THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. PRIDAY. AUGUST 22, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3328, 22 August 1879, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. PRIDAY. AUGUST 22, 1879.

At the B.M. Court to-day, before the commencement of the Civil business, Mr Brasaey, on behalf of the bar, welcomed Mr Kenriok, R.M., in a few well-chosen remarks. That gentleman, in replying, trusted that unanimity would prevail between the-Bench and the Bar.

A meeting of the Naval Brigade Baud will beheld tonight.

In speaking of the underrepresentation of some districts, Mr Iteader Wood in his address to the Waitemata electors said :-— , "There was the Thames, for instance 1, with 11,000 of a population of, industrious people, who had already produced £3,000,000 worth of gold, and they sent only two members ; while Taranaki, with scarcely a third of that population, sent three, and other places, which combined could not equal the population of^ the Thames, sent half-a-dozen members."

Yestebday's Herald says :—" The statistics of Colonial customs revenue show that wine, beer, spirits and tobacco produced during 1878 as much revenue as all the other duty-paying articles put together. It has been computed that the duty on drink alone amounted to 22s per head of the population, which is equal to a poll-tax of about £4 10s on every grownup man in JNew Zealand. Taking into consideration the first cost of the liquor consumed, with half-a-million sterling ot duty added, the yearly grog bill of the colony is assuming alarming proportions. Customs statistics go to show also that, notwithstanding the depression prevailing during the past . twelve months, there has been a considerable increase in the quantity of strong drink im-s ported into the colony. We hear a great deal about the tyranny of capital over labour—of the wealthy over the poor working man—but very little about the self-imposed tyranny and taxation to which too many working men, with a gladsome heart, voluntarily submit themselves. Thomas Carlyle, in his own quaint fashion, shews the British workman who is his taskmaster, and the passage is characteristic of tbe Chelsea philosopher : —•'No man opposes thee, O free and independent franchiser? But does not this stupid pewter pot oppose thee P No son of Adam can bid thee come or go, but that absurd pot of heavy wet can and does! Thou art the thrall, not of Cedric and Saxon, but of thy own brutal appetities and this accursed dish of liquor. And thou pratest of thy • liberty,' thpu entire blockhead ?"

The following table—extracted from the .Registrar-Generals Beport on the vital statistics of the Boroughs of Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hokitika and Invercargill for the month of July—gives the population, number of births and deaths, and proportion of deaths to the 1000 of; population of each borough;— _

i Wirnoticedto day in the shops of some of our butchers some splendid carcasses of beef, which on enquiry we were informed were the cattle sold by Mr W. Carpenter a few days ago, and which belonged to Messrs Wright and Perry. These cattle were all from the Te Aroha 'district, and were driven the whole distance, and will probably be the first of a series of similar lots sent for the supply of the Thames market. The appearance of them certainly speaks highly of the capabilities of the district.

■■ " " says:—So His Excellency has had a new brougham built in Melbourne ! His taste, I hear, is undeniable in equipages, and he knows something of, the cut of a good fiorse., At the head of a table of 300 genial guests who were punishing a curious, dry champagne, the best fellow in the country proposed (in his-absence) His Excellency's health, in' words something like these—" Gentlemen, I give you the toast of the Governor. (Cheers.) He is a true sportsman—drives his own four-in-hand. (Eenewed cheers.) Not a made team, gentlemen —put them together himself." (Deafening applause.) That speech was not long, but there was a good deal in it.

• ■ ■. , . I BoHOuaii. Auckland .'.' Thames .... ; Wellington.. Nelson .... Cbristchurch ■Dunedin.... Hokiuika .. ilnvercargill.. : T0ta1...! Estimated Popula- . tiqu. 14,163 5,003 19,467 6,804 14.186 23,261 2,853 4,045 Total Births. 34 19 87 21 59 99 10 22 I ' I Total Deaths. 11 7 22 16 25 39 2 2 Proportion of Deaths to 1000 of population. 0-77 1-40 1-13 2-36 1-76 1-68---e.70 0-49 351 | 124 I .. i