SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

p (This Afternoon, 11.48 I.TGH WATER— . To-niorrow Morning, 12. SUN SET.—This Evening. 7.8 _ SUN RISE —To-morrow Morning. 4.4U MOON'S AGE.—First Quarter, 13th, 9.13 a.m

ARRIVALS.

Belle Brandon, schooner, Ohlson, from Solomon Islands and Rotumah.

Hawea, s.s , Wheeler, for RusselL . Southern Cross, s.s , Holmes, for Napier.

DEPARTURES.

IMPORTS.

Per Belle Brandon, from Solomon Islands:— 40 tons copra, _ ton oil. Henderson & Macfar lane.

The cargo of copra brought by the B^lle Brandon i? to be transhipped on board the . rty of Auckland, and the schooner went alongside the larger vessel to-day for that purpose. The schoaer Belle Brandon, Captain Ohlson, arrived from a cruise among the Solomon Islands and other Pacific Groups last nierht, bringing a full cargo of copra and oil, and the following passengers: Captain Robinson, Mr William Robinson. Mr A. Smith. Captain Ohlson reports meeting the schooners Levuka and Upolo at Rotumah. ..,_,. The p.s. Geelong arrive! yesterday withlraft from Mangape. _ • .. The s.s. Hawea left last evening for Russell, She is expected back to-morrow morning, and will «ail for the Christmas excursion round the colony at i p.m. in the afternoon. Passengers— Messrs J.L. Campbell, Peacock, T.Henderson, A Beetham H. N. Brewer, Chatfleld, Williams, M.H.R., and four from the South. .... The s.s. Southern Cross left last night for Napier, with a general cargo ane several V- T *■• *_ (_ n *** C_*3 The shin Otaki cleared at the Customs to-day fo" Port Ohalmer,. She is to leave to-mo.-i-ow. The s s. Rotorua is at present being docked at Port Chalmers,- not beibre she needsd it. She i* announced to leave for the North on Friday, and to arrive in Auckland on Tuesday evening next. She is to sail for Sydney on Wednesday, the 19th inst.

COMMERCIAL.

Messrs E. and H. Isaacs offered the schooner Christinathismorningatauction, which brought £550. She is considered by nautical men cheap, being a large carrying vessel, and of a handy S"'At Mr R. Arthur's fruit sale to-day, cherries realised Id to 6d per lb : gooseberries, od per Jh : plums, 3Jd per lb. . _ ~, ~—«-— Messrs S. Cochrane and Sons held an im portant sale of oroperties in Auckland and One hunga to-day, by order of the executor m the estate of the late W. Dyer. The allotment in Hobson-street, withfour-roomed cottage, sold for £190, and allotments 2, 4, 6, and 8, section 19, at Onehunga, consisting of four acres with dwelling house now occupiel by Dr Zinzan,realised £doO. The Queen-street and Graham-street properties were passed. 60 Red Queen shares sold for 2s eich. ___________

AUCKLAND STOCK AND MINING ASSOCIATION.

TO-DAYS QUOTATIONS. Bank of New Zealand—Buyers, £22 12s Cd sellers, £23. n „ _„ National Bank—Buyers, 70s ; sellers, 725. Colonial Bank-Buyers, 47s 6d; sellers, 19s. National Insurance—3ls 6d. Union Insurance—Sellers, 10s 6d. Union Sash Se Door Co.—£lo 10s. Moanatairi—Bos : sellers, 81s. Tokatea—Sellers, 7s 3d. Royal Oal—Sellers, 7s 63. Thames— Buyers. 31?. . JOSEPH NEWMAN. Chairman.

CHIEF POST-OFFICE, AUCKLAND.

Mails wilt, Close as Undek: For Thames, this day, at 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m.; and to-morrow, at 5.30 p.m. For Coromandel, per Argyle, on Friday next, at 2.30 p.m. For Waiwera, Warkworth, and Te Arai, per Anne Milbank, to-morrow, at 10 a.m. For Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, and Southern Provinces, per Hawea, to-morrow, at 3 p.m. For money orders, registered letters, and newspapers, at 2 p.m. Late letters till 3.20 p.m. For Gisbarne, per Go-ahead; to-morrow, at _ p.m. For Whitionga, Touranga, and Opotiki, per Rowena. on Friday next, at 4 p.m. For Australian Colonies, Dei* Rotorua, on "Wed nesday n_:t, at 11 a.m. For Taranaki and Southern Provinces, per Taranaki, on Tvesday next, at 2.15 p.m. Per s.s. City of Sydney, on Wednesday, 19th instant, as follows:—■ For Sandwich Islands, United States of America, Canada. British Columbia, Central and South America, and British and Foreign West Indies, at 11 a.m. For United Kingdom, and Continent of Europe, at 11 a.m. For money orders, registered letters, and newspapers, at 9.30 a.m. Late letters, bearing an extra fee of Od, in addition to the postage, will be received by the mail agent on board tbe steamer up to the time of sailing.

BIRTHS.

IThe price for inserting birth notices in this column is reduced to one shilling; other notices as bef ore.l

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening News." "The Morning News," and "The Echo."

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1877.

for the cause that lacks, assistance. For the -wrong that needs resistance, _or the future in the distance, A_<St_s zoo-tUaiwe «_.-».

