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Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4407, 17 February 1883, Page 2

Thb attendance at the circus last nighfe was a great improvement on that of the previous evening. The performance passed off very successfully ; each item on the programme, which was the same as that of Thursday night> evoking applause.' Joe Kitchee?s Japanese juggling introduced some balanoing which was very cleverly done. , Bartolo again twisted himself out of shape and jerked himself back again. G-ilham and Cozens displayed their agility on horseback; and everyone was satisfied. We omitted in our notice of yesterday to mention the side show, where Mrs Thomson, the armless lady, nightly astonishes her beholders, by so wonderfully using her feet in writing orochetting, embroidery and other ways. She is cheerful and chatty, and perfectly happy, and apparently does not miss her arms in the least. The work she does in the presence of visitors ie very neatly and quickly executed. In the same tent there ia a telephonic instrument, which repeats every word spoken to it. It retains sound far years. The effect of its repetitions in English, Maori, &c, is amusing and interesting. Over 500 children attended the performance given this afternoon.

Wb are pleased to learn that an improvement has taken place in the state of Mr ♦Bichard Hudson's health, and that hopes are now entertained of his recovery.

The manager of the New Eureka (Ofcuoui) to-day brought down 121bs of good specimen stone, obtained this week from a leader in the foot wall of the main reef.

Thebe is some talk of the tribute now held by Scanlan and party from the Prince Imperial mine, being formed into a company. This party hold the whole-of the mine above No. 1 level, and though only fonr men are allowed to be employed, no limit was made as to the time for which the tribute was granted.

The strong nor'-wester which was blowing this afternoon raised a considerable sea, and the vessels lying at the end of the Goods' Wharf, to avoid damage by bumping, all kept off a few Tards on the lee aide. The Enterprise steamed to Shorfcland, and the Annie Milbank to a position less exposed to the tea than the windward side of the wharf, where she was lying.

Rough weather like that experienced this afternoon apparently brings a good time for the drapers. QuiLe a number of hats parted company with v their owners on the wharf and went for a Toy age on their own account. One unfortunate party, regretting that he bad not been more careful, had to make the best of his way to the town and get a new roof.

The Pearl leaves the Shortland Wharf on Monday at 4 p.m. for CoTomandel.

The p.B. Annie Milbank arrived early this morning from^Mainaia, having in tow a raft of logs for Mr Bead. She has been chartered by Messrs Woodyear and Rose, the proprietor of the circus,nowjjlaying here, to convey the troupe to Coromandel.

By a Government Q-azette just to hand the Jicense of John Ooleman, of Te Aro'.m, is validated in pursuance of the Licensing Act, 1881.

Johk Gbebnebaf, captain of the cutter Ellon, baa been arrested in Auckland for disobeyiHg the order of the Court in neglecting to pay the costs of the enquiry as to the. cauae of the uccident to that vessel.

His Excellency the Governor has consented, to be patron of the New Zealand Society for the. prevention of cruelty to

animals.

Membebb of the Thames Naval Volunteers tire warned that unless all arms and accoutre^ ments are returned to the store on of before the 26fch in«t., proceedings will be taken for their recovery.

The services at the following churches will be conducted to-morrow as under. The Rev. Humphrey Davis, of St. Thomas', Auckland, wili preach in St. George's Church, Mary street, morning and evening- At the Primitive Methodist Church the Rev. 0. B. Barley will conduct service tnorning and evening. In the Congregational Churoh the Rev. Thos. Hamer will preach morning and evening. At the Oddfellows' Hall Mr E.H.Taylor will lecture at 6.30 p.m.

The Hon. Mr RolWton, M.H.R., aooompanied by Mr R. Hobbs, M.H.R., proceeds to Kawakawa to iuepect the coal uiines.

The Board of Education baa deferred the consideration of the application made for a teaobers' roon nt the Kauaeranga Boys' School. .'.--*

The contractors for the removal and reerectio 1 of the Eureka Company's battery at Otunui are making excellent progress, and fully expect to have the work completed in the specified time. All the machinery and the water wheel will be ready.for removal by Tuesday next. One load was taken up ?ia the Hape Creek, but the grade was found to be 100 steep', so tho remaid r wi!l be conveyed by the Kameranga roufce. A start, is to be made on Monday with t«o teams, and Mr Comes thinks he will be able to have the whole of tho plunt on the ground in three weeks' time. The County Council have had several men at work there lately, and the track is now in good order.

