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Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1041, 25 February 1879, Page 2

The first Assessment Court, to hear and decide appeals against valuations made by local governing bodies, will be held to-morrow, at the Court House, Hamilton, m the case of the Borough rates. Objectors must not imagine that they have simply to send m their objections on the 15th February, and take no further trouble— that, m fact, the Court would itself j and without any further appearance on their part, or on their behalf, conduct the matter to an issue. The 27th clause of the Rating Act says: "The Court shall hear and determine." Hho one comes forward to advance his objection, either by himself or accredited agent; it Is dear that the objection cannot be heard and determined. Ma L. B. BJumia, of the Railway Hotel, Hamilton Station, has parted with the remaining interest of his lease to Mr James, formerly of the Q.C.E., Auckland. Mr Harris, we understand, intends to turn his undivided attention to the cultivation and improvement of his farm, half way between Hamilton and Ngaruawahia.

Railway Returns. — The railway traffic for the four weeks ending January 11 is as follows: — Total revenue, Kaipara section, £-553; Auckland, £4,423; Napier, £2,601 ; Wellington, £3,23G ; Wanganui, £195 ;, New Plymouth, £556 ; Greymouth, t744 ; ; Westport, £193 ; Nelson, r £66J ; Pictbn, £493; ChristchurohDunedhi?. £43,808; Invercargill, £6*olß. Total receipts during the financial year ls7B-9 to? ? Januar- 11, £309,880. The total expenditure for the same period was £258,955. Tenders for splitting 2,000 posts at Tuharoa for Mr Paton, of Hautapu, will be received by Messrs J. D. & K. Hill until Monday, the 10th of March next. Particulars may be obtained from Mr Paton on the ground as well as from Messrs J. D. & K. Hill. Hamilton Volunteer Hall. — In consequence of the dearness of timber, the advertisement' calling "for "tenders for the building of a Volunteer and Public Hall, at Hamilton, has been withdrawn. St. Andrew's Children's Treat, Cambridge. — The annual picnic of the ohildren and members of the Church of England congregation of the, Cambridge Parochial District will be held m Mr A. A. Fantham'B paddocks to-day. The Auckland « Star ' is informed on the authority of a vestryman that there i* no truth m the report which has been circulated to the effect that the parishioners of St. Matthew's are willing to provide the cost of the passage to Auckland of the Rev. Mr Hassard, should' he elect to return. The plain facts of the matter are, as we are informed, that the rev. gentleman m question tendered his resignation, which has been aosepted, and the vestrymen and whole congregation are almost entirely unanimous m giving the vacant appointment to the Rev. Mr Hill, a youthful but eloquent reader and extempore preacher, who has lately arrived from South Africa. The Gubernatorial Interregnum.— A gazette extraordinary published on . Saturday notified the assumption of the Government of New Zealand by Chief Justice Prendergast. —An ordinary gazette notification states that Honi Kerei Tairoa has been summoned to the Legislative Council. At a special meeting of tho Borough Council held last night for the purpose, the levels, as recommended by the Engineer and adopted by the Council, weru formally passed. A protest was lodged by Cr. Potter against the wisdom of leaving Grey-street a dead level, and thus rendering the ascent from the bridge much steeper than it need have been. The following notice of motion has been made by Cr. Potter for Monday i next — " That this Council cause a Committee of the Burgesses to be appointed to receive and entertain the Premier, Sir Georgo Grey, on the occasion of his visit to Hamilton for the purpose of turning the first sod of the Thames- Waikato railway at Hamilton East, as notified by him to the Council by telegram No. 570, dated February 14, 1879, expressing his desire to do so." • The Gem Burlesque Company appeared last night at Le Queane's Hall, Hamilton, and are advertised to perform again m the same place to-night and to-niorrow night. Mb Vialou's new fence, facing the Ngaruawahia road, has been more or less damaged by larrikins, and a reward of £5 has been offered for such information as will lead to the conviction of the offender. Messrs E. Binney and John Mason, it will be seen, have gone into partnership as Commercial and Produce Brokers, and Commission Agents, under the title of Binney & Mason. The City West Election.— The 31st inst. has been notified as the day of nomination, and the 4th proximo as that on which the poll will be taken for the return of a member to the General Assembly, m the place of Mr Patrick Dignan appointed to a seat m the Upper House. The candidates mentioned are, Mr P. Dignan, jnr., son of the late member, and Mr D. Goldio. The contest will bo fought out upon the Education Question, Mr Dignan being the champion of denominationalism, and Mr Goldie of tho present system m force. Tjie Natives are going to open a great Runanga, or parliament, at Orakei, this week, m the large wooden meeting-house | built for the purpose by the Chief Paul. Representatives will be present from the Thames, Ohincmuri, Lower Waikato, Kaipara, Mahurang'i, and other parts of the North Island, including a few chiefs from the King country, who will be present to watch the proceedings, and reporC to Tawhiao's Council. Large stores of food have been laid m. The session, it is said, will be opened with speeches by the Premier and the Native Minister, specially telegraphed. Mr Commissioner Kemp will represent the Government during the proceedings. It is expected that the session will last from ten days to a fortnight, and at this meeting the tribes will choose delegates to represent them at the great meeting to be held at Kopua m March. The real business will begin to-morrow or next day. A very gross and unwarranted attack has been made on the Corumitfces and l Master of the East Hamilton School, through the correspondence columns of the ' Auckland Star.' An Auckland paper is usually selected as the medium for these kinds of attack, the writers well knowing that the statements which they contain are, m the district to which they refer, too well known to be false to obtain publication or, being published, to misload the public. Tho school was closed by the Committee, on good and sufficient cause, the presence of scarlatina amongst the children. The writer of the letter objects that this should only have been done on the advice aud report of a respectable medical man. Now, it happens that a medical man is a member of the School Committee, and gave, himself, to the Chairman, the certificate on which the school was temporarily closed. There have not been " two or three " cases m which the children " have, or are supposed to have scarlatina," but there have beeu nine such cases certified to by a medical practitioner ; nor, was the school shut up, until many applications had been made to the committee to do so. The attack on the master is most unwarranted. " I believe," says the writer, « if we had a good committee, we would have a very fair school. Our schoolmaster is rather a young man to properly understand children, still, I think if he had a good assistant, ' one that would not want too much of her own way,' and was properly looked after, he would do very well ; but when he has a committee, the majority of whom take no interest m the school, he naturally takes a little advantage." MiField is one of the best masters m the employment of the Auckland Board of I Education. He has given unqualified | satisfaction to the School Committees, the parents of the scholars, and the public, and under his able management, the East Hamilton School has progressed as it never did before. Of the working and system of the school, we speak from personal knowlodge, and we can only say that the veracity of the writer of the letter above quoted, which appears m the country edition of Saturday's ' Star,' is on a par with the good taste displayed m the reference to Mrs Field. '