What is a Governor ? Mr Bagehot, in the quotation which we gave yesterday from his work on the English Constitution, lias defined what a Governor actually is, but leaves untouched the definition of what a Governor ought to be. This, however, is clearly defined in the 80th clause of the Con stitution Act of New Zealand : " The terra Governor shall mean the person lawfully administering the government of any colony." The Imperial Legislature was apparently so anxious to preclude any possibility of misapprehension on this point that it has repeated the same clause at the end of an Amendment Act. It follows, therefore, that the Marquis of Normanby, so far as his official position in New Zealand is con cerned,-is a person who is bound to admin ister the affairs of this colony conformably to the laws of the colony ; and if he unlaw fully administers the Government of the colony, then lie is not the Governor, but somebody else altogether, in fact a mere usurper, a person unknown to the constitu tion, and to all intents and purposes a political nonentity. The question which we propose to dis cuss in' the present article is this : Is the Marquis of Normanby lawfully administer ing the government of New Zealand ? We have before us the printed memoranda be tween the Marquis and Sir George Grey, respecting a dissolution of Parliament. In memorandum No. 1, dated November 14th, the Premier sets out eight grounds on which he bases the recommendation of Ministers to his Excellency to dis solve the House of Representatives. The first is that "The present House was elected upon a distinct question, that of the abolition of the provinces. Since the settle ment of that question no clearly defined party lines have been kept." His Excellency in his reply entirely overlooks this point. What Sir George Grey doubtless meant was that in the keen struggle upon these two paramount questions, political matters of vast importance which were depend ant upon Abolition were lost sight of by the constituencies, such as the re adjustment of representation, incidence of taxation, land and native policy, and other matters of equal importance ; that a House elected upon the mere alternative of Abolition versus Provincialism could not fairly represent the views of the people in respect to questions upon which their wishes had*ot been consulted, and that the Abolition of the provinces had broken up the old party lines and divided the House into many conflicting and unstable political elements. The second reason urged by Sir Geerge Grey was that "The present "Ministry was not in power at the time of the general elections," and that "on this ground the Ministry have a right to a dissolution." There is a strong precedent for this, which Aye quote from May :—

" Mr Disraeli, in 1838, laid it down as a maxim that 'Practically it had been held to be the Constitutional right of a Ministry upon taking office to advise the Crown to dissolve a parliament elected under the influence of its political opponents.'" . And the London " Times," of March 23rd last, commenting upon Sir William Stawell's refusal of a dissolution to the Berry Ministry, under similar circum stances to those referred to by Sir George Grey, remarks : —

" The right of a Ministry to demandla dissolu tion, is held with us to depend rather upon the circumstances under which tho Parliament was elected, and the length of time it has lasted. It a Ministry, for instance, is defeated in a Parlia ment elected during its tenure of ofhce, it is rarely justified in asking for a dissolution ; but if the Parliament was elected under its opponents, a Ministry is generally understood to have a claim to appeal to the country. The Royal authority is exercised rather to ensure general fair play between parties, than to estimate the importance of the questions at issue." In the third, fourth, and fifth, reasons urged by the Premier he reviews the three motions of want of confidence tabled during the session, in order to shew that several mem bers, had, during the short period of three weeks, recorded their want of confidence in each of the two Administrations, To this, the Governor replied in a memorandum dated Novembei 15th, in which he argues (1) that the Ministry " have never from the first commanded a majority of the House," and (2) that the shifting of votes on two successive motions of want of confidence simply shew that " while these gentlemen were dissatisfied with the late Government, they were equally dissatisfied with the one which succeeded' it." The first argument is manifestly fallacious, seeing that Sir George Grey ousted the Atkinson Ministry by a majority of four, the numbers being 42 to 3S ; the second is mere assumption. As a matter of fact the five mem bers who "ratted" after the formation of the Grey Ministry did so purely, upon personal grounds—viz., disappointment at not being offered portfolios. Subsequent events prove, moreover, that they acted under mis taken impulses, and directly in opposition to the wishes of their constituents, whose strong protests recalled at least three of them to better judgment. His Excellency, however, in his reply has again ignored constitutional precedents, of which it is difficult to suppose that he could be ignorant. The dissolutions of the House of Commons in 1852, 1857, and 1859, according to Todd, were principally based on the fact that there were in"the House " discordant elements, under different leaders, incapable of forming a Ministry, but united against the Government." The fourth ground on which the Premier bases his application for a dissolution is " The unsatisfactory state of the public business before the House, after a session of nearly four months." His Excellency replies to this that "He is of opinion that the difficulties which have occurred may yet be solved without a dis solution." Setting aside the accuracy or otherwise of His" Excellency's judgment upon this matter, we contend that it was not his business to overbear the deliberate opinions of his responsible advisers by his mere personal belief; and that iv so doiug he strained the prerogative, and acted in defiance of constitutional usages. Hearn, in his "Constitutional History,"p. 155, gives the following cases in which the Crown is justified in dissolving Parliament, when :—

"Either there is a difference of opinion be tween the Crown and the House of Commons on the subject of some Ministry; or the different parties in the Commons are so equally divided that business is obstructed ; or the two Houses cannot, on some material question, come to an agree ment."

The second of these precedents is exactly on all fours with the case upon which Sir George Grey based his recommendation. The sixth reason Urged by the Premier was as follows :—" But, in addition, expressions of opinion received from all parts of the country lead Ministers to believe that, in the event of a dissolution being granted to them, they will be em:' Led to carry on the business of the country with a large work ing majority." The only reply that his Excellency is able to make is that " they

have produced no evidence iv support of their opinion." This is manifestly dis ingenouus. Ministers referred 'to '* expres sions of opiniou received ;" and the resolu tions passed at monster public meetings in all the principal cities of the colony, and published in the Wellington press, were amply sufficient to shew that these ex pressions of public opinion repre sented the sentiments of a large majority of the people. Perhaps His Excellency does not condescend to read the public journals of the colony, and un doubtedly he consults his own peace of mind in shutting his eyes and ears to the universal indignation which his arbitrary conduct has provoked from end to end of the colony. And here again the Governor is found obstinately defying well-known constitutional precedents, and set+ing up his own autocratic will against that of the representatives ,of the .people. We quote again from Hearn—p. 156 :—

"If there appear to be from the ordinary indications of public opinion a strong probabi lity that the views of the Ministry are shared by the constituent body, and if the Ministers still enioy tho Royal confidence, a dissolution is proper." And Todd gives four grounds upon which it is proper to apply for a. dissolution ; but only the last is specially applicable to the particular question under discussion : " Whenever there is reason to believe that the House of Commons does not correctly represent the opinions and wishes of the nation."

