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New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5396, 4 March 1879, Page 2

The Port Darwin line is interrupted north of Farwin. The following telegram was received yesterday by the South British Company from the wreck of the a.a. Taupo:—" Diver has been down on the outside, and reports that the ship rests close down ou the rooks abreast of the after batch. We caunot get at the leak from the outside. Will have to break out the water tanks to get at the leak. The pumps will be at work to-day.' The city burgess roll for 1579 SO is now in the course of being compiled, under the provisions of the Corporations Act. The Town Clerk is bound to strike out therefrom the names of all persons which appear iu the list of defaulters made out at the same time—the defaulters' list cjmprising the names of all persons not haviug paid their rates, and the amounts. Notwithstanding however small the amount may be (often as low as sixpence), if tho name appears on the latter list, there is no option but to strike out the name from the burgess roll: the same name caunot appear on both lists. The Act i-tates the list of arrears shiH comprise all rates due 0:1 the 31st of December previous. As this will include the last rate notice issued, it is as well that all who desire to maintain their franchise should be careful that all rates are paid, otherwise at election times persons are apt to feel aggrieved at finding they have no vote. In our obituary notice of yesterday was recorded tho decease of a very old settler aud citizen of Auckland, namely, Air. James Molloy, crier in the Supreme Court. Mr. Molloy came to .New Zealand with the 58th llegimeut. He served during Hone Heke's war in the Bay of Islands, aud received his discharge upon the departure of tliercgiineut from the colony. He occupied tho position of Eergeant master tailor in the regiment. After his discharge he filled a situation in the Fost-oliice i e part men t, and subsequently was appointed crier in tho Supreme Court at Christcliurch, whence, at his own request, he was transferred to the Supreme Couit at Auckland. He had been, at the time of his death, 24 years in the Government service. Mr. Molloy was greatly respected by all who knew him. His health had been declining for some time before his death, which was accelerated, in the opinion of his medical attendants, by grief ou acconnt of the death of his wife about thirteen mouths ago. Tho Rev. A. W. Webb, of the Welles-ley-street Baptist Chapel, during a discourse on Sunday last, on "Parental. Duty in Helation to tho Education of Children," took occasion to refer to the " burning question" of the day—Secular v. Religious Education in Fublio Schools. Ho held that religious education could only be imparted by men who had the law of God written on their hearts, and when the duty was performed in a perfunctory manner, and as a part of official routine, its effect could only be injurious. They had no right to foiat upon the school-teacher tho obligations devolvin" upon the parent and the Church, and the attempt to do so was a wrong inflicted alike upon the teacher and the taught. Mere Bible-cramming, varied by bi-weekly doses of catechism, aud talking religion at children, not from a loving heart, but for tho mere sake of talking, was destructive rather than promotive of spiritual life in the young. While yielding t > no man in upholding tho peerless pre-eminence of Christian education by the proper agents, at the fitting season, and in its natural sphere, he trusted "his tongue would cleave to the roof of his mouth" if he ever ceased to protest against the wretched travestie proposed to be performed under that name in public schools—by rival creeds amid sectarian bitternesses and wranglings—or perfnnctorily enacted by State functionaries, who, in some cases, knew little and cared less about the vital truths of Evangelical religion. Speaking of the practice of adorning tho walls of the homo with texts of Scripture, the rev. .gentleman commended tho usage. Surely Christians would not be bohind the Jews who had bsen accustomed to inscribe the words of the Law upon their doorposts, or the Mahommedans who bound tho most precious texts of the Koran on their garments, and when tho practice did not arise from a feeling of ostentation or for merely decorative purposes, it might subserve a useful object. The death of Aterata, an aged chieftainess of the North, combined with the gloomy aspect of tho weathor, had a dispiriting influence on tho native meeting at Orakei yesterday. On opening the meeting, at which Paul, as usual, presided, he invited the meeting to consider the forthcoming meeting between the Government and Tawhiao. The discussion was of a desultory character, and the heavy rain which fell during tho afternoon and evening prevented many from leaving their tents. Tho meeting will