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Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 959, 2 June 1883, Page 2

A first offender was brought up at the Court this morning, before Mr 11. Alcorn, J.P., charged with drunkenness, and discharged. A considerable amount of opposition against the granting of licenses for public houses in the Allenton district is being manifested in that locality. Two petitions, very numerously signed, have been lodged, praying that the licenses applied far should not be granted. The picture by Nechter, presented to the Auckland citizens by bir G. Grey, has been, it is stated, in his family upwards of 200 years. Mackelvie, of London, has more pictures which he has bought for the Auckland Art Gallery, but delays sending them until proper arrangements are made for their safe custody there.

A new penal code, aiming at suppressing Sunday trading among other offences, has lately come into operation in New York. The code makes it a misdemeanor to perform any labor on Sunday that is not a work of necessity or charity. It had been usual to have Sunday concerts in certain public halls and theatres, and the passing of the new code was the signal for prosecuting the proprietors or lessees of these places of Sunday amusement. Test cases have resulted in a ruling that “ sacred concerts,” are not expressly prohibited by name in the new code, and are therefore permissible. This elastic decision has encouraged other Sunday traders to appeal against police interference, and a recent report states that cabmen, express drivers and some others have succeeded in getting their labor classed among works of necessity, and are exempted the same as railway and steamboat companies.

Mr J. ft. Wilson, M. EL R. for'Wellington county, addressed his Karori constii tuents last night, and received,a unanimous vote of confidence. He gave his opinion that if the LIBO,OOO voted fcr the extension of the Middle Island trunk railway was diverted to the construction of a line from Canterbury to the West Coast another amount would have to be passed for the construction of the trunk line.

At the annual meeting of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association, the balance-sheet showed receipts, including a Bank overdraft. of L 490, to have amounted to L 844 ; the expenditure, in eluding Bank overdraft, is L 273 2s Id. The Committee, in their report, legretted that the operations of the Society during the past year had not been altogether successful, and that there had been » a great falling off in membership. Mr Joseph May was elected president. A public mooting, under the auspices of the Land Nationalisation Society was held in the Dunedin Lyceum last night, 'here were about one hundred people present. Mr M. W. Green, M. H.R., was in the chair. Mr Stout de’ivered a speech on the question, “ Is land different from other property V answering it in the affirmative. The Rev. John Waters (Prsebyterian) read a paper “On the nature of the tenure of land under the National lease system.” A discussion ensued, but only one opponent of land nationalisation was present. At the close votes of thanks were passed to those who gave addresses. Prom the Newspaper Press Directory for 1883 we extract the following on the present position of the newspaper press : There are now published in the United Kingdom 1,962 newspapers, distributed as follows :—England—London, 386 ; provinces, 1,144 —1,530 ; Wales, 75 ; Scotland 184; Ireland, 152 ; Isles, 21. Of these there are—l3B daily papers published in England, 4 in Wales, 22 in Scotland, 16 in Ireland, 2 in British Isles. On reference to the first edition of this useful directory for the year 1846 we find the following interesting facts, viz.: —That in that year there were published in the United Kingdom 561 journals, and of these 14 were issued daily—viz., 12 in England and 2 in Ireland; butin 1883 there are now established and circulated 1,962 papers, of which no less than 181 are issued daily, showing that the press of the country has more than trebled during the last- thirty-seven years. The increase of daily papers has been still more remarkable, the daily issues 'Standing , lßl against 14 in 1846. The magazines now in course of publication, including the quarterly reviews, number 1,311, of which 326 are of a decidedly religious character, representing the Church of England, Wesleyan, Meth idists, Baptists, Independents, Roman Catholics, and other Christian communities.”

Sir Hercules Robinson leaves the Cape at the end of the pre ent month for England (says the European Mail of April 6th). When in New South Wales and New Zealand, Sir Hercules was vu ed •ne of the best colonial Governors extant, and we believe that he is very much liked by many people at the Cape, though, according to the Gape Standard, “it would be the merest affectat on, and‘ in fact downright toadyism, to say that the people of the Eastern Province regret his departure, or further even to hint that they hope ha may shortly return.” Our contemporary goes on to say :—“ When we have had the misfortune to be saddled fcr a short time with an Acting-Governor we have never expected anything particu-

