SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

HIGH WATER : This evening, 6_ ; to morrow morning. 6 22 SUN SET : This evening, 8.50 ; SUN RISE: to morrow mornine, 6.59 MOON'S AGE : Full Moon, 20th, 7.40 pm.

ARRIVALS.

Janet Gray, cutter, ff3Z Barrier Merlin, schooner, irom Waitara (in the Mannkau)

DEPARTURES.

Di-hanee, bwque, for Newcastle Advance, schooner, for Gisborne Im . screw schooner, for Ouutdin (from the Thames)

PROJECTED DEPARTURES.

Por Grt-ymquth- Merlin schooner, Saturday For Noumea—Ker i worth, s booner, early For the Islands- Martha, barque, early For Nanier—Warwick, ship, early ; In-rerene, ship, eaily For r-ydney and Melbourne- Cyphrenes, s,s, on

arrival For Honolulu and San Francisco -Macgregor, s.s.,

19*b Ftbrnary For London —G-lenlora ship, early For Lyttelton- Flirt, brigantine, early ; Prince Alfred, brigantine, early

VESSELS EXPECTED.

Cyphrenes. ss, (** nglish Man), from ?an Francisco,

about (sth March ; sailed 7th instant Union, barque, from Wewcastlw ; sailed 2nd instant Belle Brandon, schi oner, from the Islands early AnaEi, birque, from London ; sailed October 23 Ada, b*rque, from London ; sailed Nov £4 India, ship, from I ond-m : sailed Nov 24 "Ramn Aberdare ship, f'om London; tailed Dec 8 Papua, scbooner, from Rarotonga, early Rapido barque,from New York, via Adelaide Ryno, brigantine' from Rotut_ah. early Bella Mary, barque, from Hobart Town, early Helen, barque, bom Adelaide ; sailed IV igh tin gale, brigantine, from Melbourne ; sailed 3rd

instant T)«_nties_ (Hawaiian) schooner, from Levuka, early Levn„*. _ehioner, from Levuka, early Daphne, schooner, from Levuke, eaTly Arson, barqui, from Newcastle. early- Harriet Armitage, from Dunedin, early

EXPORTS.

Per Flirt, for Lytteicon . 50,000 ft timber (white pine), 10 tons doors and sa-hes, 500 nests 12-*.nch drain pipe-, 500 do 6-inch tiles, 76 bundles empty sacks.— D. H. Me.KeDzie, aejent

Per Fiery Cross, for Lyttelton : 3703 pieces (43,137 ft) timber, J W. Waller

-Per Emu, fo Dunedin (from the Thames) : 88,000 feet, timber (k&hikati.j). John Reid.—Stone Bros., agents.

IMPORTS.

Per Merlin from Wanara; 2s bi'es wool. Owen & Graham; ** tons sharps, Coupland ;10 ton 3 iror, Ellis—A Barnes, agent.

"We understand that Captain William Parquhar has sent in to the Auckland Steam Packet Company his resignation as master of the B._. Star of the South.

The westerly wind which was blowing in harbour all clay yesterday increased in force greatly towards nightfall, and at nine o'clock it was blowing very hard. Towards midnight it moderated. Jvo damage is reported among the shipping. There are a large number of vessels overdue. The •present westerly weather should have the effect of bringing in several which ai. expected from Austra lia. Among these we may reckon the Helen, from Adelaide, over 20 days out; the Union, from New castle, 16 days o*ut; and the Nightingale, from Mel bourne, 15 days out.

The schooner Kenilworth has been purchased by Mr C. A. Harris for £1,600. She is already adver tised by her new owner to sail for Noumea in a few days.

Preparations are being made by the wharf authori ties for placing in position, to the eastward of the wharf, the three screw moorings authorised by the Harbour Board about two months ago. The moorings have been manufactured by Messrs Frascr and Tinne, and when they are in working order, will be a great protection to the shipping in stormy weather.

The R.M.s.s* Macgregor is dua here from Sydney to-night or to-morrow morning. According to adver tisement, she is to leave for San Francisco, with the English mail, six hours after her arrival. The schooner Merlin is appointed to leave the Manukau for Greymouth on Saturday next. We would direct the attention of shippers to the notification respecting goods transhipped coastwise, just issued by the Commissioner of Customs, and published in our telegraphic news last evening. The p,B. Manaia was unable to leave for the Thames this morning, owing to a trifling defect dis covered in her machinery. The Enterprise No 2 takes her place this evening. The Taranaki, with the outward San Francisco mail, is expected in tho Manukau to-morrow morn ing from the South.

The s.s. Ladybird is to leave the Onehunga wharf for the South at 9 o'clock to-morrow morning. The schooner Fiery Cross has cleared for Lyttelton to-day with a cargo of timber. The barque Dilbarree took her departure for New castle this afternoon.

The schooner Advance left for Gisborne this after noon with a general cargo, shipped by various firms. The ketch Clematis is loading at Lyttelton for Wellington.

Th. schooner Peerless is loading at Lyttelton for Auckland.

by advices received to-day from Wairoa (Kaipara), the barque Fleu de Maurice, and the brig Thomas and Henry, are still loading there. The brigantine Flirt cleared out to-day with a cargo of timber for Lyttelton.

The auxiliary-screw barquentine Emu left the Thames for Dvmedin this morning,, with a full cargo of timber, shipped by Mr John Eeid. Passenger:— Mr C. Stone, jun. The schooner Mer'in arrived in the Manukau this morning from Waitara, with a cargo of wool, sharps, and iron, as per Imports. She is to leave again for Greymouth on Saturday.

