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Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2608, 27 August 1878, Page 2

Our cable newsvtd-day reports the death of Maria-Christina,' dowager Queen of Spain. Some confusion arose on the_rece_.pt of the last cable message announcing the death of the Queen of Spain, _ several journals erroneously accepting the news as relating to the exiled Queen Isabella, while in reality it was Queen Mercedes, the young wife of Don Alphonso, the reigning monarch. Maria-Christina, who has just gone to render her last account, was mother of ex-Queen Isabella, and grandmother of Don Alphonso. To her all the revolutions of tho last forty years in Spain may.be directly traced. She was the wife of King Ferdinand VII., snd through her influence the fc>alic law of Spam was repealed in order that Isabella might become heir to the throne. When Ferdinand died, Isabella-then only three years old —was proclaimed Queen under the regency of her mother. A revolution in favour of Don Carlos, the King's brother, broke out, and devastated Spain for several years, but resulted in favour of Queen Isabella. Maria-Christina was a narrowminded and unscrupulous woman. In 1840 she Was compelled to retire to France,but returning when the young queen attained her majority she again made her baneful influence felt upon Isabella, and forced her into an unhappy political marriage for the f urthsrauce of those intrigues that led to domestic misery and final exile. Her long lifs of scheming presents a singular contrast to that of the young queen, whose early death has thrown Spainintomourning. A guileless girl, cut off in the first months of her married life, could anything be more pitiful than this picture of the dying scene : —" Another crisis eupervened. The features took the pinched appearance which is a sure prognostic of death- Cardinal Morenos recited ths Office for tke Dead, and the ladies threw themeelvee on their knees. Mercedes was reluctant to quit lifs. She had found the werld a happy place. By a stretch of Christian charity and recourse to theological casuistry the Patriarch __lths Indies was enabled to give her the extreme unction. He could not get her to say she was content to die, and abandon earthly for heavenly affections. The tomb appeared to her moat horrible. To go to that vault of ths Escarial, after the gay French villas and the bright Andalusian palaoesshe had bean used to—after Aran juez and its mueical watere and shadj* groves, in which Alphoaao courted her as if she had been a village Maid, seemed too awful. She revolted agaiast the doom that stared her in the face, and iaiplored the physicians to save her. The death-etruggle was long and violent. A heavy debt of miseiy was due to fate for the bliss that had been concentrated into the fire months' idyl."

Mr McCormlck whishes it to be known that he did aotelesp close to the room which was occupied by the two vagrants who entered his hoase the other night, but in another part of the Building altogether, which is not even attached to, the hotel.