When the Marquis replies that Ministers have ** produce, no evidence" of the feeling of the electorates, he delicately insinuates that their deliberately expressed opinion is unworthy of credence. There is, however, an ancient proverb with regard to the memo ries of people who pervert the truth, and the proverb is as applicable to such exalted persons as the Marquis as it is to the humble servant who blacks his boots Judging the Marquis by the standard of memory, he would be likely to come to grief in the other capacity, for in impugning the official veracity of his responsible advisers he has entirely forgotten an other well-recognised constitutional maxim, that —we quote from Hearn—p. 117 :—

" The proper conduct of Parliamentary Govern ment implies that the king shall not retain any servants whom Parliament advises him to dis miss, and that he shall, while he retains them, give to his recognised servants his fullest confi dence, and be exclusively guided by their advice."

The Governor, who represents the Crown, is bound to recognise his responsible advisers as servants so long as they enjoy the confidence of Parliament, and they cannot be constitutionally held to have lost that confidence so long as they retain their seats on the Treasury Benches. Sir George Gley's seventh and eighth reasons are based on their native policy and the critical condition of the finances of the country. We shall conclude this article with another and crush ing quotation from Hearn's Constitu tional History, and in the next shall examine the new points raised in the Governor's reply to Sir George Grey, which are mostly fallacious and opposed to Constitutional practice and usage, and are merely ingenious evasions of the points urged by the Premier : —

"By the Common Law itself, and mora especially since the formal recognition of Minis terial responsibility, the sovereign of England is constitutionally debarred from the public exercise of any functions of royalty except such as are necessary to express the royal pleasure in regard to acts of State which have been advised or concurred in by Constitutional advisors." During the debates in 1807, in tho House of Commons, the following maxim was laid down: —(1) " That the Bang has no power by the Con stitution to do any public act of Government, either in his executive or legislative capacity, but through the medium of some Minister, who is held responsible for the act,"

A remarkable change has come over public opinion iv all parts of the colony with respect to the policy enunciated by Sir George Grey. Not only have public meetings in almost all the principal centres of population pronounced unmistakably in favour of that policy, and all the more in fluential journals supported his views, but murabile dictu we find even a very large section —probably a considerable majority —of the people of Wellington have coincided with the views expressed in other parts of the colony. Yesterday, a deputation of Wellington citizens waited upon Sir George Grey and asked him, in the name of a large number of political friends, to accept a public dinner at Wellington, along with his colleagues, in order to afford them an opportunity of expressing their approval of the political policy sketched by the Premier, and their estimation of his personal and private worth. Sir George Grey expressed his willingness to accept the honour upon his return from Napier and Auckland, which he expected would be shortly after Christmas.

A chief of considerable importance named Taraiti Tukunui was drowned about ten days ago in attempting to cross the river between Te Kereatukahia and Matahiua. He was under the impression that it was ebb tide, and had succeeded in crossing the first river, but in attempting to cross the second was overtaken by the- tide in the mud flat. The Ngaetirangi tribe held a tangi on the body. A great quantity of fish had been caught for the occasion. This circumstance created much an_*ry dis cussion. The chief Hori Tupaea spoke very indignantly at the idea of being fed from fish which had been mutilating the body of the deceased. The result was that the Katikati and Taurauga waters are declared sacred until the Arawas, who were connected with Tukunui arrive, when they will (toakanoa) take off the tapu. Tukunui was probably one of the largest landowners in the district; having no family, his interest will doubtless revert to his sister Mirania, wife of Mr 1. McMillan. "Verdant" gives the following account in the " Thames Star," of how he was vic timised by an aged syren in Auckland. " I was standing at the" corner of Queen street and Shortland Crescent, when I was accosted by an aged female in black, look ing intensely miserable, and who, after.re lating a most pitiable tale of woe, asked for a little money to assist in the burial of her dear departed husband, who had died the night before. My heart was touched, and I " shelled out" a shilling or two, and went on my way rejoicing in the belief that I had done a charitable act. Judge the revulsion of feeling which I ex perienced some hours later when I saw my widowed suppliant of the morning roll out of a pub, looking as jolly as she had looked sorrowful when soliciting my charity, having, doubtless, been regaling herself ou the alms obtained from me and other un suspecting greenhorns. I was subsequently informed, greatly to my disgust, that this same old lady is a good reader of physiog nomy, and only " goes for" those whom she considers look precious green." Yesterday, the Hon. J. Sheehan, in reply to a deputation of Wellington Licensed Victuallers, said he thought tbe License Commissioners had over-looked the fact that hotels were built not so much for the accommodation of the resident population as for that of the travelling public, and this was especially the case as regards Wellington. He considered the present system and formation of Licensing Courts as a great mistake. At one time the tri bunal was composed of Justice- of the Peace, but they were popularly supposed to do some very bad things, wherefore an alteration was made, and the present system was adopted. He believed that the old system was very much better than the present. The Government stood con\ mitted to bring in a general licensing law for the whole colony. As most of our readers are probably aware, the date of the departure of the next outward English mail via San Francisco is the 19thinst., but it is not generally known that the next homeward mail by this route will leave at an interval of three weeks, instead of 28 days as in the ordinary course. This will make the Bth January of the first departure date of the new year instead of the 16th. The new time tables of the service have just been printed in Wellington, and special attention is called to the feature just mentioned. After the Bth January, the departures will be at the regular four-weekly intervals.