1 he s s. southern Cross was to leave for Gisborne Napier, a- d Wellington, this afternoon at four o'clock*: She takes a full orgo, including the apparit-ns for raising the Pretty Jane. Passengers : Mr and Mrs G. Dance, Mr and Mrs F. Dance, M<.srs Lodder, Harding. Balroer, Captain Palmer, Captain Clayton, and three in the steerage.

TELEGRAPHIC SHIPPING.

Nelson, This day. The Albion arrived at 5 this morning from Timaru with the Suez mail. The Phoebe arrived from .Sew Plymouth at 8 o'clock this morning The as Xaranaki left for the Manukau at 7 o'clock last night.

_, _ Tauranga Th'&day. The Southern Crosg arrived from Auckland at 2 o'clock yesterday.

COMMERCIAL.

CALLS AND 1 .YIDENDS. The following we the current calls and dividends payable in th a companies named below:— CALKS. .•■;"■ £ b. d. Date. Qneen of the May .... 0 2 0 — February 20 Central 1ta1y....... 0 1 o—March 10 Bird-in-Hand 0 4 0— „ 8 dividend. Royal Oak 0 2 6 —■ due. Eureka Hill 0 0 8 — due Auckland and North There Eerry Company 5% —due. Union Bank of Australia, ~.. 16% — due.

CHIEF POST-OFFICE, AUCKLAND.

Mails will CrosE as fo v-ows :—

For Thames, to-morrow, at 9.30 a. m. and s.opm. For Coromandel, to-morrow, at 10.30 a m.

For Tar_na_i Southern provim is, and

Austral! in

Colonies, per Ladybird, to-morrow, at 6 a.m. For the undermentioned places _,er Macgrerior, tc moirow, as follows:— For Sandwich .lands. United Stales of America, Canada, British Columbia, Central and S^uth America, and British and Foreign West Indies, at 10.30 a m.

.or the United Kingdom and Continent of Europe, at 10 30 a.m. For money orders, registered letters, 'an news papers, at 9 30 am Late letters bearing an eitrj fee of 6d will be received by the Mali Agent on board up to time of sailing For Tauranga, per Vincent, to-morrow, at 3 p.m, (Signed) S. B. B.ss, Chief Postmaster.

BIRTH.

WooDWABD-On Februiry 15, at her res'dence, Wymiha_i-3'.r<.et, the wife of Mr John Woodward, Of a son.

DEATHS.

Wim i_h-o_ -At his resdmce, Pine T.odffo, West Newton, on tbe 16th instaut, John Williamson, Esq , "uperiiitendent o! the Province of Auckland • aged 69 years. The fuceral will leave his late residence a» 4.30 p m, on Saturday.

Slabe—On the 18th instant, a. his son's residence, William-street James alaclu ; aged 65 years.

'Ilia iuuer.l Will take placs at 3 o'clock p.m t_ morrow (Friday). Friends are invited to attend.

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1875

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong t. at needs resistance, "■ye the future in the distance. And the koocl ttiat we can do.

The death of the late Superintendent has elicited in every part of New Zealand the warmest expressions of regret, and of esteem and respect ; expressions such as we venture to say would not have been produced by the loss of any other public man in New Zea land. The singleminded and disinterested patriotism of Mr Williamson is the theme of every reference to his death, and opinions which were privately but widely cherished are now finding full utterance. Perhaps no man in New Zealand has had better oppor tunity of studying the public and private character of our late Superintendent, oris more capable of analysing and judging of it than Sir-George Grey. In a private letter received in town to-day from that gentleman, and from which

the circumstances we believe wear justified in making an extract, Sir George Grey thus refers to the eath :—

" Your letter was the first intimation I had of the death of my friand Mr John Williamson. I have felt his Joss most acutely and the more so from the fact of my having been for nearly a fortnight very unwell, and thus incapable of going to Auckland to be present at his funeral. I have watched Mr Williamson's public career for many years and have never seen a man who was more distinguished for integrity and unselfishness. I believe he was thoroughly devoted to what he believed to be the public good, and to his duty. I think that nothing could have turned him from this. The result was that I felt for him a sincere admiration and regard. You may imagine therefore how deeply I feel his loss."

[Since the above was written we have been furnished with a copy of an official letter for warded by Sir George Grey to the Provincial Government, and which expiesses sentiments similar to the private communication given above.]

A rather singular announcement in con nection with the Government system of finances, comes to us by telegraph from Wellington. Although Mr Vogel has been in London since the 19fch of December— two months—as we were the first to inti mate in last night's Star, yet the Govern ment has receive d no intelligence of his arrival, or of t success that has at tended his mission. But, like the fructi fying rain, which by unseen agency distributes its blessings wheresoever and whensoever it listetb, a golden shower has fal len unexpectedly into the Government coffers, and, asking no questions, the members of the Ministry in the colony who represent the Government are content to thank Providence and be content. Whether the £500,000 which the Bank of New Zealand ha 9 received on behalf of the Government in this mysterious way, a^e the proceeds of the debentures floated by Mr Vogel in Sydney, or whether this is the first instalment of the London loan, our veracious chronicler sayeth not, and nobody appears to know ; but the cavalier treatment of the other members of the Cabinet by Mr,

Vogel in connection with his homeward journey, and the important negotiations supposed to be connected with it, adds another to the many striking proofs of the' arrogancy of the " One Man Government" which has carried on the affairs of New Zea land for several years past. [By a telegram received from the Press Agency this after noon it would appear that there is still a doubt about Mr Vogel's whereabouts, but he must, under ordinary circumstances, have reached England a long time ere this.]