Owing to the p.*. City of New York having sailed from San Froncisoo four days after her proper time for leaving, she is not expeoted to arrive at Auckland unHl Wednesday, the 9fch March.

A MESSAGE has been received from the driver of the coach between tiere and Paeroa that the planking in a bridge over a waterrace on the road between the Puriri stream and the Hotel was broken and dangerous. It was only with extreme caution he managed to oross it this morning. Something will have to be <fone to the road, as it is getting worse every day. What are the. members of the Council for that district thinking about ?

■ The nominations for vacancies on the Licensing Committee for the South Ward took place to day. Mr Dean, the returning officer appointed by the Council, attended from 10 to 12, at the Oddfellows' Hull, and for the five vncancie* received only two nominations, viz., Wm. Carpenter, proposed by B. W. Hollis, and seconded by Alexander Hume 1 and Kobert Parrell, proposed by W. J. Christey, and seconded by W. Bobbett. Messrs Carpenter and Farrell will be declared elected, and ifc remains with the Government to select the other three members as required.

At the sale of the late Thames Scottish belts, &c. which were offered at auction this morning by Mr McGregor, No. 1 belt was purchsed by Mr Samuel Turtle, for £6 10s, and No 2. by Mr R. T. Douglas, for £4 10s. The helmets and sundries were bought for tho exceedingly low figure of 15s.

A SHOOTING match was arranged a short time ago between the Thames Naval Artillery aiid the Dunedin Artillery, 10 men a-side ranges 200, 300, 400, and 500 yards, five shotß at each range. No definite day for the match was fixed, eaoh team being allowed to choose a day during this month. The Thames team which consisted of Messrs Weir, Q-ill,Cameron, Floyd, Brownlee, Nolan, Delahunty, Cart-wright,-Da vies, and Johns, fired this morning, and made a total score of 701 points, the highest individual scorers being Brownlee and Carbwright, with 77 each.

In connection with a telegram received from Dunedin that " the island between the two parts of the upper Waitaki Bridge has been partially washed away, and traffic is suspended. The Hakateramee Valley is therefore Bhut off from traffic communication with the railway line, and unless the bridge is speedily repaired, the grain-growers in that locality will not be able to reach a market unless at great expense." We may state, for the information of travellers, that this is not the bridge connecting Cantarbury with Otago, over which the railway line passes, but a emailer one further up the Waitaki.

Two casea of selling liquor without a license have been picked out by the police in Cambridge district. The other day Constable JBrennan, with two other constables, proceeded to the Waotu Hotel, asked for liquors, paid for them, and demanded the license from the wife of the nominal proprietor, who was in charge. This she was unable to preduca The police there* upon seized the stock-in-trade and carried it off to Cambridge. When the case comes on for hearing it will likely reveal something' very amusing. An information has also been laid against Harry Symonds, another hotel-keeper at Waotu, for selling without a license.

A contempOßAßY, in writing of the Takapuna Club's race meeting, refers to "Mr Peel, the honorable secretary." 19 it so rare for clubs to obtain such things that it must be announced in print ?

The Star says:—For sotre mouths past matters in connection with the Wuihi goldfield have been very quiet. One of the newly imported turbines will be ready to commence work about the middle of March, when it is confidently expected fchafc a tide of prosperity will sot in for the field.

A scamp, who concealed himaelf in ambush at the Oroua River, near Awahuri, aad watched the movements of a number of Maori girla who went to bathe in the river, had a very rough time of it when they discovered him. They surrounded him, dragged him to the river, beat him with sticks, and but for the timely arrival on the scene of a policeman, the probability is that the infuriated dusky maidens would have pitched him into the water.—Herald.

