Memoranda of the Month.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4413, 24 February 1883, Page 1 (Supplement)

Memoranda of the Month.

'■ A PBOdAMiTIOK in thj QazMo further prorogues Parliament until the 16th April next. ■ AbCHIBAM) Forbpa gave his opening lecture at the Opera House, Auckland, on Feb. sth, to a crowded audience. The Naval Cadet Minstrels gave their farewell performance on the 29th in the Academy of Music. The attendance was very good. Sib Fbavoh Beix predicts that in the yeir 1900 New Zealand will be the most populous of the Australasian colonies. At thenewironworksatOnehunga wrought iron " blooms" are now being made from Munukau iron sand. It is said that our new Governor, Sir William Jervois, tacitly favours Bible-reading in the State Schools. On the 12th the Borough Council elected Messrs. Carpenter and Osborne as their representatives on the Thames Harbour Board. We have good reason for believing that Mr Archibald Forbes, the celebrated war correspondent, purposes visi'ing the Thames and 1 delivering two of his lectures. Sib John Hall has informed the electors of Selwyn district that, owing to continued ill-health, he hos been compelled to forward liia resignation to the Speaker of the House. The Napier Hospital is nearly at a standstill. Tradesmen refuse supplies till their accounts, amounting to nearly £1000, are paid. A Wj;st Coast paper remarks :—Eighteen inches is the sizi of the Hon. Iro Bligh's feet so it is said. No wonder he can make a good stand at the wickets. This beats the flat* footed maidens of the lovely city of Nelson. It is stated on good authority tKat Government purpose granting to tbo Local Bodies nndrr the Roads and Bridges Construction Act o last Session one half of the Bums applied for by them, NBiRIT 10,000 shares have been applied for in the Thames Valley Railway Company. Mr Alley has signed an agreement giving the Company (he land neceesary for that portion of the line running through Stirlingworth. Mb Roilestos, the Minister of Lands, was waited upon by Archibald Douglas, asking for a prospecting license for himself and two others to s arch for diamond? in Baglan County. The permission was granted.

The New Zealand Timber Company has declared a dividend of 15 per cent. £2000 was carried to the reserve fund, which is now standing at £10,000, and to Iho new account over £ 2000.

The President of the Chrislchurch Chamber of Commerce claims that the favorable harvest and the starting of the Meat Preserving Company have added two and a half millions to the assets of the colony during the past few months. The s s. Staffa is about to commence making periodical colls at White Island in order to bring away sulphur, for which the owner of the island, Mr Wilson, has received an order from a firm of acid manufacturers in Dunedin. —Herald. The New Zealand Electric Light Company have entered into a contract with the Daily Times and Witness Company for the lighting of the office with,the Lane Fox incandescent lamps. It is intended to have 60 lamps of 20 candle-power each. A.cco.EDiN Ta to the Registrar General's last. volume of New Zaaland statistics there is " one beggar " in the colony, and Nelson is given as the dw-elling place of that person. The Nelson Colonist somewhat anxiously inquires—who is it ? Mb James Mabbham, our old established draper, is already making preparations for the coming season, and per ships Mataura and Brahmin, and steamer Gulf of Carpentaria he is receiving large shipments of goods for the autumn and winter trade. | A CL'Ei-K in the employ of the New Zealand j Insurance Company, at Dunedin, named Minter, was arrested on Saturday for embezzlement. He has been employed some time in the office at a salary over £200 a year, and is believed to have escaped detection for some lime by falsifying his books. The local secretary of the Eoyal Society for the Promotion of Fine Arts in Scotland, | Mr E. W. Hollia, has received from Edinburgh the several marks of art to which subscribers to the Society are entitled, and will be pleased to hnnd them over to their respective owners on application. A special to the Auckland Star eaya:— " I have heard it said that the natives who accompanied Te Kooti and met ,Mr Bryce yesterday had arms and. ammunition concealed in the fern to rely upon if required. This rumour originated with tha natives themselves." His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand proposes to start on an official tour of the Colony about the 20th inst. He will visit the chief portions of the South Island, but though he is Btated to be anxious to eome^to Auckland, ho will not bave time to accomplish the journey prior to the assembling of Parliament. The Prince Impenal return for the month, 10250zs retorted gold, was a welcome surprise to most people, as the manager in his report on the 29th only expected about GOOozs. It is an avernge yield per load treated of slightly over :4,ozi 13dwts. The melted return was 1016ozs. By the Press Association we learn that " private telegraniß have been received in Dunedin on Saturday Btating there i9 a likelihood that Bishop Moran, on b ing asked, would consent to contestlnangahua." Though his chances of success would be somewhat remote, he would receive a much larger support on the West Coast than be did in Dunedin. At the sale of the late Thames Scottish belts, &c. which were olfured at; auction' on the 17th by Mr McGregor, No. 1 belt was purchsed by Mr Samuel Turtle, for £6 10a, and JSTo 2. by Mr B. T, Douglas, for £<L 10s. The helmets and sundries wore bought for the exceedingly low figure of 15s. At an inquest on the bodies of George White and' Mary Orea', burned to death at \Vuktfield street fire, Auckland, a verdict of " Accidental death " was returned. It came out in evidence that the woman had been enticed away from her husband in Melbourne by a man in Auckland, and her name is Hodges. The supposed cause of the fire was a defectively-constructed hearth. The Thames Rifle Bangers met at the Volunteer Hall on the Bth inst. There were present—Capt. Douglas (in command), three other officers, Drill Instructor Grant, and 30 rank and file. It having been deoided by the new company to start at the beginning, tbe new. men were put through recruit drill; MrWm; Smith was elected Secretary in place of Mr Pope, who has resigned through illhealtb. The roll now contains 50 names. The attendance was sufficiently large for an inspection.

