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Auckland Star, Volume IV, Issue 885, 8 January 1873, Page 2

" Justice " addressees us as follows :—" Sir : Could you please say if the advertised prices of the Circus, in your Saturday's isone, were correct or not ? An answer through your columns will greatly oblige." [The advertisement was printed literally as furnished us by the manager of the Circus, to whom we would refer our correspondent for the information he requires,—Ed. E.S.]

The City Council are unfortunate with their pumps. The old one, which dated its existence from the year 17S0, took two men two work it. The new Californian pump, rigged yesterday, was invented somewhere about a century before the "Christian era. It resisted the united attempts of .four men to set it in motion. It has now been unrigged and consigned to the lumber yard of the (Jity Council. We believe it is the intention of the city authorities to substitute a forcepump to fill the tank now erected for the supply of water carts. This tank is capable of holding nearly one thousand gallons, but is placed in such close proximity to the fish stalls as to render four out of six almost useless for exposing h'sh in them for sale. While there is so much room on the T it is unaccountable that this spot should have been selected for the tank.

A tornado in Osccola, Arkansas, a village of about 300 inhabitants, recently either blew down or unroofed every house, school, and church in the village. Trees were carried by the winds like straws ; cattle, horses, and mules were blown about the streets, and becoming wild with fright ran helter skelter in all directions. Fences were torn into kindling wood, hoases carried entirely from their foundations and roofs and part of the roofs were whirling in the air like autumn leaves. Eighteen persons were either killed or badly wounded.

'• Inflatable rubber bustles" are announced. They are said to impart great buoyancy to the movements. In case of shipwreck they would, undoubtedly be advantageous, although a girl floated by one of them might be taken for a buoy, and be passed by unnoticed.

A girl in Jersey City, United States, only thirteen years and eight months old, rccentl}' gave birth to a child weighing eight pounds.

A memorial in favor of an improved form of London government is being signed by many leading owners of property in London, and many commercial houses. It is promoted by the Metropolitan Municipal Association.

The first general meeting of the shareholders of the Auckland and North Shore Steam Ferry Company (limited) will be held in the large room, Insurance Buildings, on Monday next, at three o'clock in the afternoon.

In consequence of the unfavorable state of the weather there was no performance at the Royal Italian Circus last night. The programme will be introduced with its new and attractive features this evening.

The dog nuisance is rife at Coromandel. The Mall urgestheProvincialGovernmentto enforce the dog tax stringently, and remarks : —" On Sunday about midnight the ueighborhood to the Bank of New Zealand was a perfect rendezvous for dogs of every breed and no breed at all. Whether they had met to protest against the Education household rate we cannot say—for kennels we believe do not come under the tax, but this we do know, that the opponents of Education themselves could scarcely have held a more disorderly and riotous meeting than did our canine friends, fighting, b;.ting, and tearing about in a perfectly reckless manner."

The amount to be run for at the March Dunedin i*ace meeting will be £1100. It is the intention of the Jockey Club to institute a Derby for 1874, and a large yearly handicap, on the same principle as the Melbourne Cup." Mr D. M. Luckie, who has for some years been part proprietor and editor of the Nelson Colonist, has disposed of his interest in that paper to his partner, Mr Collins, and has also given up the editorship. This is in consequence of Mr Luckie having accepted the editorship of the Dally Southern Cross. He is expected to take up his residence in Auckland and enter upon his new duties s hortly. The daughter of Mr Shields, residing at Mount Eden, was kicked on the face yesterday by a horse with such force that four of her teeth were knocked out and severe injuries to the bones of the face caused. The poor girl was picked up in a state of insensibility, and a medical man was sent for, who sewed up the wounds. The girl's sister lost two of her fingers a short time back in a chaff-cutting machine. His Honor the Superintendent has left town for a few weeks' holiday. A green puriri tree at the Thames was struck by lightning during the thunderstorm on Sunday, and was so dried up that it at once ignited and continued burning throughout Monday. The Thames Gas Company's works are being rapidly pushed forward. At the meeting held at St. Andrew's Church yesterday for the purpose of arranging for a bazaar in aid of the Presbyterian Sustentation Fund, the liev. D. Bruce occupied the chair. A letter from the Rev. Mr Barclay, intimating that £300 worth of goods would be forwarded from England shortly, was read. The meeting resolved that foxLv stalls should be supplied by the local congregations. One each by St. Andrew's and St. James's Churches ; one by Otahuhu, North Shore, and other country churches ; and one by th.c Thames and Coromandel Churches.

