The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3930, 3 August 1881, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1881.

The finding of the Waste Lands Com- j mittee of the House upon the petition re j the legality of the timber leases in the*| Kauaeranga'and Tairua districts is not at all satisfactory, and in fact appears as if it were intended to burke any inquiry into the matter in Parliament. We shall be : surprised if the subject is allowed to drop with the finding of the Committee, for we know that Sir George Grey holds very strong opinions on the subject—and, in fact, as we have before stated, has expressed an opinion that the claims of the lessees, in so far as they assert that the land, even after being denuded of timber, is theirs till the expiration of the lease, cannot be upheld in a Court of Law. Wo trust the County Council will not consider it has performed all its duty in presenting a petition on the subject, but that the Chairman will now request Sir George | Grey to move in the matter, as one affecting the interests of his constituents in the highest degree. In 1875 Sir Geo. Grey moved in the House that all the correspondence that passed between Mr Thomas Eusseli and the Government relating to certain blocks of land in the Thames District, be laid upon the table, and in the discussion which followed it cropped up that the Government, in order to make good the title to blocks of land leased for timber purposes, had promised Mr Eusseli to withdraw the proclamation under the Act of 1873, and to pass a measure further securing the title. Mr Eusseli was then the power behind the throne, and the interests that were powerful enough to extort such a promise from the Government of the day may have had something to do with the unsatisfac tory report of the Waste Lands Committee of the present Parliament.

What might have been a fatal accident but for ihe help of some bystanders, happened on Saturday night, about ten o'clock, on the Goods Wharf. The particulars are supplied by a Mr Coesar, who, it appears, was going down the wharf on Saturday night to the Enterprise, "when he Baw a man apparently in a state of intoxication coming on to the wharf from the reclamation, and staggering along. He saw he was likely to fall over, and went to his assistance. The man eyed him suspiciously for some time, and when they got some distance down the wharf told him to let go. Mr Cossar did so, and went on to the steamer, where he met a friend and told the matter to him. They were coming back when they heard a cry, aDd thinking the man had fallen over hurried forward. The surmise proved to be correct, and had not Mr Gudgeon been near, the man would certainly have been drowned. He, with admirable presence of mind, took off his overcoat, and holding it by one sleeve tbiew ifc towards the drowning man. He managed to get hold of it, and was drawn to the steps and taken out of the water. The gentlemen present got, a cab and took him to the Governor Bowen Hotel, where a glass of brandy was procured. While here an acquaintance of the halfdrowned man came, and from him they learnt that he was a man who lived up the Hape Creek. He waß taken home in the cab, and will no doubt soon recover from his ducking.

The Orphanage Committee held a meeting yesterday afternoon. There were present— the Mayor, president; Mesdames Macdonald, Neill, Payne, Bhrenfried, Wilkinson, and Kilgour, and Crs McGowan and Osborne The fact was stated that one lad hart been given in charge to a gentlemau who had undertaken to provide for him, and that another was of age sufficient to be sent to service. The master's report was_ read and adopted, and the Mayor authorised to procure trees for planting the grounds.

A contempobaet says few people realise how much of the colonial revenue is absorbed in paying interest on borrowed money. The colony's revenue from taxation lash year was £1,716,141, of which amount £1,450,542 was paid away as interest on borrowed money. If everybody could realiss this iact —if every man coald be made to understand what it meant —more than half the country would be in a serious ferment over the unequal expenditure of the loan monies.

Goveesmbnt deem the Jaw as it exists between landlord and tenant unsatisfactory, and if time permitted, steps would be taken this session to have it amended.

The Government consider the precautions already taken against the introduction of email pox sufficient, and will not suspend all communication with with Sydney and Queensland.

