THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'OLOCK Resurrexi. THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3545, 6 May 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'OLOCK Resurrexi. THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1880.

Feom our English telegrams it will be seen that our troops haTe gained fresh "'victories"'in Afghanistan. Why they should be called " victories " it is difficult to see, without the immense superior advantages gained by civilised nations in matters connected with warfare over uncivilised States be termed a " victory." The British, numerically small, but having the advantage of discipline, and fully qualified officers, skilled in strategical science, are sent against hordes of uncivilised barbarians, who have neither system nor order in their mode of attack. The result is that some few thousand of the latter>re slaughtered. This unequal contest is spoken of as a "brilliant British victory." Truly it is a great thing for the most highly moral nation on the face of the globe to boast of, the sabreing and killing of thousands of semicivilised men■■! The difficulty of settling affairs on a permanent peaceable basis, is very great, and all our endeavors to bring about a lasting peace in Afghanistan have proved futile. A few years ago the peace of the country was only maintained with very strained relations between us, and the political situation almost forced a war upon us. The fact is, that the Afghan tribes are like certain animals which it is impossible to tame, for when they can see a favourable opportunity of revolting against the British, they do not lose it. The same may be said of the other tribes whom we have to a certain extent cowed into subjection. They are about the most deceitful and artful nation to be met with, and they will pay us a friendly visit and assassinate us at the same time, such is their utter unscrupulousness. The sad fate of Major Cavagnari demonstrates ibis. Until the Afghans are completely disorganised there will, it is to be feared, be no lasting peace on our Indian frontier.

A ■MEBTiNa.of the No. 1 Company Thames Scottish battalion will b<» held on Saturday evening for the purpose of electing a captain and sublieutenant. Since the late Captain's elevation to the Majority of the battalion the company has been without a captain, \lajor Murray continuing in command. Finding however, that the interests of the corps were likely to suffer through being without a captain, he has taken steps to have a gentleman appointed to the command. We understand that Lieutenant Johnston declines to accept the position.

His Worship the Mayor, as Chairman of the local Irish Eelief Fund, has received the following letter from the Lord Mayor of Dublin; also an official receipt for the Thataes contribution:— " Dublin, 13th March, 1880—The Bight Worshipful the Mayor, Thames, N.Z., — Dear Sir,—l am directed by the Lord Mayor to acknowledge your favor of 31st January last, covering draft for £150 (one hundred and fifty pounds) sterling, official receipt for which I now enclose ; also to convey to you, and through yon to the residents of Thames, the grateful thanks this of Committee,for their generous contribution and kind sympathy.—Yours faithfully, J. H. Wbight, Assistant See."

A meeting of members of local bodies interested in the Cemetery question was held at the Borough Council Chambers last evening, His Worship the Mayor in the chair; there also being present— Messrs Mennie, McGowan, Speight, Brodie (County Chairman), Coutts, Brown, Thorburn, Bagnall, Porter, and Carpenter. Although the matter at issue was discussed in all its bearings for two hours, nothing definite was arrived at. The following resolutions were carried by the meeting, but not being binding oa the local bodies, the^re is but little chance of them being carried out: —" That each Council pay half the debts due."—" That the Cemetery Committee be dissolved, and that a new committee be formed on the basis of population of the Borough, County, and Parawai Board, residing within a radius of 10 miles from the Post Office; and that the respective bodies contribute towards the maintenance of the cemetery accordingly, after the other sources of revenue have been expended."

As will be seen in our advertisement columns the County Council invite tenders for works on the main road between Paeroa and the Hikurarigi gorge, the main road to Tauranga. When these works, and the works about to be undertaken by the Tauranga County Council are completed we will no doubt have coach communication between this place and the East Coast settlements.

At a meeting of the Liberal Association held last evening, Mr Carpenter, the President, in the chair, the following draft petition for presentation to the House re the Christchurch election was adopted :— The petition of the undersigned electors of the Thames district respectfully showeth —1. That your petitioners view with alarm, and deeply regret the course pursued by your Honourable House in the last session of Parliament by its adoption of the report of the Committee on the Christchurch election. 2. While acknowledging the right of the Committee to decide between the petitioner and the party petitioned against, we are. of opinion that the seating of Mr Richardson for Christchurch city was not warranted by the laws and customs of Parliament, but was, and is, a direct infringement of the Constitutional rights of this colony.—Your petitioners therefore pray that your Honourable House will take this matter into your most serious consideration, and cause to be erased from your journal the record of the proceedings of the said Committee."

We would call attention to Mr Brien's advertisement appearing in another column re his new green grocery business.

The ironclad Inflexible, new in course of construction at Portsmouth, it is estimated will cost over £700,000. Her hull will cost in labor and material alone £576,000, and the cost of her" machinery will be another £150,000.

JtTfll arrived at 0. McLiveb's, a fresh supply of G-ehuine'Venus, Navy, Zulu, and other brands j Vanity Fair, Richmond Gem, Old Judge, and Americaa Beauty Cigarettes —also a splendid assortment of Cigarette Holders. Smoking Room not to be equalled this Bide of tbe line.—C. MoLivjSß, Stationer and Tobacconist.

Vakitx Faib »nd Richmond Gem GKgaretttes—new importation just arrived, are unequalled for their purity, delicate aroma, and rare fragrance, as is also Oronoko Curly Cut and Louisiana Perique—Old Judge and Little Darlings. New stock of Meerschaums. Smoking room unequalled.—Lawless and Co., Tobacconists, &c.