The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1882.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4236, 29 July 1882, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1882.

The Thames Valley .Railway question shares with the deep levels and the harbor the honor of being" the subjects of absorbing interest t6 this district at the present time, and we might add has for the past ten years. All three are of vital importance to the well-being of this community, and we only wish that the outlook with regard to the railway was as bright &s that of the gold continuing at greater depths. But there is this difference— the construction of the railway is a matter of justice and good sense; that of the deep levels one of enterprise, chance, and pluck. The prospects of the Queen of Beauty and Prince, Imperial mines might almost even now be regarded as an earnest that our perseverance is about to reap an ample reward, but alas! for the weakness of humanity and the overpowering influence of self we have long cried aloud in vain to our fellow colonists for justice. All we ask is an equitable division of the millions borrowed on behalf of the Colony. It is evident, however, that to do justice and love righteousness is not the motive that guides our legislators. No, they adopted the doctrine of the Scottish . outlaw—

That they should take who have the power, : And they should keep who can, and it has become crystallised into their law of action, a law which they are seldom known to disobey. The grounds for our claim are admirably set forth in a communication .from Argus, which, appear in another column. Bat there is no necessity to go into the reasons for our claim, they have been dwelt on long and often| ana are irrefragable. They are based upon a large and increasing population, a good country which requires facilities for supplying that population, and still more—not only the promise of ministers, past and present, but that the work was actually commenced. Other excellent reasons could be adduced, but our object is not to demonstrate our claims, for they are known to all, but to consider what .is the duty .of the community at the present juncture. That the Government do not intend to include the line, between the Thames and Te Aroha in the schedule of proposed works is beyond all doubt. But shall we as a community sit still and allow this to be without a protest ? Surely we should not. We would urge that a monster public meeting be convened at once to protest against the omission of the ThamesTe Aroha line, and that our members be

requested by the unanimous voice of the community to inform the Government that their constituents desire "them to oppose Ministers on all questions whatsover; in fact, to oppose all their measures—present and future — unless this instalment of justice is granted. This protest against injustice and demand for fair play should ring, with clarion voice; throughout* the length and breadth of the colony. We have heard more than once, twice, or even thrice from the Wyndham. Street organs that Auckland is not jealous of the Thames, and that the, merchants of that city are favorable to the Thames Valley Eailway. If this be so, why does not their friendship take some tangible form? Friendship that is not willing to assist—if not to sacrifice—is not worthy the name. The line to Te Aroha from Auckland is to be made, of course. How nice and profitable it will be to divert the trade of the Upper Country from its natural channel, the Thames, and send it through Auckland via the Waikato, where the apostles have such comfortable properties, to Te Aroha. The benefit to the land ring will be two-fold. It will benefit Auckland, and it will enhance the value of their estates. Has an Auckland city member stretched out the hand of fellowship to help us in our difficulty P Not one. The railway is to be carried to a point which suits Auck« land, and there the terminus is to be. Hitherto we have given Ministers a general support for their capable administration, but must condemn their action concerning this railway, which is of paramount importance to this district, | most emphatically. If they only professed to be finishing trunk lines we could understand their action, but as it is the Thames line has a claim far surpassing in intrinsic worth or justice several on | the schedule. Not to make it is a breach of faith, and our members should vote straight against any loan in which it is not provided for. Let us refer to Hansard, and we find in page 458 of the year 1879, Major Atkinson says, relative | to this very railway from the Aroha to the Thames : "I have made a good deal | of inquiry about the railway itself, and I 1 am quite satisfied it will have to be constructed. It seems to me to stop at the place first propesed would not be wise." That is, Major Atkinson is of opinion that it would not be wise to stop at Te Aroha. Were space available, we could give several other quotations from Speeches delivered by gentlemen on Major Atkinson's side of the House favorable to the railway.

To-hi&ht will be the laßt opportunity afforded tbe public of witnessing the Circus. It leaves to-morrow by the Anne Milbank for Conomandel. • Thb annual meeting of the Thames Gold Mining Company lapsed for want of a quorum. , It appears from -the directors' report, that in consequence of the falling off of the mines no dividends were ptid. In the Waihi Company 900 Bhares had been purchased, and in the Alburnia Company 500 new shares; £2,1091 9a remains on interest at 5 per cent., and £600 at 6 per cent. At Bussell, H.M.S. Nelson had an accident to one of her anchors, which might have been very serious. During a moderate gale last night, the officers of the watch noticed that, the vessel was dragging, and immediately gave an alarm, when a second anchor was let go. She having dragged gome distance, and on faeaving up.ythe port anchor, it was found that only /the ring and stock and a small piece of the shank were left, there being a flaw in, the iron. The anchor last weighed 96cwt. If the wind had been from the westward, she would probably have been ashore before she could have been brought up. Mb S. Heihbbington, draper, Pollen street, notifies in another column the continuance for a few weeks longer of his cheap clearing sale in all departments in order to make room for freßh shipments of goods to arrive. At the half-yearly meeting of the Auckland Q-as Company, a dividend at the rate of 17 per cent was declared, The visit of Mr Den ton to the Thames has certainly had one good effect—it has set a good many people thinking. Owing, doubtless, to the interest taken in the subject, Mr E. H. Taylor has undertaken to enlighten people on Spiritualism at the Oddfellows' Hall tomorrow night. The principal bootmakers of the town notify in another column their decision to close their respective establishments ererj evening, save Saturday, at 7 o'clock, commencing on Tuesday next. This is a very commendable step on their part, and we hope it will act as an in* centire to other tradespeople to close their places of business at the same, if not an earlier hour. The drapers for years past have closed at 6 o'clock, and we see no good reason why other shopkeepers should not do the same. Private advices say that when tbe 'Frisco mail left a portion of the English troops around London were/using New ' Zealand meat.

Mb Jbffeet, the old established G-rahams-town seedsman and fruiterer, notifies having received his supply of garden, vegetable, and other seeds from Melbourne, as well as a fine sample of lapstone kidney Beed potatoes, so our amateur gardeners' can now be fully supplied at Mr Jeffery's establishment. The Ringarooma, which arrived from Sydney on Thursday last, brought a consignment of oranges, lemons, &c, which Mr Jeffery is now realising on.

The Herald saye :—Winiata bears himself very philosophically. Now that his death has been definitely settled, there cau be no harm in statiDg that it is pretty well understood that he has confessed to several persons that he committed the crime with which he is charged.

A FIEBCE newspaper war is proceeding at Wellington between the Times (edited by the Rev.D.Bruce) and the Post, which (apart from the natural indignation of the Irish section of the community against the Times for its gratuitous insult) is causing much public comment. The Times, referring to the recent outrages in Ireland, says—" In such a case, we do not dispute, but arrest and hang, and if the large majority of ft nation

becomes morally diseased and infected with an epidemic of a criminal mania, no sacrifice is too great in order to stamp it out, even though the remedy be war to the knife, such na Cromwpll waged at Oarrick-on-Suir and Drogh^'da." The Pos.t replies, characterisingthe argument aa " a blood-thirsty proposal,"' and quotes from Cromwell's despatches 'as to the terrible massacres that took place at I Drogheda. Letters are pouring in expressive j of disgust at the Times' advocacy of a general massacre, while the editor clumsily flounders to explain it away. The affair has caused a deep sensation among the Irish section of the population, and general annoyance all round;

Two of our local drapers^ Messrs Sshofleld and Moore and J. Marshall notify that they will continue their cheap sales, and will give Is in the £ discount to cash purchasers.