We would direct the attention of the Auck land Harbour Board to a singularity in their regulations affecting the shipping in port, which is a fertile source of irritation to captains of vessels visiting Auckland for the first time. By a Bet of ruleS issued by the Board on the ist October, 1872, it is ordered that all wharf dues shall be esti- - mated at one farthing per ton on the gross tonnage. We believe we are right in assert ing that iv nearly every other poit in the World wharfage is collected on the registered or nett tonnage. The difference between these measure ments is very small, the latter being less than the gross tonnage, by the capacity of the accommodation set apart for the crew, the deckhouae3, and one or two other de duction;* from the full cubical contents of the covered space. In a ship of 1,000 tons registei", the gross tonnage will per haps be 100 tons more. It is not because we consider that the charge on the gross tonnage is too high that We recommend an alteration to uniformity with other ports. Any one who - chooses to compare our charges with those of other ports will find that Auckland is one of the cheapest harbours in the Southern Hemisphere for a ship, to come to. In comparison with the other ports of the colony, our annual revenue obtained from port charges is altogether out of pro portion ; it is even less than the revenue of Wellington obtained from the same source with only halt the amount of shipping. But a change to the system that prevails elsewhere is desirable, on account of the invariable grumbling on the part of captains who have to pay it. Some do not inquire into the matter until they have made their own calculations by the usual method, and then at the last moment they find they have to pay more than they expected. We believe instances have occurred where there has been a difficulty iv ascertaining the gross tonnage of a ship, as it is only recently that it has been expres3ed on the register. Why, we ask, when oh.Bap_.e__ is the characteristic of bdr harbour charges, shodld WB maintain a useless siogu larity in the opposite direction, which has the effect of irritating those whom it is to our interest to conciliate ? There ap pears to be very little principle to be main tained ill the present method. One explana tion proffered by the authorities is thut a vessel ought to pay according to her whole bulk, for it all occupies room when the ves sel is alongside the wharf. This ia hardly the fact, for a vessel would occupy just as much space at the wharf whether half pooped or full-pooped, whether with one or half-a-dozen deck-houses. The argument only holds good where the space deducted for crew accommodation is all below. In the case of steamers the rule is that foreign vessels pay on the gros3 tonnage, aud Auck land - owned vessels on the netfc tonnage. This is intended as a protection to the ves sels belonging to the port, but the advantage to local owner, is so slight that it is questionable whether the 'distinction is a wise one.

On 18th of February, 15_G, three hundred and twenty-nine years ago, died Martin Luther, one of the greatest of the Protest ant .Reformers of the 16th century. The career and life incidents of Luther are too well known to readers of the present age to need recapitulation; we, therefore, simply copy from the.pages of a living writer, who considers Luther's character as a combination of great qualities. " Endowed with broad human sympathies, massive energies, manly and affectionate simplicity, and rich, of some times course humour, he was at the same time a spritual genius. His institutions of divine truth were bold, vivid, and penetrat ing, if not comprehensive ; and he possessed the art, which God alone gives to the finer and abler spirits that He calls to do special work in this world, of kindling other souls with the fire of his own convictions, and awakening them to a higher consciousness of religion and duty."

Under the heading "Take Care of the Ladies," " Observer " writes :—" Sir, —Com- plaints are being made relative to the un finished state of the wharf railway platform at Onehunga, which is in such a state that lady passengers passing to and from the steamers, have either to scramble up or jump down into the arms of those (gentlemen, I presume,) below. Now, sir, it certainly is bad enough for ladies to have to jump into loving arms, but it is nothing compared with the inconvenience experienced by lady pas sengers by the Hero on her last outward trip, on which occasion they had to cross over the ship Warwick, by means of what some call a gangway, but which I have not yet found a name for, and from the seaward end of which ladies were either compelled to jump a height of some four-and-a-half feet, and thereby run the risk of having their dresses caught on the ends of the flooring boards of the gangway, one of which boards was longer than the rest, or else try to get round by the companion-stair, amidst belay ing pins, rigging, etc., which was equally dangerous, as was shown by the fate of. a spirited young lady who went that way, and was caught, while in the act of jumping, by the brass knob of the stair-rail, and com pletely hung up by the waist till the dress gave way, and she fell heavily on the deck. Another who tried to get over the difficulty by first sitting down, and then sliding her self off the end of the gangway, also came to grief, as her dress caught on the uneven end of the board referred to, and she being little of stature, was left hanging by the back part of her dress, and might have been in that posi tion yet (so far as her own efforts could have saved ber), had a gentleman not gone to her assistance. These were only two of the most prominent cases of inconvenience, but I verily believe that it would take a smart dressmaker for a week to repair the damage done to outer- garments alone on that occa sion, to say nothing of surgical work."

The death of the comic singer, Joe Small, will be regarded by many of his mirth-loving friends as a public loss. He died, according %p a telegram, of heart disease, while on his passage from Dunedin to Hong Kong. His body, reft of song, was consigned to the deep waters, and his requiem sung by ocean waves.

