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Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2603, 21 August 1878, Page 2

In consequenco of a resolution passed by the Dunedm Chamber of Commerce about the tax on flour, Mr Firth addressed the following letter to Mr Stout .-—"Auckland, August 20th, 1876. Dear Sir,—l hope you will not give way to representations of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce re tax on flour and grain. The Government have wisely resolved to abolish both, and I hope they will not be influenced to withdraw from a resolution at once just, statesmanlike and wi3e.—J. C. FIBTH. To the Hon. Mr Stout, M. H. R." Mr Firth received the following reply to-day :—" Have replied to Dunediu Chamber that New Zealand being a great and growing food producing country does not require Government aid to protect the cotony against foreign .grown food.— Robert Stout."

To the Editor : Sir, —I was much annoyed at reading in your issue of the 19th a socalled report of the mishap which happened to the s.s. Go-Ahead during her last passage from the Matyikau to Waitara,- especially that part referring to the steamer Hannah Mokau, which is entirely at vaiiance with facts. It is true we sighted the Hannah Mokau on the way, but not off the place mentioned in your report, but off Raglan, and then some 8 or 9 miles distant, and no doubt too far off to make out any signals we might make. From what I know of Captain McKenzie, he would be the last to pass by a \ essel supposed to be in distress, and I am sorry any paragraph should have appeared in your columns tending in the least to reflect on his conduct as a master mariner. I was quite at a loss to know .who was your informant; but should you at any future time require particulars of my passages or cargo, it will readily be correctly furnished by either myself, chief officer, or agent, and I trust you will for the future not accept a report from any other.—Yours, &c, F. Mklhuish Dicker, master.

As will be seen by the telegram from our special correspondent at Wellington, a deputation of members waited on fMr Ballance to-day with reference to the beer tax. A written list of objections was read, to which the Colonial Treasurer replied in detail. He afterwards stated that the Government had no desire to be hard upon the brewers, but that they intended, as we predicted, to stick to the three half-penny tax. Mr Ballance professed to labour under the pleasing delusion that the consumer will pay the tax, and with this object stated provision would be made to enabie brewers to add the tax on to auy existing contract. .

Mr G. D. Chaplin opens on Monday next the famous spectacular drama, of '* Enoch Arden" which will be specially mounted. Speaking of Mr, Chaplin's " Richelieu" which he played on the occasion of his last benefit, the "Sydney Morning Herald :> says : "Mr Chaplin has completed a very successful season here ; and it ; is gratifying to record that his benefit was a substantial one, every part of the house being crowded; The piece selected for the occasion was Lytton's play of " Richelieu," and in the title role Mr Chaplin afforded a confirmation of the favourable impression which he has made during, his stay-in.: Sdyney. The French political Cardinal'has seldom been better represented and the audience testified its approval of the acting by repeated calls before the curtain."

The programme of; tfev St. James' entertainment in lid of the school building fund, appears in the present issue, lne concert will be held to-morrow evening in the Lome-street HaU, arid in its musical and dramatic features, will be specially a The concert and ball in aid of the Victoria Band, will be held this evening. At the Onehunga Borough Council on Monday evening, the Mayor in the'cn«ur, it was resolved on the motion of Mr Blakey ""That no footpath be formed or until the cattle nuisance is abated. borne division of opinion was manifested on the question, and Mr Earle moved, -That; a footpath be formed in Church-street. lne Mayor replied that Mr Earle's motion could not be entertained after the carrymg of Mr Blakey's motion. As a check upon the Chinese in Queensland, an Act was passed limiting the number of passengers, and taxing each one £10. Then the miners' right was raised to £3 Now no Chinaman is to work on a goldfield until three years after its discovery. A New Plymouth organ will have it tnat servant-girls there are neither to be got for love or money. What next? And were is the parson? Edward Truelove, a bookseller, London, has been convicted of selling a book called "Moral Physiology," suggesting methods for limiting families. He was sentenced to pay a fine of £50, and be imprisoned for four months. Young Manning was brought up at the Police Court, Christchurch, yesterday, and remanded. He stated that Mr Coster, the manager of the Bank in the Cathedral City, knew all about the robbery, and sent him to Auckland to see if he could arrange the matter. Robert Roberts was fined £3 and cost 3at the Police Court, Christchurch, yesterday for kissing Mrs Chevers, of Chever's and Kennedy's Minstrels. He had been drinking. A Timaru clergyman—the Rev James Preston—ls missing. He left Geraldine to go to Burkes Pass a few days ago, and has not since been heard of.

