The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1883. Mr Wright’s Resignation.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1047, 13 September 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1883. Mr Wright’s Resignation.

The decision come to by Mr E. G. Wright to resign his position on the Ashburton County Council will be received with general regret throughout the district. It may be truly said that no member of that body has done more useful work than he has, and it will be no easy task to find one who will fitly fill the seat rendered vacant by his retirement. His sound common sense and his complete knowledge of the matters which come under the control of a County Council gave a special value to his opinions, and those who yesterday found themselves opposed to him on the question which led to his resignation, will be the first to admit the loss they have sustained. The large influence that Mr Wright possesses in Parliament has always been at the service of the county, and to take one instance out of many we may refer to the amendments he carried in the Counties Act last session, which gave increased powers to the Council. There can be no doubt that had these not been passed many urgent works could not have been done, and the settlers in those districts where damage has been caused by floods owe the member for Ashburton a deep debt of gratitude. Still, much as we regret it, taking all the circumstances of the case into consideration, we cannot blame Mr Wright for resigning his position. It will be remembered that in order to settle once for all the much-vexed question of what route the Mount Somers railway extension should take, the member for the district asked and obtained from the Government a Royal Commission to enquire into the subject, and at yesterday’s meeting of the Council he requested that body to approve of what he had done and to urge the fulfilment of the promise as expeditiously as possible. In the discussion which followed the motion, it was seen that the majority of the Councillors were opposed to the action of Mr Wright, and thac gentleman in withdrawing his resolution slated that he would no longer occupy his seat, subsequently handing in his resignation to the Chairman. Nor do we see that any other course was open to him. The opposition to the motion was clearly a vote of censure, and although we readily admit that those members who objected to the Royal Commission acted perfectly conscientiously, we scarcely think they showed good judgment.

In speaking on this question Mr Walker said he would oppose the motion on the ground that he considered the Commission was not necessary: the route of a railway should be decided by the Minister of Public Works, who had no right to shirk the responsibility. As a general principle we are entirely in accord with this opinion, but we think that a little consideration will show the Chairman of the County Council that the circumstances of this case are exceptional. The matter was simple enough at its inception, but thanks to the meddling interference of the member for Wakanui, who to serve his own petty ends has done his best to induce complications, it is simple no longer. Those who read the Wellington correspondence published in the Mail during last session, and knew the source whence it emanated, could account for the venomous spite contained in the slanders continually appearing in reference to Mr Wright. To the representative of the collective wisdom of Wakanui may be fitly applied the lines of Byron:—

Skilled by a touch to deepen scandal’s tints, With all the kind mendacity of hints.

While mingling truth with falsehood, sneers with smiles, A thread of candour with a web of wiles.

Pretending to be governed by a desire to benefit the people of Mount Somers, Mr Ivess managed to convey an impression that the member representing the district was sacrificing the interests of his constituents to his own advantage. It is pitiful to think that the reputation of an independent and honest gentleman should be at the mercy of such an influence. But so it is, and the position Mr Wright found himself in was this: If the Government had decided upon a particular route for the railway there was always some sinister critic lurking in the background ready to hint that the decision had been arrived at owing to what one member of the County Council yesterday called “ disguised influence.” Considering that Mr Ivess has cunningly managed to raise a cry of conflicting interests in connection with this railway, nothing would have been easier than to carry out these tactics. For this reason Mr Wright obtained a Royal Commission, so as to protect himself from the breath of slander, from which no man, however upright he may be, is safe when he has to contend against an unscrupulous enemy.

At the close of yesterday’s meeting of the Ashburton County Council Mr E. G. Wright, M.H.R., handed hia resignation o the Chairman.

Mr De Beere’a views of New Zealand and Australia were exhibited at Tinwald last evening to a very good audience, and gave general satisfaction. The only case at the Police Court this morning was a charge of drunkenness preferred against Edward Houlihan, who was ordered to pay 20s or go to prison for 48 hours.

The farmers in the Flemington district have determined to inaugurate the flax industry, and have advised the Canterbury Linseed Oil and Fibre Company to accept a siti for a mill offered by Mr Anderson.

Bishop Redwood has been selected to preach the panegyric in the Catholic Cathedal on the late Archbishop Vaughan, and left Wellington for Sydney on Sunday by the Wakatipu. His Lordship, it will be recollected, delivered a sermon at the opening of the Cathedral a year ago. Up to yesterday 108 applications had been made at Addington for employment. 65 men have been set to work. Arrangements are now completed for giving work to all applicants at 2s 6d per cubic yard stone breaking, and 4s 6d a day for other work. The difficulty between the captain and the crew of the schooner Dunedin at Greymouth has been adjusted, and they agreed to make the voyage with the captain, She was towed out yesterday evening bound for Invercargill.

The entertainment and ball to inaugurate the opening of the Winslow school takes place to-morrow evening, and from the number of tickets already sold by the Committee, the affair promises to be very successful.