Mr. Hugh Craig, formerly of Auckland, has been appointed by th« directors of the New Zeabind Insurance Company as their Fire and Marine Agent ittSaa Francisco, in which city Mr. Craig has for ome time resided,

On the subject of shoit tons of firewood, " Thrift " writes :—" You recently made some strictures on the shortness of firewood supplied by Boine of the wapd merchants There is no doubt this exists to a largo extent, by which the small purchaser is largely victimised; especially in cut wood. The remedy for this is well-conducted clubs, by which the poor can obtain their fuel at fully one-half *r,he retail price. Many parties are now laying in their winter Bhpply at 8s per ton, while thin qnantity at retail is full one pound — showing the waste and improvidence of the producing class. As proving this it may be observed that if a visit is paid to a mechanic's cottage, who is earniag three or four pounds a week the value of the furniture Will scarcely exceed thft sUm, whilst a clerk or shopman, having less say £150 per annum, will have a neat home, with furniture worth nearly the amount of his year's salary. Trusting this matter will be put into a practical shape.'

We have some reason to pr.de ourselves on the success which attends our efforts to provide for our readers the very latest in formation both by telegram and other means. As an instance of this, we may mention that Mr Pv,ose. the newly appointed Acting- Collector of Customs, at Lyttelton, first learnt of hie promotion from the announce ment which appeared in our columns last night.

An aspiring poet was somewhat non plussed this morning atthennfortunate termi nation an attempt to get off a valentine at the eSpenSe of a young lady, who presides over a department in one of our city drapery warehouses. Having spent the previous night in elaborating a composition) satirising the lady's charms, be this morning engaged a yoang cherub, in the form of a printer's dcvi', to deliver the mis sive. Innocent of the nature of his errand, the limb of Satan tripped innocently up to the young lady for whom the letter was intended, and whose beauty was des.ribbd as approximating to* that of the Claimant Orton, and said—"Please, Miss, here's a letter what Mr — sent you." After perusing the literary labour and inquir ing after James's healita, the intended Victim of the joke despatched the following reply :— "You are too witty for the colonies; you ought to go across to to the North Shore." The feelings of that young man, on learning from bis trusted messenger the result of his mission, are better imagined than described.

In a paragraph yesterday it was erroneously stated that the Engineer and City Band would play last evening in front of the Supreme Court. It should have appeared this (Thursday) evening. The band will pl_y to-night at the place mentioned at seven o'clock Programme: Match, "Quicksilver,' Hi iiarther ; overture, "La Dame Blanche," Auber ; Quadrille, Kossini ; Godfrey's selec tion, " Forza del Detino," Verdi ; waltz, " Galatea," H.P__T. the Duke of Edinburgh; mazurka, " Kveuing Fairies," Tollot; gallop, " Don't be in a Hurry," Geeks; God Save tbe Queen.

The second prayer meeting in connection with the Presbyterian Revival Services will held in St. James' church, Wellington-street to-rriuht, when various ministers will deliver addresses.

Wc af c extremely sorry lo learn this morn ing that some of the residents at the North S .ore are annoyed at our description of the North Shore Crew in the day btfore yester day's race, in which we term them ;i a rough, strong lot Without any pretentions to style." Upon our word of honour we assure our transpontine friends that the expression is entirely a sporting one, and has not a particle of personality in it. The names of the gentlemen who took part in the race should be sufficient guarantee of this. The descrip tion is one which we should be very likely to use in speaking of a University crew if its component members showed strength With out uniformity or elegance of style, and indeed we would be content to wager a new hat that the very identical expression may be found in Bell's Life applied to nearly every one of the Oxford crews of the last five years. It consoles us to think that there are plenty of old rowing men at the North Shore who will understand exactly what was meant, and we shall trust to their good offices to correct the wrong impressions which we are told has gone abroad. We are informed that there is no foundation for the assertion that some of t^e North Shore crew did not belong to the local Club at the time of the race. The cups were handed over last night. Theso were fi om the handsome stock of Mr Montague.

A good illustration of the safeguard from harm contained in innocence is afforded by the behaviour of a bull-dog and a kitten. The dog has perhaps been trained to kill cats, or at any rate encouraged to chase them by its master, and is the terror of all the adult specimens of the feline race in the neigh bourhood. He comes across a playful kitten about four months old. To start with, he makes a rush at her, no doubt imagining soma sport, on, but ,_ to his surprise she simply arches heW little back and spits at him. This takes him aback, and he comes to a sudden stop, won dering at her audacity. Then he barks at her, and jumps about her, and getting his nose rather close receives a quiet scratch on it from the little angry paw. This passes all his ideas of things in general, and he re tires a few paces and sits down on his haunches and begins to ponder the matter, intently eyeing the kitten all the time. Puss meanwhile relieved of bis immediate presence, quietly licks her rufiled fur, and now and then looks at him kindly and encouragingly, then that dog feels so mad. He knows he could crush that little kitten with one blow of his foot, or bite her head off if he chose, but somehow he feels cowed-like and mean, and can't for the life of him make up his mind to go for her. But he thinks what his master would say to see him made such a fool of, and he gets madder and] madder. Then he determines he will make her run. If he could only make her run. If he could only do that the spell would be broken. So he tries all the ways he can think of. He makes short rushes at her. He barks louder and louder. He shows his teeth in his most savage style ; and she does'nt care one little bit, but just sits there, and every now and then, when he comes too near, gives him one of her little irritating pats on the nose, as much as to say " keep your distance, sir." Then if you watch that dog, you will see what a mean, cowardly thing a bully is when he is bearded. He glares fiercely, and his frame quivers with excitement. His muscles shake again, and his veins swell till they show through his coat like worms all over him. Then, just as you think he must have a fit, or drop down dead, he sinks his tail, turns on his heel dejectedly, and slinks to hi 3 kennel. And if he is a sensitive dog he will not come within range of his master's eye or foot either for about a fortnight, dur ing which time life is a burthen to him all j because of that stupid kitten.

