THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3826, 2 April 1881, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 1881.

The news that Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaeonsfield, is seriously ill, must cause a pang of regret in every country in which the Anglo-Saxon language is spoken, and excite commiseration from all Englishmen, no matter of what political party or religious creed. The noble earl is now well advanced in years, and the chances of his recovery are evidently considered slight. For half a century Disraeli has taken an active par!f in British politics, having been selected for Maidstoiie in 1837. At thirty-two years of age he was a novelist of distinction, and a perfect Beau Brummelj indeed we read of his extreme foppery exciting the amusement of the stern politicians who passed the Eeform Bill and abolished slavery. No one then supposed that he would rise to the highest pinnacle of fame, or would in the future be looked up to as one of the leading politicians of the day. At the present juncture, when, we fear, his days on earth are numbered, a brief glance at his career since he first took his seat in Parliament will not be uninteresting to the general reader. In 1841 he exchanged Maidstone for Shrewsbury, and in' 47 was returned for the County of Buckingham, which he continued to represent till his elevation to the House of Peers, being returned eight times. Disraeli was a firm adherent of the Peel party until Sir Robert adopted the doctrine of free trade/ when he seceded, and became the leader of the Conservatives after the demise of Lord Bentinck. He was Chancellor of, s the Exchequer under Lord Derby in his first, second, and third administrations. In 1868, on the death of the late Lord Derby, Disraeli became. Premier, but being defeated on the Irish Church Bill resigned on the following December. In 1874 the popularity of Mr Gladstone waned, and Disraeli, shortly afterwards made an Earl, came into power, holding office until last year, when he was again defeated. Earl Beaconsfield is well known to the literary world, his novels —" Lothair," "Coningsby," "Tancred," " Sybil," and the last r but not least, " Endymion "—making him famous as .an ;author. When Beaconsfield passes from amongst us, one of the most brilliant men of the century will have expired.

The freedom of the Press is, as Junius expressed it, the palladium of British liberty, arid no one ever thinks for a moment of questioning the right of the Press to liberty of expression. A free Press is a real censorial power lodged in the impartial hands of the people. Yet with all the latitude allowed by the Constitution of England, it would appear that the Government have been compelled to institute proceedings against the editor of a Socialistic journal, published in London, in that the limits of fair expression of opinion had been overstepped in an article eulogising the murder of the Czar. No doubt advantage is only taken by the proprietors of this paper of the liberty allowed the Press in Great Britain to publish views and opinions that no other European country would allow, and by this means to secure the circulation of certain doctrines in Germany and other States, among the discontented Socialists and holders of advanced opinions on the Continent. That the English Government, in this course of action, is not trespassing upon the privileges of the press may well be assumed; and if men are found who overstep the great liberty allowed them, the only course open for the authorities is to curtail some of their privileges. The public- will no doubt support the Government, for after all the public are the great judges of what is right, and when the limits of fair journalism are overstepped. What is due to society has been outraged by the violent and unlawful language used in the journal referred to; for none but men bereft of reasson, or carried away by the excitenient of party feeling, could applaud the act of the assassin, or urge that all the Crowd' Heads of Europe should be treated after the manner of the Czar of Russia.

Fhom some unexplainable cauße the Press Association have neglected to forward us fvom Auckland fcoiday a report of Mr Speight's address to the Gifcy Ba§t electors, which was delivered last evening. Several occasions of late we have had cause to complain of the neglect of the Auokliuul agent of the Association.

A bttmpeb house again greeted the exhibition of the Diorama last evening. Mrs Knight, of Mackay street, was the lucky winner of the piano.

We oall attention to the notice given by Mr Cloonan touchitig the" credit Bystem.

Mas Hampsoii has gone south to start her mission in Dunedin.

J*h?BiCKETr intends leaving for America, in order to have a boat built on the same principle as Hanlan's was constructed.

