The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3933, 6 August 1881, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 1881.

The Ministry are haying this session anything but a pleasant time of it, for at almost every sitting remarks are made by both foes and friends calculated to give annoyance, and resolutions are proposed which call for more than usual tact to steer clear of. Last evening Sir George Grey proposed that the Estimates should be handed over to a select committee to report on them, and Mr Saunders found fault with almost every proposal that has been submitted by the Government. We cannot be surprised that the Premier refused to accept Sir George Grey's suggestion, or even that he termed it revolutionary. The proposal looked very like a vote of want of confidence, notwithstanding that the mover denied that he bad aDy such intention in introducing it; yet the bare suggestion itself carried with it a want of belief in the ability and integrity of Ministry to prepare Estimates that the House could adopt. It may be a new mode of dealing with such matters, and it might result in benefit; yet for a Ministry to submit to such a proposal would certainly be more humiliating than their greatest enemy should expect. We are confident too, that the mover never anticipated anything but the fate his motion met with, yet he no doubt moved it in order to humiliate and heap, if possible, further contempt upon the devoted heads of his political foes.

Our cablegrams to-day mention that in the House of Lords some important amendments were made in the Irish Land Bill, and such in opposition to the wishes of the Government. This may mean more trouble, more waste of time, and probably a frustration of the efforts of the Liberal Government to deal with the question. We can scarcely expect that the Honse of Lords will introduce amendments in keeping with the views of the Irish party, for landlordism looks to the conservative Peers to protect its interests, and alterations opposed to the policy of the Government, cannot fail in placing Her Majesty' Ministers in a false position. We remember that the Marquis of Salisbury, in a late debate, characterised the Bill while yet before the Commons, as a useless measure, unsuitable to the circumstances, and the remarks at the time was accepted as an indication of the reception it might expect in the Lords. The anticipations have evidently been realised.

Otte Auckland correspondent is, according to the Advertiser, wrong again for saying that Mr James Maokay intended contesting " one of the Thames seats." So our friend, in the interests of truth, corrects our statement, in that Mr Mackay intends running for a seat for Coromandel, should the Thames electorate bs divided. Our correspondent is no more wrong in this matter than he is about Mr Sheehan joining the Ministry, and if our contemporary only waits a little, he may be able—that is, if he be willing—to acknowledge how correct waß our information. We like to be correctod. We don't wish to get the idea into our heads that we *£c always right—it>might spoil u» ; 'jto /if 'our big}"brother~wi[r~ojTf • keep, on •Atjßfcijf^us right; "we may hdj/o at some 1 jj^lure day to reach perfection.

"i A FLBASANr evening may be spent at the Academy of Music to-night, when Mr Logan will-give* some of his conjuring tricks. He is jrsU>up in the business, and will no doubt atndfo .his patrons. As Mr Logan only retaaine two evenings, all who can make it convenient should attend the Academy to* night..;;Gi|ts will, also be dispensed, consist* ing of - & Valuable suite of furniture, gold watches, tea and coffee services, and numerous ornamental articles.

.-JAn^JWfking of the Thames Jockey Club held a'few evenings ago it was resolved to altet-tiia-place of holding future race meetings from the' Parawai course to the flat below Nikoritta's house and now leased by Mr Griffiths. It appears a better and larger course can be had in the new ground, and Mr Griffiths' terms are much more liberal than Mr\ Spencer's. There is also another advaajtogv; a capital view of the entire course can 'fc**.| obtained from the hill behind -Nikorirfifi'i house.

Ix appears that some years ago a man

named Mulvaney pegged out the ground lately known as the Bank of Ireland claim, at Waitekauri, and which has been taken up again within the last month in consequence of the very rich gold obtained in the adjoining section of the Waitekauri mine. The fact that Mulvaney'i name it still on the register, and that in accordance with the law as laid (iow,n by Mr Eenriok, he is the lawful owner of ground, is being taken advantage of by some. person! .who wish to oust the present holders by laying a plaint against Mulvaney. Thera,ij, however, some difficulty ia finding where the: man is at present, and we underI stand Mr Hollis and others are now on the jearcli for him in the Whangarei district. : Tab fact that the Waiotshi culvert is not ,-yet cleaned out G&uead eyen t'be rain we bad last right to inconvenience Mr and <)th?r residents in Pollen street. We" hope (lie authorities will not relax in their endealo clear our the beds of both the Kuruka and „W*it>tabi weeks,

Thk B.*. Glenelg arrived off Tararu this morning with a cargo of cattle for Messrs Banks and Co. She will be beached this afternoon, and her cargo landed.

