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Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1015, 7 August 1883, Page 2

Reports of the monthly meetings of the Upper Ashburton and Longbeach Road Boards will be fcund on our fourth page. The damage to the Rotomahana is estimated to entail an expenditure of L 4,000 for repairs, which will take two months to accomplish. It is understood that an application for a new trial has been made by counsel for defence in the case of Hunt v. Gordon. The application will shortly be argued in the Supreme Court. The Christchurch City Council has rejected the hydraulic power scheme because it did not include water supply for domestic and fire prevention purposes. They offer a reward of L 25 for the conviction of the givers of false alarms recently. . The New Zealand Grain Agency Company have received a telegram from their London office that 617 sheep ex the British Queen have been sold on behalf of Mr Duncan Cameron, of dunes, at an average of 7£d per lb. Sydney Taiwhanga is at Alexandra. He had a meeting at Whatiwhatihoe. Te Ngakau was present. Sydney expected to meet Tawhaio, having wired he was coming, but his Majesty did not condescend to give him an audience, and he left for Kawhia, or in that direction, some days since. The intimation sent to the sheep farmers of Kaikeura respecting the removal of rams has been misconstrued, and turns out not to be an immediate order, but a direction to the 26r.h section of the Sheep Act, with the view of removing all rams from infected flocks at the next general muster.

Messrs Robert Wilkin and Co. rsport having sold to Mr Douglas M‘Lean, of Hawke’s Bay, Mr Robert Matthews’ draught stallion Lord Castlereagh, for L 750. This horse is the pick of the South Canterbury district, and has gained the champion medal and other high honors several years running at the Agricultural Show at Timaru. The diamond excitement continues in Christchurch, though it was rumored yesterday that an unfavorable cable message had been received from Mr Kelsey. It is denied that any message had been received, but one is due as Mr J£elsey promised to cable on Friday last. Seventy applications have been entered for prospectin' licenses for the next Land Board sitting on Thursday. Says the Neio Zealand Times : —W® have received a sample of the production of the Ashburton Cheese Factory, which appears to be in every way a good specimen of the class to which it belongs. If this cheese can be retailed at no greater price than is given for English made cheese, it should take the latter’s place entirely in the shops. It is not, however, so good a cheese as we have tasted from the dairies of Porirua.

At a meeting of the Southland Farmers’ Cooperative Association a long discussion took place as to the losses sustained there. These were said to amount to LIO,OOO, and it was agreed that some one was to blame ; also, that the money had not been honestly lost. One member declared that the sooner legal proceedings were ta<en the better, and it was finally resolved in the first instance to employ an accountant to examine the books, and submit the statement t® the shareholders.

Preaching at St Mark’s, Wellington, the Rev. R. Coffey said he had been requested to ask his congregation to sign a petition in opposition to Catholic claims in regard to educaticn. He could not do so, for the Catholic claims were for the glory of God, Religion v. so-c dled Secularism, and were in principle the same as those made by the representatives of the Church of England and various denominations. So far th se claims had been successfully opposed by the supporters of godless education, partly on the plea that they were afraid of the Roman Catholics. It could not be said of him that he had any leaning towards the Romish doctrines, but he would rather have a good Catholic to deal with than an agnostic, materialist, or atheist, which wore the denominations now monopolising the schools. A somewhat important judgment was given in Dunedin yesterday by Mr Carew, R. M., in a case in regard to the pro perty tax. The parson sued by the Commissioner proved that about two years ago he became insolvent, and had no property since then, consequently no property when the tax sued for became duo. The contention for the Crown was to the effect that if when an assessment is made, and that is once in three years, a person has property, real or personal, althou :h he may meet with misfortune and lose all of his property in, say, the first year after the assessment roll is made, nevertheless he continues liable to pay a tax for the whole of the three years upon the same amount of assessment. The defendant admitted that the assessment roll was correct when made, but he lost his propertj after the time for objecting nassed. The Resident Magistrate said he saw nothing in the Property Assessment Acts to support the contention for the Crown. The defendant had proved ho had no taxable property for the year from the Ist April, 1882, and judgment would go in his behalf. A meeting of the ratepayers of South Rakaia, which had been called for the purpose of discussing the advisability of separating from the Rakaia and forming a new district, to be called the Acton Road Board district was held in the Pendarves schoolroom last evening. There was a large attendance, and, Mr John Lambie was voted to the chair. The Chairman having pointed out the object of the meeting, Mr W. L. Allan spoke. He said that the district was insufficiently represented on the Board. Their member, Mr Osborne, was no doubt a good man, but he had only one vote, and the meeting had to consider whether South Rakaia was fairly represented. If they formed a new Road district, they could do the work required more economically, as they were in a position to get the Clerk’s duties done at a small cost. He also had reason to believe that their representative in the County Council (Mr Lambie) would be strongly opposed when the next election took place, on account of his opinions in regard to the Dobbin’s Ford bridge. Mr Allan concluded by moving the following resolution : “That this meeting is of opinion that it will be beneficial to this portion of the district to separate from the South Rakaia Road Board district, and to constitute it into a new district, the boundary to be the south road.” This was seconded by Mr Blackburn and carried. It was also resolved that the district bo divided into wards, and the following gentlemen be appointed a comniitte to carry out the above resolution: — Messrs Lambie, L. White, E. W. Osborne, R. Mulligan, D. Carruthers, Peter Doig and W. L. Allan. After those present had signed a petition, the meeting adjourned.