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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2100, 27 September 1875, Page 2

A Me Chump has been gnsaged in. the place of Mr Sampson, as Cuy~Jidi£oy of the Times. The World has the following on the subject :—

In turning out Sampson and putting; in Oruinp, Tho Times of course thought they were playing a

trump; Though no doubt for a bribe he would no'er put a

puff in, Yet as well as a Crump it now seems they've a Muff in. ■

The Thames Naval Brigade to the number of about 60 assembled for Church Parade yesterday morning. No 3H.R.V., 20 strong, under the command of Captain Maedonald, also accompanied them to St. George's. ■

The funeral of the late John M'Kee took place on Saturday afternoon at the Shortland Cemetery, the brother of deceased, Rev. James M']£ee, being present as chief mourner, and the burial service being read by the Key. James Hill. There was a large attendance of friends of deceased as mourners. Last evening at St James' Presbyterian Church Mr Hill pveacheda sermon having special reference to the death of Mr M'Kee. The subject of tho discourse was "Human Life," which the rev. gentleman considered in relation to its Uncertainty, its Mysteriousness, and its Importancel; taking as the text the 12th verse of the tenth chapter Job —" Thou hast granted me life and favor, and thy visitation hath prosewed my spirit." A most eloquent discourse was given, which was listened to with marked attention, and effect by a crowded congreation.

The Waiotahi District School Committee met for the despatch of business on Saturday night. Mr Brodie in the chair, in'the .absence of Mr W. Bowe. The hon. secretary read a letter from Mrs Pilkington declining to accept the situation in the Thames School on score of insufficient salary. Besolved that the lady he informed the committee have no control over such, the payment to teachers being fixed by regulation of Central Board. from residents o( Punga Flat praying that the school be kept open. Ordered to be forwarded to Central Board as supplempntary to the Committee's opinion already sent. Applications were received for the assistant teachership at the Thames School, 3 males, 3 females ; letters read with enclosures ; finally carried that Miss Bowen be appointed, and that Mrs Field be offered the vacancy caused at the Waiotahi Creek school; in the event of that lady declining to proceed by nominating Mis 3 Stan ton to the office of assistant teacher and sewing mistress. In the matter of junior assistant at the Thauieß cchool it was resolred to advertise for same, should the vacancy be not filled in terms of name forwarded. [It has since transpired that Mrs Field declined to accept, and that Miss Stanton has accepted the offer at the Waiotahi Creek School.]

The Auckland Echo has commenced an innovation in journalism which, is not likely to be generally followed. It is the insertion of "wanteds" free—that is, advertisements from persons requiring situations or employers wanting servants. Perhaps in time we may have newspapers in which all the advertisements are inserted gratuitously, and the reading matter forms the source of revenue. Such a paper would pay admirably if a publisher could be found unscrupulous enough to print and the hardihood to publish anything writers might contribute and pay for without incurring responsibility.

Referring to Mr Stout's motion for disposing of Crown lands by means of the leasing system, the Tribune says:—The member for Caversham introduced a subject yesterday, which in importance casts into the shade very much that has gone before it iv the Parliament of Sew Zealand. It is, to put it in plain language, that the land of the country shall for ever belong to the.people of the country and not to a few. The motion will not be carried this session or the next. Nevertheless, Mr Stout has done well to bring it forward. It will be the question of the future, and the nearer that future is the better. Provincialism will die hard, Mr Stafford said; but landed monopoly will die harder. Mr Bowen, in opposing the motion, said that as yet the principle was only in a theoretical stage. A dozen years ago the same might have been said regarding the questions of the State Church and the tenure of land in Ireland. Yet to-day, the Irish National Church is a thing of the past, and the Irish Land Biil is on the statue-book of England. And wo-are apt to advance at a faster rate than the mother country.

At the usual fortnight!y meeting last night of the Auckland branch of the Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society, the important office of Secretary was rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr Benjamin Hammil, owing to his projected departure for the Thames, having obtained a lucrative appointment as teacher of the Thames School, a deputation from tbafc district having recently waited on him for that purpose. By his departure the Society loses a most zealous and efficient Secretary, as previous to his accession to office the accounts were in a very complicated state, but with close application to his duties:-be succeeded in unravelling them, which was testified to by a unanimous vote of confidence being passed, as also a letter of recommendation to the Thames Branch. A strange coincidence occurred in the election of a successor, from the fact of there being two Connollys nominated for the office (Press v. chips), namely, Mr Michael Connelly, and. Mr W, G. Connelly, but the latter gentleman retired from thp contest. Mr M. .Connolly was, therefore, declared elected, after which the .-usual installation took place.—Auckland Star.