Mr W. C. Dennes will give another exhi bition of lime-light views at his sewing machine depot at 8.30. to-night.

The boring.at the'petroleum works Poverty Bay is still proceeding. The shaft has now attained a depth of more than one hundred feet md the rock has not yet been reached ; the linking has been tedious, owing to the foul air, the swelling of the earth in which the men are working, and various other obstacles. It was excepted that the rock would have been struck much earlier, and that such has not been done leads to the conclusion that the shaft has been started on a slide. The oil still oozes up from the bottom of the shaft; a strong indication of its presence in payable quantities directly beneath the shaft, whilst if it had only flowed in through the sides, there would have been some ground for the belief that it had|filtered through the earth from a distant spring.

When are wo to hear the last of New market grievances. Another complaint is made that the Government have set a rail road trap " to catch stray horses and cattle. The plan is admirably adapted also, for hold ing them tight when caught, to be run over by"the next train. A few months ago, a cow is said to have been tangled in this place, necessitating the delay of the tram some hours, until the beast was dragged out. This " trap" abuts on the main thoroughfare to Pvemuera, against the crossing. It con sists of a pit close to the road, crossed over at the top with thick bars of wood, about one foot apart, the tops of these bars being feather-edged in order to ensure the legs ot horses and cattle slipping between. A suc cessful capture was made on Tuesday night of one of Mr Kichards valuable horses, which took place as follows :—At 10 o clock, his teams of horaes were being driven to the Eemuera paddock, when one of the animals, a valuable mare, swerved off the road, and step ped on to this gridiron looking affair, and after a few vain struggles to get off again, was securely fixed, with its four legs hanging down between the bars, "fairly suspended like "Mahomet's coffin," between heaven and earth. Some balf-dozen men were soon collected, who proceeded with axes and saws to cut the bars away, and succeeded in liberating the mare from her perilous posi tion, working under great excitement, as a night-train was said to be due, the arrival ot which would have resulted in a most awful catastrophe, as the animal lay across one of the rails.

The anniversary ball fof the brotherhood of Court Zealandia, A.0.F., No. 4741, is announced for Thursday, the 25th inst., at the Lome-street Hall.

An alteration in the fares .on the Auckland and Onehunga railway is announced in our advertising Rolumns, Ohr morning contem poraries erroneously call it a reduction in fares, but the only alterations are we believe a reduction of one panny first class return tickets to Ellerslie, and an increase of two pence to Penrose, so that there is rather tt balatice to the ci edit of tie Government, although nob more, we should imagine, looking at the traffic, than would defray the cost of giving due publicity to the change. We presume the new fares have been fixed as being more convenient or more proportionate to the distance bfetw&eh the two stations affected.

The members of No. 2 City Company A.R.V. will meet for inspection this even ing in the Drill-shed. The Battery and Band of the Auckland Artillery will undergo their monthly inspedtion this evening at the same place.

The other Presbyterian congregations in connection with ths Rev. T. Norrie's large district have held their annual meetings. At Pukekohe Eust the receipts were £12 17s. 2d. Messrs. J. Comrie, J. Macdonald, G. Eastoh, and W. Sharp were elected com mittee-men. A motion for the use of the Hymnal was rejected by a majority of one At Ramarama the receipts were £11 Oa lid., and Messrs. J. Watson, W. Luke, J. Strong, A. Buchanan, and A. Sturgeon were ap pointed a committee. The Pokeno annual report shewed receipts £26 Os. 9J. Messrs Dougla., senr., C. Bathgate, J. McPhersoD, R. Little, J. Wright, and E* Rhodes were elected a committee. The receipts in the Maketu district were £. 3s id., aud Messrs. D. Elderj Townsend, j_*. Mander, and G. Brisbane were elected to the committee.

The concert to be given by the Choral Society, assis-ted by Miss Christian, on the 28fch inst., will be in aid oE a fund for finishing the Choral Hall. The completion of this hall hos been delayed owing to a lack of funds, and we are gad to learn therefore that an effort is to be made to raise a sufficient sum to give the hall those finishing touches which are only rcquiste to make it one of the most handsome, as it is already the most commodious building of the kind in the city. The work of completing the ceiling will be first undertaken. The occasion of the concert on the 28th Avill form a fitting farewell to Miss Christian, who, by her ser vices, will contribute to the permanent beautifying of a temple devoted to the art of which she iis herself such a disticgir'shed ornament. Another practice for the concert takes place in the hail at 7.30 to-morrow evening.

Solomon Pkidner, of Brooklyn, has begun a suit against the Eev. Henry Ward B.echer for the recovery of 600 dollars and interest ; the amount is due for four sets of teeth, sup plied, it is alleged, to the wife and father of defendant, with his knowledge. Beecher, through counsel, denies the allegation, an 1 demands that the case be dismissed on the ground that no services were performed for him ; and, besides, cause of action is barred by the statute of limitation ; the services, according to the complaint, having been ren dered six years ago.

Journalistic amenities at Fiji are, as we illustrated by the republication of a para graph referring to Mr Stanley Lowe, the present editor of the Fiji Times, of a very pungent type. The rival journal the Argus thus notifies Mr Lowe's recovery from some indisposition :—" We are glad to see that Mr Lowe is slowly recovering, and able to take short constitutionals over an area embracing several hotels, although we fear the severe mental tension the management of a paper like the Times demands, materially retards his recovery. His last composition is marked by a perspicuity and elegance, en riched by metaphors from the betting ring and share market, amid which he seems to have graduated with equal advantage to his morals and style."

