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Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1767, 1 September 1874, Page 2

Foil the second consecutive morning there was a clean sheet at the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day. The members of the Loyal Waikato Lodge of Odd Fellows, No. 5444, have determined to present their P.G.M., Mr. L NJ. Bagnall, with a substantial recognition of his services in the shape of a handsome gold watch, valued at £28. Tho presentation will take place at the BOiree to be held tomorrow. We have received from the Government Printer No. 12 New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, New Zealand Q-azettes Nos. 43 and 44, and the following papers:—Correspondence relative to disallowance of Provincial Bills; disallowance ef the Otago Gold Duty Repayment Ordinance; papers relative to Goldmining Legislation and Immigration; fifteenth annual report of the Post Office Department; tenth annual report of the Telegraph Department; papers relative to the i Suez Mail Service; a general summary of the import, export and shippiag returns, and an abstract of the Customs Revenue; Report by the Inspector of Surveys; reports from Officers of the Native Contingent; report of the Registrar-General of Land; papers relative to the New Zealand War Medal; report of the Auditor-General on the Printing De* partment; instructions and correspondence relating to the the Licensing Act, 187,3 ; preliminary Cenius Tables, 1874. " <■

The Btearnor Hauiaki bad not airived from Auckland at nn eatly hour this morning, consequently she could not leave Grahanistown as advertised,, at 9 o'clock a.m. The Thames has suffered much from the irregular traffic of the only steamer that has for tome time been on the line as a passenger boat, and it is to,be hoped that this mDy not be taken as a prelude to what may in the future be expected of tho Hauraki. „ ,■■■' We »ro requested to ir.tii.uato that the funeral of tho late James McCaiFerty will fcalco place from his residence, Rolleston-street, tomorrsw, at a quarter to one o'clock, instead of threo o'clock, as previously notiGed. The alteration in the time has been m«do in order that men going on shift iii the afternoon mny attend the fuaoral. Deceased was formerly sergeant of police, and afterwards letter carrier on tbe Thames, and was respected by a large circle of friends. • Thb monthly inspection of the Thames Naval Brigade was held last evening, and performed by the commander of tho district, Mojor Cooper. They mustered in capital force. Subsequent to putting them through the usual evolutions, Mnjor Cooper p-esentcd to them the big gun prize for 1874, namely, £10, tho fortunate winner being I\ O. J. Thomas*, the officer in charge of JSTo 2 ere w. Threo prizes were also distributed for good attendance at gun drill: prizes 30s, 20s, and 10s. The company were then marched out, and on their return, a meeting was held, at which several members and hon. members were elected. It is rumoured fcbafc an arrangement has been come to in the political world by'which Charles O'Noill, Esq., M.H.R., will resign-his i position as Thames member in the General i As-enbly, and that James Mackay, E»q.. viill stand for election to tho seat. How far this rumour is to be reliod upon as authentic, wo aro not prepared to say ; but tho authority from •which it is obtaiccd is supposed to be reliable. Rumour has also caught up tho name of Mr. William Rowa in its airy passage, and proclaims that that gentleman will contest tho election; this is still more likely, as Mr. Rowe has but recently expressed his intsntion in a definite manner of claiming the suffrages of the Thames electors for (,hia purpose. What an excessively absurd creature a drunken man frequently is ; and how wise does he inevitably consider himself. A parasite of Bacchus was to-day being led home by two considerate friends, bscauso he was not, according to their ideas, competent to go home by hiineelf. As is cot unfrequently tho case, the gentleman resents tho aid, «s hurtful to his sense of dignity as a man and an independent franchiier. One of tho above mentioned Samaritans coaxingly endeavored to persuade him to " come along now." " Pull yourself together, Jack," said he. " What d'ye mean—hie!" said Jack; "tfcink I'm fallin peeshos. Go to fid —lo —sticks my boy-—hie. I'm a man. Hie—here I stands ; and hero I flow'sh; hero I shlides, and here I goesh. That'st my motto," And Jack, as his name would appear to be, after having delivered himself of these " sentiments " with as kingly a gait as he could assume under tho circumstances, proceeded to go—probably elsewhere to give some startling proof of his ability to conduct himself as a man shouldwho possessed for his worldly guidance a mot! o co pregnant with excellent matter aB the above. It has not been deemed necessary to ascertain the destination of this eccentric inebriate, though a shrewd gueos might be made as to where it ought to bo. "Ah occasional corre&pondect " ef tho Bruce Herald Bupplies tho following particulars of a duel in New Caledonia, referred to briefly in telegrams to Ibis paper a short time ago: —Ho says—Two Lieutenants had a quarrel at. mess, and called each other out. I knot" them both verj well. One of them was a very nice fellow, named Guinvre, the other was just the opposite, a bully and a braggart, named De Varrain. They met outside tho town, and fought with email swords. At the first encounter it seems Do Varrain mußt have got his point in just near Guinvre's hoarfc, but neither of them knew it. Guinvre then made a thrust, and wounded his advers»ry through the arm, drawing blood. He then turned to his second and said " I am satisfied," when he suddenly became pale, said " Oh, I feel very feeble," threw up his arms, and fell back dead. On examination, it was found that De Varrain's sword had just reached and pricked the artery leading to the heart, and the flow of blood killed him, There was bo moro external wound to be seen than might have been made by the point of a pin. Wo one would have felt sorry had De Varrain been killed. The duel was fought by tho permission of tbe Governor, so that nothing could be' done to the survivor. Guinvre had the largest funeral ever scan in Noumea, and tho; Governor made a most heartless speech over the grave, one that should never have come from a person in his place. It was all about honor and glory; as if such miserable encounters had anything to do with either, and as if it was honorable and glorious that a poor human being should be thus sent suddenly from life, with all his imperfections on his head. Very different, I can tell you, was the speech made by the representative of tho Freemasons, of which body poor unhappy Guinvre was a member,