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Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 692, 19 July 1882, Page 2

Hunt Club. The hounds will meet tomorrow at 2 p. m., at Mr J. Corbett’s, Digby’s bridge. Longbeach Road District.—A meeting of the ratepayers of the above district is called for Friday, August 4th, at 3 p.m., at the Road Board Office, Longbeach road. For further particulars see advertisement.

Bravo Willowby !—We learn tha

Benjamin Harris Low, a pupil of the Willowby school, who has for two years carried off the principal prizes, has been successful in obtaining a scholarship in class B. at the recent examination in Christchurch, and will probably attend the Ashburton High School during the currency of the scholarship—a period of two years.

Suspected Conspiracy. —The Wellington Magistrate’s Court was yesterday occupied all day hearing a charge preferred against James Jonathan Adams, his wife, and their young daughter, who were the principal witnesses in a case of a young man named L mghurst, convicted in 1880 for committing rape on the last named, for maliciously conspiring to convict Longhurst. The case was expected to last over to-day.

Out of Season. —Notwithstanding the

sharp frosts and piercing winds experienced during the last few weeks, there must be some sheltered but yet sunny spots in Ashburton which are proof against the severities of our Southern winters. This morning we had brought under our notice a strawberry plant upon which was a cluster of ripening fruit, and in the centre a large ripe strawberry nestled most temptingly. The plant was grown in the garden of Mr Crosby, at Trevorton, who informed our representative that the only care that had been taken with this and other like plants was that during the frosty nights cabbage leaves had been laid over them.

Police. —At the Court this morning, before bis Worship the Mayor, Alexander Clarke was charged with forging and littering a cheque for L 3. Sergeant Felton said the facts of the case were that the accused hid cashed the cheque produce 1. It here the name of one Isaac

Osborn (a contractor residing at the Hinds) but the signature was not that of Mr Osborn. He (Sergeant Felton) would ask for a remand until Friday, but had no objection to the accused being liberated on bail in the meantime, so long as substantial bail was fixed. The accused was remanded to Friday accordingly, his Worship intimating that he would accept bail, accused in LIOO, and two sureties of LSO each.

Died of Want. —Truth is stranger than fiction. A London paper says : —“ Mr Joseph Saunders, a writer of plays, on whom an inquest has just been held, could he have conceived many situations as dramatic as his own death, he would promiserable room in Stepney which he had occupied for the last five years. With part of his body lying under the bedstead, in his left hand he held his pipe, his pen being close to his right hand. The room contained an old table and a bedr stead ; no mattress, no bed-clothing was to be seen. There was no food ; sevenpence half-penny was all the money in his possession. An unfinished drama on “Drink” was open on the table. He had died of starvation.”

Gisborne Manners. —Gisborne must be a sweet place, says an exchange. The inhabitants there are so little given to the social courtesies which distinguish civilised from savage life, that when some member of the community accidentally happens to be polite to a lady the uncommon fact is chronicled in the newspaper. In a late issue of the Poverty Bay Standard it is actually set down as an out-of-the-way occurrence worthy of commendation, that a young gentleman gave up his seat at a public entertainment to a lady who could not find sitting room. We hardly know which to admire most—the polite act, apparently so foreign to Poverty Bay instinct, or the state of the

social atmosphere where such an occurrence is considered unique enough to “ point a moral” in a newspaper. Police Statistics. —The annual report on the New Zealand Constabulary force was presented to the Assembly last night. Colonel Reader states that in the police branch, out of a total strength of 445, there have been 59 changes during the year, viz—by resignation and completion of service, 38 ; by discharge, 5 ; on compensation, 4 ; by desertion, 1 ; by dismissal, 9 ; by death, 2. New police

stations have been erected at Te Aroha (Auckland) and Havelock (Napier), and those at Greytown and Manutahi have

been re-opened. An additional constable has been given to Invercargill, Masterton,

Wellington, and Hawera, and two to Christchurch The proportion of officers to constables on the 31st March was 1 to

40 ; of police in boroughs to population (comprising Europeans, Chinese, and half-castes) —Timaru, 1 to 356 ; Hokitika, Ito 371.; New Plymouth, Ito 473 ; Auckland, Ito 490 ; Christchurch, 1 to 490 ; Wanganui, 1 to 516 ; Dunedin, 1 to 625 ; Napier, 1 to 639 ; Wellington, 1 to 663 ; Nelson, 1 to 752 ; Invercargill, 1 to 872. The proportion throughout the

colony wj»B Ito 1084. In Brisbane it is 1 to 1,022; throughout the colony, 1 to 425. In Sydney, Ito 633 ; throughout the colony, Ito 609. In Melbourne, 1 to 609 ; throughout the colony, 1 to 774. In Adelaide, Ito 375 ; throughout the colony, Ito 745. There has been a decrease of 943 general offences in the North Island, and of 249 in the South, giving a total throughout the colony of 1,202. The offenders return of the North Island for the year 1881, shows 7,566 offences reported, 220 offences committed for trial, 5,240 summarily convicted, and 1,382 discharged, as against in 1880, 8,520 offences reported, 309 offenders committed for trial, 6,159 summarily convicted, and 1,611 discharged. The return of the South Island for 1881, shows 9,068 offences reported, 249 offenders committed for trial, 682 summarily convicted, and 1,260 discharged, as against in 1880, 9,317 offences reported, 280 offenders committed for trial, 7,056 summarily con victed, and 1,308 discharged. Th conduct of the force, with a few exceptions, has been very good ; and that both officers and men have been zealous

