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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2079, 2 September 1875, Page 2

Mr W. J. Speight's lecture on Good Templary, at the Good Templars' Hall, Eolleston street, at 8 o'clock. .;..

Banner of Ulster Loyal Orange Lodge at the Odd fellows' Hall, Kichnioiid street, Shorthand, at half-past seven o'clock. Court Pride of Farnell, A.O.I 1., at the Freemasons' Hall, Owen street, at half past seven o'clock. .

MEETINGS, ETC., THIS EVEN-ING.

We are informed that the various Highway Boards met by appointment yesterday evening, and that a reporter of a contemporary who chanced to have got scent of the meeting was refused admission. We much wonder at this, neither do we see ;with ; what .motive the Boards took the action in the matter they did, unless for the purpose of concealment, and what they have to conceal, if they have anything, must remain a matter of conjecture. Unfortunately, all men when they-conjecture do not err on the side of charity, in attributing good motives to their neighbors ; and as the ratepayers of the . various highway boards who elect representatives naturally wish to know how or in what way their representatives act for their interests, we should not be surprised if some unpleasant surmises were set afloat concerning the reason why the trustees were under the necessity of consulting with closed doors. If they met with an honest desire to act in concert for the public good, surely all the more reason to admit the press that the public might be informed through them of the actions being taken for their benefit. If anything underhand was to be attempted—the mere fact of a private meeting was enough to make suspicion doubly suspicious. Besides the result must sooner or later be known; the attempt to fetter the press has been made before, and since, the days of Willianrof Orange the result has been the same failure, not seldom accompanied by disgrace. Highway Boards, and Committee? may meet in secret as much as they like, but —

Foul deeds v ill rise, Tfibugft all the earth overwhelm them from men's eyes.

The only result likely to be attained is to engender suspicion where often there is ground for none whatever.

The ways of the Telegraph Deparfc.ment arc past all understanding. We sometimes feel inclined to give up protesting, having failed to secure any redress at the hands of the Department. There seems to be an entire absence of system in working and the Press has to suffer —and pay. Yesterday we had an instance of the Department's smartness. A message was received for transmission at the Wellington office at 11.25 a.m., and it reached us about 5 p.m. As this message referred to the business transacted in the House of Representatives on the previous evening, it is but fair to assume that it should have been sent through at once. But from some cause or other the message did not reachpur office till just before five o'clock: the time at which the message was " " finished" in. the Grahamstown office is marked 432 p.m. As we had other messages coming through during the day without unnecessary delay it is fair to assume that this one was mislaid or purposely kept back. The business in the House at yesterday afternoon's sitting came through in good time although not put in to the office till 3.20, and it appeared in last night's issue. But the message put in at 11.25—four hours before—was received after it,' and closely following this was another mes-. sage from a correspondent which was presented at [the Government Buildings at 3.30. If anyone can say that there is either system or order in a department where things of this.kind are repeatedly allowed to occur we do not know what system means. The fact of the matter is that the whole department wants overhauling. Some of the young gentlemen who are by courtesy termed " operators" should be sent to school for a few years, or back to their proper sphpre—the mes-

sengcrs' department. As managed at present the Telegraph Department is a scandal and a disgrace to tho Government. It is simply obtaining money under false pretences to charge for messages which, through the neglect or. incompetjeney of are delayed until they are practically useless to the papers for they are intended. The evening papers'are-the greatest sufferers in this respect, and for ourselves' we shall continue to protest until some amendment is made. On the principle that constant dropping wears away stones, TJerhaps in vtime we may effect a reform in the department whoso shortcomings are; daily .becoming mdrc apparent.

We are informed that the amount taken at the doors of the .Academy of Music on the last evening of ,the Fakir of Oolu's entertainment amounted.to £95. The sum certainly seems very large and many do not believe that a sufficient number of people could have found their way inside to have accounted for that sum being taken. It must, however, be remembered that the prices for the front seats and gallery were 4s and 2s 6d—and the number of fr.ont seats was greatly increased on the occasion—besides the house being crowded. We should feel inclined to account for the large sum in this way —front seats £50 ; gallery £27; pit £18. The amount for the front seats seems large, but with 20 people in each row £'1 would be received—and twelve rows would give £48—this seems to us to be a fair approximate reckoning.

Tme Duke of EdingburgU while on his visit to the Colonies did not succeed in gaining a name for generosity, but Mr Charles Bright in a lecture recently delivered in Melbourne, related the following, which shows that Alfred ij could remember one whom he had been on terms of friendship with during his stay in Melbourne. Referring to the Duke's friendship for Mr B. C. Aspinall, the genial humoarist lately deceased, he said that during Mr Aspinall's illness in England, the .Prince at his own cost, had a consultation of three leading physicians, and attended the funeral when all was over. Further than this, the Duke was desirous of gaining the admission of one of Mr Aspinall's sons to the School of Naval Cadets. The presentations of the Queen and the Duke cf Cambridge having been disposed of, the Prince paid £500 himself for a life-governership to enable him to nominate the son of his. Australian friend.

iEaiEs, in the Australasian, thus satirizes the drinking habits of colonials: —The meaningless colonial habit of seizing any excuse, however inappropriate, for visiting a drinking bar is quite inexplicable to foreigners. Upon this point an eminent Italian basso thus discoursed the other day in tolerablo English :-»-" I cannot understand you people. If de weather is dull or is fine you have a /Irink —if cold or warm it is all de same—if business is good or if business is bad again you take a drink. I was in Sydney the other,day, and who should arrire from Melbourne but Yon Sandridge. I say, ' Yon Sandridge, you look gloomy—how you get on ?' He say • Not at all;well —very down-hearted.' I say, 'Yon Sandridge, vat is de matter ?' He press my hand tight and say, ' Losfc my vife—come and have a drink.'"

According to the Mount Alexander Mail, a case presenting some curious features was heard at the Castlemaine Police Court on Tuesday. Mr Sinclair, of Guildford, was complained against for giving to Mr Edhouse three printed circulars on which there was no imprint. The circulars contained grave charges against several well-known gentlemen in Castlemaine, but the defamatory matter formed no part of the complaint, which was confined simply to the absence of an imprint. Mr Sinclair was fined in three different cases, in.an amount which with costs, amounted to £18 133. One of fcbe strange things iv the case was that one gentleman avowed he ordered the circulars to be printed, and another equally bold declared he delivered them broadcast, leaving a few at Mr Sinclair's store." For Mr Sinclair's indiscretion in supplying Mr Edhouse with the defamatory matter he alone paid the penalty, the principals going so far scot free.

The Grey Eiver Argus gives the following :—A contemporary states that there is reason to believe that the well-known novelist " Ouida " is at present on a visit to Wellington, but desires to remain incog. It is added that her object in visiting the colonies is to obtain material for a new tale. .'

It is some time since we were called upon .to record anything in the way of " selling off" or "immense reductions" in the clothing department. But we are now reminded that Messrs J. Cosgrave and Co., are calling a sale of drapery and ■ clothing at their establishments in Owen and Albertstreets. The stocks in. these establishments embrace £20,000 worth of goods. Cheap drapery and winter clothing will now be the order of the day.—Advt.