The well-known Maori chief Topine, of | Wanganui, is indignant at the Hon. D. Mac Lean neglecting to visit him. He has come out heavy in consequence. He says the Government wanted everything from the Maori, and were not willing to give the latter anything in return, not even the privilege of buying powder to shoot pigeons with. When it was hinted pakeha shooting might perchance also be included in the intended use of the powder, he indignantly repelled the insinuation, and said that if the pakehas got their roads and railways through the interior the next thing they would do would he to shoot the Maoris, He was very caustic in his remarks about the missionaries, who, he said, told the Maoris to be good and not have more than one wife at a time, or they would go to the bottomless pit, while they themselves robbed the Maori right and left.

The Polish Gazela Torunha publishes a manifesto inviting witnesses to report the name'j of such Poles as have taken part in the Prussian centenary rejoicings._ As the Polish party considers these rejoicings as a commemoration of its own defeat, those persons will be branded as traitors and possibly punished by a secret tribunal.

Mr Arthur Helps, author of " Companions of my Solitude," has recently produced a biographical sketch of the life and labours of the Jate Thomas Brassey, the successful Railway contractor.

In our notice of the Gymkana meeting yesterday the Produce Stakes should have read oue-and-ahalf miles instead of half-a--mile. The new Tay Bridge, at Dundee, now in course of construction, will be the longest bridge in the world —longer even than the Victoria Bridge, Montreal. The Victoria Bridge is 9,194 feet long, while the Tay Bridge will be .10,321. If the Tay Bridge were eighty yards longer, it would be two miles exactly. It will have ninety piers and eighty-nine spans. The work is to be finished in three years from May, 1871. The quantity of cast-iron reqmi-ed. for the cylinders is 2, GOO tons, while the superstructure is all malleable iron, 3,600 of tons which is required. The contract for the whole bridge was taken by Mr Deßergue for £17,000.

Charles M. Thomas, a negro lawyer, graduate of Howard University, a few days ago made the first plea ever made in the Criminal Courts of Washington, in defence of a negro who is on trial for killing his wife.

The official JVb^/z. German Gazelle remarks that if the Queen of England did not join in the meeting of sovereigns at .Berlin, it was simply because she did not want to do so. It is inexact, the Gazette says, to speak of the exclusion of England. The hope is subsequently expressed that the English press wiil return to a more amicable disposition toward Germany, such as prevails there toward England.

The battery and band of the Artillery Volunteers met for parade last evening in the Gun-shed (adjoining the Albert Barracks), and considering the rainy state of the weather the meeting was well attended. The following gentlemen were nominated for the post of first lieutenant in place of Lieut. Isaacs, who resigned, viz.: Messrs. Devore, Skinner, Scccombe, Davies, and Foley. The refusal of Capt. Fcaton to allow discussion on the fitness of the candidates caused much dissatisfaction, and the men at length retired denouncing the proceedings on the part of Capt. Featon as tyrannical and arbitrary in the extreme. The election will take place on Monday evening next.

A ruffian in Brooklyn stabbed his daughter and nearly killed her on account of her keeping company with a young medical student against the father's wishes.

A hose-reel has been made by Messrs Gee and Potter, to the order of the Insurance Companies, for the purpose of facilitating the laying ami jointing of the hose at fires. It is intended for the use of the Insurance Companies' Brigade, and is capable of holding GOO feet of hose.

A young man lately attempted to shoot some tender verses into his sweetheai't's window, but her papa intercepted the correspondence, catching one of the letters in his ear, and the young man has not been seen in that neighbourhood since.

Mr W. Brassey was yesterday admitted to the bar, by his Honor the Chief Justice, at the Supreme Court.

Mr Woollams, of Coromandel, having intimated his intention to resume possession of his building hitherto used as an hospital, the local committee have applied to the Provincial Government for new premises.

" Kerosenility " is the latest characterization of the women who are continually igniting themselves with kerosene oil.