in t,he discharge or their duties is amply shown by the criminal statistics of the year. The last report showed the strength of the reserve branch to have been 717 of all ranks on the 31st March, 1881. By the sth November following, in consequence of the threatening attitude of the Natives on the West Coast, the strength was increased to 1,088, of whom 828 were located in the Taranaki district, under Lieut.-Col. Roberts, N.Z.O. After the investment of Parihaka and the removal of To Whiti and Tohu to New Plymouth

the force was reduced, so that by the 3ist Mai-ch, 1882, the number of all ranks .tood at 967.

Ringwood Farm. The approaching sale of the Ringwood farm, Ashburton Forks, is announced in our advertising columns. Messrs J. T. Ford and Co. are the auctioneers, and the sale takes place on August Ist. Coursing. — A coursing match will be run at the Upper Rangitata on the 21st inst. There will be two events—the Rangitata Cup and the Members’ Plate. Entries will be accepted up to 10 o’clock on the day of the match. Bankrupts. —From Dunedin we learn that Davidson and Conyers have called a meeting of their creditors, and assigned their estate to Messrs Houghton and Stronach, the principal creditors. The debt due to the National Bank amounts to seventeen or eighteen thousand, and those of the other creditors about L 4,000. Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Show. Entries for the above show closed with the Secretary last night, the total number of entries in all classes is 279, of which 152 are of poultry alone. Entries have been received from Christchurch, Timaru, Rolleston, Rakaia, and many other places. Nearly all the admission tickets in connection with the prize distribution have now been sold, and early application for the remainder should be made to the Secretary. The poultry will be staged in in the main hall, and the canaries and oigeons in the upper room. In order to render the affair as attractive as possible musical selections will probably bo played at short intervals daring both evenings of the show. We are in a position to state that the exhibition will be a good one, and have no donbt it will be as well patronised as it deserves to be. Further particulars appear in our advertising columns.

The Frozen Meat Trade.— The New Zealand and Australian Land Company furnish the following particulars received by the Suez mail, as to the sale of their cargo of frozen meat per ship Dunedin. The vessel arrived in the London docks on the 24th of May, and on the 2nd of June about half the cargo had been sold at an average of nearly 6£d per lb. The sheep same out of their bags as bright as new killed mutton, and were declared by the Smithfield salesmen to be simply perfection, and worth 9d per lb if not frozen. The lambs were greatly appreciated, fetching 7d to 7£d per lb. The very heavy sheep shipped by Mr Shand attracted much attention, but only realised 5d per lb. One of the sheep turned the scale at 1801 bs, and the Londoners could scarcely be brought to believe that such weights could be obtained without artificial feeding. One hundred sheep were sent every night to Glasgow, and realised rather more than in London, about 6jd for mutton, and for lamb. At the same time, the Scotch butchers complained of the weights being too heavy for them. The pigs were considered quite as good as English pigs, and averaged 6|d per lb. It is satisfactory to know that the salesmen declare that there could not be any improvement in the method of slaughtering and sending the cargo Home, and that the greatest credit is due to those who superintended operations here, and to Captain Whitson. Political Gossip. —The Press special at Wellington wiring from that city last evening says ; —The debate on the second reading of the Land Bill has now occupied four nights, and the discussion still proceeds vigorously, and yet I am told on all hands that there is not the remotest chance of the Bill getting beyond the second reading. General dullness still prevails, and is likely to last. Judging from appearances, there is not much prospect of a regular battle—l mean, of course* j” -i.—po of a want of confiJdnCQ motion) or fchat Could stand on that footing. I have been positively assured only to-day by several members of the Opposition party that all ideas in this direction have been definitely abandoned for the session, in view of the impossibility of effecting any satisfactory understanding between the two parties opposed to the present Government. The Greyites and the Montgomeryites seem wholly irreconcileable, and as their sole object appears to be to turn out Ministers and jump into their seats, it is not very likely that an amalgamation will be brought about unless any unexpected slip on the part of the Government should offer a basis of adverse action, which I do not anticipate. The session, unlike its predecessors, will probably pass by for once without a no-confidence debate or vote. lam inclined to think it will also pass by (like too many of its predecessors) with very little practical results achieved. My impression for some time has been that little will be done beyond passing the estimates, the Land Bill, and such of the Consolidated Bills and formal measures as a e unopposed. The session entered today on its third month, and, with the exception of passing the West Coast Peace Preservation Act, next to nothing has been done. There is a very faint prospect of improvement in this respect. To sum up, I believe Ministers are safe, but that they will carry very few of their measures, and that the first session of the new Parliament will prove a deplorably barren ono.