The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1883

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 834, 5 January 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1883

Wakandi Road Board. —The ordinary monthly meeting of the above Beard, which was to have been held to-morrow, baa been postponed until Saturday, February 3rd.

Railway Construction.—The tender of G. Whittaker, Dunedin, has been accepted for permanent way and stations on the Albury to Fairlie Creek and Burke’s Pass line.

Ministerial Movements.—Major Atkinson left Wellington tor New Plymouth yesterday morning. Mr Bryce has returned to the Empire City from his visit through the North Island. Meeting at Mount Somers.—A public meeting of ratepayers was held at the Road Board office, Mount S imers, an Tuesday last, re the closing of a road near Messrs Gould and Cameron’s. Mr A. E. Peache occupied the chair. On a vote being taken, it was decided that the road should remain open to the public.

Fire on Ship-board.—A fire occurred on board the ship Waitara, lying in the Wellington harbor, yesterday afternoon. A case of acids was stowed in the forehokl of the vessel, and one of the bottles bursting at once set fire to the contents of the hold. Luckily the accident was observed before it had extended far, and the case was thrown overboard before much damage was done.

The Green-eyed Monster.—At the Invercargill Police Court yesterday a rabbiter named James Mulholland was brought up on a charge of having, on New Year’s Day, discharged a loaded gun at his wife, with intent 10 do her grievous bodily harm. The parties live at Gething river, in the Oreti Riding of Southland County, and the accused fired through a door, on the other side of which his wife was pressing in order to keep him out. The ball struck her stays and grazed her spine. The wound inflicted is not serious, but there is danger of erysipelas. It is understood that Mulholland was jealous of his wife, who is considerably younger than he is. The accused was remanded. To Lighten Their Darkness.—The Government have sent home for the necessary machinery required for the lighting of the Houses of Parliament by electricity, as authorised by the House of Representatives last session. The Swan incandescent light is the one adopted. In this connection it may be mentioned that the proprietors of the Roslyn (Otago) Woollen Mills are thoroughly satisfied with the electric light which they have been using for some months. The work •in the mills goes on continually, day and night, so that the light has been thoroughly tested. The coat is mu h less than gas, but the steam motive power uaed for the spinning machines has been used to to drive the motor. Mount Somers Road Board.—The usual monthly meeting of the above Board was held on Tuesday last. Present —Messrs A. E. Peach (Chairman), Ede, and Edson. The Returning < fficer reported that in the absence of any other candidate, Mr Samuel McClymont was duly elected a member of the Board, in the place of Mr I. E. Taylor, resigned. A letter was received from the Longbeach Road Board re the mprging of Road Boards. The Chairman stated that he had already replied to the effect that the Mount Somers Road Board were opposed to such a change. The Chairman reported that the crossway over the waterrace at the blacksmith’s shop, Mount Somers, was completed. The Clerk was instructed to collect all outstanding rates with as little delay as possible. It was resolved that Mr W. R, Boyle be appointed to audit the accounts of the Board for the year ending the 31st December last. Several accounts were passed for payment, and the meeting adjourned.

The Value of Examinations. —A curious instance, showing that the proficiency of a teacher is not always to be gauged by being able to pass an examination, came before the Wellington Education Board lately. It appears the lady in question— Miss Baillie —was an excellent teacher so far as securing a large percentage of 1 “ passes ” is concerned, but had failed to pass her own examination, in consequence of which she was under notice to leave. Mr Grundy, the head-mader, has now written to the local School Committee, calling their attention to the fact that in the first standard taught by Miss Baillie the whole of the pupils, numbering sixty-one, had passed with credit, while similar good work had been done last year by the same teacher, sixty-nine passing out of seventytwo presented. Mr Grundy strongly urged upon the Committee the desirableness of retaining Miss Baiilie’s services as an unclassed assistant ; and the Committee accordingly urged the Board to the same effect, believing that such a step would be for the benefit of the school. The Board decided to retain Miss Baiilie’s services at her present salary (L4O) on Iho understanding that if at tee end of six months her work is found satisfactory she shall receive a bonus.