A Taranaki farmer, vowing vengeance against the sparrows, sowed four acres of land with poisoned wheat. We understand that fully 400 dead birds was the result. Ths following is the receipt used :— ** For a sack of corn (four bushals) take hall a pint of gas tar, lib. of vitriol and 1 gallon of hot water. Pour the liquid, well mixed, over the seed with a common watering pot, twelve hours before sowing." A good deal of interest has been "excited by ths Normanby pippins imported, by Mr Maacfield, grocer. Tha art of cooking tho delicacy, howaver, is not generally understood, and Mr Maxfieli intends to give a practical illustration to customers on Thursday, whan a preparad dish will be at the shop for inspection and sampling. "The Separation rumour in Wellington," Bays tha " Post," " alarm-id many business raen ; it stopped aeles of property ; some of the warmest friends of Ministers, thsm«elv# business men, felt unsettled and some of these waited an Ministers and asked for explanations _nd reassurance."" " Subscril/iw." writes :—" I have not noticed any articled lately from the author of tha papers on the identity of the Lost . Tribes with the Anglo-Saxon race. I know ; a great many psople who will be glad of a j continuance of them, "Anti-Bosh," not: withstanding. Moreover, how can he or she expact to be thought of other than one in whom those admirable hut lost virtues are abaant?" We have received several inquiries to the same effect, and may state in reply that the papers have not been discontinued, but are merely suspended owing to the press of Parliamentary matter. They give a synapsis of a special literature which is issued in England under Royal patronaga, and is exciting a good deal of interest Whatever value may bo attached to the theory, we must at lsast ascertain the grounds on which it rests before denouncing it as utter folly. A large number of people have exhibited a desire to obtain .his information. '* Anti-Bosh," and those who are superior to such trifling mattors, should refrain from reading what appears so greatly to disturb their selfcomplaceucy. There was a very large attendance of members last evening at the St. James's Literary Claw, Rev R. F. Macnicol in the chair. After soms discussion on the forthcoming Temperance Debate, the following gentlemen wore selected to represent the class :—.Messrs Ewington, Meyer, Napier, nnd Cooper, tho debate to take place on the 27th September, in the Temperance Hall, admission by,ticket. ~ The debate on •' Are wo in those times superior, physically,, morally, and intellectually to tho Ancients,"! proposed by tho Otabubu class, was fixed for the 7th October, the Otahuhuians; taking the negative. The essay of the even-; ing was "Churches and Churchism," by Mr G. Carnachan, and which, from its antagonistic: character, being an "onslaught Upon the! principal churches of Christendom, evoked j much discussion, and was generally, censured. The essayist was especially \ heavy upon tho Roman Catholic Church, !• dragging forth a number of absurdities, and; superstitions from the dark ages which! still cling to the old Church,1 but which enlightened Catholics in the present age* equally censure. In dealing with his sub-1 ject, Mr Carnachan, whose essay was good sb a composition, and in points .Jot construction, missed the good, and "exposed; only the evil side: of the .churches. >Mr Napier defended the Catholic Church in a long speech. Messrs Ewington, Williamson, Gorrie, Carson, Schmidt, . Meyer, Crawford, and several other members found fault with the tone of the essay from its ■ one-sidedhess aud want of fairuesa, contending that in a society of young men of various opinions such subjects should not be introduced, as they do harm'and cannot possibly do good. On Monday next Mr Robertshaw will deliver an oration- on "Mahomet," which, considering the great elocutionary abilities of the speaker, is anticipated with much interest. Mr Cooper will ako read a paper on "Confucius." , ,',■'■'■' ' :."_.'! '~' .U)I..

There are some tramway cars ,in New York which are. propelled along by compressed air, at the rate of 30 miles an hour: The air is held in tubes running under 'the floor of tha car, and applied to the wheeis.jj Ths telegraph authorities wisely, under. instructions from the Government;, 1 erected' a telegraph station at Pukekohe. Evieryi thing has been in readiness now for months, but to the disgust of the settlers^ since, that ;time,~the telegraphist has never made his ) appearance. ' - l; . i '\» We have been requested to call "the at-' itention pf the proper authoritiestp<;that porf.; ; tion *6f Queen-street leading to tiie wharf J jwhich.is in a really disgraceful- ebullition.. iThe roads" connecting with rther' r ]railw{j_y.. j station are still worse, -and are extremely junpleasantto both drivers5 and vehicles'and ipedestrians; It is to be,,hoped -that1 so&ej. '.steps will be taken to-improv.e;both streets;.; | Captaih'Wheeler, bf.theHaweal has been jpromoted to the Wakatipuj the iargest Of She Union Cbnlpahys steamers.' .1

