The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1883. Mr Dargaville and his Constituents.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1065, 4 October 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1883. Mr Dargaville and his Constituents.

Whatever may be the general opinion throughout the colony as to the conduct of Mr Dargaville during last session of Parliament, the resolution passed at the meeting held in the Auckland Theatre Royal yesterday evening shows that that gentleman’s constituents are perfectly satisfied with him. We know of what material popular heroes are usually made, and the outrageous behavior of the representative for Auckland City West is apparently a recommendation in the eyes of a certain class. It would perhaps be scarcely fair to criticise the speech simply upon the telegraphic summary we have received, although it is doubtful whether any fresh ground was broken. Mr Dargaville evidently knew he was addressing a friendly audience, who would be ready to applaud anything he said however exaggerated it might be. He seems therefore to have piled his abuse upon the head of Major Atkinson even more unsparingly than he did in the House of Representatives. The Auckland electors were told that the Premier was “ unscrupulous,” that his chief weapons were “ vulgar raillery and coarse invective,” and that he had at his beck and call a servile press, ready to support him in anything he might do. This is the kind of ranting stuff with which the groundlings like to have their ears split, and it is a matter of supreme indifference to them whether the allegations put forward have any foundation in fact or not. When Mr Dargaville incurred the contempt of all right-minded men, by his reckless charges of corruption against Major Atkinson and MrWniTAKEßhebecame aware that if he was to attain notoriety it must be upon an altogether lower level than the House of Representatives, He has found that level in the assembly he addressed last night, as was evidenced by the following resolution, which was carried unanimously;“That Mr Dargaville, M.H.R., deserves the best thanks and confidence of his constituents and of the colony for his action in the House last session, and especially for his unflinching advocacy of the right of free speech for the representatives of the people.” The well-worn simile of the three tailors of Tooley street occurs to us when we read that a few of the electors of Auckland City West —the majority of whom were probably present out of curiosity, caring nothing about the matter under consideration, either one way or the other—accorded to this member the thanks of the whole colony. It is not impossible that after this Mr Dargaville will come to fancy himself no inconsiderable figure in New Zealand politics, and he certainly has attained a notoriety in inverse proportion to his legislative ability. Admitting that he possesses some powers of oratory, albeit not of a very refined kind, we know of no other quality that would mark him as specially fitted for a representat iye of the people. And yet forsooth, this is the man that is regarded by his Auckland constituents as the champion of freedom of speech How has he used that freedom himself ? He has taken advantage of his position as a member of Parliament to bring the vilest charges of corruption against Ministers, and when those charges have been clearly disproved he continues to re-iterate them with greater violence than ever. If the Auckland people are satisfied with their member, all that we can say is, so much the worse for them, but they have certainly no right to arrogate to themselves the position of spokesmen for the whole colony. However, it is probable that Mr Dargaville has recognised by this time that his potilical career is blasted, so far as Parliament is concerned, and he has consequently determined to reign supreme in a lower sphere. He has nearly all the qualifications that go to make a successful mob orator —unblushing effrontery and an entire absence of any sense of responsibility in his utterances —so that there is every chance of his succeeding in his new role.

The master of the Home desires to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of a parcel of clothes from Sergeant Felton, Mills, the patient at the Auckland Asylum attacked by t|>e lunatic Schnell yesterday morning, has djed of his injuries. The warder has been suspended pending enquiries, A deputation waited .on the Hon Mr Dick at Dunedin yesterday, to ask that the Industrial School children plight be allowed out on parole to go to church, not in a body, but mixing with the various congregations indiscriminately. The Hon Mr Dick promised to consult the master of the school on the matter.

-On Tuesday afternoon last Mrs Trevor, Miss Fish, and Miss Johns were the means of causing a ve y pleasant time for the inmates of the Home by playing several selections on the piano, which were excellently rendered, and the _ inmates showed their appreciation by their hearty applause.

