The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening News," "The morning News," and "The Echo." THURSDAY, JULY; 12, 1877.

Auckland Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2294, 12 July 1877, Page 2

The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening News," "The morning News," and "The Echo."

THURSDAY, JULY; 12, 1877.

for the cause that lacks assistance, I-or the wrcng that needs lesistauce, For the fiifjre in the distance, And the £ood that we can do.

Mr Stafford's speech, reported at length by telegraph and published in another column will be read attentively. Although not occupying the place in New Zealand politics which lie once filled, the leader of no party, and a politician whose erratic course in the House latterly has chiefly called forth sorrowful reflections upon the decadence of a once great name, Mr Stafford has yet a small following and choice knot of admirers, who form a little coterie of their own in the colonial parliament. His views are, moreover, all-powerful with the old Canterbury party, and carry a certain amount of weight with other politicians of the Centralist school in the House. Mr Stafford, it will be observed, is coming round rapidly to the conviction that if the colony is to be ruled by one Central Government, the revenues derived from Crown lauds must go into the common fund. We should fall into grievous error if we credited the hon. member for Timaru with any over-weening Jove of the North on account of these Views. It may be pretty safely predicted that the large land-owners of the South will be prepared to sacrifice the territorial revenue or any other fund which will stave off taxation from their estates. And we .sliall not be surprised to find absorption of the land fund as popular with the leading Canterbury representatives as it is unpopular with the great mass of their constituents. The length of the telegraphic summary of the speech compels us to exclude leading articles, correspondence, and other matter prepared for to-day's issue.

Telegraph Stations are now opened at Coalgate and liollestou. Both in the county of Sclwyn, Canterbury.

Li response to an invitation? from Mr Thompson, the inmates of the Home for Neglected and Destitute Childien, and St. Stephen's and St. Mary's Orphanages, will attend the exhibition of the Great Southern Diorama on Saturday next. On the occasion, there will be a general distribution of presents, every child in attendance at the performance receiving coe.

The strike of^ shipwrights on the Clyde < continues, and Is causing much loss to the ' industry of tke district. At.a "ate meeting . of the master shipbuilders it stated that j in conseqitenee of this strike two Govern- j incut orders, of an aggregate value uf '■ £230,000, had been reluctantly declined," and j one master said if he were to be continually j

annoyed in this way he would give up ship- ■ biuldingaltpgetner. The men, however, con- : tiime obstinate, saying they will rather ' see the trade cross the water than give in. Notwithstanding this unsatisfactory \ saite of affairs, the Clyde Tiustees arc energetically pushing on their, large now docks at Stobcross, which, when ' compoltcd, will occupy the whole of the space between Finnieston and Sandyfordstreets. The docks were commenced in August, 1572, and they will not be finished for four years to conic-, though upwards of ; 1000 men are constantly employed upon the ; works. They will consist of three basins, j with an aggregate area of 33i acres, and \ 27 'h acres of wharfage.

The Wellington correspondent of the '■' Lyttelton Times " writes : "So far as I can gather, there lias been no attempt made yet towards forming an Opposition, Wellington members deeming it useless to move until the members from other places come up. In the Civil Service, the hope of a change of Ministry is, I think, very strong, the whole tendency of the present administration being to make the officers feel that they are the personal servants of Ministers, and liable to instant dismissal if they give the least offence to a Minister. The attention of the House will probably be called to some flagrant cases of this kind as soon as the Bouse meets.

Mr Thompson's great Southern Diorama of the American War was favourably patronised in the theatre, last evening. The scenes pourtrayed upon the moving canvas arrested pleasing attention from those present, who frequently evinced their approbation in the must satisfactory way. The distribution of gifts included a splendid hunting watch, two sovereigns, papier macho table, and about fifty other articles of use and ornament. The diorama will he unfolded again this evening, and on Saturday afternoon the spirited proprietor will give his last grand matinee to the children, when every little girl and boy will receive a parting present. The children of the various charitable institutions will be admitted free to the matinee, and will also take away with them tokens of remembrance of Thompson's interesting pictorial diorama of one of the most remarkable events of modern times.

The musical and literary entertainment last evening in the Dcvonpoit Hall was well-attended, a large number of friends being present .from Auckland. The members of the Devonport Club were assisted by several leading Auckland vocalists. Rev. Mr Bates occupied the chair, and introduced the programme. Sentimental songs of merit were sung by Miss Under, and Messrs Harding, Gradwcll, Edmistou, and Nairn ; several glees by tin; Orpheus Club (juvenile), and ducts by Messrs Spry and Hannkin. Mr Turrcll, the younger, played an overture, and Mr Allison gave a recitation in very agreeable style. Mr Henry Niccol caused much merriment by nn oiation, entitled "Our Girls," which was a great success. The entertainment closed with a farce, after which two hours were spent in the lively exercise of dancing.

The members of the Loyal Good Intent Lodge of Oddfellows will celebrate their twenty-seventh anniversary on Tuesday evening next by a dinner and ball, at the Oddfellows' Hall, Cook-street, to which members of other lodges arc respectfully invited. Dancing will commence at nine o'clock. We learn that great preparations

are being made for the forthcoming anniversary, which promises to be replete with general interest.

The oilicial returns of emigration from Ireland in 1876, shew that the total number of emigrants who left the ports of Ireland was 35,315, a decrease of 14,fiS2 compared with the previous year, The total number who left Erin's shores for America, New Zealand, and Australia since IN.")] was ii,-iI-l-/.»7S ; and yet the laud of Sheridan and Moore appears to be as thickly populated as ever.

