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Auckland Star, Volume VII, Issue 1905, 27 March 1876, Page 2

We learn that Auckland has been constituted by the University of Cambridge a centre in tho system of local ami school examinations which havo long boeu in vogue iv the old country. Ib is only lately, however, that centres have been formed in the colonies. Wellington was appointed a centre last year. Barbadoea, Dcmorara, Mauritius and Trinidad are at present the other colonial centres. The Rev. U. M. .Nelson, M.A., has received the appointment; of local secretary, and is now in communication with the educational authorities in Auckland with a view to forming a local committee. The following particulara published in the University's circular gives an online of tho regulations undtr which tho local examinations are carried out ;—

There will lie two Examinations, commencing on M in day Docemb rll 18"G, at 2 p.m., one for Junior anil one for Sonior istudc-nts, superintended Ijj> ExamineS apioiuted by tin University TCvery one admi ted to ICxa-.n'n tim wi.l lie required ti p">y a foe of twon'y shillings A. Local Commute?, with a looul -Jeer, tary, should be for mod ia any p'aca whcio an txamlnitiou is re ivod, and they should communicate e:nly with die ii-ev. (i. 1\ Browno. St. Oathfl..'inj's C llega, Cambrfdge, the Saoiotary to the Syndicito r| he Baal ajpltcaWan for an KxamitiaUon at; allow rc'itro uiHtbn na\e before .September Ist, 187rf. ai>d inu-t guuantee tie payma: t of twenty five fee 3at the least. At centres for tho Examination of Girl,? there must ba S Local Comnrttuo of l'.clia oi-e of whom will act as Secretary A lesponsibU person must be at hand to r ceivo the Exawiuation papers from the p>esidi"K Examiner au'J collect the aus» e:d The toon f>r Iximination must be separate fr jtn til -t of Hit! Boys. The Local (! mimitt.'e ii oxpoetrd 11 give eillciout asslßtunco to tlm KX'imlncr n tiio auporiutct dciiM of the Eximinat on Forma of I ntrj -v\i 11 bu prepared by Septeinbw' 1, end nui.it bo ohtdited ficm the Loc»l Secret, ry nf ihe [)la<-0 at which tho student desi cs to to o^ ammed. Eacli a:iplication naut stuta whether J^orn s for Son.of o.i •^ur.i,-ir Students are required, with the prubablo number of either. Iho Korirs, duly tilled up aud sigrn d, mnst be lotnrned to the same Local Pecretnry (not to the Gcneial Secrctvy) o.i nr before October 10. Witii t-em must be remitted tho fees, \'r/. , the Univerc.tt fee, £1 for each Candidate, an! the lochl foo clurgecl by the Conimitlea at tlie place of .KxaminatiO''. ]No fees can in any rase bo ritimicd. If notica of withdrow.tl 1 c given inor<i than 14 dips beforo tho examination, the sum paid will be allow.;'! to Btand to the Stucetit's credit for a future oxaninatlon Local Secretaries are re<iiif;sted io forward tho Forms of iintry to the General Secretary m soon aspossiblfi arranged in nlphnbotical order Serious inconvonlencc is caused by deJay. The names of tin boys who pnss with credit will ba pla'-C.l alpliabo ic:illy'in three honour cl'.Bses. The names of those who pass to tho satisfaction of the ezaml' er», yet not so as to flesorve hor.oura, will ba pi coi ftlphibeticaSly inasoparato d'ss After the name of every boy will bo atUlrd his place of reßi(l.ncrt, tlu; sdio 1 (if any) fioTi which he c imrr. to attend the examination, and the Jinrne of hii schoolmaster. Separate lists will atfO be given of Uin c biyo who may speelilly di'tinguifh theniSidves in particular pattei of ilia txfimination, and in theso lists tho boys will bn ari'imped in ot&ut of merit, t-imilar clanie^ and li»ts wilt bo drawn up for {flrli, but the names of ihcao who do not request tint their names niivy appnnr wiJl not be given. In determining tbe class.;!, account will be taken of every part of tlie examination ; but no tnirlis will bs givtm in any Piper, unlesi tho ttudeut ihoivs enough knowledge to satisfy tho ex.miinerfl in that paper, Itegard will be paid to tho hai dwiiting and spelling (hrcuglinnt the examliia'ion. Thestudonts whopaßswith c:eJit or sa'isfy ! tho oxamlnera will reccivo certificates to that effect. A student who barely ratifies tho examiners in tho minimum number of .subjects may bj rejected on tlie ground of Rtneral weakue^. Kvery certificate will specitly tlie subjects in which the (student has passed with credit or satisfied tha exainlnera, and tho class obtained, If sny. Thrsa certiilcate?, under certain conditions, tiro accept'd in lieu of tlio entrance examinations for the legal and medical professions. Students nro desired to observe that, in case of disobedience to any of the reguU tioiiß made for the conduct of the examination, the certificate may be refused.

