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Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4736, 12 March 1884, Page 2

Thb Harbormaster received the following telegram at noon to-day:—" Watch barometer; bad weather approaching between north and east and south-east. Glass .further fall, and within 10 hours very heavy rainfall and rivers flooded after. 16 hours." Da KBixxACKy the well-known Wesleyan minister, is announced to lecture here on Friday evening. Thb operation of amputating the lad Artha's aim wr j performed at the Hospital today by the surgeon, and the little sufferer is progress* ing as well as could be expected. NFArMT 280 Miners' Eights have been issued by the Wav Jen's Office since, the Ist inst. This result j; owing to steps being taken to enforce the men working in the various claims to take out the necessary privileges. Oonsideeabl/E pains are being bestowed pn the performan i to be given in aid of Mr J, O'Toole, which will be held on Monday, night next. One of the chief instrumental attractions will be a quartette on a piano, two violins, and a bass vioi. The 'sale of tickets is -progressing rapidly. ; The p.s. Fatiki, while coming down the Thames River yesterday, struck a sunken log lying right in the middle of the channel, at the top of what is known as the long reach, just above Puriri. The water flowed into her fore-compartment, and steam had to fee kept up sll last night so,as to pump the wat^r Out. The vessel wes pitted on the gridiron this morning, when it waf found that several rivets had been start,d. The damage was repaired daring the day, and the vessel will resume her trips on Friday. We are informed that men rafting logs down the river, if they lose one which does not float, often let it lie where it sinks, to the danger of steamers. If this be the ease, the authorities should take steps to have the practice put a stop to.

Sous local surprise was expressed at Parawai .early this morning, when four mounted members of the Police Force were observed to pass through that usually quiet locality. The revolver holsters were worn, whether carrying the orms or not we have not be n able to ascertain. Upon application at the Police Station, we could obtain no information, tbe discretion of the force evidently not allowing their rules of: reticence to be violated, but by dint of exhausting every available source of enquiry and research, we are enabled to state that the expedition was in tbe direotion of Hikutaia, in connection with the dispute existing between the employees of Mr Blair and those of the Union Sash and Door Company regarding the ksftul trees. We cannot ascartain particulars fully, but understand that action fqjSforcible entry has been taken, and that the E.M. will be called upon to adjudicate in the case. / , .;■»-". =

We have been rcquestsd to call the attention of travellers to a dangerous hole washed in the stone causeway constructed under the first bridge over the Tararu Creek. Mr R. Hudson, while riding up the road ye.terday, met with an accident there, and had to 1 save his horse and swim ashore ; and this morning a local tradesman had his horse's legs severely injured in attempting to cross the same place. It is positively unsafe-^we are infprmed^-to attempt to pass over the portion of the roid in question. '%'■■

The following letter has been forwprded to the Goverament by the County Chairman re the application of the Low Level Co. for one of the Government rook drills: —■" I have the honour to forward you copy of letter from the Legal Manager of the Caledonian Low Level G.fcL Co., and agreeably with request therein preferred, I now apply to the Government for one of the rock drills of the latent pattern, and the least ilpensive to work: The company is expending large sums in prospecting the low levels of the field, by carrying adits to intersoct the Old Caledonian and Golden Crown reefs, from which splendid returns were obtained, and considering how greatly the discovery of gold at these depths would add to the wealth of the colony, the Council is, of opinion the operations of the company should be regarded in a great degree as national, and fairly entitled to be subsidised as a g-ldfield work of paramoun interest and importance. Trusting the Government will endorse these views, and grant assistance out of the vote in aid of gold* fields —I have, &c, Axex. Beodie."

' The committee appointed by the meeting of miners on Saturday met last bight, and appointed a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs Fraser, Speight, and W. Eovre, to draw up the petition, which will pray for the exemption of men working for companies fi'ora taking out r;ghts.

