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Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5054, 25 March 1885, Page 2

Peofessob Hugo will commence his course of lectures on " The Science and Art of Character-Beading," by a discourse on "Faces'' in tbe Pollen street Lecture Hall this evening. The Professor is en entertaining lecturer, and his hearers this evening will be treated to something well worth listening to, while the lecture will also be illustrated by charts, end at its clobg any who wish f o have their characters read will be invited to step forward.

'* The Block 27 difficulty will form the subject of an enquiry by tbe Warden here on Saturday next. In deference to tbe expressed wishes of the petitioners in this matter, Mr Keariek has delayed the holding of it to enable the request of the Block residents, that a Royal Commission, with power to Bubpoana witnesses, should be appointed, to be considered ; but the only evidence that trill likely ba forthcoming will be voluntary, and we are are, informed that those who complain of tbe existence of a grievance are not disposed to offer any. • JTbo.- exeoufcive-oominiSitee-formed to look after Block interests are desirous " that Messrs Bheeban, Pur key, Mackay, and other persons who were mixed up with the matter, should Hppear, and that the expense of bringing them to the scone of the enquiry should be borne by Government, but, judging by a communication received from the Under-Secretary for Mines, thrre is little likelihood of such being done.

A PAECEIof three toniof quartz from a reef in the Wilberforce.district, Canterbury, about 90 miles from Christehurch, is now lying at the Moanatairi battery awaiting treatment. It was taken from a private claim owned by eighteen shareholders, and had to be packed on horseback a considerable portion of the way to the Springfield station, from which it was taken by rail to Lyttleton, and shipped here.

Mb J. Ciuis offered at auction this after* noon the British Hotel, Te Aroha. Severa bids were made for the property, which was finally knocked down to Brows, Campbell and Co. for £1700.

It was decided that a Natiro Lands Court should be held at Thames 011 the 9fch April but we learn that the sitting has been post, poned tiil the next month, probably o ( wing to the enforced absence of Judge Macdonald in another part of the colony.

Setbk of the eight signatures to the cited of conveyance of the Te Kapua b!oek hy the native owners to the Borough have been obtained by the Warden ; the eighth and last cannot be got until,the sitting.of the Lands Court Ip be held here in May, owjng. to the, absence from the district of one of the native owners—Katerina,—who at present resides at Mercury Bay, and will not visit the Thtvcaea before the Court sits.

The NaT'xl Artillery and Eifla BaDgers were inspected last night by Capt, Wildman, at the Naval Hall. The muster of the former company will count for capitation, there beiag 38 of all ranks present, but the Rangers' musto? does not. fcboso op parade only nujnbering 28.

A SEBIOTJS accident befell Mr Balph, senr., of .Waitekauri, a few days ago. While ecrewing up a portion of the machinery at the battery, which he and his sons are re-erecting, the spanner slipped, and 8, rope to which Mr Ralph was holding on, being insecurely fastened, gave way, and he fell a distance of 15ft, striking on hia head, and inflicting vary painful injuries. He is siill in a critical state frosj the effects of his fall.

The 88th anniversary of the birthday of the Emperor of G-erniany was celebrated Jby a banquet at the Park Hotel, Auckland, oa Monday evening.

The men Liird and Toby (a Maori) wore drowned at Whangarei yesterday, not WanRanui, as laat night's telegram stated. Their bodies hare not ypfc been recovered.

J^lx ia expected, unlees someUjing unusual occurs, that Parliament will be called together for the despatch of businesi about the latter end of May or ihe first of June.

Mas Smjth, wife of the Chief Ofiioer of the steamer Mu^abea, died suddenly, in Wellington yesterday. <

Two small unoccupied buildings at Garterton were burnt down yesterday. Incendiarism is strongly suspected.

The residence of Aler. Sutherland, the well known jookay, at Ellerslie, was burned early yesterday morning, and fchb family escaped pith difficulty in their night clothes. It was insured for £158, but the .office is not known. Sutherland is,away at Taraimki, but the origin of the fire is unknown. „ ■■■

" The extended time for receiving applications, for space in the Q-eneral Branch of the New Zealand Exhibition closes on the 31st instant. ~

Thr Austrian corrette Saida, 11 guns, Capt. Fayeng, will shortly visit Auckland, going on to Samoa and Fiji.

