The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1958, 14 April 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1875.

Mb J. M. Dabgavillb, as a candidate for the representation of Auckland City West in the General Assembly, addressed the electors at Newton, on Monday evening. His speech is not reported fully in the Auckland papers, but one subject is given prominence to which pos•eises an interest for Thames people. Beferring to ifche loan to the Provincial Government for tho proitoution of the

work undertaken by the United Pumping Association, Mr Dargaville is reported as follows :-- •

"As an Instance of the necessity for, and alteration in, the existing condition of government, the speaker referred to the grant of £60,000 towards the Pumping A ssociation at the Thames, which, he said, had been given without any objection by the General Government out of the Colonial funds, while* for such a -national object as education an obnoxious tax had been imposed upon the people of the province. If a sum like £50,000 could be so easily raised for such a purpose, surely there was jno necessity for such an objectionable method of raising money as that adopted in the case of education. (Cheers)* With regard to that grant to the Pumping A ssociation, he'might remark that the security given was no security at all, for it comprised the machinery, which was well known by all acquainted with mining matters became worthless in the event of ; mining failure \"). In fact, in case of necessity of realising the machinery would not be worth carting away. (Laughter and cheers). To put it plainly, the principle on which rtliat money had been advanced to the few favoured capitalists, for whose benefit it was granted, was—heads, the capitalists, win ; tails, the Governmemt |gse."

Mr. Dargfaville would appear to have implied by this, that it would have been as easy to obtain a vote of £50,000 for carrying.on the work of education in Auckland, as it was to obtain a loan out of. the Public Works ,fund to prosecute a work of colonial importance. He seems to have forgotten that valuable security was given for repayment of this loan ; or, rather, ;]ie attempted to depreciate the security accepted for repayment of the loan by a paraphrase of a stale old joke. Unfortunately for Mr Dargaville he is much too impulsive to be taken on trust as a politician. He has some ability and many good points, but his impulsiveness is continually leading him into rash statements, which on second thought he no doubt would wish to unsay. He has a weakness for making points which, take well with a mixed audience; especially where he can invite applause for some marked attack on capitalists. This ad captandum style of address of Mr Dargaville's takes immensely with certain classes who are prone to think that the "capitalists" are in antagonism to them; but, beyond the temporary applause which such mischievous statements win, it is questionable if they do any good. Certainly not for the candidate, for in most cases they damage his cause, by arraying against him all who are ever to remotely interested in the schemes of the so-called capitalists. It is evident that Mr Dargaville has not studied the special provisions under which the £60,000 loan was granted to the Pumping Association, or the nature of the agreement entered into between the Government and the companies forming the Association. If he had done so, he would have been more careful of what he said. Moreover, he must be extremely ignoiant, if he cannot discriminate between a loan of £50,000 for a great public work—for the repayment of which the Province is liable—and an absolute grant for education in one Province, when other portions of the Colony have to sustain the burden of maintaining education at their own expense. It is not likely that this ill advised criticism has improved Mr Dargaville's chance of election.

The agricultural statistics of the Province of Auckland for the year 1875 are published in the Auckland papers, having been furnished by the enumerator* Colonel Haultain. From these we learn that the number of holdings\in the Thames electoral district is 67 ;* extent cf land broken up but mot under crop, 833| acres ; total number of acres under crop, including sown grasses, 3,853f acres. Another year we hope to see a marked difference in these figures. Hitherto the Thames district proper, exclusive of native lands, has been circumscribed in extent, so far as land suitable for agricultural purposes is concerned; but" with the opening of Ohinemuri and the settlements on* the Piako, another year's statistics should tell a different tale. The total number of holdings in the Province is given as 3910, against 3796 for 1874; showing an increase of 114. 'The aggregate number of acres under crop* including sown grasses, is 268.667f; for 1874,227,480£; increase, 41,176*. Comparatively speaking the statistics are not satisfactory. ' While the (Southern Pro - vinees are able to export thousands of bushels of wheat, Auckland does not produce nearly enough for home consumption, and the increase in the number of holdings and acre 3 under crop is not commensurate with the increase of population.

Theee were no cases for hearing at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning.

The Takapuna took a good number of paesengers for Ohiiiemuri this morning.

Most of the miners who went from Ohinemuri to Tairua have returned whence they came } many pegged.out previous to retracing their ittps.

Ix is advertisod that a performance will be given by the Thames Magnet Variety Troupe in the Academy of Music on Thursday evening next. The proceeds of the performance are to be devoted to the fund for Mrs Fox, who lost her husband recently through an accident in the Queen of Beauty mine. Such an announcement should of itself be sufficient, to draw a large house, b»t it may be stilted as an additional attraction that a number of amateurs have kindly consented to make their appearanre ; amongst them are Miss Wiseman and Miss Hunter.

We learn that Sir George Gf-rey has consented to accept the management of the goldfields and that the delegated powers under the Goldmining Districts and Goldfields Acts will be handed over to him directly. Sir George intends visiting the Thames and remaining here for some days, and it has been stated that the Colonial Government will make an advance to carry on necessary works. ' Some money could be well spent in different directions before.the.wintar sets in. „r ¥ - . The monthly convocation of^e Abbotsford Eoyal Arch Chaptj* was Wd <at the Freemasons* Hall, Owen 'ftrtu*, last right. Two candidates were exalted, and others proposed. .The charter recently received from the Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland was examined by companions of the chapter.

