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Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2604, 22 August 1878, Page 2

,; H Qri our/fpur,th page,tp-day r appears a full telegraphic summary ofs tliei Kegistration of Mines Bill.

At the Wa^e Lands Board, this afternoon;: a piece of land at Whangaroa North was granted ito Messrs Coughlin and Dowl, under the homestead system. An application from John" Higginson, at Kawakawa, for 420 acres,-wa3 refused. An application from the Bishop of Auckland, for a small piece of land at the back of the Anglican Church,,was.referred to the.Governor. An application from Mr John, of Apapa, asking that certain lands may be put up for sale, was granted ; _and a similar..application from Mr Treece was •also-granted: - An application from twelve settlers of to be allowed to select, land there, was considered, and, it was resolved to throw the district open for selection. • ' The monthly parade of, the . Scottish Company of Volunteers -was held on Tuesday evening, Major Withers commanding. The Company were put through various exercises by Capts. Mowbray and McMurdo, after which Major Withers complimented them on their efficiency. At the close of the parade the Company adjourned to the Royal Mail Hotel,; where a plentiful supply of malt llqupr was consumed in drinking the health of the officers. .'- t ','- -... v 5

At the Resident Magistrates' Court today, Mr J. B. Russell addressed His Worship on the miserable condition 'of the Court, and the road leading thereto,; They were provided certainly with a roof and a floor, but nothing else in the way of convenience. There was no fire-place, and the weather was extremely cold. Hej hoped His Worship would use his influence in procuring a better state of things. He would also suggest that His Worship might bring a little prison labour to bear on the miserable approach to the; Court. His Worship said he might get the latter at his own expense. He would, however, do his best, and in regard to the Court, he would telegraph to Wellingron this afternoon. . J.; I* 1

It was Mr J. C. Thornton's Eleven which played against the Australians at : the Orleans Club. The cricket ground was open to the public, and a large'^crowd assembled. 5

Daring the investigation into the alleged act of incendiarism at the Devonport Hall, it transpired, much to the surprise of the residents, that the hall belonged, not to Mr O. Mays, but to the community. Further inquiry by the chairman and other trustees went to show that the sum of £300 had been drawn from the Highway Board funds, by the treasurer, towards the payment of the hall, of which building he (the treasurer) was seller. It appears that the trustees of the Board sent a letter to the chairman of. the Waitemata County Council (who is also Board treasurer), desiring that the Devonport Highway District's share of the special subsidy of £40,000 granted to counties might be appropriated to the purchase of the hall for public purposes. Some £270 was awarded to the Board, and the county chairman paid this into the Board's account at the bank, drawing, however, as treasurer, a cheque for £300 in part payment of the £500 cost of the hall without any turther consultation with the Board. The trustees felt, to say the least of it, irritated at the arroga'tioti of the entire functions of the Board by one trustee, in his trinitarian capacity of County Chairman, HighwayTJoard Treasurer, and seller of a hall; and this peculiar development of local has caused considerable discussion throughout the district. It should bo stated that Mr Mays has always taken, a most active and prominent part in local affairs, and is in the habit of • taking upon himself the entire responsibility of matters, and grudging no amount of trouble and labour to further the welfare of the district in which he lives. This may explain his present action. We learn that the Board met last night, and decided that the money (£300) should be refunded to the Board, and a public meeting called of the ratepayers to discuss the advisability of expending funds in the purchase of the »h»iL To this course Mr Mays has given ins assem> y -«-0..«».™_>—--«--ai^^ 1^E ijx^tiQEtlK. take place. The first ordinary general meeting of the Auckland Timber Company will be held in the offices, Custom-Heuse-street, on the 30th inst., when the reports and financial statement of the Directors will be introduced. Charles Veitch, of the Blue Post Dining Rooms, Victoria-street, has filed his petition in bankruptcy. The entertainment and ball last evening in aid of the funds of the Victoria Company's band, passed off pleasantly, and although the night was stormy and wet, a large number of young persons were present in happy anticipation of the after dance, which presents such attraction to the youthfnl and gay. The volunteers did not fpatronise the ball quite so largely as expected, still there was a goodly show of 'Queen's men present. The ballads and musical selections were of a choice character, and were received with evident satisfaction. This, newly 'organisedband supplied the dnace music in the most satisfactory manner, and showed that the members had studied their selections. The programme of the ball consisted of fourteen select dances, which were duly performed Avith lightsome step through the quiet hours of the night. The tempestuous and mischievous wind in the course of yesterday committed many offences iv its viewless search, broke many windows, and smashed a number of flowerpots. In its gusty travel down Queenstreet, it popped under the glass verandah of Messrs Glanville and Ellyet, and lilted the middle frame into the air, dashing it to pieces on the pavement. At the same moment it caught hold of Mr William's hand-cart, and sent it spinning down the street, as far as the Auckland Hotel, outrunning the owner, who himself is a Vunner of no ordinary capabilities. Mr Ewington acknowledges with thanks the following sums sent to him to-day for the Young Men's Christian Association: Lady friend, 20s; T. B. Hiil, 21s j Jshn Probert, £5.