Sib Arthur Gordon and the Ministry.—The Government have received copies of the correspondence regarding the Parihaka difficulty, laid before the Imperial Parliament, and the Wellington correspondent of the Press last night wired a precis of the despatches from Sir Arthur Gordon, which are included in the papers, and which so many attempts were mad • during last ses ion of the Legislature to elicit. The despatches of His Excellency contain nothing now or of interest beyond one or two significant admissions on the part of the writer. For instance, speaking of.the ultimatum to the prophet and his followers, Sir Arthur Gordon says—“ No Government which advised the recall of the proclamation could have looked for support from the country. Of this lam so confident that I conceive I should gravely misuse my powers were I to call other advisers to my counsels merely to test the correctness of the fact, which does not appear to me to admit of question. I therefore felt it my duty to acquiesce in the course initiated by Ministers during my absence,” It also appeared to Sir Arthur (according to his despatch to the Secretary of State for the Colonies) that his advisers sincerely desired a conciliatory settlement of the dispute, and were anxious to avoid the result of a violent measure for bringing it to an end. Serious Charge against an ex-Town ! Clerk. —At the Dunedin Police Court yesterday, J. M. Masse*, formerly town clerk and treasurer to the Corporation of Dunedin, was charged with having stolen on or about October 12th, 1881, two £IOO debentures, the property of the City Corporation. His wfe was also charged with receiving such deb ntures, knowing them to be stolen. Mr Stout, who appeared for the prosecution, stated that altogether the amount involved was about £3,300, and in applying for a remand he consequently asked for a heavy bail. The remand was granted for a week, and bail was allowed, amounting, in Massey’s case, to £2,400, and in Mrs Massey’s case to £I,OOO. The arrest (says a telegram) caused a deal of excitement. Some months ago, it will be rememb red, a seedsman named Allan brought a charge against Massey of having conspired to burn down premises in which both were interested. The Oi‘y Council then compelled Massey to take proceedings against Allan for slander, which he did by actions criminal and civil. In both cases the prosecutor was so far unsucoesf ul that the City Council discharged him. He afterwards sued the Council for his salary, on the ground that his discharge was illegal, but this action was deeded against him. Since his discharge ha has been living in Dunedin, and both he and Mrs Massey have visited Melbourne. Up to the time of Allan’s charge he was universally respected, and since than, though he failed to convict Allan criminally, or get damages civilly, his reputation among his many personal friends may almost be said to have been unsullied. His arrest on the present charge is an intense surprise

Uijhappy Marriages. —Two petitions for dissolution of marriage will be heard at the, ensuing sit ings of the Suprome Court at Wellington. '

Fire Raising. The fiend is again at work at Cambridge, Waikato, fresh attempts at incendiarism having been made in the district.

Costume Cricket Match.—A meeting was called for last night at Quill’s Hotel, for the purpose of considering the advisability of holding a costume cricket match in aid of the Library Funds. At the hour appointed there was but a meagre attendance, no doubt owing to the strong counter-attraction of the lecture in the Town Hall, and it was decided by those present to adjourn the meeting to a future date, when .it is hoped that the attendance will be more satisfactory.

Three Days’ Takings.—At the recent summer meeting of the Auckland Racing Club, Mr J. Pilbrow won £1,509, that being the amount handed over to the lucky owner of Welcome Jack on settling day. Not a bad total by any means, when it is remembered th it all but a mere trifle was won by one animal, and that one the son of Traducer and Mias Flat, whose winnings in stakes alone since the commencement of the present season must amount to something like £2,000. Convict Labor.—English convict statistics show that of the 10,261 prisoners, three-fourths are fit for hard labor, and only one-thirtieth unfit for labor of any kind. It appears that the ages between twenty-five and thirty-four contribute far more than their proportion of criminals, and this, therefore, may be taken as the criminal age, after which a tendency to crime rapidly diminishes. Someone in England has made the suggestion that if those whose career evinces a marked criminal tendency could be locked up or kept under supervision till they had passed, say, forty yevrs of age a vast deal of crime would be prevented.