" Okb .of the most extraordinary scenes that ever occurred in a^ puMfcs||place of; amusement, was witnessed,';?? says'-:tffe Sydriey Evening News of March -16£" by the audience of the Victoria Theatre laajf'nlght during the performance of the ' Shaughraun.' In consequence of the crowded stats of the house there was a number of peraons, as usual, leaning on the stage from tke stalls.' Amongsb them was a gentleman who had a number of sheets of blank paper, upon which he was apparently taking notes after the manner of reporters. Soon after the curtain rose" in the famous * wake' scene, this person placed his foot upoa the sid9 orchestra partition, leaped upon the stage, and, throwing himself on his knees at the feet of one of the actresses, addressed to her some fervid but incoherent terms of endearment and promises of eternal lore. Whether this passion and'•infatuation was of sudden growth or long standiag, of course we cannot say; but the effect upon the dramatis persona and audience may better be imagined than described. The corpse of Conn Btared in amazement, the keeners were puzzled," and the audience after comprehending the nature of the f . affair, burst out into yells of laughter, disapprobation, and finally applause, as the stage manager ran »he offender out at the wings, where a dozen willing hands were ready to push the unfortunate wight down etairsand out at the stage entrance into tb«r?^itreet. JtTho gentleman so suddenly overcome by thriight of the object of his passion is said to lia'fe once held Her Majesty's commission as an officer, aad has ample means."

An odd story illustrative of East Coast morality has been whispered in our ears this day. It has only one redeeming feature—its truthfulness. The names of the parties shall of course be unsuag—but tho story runs in this guise. Some time since, not farfrom the moral Bettlen>en f "*i Wairoa, an individual rejoicing under a foreign soubriquet enchained himself as his bellasposa Loped in, the fetters of Hymen. Life with its connubial endearments passed tranquilly away until the the sister of the married lady appeared on the tapis. Man is a creature fond of variety as well as addicted to habit. The unmarried demoiselle was preferred to I;he one taken " for better or worse," and exalted to the position Mary should hare retained. Magdelene, however, retained her hold on the affections of her sister's lord/and Mary sought pastures new in servitude with a Boniface. In Mary's own expressive words, " she did not like it"—meanirg probably the sisterly preference. But what could Lothario do ? the British laws forbid bigamy. He was evidently a man of talent, as Ihe denouement will show. Bemembering his lawful wife was flaming coin of the realm which she had not not taken the precaution to protect—he applied for her earnings—failing to obtain which, he has entered an action against her employer for illegal detention of his property —viz., his wife. He has laid the damages at £500. Certainly this man rnmst have been born a fiaancier.—Napier Telegraph.

People do not generally tura to the " Commercial" columns of a newspaper for light-reading, but a broker in Dunedin who contribute " the sharemar ket" to the G-uardjan does not confine himself to the usual string of technical phrases, intelligible only to frequenters of 'Change, as the following specimen shows :—" Devotion, races, and amusements (strange incongruity, but not less strange than true, " EcclesiastiS, or the Preacher," notwithstanding), having engrossed public attention during the week, there is but little to note. Business,'as a ne« c ssary consequence, has not been very lively; rather the reverse. Transactions effected have been few in number, and of generally limited extent. Prices have not shown any fluctuation. The most striking feature of the week is the extraordinary number of fires nearly all over the colony, from North to* South, by "which a large amount of property has been destroyed, falling rather heavily upon many of the insurance companies. It is satisfactory to learn that a good deal has been saved from the latest one at Wanganui; and that one man has been arrested whose stock is supposed to be heavily insured. It is impossible to resist the conclusion that the majority of these fires are the work of devilish incendiaries, and it is most earnestly hoped the charge may be sheeted home to them. If a few of these villains were convicted, and sentenced to be suspended to as lofty a pinnacle as was Hainan, very few would regret the loss of such execrable scoundrels. The profits of insurance companies are doubtless so. considerable that they can well afford these losses, although for the moment they are not calculated to enhance the value of their shares. The public have, during the last few days, learnt with the most unalloyed satisfaction that the Court of Directors of the National Bank of New Zealand have resolred upon abolishing ids local boards all over the colony. Few can question that the result to the bank will amply justify the wisdom and expediency of this exceMent resolve. Objections in small communities to local directors are so patent and manifold that it would be supererogatory to enumerate them in detail. The Court of Directors are therefore to be congratulated upon their wise decision, which, there is little doubt, will conduce to the increased prosperity of ths bank.' 1

Otje Corornandel telegraphic correspondent advises us that Mnjor Keddell left for the Thames this afternoon. Major Keddell has received a commission to conduct an enquiry as to Ihe manner in whi.-h miners' rights were obtained at Ohinemuri before ten o'clock on the morning of the Proclamation. The office is nor, a thankful one for any person, and it is lees go for Major Keddell, who, a* a warden, is called upon to investigate certain irregwlarit'es which reflect on a Warden's department. Otherwise the appointment weuld be entiiely satisfactory, we believe.

"Atticus," in the Leader, writes as follows :—" Proposing and seconding a vote of thanks to God, having the propriety of passing it debated, and only having it carried by an amendment being inserted to the effect that they had'nt quite as much to be grateful for as wag stated in the original motion, appears to me somewhat of irreverence, if not something stronger. But this is what the Melbourne Presbytery did on Tuesday. The Bey. Mr McVean moved, and Dr. McDonald Feconded—' That God be thanked for the abuacflnfc harvest, and copious r yin, and the, removal of the measles.*' To this it, was objected by several rev., gentlemen^ that the measles were not removed ; and a modified vote of- thanks was passed for * the-, improved stato of the public health.'. Perhaps next month the Presbytery will see their way to a cordial vote of thinks without any reservation. Their gratitude this week o'eriiainly appears to spring ' from a likely anticipation of favors to come.'"