A. most painful feeling of regret has pervaded musical circles, owing to the death of the popular composer known as Virginia Gabriel, but who was married to Mr March, of the Foreign Office. Her decease took place on August 16, at St. George's Hospital, where she was conveyed owing to an accident which terminated so fatally. Mrs March had left her husband at his club, and was returning to_ her residence in'Cadogan Place in her carriage, when the horse took fright and ran away. The poor lady jumped out of the vehicle, and \vas pitched on to the pavement, fracturing her skull so severely that she remained in an unconscious state from Sunday evening to Monday night, when * she expired. The compositions of Virginia Gabriel are well-known'; her ballads have been sung in most house holds throughout the country, and the works of few native composers had a quicker and more profitable sale. She was not a learned musician, but she had a melodious vein which enabled her to invest with interest and sympathy the subject she set. Mrs March also wrote music to operettas, the librettos of which were from the pen of her husband; and she has left a complete comic opera in MS., being a setting of Mr Planch6's comedy, " The Follies of a Ni^ht." Mrs March was a daughter of ° General Gabriel, and was much liked in society, being a highly ac complished lady; as a causeuse she was most entertaining. -Her kindness of heart prompted her to assist rising and struggling artists on many occasions, and many anecdotes could be narrated »f the aid she has afforded. In one 'instance she de voted the proceeds of a very popular ballad, which provided a good income, for the des titute relatives of an Irish prima donna, who sang on the Italian' lyric stage in Italy, and also at the Royal Italian Opera and her Majesty's Theatre. The loss of Mrs March will be deeply lamented, not only in the artistic world, but also in society, of which she was one of the brightest ornaments.

The Free Templars will hold another of their series of quadrille parties this evening in the Oddfellow's Hall, Cook-street,' according to advertisement. These evening parties are conducted in a manner which is creditable to the committee. _ Mr Donald will act as master of ceremonies.

We are requested to correct an error in our report of the proceedings at the District Court on Monday. Ia the case of Keane and Jenkinson v. Ring an. Home, claim £60 for damages, the award of Mr Phillips was £25 damages by reason of non-delivery, with costs £9.

At the sitting of the Presbyterian General Assembly yesterday, it was stated that the missionary to the Maori was doing good work, but funds we"6 low. Two Otago deputies addressed the Assembly, hoping for a unification of the Church throughout the colony. A request from the New- Hebrides missionary for permission to visit Britain was conceded, provided arrange ments- and funds for carrying on the mis sion were satisfactory. It was also resolved to petition in favour of a British Protectorate over New Hebtides. Church statistics showed the increase of revenue for year, £2,600 ; value of building erected, £8,000. A high class course of study for students was adopted. Ministers were appointed to prepare papers for next meeting on the* work of the Church, Gospel Ministry, Confession, and Material ism. A conference on the state of religion resulted in favourable* to giving prominence to Sabbath observance _ and kindred tone?, and expressive o c satisfac; tion at the approaching visit of Dr Somer ville. A resolution was carried against denominational .education.

The regular communication of the Union Lodge of Mark Masters, 154, F..C., was held last eveningintheLodge-room, Princes street. Bro J. Heibert Burns, W.M., in the chair. The usual business of the lodge be ing completed, the election of Worshipful Master for the ensuing twelve months was proceeded with, when Bro. A. Brock, P.M., of 421 I. C., was unanimously elected. Bro. P. M. Wade, treasurer, and Bro. C. Porter, tyler.

A magic lantern and general entertain ment was held last evening in the Mount Eden Baptist school-room, in aid of the funds of the school. The room was crowded, chiefly through the exertions of Mr Ewingtou. The first part of the enter tainment was a series of dissolving views, illustrative.of natural history, public build ings in London, and the poetry of Thomas Campbell, all familiarly explained by Mr Ewingtou. The readings comprised "A Domestic Scene with a Vengeance," "A Legend of City West," •" The Gingham Umbrella," and the "Three Warnings of Mrs Piozzi," a recitation, excellently ren dered by Miss Hebden. Several of Moody and Saiikey's hymns were rendered by the choir. The whole concluded with "God Save the Queen." Mr Levi W. Eaton occupied the chair.

A correspondent recently inquired what was the taxation per head of New Zealand. We had not time to make the calculation then, but have since found that whilst in 1573 each inhabitant of this Colony was taxed to the extent of about £3 lis 4d, in the year 1876 each was taxed to the extent of £3 7s 9d. In a commercial point of view, therefore, it has paid us to import taxpayers. In Victoria the taxation per head was £2 5s 2d in 1873, and £2 2s 4d in 1576 ; in New South Wales it was £2 9s Sd per head in 1873, and about £1 17s in 1876. It is plain, therefore, that taxation in New Zealand is more heavy than in the Colonies of Victoria and New South Wales.

The Boot and Shoemakers held a meeting last evening in the club-room of the British Hotel, with a view to the interest of the trade. Several sons of Crispin were present at the appointed hour, several brief speeches were made, several questions briefly dis cussed, the financial statement presented, and one or two songs sung, after which the meeting peacefully terminated, every shoe maker believing in his heart "there is nothing like leather.

The remaining business of the Waste Lands Board meeting, in "addition to our report in our last issue, consisted of an application from Mr Howard for a grant of land in the Karangahape district, which was allowed to stand over pending the arrival of the new Act; also a grant of three acres of land for a school and teacher's residence at Mount Roskill.. A letter from MrW. Kirby to Major Green was read, offering his two gravel pits for sale for £400 • intimating that he had been advised to remove the Government gravel which had fallen into his pits and sell it, handing the proceeds to the Government; or other wise to proceed against the Government for loss sustained by him in being prevented from using the pits. The Board recom mended that Mr Khby should put the gravel back, and build a retaining wall. The other business before the Board, consisting of various applications, was held over. The next meeting of the Board will be held on Tuesday, the eighth day of the New Year.

Amongstjthelrumours current in Welling ton telegraphed by the Press Agency is one that Colonel Moule contemplates resigning the command of the Armed Constabulary and Police of the colony, and another that Mr Bunny will shortly resign his seat for Wairarapa in the House of Representa tives.

Direct telegraphic communication has been established between New Zealand and Western Australia ; rates, first ten words, 10s 6d ; every additional word, Is. To the Editor : Sir,—When Sir George Grey came back from Wellington, an unsuc cessful champion of Auckland rights, we strained a line of banners across Queen street at the fire-bell, and erected a staging in front of which thousands drank in his words of hope and trust; now he is returning a conqueror we seem about to content ourselves with a suffocating assemblage at the Choral Hall, where not a fourth of the former assemblage can hear from his lips the glad tidings of great joy. But this is Auckland all over.—l am, yours, etc., H.