A public meeting of praise and prayer was held in the Auckland Theatre P.jyal last night in relebration of the recent temperance victories. Thk enquiry into the cause of the recent wreck of the ketch Falcon at Pataa was heard at the Wanganui Court yesterday. Aftor lengthy evidence the Court decided that Capt. Leslie dtservfs censure for not obeying the directions of the pilot, but no blame attached when the boat had gone ashore, as no means existed for fastening to the breakwater. Capt. Leslie was ordered to pay the coat of the enquiry, £3 16s. His certificate was lost im the Falcon, but the Bench decided that a copy might be given to him. Me Dion Bouoicattit, the eotor and author of Colleen Bawn, Arrah-ne-Pogue, and Shaugbrauti fame, has made arrangements with Mr Mori ia Grconwall, theatrical agent, for a tour in Australia and New Zealand. The University Senate sitting at Nelsor, have resolved that should Government decline to appoint inspectors of secondary schools for the annual examination of upper forms of ; such schools, whenever practicable the examinations should be conductdd by examiners appointed by the University. Ax'a meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board yesterday, it was resolved to immediately carry out Mr Napier Bell's plan for an ocem steamer's wharf, and certain , portions of reclamation and dredging recommended by him; also to widen the Queen's wharf.

A satrBTHOUGHT conference is sitting in Dunedin at present. Mr Stout was elected President, Mr Ballance (of Wanganui) Vice* President, and Mr Farnie Secretary. Delegatasare present from vavious placra in the colony. A public meeting in connection with the Conference was held last night. There was a large attsndanca, and Mr Stout presided. Addresses were deliver.:! by Mr Stout, Charles Bright, and Mr Willi?, of Wanganui, and resolutions were passed protesting against blasphemy - being declared a crime, as is done in the new criminal code, and expressing sympathy witß'Mr Bradlaugh.

Says a London correspondent of a southern, paper,: —". I have beard some partizans of Siir Julius Vogel Bay that he left New Zealand because it was too small for the full exercise of his great financial abilities. Nowit'is to be boped his wishes are realise J, for he has obtained a concession from the Government of Western Australia to make a transcontinental railway 7CDmiles long, and connecting York (near Perth) with the port of Encla on the borders of South Australia. The objects to be accomplished by this railway are two* fold. The first is 'to people, settle, and cultivate an enormous extent of land.' The second is "To solve the problem of the shortest route between all the Australian Colonies and Great Britain and India.'" Mb Pecctoe, the c lebrated astronomer, writing to the Newcastle Chronicle says :— "Once, in New Zealand, I saw a sunset display of equal and indeed greatar splendour; and in America and Australia I have frequently seen colours more striking; but for combined beauty and grandeur the suuset in New Zealand alone surpassed the beautiful display of November 26th." The Poverty Bay Herald says Te Kooti intends to visit the Wairoa next January' with a number of followers. The Wairoa natives have thereupon set vigorously to work sawing timber to build a large house for him, and are stated to be determined to prepare for his reception on a grand scale. -It is stated the bouse' will bb so large as to cost about £400, exclusive of the timber. Te Kooti is reported to be continuously actuated by the hope that he may yet return to tha Poverty Bay district to settle, and is prepared to wait years longer so that he eventually accomplishes hispurpqse. The fact that he can so steadly pursue » fixed policy for many years "proves that he is an extraordinary man; and another instance of his wonderful and never satisfactorily explain- d influence over the native mind is shown by the action of the Wairoa natives in making preparations on so large a scale when told that he contemplates coming to the district.

The gold duty for Greymouth for the month of February was £623 Os sd, representing about 62800za of gold banked. This is veiy good evidence that whoever may have suffered by'so unusually vet a season, the miners at least, generally speaking, must have had an abundant supply of their important desideratum for the extraction of gold— namely, water. G-OOD fob 'Babhu.—" We are pleased to siy that our baby was permanently cured of a serious protracted irregularity of the bowels by the use of Hop Bitters by its mother, which at the same time restored her to perfect health and strength."—The Pabents. See