THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, MAY 10, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1980, 10 May 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, MAY 10, 1875.

- The Sunday parade of the Thames Scottish Volunteers took place yesterday, when the Company was escorted to and from Church, by their admirable brass band. The attendance from various causes (none more active than the unsettled condition of the district at present) iras not so good a3 we could have been pleased to see, the corps as a rule mustering in great strength. Major Cooper, officer commanding the district, was present, and the Bey. James Hill preached an eloquent sermon, specially composed for the occasion. The s.s. Ladybird arrived an the Manukau from Southern ports yesterday

morning. The following is her passenger list:—Five boys for the Naval Training School, Messrs Bannerman, McConachie, Miakie, Dean, Snelton, Lorn, Godwin, Perkenfeld, SteeiiSelanders, Eanken, Macks, Sharpe, Hall, Jones, Strong, Starrington, Dillon, Beere, Moorhouse, Mr and Mrs. Salmond, Mrs Millar and three children, Captain Petherbridge.

The Provincial Government of Canterbury, we are told by telegram, continues to evince a strong tendency towards economy, and orders have been given for all their advertisements to be inserted without the royal arms being placed at their head, as hitherto. The railway tables are also to be advertised less frequently. The financial crisis has .evidently created alarm, and the Govern*»'merit,'in initiating a system of economy, do not despiae " small things." If they practice economy in every department similar to thai initiated in the advertising, ifc will then take them some tin^ to make up the deficit between Provincial revenue and expenditure.

Taking infants to a theatre is a common practice, the consequences of which, at times, are most objectionable. The squalling of a " dear babe " at a critical point in the representation of a tragedy is very distressing ; and it is not to be wondered at, therefore, that those " odious men in the pit" will say "choko it," "got a sponge cake for tho brat," and such like. On Saturday there wero a, number of babies in the Theatre Eoyal, in which tho De Lias Company were performing "Lucretia Borgia," and they somewhat marred the effect of the play. On Mrs Darrell announcing herself in one scene—" lam Lucretia Borgia " —" ow ! ow ! ow! " camo from the extremo left of the gallery, " squeak, squeak ! " camo from the right, and tho chorus was takdri up by a hoarse infant in' the rear. Lessees might fairly be excused if they charged double-for infants in arms.

Fkesh discoveries, and marvellous! An amiable but weak-minded man was going about the town on Saturday relating of a discovery of quartz reefs in the Kauaeranga, all of them possessing very promising features, and none of them being less than ten feet in thickness, The fortunate possessor of such valuable information was very careful to impress upon those to whom he unbosomed himself, that he was keeping the fact a " profound secret," and purposed commencing active operations next summer.- Until then everything was to be kept dark. He has certainly a remarkable way of keeping his secret, but it may be stated that he has a piece of ground some miles up the Kauaeranga, and — hope is sometimes delusive.

A notice in the New Zealand Gazette directs the attention of masters, owners, and agents of trading vessels on the coast of New Zealand, to the following, clause from the New Zealand Post-office Act, 1858 :—." Clause 25. The master of every vessel about to proceed" from any port to any other port, will give at least 24 hours' 1 notice at the Post-office at such port of his departure ; and if any vessel does not sail at the time appointed, shall also give timely notice of alteration as to period of her departure)' so as to enable'the Postoffice, or other Post-offices, to be prepared to despatch mails on board such vessel; and if any such master shall refuse, fail, or neglect to give such notice, he shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding £100."

/We (Bay of Plenty Times) learn that the telegraph line to Poverty Bay is now on the eve of completion, and that it is expected that the line will be opened in three or four days time. The Poverty Bay people have certainly waited long and patiently for .this luxury, and we congratulate them on its completion.

The Bay of Plenty Times says of the Stewart Special Settlement at JTatikati, that the whole-block has been surveyed by Mr Eric Goldsmith, the roads duly laid out, jand the Native.Eeserves distinguished—in short the entiro block is ready to be taken up and settled on at any moment. This certainly does not look as if the- General Government was inclined to be remiss in the matter, or in the slightest to mar the fair prospect of the scheme by "negative" opposition.

The "own correspondent" of the "Wellington Tribune at Napier telegraphed the following :—" Attention was called in last evening's paper to a deflection in the railway bridges. It is stated here that the piles were going four inches at each blow, when the driving of them was stopped. The deflection in the span is two inches. A notice has been posted at the engine-house, that drivers are not to go more, than six miles an hour over the bridges. A layer of sleepers has been put on the bridges to raise the rails so as to devoid deflection, and the stringers are iron-strapped. The Government commenced repairs as soon as Brogden got the contract taken over.

" A stkange story comes," say 3 a Victorian journal " from Ondit. The people in that locality hav"e been sorely exercised in their minds lately respecting some most unusual noises: at the residence of Mr Bingley, whojresidea about two miles from Ondit. It appears that some few days back, after nightfall, the noises commenced witb. a sharp ' tapping at the door,' and after a;.short interval stones would be thrown violently on the roof of the house. The Occurrences were repeated night after night until the whole township was up in arms, and Mr and Mis Bingley almost sent out of their minds. The services of Constable "Woodhouse were called into requisition, and he watched for three nights; but could not discover anythingi although he could see the stones fall on the roof. About two or three cartloads of stones were to be seen lying about the place, which had been thrown on tho house. Several of the neighbours at length began to entertain doubts about visitors from 'spirit land' causing the noises, and suspicion rested on Mr Bingley's niece who had been residing with them for some little time. The noise alway3 took place when this y«ung lady happened to be outside. She was kept in one night, and no stones were thrown, but the tapping at the door took place. The niece was accordingly sent away to some friends at "Winchelsea en Monday last, and we understand that the stone throwing has not since been heard."

" The stobt," say 3 a correspondent of the Qtago Guardian, " known only to a fewy'a short time ago, concerning the frequent visits which a tax-gatherer, a married man, with five ' olive branches,' had been making to the house of a young and accomplished, but desolate and lonely widow, scarcely, 100 miles from town, has now wandered a long way outside hep family circle. It seems that the gay Lothario, fascinated by ' the charm of beauty's powerful glance, managed to scrape an acquaintance with the lady by marching daily, book in hand, to collect rates; but always took care to be without change, so that, though lie expressed his intention to call again and again, suspicion, until very recently, was not created, i But, as time wore on, the unhappy manso, at least, in his despairing moments, he said he was—began to lose sight of the original cause of his visit, and, every day gaming more courage, he at length disclosed to his channel? the exciting news that he was hers for even, that he could no more live without her than h,o could without air, and that he was prepared tfi go with her anywhere aad verywhere. It turned out, too, that the confiding and tolerating natures of the gentleman was more than equal to that of the lady, for when he went so far as to proclaim that the nuptial knot had already him securely tied, the lady warmly upbraided him regarding his infidelity to one woman while making professions of lore to another, and dared him to trespass again—even on the plea of collecting taxes. And thus-the matter stands."

The Bay of Plenty Times reperts that 202 fresh claims to be placed on the Electoral Eoll have been sent in to the Eegistraticn Officer for the East Coast District.