Valuable prizes are gl yen by various Collegiate and other bodies for excellence in particular subjects and also for general proficiency. The term junior is applied to boys and girls born on or since Jan. Ist, 1861, and the term senior to those born on or since Jan. lab, 1859. There is reason to believe that some modifications of the regulations are made in the Colonial examinations, but information on this poiut is not yet to hand. The good purpose to be served by such examinations as those proposed in this Bcherne is very obvious. As the same papers would be submitted to all candidates, the examination would supply .what is at present lacking, a means of bringing our colonial youth into direct competition with pupils of Eugliah school?, thus enabling us to guage accurately the relative standards of each. Wo trust that the Board of Education will see the propriety of fostering the scheme.

An extraordinary meeting of the Tairua Gold Mining Goto party will be held to-mor-row at 2 p.m.j at which all shareholders arc requested to attsnd. The prospects of the Company are lookingjjbrighter, a few difficulties which beset; its path having been removed. The contractor, Mr Gallangher, has taken up his contract for the machinery, and will push on with his work without any further delay. A telegram received from Mr Wildman this afternoon, stated that the Mining Inspector had withdrawn the notice against the Company. At the inquest held at Cambridge on the late Mrs Robinson, who died on board the steamer Blue Nose, on the 22nd inst., a verdict of ".Natural causes" was returned.

Mr J. Reynolds, the eldest surviving son of Mr Reynolds, of Cambridge, died suddenly of typhoid fever while on a pleasure trip at Rotorua on Thursday last. Four years ago Mr Reynolds lost his eldest son by a horse accident.

A trotting match, which came off on the Cambridge Road on Friday, between a pair of ponies, the property of Mr E. W. Hammond, of Hamilton, and a pair owned by Major George, of Waitoa, created considerable interest in the Waikato district. The race was won by Mr Hammond's team, the distance 13 miles, being covered in 52 mm. 32 sec 3. (?).

We notice by an exchange that prime legs of mutton are now selling at eightpence each for cash at York farm, Rangitikei.

By the Taupo a Mrs Brewer was conveyed to Wellington for admission into the Lunatic Asylum, having been committed from Taranaki. She was an immigrant by the Hannibal, and while on the passage lost her son, aged about 14, which sad event it is said so much affected her that her brain was turned. ' Waiting for the verdict.'—The German Nurse : ' Is'it a Cherman or an Enklish papy? The mamma : ' Well, I don't know. You see she waa born in England, but my husband is German.' The German nurse : ' Ach, Soh! Zen ye vill vait to see vat lenkvetch she vill1 Bchbeas, and zen ye vill know! We woul d direct our readers attention to an advertisement which appears elsewhere, relative to the resumption on Monday next of the Winter quarter studies of the Technical classes in connection with the Mechanics' Institute. The members of No 3 Co,, A.R.V. are requested to attend the weekly parade on Thursday evenfng next. Club Eifle Match on Saturday at 2 p.m.

At the close of Mr Ewingfcon's lecture the other evening, a drunken man, who subsequently fell into the hands of the police, exclaimed "you are an old woman?" or something of that sort, but the poor man of course was drunk, and his remark consequently unworthy of notice. But on reaching the street, a female was very angry because some one had called her an " old maid." The words set us thinking. When any set of persons have banded themselves together for any laudable purpose, we frrquontly hear them called " old women " or " old maids," and many persons are too ready to condemn any Cause when some one has designated the promoters a set of " old maids." Oftentimes when you want to cover any society wit.h ineradicable ridicule, the term is generally used, and often successfully. Why thia should be we cannot iindai-staud. Age is Burely as honorable in a woman as in a man. Celebacy can be no more worthy censure in one case than in the other. If it be, the men are in a worse predicament than the women, for it so happens that in Great Britain there are half a million more women than men. In the colonies the sexes at present are nearly equal ; hence, in the old country, the ladies could not all get married if they would. Nor are Hie professed misoaynists at all consistent in the bestowal of their ridicule. Let a persevering band of spinsters strive to break down the wall of prejudice which hindera Iheir cntranco to professional life, and no tetms of obloquy are thought too dicconrtecms to apply to them. And yet, when wo consider the philanthropic efforts of Mi: s> Nightingale, the home-sketches of Miss Austen, the pictures of Rosa Bonheur, the political lessons of Harriet Martineau, and the benevolence of Miss Burdett Coutts, we are at a loss to understand why, in this age, the term of reproach should be continued.