The Wellington correspondent of the "Otago Daily Times" gives the following explanation of the Brogdeu claims against the Government, about- which Mr Ormond recently made scandalous charges against the Government, and which he was com pelled to retreat: —I will endeavour to let your readers understand how some of these claims at least have arisen. Suppose Messrs Brogden and Co. took a contract for say £10,000 to make a railway from the Imperial Hotel to Knox Church, following the line of Princes-street, passing round the Octagon on the lower side and so on by George-street. The contract would contain the usual schedules of prices at which all extra work properly authorised should be charged for, and if any extra work were done without' orders no claim would of course be recognised for it. There would also be a provision in the contract that the Government Engineer might at any time after certain notice and in due form order the discontinuance of any part of the work shown iv the specifications, and then the cost of the work so discontinued should be deducted from the total of the contract according to schedule prices. Suppose the railway then completed from the Imperial to the 'Criterion Hotel, when the engineers determined that instead of carrying the live round the Octagon it should be carried right through it, the proper course would be to give notice under the contract, of the discontinuance or withdrawal of the section fiom the point of divergence to where the deviation would rejoin the main line under the original plans. The deviation would, of course, be an extra. Now, in the lines constructed by Messrs Brogden, deviations in this wav have, as in all other railways, been sufficiently common; but I believe that in no case was the required notice of discontinuance or withdrawal of the work intended in the original plans given. The deviations made were certified for as extras, and when it came to finally settling up, the Government attempted to strike a balance between the works done which were not in the original plans, and those which were in those plans, but which were not done. Messrs Brogden, however, well knew we con tracted to make a railway from one point to another for a given siim. You had the power to withdraw in manner prescribed in the contract any portion of the work, but you have not chosen to exercise this power. We therefore demand the full sum of our con tract, as well as the extras we have done. It may, of course, be said that this is. sharp practice, but contracting generally is sharp practice, and certainly the engineers who are entrusted with such large works as those Messrs Brogden have executed for New Zealand should have been sharp enough to have carried out the clear pro visions of the contract as regarded their powers , and not have left themselves _ at the mercy of the other side. The claims of the Messrs Brogden are half in the hands of Mr Travers, and the other half in the hands of Mr Barton; while the opinions of .'eminent_counsel|in London have also been taken. One way or ."another the Colony is likely to have a very pretty little bill to pay through the blundering incapacity of its servants—Ministerial and engineering."

At an inquiry at Hamilton into the origin of the late fire, an open verdict was returned. Mr William Fox was present at the great meeting of Good Templar Delegates of the South Island held at Timaru, and delivered a telling speech. The Hawke's Bay "Herald"'quotes a recent article from the Star urging a public reception to Sir George Grey, and concludes its remarks ns follows : —" It seems probable, from the above, that, whether we receive the Premier in Napier in a befitting manner or not, his entry into his own territory wiU certainly be the occasion of a demonstration of no ordinary character."

The Working Men's Union Committee purpose inviting Sir George Grey to be come the patron of the Association. The Committee has drafted a code of rules, which will be submitted to a general meeting. A letter received by tbe Government from the Agent-General encloses correspondence with the Rev. J. A. Beagor, rector of Portland, with reference to the proposal to erect a memorial church in Portland in memory of the passengers lost in the Avalanche. It is proposed to erect a brass monument in the church, on which is to be inscribed the names of the passengers and crew. The estimated cost of the building is £1,000, exclusive of the monument and site already purchased. £200 has been promised by Shaw, Savill and Co.; £10 by S. H. Williams ; brother of the captain, £aO. The rector asks Sir J. Vogel to ascertain if friends in New Zealand would like to assist, and it is understood subscrip tions will be received and forwarded by the Under Secretary of Immigration if required, or can be sent by the donors direct to Mr Beagor, Portland Rectory. Mr W. Rowe, M.H.R. has addressed the following letter to Mr E. H. Power, Chair man of a meeting held at the Thames, at which a resolution was passed calling upon Mr Rowe to resign his seat :—" Wellington, December 3rd, 1577. Sir, —I beg to ac knowledge che receipt of your letter of the 23rd November, in which you communica ted to me a resolution passed at a meeting held at Graliamstown on the 22nd. The resolution states that my action is opposed to the best interests of my constituents, and that I be requested to resign forthwith. I must ask leave to differ from the state ments as to the effect of my conduct on the interests of the electors. On all occasions the one object I have had in view has been (according to my best judgment and ability) to advocate and promote in every possible way the interests of the whole electorate ; in order to do this, I have remained here at great personal inconvenience and loss • and even at the close of the session there are several matters of vital importance to be attended to, and should the request con veyed in the resolution be complied with, they will certainly be passed over. Besides, I am assured that my resignation is not desired by a majority of the electprs. Will you therefore be good enough to inform the gentlemen present at the meeting that it is not my intention to resign my post for the reasons assigned and grounds stated in the resolution. I am, yours obediently, W: Rowe."

The U. S. Minstrels are announced to open in Auckland on Thursday, the 20th inst. This is said to be one of the cleverest European troupes that have ever visited the Australian colonies,, and they have met with extraordinary success over the other side in an extended tour. Our old friend G. W. Rockefeller, late of California Ministrels, is the business manager. Further par ticulars will be seen in the advertise ment.

NARROW ESCAPE OF FIRE.—A FORTUNATE DISCOVERY.

As Constable Dodd was on duty in Queen street last evening between S aud 9 o'clock, he was told by a fireman, Sam Morberly, thot a fire was broahing out in the yard of Messrs Henderson and Spraggon, ship builders. He immediately accompanied Morberly to the spot, and found that th_ ashes of the steam box, which had been left to die out, were blazing forth. A strong westerly wind was blowing at the time, and had blown the ashes into a flame, with the assistance of Morberly, and a few buckets of water, the flames were soon ex tinguished. Had the fire not been dis covered* in time, there would have been a disastrous conflagration. The shed and timber were close by, and a large pitched spar was lying within three feet of the ashes. To, say the least, there was evidence of great careless ness on the part of some one in leaving burning ashes exposed to the wind on a blowy night.

