The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DFAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3567, 2 June 1880, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DFAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1880.

The election of Borough auditors, under section 92 of the Municipal Corporations Act* took place yesterday. This farcical proceeding, rendered compulsory by the Act, is another instance of. the prevalence of red tapistn. We are of opinion that the section nnder which the elections are taken, should be optional and not compulsory on boroughs struggling under a weight of unliquidated liabilities. The money spent in the above fashion may be only trifling, but the principle involved is bad. It is a really unnecessary expense, and could very well be done without. At a time when the Council are doing their utmost to reduce expenditure it is a pity that the Municipal Corporations Act should compel them to incur fresh disbursements. The auditors elected for the ensuing year are Messrs Skene and Lee. Tery little interest was taken in the voting, and the proceedings generally savoured very much of the ridiculous. The various Councils should agitate to obtain an amendment to the act which would either authorise Councils themselves to elect their own auditors, or to put the affairs under the supervision of the Provincial District Auditor appointed by

the Government, as is the case with both the County Council and the Harbour Board. Either of these courses would obviate the necessity of using the ratepayers' cash for little or no good.

The Alburnia dividend is seven and sixpence. Mb McHhono has received the following letter regarding the charge 3 made against him in his capacity of Inspector of Miners' Rights.—Native Office, Wellington, 26th May, 1880.—Sir,—With reference to the petition recently addresßed to the Hon. Native Minister hy Native owners of land in the Thames Goldtield, containing certain charges against you, and which has formed the subject of an inquiry by Mr Keurick, Resident Magistrate, Thames, I have the honor, by direction of the Hon. Mr Bryce, to inform you that he is of opinion from the report of the subject forwarded by that officer, that the charge of favoritism made in the petition has not been sustained by the evidence, but with regard to the discretionary power you claim to possess in not compelling miners in certain cuses to take out Miners' Rights must now be considered as withdrawn. I have the honor to be, Sir, your n.ost obedient servant, T. W. Lewis, Undersecretary.—Hugh Mcllhone^Eeq., Inspector of Miners' Rights, Thames.

A meeting of the Hospital Committee takes place this afternoon at the Salutation Hotel. The principal business for consideration is the election of surgeon. The result of this will be watched with interest, a 9 the competition has been great

Me B. E. McGeegoe will sell a valuable frpehold estate of 20 acres in Parawai tomorrow at noon. The land is well suited to nureery purposes, and the soil is rich. The ground is planted wilh upwards of 1000 choi<e fruit trees, all in bearing order. This is a chance that, should not be missed, as the opportunity offered will probably not occur again for some time.

New Plymouth is a natural terminus j and thiß the Pafcea Mail has discovered from the following remarks on the traffic pasting through Carlyle :—" Officials who visit the Patea district are always going to or coming from New Plymouth They have no particular husinesß with the intermediate district. It seems to be more or less of a surprise to them to discover that there is an intermediate district between Wanganui and New Plymouth. Major Atkinson, who guards aud promotes our interests, has never had time to acquaint any of these official visitors with the fact of the existence of towns and settled districts within the boundaries of the Egmont Electoral District. Why not ?"

A PECCTC.IAB accident occurred at the Theatre Royal, Bolton. It seems, according to fhe Figaro, that the ingenuity of somebody had invented a " vampire trap," or, in other words, a trap at the foot of which was a mattrees, suspended by four ropes. This mattresß was, it eeems, with combined ingenuity and forethought, swung over the " well," so that if any accident occurred to the ropes, any body jumping down the vampire trap must be precipitated into the well, a distance of some 18 or 20 feet. Matters being thus ordered and sett'ed, the tun began. The harlequin descended and broke one of the ropes, going of course, at once down the "well." He was then followed by the clown, who fell on the harlequin, and lastly by the manager, Mr J. F. Elliston, who, not inapropriately, played the part of Simple Simon. Wiien the caeualities came to bo reckoned, it was found that the poor harlequin had severely injured his spine, that the clown had escaped with a few bruises, and that Simple Simon bad fractured his ankle. .Additional interest to the scene was guined when it was discovered that the mattress had fallen on a stage carpenter, and had injured his head. And this is what the, public are pleased to call " amusement."

Sweden and Norway are (states the London Daily Telegraph) about to adopt the general service system, and under conditions which cannot bat prove extremely irksome to an industrious and thrifty people, ■whom no one dreams" of-molesting. King Oscar's Cabinet has brought forward in the Legislature a measure of which the following pres Rcriptions constitute the leading features. Every male Swede is liable to military Bervice from his 21et birthday to. the completion of his 40th year. Of these 20 years he is to sorve 12 in the Landsturm. His Landwehr term into two sections of six years each, one of which he must pass through in active duty, the other in the reserve ; but in lime of war he may be retained in the ranks as long as shall seem expedient to the authorities. In peace time, also, he may be kept on the active establishment until the military training is considered complete.

These are foolish people who aro worrying themselves about " Mother Shipton'a prophecy." This frequently published yarn, purporting to hate been written in 1448, and in it were foretold railroads, the admission to civil rights in England of th 6 Jews, and of the end of the world in 1881. The whole poem or prophecy was written by Oharlea Hincley in 1862, and was a pure invention of his own, composed to insure the success of a business venture, and, after all, but one or two of the things named in it have come to paes. It was simply an ingenious and successful advertising fraud.—Amerioan paper.

IMPOBTANT information: C. McLiver has just received a shipment of the celebrated Mermaid Cigarette Tobacco, the latest novelty. Superior to Vanity Fair. Also Tin Tag, Wavy, Venus, and other brands, which are pronounced by smokers to be the best obtainable in the town, Qonetantly arriving (he latest novelties in Meerchaum, Briar, anct Cherry Wood pipes. N.B. Although the anciont Egyptians are all dead, G. McL. Blill continut's to supply the Best Tobaccoea obtainable in the colony. Smoking Room unsurpassed.

We have no desire to make invidious distinctions, but simply state the faot that the loaf now being manufactured at the establishment of Mr It. T. Douglas (Into Douglas and Co.), is of a Tory superior description. Biscuits of every variety, also cake &c, &c, of a really Al class.

THK difference between a Gentjand a G-entlo-mau ;—Tho Gent turna up what he has for a nose aad s*ys, Oh, Ah. The Q-entleuiaa walks into McGowan's and says, Mac give me a pound of jour Tea, and send for orders every week.