In the Legislative Council in Committee on the Licensing Bill, the Hon. Mr Whitaker gave notice to strike -out all the clauses con earning clubs, and to insert a series of new clauses far more favourable to clubs than those in the Bill as it Cime from tlie Lower House. Several minor amendments were made, and there was an'animated debate on clause 12, providing for elective Licensing Benches. The Hou. Mr Mi'ler moved its rejection, bub the elective principle was carried by 19 to 9. The division was as follows: —For the elective principle: The ffons. Ackland, Brett, P. Buckley. Chamberlain, Dignan, Fraser, Grace, Henderson, Holmes, G. Johnson, Martin, Menziex, Peafock, Pharazyn, Scotland, Waterhouse, Whitaker, Williamson, and Wilson. For the nominative system : The Hons. Harfc, Lahtnann, Miller, Nurse, Petene, Pollen, Reynolds, Richmond, and Wood.

Mhrceb and Go's, tender fop £1100 for the Auckland railway station goods shed has been accspted. There were a large number of tenders, Mr R. N. Smith's, at £1299, being the only one from the Thatnoj. The highest tender was Rhodes, £2053.

There was no busineis at the R.M. Court this morning.

Messes Banks and Co. announce that owing to the Southern steaaaera not being able to call in at the Thames oa Thursdays, as arranged, the chief sale of fat stock will be postponed until Monday nexfc, when a full shipment of prime cattle and Napier wethers will be sold by auction, at the usual hour and place. To-morrow will he offered a draft of prime fat sheep, and sufficient fit cattle for the im nediate requirements of the Thames people.

The Waiotahi Creek School will be opened on Monday next, the #th inst. Tho Kauaeraug t School will also open.

In the House yesterday, Mr Bunny brought up the following report of the Waste Lands Committee on the petition of the Thames County Council prajing that an inquiry may be instituted into the uulure of certain titles of timber licenses, " That the committee does not see its way to recommend any interference and recommend the petitioners, if they feel aggrieved, to take such steps as they may be advised to test the v^Hdi^y of the leases "

In the Estimates laid on the table of the House yesterday, the following appear: — Customs collector and surveyor, £100; native officer, B auraki district., £200, and £200 from the Land Purchase Office. Subsidies towards the construction of tracks and minor works, on the pound for pound principle, £10,000, the same as last yoar Inspector of Mines, £350 ; forage allowance, £50. Officer commanding, £50 ; office allowance, £50 ; drill instructor, £106; rent of rifle range, £10 ; prizes for rifle shooting—whole colony, £800. Registrar of Electoi s, £40, clerk to Resident Magistrates Court £175, clerk of District Court 25; bailiff £174 and fees. Warden and Resident Magistrate £500, forage allowance £54 15s; clerk at Coromandel £125 10s, receiver of gold revenue, £137 10a.. Chief postmaster, £340 ; four telegraphists—one at £250, two at £145, and one at £100; two clerks at £150 and £125 ; letter carrier, £140; carrier and messenger £135 ; five messengers, —one at £40, and four at £36.

Our special correspondent afc Wellington says the Coniroller and Auditor-General, yesterday, reported for the information of the House of Representatives that the sum of £300 paid to Mr Rees which wus the subject of an investigation by the Public Accounts Co mittee lost year, still remains to debit o( the cashier to the Treasury, no steps having been t»ki»n a« yet for recovery or discharge of the same.

Part of (ho cargo of the Stag, just arrived from Newcastle, New South Wales, consists of 250 s*okß of maize, which Mr E. R. McGregor advertises he will dispose of by auction to-morrow, inlotß to suit purchasers.

His Honor, Judge Mucdonald returned to Auckland this morning.

In response to the advertistnent calling for tenders for the removal of debris, the following w re opened at the Borough offices yesterday : —1, T. Catran, £160; J. Allen, £44 (accepted) j P. Maxwell, £57 10s. 2, P. Maxwell, £11 10s ; M. Oasey, £10 (accepted). 3, P. Maxwell, £52 (accepted) ; Dickey Bros. £75 j J. O. Smiih, £59.