THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3041, 13 November 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1878.

The Borough Foreman of Works, Mr T. Eawdon, in his fortnightly report submitted to the Council last night, reported that a certain contract had not been completed to his satisfaction and he declined to pass it for payment. The Council approved of the action of their Foreman of Works, and decided not to pay any more money on the contract until it had been completed to the satisfaction of Mr Kawdon. From what the Foreman said the contractor appears to have made a mistake, and possibly the Council may have cause to look into the matter; but it is quite right that the Foreman of Works should decline to certify to any s work until he is satisfied the specification has been fulfilled. He has before now been abused for allowing works to be "slummed," and charged with dereliction of duty at the hands of disappointed contractors and personal enemies, and the Council will support him in insisting on the due performance of all contract works, any exceptional considerations beiag decided by the Council on their own responsibility.

To day being a bank holiday, the several monetary establishments in town were closed, as were also the Government Offices. The town was almost deserted, go many people ' being away either pleasure seeking or electioneering,

We learn that the man Wilson injured at the sham fight on Monday is now doing very well and is considered out of dan-

By proclamation in the New Zealand Gazette a piece of land known as Tanu Tanu at the Thames, § acres 2 roods 7 pernhes in extent, has been reserved for a peDMtpry.

Theep was no business at the .R.M Court this morning.

It is reported says th,e Napier Telegraph tfajj.t Sir George Grey purposes to go to Em land as sixm after the prurogation of his General Assembly as his official duties will permit. In inking this course, it is not likely the Premier will resign office until it is certain he cannot xepMtn to the colony in time for the opening of /he next session of Parliament. The object f,f Sir George's. visit to jßurope, we hear, if pp obtain medical ftdWcp, and also' to try the e^eet of the Gernnaa b*th.s. There cjin be no d<?ub]b that the iiJpees friCfja which Sir George Grey is suffering has foepqmfleh aggravated during the session of jtbV.Gi&neral Assembly by the many disappointments he has experienced in his efforts to drire the State coach to his own liking.

We are requested to state that the Botoniabuna will l<\are Auckland for the Thames at 32 o'«lock tonight, instead of 5.45, as previously advertised.

Some excitement was caused on the Goods Wharf at about seven o'clock last evening by two horses attached to a cab belonging to Mr Phillips bolting. The cab was at the end of the wharf waiting for the steamer to come alongside, and the horses took fright, it is supposed, at the escapement of steam from the steam winch, and bolted. No one wan on the cab at the time, and no damage was done. The runaways were stopped in Burke street.

The steamer Te Aroba left Shortland Wharf at half-past nine o'clock, and Albert street wharf at ten o'clock this morning, conveying a good number of electors of the Ohinenmri Hiding resident here to Paeroa to record their Totes. Advantage was taken of, the trip, and*of the day being a partial holiday, by many to have a day's outing, a number of ladies and children being amongst the passengers. •■

The Sydney Evening Newt records the following : —" An extremely painful casualty, attended with a fatal result, happened to a man named Harvey, aged 24 years, at Pyrmont, on Saturday, September 14. Harvey was, with a number of cricketers, assembled to play a match. He was in the act of measuring the wicket grouud, preparatory to commencing the game, when he was violently struck at the back of the ear with a cricket ball, which was hit by one of the cricketers in practice. The force of the blow was sufficient to lay Harvey prostrate on the ground, although at the time a fatality was not feared. He was conveyed to his home and medically attended to, but it was without avail, as he gradually sank, and on Friday succumbed to his sufferings." ...

Wb have not been kept posted up in the doings of the Australian cricketers in America. We find, however, that the following fixtures were made for playing matches, in addition to the two already played in New York and Philadelphia :— At Toronto, 7th and Bth ; Detroit, 9th and 10th ; Chicago, 12th and, 14th ; St. Louis, 16th and l?th. They will, perhaps, make one day's halt at Salt Lake pity, and finish up at San Francisco on the 24th, 25th, and 26th. They expect to leave for Australia on October 28th, and by that time they will have travelled some 60,0CJ miles during their trip.

