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Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1075, 15 May 1879, Page 2

NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY. — The "Herald" has received a telegram from a correspondent stating that : — " The National Insurance Company has had a splendid half year ; quite equal to any* previous balance, and that they will pay a dividend of 20 per cent, on Mod day next. , The Hamilton Borough Council will meet m future at 10 a.m. on alternative Mondays instead of 7 p.m. It has been objected that by so doing the public will be virtually excluded, but we think not necessarily so. The same class of people who attend for an ovenings amusement always find time to attend . the R.M., and Police Courts at the same hour. What we expect to find is that there will be less talking to the "strangers gallery "and that business will be carried on with more decorum and m a more businesslike manner. The change will at least insure fuller newspaper reports of the business done, for heretofore m the oase of meetings held until eleven o'cleck at night, it was impossible to fully report them next morning. The Opera concert held on Tuesday at Le Quenes Hall was well attended. The sum of £25 was guaranteed the company, but instead of there being a surplus for the band fund, the cummittee much to their surprise after counting heads during the performance, had to hand over a cheque for £& 15s to make up a deficit. The Hamilton Cart Bridge. — The Borough Council passed a resolution, on [ Tuesday evening, with reference to withholding payment from the contractors, which we think might have been betterleft alone. The proper course for the Council, if the contractors - are not using due diligence m proceeding with the work, is to take it out of their hands, and do it at the contractors cost' The resolution, however, is at direct variance with ihe very first portion of the Engineer's report of that day, which states that' the work is proceeding satisfactorily, and 'that the contractors will get it finished within contract time. > Our, readers will remember that a considerable time since, early last winter, we believe, a Maori lost a sum of some £70 m notes, m, as he supposed, the shop of* Mr J» Moses, draper, of Hamilton. The money was advertised for, and never turned up. We learn, however, that during the Mission of Father Hennebury to Waikato,. restitution was made of the lost notes to the Maori chief, whose namo we forget, and it was, it is said, a command from the confessional which caused the restitution of the property. Cavalry Ball.— The i Hamilton Contingent Te Awamutu Cavalry Volunteers will give a ball to the citizens, to-morrow, evening. , Although the matter has been hastily arranged, steps have been taken to make the affair, m every respect, as great a success as possible. It will be held m the long room at Pearces' Hotel, and, as the matter of accommodation and the supper is left m Mr Pearces' hands, there is sufficient guarantee that that part of the undertaking will be a success. Tho most important feature is the music, and this -has also been effectively provided for, the services of Mr McComish and Mr Impey and a pianist also having been secured. Invitations have been issued to a large number of citizens, and, doubtless, we may look for a gay and brilliant assemblage to-morrow evening. The Shooting Gallery at Gwynne's Hotel is still open, and a valuable family album will be given away on Saturday night, to the best shot. The destruction of two regiments of dragoons, at the Cape, reported by an Auckland • Star ' special telegram, m the issue of that paper of Tuesday, must be received with distrust. In all probability, the ' Star ' is fooling the public, for the purpose of trapping the 'Herald,' and we are the more inclined to believe so, as yesterday's « Herald' contains no account of any such disaster,,and yesterdays * Star ' no further reference to it. The following is the ' Star' telegram : — " Colonel Hood has achieved a brilliant victory m his campaign. The Zulus turned out foii thousand cattle on the sides of mountains behind which 35*000 warriors were secreted. Two regiments of Dragoons started after the cattle, and were just returning m safety, when the enemy attacked and slaughtered all the English, excepting one man, who alarmed the camp. Hasty defences were erected when the storm burst. The whole Zulu force attacked the camp on masse. The Gatling guns were used most effectively, sweeping the whole division. The breech-loading rifles als^o told terribly. The attacks were . repeated, but all failed. Pour, thousand were killed and wounded. 1 On Tuesday as the workmen were excavating for the curbing m Victoria-street oppositeMr G.Edcumbe's office the bones of a Maori were exhumed some eighteen inches or two feet below the surface. They were much decayed, the skull even being m fragments. There is a great variation m the temperature during the 24 hours m Waikato. In Hamilton a half registering thermometer gave on Monday the highest temperature at 103 degrees Farenheit m the sun, and at night 35 degrees or three only above freezing point. A Shooting Gallery has been put up next to the. Masonic Hotel, Cambridge, where practice may be had at four shots for a shilling,