Napier boasts of a female athlete who exercises the privilege ot severely flogging her husband. On the 25th ult., this lady —Mrs Elizabeth Gallagher—was bound over, ir> two sureties of £25, to keep the peace for six months for first scolding, then scalding, then thrashing, and finally threatening her husband with a knife. It transpired that on the same occasion she pelted a carpenter with stones, and broke his head with a paling. We may remark that Mrs Gallagher and her husband previously resided in Auckland, having emigrated to the peaceful district of Napier some time ago.

The Government steamer Hinemoa, with abouti-200 passengers and about 130 tons of baggage, will leave the Lady Jocelyn at 10 o'clock this evening for Taurauga, from whence she will proceed straight to Wellington. Last Friday riight an entertainment was held in the Queen's Redoubt Public Hall, commencing with the laughable farce of " Box and Cox," in which Messrs W. H. Porter and 0. Fletcher acted the gentlemen's part with considerable success, whilst Mr T. Porter's "Landlady" plainly shewed a careful study of the feminine original. Songs (comic and sentimental) by 'Various mateurs succeeded, and were terminated with thejNational^Anthem. The enjoyment of the evening was greatly marred by the incessant patter of rain on the iron roof which rendered hearing --difficult, and the rain also spoilt the subsequent dancing by lessening the attendance of the gentleman's natural patners. Under this affliction many of the gentlemen had to take one another "for better or worse," and the result was an exhibition more remarkable for vigor than gracefulness. I am told it always rainswhen an entertainment is announced at this place, but next time I hope the weather won't be in the weeping mood. Our railway station has just received a muchneeded improvement, in the shape of ladies' waiting-room, and wo hope to see it still further improved before long by a telegraph station, and the recoipt and departure of a daily mail.—Correspondent. A correspondent writing from Newcastle complains that notwithstanding the murder of the man Morgan, through being locked up in the same cell as natives, the constables have again started the same thing, and locked up white men with Maoris, and left them together at one another' a ercy. The liabilities in the estate £of James Baker, boot and shoemaker, of Kyber Pass. Road were set down at £200, assets nil. Mr Macffarlane will act as creditor's trustee. The demand for violets yesterday at Mr Brewin's store by the Katikati settlers was very large. No less than 17 dozen bunches were^disposed of by the vendor. The instrument used by Mr "W. F. Somerville at the service in the Theatre Royal yesterday was one of Mason and Hamlin's, and was kindly lent by Messrs Hoffman and Sons Avithout charge. A large number of the friends of the learned doctor were on the wharf to witness his departure. Amongst others we noticed his Lordship Bishop Cowie and the leading ministers of other denominations. To the Editor: Sir,—On behalf of the widow and orphans, for whose benefit the concert, held in the Temperance Hall, Albert-street, on Thursday, the Bth inst., I tender my most sincere thanks to Mr Blackman and the friends who so kindly gave their valuable assistance; also, the Good Templar Lodges iv Auckland for their kind patronag* and support.—Yours, &c, R.OSINA COTTINGHAM. Councillor Isaacs asks us to say that as His Worship is expected in Auckland on Saturday he will defer calling the Beaconsfield meeting until that gentleman's arrival. Mr Wayte, bookseller, of Queen-street, has purchased the MSS. of Mr Gudgeon's graphic description of the Maori wars which ■will be published as speedily as possible by Sampson Low and Son of Ludgate Hill. The work is judiciously and gracefully written and, when published will form a reliable aid to the future history of New Zealand. The members of the S. Sepulchre's Mutual Improvement Society met on Monday evening to discuss the question, " Should Manhood Suffrage be established in this country ?" The debate was opened in the affirmative by. Messrs Ussher and Williamson, who ably advocated manhood suffrage in two excellent speeches, bringing forward a number of historical and social facts in support of their position. The negative side was taken iip by Messrs Smith and Connell, and although the speeches in favour of the franchise were the best, the hands held up by noes were in the majority, the ayes being 6 ; noes, 9. This was one of the most debates of the season. Mr A. H. Spicer promised the class a short lecture on the " First Burmese War of 1829," on the evening of the 2ud prox. A W.N.W. gale has been blowing all to-day, accompanied with frequent heavy squalls of rain and hail. The latter were very severe and in one storm this afternoon the hailstones were larger than peas. Messrs .E. and A, Isaacs held a well attended sale of cabin fittings and ship's stores ex Martha Fisher, to-day. The wines, spirits, and stores, consisting of 425 packages, were quitted at fair prices.