THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3686, 18 October 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1880.

We are. requested to state that the delivery window of the Chief Post Office will bo kept open for one hour after receipt of the English mails this evening. The mails will be ready for delivery at about half-past six o'clock.

The retaining wall which has just bteen built at the Waiotahi Creek School by Mr A. Butler, has, we learn, suffered considerable damage by the heavy continuous rain of yesterday. Although Mr Butler's contract was completed a few days ago, we understand the work had not been formally taken over by the Committee, on behalf of the Board of Education. The rain yesterday also-did some damage along Tararu road, several landslips being occasioned.

On Thursday evening next the members of theP.A.F.S. Prince of Wales Lodge No. 20, will meet at the Templar Hall for the purpose of receiving the High Court representative, Bro. J- V. Wiley, who will thereupon open the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. After the inauguration Bro; Wiley will be entertained at a supper.

Oub popular County Chairman, A. Brodie Esq., will be a passenger by the Rotomahana for Auckland this afternoon, en route to the Melbourne Exhibition, where he has received the appointment of one of the jurors for New Zealand. „

Dbbpite the inclemency of the weather, there were fair attendances at all tim?p service? held yesterday in connection with the Baptist Sunday school anniversary. The collections raised amounted on the aggregate to £716s lid. This evening the Rev. Upton Davis, 8.A., will deliver a lecture at the Mary street Congregational Church and tor morrow evening the anniversary soiree will be held.

' The following gentlemen are interested in the Patetere Block:—Mr F. A. Whitaker, M H.R., Mr J. Dilwortb, Mr J. Howard, Mr Williams, Mr Walker, Mr Pounds.

The Herald moots the probability of the new Governor residing chiefly in Auckland, from the fact that his long residence in the warm climate of Fiji will cause him to prefer the genial and beautiful climate of Auckland to the tempestuous and trying climate of the Empire City, or the cold of Chrietchurck and Dunedin. , ..., „.. » .... ..... . -■ ■- - •

The advertisement of the Victoria Insurance Company appears in another column. This Company offers several advantages to intending insurers, which they would do well to bear in mind, one of the principal ones being safety, which is guaranteed by the large capital of the Company, one million pounds. Mr D. S. Gellion is the agent for the Thames, and is, in the words of the advertisement, prepared to take risks at such low rates as to defy competition.

Thbbe was a very large attendance on Saturday evening at the Parisian Diorama in the Exchange buildingß, the proprietor and his assistants being kept busy the whole of the time distributing the various gifts to which patrons of the exhibition are entitled. The views are all very favourably commented on by visitors, but those showing the exploits of the Kelly gang are undoubtedly the chief attraction. The exhibition will only be open a fow days longer, so be in time !

Mb Lawless holds consultations every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings on the Melbourne Cup; he is also agent for Abbott's and North's large sweeps on the premier event of the Australian Colonies.

Ex ship Waikato pbom London.—One case 1602 yards best English Prints worth 9}d, bought a lot and 'will be sold at 6d. J. MabshaMj, Albert street and Pollen street.

At the R.M. Court this morning Mrs Ellen Scanlan was charged with being the owner of a dog which attacked a lad named Meredith. She admitted the offence, and stated that she had had the animal destroyed. The Bench (G. N. Brassey, Esq., and Major Murray, J's.P.) inflicted the nominal penalty of Is and costs.

To tbo Ladies.—There is a magnificent show of New Summer Millinery en view Thiß Day at S. Hbthebinghon's, Pollen street.

The wet weather yesterday caused a slip oh Warmoll's property, Parawai, which ob structed the water race. A staff of men were working all night, and by midday to-day the water was running again, the batteries only being detained a few hours.

An instance of one of the simple origins of mysterious conflagrations was brought under our notice to-day by Mr A. J. Allom. It appears that on Saturday the Government messenger, discovered on one of the shelves in the office of the Clerk of the Court a small piece of paper burned to a cinder, while the woodwork on which it rested was considerably charred. The cause of the uncipient fire was soon apparent, a globular glass water bottle haviDg apparently concentrated the rays of the sun, and it is probable that had there been any combustible material in the vicinity a serious conflagration would have resulted. The table in the Borough Council chamber presents another example of the powerful heat-concentrating properties of the ordinary glass water bottles.

Thh Wild Beast Show in Brown street still d raws a fair number .of visitors. Competition in the gift' business appears to increase rather than decrease the number of people anxious to receive a " present."

The heavy rain yesterday had the effect of raising the Kauaerangabank-high, and a large number of logs c*mo down to the booms, some 30 or 40 escaping into the gulf. Watermen and others were recovering these logs this morning, and several boats had narrow escapes from capsizing.

IheOrmation wag received by telegraph, to-day from the Government that it is their intention to close the Shortland gaol to the end of the present month. We have not heard whether it is intended to constitute the present Grahamstown lock-up the gaol, but it is not improbable that this will be the outcome. We are informed that the Shortland Sawmill company have purchased the present police buildings at Shorllaud, and intend removing them for the purpose of extending the Company's premises. Aiitjding to the announcement that the dismissed inspectors of police would be afforded the option of serving either in a lower grade of office or in the ranks, the New Zealand Times says, "The intimation that superior officers of the police force are to be relegated to a lower rank, and the present 1 subordinate officers dismissed to make room for them, has caused some consternation in the force, and a good deal of animadversion outside, the current- opinion being that the efficiency of the service will be imperilled by getting rid of officers really practically acquainted with their duty to make room for certain curled darlings who were originally foisted on the department, and never seem much more than highly ornamented appendages." In reply to this the Post says:— " The absurdity of our contemporary's apprehension as to curled durlings being favoured is manifest in view of the fact that we expressly stated some days ago that seniority would be the sole consideration in deciding as to the dismissal or retention of members of the force. This rule is now to be applied to the whole number of the police as one body, instead of being divided into classes of officers arid privates. The result is that only the junior privates will have to go, and the seniors will take a retrograde step, the senior officers remaining in command, and the junior officers either descending in grade or falling into the ranks, as occasion may require. It has been do secret that this was decided on, and our contemporary's misrepresentation oi the facts is therefore quite gratuitous."