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Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3754, 8 January 1881, Page 2

We understand that Messrs Brodie, Bagn^H, and Xilgour have baen nominated by the Grovernor as members of the High School Board.

Apeopos of the great match between England and Australia, The Sporting Times says:—" The fielding of the Australians was nothing short of mcrvdlous. Whilst the Hon. A. Lyttelton was at the wickets he hit a ball very hard to mid-on, and started to run. He had just time to get back ere his middle stump was broken in two by a well-directed shot from Brfnnerman (some sixty yards away), whose fielding and return of the ball would hare put greased lightning to shame. The wicket-keeping of Blackham, too, was unapproachable. Nothing like it has ever been seen in tlm country. He actually caught Mr Lucas off a leg hit."' Let us hear no more talk about the English Press not reporting the Australian matches fairly.

■ The leading members of the Grey party in Parliament were (the New Healand, Times remarks) unsparing in their denunciations of " land sharking." Their cry was—" The land for the people, and the people for the land." And an excellent cry that was, if those who uttered it had onlj been honest and sincere. Bub were they bo ? Well, some of these gen tlemmen were certainly not sincere, for at present they are engialphed up to their very eyes ia land speculations. The honorable member for Parnell, Mr Moss, has some large blocks in the market j the honorable member for Eranklyn, Mr Hamlin, is said by an Auckland correspondent of a southern conteraparary to be going in for the same line of business; Mr Sheehan is acting as the agent of a ring of land speculators 3 Mr W. L. •Rees is acting in t):e same line on the East Coast, aud the honourable member for Eden, Mr Tole, haa a little difficulty overNgainuUa. All this sounds strangely enough about the champions of the principle of the land being the heritage of the people.

A.holiday correspondent of the Wanganui Chronicle writes :—" We saw more beggars in the streets of Melbourne than might naturally be expected, whilst'droves of unemployed daily besieged Ministers, demanding work. Protection has bolstered up the towas and destroyed the country,-,until now tho injury to the latter is . making'itself unpleasantly felt in the former, and statesmen areanxiously watching for a favourable opportunity to make 'a-new departure' and retrace their steps to a state of prosperity and peace. Victoria bas paid a ■ big price for "universal suffrage,' and is now in a serious state, as malterß commercial were nerer so bad before ; in fact, ife is only the wool and gold which.are keeping things afloat.

A good Btory is told cf a certain pater familias in Gisbdrno who. caused' some consternation amongst his friends on Christmas Evo by causing t'em to infer from his manner that he really was in ''straits" as to how to malA"up for a" sad disappointment. Meeting some friends in the evening'to whom it was Known that their friend (whom we will call Jone.-) had been ordering, during thepa*t week, ii smull farni yard for the coming festivities, he enquired somewhat excitedly if they could tell him where he could obtain a turkey : he had promised one most faithfully, and at the last hour he had been sold, (or the turkey was) and he did not know, what to do. Naturally thinking that Jones was reduced to bread and cheese, and plum pudding, and knowing that the markat was pretty well empty at that hour, one of the party, in tones of tho greatest sympathy for the position of his friend, said, " Well, old fellow, rather than see you ' stuck ' for a Christmas feed, •I will send you a bucking pig, which we can spare, and which will make as savory a dinner as a turkey, and it will be better than nothing at-all." "Oh !" replied Jones, "I am not reduced to that exactly. lam very much obliged for your offer, but if the worst comes to the worst we have a goose and a round of beef to fall back on !" A fit of roaring was the response, and, although Jones was immensely chuffed at the thought of being "hard up for a Christmas dinner," he. canvassed the town, and was nob satisfied until hia Epicurean wants were supplied.

The Kumara Times tolla the following story :—A most extraordinary XXX accident occurred yesterday, by which a well-known resident of thia town nearly found a beery grave. It appears that a " cooper" (who has naturally an aptitude for barrels) was seated on the head of a " Sorter cask" hogshead .'which was standing full in Mr Ruga's yard, when, without imy previous warning, the barrel exploded, the head being blown to pieces and the unfortunate Cooper receiving more of the contents than was; good for any man, even at thia festive season of the year. The cauae of the accident is ascribed fco the fact that allowance was not made for the unusual strength of (he " Christmas brew," for which special casks will in future have to be provided to prevent a similar occurrence.

The Dunedin Morning Herald saya :—We learn that 1140 shares in the Caswell Sound Marble Co., have been applied for in Wellington and other places, 200 in Christchurch, and 500 in Melbourne and Sydney.

Messes Gilbert and Sullivan are about to sue the Opera Comedy Company for performing Pinafore at two London theatres. Damages are laid at £30,000.