be continued to-day. The Harbour Board have been successful in removing, by means of a diver, a large quantity of stone that had washed into the barbour from the breastwork near to the railway wharf, and which proved dangerous So vessels anchoring thereabouts. Operalions will bo resumed when the diver returns : rom the wreck of the s.s. Taupo. The half-yearly meeting of shareholders in -ho Pride of Tokatea Gold Mining Company, idvertised to take place yesterday, lapsed or want of a quorum. During tho year leven tributes were let, but four of these lave been surrendered, and the remaining ihree are working, bat there is nothing new o record as to their developments. The eceipts for the half-year from all sources lave been £280, and the expenditure £340, saving a debit balance of JECO, which will i ie covered by the call lately made. By an inadvertence, the name of Mr. John ' larahall was omitted from the list of names ' ided to the Kaitangata Belief Fund Com- ! dttee, ,

It will be seen by advertisement elsewhere that tenders are called for the second contract of the Thames and Waikato Bailway. They have to be lodged by the 19th instant, and the places at which they are to be deposited are specified in the advertisement. The Advertiser says :—" This contract will extend the works toward Shortland, and will include considerably more than double the area of the first contract. It is expected to cost from £15,000 to £20,000. The bridge contract will follow, and when these are completed the line may be fairly started. No difficulty will then present itself, for the District Engineer (Mr. J. Stewart) returned on Friday last from his flying survey of the remainder of the line to Ohinemuri, and he pronounces it one of the easiestand cheapest constructed lines in the colonies. The land is a dead level, without any interruptions from Shortland to the Upper Thames, and pick-and-shovel work only will be necessary in its construction." His Worship tho Mayor desires to acknowledge the receipt of £10 103 from Messrs. A. Clark an'l Sons, and £5 from Dr. Kenderdine, for the City of Glasgow Bank Relief Fund. Messrs.Norris and Allen, who on Saturday last opened a museum of curiositiesof a varied description in Queen-street, have kindly proffered to the Mayor a day's gross takings in aid of the widows aud orphans by. the Kaitangata colliery explosion. To-morrow (Wednesday) is the day offered and accepted. The doors open at 3 p.m., and we trnst the public will liberally patronise the exhibition, and thus the proprietors will be rewarded during their stay here for their prompt offer. They have requested that some duly authorised person may be there to take all payments at the door, so that the whole sum, without any deduction, may be handed over to the fund. Two firmj of bakers (says the Thames Advertiser) appear disposed to adapt the price of their bread to suit the times, and it is satisfactory to find they are able to do so to the extent of a reduction of the price of the 21b. loaf to 3Jd. May they live long and prosper ! A telegraph office is now open at Brightwater (rifle camp), province of Nelson. Major Jaijkson shipped yesterday, by the steamer Wanaka, to Napier, six valuable prize rams from his celebrated Lincoln flock. The animals were purchased by a Napier runholderat a long figure, and are considered to be superior to anything in the island. The National Bank shipped yesterday to Melbourne, by the steamer Hero, two boxes of gold, contaiuiug lfiOSozs.. of the value of £5095, the produce of the Thames and Coromondel goldfields. We are given to understand that, notwithstanding the severe drought experienced for so many mmths, Guthrie, Larnach and Company's contractors at Whatipu Sawmills had a most successful drive of logs to the mill booms on Saturday. This company's " Pararaha " mill is aiso well supplied with logs—in fact, the orders on hand are so numerous that to keep pace the manager has had to work this mill night and day. He does not anticipate any difficulty in keeping the mill constantly at work, rain or no rain. The company have good reason to congratulate themselves on being so successful, especially when they know of so many mills having had such a long spell of idleness. The programme of the Ponsonby Regatta Club is published in our advertisement columns. The regatta is to come off on the 14th April. There are nine events ou the programme. The Native Minister notifies by the Jfaw Zealand Gazette that blocks of native land are under negotiation for purchase by the Government iu tho Wanganui district, amounting in all to about 312,076 acres. Allotment 21, Albert Town, or Port Albert, containing 2 roods 2 perches, parish of Oruawlnro, in the Otamatea survey d:strict, has been reserved as a 6ite for a telegraph office. Allotment 51, town of Te Awamutu, containing 1 rood aud 12 perches, has been reserved as a site for a public hall. .