Thebe has been some excitement in Auckland over tbe exhibition of eeveral diamonds and garnets, stated to be found about four miles from Auckland by Mr Shakespeare, Mr Courtney, and others. Experts are of opinion that they are from the Eimberley diamond field, in South Africa, but Mr Shakespeare denies this, fie cays he faai tent some to England. . ' .'

The To Aroha Mail say e: —A Q- zette notification has been issued appointing H. Kenrick, E3q, R.M., an officer under the special licensing clauses of tha Act to issue provisional licenses in this district, pending the ordinary licenses of fche committee. This has been done in response to a request, urging that Te Arohi should be created a special licensing district, and licenses issued at any time by a proper officer. We understand that already two applications have boen sent in for licenses at Waiorongomai, and these no doubt be dealt with on Tuesday next, when,Mr Kenrick holds his ordinary Court at this place. The applicants are Messrs Kiliau and Joy.

A sinq-ttiab case of suicide occurred at Happy Valley, Nelson, on the 28th. John Fuller, a man of about forty-eight years, gave information two dayß ago that he had been assaulted and considerably knocked about by a man named Thompson, and he also laid an information that Thompson had threatened to do for him unless ho paid £4, the value of a dog belonging to Thompson, and which he had shot for worrying sheep. On Fuller being found dead it was thought Thompson had carried out his threat, and it is stated now that Thompson has fled in fear. However, the whole circumstances conclusively show that Fuller shot himself. He left home at five o'clock on Friday morning; to look after cows, taking with him a gun. Later in the morning hie wife became alarmed, and BBnt her neice in Bearch of him. The girl ultimately found Fuller in a dump of manuka, shot dead. A careful inspection of the ground shows no trace of a struggle, and it is evident Fuller lay down with his gun under one arm, he having lirst tied a piece of flax to the trigger, and having passed the flax round the stock he placed the gun to the centre of his forehead and pulled the flax. Death followed without a struggle, and a quantity of the brains was found on the grass below the wound. An inquest took place on Saturday at Happy Valley.

