The Evening Star. PUBLISHID DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3849, 30 April 1881, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHID DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 1881.

li'ia not at all improbable that during the coming session of Parliament the question of Provincialism may be introduced. A feeling has been gaining ground for some time that the present system of Government is not meeting the requirements of the Colony, and the advantages which the abolitionists anticipated would result from a central form of Government have not been realised. This is a victory tothose members, notably Sir George Grey, who used every constitutional expedient to prevent abolition. Mr Ormond, one of the most violent denouncers of Provincialism, was candid enough to admit in his late address that he had made a mistake in urging the abolition of the provinces. The course then suggested by the more reasonable and sensible members in the House was improvement of the system, not abolition; and it is probable that the day is not far distant when provincialism, with more extended powers, will be again introduced. As long as money was plentiful, and the bribes in shape of subsidies could be paid, the loss of liberty waa^ not felt; but now that the municipalities and. road_boards are bcina. refused subsidies, the want of a legislature ,»ith power to deal with the peculiar wants- of each district is being kit severely. Major Atkinson in his speech at Taranaki admitted that some expedient would have to be adopted to meet the withdrawal of the subsidies from the smaller municipalities, road boards and County Councils. He proposed the passing of a measure called the Local Public Works Bill, and which is i n « ü b. stance as follows :—

Government proposed to provide a fund for the assistance of local bodies throughout the country, and in this way : They proposed tqW apart £150,000 frpm loan as a. start, iand to add to it every year £150,000 from the land sales, if the land tales produced that amount after paying expenses of administration; but no money would be spent, if not received, for the purpose of'constructing main roads. So that we should hare started the? first year with a sum of £150,000, and whatever the surplus, of the land sales might be up to £150,000. It was intended to deal with that fund in this way : A board was to be appointed at Wellington, with powers strictly defined by Act; it was .to have practically no discretionary power at all, the Act setting outdisfciuetly what itwas to do upon every occasion. Now, supposing I a couuty made a. piece of road, or a bridge, |

to prepare ntim.**.'** ° ! r e"d r ,, e Tpos r^Larrt^^Mge «om«tbing, or ewyKe ratepayers put their Laqdsiii [their,; icketß it would .be.efjdent thatjhey. fefitm"load nece«sary. Supposing! tlere were mow applfcatiom thait money, ( tie amount was to be dirided pro rata tlcording to applications. If land funcf hid.pr^uced no aurpilis^na^y jni, we Aonld hare Kadto wait a bit. That is 1 the »tata of^<hing»SPß muwt < «cmc tc). ■ -^ *«$ \ "''^ c» H monr!nt% coniideration 1 will show how fa Board constituted as sketched could be manipulated, and how unsatisfactory e?en «ai tho^best.its administration mutt be. ;Ifow much better would the old Prorin. cial Councils, hate dirided the money, and eyen if they did not gire that consideration to districts which they imagined they should baTe'receiYed, they had opportunities for' airing their grieyances and bringing the requirements, more prominently forward. We will follow up tho subject in a future article.

;Ik reference to the remarks of our Tapu correspondent that the County Council would uave, shown ? wisclom in completing the,dray road to Hastings insteed of maiiDg bridle .tracks, we are authorised to state that jimilaV jiewi were entertained by the Council but.it was; a condition of the vote that it Should be distributed over the whole length of the road.

We understand that the Auckland Garrick Club contemplate [visiting the Thtmes at an early date and playing at a benefit for the Thames Ladies' Benevolent Association.

. Mb H. H. Smith gave his first entertainment with the oxy-hydrqgen.lime light at the Academy of Music this afternoon. It was principally for the amusement of the school children, and the attendance was very numerous. The entertainment was under the patronage of Sir George Grey. The exhibition will be, repeated this evening.-. * ;.

A cAßMUJitiit from Melbourne says:—lt has transpired'that, 6t the' meeting of the Melbourne Preßbytery, the motio.n by the Rev Mr Ballantine, as adopted, exp- esses regret at the character of the Rev C. Strong's article in the Victoria Review, and recommends a closer adhesion to the s'andards of Presbyteriauism on the' part of that gentleman." This is rather a mild.way to end an agitation that was;looked forward to with so much interest by the highly orthodox section of the Presbyterian Church.