lar of him, nor have we been surprised at his taking but little interest in the colony : but when we have a fully appointed Governor amongst us, we do expect that as soon as he has got thoroughly into harness he will make himself acquainted with the people over whom he holds authority. In Sir Hercules Robinson the Eastern Province and the frontier people have been grievously disappointed. He has taken no interest in us ; he knows nothing at all about us, and we have no hesitation in saying that in going Home, if he is called upon to give an opinion on the state of the frontier, that opinion will be wholly and completely valueless.” In the course of an article comparing Dr Hector and Dr von Haast, the Timarw Herald. says’:—The “Colonial” Museum is a disgrace to the colony, and perhaps the most, disappointing of all our public institutions. Its defects are almost entirely due to Dr Hector’s total unfitness for the post of director. He may have immense qualities in the inferior branches of science He may be a grand geologist, a born botanist, an inspired astronomer, a perfect whale at zoology, and a tremendous don at many other little matters of that sortbut nature certainly never designed him for a director of a museum. As Artemus Ward used to say, “ Every man to his fort,” and museums are not Dr Hector’s fort. He is far too modest for his place, and.he does not make the Museum his hobby. We doubt, .too, whether he has the instinct, if we may call it so, which is necessary to constitute a successful director of a museum. We are convinced that Dr Haast would make a better museum with £IOO a year and the run of a bone mill, than Dr He'tor would with £IOOO a year and all the spare specimens of the Brit sh and the Louvre. Sam Weller said the flavour of cat pies depended entirely on the seasoning. A skilful pieman could make them “weal,” or rabbit, or kidney, according to the taste and fancy of his customers. So with museums. It all depends on the use the director makes of his materials. Dr Hector does not understand the art of seasoning. Neither is he acquainted with the principles of exchange. He does not know how to convert a cartload of moa bones into an alabaster sarcophagus, or a bag of weka skins into a superb collection of antiquities. And if he does happen to get a windfall of good “objects” ho stores them instead of displaying them. With Dr Haast that instinct for collecting and exhibiting is worthy of a higher name, and we shall never think his C.M.G. means anything else than Canterbury Museum Genius.

Holloways Ointment and Pills. — Notable Facts.—lntense heat augments the annoyances of skin disease and encourages the development of febrile disorders; therefore they should, as they can, be remove by these detergent and purifying preparations. In stomach complaints, liver affections, pains, and spasms of the bowels, Holloway’s ungent well rubbed over the affected part immediately gives the greatest ease, prevents congestion and inflammation, checks the threatening diarrhoea and averts incipient cholera. The poorer inhabitants in large cities will find these remedies to be their best friends when any pestilence rages, or when from unknown causes eruptions, boils, abscesses, or ulcerations point out the presence of taints or impurities within the system, and call for instant and effective curative medicines.— [Advt.] Wanted Known—That J. Meech is importing all his own goods, which enables him to sell cheaper than any other furnishing house in Ashburton. He has every class of furniture to suit all parties, from the kitchen to the drawing-room. All kinds of cutlery, crockeryware, fenders and fire-irons, iron beadsteads, carpets, table cloths, matting, and druggetling. A variety of tinware and other cooking utensils, etc. A splendid lot of Vienna chairs in walnut and maple. Feathers, flock, horsehair, and wool for furniture and mattrasses—in fact every article for house furnishing. _ Owing to facilities afforded to him, enables him to sell cheaper than if in East street. Furniture exchanged, and parties selling out will find that he gives the highest price for furniture. All kinds of furniture repaired; practical workmen kept. Agent for the celebrated Dunedin blind-maker. Spring window rollers kept in stock. Carvings and turnery sold to the trade. —J. Meech. Note the address, next Bullock’s Arcade.— [Advt.]

Balmy sleep, good' digestion, rich blood, elastic step and cheerfulness in Hop Bitters* Read and believe. —[Advt.]

Use Hop Bitters once and you will use no other medicine. Test it. Be sure and read. —[ADVT.] The Stranger in London. —That the Great City will ere long be hardly recognisable by its former denizens, all the world has heard. The visitor passing up the Thames now finds his eye gratified by the many edifices recently erected. As it reaches the famous Victoria Embankment, there rises over him on the right hand the new Times office, and on the left hand the new tower-crowned works of Messrs James Epps and Co , both phases of Italian architecture. It may be said that these two buildings are types of the far-reaching business energy of the nineteenth century, for it has resulted from such means that the annual issue of each has come to be estimated by millions. During the last year, the number of copies of the Times is estimated at 16,279,000, while ’ 2 number of packets of V pps’s cocoa sent off in the same period is computed at 14,749,695. The latter is a large total, when it is borne in mind that in 1830 the consumption of cocoa throughout the whole kingdom was but there then existing no preparation of it such as this, which by the simple addition of boiling water would yield a palatable drink. Truly time may be said to work many changes.—(Advt.)