A Cambridge correspondent writes to the Te Aroha:—-Mr Firth began wheat harvest at Ma tn mat a this week. He has 2500 acres under wheat, which at a rough estimate, good judges say, will average somewhat over 20 bushels per acre. Mr Firth has five of the new reaping machines, which nve called " headers," cutting'the wheat off just below the ear, and delivering them aa cut into the waggon alongside, which carries a large net to receive them. By simply cutting off and saving the ears, the whole crop can he easily bagged at once and housed independent of any change in the weather, and put through the threshing machine in a third of the lima that would be taken were the crop cut in the usual manner. We have known amongst the natives individuals bearing the names of Pontius Pilate and John the Baptist, and our personal know» ledge of duaky Scriptural ones is being extended. In the company of Maoris now appearing at the Theatre Royal in Auckland are the original " twelve apostle?" of Te Whiti. *' To what base uses," &c. A PAiNFtri accident happened at about 2 o'clock, on the 23rd, to Mr Dairson Crawford, the manager o the Karaka mine, and a man named John Bohan, who was working with him. They had put in a hole and lit the fuse in the usual way, but it did not take effect, and while preparing to re-charge it, a quantity of powder in a can by some means exploded. B oth men are badly hurt from the neck upwards, the skin being taken off except where protected by hair, though happily tho sight of neither is impaired. Rohan's arms are burnt from the shoulder downwards, and below the elbow. Tbe men walked down to Hospital, where their injuries were attended to by Dr Payne, the House Surgeon. Is Auckland, with a population, of 16,664. there are two daily newspapers (one morning and one evening), and four weeklies (of which one is a society journal) ; in Wellington, with 20,563 of a population, one morning, one evening, and one weekly paper; in Christchurch, with, a population of 14,213, two morning, three evening, and five weeklies (one being a society and another the licensed victuallers' organ), and in Dunedin, with a population of 24,372, two 'morning, one evening, and two weeklies. TnE Eev.. Mr Green has replied to Dr Hector's letter, published in May laet, on the height of Mount Cook, in whioh the latter stated, as the result of his calculation, that tlie height of the spot reached by Green's party was 11,962 feet, and that as the height of the mountain by trigonometrical ca'culation was 12,349 feet, the explorer's position must have been 387 feet below the summit. Mr G-reen says that bis own calculations differed. from Dr Hector's by about the three hundred feet in question, but he handed over Dr Hector's figures when they were received io full to Professor Fitzgerald, of Dublin, who arrived at a height of 12,357 feet. Mr Green thinks the correction required for an aneroid barometer may account for a few feet, but the chief discrepancy arises through Dr Hector misconstruing his decimal places.

The largest quantity of gold exported from Otajjo in any one year was in 1863, when 6L4,3870z9, valued at £4,380,750, passed through the Cus'om House. The previous year, 1862, the quantity was 399,2010z5, and in 1864 it was 436,0120z3. The quantity each year has rapidly decreased from theae large figures, until for 1880 the whole amount was only 113.6660Z3, value £457,705. The total quantity exported from the start in 1861 until 1880, nearly 20 years, is 4,018,8850z5, value £15,818,948. The value of wool for the same period exported was £15,746,856, leaving a small balance in favour of gold.— Exchange.

The annual meeting of the' Thames Harbor Board was held in the Borough Chambers at 12o'clockon the6th. Present—Messrsßagnall in the cbair), Marshall, McGtowan, Bull, and J. Read. The minutes of the previous aunuil meeting were read and confirmed. The statement of receipts and expenditure shewing, the former to be £1936 Oa 4d was read, and the latter £2030 18s Id. These figures do nofc include the balances in the bank on the Ist January, and 3lst December, 1882 ; which were £9588s Id, and £363 10b 4d respectively, i The assets and liabilities were stated at £59,361 105 4d, and £7,204 16s 6d. Theso statements were read, received, and adopted, and an abstract ordered to be printed.

The half-yearly meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge, 5.0., was held on the 30th ultimo in the Masonic Hall, Princess street, Auckland. All the officers were present except the R.W.P.GkM. (Bro. Whitaker), who is at present in Wellington. The representatives from the Thames were D.P.V.G.M. McOullough and P.V.GKT. Bawden. A large amount of business in connection with the craft was transacted amongst which was a high tribute paid by the B.WVD.P.GKM. to Brother Bawden for his services, and congratulations on his restorations to health. Pbiestly, who figured so conspicuously in the Hamilton supposed murder caie, has during tue past few days, been the subject of various strange rumours. First we heard that he had gone to Sydney in the Wairarapa in company with Mrs Hamilton, and then that he had gone to America by the last mail steamer, but on making enquiry, we founl both statements incorrect. Again we are informed that Priestley had joined the Plymouth Brethern, and that he had led the Bervice at that place of worship ou a recent Sabbath. Several members of the church, however deny this most emphatically, and say that he never even attended the services. We believe Priestly is at present residing at Mangarei and Mrs Hamilton in the vicinity of Mount Eden.—Star.

The sale of the Stirling worth .Estate, owned by Mr Alley, was held by Messrs Hickson and Co at 2 o'clock on tha 14th in the Academy of Muaic. The number of sections sold were seven, ss follows:—Section 10, to Mr Ripley, at £8 per acre; 9, to J. E. Backs, also at £8; 90, 91, and 93, to Mr Scott, at £16 per anre ; 132 a, to J. E. Banks, at £12 per acre. Section 148, of 640 acres, was put up, and 5s 6d bid for it, but the reaervo price was 7s 6d. The prices realised are satisfactory. The attendance was about 60.

