The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1883.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4403, 13 February 1883, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1883.

As another instance of tbe interest taken by people in the matter of local self government, we may mention that the Returning Officer for the Licensing districts ef Waiotahi, Parawai, and Hastings on presenting himself at the several appointed places for the purpose of receiving the names of candidates for election to the office of Licensing Commissioners, did not get a single nomination! In accordance with the Licensing Act the vacancies will now have to be filled by the Governor.

Mb Richard Hudson of Parawai, who was taken ill with inflammation of the lunge last week is, we are sorr j to learn, still in a very dangerous condition. He caught % severe cold early in the week, but did not send for a doctor till Thursday last. Dr Huztable was then called in, and is tending the patient in conjunction with Dr Kilgour. Both luogs are inflamed, and the case is rendered more serious from the fact that Mr Hudson is past his prime. He is sometimes deiirious, but at others can converse in his usual manner, though he is Tory weak. ; Two freehold properties in B»illio street were offered at auction, by Mr Carpenter today. One of them, a vacant allotment, was sold for £38 ; and the other, on v which a flveroomed dwelling, house is erected, was withdrawn at £170, the reserre being £190.

'] THit steamer being built by Price Bros, will in all probability be launched at the next spring tides, about a fortnight from now. The engines hare been placed in her, the fitting up of the cabin is nearly completed, and Mr' Pricker is attending to the' painting

This. Miranda has been hauled up at Stone's yard, Shortland, and treated to a fresh CQat*pf paint, .which has bad the effect of grjftt^improving, her outward appearance.

' "li*if stated on good authority that Governteentf pufpbie granting to the Local Bodies under the Roads and fridges Construction Act o 1 last Seoeion one Half of the suuts applied for byjtberD.

Ihi. local secretary of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Fine Arts in Scotland, Mr E. W. Hollii, hat received from Edinboro tmr»eTeral marks of art to which subscribers to the Society are entitled, and will be pleased to hand them' over to their respective owners on application.

Wl hare good reason for believing that Mr Archibald Forbes, the celebrated war correspondent, purposes visi'ing the Tbames and delivering two of his lectures.

All'accounts against the Martha, W^aihi, and 'Young Colonial Gold Mining Companies, Win-In, a>eto be sent to the liquidator, Mr F. A. White, at once, or they will.not .be.recognised. ' ' . ' .'

Last • vening the Borough Council elected Messrs. Carpenter and Osborne, as -their representatives on the Thames Harbour Board.

The interprovincial cricket match, Canterbury v. Olagn, was concluded 'yesterday in favor of Canterbury by 4 ruDB, after an exciting finish. It was fully expected at lunch time the Southerners would pull the event off, but the remainder of their men were very unfortunate in scoring, and did not put together the required number.

3? IN three years during the Treasurership of Major Atkinson has Colonial expenditure reached its highest point. The years and amount are an follow: —1876,«£6,539 ) 839; 1876, £6,371,441; and 1880, £6,248,840. The expenditure in 1878 and 1876 was £5,653,144 and £5,828,274 respectively. We ttre indebted to the Registrar-General for these figures. It may be hews to some people to know that since we began our " heroic policy of colonisation" in 1870, we have paid up to the end of last year nearly thirteen rail.lions sterling as interest and sinking fund.

| |Mb StTTTOH, the M.H.R. for Hawkea Bay, (says a contemporary) "let off" a good joke In proposing the toast of the " Municipal Corporations of New Zealand" at the dinner to the Fire Brigade delegates, held at Napier recently, Mr Sutton saidl :—" That throughout his publio life, though he had been a member of nearly every other local governing body, he had never had the honor of beiDg connected with a corporation." Roars of laughter followed this remark, when Mr Suttoß corrected himaelf by tapping the lower part of his waistcoat and saying "except this one." v

One or two transactions in grain are.: aported. Reid and Gray, have sold, lOjCjO bushels this season of white, velvet wheat, from their farm near Oatnaru, at 4a per bushel net. The N.Z. and A.L. Co. have just sold to the N. Z. Grain Agency Co. <*.300 tons, of wheat grown on the company's properties in Ciriterbury for immediate delivery, and the same parties are also in treaty for 1000 tons grown in Ot'igo. Thiß transaction is probably the largest ever made in the Australian colonies between the producer and the grain merchant. .;■.

The Cbristchurch Telegraph, commenting on what it terms Judge Gillies' extraordinary definition of " circumstantial evidence," says : —"' Circumstantial evidence' he likened to a chnin, which must he as weak as itsweskeafc link, and have no link missing—i most frllacious simile, inasmuch as the very point of distinction between direct and circumstantial evidence is that the latter has missing links while the former has not. Supposing, therefore, tbe direction of the Judge to have been accurate, circumstantial evidence is in no case sufficient to justify a conviction—■:> proposition too absurd to require refuting. Bat the beat of the joke was that Mr Justice Williams was at the very same time directing the jury in the Pap^kaio murder case in exactly opposite terms. He warnod them 'not to compare cweuwstav.tial evidence to a chain, and cay i that where one of the circu Distances at* ■■ tempted to be proved fails to be proved, it { therefore iB a missing link, and that the I' whole fabric must fall to pieces.'"