The Good Templars of tho Pioneer Lodge, No. 1, will hold their regular business meeting this evening, in the Temperance Hall, Albert-street.

A vocal rehearsal, preparatory to flerr Schott's approaching concert, wili lie held tins evening, in his rooms, Mi), iShovtlandstreet.

The ratepayers of the Newton Highway District will hold their annual meeting at the Star Hotel, iiii tho evening of llse 17tl. instant. The annual meeting of the I'ousonby ratepayers will t;:!:e place on the evening of the 14th instant ; and the annual Meeting of the Newmarket ratepayers will be heltl in the District Hall, on the evening of the 20th instant. At these meetings, reports will be presented, and trustees, auditors, and fence-viewers elected.

An Auckland innocent was sent by his employer with a brace of pheasants to ;i friend, and ns he lingered ;it the gentleman's (low after delivering them, he was asked what lie was waiting for, he replied, please, sir, if the boss asks what yon gave me for bringing the pheasants, what shall I tell him v "Go along yon young scamp, "said the gentleman, and suiting the action to the word, lifted up his foot as though he meant something. The boy quickly escaped a kick by running off, with the words; "I'll tell boss." A charge of assault was preferred against the Rev. John Howard, Vicar of Oneham, in the Isle of Man, in May last, when the rev. gentleman interrupted the complainants advocate by calling out in Court "It's a lie." For this contempt of Court the vicar was committed to gaol for a week.

The Committee of the Davenport Club hey to tender their thanks to tho ladies and gentlemen who so kindly volunteered their services at the conceit hist evening. Gentlemen who had tickets for sale, are cqn estcd to return those unsold, with proceeds of those sold, to Mr Tanner, Honorary Secretary, corner of Shortland-strcet.

T» tlie Editor, Sir—Possibly your correspondent "Subscriber," may have ascertained what he wanted from the remarkably novel information afforded him by Mr W. M. E. Casselton. But it does not look as if his inquiry related to Hainault, which is not in Germany, hut a province of Belgium. However, he knows best whether his spelling or his political geography was most at fault. The neat and ingenious way in which his too-ready informant has managed to cram so many blunders into so few words, merits notice. Briefly, there is no place called Ruhalt, though there is a Duchy of that name, which does not confain a town similarly called. 2nd. Being a sovereign State it can scarcely be called " in Prussia," nor(Srd) for the same reasons any particula distance from Berlin; and (4th) it does not adjoin the " State of Magdeburg," owing to the trifling fact of there being no such State in existence, nor has there been since the treaty of Westphalia, which is hardly a thing of yesterday. " A (very) little knowledge is a dangerous thing," especially if unwisely aired in the columns of a newspaper, verb, sap.—Yours, &c.. Another Subscriber. [" A scholar of fourteen years old" also writes : " Hainault, misspelt Anhult, is in the S. W. of Belgium. Edward 111., about the year 1327, married Philippa of Hainault.]

The nomination of trustees for the PonSOnby and or Dedwood Highway District comes on to-worrow, and the names of candidates must be sent in to the Returning Officer by noon. The list of candidates will be posted for a week. The polling will take place on Friday week. The election will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the " Regulation of Elections Act."

Tie serious casualties from football are laaLiplvinjr, Wo learn that in the accident to Mr H. Ciilpnn, of To Awumutu, son of W. Ciilpan of Auckland, tlie muscles of the le£ -were torn clean away from the bone beneath the knee, and now lie rolled up in a ball en the upper side of the leg. Air Culpan lias been removed to Hamilton, his condition requiring constant medical attendance. A broken leg for one player, and a, severe shock to the system of another attended the last gune on Saturday. In Auckland on Saturday Mr Karle, broke his collar-bone while enjoying the pleasures of this delightful pastime. Xlicso accidents surely point to a considerable modification in the rules of the game. It has become a question whether the barbarous practices connected with football as now played should be abandons 1, or tlie game given up altogether

Some difficulty is experience;! in getting together a football loam to visit Waikato next week. At present the following are the players who have arranged to go : — Messrs Shakspear, i'ing, Mowbray, Gudgeon, Henderson, C. Burgess, T. Macky, J. Macky, Warbrick, Stanllcld, and Nolan. Others are wanted, and any players who have not been asked should come forward, to enable the te;im to be completed. The match on Saturday will be the team who are to visit Waikato v. All Comers.

Yesterday afternoon a large number of influential citizens went to see their friends and representatives embark on board the Wanaka, en route for Wellington. Sir George Grey received a very hearty welcome from Messrs S'wansou, Sheehan, Rees, and Tole, (these four members do not leave until next boat). We learn that Sir < jeorge (Jrev had not intended going down by the Wauaka, but at the same hour this vessel was to depart he arrived at the wharf per Annie Milbank from the Kawau. Probably the sound of the Wauaka's whistle, and the sight of the advance guard of the Auckland political forces leaving, sent the blood dancing through tlie veins of the political veteran, and he rushed like a war hor.se to the front, smelling the battle afar off. Sir George's portmanteau and other packages were transferred from one steamer to the other, and in a quiet, unassuming style this sturdy old gentleman has again turned his face to the expected Southern blasts. Among the passengers was the STAR special reporter, who left early to make all arrangements for full telegraphic reports. He will remain throughout tlie session to keep our readers well posted with the earliest and most reliable intelligence.