A tele&bam from Wellington says:—From private advices received by cable it is under- I stood that the reason why the Agent-General had to withdraw hia'advertisements inviting tenders for the jNew Zealand direct steam service was (hat at the last moment an awkward oversight was discovered in the specifications, which, had it not been opportunely detected, might have involved this colony being committed to an arrangement of a very unfavorable character. In (hree years during the Treasurerahip of Major Atkinson has Colonial expenditure reached its highest point. The years and amount are bs follow: —1875, £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 are indebted to the Registrar-General for thefe figures. It may be news to some people to know that since we began our " heroic policy of colonisation " in 1870, wo have paid up to the end of last year nearly thirteen millions sterling as interest, and sinking fund. One or two transactions in grain are reported. Reid and Gray have sold 10,008 bushels this season of white velvet wheat, from their farm near Oamaru, at 4? per bushel net. The N.Z and A.L. Co. have just sold to the N. Z. Grain Agency Co. 4000 tons of wheat grown on the company's properties in Canterbury for immediate! delivery, and the same parties are also in treaty for 1000 tons grown in Otago. This transaction is probably thelargest ever made in the Australian colonies between the producer and the grain merchant.

At the sale of Mrs Froser's estate, the township of Ohiuemuri, held on the sth in the Academy of Music by Messrs D. E. Gellion and Co, about a quarter of the property was sold for the total of £728. The prices of the various sections were Allotment No. 8, £13; do. 1, £17; do. 2, £12; do. 19, £15; do. 20, £14; do. 21, £23; do. 22, £35 ; do 23, £13 ; do. 18, £13; do. 24, £12; do 25, £12; do. 16, £12; do. 17, £12; do. 13, £13 ; do. 14, £13; do, 28, £25; do. 29, £25 ; do. 26, £18; do. 27, £18; da. 39, £2S ; do. 40, £20; do. 38, £16; do. 42, £15; do. 41, £12; do. 30, £48; do. 31, £48; do. 52, £28; do. 108, £10 ; do. 61, £11; do. 84, £11; do. 36, £11; do. 37, £11; do. 32, £11 j do. 33, £11; do. 34, £11; do. 3*, £11. The Thames Valley Railway Coy's, directors held their usual meeting at the Council Chambers on the sth inst. Present—Messrs • Fraeer, McDonald, Speight and Mennie. The Chairman reported the result of his visit to Auckland to interview Mr Slieehan, who had written to him informing him that pressing engagements prevented him going to Auckland with sub conomittee appointed to proceod there to get the Company's contract with the Govern ment signed. It was resolved that replies to the letter recently received^ from the Government be left to a sub-committee to draft. The number of shares applied in the Company has increased.

Mb Justice Giilies is the most unfortunate of men. In tbe Supreme Court we have his juries twice within four days bringing up verdicts in opposition to his directions. At the Civil Sittings of the Supreme- Court on the 3lßt in the case of Hammond v. E. Waytt f an action to recover £500, damages sustained by the plaintiff in consequence of a malicious prosecution by the defendant, the jury found a verdict, for plaintiff, damages £100. Judgfl Gillies said : " The verdict of tbe jury is in the teeth of my express direction, and cannot have any effect. '1 his verdict cannot possibly stand. Gentlemen, your verdict is of no avail. I am afraid you have put the parties to tho trouble and expense of a new trial." If this sort of thing continues, we will have His Honor advocating the abolition of trial by jury. Fiji is attracting the attention of the Colonial steamship companies and owners. The Fiji Gazette says: "Tho arrival of the Australian Steam Navigation Company's fine steamer Bockton, and the announcement that it is the intention of the Union Steamship . Company of New Zealand to place the Ringarooma, a fast and well appointed vessel, on the route between Melbourne and Fiji, while Messrs W. H. Smith and Sons are having a suitable vessel built in order to allow them to compete in this trade, are all indications that ship-owners in the neighboring colonies are at last becoming alive to the growing importance of this group, and are determined to leave no effort untried to secure a share of the profits tc be realised by providing facilities for placing its varied and valuable products on the colonial markets in tho most speedy manner and the beet possible condition."

