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Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1882, 4 August 1874, Page 2

The postmaster at the Thames, in answer to a communication with the head office in Auckland, respecting the departure of the mail steamer 'Cyphrenes,' received the very indefinite reply that she would •' probably leave late to-morrow" (Tuesday).

In consequence of the tempestuous and rainy weather of yesterday and last night the proposed benefit performance at the Theatre Boyal has been postponed until to-night. The amateurs and band who tendered their services have kindly consented to this postponement, and the excellent programme which was announced for last night vtoll be performed tonight. The gift distribution will also take place.

The nativesfromManiaand Coromandel, who have been invited to attend the great meeting at Whakatiwai, are still encamped at Tararu. We understand they purpose holding a preliminary meeting at Parawai, in company with the Shorfland and other natives, in order to discuss the subjects to be brought on at the meeting at Whakatiwai, and arrive at some conclusion as to the course to be pursued.

A. sitting of the District Court was to have been held to-day, but in consequence of the non-arrival of the 'Golden Crown' 'yesterday Judge Beckham was unable to get down to the Thames, an'l the business of the Court will have to stand adjourned until more favourable weather. Mr Stoney, the Clerk of the Court, received a telegram from Ju'lge Beckham last evening, instructing him to adjourn the Court until tomorrow.

Mr Kempthorne, who for the last five years has performed the duties of teller at the liraliamstowu branch of the Bank of New South Wales, and who for some time acted as agent for the bank at this place, has received orders to remove to the Auckland branch. Mr Kempthorne, during his residence at the Thames, has won for himself the highest respect by his gentlemanly conduct and unassuming demeanour. His absence wiU be felt during the ensuing rowing and cricket seasous, but he will take with him the good wishes of all with whom he was brought into contact. Mr Kempthorne leaves for Auckland to-day by the 'Golden Crown.' Mr Lodge has beea appointed to take his place.

To the Editor,—Sir,—As there are are a great many interested in the subject, will you kindly giro the following publicity for their information.—l am, &c., John Farrell. " Superintendent's Office, Auckland, 2ad July, 1874. Gentlemen,—l have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your numerously signed petition requesting that the Karaka Creek Tramway be leased on terms tions similar to those in the case of the Hape Creek Tram nay. I beg to state, in reply, that it is not desirable that any alteration should be made until the completion of the Bella-street tramway, which will connect the Karaka with the whole tramway system of the goldfield. The Bella-street tramway is expected to be completed shortly, and- when that shall have been done, .the request which you now make will receive full consideration —! am, Ac., P. Dignan, for the Superintendent Mr John Farrell and others, Grahamstown."

An interesting case will come on for argument to-day at the Resident Magistrate's Court.. It will be recollected that on Friday last Mr 'l yler, on behalf of Kenneth Brown, applied to have the license held by Samuel Young for then Court-house Hotel transferred to his client, The necessary forms had been complied with, and the transfer would have been doubtless made only that Mr Oldrey, the agent for the Trustee in Bankruptcy, opposed. He reminded His Worship that Samuel Young was a bankrupt, and the trustee claimed the license as an asset of the bankrupt. The Court adjourned the cise in order to have the question fully argued as to whether a license to sell liquors is or is not an asset. It appears that in this ease Mr Young paid £40 for his license only two days before filing his schedule. There has hitherto been no decisive ruling upon this point although the question was once before raise J in the Thames Court, and as it is a subject of interest to a large numb»r, the proceedings will j no doubt bo closely watched.

We understand that Messrs Holmes Eros, will substitute the new p.s, ' ffauraki' for the ' Eaterprise No 2' on the Thames trade, about the end of the present week. The' Enterprise' will take up the Coromandel trade until the p.s. ' Challenger' is ready for sea again.

The Westporl Times has the following "The price of meat is uot only advancing at Wcstport, but at all other places along the coast. On the last trip of the ' Charles Edwards ' to Eokitiko, the providore had to pay 8d per pound for beef for use on board. At the last sale of sheep, to account of Messrs Seaton and Davidson, at Greymouth, 36s per head was Efiven."

Considerable alterations are being made in tho premises of the telegraphic department, Government buildings, Thames. In order to increase the size aud accommodation in the operating rooms, the partition which divided it from the couuter clerk s room is being removed, The late will be accommodated with a place in the room hitherto used by the public, from whom he will only be separated by a counter fitted _ with upright partitions to secure the requisite secresy for those writing messages, teach message can be handed to the clerk direct from the apartment of the counter wkero it is written, and the sliding peep hole hitherto in use will be entirely dispensed with.

Mr Woodward's paper in the Premier's new Handbook for New Zealand states that there are 77 newspapers published in this colony. Their distribution is as follows Otago, 19; Canterbury, 8; Marlborough, 3; Nelson, 10; Westlaad, 8; Wellington, 10; Hawke's Bay, 5; Taranaki, 2; and Auckland, 11. At Christchurch and Dunedin an illustrated paper is published monthly; i Maori paper is issued fortnightly—27 weeklies, 9 triweeklies, 11 bi-weeklies, aud 28 dailies. This is a tolerably large provision of light literature for a population of a quarter of a million people, and should keep them well informed of cm-rent events.