At the Police Court this morning a man flamed Jerome Camilla was charged with being drunk and al«o with using bad language. For the first offence he was discharged with a caution, but on the other charge he was sentenced to pay a fine of 20s with the alternative of 48 hours’ imprisonment. Mr R. Alcorn, J.P., was on the Bench. The horse parade to be held on Saturday next promises to be successful, although the entries are not so numerous as they were last year. Twen'y horses will be shown, but the quality of these animals is out of all comparison superior to any that 'have previously visited this part of the colony, In our report of the cheese factory meeting published yesterday, a printer’s error occurred. The cost of making a pound of cheese when milk was at 4d was not stated by the Chairman to be the enormous sum of 59s 6d, but fivepence and nine sixteenths of a penny. The opening match of the Borough Cricket Club took place on the Domain ground yesterday afternoon, there being about twenty members present. Sides were chosen by Messrs L. F. Andre wea and Amos and after about two hours’ play the game resulted in a win for the laller team, the scores being as follows Mr Amos’s side, 61; Mr L. F. Andrewes’ 49. G. W. Andrews (with 13) and Dr Leahy (15) were the highest scorer* for the losers ; and Marsh (with 29) and A. Fooks (with 8) played well for their side. A meeting of “ interim scripholdera ”

in the proposed Alford a id United Companies, was held in Christchurch last evening. The meeting had been convened by advertisement,’ “to call upon the licensees to present the balance-sheet, and wind up the affairs of the above Comppnios. ” A stormy discussion followed in which some personalities were indulged in, it being freely stated by one or two speaker's that the licensees had determined to stick to the money obtained from scripholdera. Eventually the following motion was carried: —“That the licensees be asked to produce abalmcesheet, and give other information respecting the working of the Companies.” It was also decided that a Committee be appointed to protest against the registration of the Alford and the United Companies, and take whatever steps they may deem necessary to wind up the same. A meeting of the members of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held at the County Council Chambers yesterday afternoon, there being present Messrs W. C. Walker (Chairman;, D. Williamson, and J. Lambie. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Some misunderstanding arose on account of the complete returns not having been placed before the Board. Mr Madden explained that he had not been aware that the receipt books and returns of arrears had to be handed in each month. He could lay the hospital cash-book before the Board if required that moment. The members considered the master’s explanation satisfactory, and he was requested to furnish at each meeting a statement of arrears, and the receipt and cash book for inspection. The architect’s report on the hospital buildings was read and considered. The monthly accounts were passed and the Board adjourned.

The two boys, Janies and Alexander Roy, charged with the" manslaughter of Henderson, the railway fireman who was shot near Wairuna in August 23rd, were tried in Dunedin yesterday. Mr Denniston defended. After evidence had been taken, his Honor summed up, and after an absence of an hour the jury returned into Court and asked some questions with regard to the height of the bank and the curves and grade of the line. At 5.25 ‘they returned into Court with a verdict of “ Guilty ” against both prisoners, with a strong recommendation to mercy on account of previous good character. They did not think that the firearms were discharged iflth any intention to injure anyone. His Honor agreed with the jury, and said he would give the fullest effect to their recommendation that he could consistently with his duty to the public. So far as Alexander was concerned, his Honor thought that Iho ends of justice would be met by his father entering into a recognisance for his future behavior —no sentence would be passed. The elder prisoner was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment without hard labor. An amusing story of a mistake comes from the United States. An hotelkeeper living in Raleigh, North Carolina, recently broke one of his bar-room windows, and being unable to get the damage repaired in his own town, he wrote off to New York for a pane of glass of the required size. The measurement was 22 inches by 32 inches, but in his haste Boniface wrote “ feet ’’ instead of “ inches," and in consequence his order rather astonished the glassmakers of the Empire City. They could not, they soon discovered, manufacture a sheet so large, and bearing in mind the magnitude and apparent importance of the order, they at once telegraphed, to France for what they required. A Paris manufacturer happened to be able to roll a sheet of the necessary superfices, and at the earliest possible moment he did so, and shipped the result to New York. In due time the huge parcel, which on account of its size could not be forwarded by rail, reached its destination ; and on opening the hotelkeeper found a mass of glass an inch thick, and as large as the floor of a banqueting hall. But what was worse still, the Paris manufacturer’s bill came to more than L6OO, and the charges for transport and insurance amounted to nearly half as much again.

Mr Neate, chemist, notifies his removal into his new premises in East street in our advertising columns. The concert to be held under the auspices of the FJemington Tonic Sol-fa Class takes place this evening at the Flemington Schoolbouse.