The total number of immigrants nominated since the resumption of assisted immigration in August last is 4762 souls or 4166 adults— the nationalises being: English, 1734 ; Irish, 1814; Scotch, 1067 ; foreign, 87. The single men number 916, as follows: English, 277; Irish, 437; Scotch, 185 ; foreign, 17. 'The single women were 1785, being—English, 448 ; Iri'h, 1055; Scotch, 2^3 ; foreign, 19. The remainder comprise families. The total amount of fees received wai £12,611 10s. The nominations by tho outgoing; mail were 443 souls, 396J adults, distributed as follows : —Auckland 94, Taranaki 9, Hawke's Bay 9, Wellington 62, Nelson 24, Wetland 5, Marlborough 2, Canterbury 93, Otago 103, Southland 38. The nationalities were —English, 163, Irish 145, Scotch 133, foreign 8. The single women numbered 157, of whom 54 were English, 75 Irish, 24 Sotch, and 4 foreigners. The single man ware 80, being— English 25, Irish 35, and Scotch 20. The nomination fees received amounted to £1127. A BATHES serious accident occurred to a young fellow named Rolton on the sth inst. He was engaged on Shortland Wharf fashioning a pair of oars with an adze, when the adze slipped, striking him on the foot and cutting through to the bone. A large number of arteries and tendon 3 were severed by the blow, and the loss of blood occasioned thereby was very great. He was taken in a cab to the surgery of Or Kuxtable, who at once stopped the hemorrhage and dressed the wound.

Gotbbnmbkt have at last made the appointments of Governors of the High School, and Messrs Brodie, B agnail, and Marshall are now members of that body. These gentlemen are all old members of the Board, and we doubt if a better selection could have been made. The two former gentlemen have occupied seats at the Board from the time of its formation, and Mr Marshall, ss a nominee of the Borough Council, has ia former years attended carefully to the duties of the office. He now occupies the seat previously occupied by Dt Eilgour, who, we regret to say, declined to accept nomination this year. The nominations for vacancies' on the Licensing Committee for the South Ward took place on the 17th. Mr Dean, the returning officer appointed by the Council, attended from 10 to 12, at the Oddfellows' Hall, and for the five vacanciei received only two nominations, viz., Wm. Carpenter, proposed by E. W. Holiis, and seconded by Alexander Hume; and Bobert Farrell, proposed by W. J. Christey, and seconded by W. Bobbett. Measrß Carpenter and Jfarrell will be declared elected, and it remains with, the Government to select the otb.er three memberi as required.

Thb Ly ttelton Times is mighty wroth about the Te Kooti pardon, it thas "lets down" the unfortunate Nature Minister:—" Bat because this monster has the blood of fifty of our murdered fellow-countrymen and allies on his 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 oringes 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 tertm of ignominy, loathing, and disgust stronger than those we would apply to Te Kooti, we would hurl them nt the miserable being who has thus degraded the colony, and brought disgrace on the British name.

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 a long 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 step constitutes an important addition to the iilready 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 Bryce has staked his 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 co lung as Te Kooti was in sanctuary there, with an armed escort, expecting every day or night to be arrested or entrapped. Ifc was evidently desirable either to bang Te Kooti, or to put him out of his misery in a mild sort of way. The amnesty was just the thing for him."

The Herald's Wellington correspondent says:—" Mr John Knowles, Uuder-Secretary for Public Works, and the oldest Civil Servant in tho colony, who has recently been on sick leave owing to illness brought on by overwork, has applied for permission to retire on a pension, on the ground of failing healh. He entered the service in 1842, and is therefore in his 41st year of service, but has not yet attained sixty years of age. However, the medical crtifieates amply support his title to retirement on a pension, and his request has accordingly been granted. It is not yet known who will be his successor. Various rumours are afloat, one being that the Works and Eailway Department will be amalgamated and that Mr Werry, the present Under Secretary for Railways, will succeed Mr Knowles. Another, and very improbable report, is that Mr Bunny, late M.H.B. for Wairarapa, is the coming man, but by far the moat likely story is that Mr Knowles' next in command, 'Mr Benzoni (Assistant Undersecretary in the Public Works Department) will be new Under Secretary."