THE AUCKLAND TIMBER CO. LIMITED.

We learn that a company has just been formed named the Auckland Timber Co. Limited, the object of this Company being to acquire the various saw mill . forests, manufactories, and timber business of Messrs G. Holdship and Co.. Custom House-street, who invest the whole of the purchase money in the Company's _to ck.

The surplus shares have eagerly been taV a „ several gentleman favourably im_>rea__sllD _. the prospects of the .-Company. On the it? S*tt comingyearthe Company enter into unS_°v*«e and the business will be carried on as atn. SSIOI1> Mr G. Holdship retaining' tbe managem. „.Sent. addition to the saw mill 3at Wangarn- _JH Charles, and Kennedy Bay, we learn «_ Pot"t pany contemplates the erection of annti,COni * Mongonui. where they have secured ___*_£_• forests. It is also their intention, nnon t_fSlVe pletion of the Beach Road, to er.ct e_h__&l' mills and manufactories on the rel_ im. d i T° near the Gas Company's works, in Cu<_r ._. an^ street West. We hail with satisfkcti? _rS>n*e- kind of local enterprise, and espSu- _?* which furnish employment, for such _ i. I_?se of men as will be required by the newly *_?„*. company. "* HWied

PRIMITIVE METHODIST TEA MEET ING.

The anniversary of the new Primitive tmv>«, _ church in Franklin-street was celebratorti 8* evening by a tea meeting in the schoo___. last a public meeting subsequently in the .?' an<* An excellent tea was provided foX „__**• persons by a number of ladies of the _! 75 The public meeting was presided over hv \? CJ. Goldie, who delivered a pleasant opening ia* "■ He then called upon T. H. Smith, the J_r o^ 6B3 who read the annual report and bala_^„7_aiT' which shewed receipts, £135 13s: ernpnai.*'' £135 8s 6d; balance in hand, Is 6d. Th. _n?t __?• building and site had been £1,369 8s Id Zff" sum was increased to £1.112 19s thro__. s penses incurred in building retainingl.„ limng the schoolroom, draining, ana ___*> oft a debt of £30 on the Sheridas-str.Pt _5P_ Of this amount, £687 19s had been naid i„ ?el* £755 still owing. They expected to be __!_. pay another £100 at once. Addresses wp_7_ to delivered by Revs. A. W. Webb, D lwS_J. _» R.A.S., B. J. Westbrook.andthemeeffifc 1. with the henediction, pronounced by rw a Sf Webb. The choir, under the leadershin _>'S* Booth, sang a number of hymns d___?'_* evening. mg «w

News from the Islands.

A Trading Party Attacked _v Natives ia the Solom__ Islands,. ua

CAPTAIN ROBINSON SERIOUS!V WOUNDED. oJj*

By the arrival of the Belle Brandon Captain Ohlson, from the Solomon Islands' we learn of an attack by the natives of the island of Guadalcauar on Captain Ohlson and his party, and of the narrow escane from death by tomahawking of Captain Robinson, late owner of the schooner Jessie Henderson.

From a report which we have been furnished with, we are able to give the following account of the affair :— Captain Robinson, with his brother Mr William Robinson, and Mr A. Smith,'have been trading on this island for Messrs Henderson and Macfarlane for some time and were just making arrangements for leaving in the Belle Brandon." Captain Robinson, with his stock of trade, and the copra he had collected, had already em barked, and the vessel had come to an anchor at Koako, the station of Mr W Robinson, 20 miles N.W. of Marau. Th_ work of getting on board 5 tons of copra progressed favourably, and it was decided to leave the same afternoon. At 1 p.m. the job was done and the party commenced to buy copra from the natives. In one hour they had got together a to . Captain Ohlson now came on shore to hurry operations_ and to pay some men whom he had employed. Orders were given to stop buying while shipping the trade, which was all packed up and stacked outside the door of a small wooden house which was used for a store for goods. It adjoined at right angles a native house about 60ft. long, the two houses being about 50 yards from the beach where the boat was lying. When the order was given to stop baying, the party of -.bites were all standing in the angle formed by ,the two houses, and Cap tain Robinson was leaning with his hand on the corner of thesmaUstor6. Noneof themen were more than 6ft from the door of tbe store. There were about a hundred natives hang ing about within a stone's throw, some in front and some behind the houses. Sud denly, without any warning or previous sign of hostility, a native standing behind Captain R. made a run at him, and struck him a blow in the back with a toma hawk. Captain Ohlson, Mr Smith, and Mr William Robinson saw the danger, and |sang out to Captain Robinson, but it was too late. They immediately all rushed into the little store as Captain Ohlson was the only one who had his revolver, and it was thought on the instant that all the natives were hostile. The revolvers belonging to the others were on the table in the store. Having possessed themselves of these arms the party sailed out to punish the natives. They found that the aggiessors (there were several who shewed by. their demeanour that they were abettors of the attack), were the natives of a distant village of Koaks, who professed to be friendly to the whites. These were now being pursued by the really friendly natives, and when the white party gat near, it was impossible to fireforfear of injuring their allies. Thepnr suit was then discontinued, and the party surrounded the goods outside the store. In about live minutes the fries dlies returned, and were organised as. a guard by their chiefs, a party of them being detached to carry the goods to the beach. Capt. Ohlson sent off to the vessel for more arms and took charge of the landing place, Mr Smith being stationed as an out-post with riffle ana revolvers, Captain Kobinson keeking guard in the store, and Mr William Eobmson superintending the shipping of thegooik All were fully armed. In about twenty mutes got everything down and shipped, and, after handsomely rewarding the friendly natives, embarked and made sail without any further molestation. Now for the first time would Captain Robinson allow his wound to be examined. He had been repeatedly asked to leave tne party and go on board, but although he was suffering from great loss of blood fie declined to leave his mates until everytfiin was finished. The injury was a deep ana. ugly flesh wound between the snotuaer blades. The bleeding was occasioned Dy the severing of a large artery, whifthcoma not be stopped for several hours. UP"" Robinson is of opinion that when tie mow was given he must have been ■ mjj act of movinsr, whereby .he sp» the aim of "the native, and » saved his skull. These natives always ;W for the head, and when they succeed uw blows are almost always fatal, the w», hawk used by them being a most fca_odM. weapon with a handle about 4ft. long. The cause of the attack is unknown. W probable reason which may be givenis m the natives were angry--* Captain l^Fft for taking away then* trader W.;1 Robinson), who had promised them W he moved he would go to their vnlage» was a better place for trade than *» They might possibly have been^aW^ a design upon the trade, which tney , easily have secured had all run 'for the boat. The outrage » be regretted, as the native* _ all the trading stations of f}e^ m Z a always acted in the most friendly ** to the whites; aud it is feared thatttgJJ lead to other attacks. Credit■ » •JLfc due to Captain Robinson for stiokMW goods after the attack. There seems doubt that the united action- ot tw . rf whites disconcerted the natives, asu:a^ the former had fallen, or run frieD d. it is nearly certain that many ot we lies would have joined Isbe a**80"?" *$& Captain Robinsen arrived DV .£» Brandon last night. . His wound 1S edica l cured, and he will have to be mf » 0 care for some time yet. The date outrage was the 20_h. September, There are three memn t&tsDay v $ English, and for the irf^^__£ters X calling there we give their eh ***£ Ist: Sam (native name fc.ua. * , $& Fiji labourer*, whose conduct .^^s occasion was. beyond all V rWS„' j_. o itf*_ , friendliness to the whites f/ n#, ue _ re tttrned i 2nd : Jim .native name "Ono b "^ Sydney labourer; a ptousiWe^ 3 -_: not to. be trusted in any w J cOB (name unknown), called &*» f^ sequent on his having ,Je^ tte _on *» voyages with tbe late Bishop *JJ Auckland and elsewhere, In* « j^ and is even a worse character i 9 Managola, the chief of this b.y,