The members of Sfc. James' Mutual Improvement class will hold their usual meetins; this evening, when two essays will be read and discussed.

To the Editor : Sir, -There was some life at one time in the Exchange Insurance buildings, and I used to look into the Stak in the evening for the report of tho share market, and take some pleasure in comparing notes and watching the variations of the market. But now I see no account of business done, etc. Where is Mr Newman ? Where arc the busy share-brokers whose feet were wont to make the exchange echo their firm footsteps as they stepped along the avenue to the quiet coiner rooms at the remote end of the building ? Echo answers, where ?—Syntax.

The usual Sunday-afternoon quietness of Newton was yesterday disturbed by loud orii?H of fire, proceeding from a house in the neighbourhood. On proceeding to the spot:, volumes of flamos were seen issuing from tlio chimney which was undoubtedly in a very foul condition. In a, few minutes half a dozen lru-n were on the roof, but one of them suddenly crime to grief by falling into thi garden and smashing a wooden bucket. fi t'rer several other minor accidents, the flames were extinguished, and the ladies of the neighbourhood gatheied round in solemn conclave to express their opinions of the awful scene to e^ach other.

We understand that the party of the'armed constabulary forco who proceeded to Heather's Creek, some little time since, for the purpose of making the road to Te Hori have got on very satisfactorily with their work, which will soon bo completed. We trust that they will not bo removed from that locality until the work of improvement has been thoroughly carried out, and this may be done by their being brought back again to Heather's Creek and making a fresh start towards Wbatawhata on the now road surveyed by Mr Clark. They would, meet the party now working at Whatawhafca, and the cvholo ro:.d could thus bo opened before the fine weather breaks. We have no doubt that if this were represented to the oflicer commanding ns a desirable work, it would receive every attention at his hands. The mad party at the Whatawhafca end of Mr Clark's new road above alluded to, nine in number, are engaged at present in making a very useful cutting near the Oliote bridge, but the bridge itself is passable only at great risk, and the road hoard appear to be able to do nothing towards repairing it, from want of funds. — Wa'ilcctlo Times,

By telegram from Wellington we are informed of the death of Constable Henry Vernon, who was found yesterday in the Caversham railway tunnel, his manned body bearing evidence of the fact of his having been run ovor by the train. He had during Saturday been on duty at the races. It has not transpired whether he fell out of the train, or was performing the dangerous feat of walking through tho tunnel and was overtaken by the train. IE the latter it will 1)8 a serious warning to those who do the same thing on the Auckland line. Messrs Phillippa and Son, oil and colour merchants of Queen-street, have just received by the pood ship Edinburgh Castle, a very large importation of works of art, consisting of oil paintings, olegraphs, aguagraph, chromos, etc, from London, enough to fill an ordinary sized gallery. These pictures are extremely choice, and superior in character to most of the art works that reach this colony. The marine views, in sets of half-a-dozen and more, comprise views of the finest coast scenery of England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, Bavaria, Switzerland, and Italy. There is also series of mythological rcoresentationa of Flora, Ceres, and other images of the Greek mind in explanation of natural phenomena, fruits and flowers. Among the portraits from the province of history, we observed Mary Stuart, nnd Amy. Robsarb, whose character and sufferings were delineated by Sir Walter Scott in Kenilworth. One of the finest pair in the collection represent Eebscca at the well, and Ruth in the cornfield. Several views of scenery iv the Isle of Wight are delicate executions by living artists. Pope Pio Noni is a faithful portrait. Several of the castles of England and Wales will be sure to command attention from lovers of the romantic and beautiful. The Surrey pictures of Birket Poster will be admired for their truth and sylvan touches, Foster's pencil has done much towards popularizing our English poets, and in fostering a love for rural scenes and subjects. Two pictures by Sir Edwin Landseer, viz, the "Old Shepherd's Chief Mourner," and the " Squirrels Cracking Nuts in Windsor Forest," are in the painters best style. There are also a number of continental landscapes by Thomas Sidney Cooper, who literally sketched his way from Calais to Brussels, and whose Dutch landscapes some years ago adorned the walls of Suffolkstreet Water-color Gallery. Other pictures represent a Norway water-mill and pine forest, scenes and castles on the Rhine, pictures of the Nile, .and Egyptian peasantry, Guido painting a portrait of Beatrice, " the Bride and Widow," " National Sports," " Faust and Margueretto," and the American valley of Wyoming, which has been immortalised by the muse of Thomas Campbell, author of the " Pleasures of Hope." Hence it will be seen that for a small outlay, the humblest home may be beautified and made instructive in teaching history and poetry to the children. The silent influence of pictures in a home of taste and cleanliness, will not be without good effect. According to the injuction of the Presbyterian general assembly, the Rev. R, F. Macnicol, of St. James', preached last evening to a large congregation on the subject of "Temperance," taking for his text Romans, xiv. chapter, 21st verse.—" It is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine, noi- anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or i.3 offended, or is made weak." The Rev. gentleman treated his subject in a masterly and exhaustive manner, touching frequently upon the disgraceful drinking customs of the 19bh century. The sermon occupied about three quarters of an hour in delivery, and was listened to with the utmost attention throughout.