Oitb informant misled >vs 1 yesterday concerning the County Council tenders for works in Hastings riding. Messrs Punch and Trainor tendered separately avid had no connection. ■; .. ;; ;, ; : f ;-;

In a case of supplying liquor to a drunken man, brought against a publican named Little, of Hope Hotel, a fine of £5 was inflicted, the Magistrate stigmatising the case as one of the most disgraceful instances of "lambing down " ever brought before him.

A telsgbam from Wellington says :—" It has been rumoured that Parliament w>ll not meet before the 24th of June, but it is understood that this is not accurate. Parliament will almost certainly meet not later than the 12th of June, if no unforseen obstacles should arise beforehand;" ■ .-.- *^};

A PiiiiMßEß at Napier tried to find an escape of gas in Messrs Banner and Liddle'a store by the aid of a candle. He found he leak, and, as a result, was hoisted to the other tide of theijuildiflg, the lining boards coming after him. He was more scar- d than burnt. The damage to the building is slight.

This Chinese (of Sydney) who are here appear as greatly exercised in their minds ks the Europeans at the sudden arrival of to ' many of their countrymen. Some of the Chinese merchants: in Sydney^exprWsed^ their belief that now a tide of Chinese immtgratioa had commenced, and that we shall have a steady influx, and that before a year is out ,20,000 Chinese will be landed in New South Wales unless a check is put on the influx.

The Wanganui Herald speaks somewhat strongly on the question of the re-election of Mr Bradlaugh for Northampton, which our contemporary regards as a " vindication of the right of freedom of opinion in religious questions. He further states that Mr Bradlaugh is only one of many atheists in the House of Commons, and that only the Inquisition could keep that assembly pure of members professing no religion. "As for Mr Bradlaugh's political principles," continues our contemporary, " they are thorough, and, we believe, on the whole, sound. His attack on perpetual pensions has earned for him the thanks of millions in the mother country, and it is evident he already wields a power over his fellowcountrymen, hardly second to what John Bright exercised , in hia most, vigorous days. If, from a religious poiub of view, this is to be regretted, let the professors and preachers of theology ask themselves what they have been doing these eighteen hundred years." L~. _. . r ; _

Whlie in charge of the detectives on the passage of the steamer to Auckland, Miss Carbine, the girl wounded at Helensville, made the following statement:—"Thomas Sims came to see me last evening, and we went out for a.walk between Deacon's and Bradley*). When we came.to the bridge Sims said, "You go over first, Annie; you know the road better than I do." I \v ag nearly over the bridge when L felt a stab from behind, and turning aharply round, received another stab with what I then observed to be a knife, in the neck. VTe by tbia time were over the bridge end amongst the tilree. I fell on the ground and he knelt on my chest saying in excited tones, " Kiss me Annie, before I die." He stooped down and Kissed me, and then was about to strike me again when I caught hold of the blade of the knife, , and we bad a terrj--1 ble struggle for it, the consequence of which was that he wrenched it out of my bands, fearfully lascerating both, palms, and readering me helpless. He allowed me to get up, when he asked, " Tell me, Annie, do you love me still '?■" a.nd I replied, '• With all my he \rt • don't kill me till I see my. mother!" I was ve;y fri .htened, and ran aAvay for about. 200 yards, when 1 fell from exhaustion. I was then very, near, Mr Bradley's and a man came up and was about to carry me to that gentleman's residence when Sims came up and said to him "'lwas I, her lover, did it, and here is the knife." Sims assisted the other person to Mr Bradley'a, »i:d while there Sims stayed by my side, o easionuUy feeding me with milk, until the time wheu he \vas taken in charge.

I We have the best authority, says the Waikato Times, for stating that the Government have decided to resume the system of pay menfc to Volunteer?. The members of the 1 Waikato^ Cavalry will receive 7s per day. We trust thiiaction will be made retrospective as "well in view of the expense to wliich the Volunteers h«ve l*tely been put.

The best arid most reasonable house on the tor Boys' and Men!s Clothing is the New Zealand Clothing Factory's Branch Albert Mtreet.—[Advt.] Nrat little cottages and well stocked gardens are a diltiugttislwog"feature of this I district, and Tisitors are surprised at hearing I in every street |lre aountjL'ot pianos and harl moniums. The explanation is simple, a local !'fmpo'rter BuppfiefTtheae instruments at a small profit on first cost, and accepts payments bj easy instalments A large stock may be iuspected, and further particulars obtained of J.: Gbigg, at hi« music warehouse, Pollen stireet.—[Adti.]