AooBBESPONDHNTof the Wanganui Herald, writing on the subject of the Government Life Insurance Department, says :—"The whole department is let, on commission, to Mv George Thome, jun., who is a. veritable vampire, living on the industry of a large class of hard-worked individual. The department allows Mr George Thorne, jun., 20a per cent, on all new business, and tliis is how he distributes it :■.To the travelling agents, who have to pay all their own travelling expenses, and who of course obtain nearly all the new business, he pays 15s per cent., pocketing the remaining 5s per cent. Mr Thome's income from commissions alone, in the South Island, was estimated at from £1500 to £1700 per annum. His present income for the whole colony musfc be over £2000 per annum, in addition to his salary of £450 per annum. £10,000 were paid in commissions last year.

The Timaru Herald treats the Te Kooti amnesty in a rather flippant style, making fun of the dreaded murderer, standing up before the Native Minister in along silk coat with an umbrella over him, but all the fame it says " it is very glad to hear of the meeting, and the subsequent proclamation of a general amnesty to all political offenders. The sensible atop constitutes an important addition to the already brilliant record of Mr Bryce's Native Administration, and it also brings us one stage nearer to that complete and final settlement of the native difficulty, which we are convinced Mr Bryee has staked bia reputation on accomplishing. . . . Mr Bryce was bent on putting an end to Kingism, and making Europeans free of the King country, but he could not possibly do that so long as Te Kooli was in sanctuary there, with an armed escort, expecting every day or night to be arrested or entrapped. It was evidently desirable either to hang Te Kooti, or to put. him out of his misery in a mild sort of way. The amue»ty wa§ just the thing for biui."

The Napier Hospital is neirly at a standstill. Tradesmen refuse supplies till their accounts, amounting to nearly £1000, are paid.

The Lyttelton Times is mighty wroth about the Te Kooti pardon, ifc thus "lets down" the unfortunate Native Minister:—" Bufc because this monster has the blood of fifty of our murdered fellow-countrymen and allies on bis hands unavenged, because be has triumphed and been strong and powerful, beciuse he is too fierce and determined an enemy to be cowed into subjection by Mr Bryce on his white horse, Mr Bryce crouches and cringes before him, promises him pardon and immunity, and voluntarily offers to shake bis blood-stained hand. If it were possible to find in the English language terms of ignominy, loathing, aud disgust stronger than those we would apply to Te Kooti, wo wou-d hurl them at the miserable being who has thus degraded the colony, and brought disgrace on the British name.

Ipstbctctions have come from Wellington to amalgamate the Industrial Branch of the Government Insurance Department with the ordinary branch, of which Mr D'Arcy Irvine is the agent in Auckland. The servces of Mr Dowse, the active agent who has been instrumental in establishing the Industrial Branch in Auckland, are to be dispensed with in that capacity. The change is dictated by measures of retrenchment at head*quarters. — Star.

The Wellington correspondent of the Herald says :—Many districts having failed to elect'full licensing; committees, and having only nominated one or two members, the question as to the course provided by the Licensing Act in such circumstances ba^ aegumed considerable prominence. Most of the returning officers have supposed that they were to declare duly elected all candidates nominated, so long as the total number did not exceed that prescribed for the committee, but the authorities are disposed to take a different view of the meaning of the Act. It does not say that if too few candidates are nominated, the Governor shall fill up the vacancies, but that in case of failure to elect a committee, then the Governor shall nominate a committse, which are then to be regarded as the elected in due courae. Some authorities hold that failure to nominate the minimum number of candidates require^ I to complete the legal numerical strength of the committee, amounts to a failure to elect suoh committee, and so devolves upon the Governor the duty of nominating the whole committee. That view was held by Mr Dick when Minister of Justice, but I believe Mr Conolly has some doubt as to the actual intention of the Act, it being remembered that elective committees were not proposed by the Government or inserted in the Bill as originally drafted and introduced by Mr Dick, and I hear that the opinion of the law officers is sought on the point which those learned gentlemen are now considering.

Wb notice by reports of lecture 3 delivered in Auckland that Mr Forbes does nob claim to rank with Dr Russell and others as a brilliant writer, but as merely an expert transmitter of news. We have seen a specimen of Mr Forbes' literary abilities, and are willing to back any junior reporter to give him, as it is termed, a Yankee start and a beating.— Standard.