The Engineer and City Band will play this evening, at seven o'clock, in front of the Supreme Court, thus affording citizens the pleasing opportunity of listening to a series of exquisite selections from Rossini, Auber, and other eminent composers.

We are glad to learn that Mr David Burn, of the North Shore, is recovering from his late illness.

The meeting of the Auckland Scottish Volunteers, announced for last evening for the election of officers, was adjourned until next month.

There will be a special general meeting of the North Shore Rowing Club to-night, at the club room, Masonic Hotel, at 8 o'clock.

FUNERAL OF THE LATE SUPER INTENDENT.

I_ has been urged privately, and through a section of the Press, that it would be desir able to postpone the funeral of the late Mr. Williamson until Sunday, in order that every one might have an opportunity of being pre sent. The members of the Executive this morning took the matter into consideration, and concluded that forQmany weighty reasons such a postponement would be undesirable. The official announcement that the funeral would take place on Saturday afternoon having gone forth into the country districts, very great disappointment might result to those who chanced to overlook the later announcement and come into town on Satur day. The friends of the deceased gentleman are also opposed to any further delay, as well as the clergymen of the denomination with which Mr. Williamson was connected. For these and other reasons it has been determined to adhere to the original arrangement, - which affords the public of Auckland an opportunity for mani festing a special mark of respect to the late Superintendent's memory. An hour or iv>6 closed in the afternoon would [supply the advantage claimed for Sunday, and give everybody an opportunity for attending, and would at the same time only be such a mark of re spect as is becoming on the occasion. Two completely closed Saturday's' were in dulged in at Christmas and New Year, and the concession claimed for employees on

Saturday cannot therefore be a serious incon venience. His Worship the Mayor by adver tisement in another column to day invites the public to close on Saturday afternoon, and we trust the request will be universally complied with. A programme of the order of procession to be observed at the Superintendent's funeral will be published in our columns to-morrow for the guidance of public bodies and friendly Societies taking part in the ceremony.

GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGEMENT TO COLONIAL SHIPPING.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.) Sir —I am informed that the General Go vernment have chartered the ships Warwick and Invererne to convey hence to Napier some thousands of tons of railway matenal, landed here in error. I presume, and cannot help thinking this still further exemplifies the gross management which characterises every thing connected with the con. traction and working of our railways, and to which you have so frequently directed attention. "But what strikes me as being worthy of even greater reprobation is that while we hare Scores of coasting vessels struggling for a bare living, the Government of the country charters strange ships like the Warwick and Invererne to convey this material to Napier at the same rate as our own vessels would have been glad to carry it for. 1 urther, these ships on arrival at Napier will require to be discharged by lighters at a considerable additional cost to the Government, whereas our handy schooners or steamers would have landed their cargoes direct on toe wharf. There are other disadvantages in shipping by such large vessels to which I might refer, but even were there none, it is surely the duty of the Government rather to foster and encourage our colonial fleet than to starve them as they appear desirous of doing.— Yours, &c, Shipowner.

POLICE COURT.—This Day.

(Before Thomas Beckham, Esq., R.M.) OUT IN THE WET. William Cauliflower Robinson and Cor nelius Leary were found last night in a lamentable condition of drunkenness, and With black eyes, and distorted countenances, appeared this morning in answer to the charges. The prisoners pleaded guilty and were fined, Robinson 20s, and Leary 10s, with costs.

15" THE BROAD BOAD. Polly McNamara, of Irish descent, and Bessie Lynch with a young baby in her arms, were charged with drunkenness. Mrs McNamaia said, she was the mother of twelve children, and had a sick husband, and in her trouble she took a drop of whiskey which overpowered her. Fined 10s. Bessie Lynch was fined 20s, this baing her twenty-third offence. REAL CHESHIRE. Patrick Dunne was brought up on a charge of stealing two cheese, value 10s 6d, the pro perty of Arthur Grillies, of Otahuhn, on the 14th Pebiuary. ■ Mr Inspector Thompson said that the cheese were stolen from a farmer at East Tamaki, but as two others were concerned in the robbery, he would ask that the case remanded to Otahubu. Remanded accordingly. A SCION OF THE PEMBROKE FAMILY. Alfred Pembroke was charged with forging and uttering an order for the payment of £5, with intent to defraud Mr Charle3 Drungole of the same, in the month of October last His Worship thought tho prisoner might have given a wrong name, as it was seldom one of the Pembroke family was brought into Court. Prisoner did not claim any close relation ship with the aristocratic family of Pem broke ; he was, he believed, about the tenth cousin to the present earl. Mr Inspector Thompson raid that in con sequence of the absence of the prosecutor, who was in the Waikaio, he must ask for a remand. Remanded for a week. HOMELESS JENNY. Jane Andersen, the young person who was brought up under the Vagrant Act charged with having no visible, lawful means of a livelihood, again appeared before the Court.

Mr Inspector Thompson asked that the youug person might be discharged, as he believed that either through a benevolent person or Mr Graham, a light situation would be found for her.

His Worship gave the poor girl some ex cellent advice, and discharged her.

FORGING AND UTTERING,

James McFarlane, a young man, on re mand, was again brought up on a charge of forging and uttering a cheque for £5, pur porting to be signed by Thomas Lodder, with intent to defraud James Innes, on the Bth February.

James Innes, of the Scotia Hotel, Hobson street, deposed : I know the prisoner who had been staying in my hotel; on the 7th he gave me a cheque on the Bank of New South Wales. It was for board and lodging, amounting to £3 ss, and I gave him the difference, £1 ss. He endorsed it in my presence. I paid it as cash to Mr Moss Isaacs, who found that there were no eflects. I have known the prisoner five years.