At the half-yearly meeting of .the Ladies and Executive Committees of the Scripture Gift Association, the latter presented a most satisiactovy report:—Since the annual meeting in February, 969 prize-books have been awarded to the same number of scholars in-30«schools, for hom^-written Scripture exercises, and correct repetitions of the same at the school. Of the schools tbus visited with prizes, 16 were city and ■ suburban, and 14 in the country districts. A large number of cards have also been distributed. Twelve handsomely-bound books, presented by Messrs j Logan, McDonald, and Larkins, were on view. The committee have resolved to offer prizes for the best written original essay by the pupils of the Auckland Grammar and Girls •High School. - - ; . -"if."

One of the newly-created New Zealand Lords is said to wear his new honors with all the dignity of a bear in a new collar. He told a friend of his in Wellington the other day that he did not value the title of honorable so much for himself as for his family, adding that ." if anybody calls me 1 Johnny' now I'll make it hot for them. Im the honorable John now, and (expletive); they can't take it away." l The Sydney authorites are now considering the advisability or propriety of permitting the Sydney Omnibus Company, an offshoot of Hoyte and Co., to construct tramways from the suburbs to the city. That notorious ■.experimentalist, George Francis Train, once laid down a line through Pittstreet, but as the rails •wefeabove the level oil the street,"it"proved an intolerable njuisance arid was universally condemned;! r f The new scheme provides for an%ninterriu{)ted road. M local contemporary says thatMr Woolll combe, R.M., of Timaru, signalised his last sitting atiWaimaterbp givinga' iieoision before lunch arid reversing -it after iluncfeV The KM. had in the interval tallced the matter over hiswine.,. ' ' " I /l -^ Mr- J>rGj •Brown; Government wiip^liol visited Auckland with Sir George !Grey is said to. have realised a rare crop1 "oT%T" -browns in a new claim at Blije Spur.: I Thepetition of the sons of old" cblbaistsKS novsv awaiting .signature, at Mr t ; Eissling's' effice, willbe posted toSWellington on the 29th uifct.

The entertainment this eve4in|foyll||< members of St. James'^iterary ,an^dcba^> ing class promisesito J?|ja success ig^fll i% bearings. The nlieicar!department%ilLM' under the direction of Mrs, Mitchell; and Mr Rees. duets and^art songes will be given by members, also recitations, and final, the lively^burlesque of " Borrowed Plumes." As a &rge,number of .tickets have been circulated, a fullhall is antici : pated. -v The directors of the Golden Pah have arranged with Mr Masefield and" the "con- - tractors, Messrs Bremmer and Verrpnsy to remove thenew battery from the Qaeen of^ Beauty ground, Thames, immediately. Sergeant James Jackson started jby the boat last evening for his new sphere of duty at the Thames. The Sergeant has occupied tke Parnell station for several years, and won the respect of the inhabitants of that pleasant district, so remarkable for its tranquil and aristocratic character. We understand that Sergeant Mulville has been appointed to the Parnell station. , ! The rota of attendance at the Court of Petty Sessions on Tuesday next include Messrs J. Baber, A. Beetham, A. Clements, J. Cosgrave, W. C. Daldy, J. Pilworth, J. M. Dargaville, C. F. Goldsbro', R. Graham, and Thomas Macffarlane.

The danger of allowing boys of a [tender age to have the use of boats in the harbour was fully exemplified yesterday afternoon." A lad of about 13 years of age was pulling about on the lee of the wharf, when gthe keel board of the boat caught the^ mooring line Jof a waterman's boat, causing it to become firmly fixed. The boy Avas;unable to release the rope, despite Hiis endeavours. A few minutes later a waterman/ possessed of very little feeling, passed by,in his boat, and refused to assist in unloosing the rope, at the same time 1 laughing unkindly at the boy's predicament. For about half an hour he was unable to release the board, and finally, when he did succeed, his clothes must have been wet through, as he had been exposed to several;rain and hail squalls. We will not publish the name of the! waterman who played such an undesirable part in connection with the affair, but he certainly does deserve to have his name placed on record. i

The bakers ball will be held on thb evenng of 3rd proximo in the Lome-street Hall.

A Press Agency telegram say 3 that Mr Thomson, Mayor of Christchurch, intends to swallow up his year's allowance of £300 in entertaining the members of Parliament at a banquet, during their trip on the occasion of the opening of the railway from Christchurch to Dunedirr? 1 ,;

A memorial to the Minister oflPubl 10 Works, urging upon the Government the immediate carrying forward of the Auckland and Waikato Railway, has been drawn up for signature by the citizens of Auckland. Constable Dews made a searching investigation into.the late conflagration .at the Devonport Hall, the fact of the fire being on a sand floor and away from the opening through' which ifc was conjectured that sparks might have dropped, proves, with other facts, that the fire was the I deliberate act of an incendiary, and it is to be; hoped the scoundrel will be brought to-justice.

The Oddfellows of the Devonport Lodge, North Shore,- wiU celebrate^.their third anniversary on- Friday evening, the 23rd inst., by a ball.'. •••: