THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3122, 19 February 1879, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1879.

We can scarcely credit the statements of the New Zealand Times that Ministers proposed to deprive His Excellency the Governor of the usual guard of honor and salute on his departure from the scat of Government, although our telegrams say that' the " Colonial journal makes these assertions on " reliable " authority. Ministers know that these compliments are but symbols of that loyalty wbich all profess to the Crown, and withholding them from the Crown's representative is really putting a slight on the Queen. Besides, we are not aware that Ministers have any quarrel with the Governor, that they should seek to put a personal indignity upon him. It is true that recent telegrams have reiterated the fact that the Premier was conspicuous by his absence from all the formal leave-takings of the Governor, but the same telegrams also stated that all the Ministers except the Premier were present at the Governor's farewell levee, «fee. ; which fact causes us to doubt the Times' assertion that Ministers had anything to' do with, or were cognizant of, any attempt to deprive our departing Governor of the honors he was entitled to as the Queen's representative. Sir George Grey's absence from the Governor's farewell levee and final leave-taking looks as if the Premier bad made a personal affair of his differences with the Marquis of Normanby. This is really to be regretted for Sir George Grey's own sake. It will weaken his position politically, for the people who do not understand or care to examine the causes which led to the breach between tbe Governor and the Premier will endeavor to make up for the latter's coolness by an additional ebullition of loyal fervor* reserving their opinion of the Premier's apparent bad taste for the future. If Sir George intentionally absented himself from the presence of the Governor on those late occasions of the latter's public appearance, and all the other Ministers were present, so much the worse for the Ministry. Admitting such to be the case, there must be a division in the Ministry on one very important topic — what is due to the . Queen's vicegerent. It is really a pity that there should have occurred any unpleasantness of this sort amongt those '" who are placed in authority over us," but we cannot accept the Wellington Times' assertions regarding the Ministry as gospel. We know that when the Marquis of Normanby was making his progress in the North Island —when he came to the Thames to open the County road, he was accompanied by two of his Ministers, who then, and for some time before, did all they could to make the Governor's reception and entertainment cordial and loyal. We are not aware of any circumstances having subsequently arisen to lead these <

Ministers to alter their opinion of the Governor, and we should be pleased to see this imputation on Ministers removed by a direct contradiction of the statements made regarding their action.

A meeting of the local members of the committee appointed at the Pumping Conference of Auckland was held at the Borough Council Chambers this afternoon. There were present —Mr Rowe (in the chair), the Mayor and County Chairman, also Mr Ronald McDonald. Mr Bowe submitted the following list of the companies benefited by the two pumps and the amount, it was suggested, each company should pay monthly as drainage contributions. Mr Eowe said a numbar of the companies were pledged to give the sums placed after them :— Imperial Crown £20, Cure £15, Kuranui Hill £60, Caledouian £25, Golden Crown £20, Don Pedro £5, Inverness £5, Golden Calf £20, Manakau £10, Red Queen £10, Tookey Tribute £10, Crown Princess £12, Don Pedro £6, Prince Imperial £20, Waiotahi £20, Piako £50, Queen of Beauty £60, Moanatairi £75 —total, £442.

A memobiali to the Commission on Higher Education now sitting in Auckland has been prepared, and is now receiving the signatures of Chairmen of the several District School Committees. Mr G. N. Phillips, head teacher Kauaerariga Boys' School, will, we hear, give evidence before the Commission on Saturday next.

A;valuable dog, belonging to M"r Comer, had a narrow escap» from drowning a day or two back. It was swimming near the harbor reclamation, when one of the large punts towed by the Piako ran it down. The animal was carried under the broad dredge. Fortunately the door in the bottom of the punt was open and the dog saved its life by crawling through the opening.

The new racing gig for the Thames Boating Club has arrived by the Endymion, and is now at the Naval Hall, but will not be unpacked till some of the members' subscriptions are paid. The boat in its case is over 40 feet long.

The only business at the TJ.M. Court to-day was the hearing of a case of provoking language preferred by James Thompson against William Bettis, who pleaded guilty. Mr Dodd for the plaintiff asked that the defendant be bound over to keep the peace. The Bench bound defendant over to keep the peace for three months, himself in one surety of £20, and two other sureties of £10 each. Messrs Lawlor and Skene, J's.P., occupied the Bench.

JEgles in the Australasian writes : —A thorough-paced Victorian, with a large infusion of New South Wales self-com-placency, lately visited South Australia. He found fault with everything. Of his turtle soup he said, " Why, mutton broth in Melbourne is much better." Of S.A. hock he said that Melbournebrewed ale was far superior. His hotel being full, an excellent couch was prepared for him in a large sittingroom. " Humph," he growled ; " why, a back kitchen in Melbourne would be better than this." In the room was a fish globe containing some rare specimens of freshwater crayfish. One of these had by some means escaped from the globe, and found its way to the floor. As the visitor was about stepping into bed his foot was seized in a powerful claw. Shouting " What's this ? " to the waiter who was passing the door, the latter said, "Oh, that's an Adelaide flea—l don't think you can beat that in. Melbourne!"