The polling for the Borough Council election took place to-day. The excitement was not very intense with the general public, yet some of the candidates were “• buzzing ” around ont the look out, perhaps, for a stray burgess.

There were present at yesterday’s meeting of the Hospital Committee the following members: The Mayor, Messrs Winter, Walker and St. Hill. T e monthly accounts were passed for payment, and some small repairs necessary were authorised. Messrs Fooks and Son were requested to report on the present state of the buildings, so as to determine what work was required to be done. The Committee then adjourned. Mr Redmond and Mr Walsh, after consultation with their friends, have decided to alter arrangements, and lea e Auckland on Sunday by the Wanaka for Hokitika, where Mr Redmond’s first meeting in the colony will be held. It is intended to establish branches of the Land League in the leading towns, each branch being invited to send a delegate to the Australasian Convention held on the 7th November in Melbourne.

A public meeting was held last night at the Wesleyan Church in the interests of the foreign mission work of the Wesleyan body. There was but a limited attendance. The Rev C. H. Standage, who presided, gave a lengthy address on the work of the Society during past years, and was followed by other gentlemen, who spoke on the same topic, and a collection was taken up on behalf of the fund.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, limited, have received the following telegram, dated London, September 11th Wool : Market unchanged. Up to date 175,000 bales have been sold ; 79,000 bales have been taken for export. Wheat : The market quiet. New Zealand is worth 44s per 4961 b, f.a.q.; off coast is worth, c.i.f., 4is per 4801 b. Weather unsettled. Tallow : Market quiet. Mutton is worth 42s 6d, and beef 41s per cwt. Frozen meat ; Final average of lonic shipment is 6|d per lb. At a meeting of the Invercargill Racing Club a letter was read from the Dunstan Club, stating that the disqualification on Pathfinder (late Joker) could not bo removed. It was proposed that the Invercargill Club should remove the disability. An amendment that this be not done was proposed, but after a sharp discussion the Chairman refused to put either the motion or amendment, and the mover of the former retired with expressions of indignation at the Chairman’s action.

At the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board meeting yesterday notice of the following motion was given—“ That with a view to classifying the children in the Burnham School, the Government be requested to place that institutionun ler the control of this Board, and for the purpose of economy and such classification, the Government be requested to bring the Lyttelton Orphanage under the provisions of the Industrial Schools A ct > 80 that children of the non criminal or neglected classes of Burnham may, under certain conditions, be graduated intj the Lyttelton Orphanage. The annual general meeting of the Borough Cricket Club was he’d at Mr H. M. Jones’s room, Baring square, last evening, Mr A. Harrison, President, occupying the chair. After the minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed the following gentlemen were proposed and elected members of the Club, viz., Messrs A. Fooks, Caygill, Clark, J. Fooks, Elz, Prebble, and Dr Leahy. The election of officers for the ensuing season was then proceeded with, and resulted as follows : President, Mr A. Harrison ; Vice-Presi-dent, Dr Leahy ; Captain, J. Crocker ; Vice-Captain, G. W. Andrews ; Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, L. F. Andrewes; Custodians, V. Davis and A. Fooks ; Committee, Messrs Amos, Purchase, Robertson, and Marsh, in addition to the officers. After the transaction of other business, and a vote of thanks to the retiring officers, it was resolved that some adopted by a combination of committees selected from the athletic clubs of Ashburton, to petition the merchants and tradesmen to close their establishments, at mid-day on Wednesdays, and that Messrs Harrison and Purchase be appointed a committee to interview the other clubs respecting the establishment of a weekly half-holiday. The meeting closed with the usual vote of thanks to the chairman.

The British Medical Association has lately had under notice Ur Moore’s new method of vaccination. Hia plan is to make, with a perfectly clean sharp lancet, five or six single scarifications, holding the lancet as a pen is held, resting securely but gently on the arm of the person operated on, which is held with the left hand. Thus performed, the operation is said to occupy scarcely two seconds, and when lightly but sufficiently, does not waked a sleeping infant, nor cause a waking child to cry, provided the attention bo diverted by gently stroking the arm or by otherwise engaging the attention. The lymph from the arm of another child, or preserved in tubes or on points, is then gently rubbed with the flat of the lancet or charged points across the little wound, which may be made to gape by alight traction on the adjacent skin. The result of this mode of operating is found to be one or more, usually two, separate vesicles, or an oblong compound, one at the site of the single scratch, or more if six were made in all, or if they were made longer than usual. It is neither necessary nor desirable that the incisions be made at all deep. We know that there is nothing on earth equal to Hop Bitters as a family medicine. Look for. —[ Advt. ] Mother Swan’s Worm Syrup —lnfallible, tasteless, harmless, cathartic ; lor feverishness, restlessness, woims, constipation., is at druggists. Meses, Moss and Co., Sydney, General Agents. 2