Julia Matthews has been engaged, owing to the sudden indisposition of the prima donna, Pauline Rita; for " Girofle Girofla" at Spiers and .Pond's Theatre, the Criterion, and had made a brilliant hit. ■ Dolly Green—ano her Dunedin favorite—is being well appreciated in the Provinces. J, L. Hall is about to realise an actor's ambition, and tread the boards of* old Drury. His pupil Morris —a Colonial actor, if ever there was one — has created a marked sensation amongst the London theatre-going people by the mystery of his protean representations.

The Presbytery of Dunse have had under consideration a petition by a small minority of the congregation <af the parish church of Dunse, complaining of the introduction of certain " JJitualist" practices there. The Presbytery adopted a motion which, among outer thjngs, ordered the removal of a, crimson cloth which covered the communion-table, on which were embroidered in gold the letters " 1.H.5.," and several crosses of a cruciform covering,. surmounting the font, and the discontinuance of special services on festival days. They further recommended that, instead of a monthly communion at which communicants knelt before an altar table and used a printed form of communion service, the ordinance should be administered quarterly or halfyearly, according to the fo^m? of the Presbyterian Church, and that the congregation should stand instead of kneeling while the benediction was being pronounced. The decision will be appealed against.

Two Mongolians appeared lately in the Dunedin Police Court occupying the positions of prosecutor and prisoner. Theculprit, a sickly - looking fellow, was charged, with:stealing a gold ring, and also with unlawfully wounding with an nxe, to which, with an air of tranquility, he answered not guilty. Informant assumed an air of gravity throughout the proceedings, except once, when his temper got ruffled, and had thus far succeeded in keeping the Court in ignorance of his knowledge. He was questioned through an interpreter, and, while admitting, he had been in New Zealand and New South Wales altogether nine years, he affected to be unacquainted with the English language, by shaking his head doubtfully, and making , such like expressions as "Me £0" savey." When asked to take the oath, he denied having any religion ; but, on finding he was obliged to go through the form, he smiled complacently and said he worshipped an idolatrous god. He would blow out a match, and if he told a lie, the Emperor of China would cut off his head. Tho laughter of the spectators having been suppressed, the case went on quietly, until a well-dressed Chinaman got into the witness box, and, without the aid of an interpreter, made some disagreeable statements concerning Wang Wang, the informant. Wang Wang, who had so far maintained a benignant suavity, on hearing this, j imped from his seat, his eyes flashing fire, and in excellent Anglo-Saxon denounced the soft impeachment as " A lie - a (adjective) lie!" Bench and onlookers alike were convulsed, and, on discovering that he had let the clt out of the bag, John slunk back into his seat.

" Natator," the " man-fish," is announced' to'appear shortly in Dunedin. The Guardian says, referring to his performance : —His horne —that is to say, his "performing" home—is a tank, within which, surrounded and covered by water, " Natator "—rwho, by the way, was so christened by Professor Buckland, the celebrated naturalist —performs all kinds of subaqueous feats—smokes a pipe, takes his food, drinks his liquor from a bottle, ami in fact does many other things which appear to be simply marvellous. He stays beneath the water for two or three minutes at a time, arid then, after rising for a mouthful of air, again descends to resume his extraordinary performance, which he keeps up for about half-an hour. The man-fish seems to have travelled with great success throughout America, and more latterly throughout Australia, and wherever he has appeared the press have spoken of his doings as something truly wonderfuL

The Melbourne correspondent of the Southern Mercury describes the Ringarooma as afine boat. She is about the size of the/Mbidn, and resembles her a •trifle in scope of the hull but the Ringarooma is finished off" in a more yacht-luce fashion.. . There is no bowsprit. Her bow is straight up and down, having a> grand ploughshare, after the usual manner of new steamers now-a-days, and the jib springs from its apex with ample space before the raking foremast, which is of a single, or very cleanly-fidded spar, and good lean-back, with square yards of immense width, displaying sails like a big clipper's in their expanse. The mizenmast has, of course, the same rake as. the foremast, and carries a very wide spanker. There is a single funnel,:white, with black top, • and' brSad enough" in ; the- throat; Over the enginehold is a long array of deck-houses, for various uses, and terrifically strong, to resist the seas. " I suppose recent naval catastrophes with ocean steamers have led to this description of outworks. It is said the Ringaroorna met dreadful weather, but she came into port with her white funnel clean enough, whereas, I have seen almost every spec of paint washed off-a funnel after a voyage between New Zealand and Pert Philip Heads. They reach here sometimes nothing but rusty iron."

A human skeleton was accidentally discovered by a young girl named Mary Anne Sutcliffe, the daughter of a settler at Mount Pleasant, on the Port Chalmers and Dunedin road. It is evident the bones have lain for years in the spot where the little girl found them. The appearance of the backbone was very remarkable, the roots of a creeping plant having run through the cavity which in life was occupied by the spinal cord, and increased in strength and growth, and so firmly was the bone kept together by the roots that Sergeant JNeil was compelled to cut them apart before the pieces could be lifted from the ground.