A Wellington correspondent of the Herald sends the following anecdote :—lt appears that during the reign of the Atkinson Ministry, there was an impending election for a certain district, and naturally the then Government was very anxious to secure the seat for their nominee. The result of the contest seemed to be centred in the settlement of a particular line of road, and the settlers interested sent a communication to the proper department urging that the work should be at once set about. Major Atkinson read the application, but did not quite understand the sub* ject, and referred the question to the Hon. Dr. Pollen for his information, tperially asking " where the road led to?" Dr. Pollen quickly decided upon the course to be followed, and, having seen the great danger of it not being approved, which would certainly lose a vote to a shaky Ministry, minuted the request in this simple sentence. " This road leads to j Parliament." Very quickly after the gallant Major clearly saw through the whole thing; the work was directed to be forthwith commenced; the election followed, and the Government candidate was chosen for.the vacant seat.

The races gathered to Melbourne an immense concourse from all parts, the gathering on the course at Flemington being larger than on any previous occasion. The receipts exceeded last year's by £2,000. The spectacle was most brilliant. The stand and lawn were filled with elegantly attired ladies, reflecting every shade of color. The hill contained a dense mass of human beings, and all other parts of the course were crowded. The race for the cup was very pretty. The horses, 30 in number, were previously paraded on the lawn in front of the stand, and when the start was made it was a splendid sight. .Rapidity made the running for nearly a mile and a-half, when Calamia came up, and after a good race home won easily by two lengths. The great favorite, Mileta, got an outside chance, and although he once made an effort, was never seen at the finish. Fire bell ran well, but wan not in the foremost rank at all. Time : 3mins 35fsecs. This was not so good as last year. The bookmakers had a good time of it, especially in the boil-over of His Lordship in the Derby. AH the doublet were destroyed. Wellington's victory in the Derby brought him into favor for the cup, and he ran well for a mile and a-half, and was amongst the leading division at the finish. The race, taken as a whole, was an easy victory, as Calamia was never called upon to exert himself* or the time could have been made shorter if necessary. The public have dropped their money on the favourite, Mileta, which started at 6 to 1; but the race waß regarded as very open, as some eight or nine were believed to be in it.

The Post understands that Messrs Holt and M'Carthy have intimated formally to Mr John Carruthers, U. E-, late En-gitieer-in-Chief tor ..New Zealand, that unless he immediately retracts and apologises for certain statements which he had made respecting the Press Agency, and contributes a donation to the Benevolent Institution, they will commence an action against him forthwith for libel.

A cobbespondent contributes the following piece of small wit:—"The long and the short of it (the ' it' on this occasion meaning the Thameß Scottish Band)-rDrum-Major McLean and Baudmaster Hunter."

The Gawler Standard is informed that a passenger for one of these polonies who arrived from England by the s. s. Cbimborazo brought the whole of his available .capital, amounting to £2,00Q/by a draft drawn by the City of Glasgow Bank, news of the failure of which was received by Jelegram }aat week. The.draft was dis? honored OP ppesentatjop.

We copied some time ago from the Sydney Evening News an account of an extraordinary outrage (chloroforming) which was said to have been committed on a young lady in a Wooloomooloo omnibus. The paper from which we quo,ted ylqw says that the whole,was "a fable.'! No such pcpnrrepce took place, yiie .affair jnras rejated as given ifcp u,s, wi'tji .illits elajririg'c'o?it i'raaictjpn^ and absurdities. %& ypung >dy in £|ues. tion appears to have Inventive powers

very fully developed, or an imagination likely to be much excited by the frolics of late parties. AVhat was related was a disgrace to-the city, and we are glad it has been proved false."

The company at the Theatre Eoyal. last night produced the " Swiss Swains " and the burlesque of " Fra Diavolo," and their efforts to please were rewarded by frequent demonstrations of an approving character. The songs and dances .in the burlesque were well rendered, and the programme was such as to show the capabilities of the company to advantage. Mr Clinton announced that owing to the pre« parations required for producing " Ixion " there would be no further performance until Friday evening, when the splendid burlesque would be produced for the benefit of the ladies of the company, who will, we hope, have a bumper house.