Majoe Heaphy, whose death is mentioned in a telegram from Wellington was well-known in Auckland, and for years occupied the leading position as a surveyor. He held appointments under the General aDd Provincial Governments, and at the time of the war in the Waikato held a command, and so distinguished himself as to earn the Victoria Cross. Old residents of Auckland will hear with regret of his decease.

The bigots of the House of Commons are. making Mr Bradlaugh a marlyr in the cause of freedom of conscience. It is disheartening to Bee how utterly the lessons taught by persecutions and intolerance have been thrown away. The Jews, Roman Catholic*, and Quakers fought for and won respect; for thier conscientious scruples, and Mr Bradlaugh will also win. The spirit of the times is such that there can be no doubt about the final i issue. Meanwhile, Mr Bra'Jlaugh is obtaining ' a notoriety and popular sympathy of which he i is personally unworthy. A cablegram this I afternoon, announces that the Gladstone Cabinet are reconsidering their decision in reference to the Affirmation Bill, and surely the strong common aense which usually distinguishes the British Parliament will at last put an end to unseemly and degrading rows in the House of Commons as that reported in our cablegrams to-day.—Star. Mb Or. M. Bead will lecture in Dunedin in connection with the East Coast Native Land Settlement Company, to contradict the rumors circulated against the proposals of the company. It is said that Tawhiao, through the chief Paul, has expressed regret that he could not visit Auckland at the present time, owing to his having promised his people to go back from Mprcer. He will visit Auckland and Kuipara district shortly, and he gave Paul a handsome Kiwi mat as a pledge of his promise to do so.

The friends of Mr Bull, favorable to his return as the representative of the Kauaeranga riding, are called together for Monday night at St. George's schoolroom. Messrs Corin and McKenzie, we believe, will nominate Mr Bull. The advertisement appears in another column.

The Mornii-.g Post comments on an article in the Augsburg Allgemeine Zeitung, which expresses the conviction that the French movements against Tunis will, in the end, be of decisive significance for England. England came to feel bo secure in recent times of her hold on the Mediterranean because the hand of the Ottoman Empire was on threefourths of the coasts of t c Mediterranean, and because, for the purposes of naval supremacy, that hand had long since become a " dead hand." So long as France was cooped up in a corner of the Mediterranean coast the naval power of England was quite able to meet all eventualities. So long as Franco looked for a dominion beyond the Rhine, so long as the integrity of the Ottoman Empire had not been torn up and abandoned by the place hunting Liberalism of England, even Algeria was only n interesting colony, and not the starting point of a new Mediterranean domination. But with the conquest of Tunis begins the selfsame process which made the Romans the n:asters of the Mediterranean. The Tunis question, thinks the German critic, is the touchstona of England's destiny.

The defence set up by the counsel for th c defence in the case lately heard in Melbourn 6 of the stolen steamer Ferret, or India, wa 8 rery ingenious. He said that the explana" tion given to him of the occurrence was, that the vessel was hired by Henderson from the Highland Company for one Watkins, who was the first captain of the vessel on this voyage, and who was »gent for the Peruvian Government. Peru and Chili were at war : the latter Power had blockaded the ports of Peru, and this steamer was hired to run the blockade, and to take cargo and arms, and the charterers were to receive £50,0..0 for their risk. That all that was done subsequently was to conceal from the Chilian Government the fact that he vessel was going on that expedition ; that there was no intention to defraud any one ; and that tho vessel would have been taken home, or Henderson would have exercised the right of purchase that he possessed over the ship. The ship was publicly chartered to go a peaceful voyage, although there was a private under standing by which the company would have been eecured against risk in case of capture.

On a wet and chilly winter evening, Felix came home tired and hungry. A change of clothing and good tea, beside a cheerful fire, soon put all to rights, after which ihe contents of the Evening Stab o"3upied attention for a quarter of an ho .r, while James got out his piano music, and Kate tuned her violin; Felix junior produced bis flute, and said, " Now, papa, get out your big'fiddle, and we will play while mi* and sisters Bing." The Btonn raged without, but it was unheeded in that happy home, where a merry evening was spent, and on retiring to rest Felix remarked to his wife that the few pounds spent at Gbigg's Musical instrument Warehouse had prukved a really fflioii investment.— lkr>\T:.2"-'■:■■■" J.-\: "■.'■:■',%'■ ,■:'"■/■■. . ■ ■■ " Wuppeteaaifcukqussunnodivehtunquah" is the hew name for a tobacco much used by persons who do smoke. A man tried to get some the other day,-and nearly dislooated his jaw when asking for it. Ho now/sticks lo the tobacco he h»s talways used, and which he states he cannot get better thau at'MoLiVKE'B, Brown;6treet, Gr»hat]astown,^CA©yT.]