Hanover, in 1763, barefoot, and with a bundle of rags on his back. The present capital of the different Rothschild houses is said to be at least £100,000,000, and that they can control as much more. The reticence of the Rothschilds as regards their business, except in open transactions, is invariably profound. One of them is reputed to have said to a friend, " One great reason of our success is that we know how to hold our tongues."