Child Stealing. —An arrest of a peculiar nature was made at Wellington yesterday afternoon. A young lady of rather prepossessing appearance was arrested on a charge of child stealing. It is understood that the accused, Lucia Stewart, is a married woman from Christchurch, and that some time back her daughter was adopted by a gentleman residing there. When Mrs Stewart left Christchurch, she brought the child to We lington. Information was at once given to the police, and Mrs Stewart was arrested, pending the arrival of the warrant. The accused was brought before the Magistrate to-day, and the plaintiff, having regained possession of the child, refused to offer any evidence, and the accused was discharged. A Murderer Burnt Alive.—One of the most atrocious criminals in Ameri a, a negro named Jerry Cox, when lying under sentence of death for killing his mistress and then placing her corpse on the rails to be cut up by an express train, set fire to the goal in which he was confined at Nashville, and was burnt alive in the building. He had previously perpetrated a double murder in circumstances of appalling atrocity. About midnight people were awakened by the roar of the flames, and many hastened to the gaol, but on their arrival they found the walls and bars glowing red with heat, while the murderer within was screaming in his death agony. In less than an hour the gaol was a mass of ruins. The next morning the body of Cox was found, and a great crowd stood appalled at the murderer's fate. The San Francisco Mail Service.— The Special Agent of the Pacific Mail Company waited on the Premier at Auckland yesterday in reference to the San Francisco mail service. The subject was discussed, but a difficulty in reference to. the opening up of satisfactory negotiations exists in consequence of the position in which New South Wales takes with reference to the change of Government now progressing. Mr Ormstead has just returned from Sydney, where he had an interview with the New South Wales Government, but he has met with some difficulty. He, however, will return to New South Wales shortly, when he hopes, and is led to expect, that New South Wales will favorably consider the question of the continuation of the service. From advices from Sydney there is every probabicy that the White Star Line will enter the field as competitors for the next contract.

Elopement. —The peaceful hamlet of Makino was recently stirred to its depths by the sudden disappearance of a married lady named Robinson, in company with a by no means fascinating Lothario of the district.’ The lady had given two pledges of affection to her lawful husband, and (actuated by a spirit of fairness which was remarkable under the circumstances) she left one with him and took the other away with her when she eloped. Directly the wronged husband found that the guilty pair had departed, he did what most husbands do in such cases—he took an inventory of his worldly goods, and found that the gay Lothario had taken away other portable property, besides the woman. Information was given to the police authorities, and a warrant for larceny issued against the man, who, with the erring wife, was traced to Nelson. On hearing that the law was set in motion, the woman disappeared ; but her companion was arrested on a charge of stealfrom the dwelling house of one William Robinson at Makino, two trunks, containing wearing apparel and a sewingmachine the whole being valued at £ll 9s 6d The prisoner, whose pame is William Wakefield, was brought back to Wanganui, and remanded to Feilding. The husband appears, however, to have been a little hasty in laying the information for larceny, and will probably have to amend or withdraw it, as the trunks were found (o contain per onal wearing apparel of the wife’s own, and certain nether garments belonging tothe prisoner himsesf, upon which no charge of larceny can certainly be founded. The discovery of Don Juan’s continuations in his ladylove’s travelling trunk, though a'fact important in other respects, consideraly detracts from the romance of the elopement.

Holloway's Pills are strongly recommended to all persons who are much reduced in power and condition, whose stomachs are weak, and whose nerves are shattered. The beneficial effects of these Pills will be perceptible after a few days’ trial, though a more extended course may be required to re-establish perfect health. Holloway’s medicine acts on the organs ol digestion, and induces complete regularity in the stomach, liver, pancreas, and kidneys. This treatment is both safe and certain in result, and is thoroughly consistent with observation, experience, and common sense. The purification of the blood, the removal of all noxious matter from the secretions, and the excitement of gentle action in the bowels, are the sources of the curative powers of Holloway’s Pills.