Feom Hamilton a telegram Bays:—A meeting of the clergy of all denominations, including Revs Father Luok, 0.5.8., W. Oalder, Davis, C. Griffin, and D. Fulton met at the parsonage for the purpose of agreeing to an address to the Hamilton Borough Council, thanking that body for making the Hamilton bridge free of toll to ministers of religion on duty, and asking- them to extend the same privilege to persons going to and from places of public worship on Sundays.

We notice from a southern contemporary that a Innd^company offers agricultural land upon deferred payment by free selection, and no portion of the purchase money is payable for seven years, unless at the option of the purchaser, meanwhile interest at the rate of 4 per cent, per pnnum is charged. After the first seven years, payment may be made by one quarter cash, the balance ia three equal payments, extending over three years, bearing 4 per cent, interest.

The Herald says as follows: —The Board of Governors of the Auckland College and Grammar School have so far realised the expectations formed of them with regard to their investigations of the Purohas charges against Mr Macrae—Dr Purchas of convenient memory—that they have been partial, but they have exceeded it by so flouting public opinion as to have been regardless even of decency. We dissented from an investigation by the Board knowing the determination of Mr Fenton to get rid of Mr Macrae, remembering how he had surreptitiously circumvented his colleagues in the Board by successfully intriguing in Wellington to induce Parliament to alter its constitution, and further influenced by the fact that making übo of success ho bad introduced three members into the Board, the slaves of his will. But desiring f a awaken in them some sense of their responsibility, we expressed a hope, certainly not a belief, that they would be impartial. It was a weak invention, the only one left to us, and we caßt our seed on barren ground. You cannot gather figa from thistles. If our readers doubt the justice of our comments, it can only be because they have not followed the investigation. There they will find the Ray Mr Nelson putting no other questions than those which showed the foregone conclusions of what he ia pleased to call his mind, interspersed with occasioned sneers and comments suggestive of there beiag but one superlative collegiate person, the Alpha and Omega of all.knowledge, and of the finest masculine qualities, not including impartiality. They .will find Mr Brookfield, another nominee of Mr Fenton, displaying hia impartiality, by taxing Mr Masrae with being impertinent, and constantly arresting his questions. They will find Mr Fenton, and his reverend and prosecutorial shadows, always pulling together. Perusing the proceedings of yesterday, they will find these same three voting together as one man. Mr Fenton wielded the baton, aud law and divinity followed the tune. The charitable may deem it the result of a solidarity of conviction, the more worldlyminded will see in it preconcerted arrangement.

When will such a statement be able to be made about this district as that contained in the following telegram from Timaru: —So grepfc is the rush of grain into town at present by rail and road, that although orer 500 tons per day are being shipped, the stores are full, a&d the grain has to be stacked in the open air. The average delivery in town per day is estimated at fully 600 tons. Yef oar Uppor Thames Valley is on the whole.good land, and Mr Firth has proved its suitability for wheat-growing. Want of proper communication has had a great deal to do with the backwardness of this part of the colony, but it is to be hoped that with the stepß taken by Mr Kolleston in having the road formed through to Paeroa, end the construction of another section of our railway a bettsr stats of effairs is about being inaugurated, and a prosperous fnture is in store for our district .

The programme of the forthcoming regatta on Lake Eotorua was finally settled at a meeting of the committee at Lake House, on Friday night, Mr Robert Graham (President) in the chair. It wa3 decided to have it held on Saturday, April 16. Being the commencement of the Easter holidays, it is expected that a large number of visitors will be present. Few spots in New Zealand present a better opportunity for aquatic sports than Lake Rotorua. Lying iv the centre of an amphitheatre of bills, it is safe from any Bevere gales or gusts of wind, while the absence of the rise and fall of tide renders its waters always accessible. One of the principal features of the programme is a Maori war canoe race, manned by twenty natives in ancient full war coßtume.

AiiTHOUCI-H the elixer of life has not yet been discovered, a never failing source of harmony and pleasure may be purchased for a small outlay at J. Gbig&'s Musical lastru ment Warehouse, Pollen street.—[Advt.]|