Mr William Lodder, manager of the Auck land Steam Packet. Company, deposed : I have no account at the Bank of New South Wales, nor did I authorise the prisoner to draw a cheque in my name. The signature is not mine. I know the prisoner, through his being employed by the company as an engineer. I know no other William Lodder in the colony.

Robert Gilfillan, bank clerk, deposed.: The cheque produced, marked a, was pre sented at our bank, and returned with the endorsement "irregular, and no account." Mr Lodder had no account at our bank.

Constable Andrew Clarke of the hiewton district, deposed to arresting the prisoner on the 10th instant, at Mr Houston's, Karanga hape Road, when he said, " Clarke, I'm guilty ; I wish I had not done it."

The depositions of the several witnesses were read over to the prisoner, who said that he would plead guilty. He regretted that he had committed himself, but be had no intention of defrauding Mr Innes. He was then fully committed for trial at the next criminal sittings of the Supreme Court.

AGAINST THE BY-LAWS. Mrs Harriet Fossett plsaded guilty to her cottage chimney being on fire on the 12th of the present month, and was fined 10s. John Hogan pleaded guilty to allowing two horses to wander in the sylvan glades of Parnell on the 10 Ji inst., and was fined 10s. INDECENT ASSAULT. Dugald McNaughton was charged with a criminal assault on Frances Sarah Burrows oa the sth inst., at Epsom. ' Mr Inspector Thompson conducted the case for the prosecution, and Mr Laishley appeared for the prisoner. Witnesses were all ordered out of Court. Sarah Burrows, mother of the child, de posed—l am the wife of Henry William Burrows, of the Mount Roskill road. We have lived their six months, and have four children. My daughter, Sarah, is eleven years and one month old. My husband and myself go out to work at a neighbouring farm. On the 6th instant I left my house at 7 o clock with my husband to work at the same place, and left the children in charge of Sarah Frances. My daughter complained to me first on the following Sunday morning. She said she was sick, had a bad pain kr her chest, and could not get up. I asked her what was the matter, when she made»state ment which induced me to see Constable Clarke. I know the prisoner, who resides a short distance from my house. Cross-examined by Mr Laishley: I did nor tell Mrs McNaughton that the girl com- P la™«don 3 aMonday., McNaughton waanot' in the habit of coming to my house. Sarah

used to ask him what pas t_A _ I ! passed with his cows. He cafe! ♦*> W% 1 on the day in question^ but on her, he so altered his voice. tr^:^Siß 1 whether it was bim. He" aL. iw _i«_ I drink of water. He their *»'*m I make him a little tea _» 11 was poor Btuff on an 'emntt. '^ ' »fc I he also asked for a«] B*°*i# I and cheese; he gave her fivfL° f *»*] I child thought it was at eight Im*- XW I when he came to the house and i, c*' .ft I until eleven. I did not take an. ! HVnm matter until the following .if,, *^«it 2 left a black-handkd knife W^-fi! which the child thought was lfeS"*-'C' pocke b-knife. l*e W f»tfcj Frances Sarah Burrows w»« when Mr. LaishJey asked his \vS amine the child as to her com__Kr&*»2 evidence. "^"-"gift Ihe child answered his Wor»>__. " • tions very intelligently ; she and mfM?«» had been in the habit of attendw£^ day school regularly. Her __X!W satisfactory, she was sworn andi ra «V and deposed: I know the. rZ nf*^. came lo our house on the 6th. S<i B» and wanted water. It was bet **. and eight I made him some !te_3._Ni quest. He put some sticks on _..«***t' went to. fetch a sauce-pan^' I on my father's dinner, w L n n| W done that; he caught me up on hi. _ * » got my feet on the ground «ff g* 1 from him He caught me -paseEvß* and placed me on the sofa (Wif tlni6 described the nature, of the V remarkably clear and intelligent«,. m » set the dog at him, but it Z . JffSf-J I He took up a thick stick and Z£t out of the house. I then w«nt iSt room, when he followed. I *£S?H" to follow, but he said he would- v -D°t to hunt the fleas. The assault ,Jf* repeated. The baby began to cry'SLJ* and my brothers and sisters aW ly _ I got away. He told me not to tell nLv^ and when he came back he would aSE*1 shilling. I know prisoner is the miui^L 1 cause of the mark on his forehead h\ a lightish pair of trousers on, alio _^*i*_ coat and striped shirt. His hatwL«r ditty v hire and crumpled. w * The witness was subjected to iW err *. examination by Mr Laishley, but which Si to shake her evidence. . Y*° The case was remanded until Saturday'

OHINEMURI.

[From Our Special Correspondent [By Telegraph from Geahamstowfl

NEGOTIATIONS W?TH THE NAlWgs THE ALLUVIAL FIND A. toYTfi.

OHINEMURL; WeAnuitj. Sir Donald Mc T can has not had a meeting with the native owners yet. There Ira korero to-day. It is expected that, there will be two or three meetings before eveiythingja settled Great regiet is expressed at the death of the Superintendent, Two more steamers are running o_tlw liver, the Effort and Eclipse. The' rim V full of snags and _ayers. - " if It is rumoured that a find of 80 ouncea of alluvial gold is reported in the lhames and Auckland papers. It is ody a rumour. Nobody knows anything at all about it«p here. It must have- been discovered at ' Grahamstown, where the lumour.tb^iiti butt. Probably it meant the lata find on tie Thames foreshoie.

