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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2173, 21 December 1875, Page 2

Eegulatioks under " The Stamp Act, 1875," are published in the New Zealand Gazette of 10th instant.

Mr James Craig sold the Old Whau plant by auction at the Exchange Buildings to-day. The engine was knocked down for £285 to,Mr Steadman, 15 head of stampers for £75 to Messrs Price, and the berdan was withdrawn at £44. Sundry articles were sold at satisfactory prices.

We notice that there will be an examination of. the Karaka School to-jnorrow morning between tho hours of 10 and 12 in the day. In the afternoon at 3 o'clock a distribution of prizes will take place, to which parents of the children and their friends are invited.

A meeting of the Miners' Accident Belief Fund Committee was held yesterday evening at the Governor Bowen Hotel. Present—Captain Richards (in the chair), Messrs Dunlop, Carnie, Comer, and F. Day. Apologies were received and read from Messrs Harris, Lowe, and Murray. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. There were five applications for relief which were read, and payments authorished.

"We have received New Zealand Gazettes Nos. 69, 70, and 71, and the following Parliamentary Papers : —Petition onbe half of the early settlers of New Zealand, JReserve Account, 1875-76; Opinion of Solicitor General on expiry of parliament, Resolutions passed' by Auckland Provincial Council on Abolition of Provinces and Control of Police, Balance Sheet of Public Trust Office for 1874-5, Report on securities; deposited with Public Trustee by Life Assurance Companies, Report of the Tairua Investigation Committee.

Messes White, Hanna, Beeche and Arthur, Thames miners who have gone to prospect the Kaimai district, were honored with a public reception at Tauranga on Saturday last. Both natives and Europeans united in welcoming the prospectors, and a committee was appointed to assist and co-operate with them.

An adjourned licensing meeting was to have been held to-^ay at half-past ten o'clock to consider an application from Alexander Hogg for a license for the Puriri Inn, Puriri. At the appointed time the only Licensing Commissioner present was Captain Souter, and the business was therefore adjourned till tomorrow, at half-past ten o'clock.

From J. H. Clough and Co.'s Station Produce Report and Price List, we notice that the shipments of wool from Port Philp during the month of If Member amounted to 72,705 bales, making a total of 103,638 bales shipped since Ist October.

Lowther Bkoad, Esq., has been appointed a District Judge for the District of Nelson.

The Wanganui Chronicle says that " The night before the occurrence of the fatal accident at the railway bridge, the now widowed Mrs Reynolds dreamt that she saw her husband drowning, and awoke him by her screams for assistance. The dream exercised a very depressing effect upon her all the next day, and she found it an impossibility to divest herself of the impression that the dream was a presentiment of approaching evil. When the person to whom was deputed the delicate task of breaking the sad news to her that she was a widow approached, Mrs Reynolds saw her coming, and bursting into tears, exclaimed, • You need not tell me, I know what has happened, my husband is drowned.' "

The Illustrated News of the second of October says:—" The Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company is rapidly performing its task of making the submarine cable to be laid down between Sydney, New South Wales, and Nelson, New Zealand, a distance of nearly twelve hundred miles. This line, its construction, and its future working, was undertaken five months ago by the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, making an agreement for that purpose with Sir Julius Vpgel, Prime Minister of New Zealand, jointly with a representative of New South Wales Government, which latter colony bears one-third of the guaranteed yearly interest upon the whole co?t. Sir Julius Vogel, accompanied by several other gentlemen, visited the works of the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company at East Greenwich, on Wednesday afternoon. He was received by Admiral Eichards a director of that company, Mr Clifford, engineer in charge of the works, Mr Shuter, and others, He minutely inspected every process of the manufacture, which is in a most satisfactory state. The steamships Edinburgh and Hibernia, belonging to the company, are to be employed in carrying out and laying the cable, under the command of Captains Manning and Pato. The Edinburgh, now lying off the company's wharf at East Greenwich, has received her load, consisting mostly of the heavy shore ends, and will probably leave the Thames on Monday next. The Hibernia, of 3200 tons burden, will convey a thousand miles' length of the deep sea cable, which is of slighter make than the shore ends. It is hoped that both vessels will reach A ustralia early in Deember; and that in January or February, the best summer months of that region, the telegraph will be successfully completed. There is already a complete system of land telegraphs all over both the principal islands of New Zealand."

The Tasmanians who can appreciate youthful cleverness, also know how to encourage the young ideas. At the recent examination for the scholarship exhibition, a lad named Charles Pike gained 3246 marks against 3247 obtained by Doran, the successful competitor. The creditable position attained by Pike deservedly gained him a large share of public sympathy, especially when it was known that he was disqualified by age from competing again. The matter was brought before Parliament, and it was resolved to grant Pike £400, payable in annual instalments, to enable him to prosecute his studies in England.