accident of a serious nature happened on Saturday last to Mr George Henderson, son of Mr Thomas Henderson, of this city. He was engaged in some work in Castom-House-street, when he fell and cut his face severely. Dr. Goldsbro' was Bpeedily in attendance upon the young man, and did all in his power to alleviate his suffering. The Rev. Mr Hinton, pastor of the Thames Baptist Church, who is in Auckland in connection with the anniversary services of the Ponsonby Baptist Sunday School, occupied the Rev. Mr Cornford's pulpit at Wellesleystrett yesterday morning, and delivered an eloquent and deeply interesting discourse on the voluntary sacrifice of Christ, taking as his text the passage at John : chap, x, 18 verse. "1 lay down my life; no man taketh it from me. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again." The treatment of this subject was argumentative and demonstrative, and rivited the rapt attention of the congregation, which was large. No small astonishment was felt when the book was closed that the hour for closing had arrived so soon. The objection of the Socinian school were honestly dealt with, but gained little>dvantage, when the internal evidences of the verity of the narrative were eliminated by the talented preacher. The rev. gentleman preached at Ponsonby in the afternoon and the evening, a notice of which will be found elsewhere.

A good story is told in connection with a recent inspection of an immigrant ship. When the Health Officer and the Immigration Commissioners are examining the passengers it is usual for one of the latter to put the question to each person, " Have you anytbina to complain of ?" This examination was proceeding on the ship referred to when a bonny red-faced Irish girl presented herself for inspection. " Any complaint, my girl?" asked Mr Ellis. " No, sir, barrin' a bile on the shmall o' me back," was the blushing answer. Mr Eilis puts the question in a different form now.

Mr T. H. Smith is requested to call at this office for stamp from the American Rubber Stamp Company.

The Baptist anniversary tea meeting in connection with the Ponsonby Sunday-school will be held to-morrow (Tuesday) evening. Tea, sandwiches, etc, on the table at halfpast six o'clock.

The monthly inspection parade of the Auckland Scottish Volunteers will take place to-morrow evening under command of Ciptain Mowbray. The men to appear in undress uniform, [with arms and accoutre ments. The United Men Servants Socie'y will hold their regular meeting this evening a<; the British Hotel, when members in Auckland aro requested to be in attendance, as important business will bo introduced. We have received for Mrs Wright 103 from "A.F." Sheridan (not Phil) one day being dressed in a very handsome pair of new boots, met a friend, when the following dialogue ensued : ' Those are handsome boots, Sherry, who made them?' 'Hoby.' 'How did you prevail on him ?' ' Guess.' * I suppose you talked him over in the old way.' ' No—that won't do, now.' 'Then, when they came home, you ordered half a dozen pair more ?' ' No.' ' Perhaps you gave a check on Hammersloy, which you know will not be honored ?' 'No, no, no—in short, you might guess till to-morrow before you hit it; I paid for them.' The Hobson Company and Band will hold their annual monthly parade in the drillshed, to-morrow evening, at 7 30. Members nre warned that if absent from this parade they will forfeit their efficiency certificates, also their capitation. The last stage of the class firing takes place to-morrow morning at 5 .".0. The Roman Catholics of Invercargill have increased so rapidly that it has been found necessary to appoint a second priest to that district;.