Me Abchibild Fobbes writes as under to a Melbourne paper concerning New Zealand : —" New Zealand is a country at once fertile and rusged—characteristic of Scotland. The climate is more or leas pleasantly variable— also characteristic of the northern country, and I am informed that the soil here grows 80 bushels of oats to the acre, so that it is impossible for anyone to go without his porridge. The climate is also eminently suited for the maturing and preservation of whisky, and I have also observed that thistles grow to unparalleled dimensions, and further, that the complexion of the ladies is not only good but apparently lasting." The following gentlemen hare been elected a Licensing Committee for Ohinetnuri:—Messrs P. Austin, C. F. Mitchell, F. Lipsey, J. Goonan, and J. M. Eobson. The nominations not being in excess of the number required, all were declared elected. The nominations forwarded by the last mail numbered 449 souls, equal to 396 i statute adults, from the following districts:—Aucktaad, 94: Tarataki, 9; Hawkea Bay, 19 ; Wellington, 62; Nelson, 24; Westland, 5; Marlboroagh, 21; Canterbury, 93 ; Ofcago, 103 ; Southland, [ 38. The amount of fees received was £1127. A sad accident occurred at Dunedin on the Ist to a passenger by the Tarawera, named Frederick Chapman, who had come out from Glasgow on his way to Auckland. At a faw minutes past one, shortly after the arrival of the vessel, lie was walking along George street with a friend named Simmons, when he tripped and fell overboard between the pier and the ship. Half an hour elapsed before he could be got out, and though he was promptly attended to by Drs Lockin and Wadham, all attempts to revive him were in vain. The pier is without lights, and is at all times dangerous, particularly to strangers. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict, of " Accidental drowning," and added a rider censuring the Government for failing to have George street Pier property lighted. It was stated deceased was 28 year 3of aga and unmarried, and intended to join the Ministry of the Scottish Church.

E pill a Taha, the native who was tried at Auckland in July last on a charge of shooting at a surveyor at the Thame* with intent to kill, and was sentenced to three years' penal servitude, ha* been pardoned by His Excellency, on the grounds, it is understood, that the deep was committed by his hapu.

The suit instituted by Hunt agunst Sir Arthur Gordon comes on for hearing at the Supreme Goart ia April. Hunt has now reached Samoa, and is expected to return to this city in a month's time. He will bring with him several Samoan chiefs, who purpose giving evidence on his behalf. Fletcher Johnston, the defendant's counsel, has not yet returned from Samoa.

The amount of the Property Tax for the financial year exceeds £146,000. This is within four or fire thousand of the estimate. Numerous returns from all parts of the colony have yet to come to hand.

The annual meeting of the New Zealand Accident Insurance Co. waa held on the 31st. The director's report stated that the Company are extending their operations and transacting profitable business. Their operations now extend, to all parts of Australasia. The amount to the credit of profit and loss account now reaches £4,557, out of which it is proposed to pay a dividend at the rate of 6d per share, and of which 3d ha 3 already been paid for the half ending June 30th. Profit and loss account: Dr to amount paid for compensation, £2627 9s Id. commission, salaries and general expenses, £4748 63 6d; contingent liabilities, £1500 ; reinsurance fund for unexpired risks, £1000; travelling expenses, £959 19s 3d; license fee N.Z. Government, £50; advertising, £5712s 9d ; stationary, £176 12s 5d ; medical costs, £77 18s 6d ; balance, £4557 12s; total, £15,793 10s 6d. Cr: By balance . from the last year £2951 14s lid, (less paymant of dividend for 1881 £200, ditto interim dividend 1882 £250—£450); premiums, £12925 9s 8d; interest and transfer fees, £366 5s lid; total, £15,793 lla 6d. D. B. Cruickshank and C. B. Stone were reflected directors. -

The annual meeting of the Thames Harbor Board was held in the Council Chambers at 12 o'clock on 20th. Present—Messrs Froser (ia the chair), Bull, Read, McGtowan, Osborne and Price. The minuteß of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed, and letters were received from various bodies announcing the appointment of representatives on the Board. The Thames Borough Council appointed Messrs Osborne and Car* penter, the Thames County Council Messrs Bagnall and Bull, the Parawai Board Mr A. Price,-and the Chairman of a meeting of those who pay port and harbor dues announced the selection of Messrs J. Bead, J. Wilson, and J. McQ-owan. Mr Fraser was, on the motion of Mr J. Read seconded by Mr J. McQ-owan, was elected Chairman of the Board for the ensuing year.