_EE lUMNG STAR, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1877.



CHURCH OP ENGLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOL (PARNELL). The Annual Distribution of Prizes will take Dace at this School on FRIDAY, December 14th, at. p.m.. when the result of the Examination now going on will be made known, and the Scholarships and Prizes awarded.!? • JAS. ADAMS. 8.A., Head Master. CARPETS, HEARTHRUGS, LINOLEUM, floorcloth, t. & hTcooke Beg to inform their friends and the public that thßg have imported a large assortment of the above, which will render their FURNISHING ESTABLISHMENT one of tlie most complete and extensive in Auckland, having purchased these Goods of the Manufacturers direct, for cash, they are enabled to offer them at VJSBYIOW PRICES. New Patterns in Carpets and Linoleum. fggr SHOW BOOMS: 67, Queen-street. Steam Cabinet Factory Victoria-street. THE undersigned are now brin ing forward a Large Parcel of GENE AL DRAPERY, HABERDASHERY, Sec, bought at considerably les3 than usual prices, to which they invite the attention of all requiring Good Value For Money. Corsets in great variety of quality and style, white and coloured, from 2/6 per pair Linen and Lace Goods, Cuffs, Collars, and Sets, in variety Ladies Underclothing Umbrellas and Parachutes, Silk, Zanella, Alpacca, &c. , , Lot of Flowers at very low price, quite fresh Straw Hats, Ribbons, Gloves, &c. A Splendid Stock of Muslin, Lace, and Lenoe Curtains, Counterpanes. Quilts, Damask Table Cloths, Sheeting, Felt Squares Carpets, Floorcloth, China Matting, Ticks, &c. Large-size Huckaback Towels at /6 each New Fancy Dress Materials, Japanese Silks, Coloured Lustres, Black Lustres, Embossed, Striped, and Check Muslins, Prints, &c. ' Brown Holland, from /6_ per yard Union, Fancy Jean, and Oxford Shirtings, very A Line of Superior Quality Silk Mixed Fancy Shirting, at 2/3, Usual price 3/6 per yard White and Grey Calico. Good Grey from /3 per yard Also, very large assortment of Gents' Shirt 3, White Longcloth, Union and All-wool Crimean, Fancy Silk Mixed Scotch Twill, Fancy Jean, Oxford, &c. Strong Tweed for Boys wear A Job Line of Stout Mosgiel at below Factory i. rices Braces, Belts, Ties. Scarfs, Collars, Cotton and Merino Hosiery, Undershirts, &c. Leghorn, Tuscan, Straw, and Drill Hats, for Boys and Men, &c, &c, &c. in he £ allowed on all Cash Purchases of 20s. and upwards. RUSHBROOK & BRIDGMAN, Junction Drapery Warehouse, Upper Queen-street, auckland. ■__ NEVER Have the Public had such a Choice of BED STEADS offered them as at the present time! Besides our already well assorted Stock of Iron Bedsteads, and those of our own manu . facture in Kauri, Rim v, Cedar, and Mottled Kauri, we ask them to bear in MIND that we have Just Openkd Up, ex *'Otaki,' TWO HUNDRED IRON" BEDSTEADS of the most modern style, comprising French, Half Tester, Children's, and St . mps, also Cots, at Pricks to suit all classes. Having purchased for Cash from THE "Best Manufacturers, we can SELL A GOOD BEDSTEAD at a Very Low Pbice. . BEDDING, of every description, kept in Stock. HOUSES FURNISHED THROUGHOUT at a Short Notice. Our system is to make a large RETURN"; to insure this We Sell for Ready CASH at a Small Profit, and DELIVER GOODS FREE to any part of the Town and Suburbs. ft_T Give your Furnishing Order to Eolloway, G-a__io__ & Gma-v. ell, CABINETMAKERS, UPHOLSTERERS, AND CLOTHIERS, City Hall Arcade, QUEEN & LORNE-STREETS AUCKLAND. TTA TON INSURANCE COMPANY U ' OF NEW ZEALAND. CAPITAL _2,000,000. AUCKLAND BRANCH: Q UEBN-STREKT, Next the Colonial Bank.. FIRE DEPARTMENT. Insurance, granted on Dwelling -houses, Stores, Shops, Buildings in which trade is •carried on. Merchandise, and Goods of every description. MARINE DEPARTMENT. . Fulls of Ships or Steamers, Merchandise of all kind" Specie and Wool to United Kingdom, at Lowest Current Rates. R. 11. STEVENSON Manacrer. I