AiiTEu Afghainstan, What?— Under the above heading, the San Francisco , ' News Letter ' says :— " Nowadays events precipitate themselves so rapidly that one half the world — 'twixt sunset and sunrise— chronicles the history of the other, and, as this orb revolves upon its axis, the complement is filled as the obedient lightning flashes back our daily record. So, while yet the Afghan affair I is not definitely Bottled, the uppermost thought .m men's minds is, what next? /England's triumph m that quarter lacks but a little time to become absolute. What, then, shall that " diaboned giant," Russia, do to show the world that her insolent threats were not m reality but the vauntings of national insanity preceding dissolution ? Out of the Turkish war, Russia emerged with battered battalions, a debt increased by £300,000,000, credit impaired and veteran legions swept out of existence. The gain: territory unworthy the sacrifice. Disorganization is rife within her borders. Nihilism watches, with sleepless vigilance, its moment to strike, and, prevading all things, it knows all things, and will strike remorselessly at the appointed time. Corruption m every grade of the civil sorvice is aptly supplemented by peculations to an enormous extent m the army commissariat.' The House of Romanrff stands to-day m the same light as the Napoleonic dynasty before the FrancoPrussian war — it must conquer or perish. | Thus, then, the prelude ; but what is to come after ? If Russia infringes the Treaty, it can only be with the consent and connivance of Bismarck. In effect, Russia and Germany are m the same category— military empires, which must subsist by the sword and by conquest, or learn m defeat that commerce, which makes nations great iv peace, provides them also with the sinews which make them long-enduring, terrible and triumphant m war. Throughout the continent of Europe, it is visible that a mighty contest is at hand, and one that will not be without its compensating results. It is only m that stem school of affliction that nations ever learn Boundaries may change, dynasties topple and myriads go forth to be slaughtered, but better even so than the tension of mind which the now ever-impending catastrophe threatens. It hangs overhead like the sword of Damocles, or like the sullen clouds which precede a thunderstorm. What matters the pretext? Wisdom lies m being prepared, and therein the far-seeing sagacity of Beaconsfield will stand England instead, at the hour of need, whilst the vacillating policy of the cotton-spinner's puppet would lead her unprepared to the crisis, entailing disaster where now it only needs brave hearts, stout arms and clear heads to reap the harvest of success." We understand that tenders will be called for this week for the erection of a bridge over the Mongohi Creek, Te Awamutu. This bridge will be much superior tv the usual ruu of road bridges. It will have a span of 40 feet, bo built on concrete piles, and have a roadway 18 feet wide.