A London correspondent writes:—"The American Government is very active in the matter of observing the coming transit of Venus. The sloop-of-war 'Swatara,' commanded by Captain Chandler, mil touch at New Zealand during her voyage conveying parties of astronomers to the various stations selected. She is also to do some exploring work at the same time, The New York Times says that sho is to visit a group of unexplored islands situated about 300 miles south-east of New Zealand, What group this can be lam at a loss to imagine. The first party of the English expedition sailed about a week ago in a troop-ship for the Cape of Good Hope. The officer appointed for New Zealand is Major Palmer, K.E., astronomer and photographer. The whole affair is under the control of Sir George Airey, Astronomer Soyal. The party will be landed at the Cape, and thence proceed to their stations by other vessels. Germany, Russia, and all the great powers are acting in concert to obtain the best result by comparison at this important epoch."

The stormy weather was the excuse for the | ' Golden Crown' steamer not making her usual trips to and from the Thames yesterday. Under ordinary circumstances the matter would be looked upon as a trivial inconvenience, but it i 3 made more serious by the fact that the English and American mails were to have been despatched by her in time to catch the 'Cyphrenes,' which is advertised to sail from Auckland this afternoon at 2 o'clock. If this programme is carried out the letters which were to have been despatched by her from this place must remain behind far another month. We are also informed of another circumstance which makes the matter still worse. A large number of people posted their letters and papers on Saturday, so as to make sure of being ia time, bat if we are rightly informed, the 'Crown'sailed before ihe mail bags were put oil board. It is just possible that the 'Gyphrenes' might be detained in Auckland harbour until the' Oolden Crown' arrives there to-iiight, that is if she comes to the Thames at all to-day. The Thames post-office being now what is called a first-class office, the American and English mails from this place could be made up here and placed on board the 'Cyphrenes' by the 'Golden Crown' immediately on her arrival in Auckland harbour. No positive intimation of any alteration of the time fixed for the sailing of the' Cyphrenes' has been received at the Thames, and from our Auckland telegram it will be seen that although she had not put in an appearance up to 6.30 p. in. no alteration of the hour of sailing (2 p.m. to-d iy), had been made by the postal authorities.

The latest novelty iu actions for libel is one threatened by Mr Donne, M.P.C. for Charleston, ag'iust the Lijdl Anjus, because in that paper Mr Donne was described as a " notoriously honest and a worthy man." On account o£ this Mr Niven, the proprietor of the paper, received a letter from a firm of Nelson solicitors demanding an apology and three guineas to prevent proceedings. Mr Niven forwarded the Mowing reply" To Messrs Adams and Kingdom, solicitors, Nelson.—A. reference to the 'leader' of May 30 shows me that the person who is there alluded to is described as a notoriously honest and worthy man. It is to be regretted that Mr Donne should consider such epithets libellous, but as he appears to do so, and also to think that they apply to him, I shall have no possible objection to apologise for having in that manner accidentally offmded him I very much regret to have to inform you that your • client will have to apply elsewhere for the three guineas to which you allude,"

The following telegraphic intelegence is from the Adelaide Observer. It will 1)3 seen from the quartz lodes of the Northern Territory immensely rich stone is being obtained. In one case, that of the Onion lleef, the yield exceech 70ozs. of gold to the ton of stone Yam Creek May 26, afternoon: Prom the Union Reef Prospectors' Claim 10 tons of quartz have been crushed at the Telegraph Compmy's battery and the itone has yielded 7710z5. 9dtfts. of gold.— Port Darwin, May 20: Mr W. Liston. J.P., reports that eight or ten tons of quartz from the Christmas Claim have yielded 56:zs. of gold when crushed at the Telegraph Mining Company's battery.—Port Darwin, May 23, afternoon : Mr M'Minn reports that the Alexandra Prospecting Company has crushed 33 tons of stone at Newman's battery (Westcott's), and the result has been 2450zs of gold. The Morning Star Company has also crushed three tons of stone, and the yield was 12ozs. 15dwts, of gold.

Dr. Davi3 recently delivered an astronomical lecture in one of the midland towns in England, in which to show the size of tlie world, the Dr. described the duration of an imaginary journey round, supposiag a railway train, travelling at the rate of 30 miles an hour could be employed. Starting on that day (the 25th May) they would sight St. Selena on the Ist June, reaching the •louth Pole at five o'clock on the evening of the Bth June, and arriving at the Antipodes in 16 days 17 hours. Pro seeding along the other side of the earth in a northerly direction, they would reach the North Pole oa the 25th June, land at Shields to the 29fch, and rea'jh Derby at midnight on that day, after a journey of 35 days 4 hours. The moon and sun were next spoken of, and the manner their distance wascalcnlated. Goiug at the rate of 30 miles an hour, it would take 9 days to go round the moon. The distance of the sun from the earth was very difficult to calculate; the probable distance was 91,000,000 of miles, but this would be more definitely determined by the coming transit of Venus. It would take 338 years to reach the sun supposing they could employ their imaginary train. A, shot propelled from an Armstrong gun would be there in thirteen years, and light and electricity in eight minutes. A brief exposition of the planets followed. Jupiter at the present time might be seen at six or seven o'clock in the evening near the confines o£ Leo and Yirgo. riaturn might at the present time be seen with the telescope, as a morning stir. ' Uranus was now in the constellation of Gincer.. Comets, meteors, the 136 planetoids were also'explained, and then the fixed stars. These bodies were so distant that although' the base of the parallax (being a line drawn from the two opposite points of observation) was 182,000.000 miles, the lines were found to be just 90 degrees with regard to the base line. The wonderful conforms, bn of the stars known as Eta, Lyra), and the recent solution of the apparent erratic movements of Procyon were lucidly described, as aki the uebuliß, aodiacal light, &c. ,