A PEOOESSIOK paraded through Dunedin and Kensington last night with the effigies of Mr and Mrs Fleming affixed oa long poles. The police stopped the proceedings, bat the processionists afterwards burned the efßgiea. '

A Gonsoiidatsd Lsnd Bill will bo emongat the Government mersures nest seßsion. It is now being drafted, and in addition to consolidating the existing land laws, it will give increased power in regard to special settle ments and other matters.

Two tons of quartz from the Napier" district will shortly be brought to the Thameß for treatment.

A wee brolte out yesterday afternoon in Winks and Hall's furnituro manufactory, Shortland Btreet, Auckland. The stock was mostly destroyed or damaged by the fire and water, and tha top part of the factory was gutted. The insurances on (he building were: £1000 in the New Zealand Office, and £100 in the Northern. Sock : '.Royal, £800; Union, £700; Northern,' £100. The fire arose from an employe mending hia pipe with sheilac in the storeroom, where kopok was kept.

R. T. Booth, leader of the Blue Ribbon movement, has just closed a most successful mission in Nelson, during which 1420 new pledges were taken, including some prominent citizens and clergymen Presentations have been made to Mr Booth by the citizens and others.

Owing to the very unsatisfactory manner in which railway material is shipped from Home, the Government have decided to send &no further orders to England except for articles which cannot be locally made. Mr Allison Smith, of Addington Railway Workshops, is at present in Wellington conferring with the Hon. Minister of Public Works with respect; to a large order for railway material, estimated at £23,000, which would have been sent Home but it has now been decided to distribute the work among the various Government workchops. The designs of all the large bridges have been altered in order to allow nil the necessary work in connection with them being made ia the colony.

Sdbject to the approval of Parliament on one side, and the shareholders in the company on the other, terms have been arranged between the-Government and the direotora of the Wellington - Manawatu' Railway Company (Limited,) by which the Government will take over the railway. Briefly stated, the Government proposal is to assume the position of the Company with land grants', or payment of a rate equal to about 10s per acre and to refund to the company the amount of its actual expenditure on the railway iine, without interest or cost of financing the company," retaining the Tborndon reclamation, except such portion as may be required for purposes of the railway. Altogelher it is expected that this will return to shareholders all their money, with a little more than interest tbereon, as the transfer of the Railway Company's property to the Crown will greatly enhance the value of the Company's debentures. Government have within the last week or two purchased in London, at the current rateß, all the debentures they have boon able to get. About onehalf the total of £400,000 has beon thus brought up.

Sib Julius VoG-Jti has forwarded io lk c .jGhcutchnrcb newspapers a sketch of the pro" posed measure for obtaining cheap money for smalJloanß for improving lands. It provides that a company authorised by Parliament may ask the CS-overnmont to guarantee debentures with currency not exceediug 40 years'; the rate guarranteed nofc to exceed 4£ per cent. The Company may lend sums not exceeding £3,000 on freehold security, at a rate not exceeding 5f per cent. Loans on improved land are uot to exceed two-thirds of the value. Loans for projected improvement must not exceed two-thirds of the value of tho land when improved. Bsfore the money is paid a first mortgage must be executed in favour of the Public Trustee. The Company shall have uncalled capital sufficient to cover the amount of debentures guaranteed by Government. If the Company shall borrow on debentures unguaranteed, by Government, the amount of such debentures.-together with those guaranteed, must not exceed the uncalled capital. The District Land Boards are to take such steps in case of failure of payment of interest and sinking fund as are taken re failure of deferred payment instalments. If the Crown < should resume possession, the land is to remain charged with the liability. *

"There are sciences as well as many arts of getting rich. Poieoning people of large estates was oao employed largely in the middle ages; adulteration of food of people of amall estates ia one employed largely now."—Buskiu. What people dare not do in their owe city, they perpetrate.in -Auckland. Adulterated pepper is now continually sent by a Southern firm as fit for your consumption. Any one can e?.Bily detect the fraud by comparing the somo with ours ; which is praparod and sold by us genuine only. Brown, Barrett, and Co. also guarantee that their genuine Mocha and Coylon coffcea can be relied upon j and that their various brands Esceleior, Standard, Lion, Anchor, and Grown, consist of . pure coffee, mixed with pure chicory in such proportions as we have found from experience to bo generally appre* oiated.—Brown,, Barrett, and 06;, Elliottatreofc, Auokland. ■■.;..