Captain Rayneb, who recently tried an experiment for saving gold by electrloity at the Golden Crown battery, ia having another test made at the Alburnia mill. The battery is a 12-cell one, or double the power of that used at the Crown, and the current passes aero two es combination plates, which hare been tacked over the ordinary ones. The test was started this afternoon on one of the 6-heads employed on Prince Imperial quarts, and the blanketings will be ground separately so as to give the apparatus a fair trial. The nomination for vacancies in the Licensing Committee for the North Ward, took place on 20th. The fo'bwing werj nominated :—Charles J. Ellis—proposed by J. Gv Vivian, seconded by B. Wolff; J. G> Vivianproposed by B. Wolff, seconded by J. S. Hope; W. L. Thorbnrn — proposed by W. Fraser, seconded by W. Fricker } Daniel McLeay — proposed by W. Fraser, seconded by W. Fricker; Thos. Or. Oornes—proposed by W. Fraaer, seconded by R. Comer ; William Murdooli—proposed by James Patterson, seconded by John Fletcher; W. Fricker—pro* posed by W. Fraser, seconded by James McG-owan; W. Fraser—proposed by James McQ-owan, seconded by W. Fricker', The number of logs brought down to the boon: s by Monday night's fresh were shout 400. The fresh was not from the Kauaeranga river proper, but came down the Hibi Creek, bringing with it about 1000 logs, the greater number of which grounded as soon as they got into the broader channel of' the main stream. The logs at the booms are chiefly small, but should suffice to keep the mill employed about six weeks. Work is to be started on Monday next. Tex Manawatu Daily Times says, that in crossing the Manawatu Ferry Tawbiao fell off the punt into the river. The shock sobered his Majesty very considerably, and on emerging from the water he developed an astonish* ing familiarity with some strong English expletives. A meeting of shareholders in the Smiling Beauty Licensed Holding, was hell at Mr Stodart's office yesterday afternoon, when it was decided to form a company to be called the "JerFois," with 20,000 shares of 10a each. The following directors were appointed : Messrs K. K. Davis, J. B. Morpeth," Tbeo. Cooper, W. T. J. Ball, and Colonel Fraser. Archdeacon Stock, at a temperance meeting h->ld at Wellington, conferred that he bad " three .times attempted to abstain, and had three times egregiously failed." At a meeting of those desirous of forming a Chor.il Sici-ty, held at the Scottish drill hall last evening, resolutions were passed that . a society bo formed to bo called " The Thames Choral Society." The following officers were appointed •.:—Secretary, Mr O'SulHv*n ; Cjqimit.teo, Messrs Kirkpatrick, Prjberb, Puckey, Dobbs, McGregor, and Steward. A public meeting of membara and their friends will be held next Wednesday evening. A diamond prospecting party, consisting of the two Courfcneys and Douglas, laft Auckland on the 15thto prospect tha Raglan dia trict. At the Crown Linda Board, Mr A. Walker applied for a leasa of a portion' of the foreshore of Manukiu harbor, adjacent; to the lease of the Minukiu Iron Sand Works, ia order to remove ironsind, bat the Boiri thought it inadvisable tj grant additional leases till they saw the result of the present experiments, and decided that the right of utilising the iron Band in future be disposed of by auction.

Thomas Watson, proprietor of the Siufchland Hotel, Gore, handed himself on the 15'h ia Dunedin. No caus3 w»3 assigned for fclu deed. Afc an inqaoji; subsequently hald a verdict of *' mental derangement" was returned. :

The Dunodin Harb>r Board has just >ef a contract for raelamitioa which will give than about 10 acras for leasing within a fe«r hundred yard 3of the centre of the city.

A fire broke out at Onehunga at two o'clock on the 17th ia the premises of McMahon, a general dealer, and de. stroyed, likewise, Mclutyre's iron factory, and Vause's buildings, used as the offices of the Manukaa Steam Navigation Cp. The origin of the fire is unknown. The damage is estimated at over .£SOOO. The only building tenanted was that of Me« Mahon, who wa3 awakened with a sense of suffocation. Insurances—McMahou, building, £300 in South British, stock and building, £200 in the Colonial; Mclntyre, £1800, divided between the Standard and the National; Vause,£2ooin the Standard. Mclntyre estimates his loss at £3003.

Tawhiao left T© Oreore on the 19th en route for Napier, fie proceeds thence to Taupo and Alexandria. Eight tons of provisions are stated to have been dcs« patched by rail for Mastertou, to be sent to Alexandria as a present for Tawhiao on his arrival there.