4tball match between Christchurch; au<% ne din will be held on the latter s t gro^on Wednesday. • •■" ' -*/i*--"-***"' Ol s for the sale of railway tickets on the l r iean principal are to be openedin Chri| urc h. . 'v ' • Thlortgagees ofitbe Waitekauri Goldminit;oinpany have; foreclosed, and* are new<ying on the main works, the upper; portiojjeing let on tribute. r ; < S|At ! close of the evidence in res^ctiof the d<f of Wißiam Kinley, an immigrant by the^v Jocelyn-yesterday, before Dr. Philso^e jury found it difficult to agree as to I immediate cause of death, but after iW a second time, they found - i That leased. was auffoeated -while m_ a state cintoxication." The unfortunate man, i%pears, was .much- given to excessive Inking, and, according to the evidencejad been in a »tat« of ._, semidmnken% eTe r since he landed in this city.. I .:'■:■' . ... ;.'; j . WilliarifcGann, one of the men, who committed brutal and cowardly assault on the p% !of: Jftmes Brewin, of Kyber Pass BreC. on the evening of the 16th instant, wrought up on warrant yesterday at thejjee Court, and subjected to a fine of 40% d costs, or on« month's imprisonment! ' ! We notiefhat Mr Greenwood will offer for sale to-& ro w a very choice collection of fruit tree%om the nursery of Mr Jas. Mason, of |nell, consisting of orange, peach, aprid nectarine, apple, and pear of divers kinl As this is the season for planting frui Tee s, persons should avail themselves oti a opportunity for selecting from a he4y and vigorous stock. Luncheon wii, e providsd for purchasers coming f rom |distan«e. The sale will commence atVven o'clock, and include a large selectiLf »hrubs and flowers.' ! A football rcyb. between the Excelsior and Phoenix -E,ndry teams took place on Saturday, in thgnclosure at the back of the Newmarketall, resulting in a splendid victory for the Ipelsior Club. The thirtsentkniversary of the opening of St. Sepulchretemporary church will be celebrated this by divine service, the sermon on t_bccasion by Rev William Calder, of St. Peps Church, Hamilton, j The Onshungbifle Volunta srs are to meet at the Masic Hall for drill to-mqr-row night. Menfr* vrill sac tbe advertisement in anothsr <nmn. In tho case Pa| v. O'Halloran, at the District Court yesrd ay, in which the plaintiff claimed the In of £100, for alleged loss in connectiolwith the Ngatumanga Block, the evideib was not sufficent to support the plainf-s claim, consequently. Mr Heeketh, planSTi connael, accepted,a nonsuit. - * :■■■■'•' j : Mr R. Casey desen us to state that, lie has resigned the dpc of manager of the Kaipara SteamshijCompany, and consequently business Mating thereto is not transacted at his o\e. . _ _ j''

The Auckland pujc will be repaid thentrouble, if they.will© present to hear the Rev. D. Dutton lecfte to-morrow (Wednesday) evening at 7.30|m., in the Alexandra-* street Church. Th&ubject is a popular one, viz., "Knowljge ; ita importance, and how to gain it,"Sd such a subject, in the hands or gone of hi-foremost lecturers wilL he properly hailed. The charge) is only Is, and is for a |>d object. "If ws are; to b|evo the ; newspaper "Stamboul," says thLondon Times, "the Ottoman Governmen even of .the provinces unaffected bysha war is becoming more intolerable" thet ever. In Syria, Sevdet Pasha, tha rir Governor, besides the tyranny exerdsecW himself, snpports the under Governorbf Nablous, Stolp Pasha, who, on accoit of his outrageous conduct, had been liamiaaed and im?rieoned by Setdet's iredecesifcr, Stamdi 'asha. Stolo Pacha, In being restored to his office, adopted an efcn more outrageous line of conduct again! ths people of his district, imprisoning! banishing, ' and bastinadoing many of fern. Sevdet Pasha rejected all appesj addrsaaed to him by the sufferers Jill the distressed population cant a jwtitii to the Sul*a.n for radreas and for justfce-JThe Sultan's Go; vernment referred theietition to SevdetJ who in his turn forward^ it to his subaltern, Stolo. This latter, had jms an Opportunity of wreaking his vengspce on the signateries of the petition, vrb were among the richest notables of thdocality, and were mulcted to the elmoet itire exhaustion of their means. This ouigeous conduct of the Government hrindiis back to the worst days ot Abdul iiz. iaring which Djevdet was Minister if Justice. Were the report exaggerated,! would not appear in print under a Gfverhment which, during the present site of siege, can suppress a journal withtjfr judgment." ' ! At the regular fortnigkly meeting of the Pioneer Lodge, N. 1.0.1., held at Temperance Hall, Alfcert-sreet, on Monday, 26th inst., chore was a Lrge attendance of members to witness thqprssoutation. of,.a purse of sovereigns to srand Master M.' Allen in recognition I valuable service renderec to the lodge.! The presentation! was made by Noble Grad I. Dixon in a complimentary mennerjand responded to by hro. M. Allen, wha iid ho was highly; gratified at the appreciation, shown of his: efforts to further the inteWts of tho lodge.! He sincerely thanked thm, and assured' them they would always und him ready to lend a helping hand. i