The Natives Accept the Terms.

The Latest.

The great native meeting commenced yei terday at a large meeting-house called te Whakahare o Hauraki. There was a large attendance of naiives, including the principal men. Several Europeans also were present, in addition to Sir Donald McLean, DrTpllep, and Mr. Mack ay. I noticed Messrs Puckey, G. H. Davies, C. O'Neill,' J. Gibbons, J. Foley, H. C. Young, Craig and Grace. The meeting was to decide the terms mi which the field is to be opened. So far the demands of the natives appear ridiculous. The Government Terms of Opetiii* The general position of the agreement drawn up by Sir Donald McLean arid Mr Mackay, is that the natives are placed in exactly the same position/ as the G&yeminent. The right to search for and mine minerals other than gold, will be granted on terma in force by the Waste Lands Act; the-miiney arising to be paid to the native owneraof the soil. Timber licenses will be granted on payment of £9, the ground to be restricted to twenty acres, the timber on the ground to be auctioned and sold to the highest bidder | every miner having the right to cut a kauri tree on payment of 255. It also provides that leases for agricultural and goldmining purposes may be granted when thei'GjOTena ment think proper. Township* may J* reserved within the goldfield, and within which business licenses may be issued on payment of £5. Any man may have a residence site for £1; and persons digging gum must have miners rights. The above conditions are strict in some respects • but, I think, will be found advaa tageous from their clearness. The proceed ings were interrupted by a heavy fall of ram, but the natives seem to be none the worse for a day's reflection over the torn?s afa^ed ■ by Mr. Mackay. After Mr Mackay had read the proposed | termß, Te Wlkiriahi and Mataiasaid : Ihaw wished to see Mr McLean ; Mackay has told us of the good things for us if we open Ohinemuri, but it is questionable to our minds. Te Moananui said it was better noM? enter into details until the main difficrilty was settled. He. referred to the report that he had received £1000 from Sir Donald McLeanin order to gain his consent to the

opening. ." * ' V" ' Matina said everybody at Sbortland was willing to open the goldfield but him, and he had done it on the quiet. . ■■ - ■■ . ■ 'A^ Ropata said Mr Mackay denied that £WW had been given to Moananui and-;Te Hira. t ; Tukukino said young Nickhblls to}& tH* they had received £1000 each, that it paid through Mr Puckey. ,-• Y;^ , Mr Mackay said the only thing he knew of it was that Sir Donald McLean gave Moananui a watch. - ■~ .... . Te Hira then welcomed McLean and Dr Pollen. He said now everything was clear they bad come and talk in Hauraki to_ see that the division is fair and have everything properly defined. He wished that they may be in peace. / , Sir Donald McLean : Your statement is correct. We are here to converse before the whole tribe. is nothing difficult to talk about. : _,You have to decide on the position reserved, and the portion given- Mr Mask ay and yourseLves will arrange terms. The Government desire that yon should,all live in peace and quietness, and smile at each other. -Mr Mackay and my- V aelf will clear up.-evflrything, and tell you what will be done. -» --- •■—■ A Moananui said this was correct, but they must leave them to sell gum, .'.cpaL^ag&^j^g kerosene, like peaches. Ymv may *h_v-M*J^p the gold, but leave all else for us. fIT, Y. Several other chiefs spoke to the b4c«OJ"W effect. .. . . ; * :7f: Mr Mackay 'then spokei; explaining^^-V*' goldfields boundary, to which the nanWM agreed. '- " A long talk then ensued, when the meet ing? adjourned till to-day. The .natives then brought out food for Europeans. -

THE EVENING STAR THURSDAYM AJKLF;ASF



r\ I T V HALL. HATS, CLOTHING, PRINTS, DRESSES. CARPETS, FLOORCLOTHS, CHINA MATTING. MILLINERY, . ~ UNDERCLOTHING, . BABY LINEN. AT COST PRICE, T-|_Tecta Clearance .or'exteusiveSalteratfon'of premises. HOLLO WAY & G A RLICK, CITY HALL. I^EWPKOYINOIAL HOSPITAL. I T O BC'I LDE RS. j " Sup__i__endent_i Office, Auckland, January 15,1875. tenders will be received at this Office until Noon o bNDAY, the. Ist day of March, 1876, for the potion and Completion of a New Provincial Hos- Jersons desirgus of tendering for the above-men ked Building, may inspect the Drawings and Speci- Honß.af file office of Mr P. Herepath, Architect, ken-street, where particular information may be ined,-6n _md after Monday, the 18th instant, iflkcenders to be sealed and endorsed "Tender Sew ProviriciaCHospitai;"- .' V *. wii__iams6n, » . Superintendent, fv Y. Olufhaaah of Building Commiagionew, ~



~\\J~E HAVE RECEIVED Per S.S. \Mv,ro, THREE CASES or BLACK AND COLOURED SILKS, Purchased a Job in London by our Mr Urahim. _3- The ESTIRE LOT will be disposed of at SELLING-OFF PRICES ! J. COSGRAVE & CO. aE WI N G MACHINES. DEMOLITION OF THE FITTING SHOP, VULCAN LANE. Having received notice to quit on account of re-building, I will CLEaR OUT part of my Large Stock of FIBST-CLASS SEWING MACHINES At Wholesale Piling. Th_ Largest S_ec_. in New Zealand. PRICES RANGE PROM 40s TO £7 8. 22?" For New Price List see Handbill in to-ni_ht. Star. GEO W. HELSOP, Proprietor.