_New Spring and Summer dress materials. -jH. ATKINS}- Has now for Sale, CHEAP, a Splendi Assort ment of __r NEW DRESS GOODS, 3Uitaoie for the Spring and Summer Seaso_ of every variety, style, quality, and texture. 8| 11. %. % % Attention is respectfully invited to this Season's Shipment, which is the Largest and Best-selected ever shewn in the city. The Prices are also very reasonable. Also, Just Opened, MANCHESTER GOODS, CALICOES, SHEET INGS, QUILTS, BLANKETS, LONG CURTAINS, TABLE LINEN, &C. A Great Reduction has heen made in the Prices of Manchester Goods, owing to the reduced List of the Home manufacturers. NEW SUMMER CLOTHING, SHIRTS,- HATS, &c, Just Received. Splendid Lines in Auckland & Melbourne-made CLOTHING. The Largest Stock of MOSGIEL & IMPORTED .TWEEDS in Auckland to select from. e_T t TAi_ORS Supplied at Wholesale Prices GENTLEMEN'S ORDERS EXECUTED. A Large Lot of • Cheap Tweeds for Boy's Wear. H. A™ pHE A P TT AT*S I CHEAP HATS ! ! CHEAP CLOTHING ! ! A Quantity of Men's" and B<w's Drab and Black Felt Hats will be offered at £_T GREAT REDUCTION TO CLEAR. Also, a Parcel of CLOTHING, comprising Men's and Boy's Tweed Suits, Trousers and Vests, &c. These Goods are slightly soiled, and will be sold REALLY CHEAP. W. RATTRAY. CLOTHIER AND OUTFITTER. ; VBW 7EALAND TTOUSE, Auckland. £~~~~1 _~_lf_ REWARD he HITCHEN'S JL\II" BLOOD RESTORER. As several Bottles, containing trashy worth less compounds, have been palmed off on un suspecting people, on the pretence of their being the celebrated "Hitchens' Blood Restorer," the Proprietor respectfully cautions his patients to see that the Bottles bear both his Trade Mark and Signature. He also warns the unscrupu lous persons who, under false pretences, receive people's money, that £100 Pounds Reward will be given on conviction of persons guilty of infringing his rights. H. HITCHENS. mo AGRICULTURISTS & OTHERS w. J. HURST & CO. have on sale the under mentioned Fertilizers, all of .which have been proved to produce satisfactory results in this district. Experience teaches that large and profitable returns can be relied on by a judicious and liberal use of them. The flattering Testi monials from leading Farinera justify W. J. Hurst & Co. in strongly commending them to every Agriculturist :— MALDEN ISLAND GUANO PERUVIAN GUANO MEXICAN do BEDL-c, xjONEFLOUR i and J-inch BONEDUST BILLYARD'S No. 1 do. NITRATE OF SODA SULPHATE OF AMMONIA MURIATE OF POTASH SUPER-PHOSPHATE OF LIME. SALT, SULPHATE OF LIME. In addition to the above, W. J. H. & Co. are prepared to supply special Chemical Manures for stimulating weak Corn Crops, and renovat ing Clover-sick Pastures, as well as the Potato and Mangold mixture that last season attracted so much favourable notice. Analysis, prices, and other particulars will be supplied on application at the Stores. W.J. HURST & CO., 101 QUEEN-STREET, CLOVER SEED, FOR SPRING SOWING Just Landed, ex Columbus— 30 casks new Clovers, cousisting of Red Clover White Clover Cow Graf; Also on hand. Alsyhe, Timothy, Lucerne, Rape Rats-tail, Rye grass, Cocksfoot, &c, at lowest market rates. W. J. HURST & CO. _101, QUEEN-STREET. 500 aacks Sydney Maize (superior sample) 3000 „ Oats First-class Tartars for Seed, also 800 sacks of 1875 crop hard feed, surpassing any of last season's growth 1200 sacks Canterbury Potatoes, and some early varieties for seed purposes Flour, Bran, Sharps, Chaff, Oilcake, Coal, Sec, Sec Particular attention is called to 500 sacks Prime Barley at Is per bushel O 501b. 5 tons Anderson's Fresh U atmeal, a £21 per ton. W. J. HURST & CO., 101, QUEEN-STREET, AUCKLAND. WEST TAMAKI PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. SOIREE AND CONCERT, To be held in the PANMURE HALL, on TUESDAY, 18th December, 1877. Tea on the Table at 7 p.m. Concert at 8 p.m. Tickets, 2s. 6d. Each. "TAXATIONAL FIRE AND MARINE J_. INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW ZEA.LAND. Capital. ...: .1,000,000, Reserve £50,000. Re-Insuraxck Fund £20,010. Insurances effected against Fire and Marine Loss of Every Description of Property, at Lowest Current Rates. Prompt and Liberal Settlement of Claims. HENRY E. WILLIAMS, Manager, ~nd Branch.



Although the law has been frequently and successfully invoked against the counterfeiters of Udolpho Wolfe's Schiedam Aromatic Schnapps, their cupidity has again overcome their prudence. Imitations of this famous me dicinal beverage are being put up by unprinci pled parties in empty bottles of the genuine article, and the labels imitated. Be cautious, purchasers.