After a great orthographical discussion in England, it has been decided that " Shakespeare " is the proper way to spell the name of the great bard.

The change proposed in the hours of the civil service is that the clerks shall attend at half-past nine o'clock in the morning, instead of ten, as heretofore ; and, instead of leaving at four in the afternoon, remain at their desks until dismissed by the heads of departments.

their desks until dismissed by the heads of departments. The Customs' revenue collected at the port of Auckland during 1872 amounted to £148,401, showing an increase of £23,652 14s 2d over that of 1871. During last year 104,870 ounces of gold, valued at £330,404 19s sd, was exported from this province. The Fiji cannibals call a roasted man "long pig." One of the chiefs has helped to eat 100 of these " long pigs." An accident with a reaping machine haß occurred in the Waikato district. Mr Shaw, the owner of the machine, while woi'king it, had his fingers so severely lacerated that it is feared he may lose some of them. An Indiana man has mixed things dreadfully by marrying his son's step-daughter. Iron manufacturing has started up in Brazil, being promoted by several Americans. The wheat crop in the Waikato district is likely to prove a good one. The yield of oats it light. A correspondent under the signature "Clique" writes:—"Sir, — Would you please inform me through the columns of your paper if the s.s. Southern Cross is ' bound to carry fresh water for her boilers by law." [The law does not require that boilers belonging to marine engines shall be supplied with fresh water.—Ed. E.S.] The following parades will take place during the present month:—Tuesday, 14th, 7.30 p.m., No. 1 Co. A.R.V., Victoria Co., and Scottish Co., Drill-shed ; Wednesday, 15th, 7.30 p.m., Engineers and Hobson Co., Drill-shed ; Thursday, 16th, 7.30 p.m., Cadets of Engineers, Victoria, and Sir George Grey Cos., Drill-shed ; Monday, 20th, 4 p.m., Auckland Troop, Domain; Tuesday, 21st, 7.30 p.m., Ai*tillery Co., Artillery Drill-shed ; Wednesday, 22nd, 7.30 p.m., Otahuhu Co., Otahuhu ; Thursday, 23rd, 7.30 p.m., Rifle Brigade and Cadets, Drill-shed ; Wednesday, 29th, 7.30 p.m., Naval Co. and Cadets, Fort Britomart; Thursday, 30th, 7.30 p.m., Onehunga Cadets, Onehunga.

The Waihato Times in noticing Messrs Reed and Brett's Auckland Almanac remarks :—"lt is a very creditable production indeed, and the low rate at which it is to be sold will ensure it a large circulation. It contains a large amount of information, without which every settler would often be at considerable inconvenience and trouble. It pretends-—and justly so—to be something more than a work of reference to the settler ; it gives very useful information with regard to the resources and trade of the province calculated to disabuse the minds of intending immigrants of the false notions they have imbibed from the mouths of the immigration agents of other colonies. It is to the interest of every settler to purchase one at least to forward home to the friend most likely to diffuse its contents through the greatest number of the population."

The Waihato Times welcomes the refreshing rains that have fallen lately. The same journal also notices the fact of Quick's coach passing across the river for the first time on the jMgaruawahia punt.

The report of the City Relieving Officer shows that during October last the number of persons in receipt of relief was : Sick and infirm, 116 ; with children, 75 ; widows with families, 35; children, 149; deserted wives, 18 ; children, 44 ; wives whose husbands are in prison, 9; children 24; women with families (not described), 2 ; children, 7 ; out of employment, 2 ; children, 8. The foUowing are the ages of the recipients of relief : Between 80 years and 90 years, 10 ; between 70 and SO, 20 ; between (>0 and 70, 10 ; between 50 and (50, 1(5; between 40 and 50, 44 ; between 30 and 40, 4(> ; between 20 and 30, 14.

We learn from a private source that Mr Sims Reeves, the great English singer, has lately had frequent and severe attacks of gout, and that he is getting corpulent.

Alfred Tennyson, the English poet, has at length published the last of his mythical stories of the knight of the " Hound Table," and now having concluded the great poetical work of his life, he has retired to finish his course in one of the most lonely spot in his native land, to Blackdown-lrll, in the county of Hants.