The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1884.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1048, 12 January 1884, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1884.

The New Zealand Shipping Company have received the following cable message d'.ted London, January 9th:—The s.s. British Queen left Vincent on t ie 9th inst., e«. route for Wellington. A sitting of the Wellington Supreme Court in divorce and ina’rimonial causes jurisdiction is fixed for tho I4nh inst. The following is the list of cases for hearing;— Edwards v Edwards and Remington (rule nisi ) ; Elwell v Elwell and Phillips (rule absolute) ; Pizzy v Pizzy (rule absolute). The Primitive Methodist Conference is now sitting at Dunedin. The election of officers yesterdey resulted as follows; President, Rev Charles Ward, of Dunedin ; vice-president, Mr G. Froggatt, of Invercargill ; secretary, Rev C. E Bailey, of the Thames..

The steamer Kakanui when entering the Bluff Harbor yesterday afternoon slewed with the ebb tide and ran on Triangle rock. She fl >ated as the tide made, but sank as she reached the wharf. The cargo was spoiled, but the after hold and engine room are dry. We were shown to-d y a fine specimen of a ripe tomato, which was growr* by Mr J. S. Savage in Peter street, from seed obtained from Sealy Bro?. The vegetable measures lOin in girth and weighs 6ozs, and is probably the earliest ripe tomato grown in this district It is now on view at Mr Davison’s (fruiterer’s) window. An application was made at Dunedin by the creditors of Charles White yesterday to the Judge to transfer the estate to the official assignee. The filing had been on the last day of thoyear, tho offices having to be specially opened, and his Honor said that alone snemed sufficient to cause him to make the order, as it seemed the debtor had something to gain or fear. His Honor said it also seemed to him to be the policy of the Act that all debtors who had filed so close up to the expiry of the old Act should be handed ever to the official assignee.

There is too much reason to fear that James Kerr, second engineer of the Mahinapua, has been drowned. It is supposed that when coming on board at Greymouth on Thursday night, there being no gangway from tho vessel to the wharf, he slipped on going on board and fell in the river. Some on shore heard a splash, and came on board to ascertain the cause, looking about and shouting out, but nothing unusual was seen. There has been no trace of him since last seen the previous evening. His wife and family reside in Scotland. In the course of the afternoon Kerr’s hat was found under the wharf, where the Mahinapua was lying. The crown was broken as if he struck on his head.

The Protest Committee, in connection with the Bakaia Sports, Messrs Makeig, Hardy and Coster decided that Lambert takes Ist prize for the Hurdle Race, and Story 2nd, Welsh being disqualified. In the Cup Race Mr Osborne’s protest against Spider’s running second was not sustained. In the Boys’ Running High Jump Brinamicombe was disqualified, O’Keefe taking Ist prize and Doherty 2nd. A general Committee meeting was held, and |the Secretary’s report and balrnce-sheet read, showing a balance in hand of L3l Gi fid. The report was adopted on the motion of Mr Hardy, seconded by Mr Mutter. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Clark, the Secretary, for the trouble he had taken with regard to the day’s sport. It was proposed and carried that the balance in hand be placed in the hands of a committee consisting of Messrs Hardy, Makeig, Oxley and Clark for the purpose of forming a proper course in conjunction with the Domain Board. On Thursday evening a meeting was held in the Rakaia Town Hall to hear proposals as to the necessary works required on the village settlement. Mr Mackie, the chairman of the Road Board, took the chair. The meeting (although the settlers have for a long time been agitating for improvements) consisted of seven persons only, four of whom reside i on the land in question. Mr Haslett said that one thing specially required was a footpath on both sides of the road from Newtown to the township. It would be about seventy-two chains. Mr Haslett also said that a resolution had been passed by the settlers to form the north-west road from the river to the south of the settlement, and a road on the south east side formed three-quarters of a chain wide and the balance planted with trees, and any roads where sections were taken up. Mr Windsor stated that a plan had already been sent in to the Board, showing what works were required, and ho thought this would meet the views of all the settlers. Ho would also propose that any works undertaken should be done during the next winter, and that the contracts be let only to village settlers, and so keep outsiders away. Mr Mackie stated that the Road Board would look after the interests of the settlers, and he would be in favor of letting small contracts to settlers if the price was not too high. Mr Windsor asked what about the boundary roads ? Would they be formed out of settlement funds! The Chairman stated that the Board would share the cost. Mr Haslett asked to have a new road opened. Mr Mackie said this matter was not the business before the meeting, and should come before the Road Board. Mr O'Connor stated that if the proposed road interfered with his property he should object to it. It was decided that the plan of proposed works (in mistake sent to the Minister of Justice) be the works required, Mr Moton thought it would be better to join one footpath on the main ro id, and spend the money for the other in other works. Mr Windsor thought the Government were throwing away money in spending so much on roads, and there was enough to form concrete footpaths in pome of the main streets. A vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman, and callers of the meeting seconded, and the meeting adjourned. [

The Rev W. Hill will preach in the Presbyterian Church at morning and evening services to-morrow. The Venerable Archdeacon Dudley, of Rangiora, will preach in St Stephen’s Church to-morrow morning, and in the evening at Tinwald. To-morrow the Rev C. Dallas ton, of Christchurch, will conduct the Baptist Church services in the Oddfellows’ Hall. He will deliver a special address in the evening to young men and maidens. A meeting of the Wakanui Sports Committee was held in the school on Friday, Mr Protheroo in the chair. The balancesheet, which was read and adopted, showed that the expanses of the sports had amounted to about LIOO, but that a balance of LlB remained in hand. This wis all the business, and the Committee adjourned. Quite as large a crowd gathered to witness the second performance of the Australian Blondin, Mr Alexander, as was present on the previous evening. The different feats were gone through with great deftness and skill, and called foith loud applause. Tbo Excelsior Baud again gave their services. Another performance takes place to-night, when Mr Alexander will carry an Ashburton lady across the rope

The circus was only poorly attended last night, owing probably to there being a free entertainment given by the Australian Blondin, but the various nerformers were greeted with loud applause. There were one or two changes in the programme gone through on the previous visit of the circus here, but in the main the entertainment was the same. The company appear at Rakaia this evening, and they will no doubt have better luck there than they had in Ashburton. The Hon J. E. Mason, of Tainui, Fiji, an extensive tea planter in the colony, is at present in Auckland. He arrived by the Penguin, and brought samples of his tea with him, for the purpose of bringing it before the attention of the Auckland tea merchants. At present Mr Mason has a market at good prices at Fiji equal to what he produces, but as more recently planted portions of his garden, sixty acres in extent, come into bearing, the time will soon come when he will have to obtain a larger market than *hat which Fiji affords. During next week Mr Mason intends to have a puolic liquoring of the cea so as to draw the attention of the trade more fully to what Fiji can furnish. At the Wanganui Police Court yesterday morning Harriet Broughten, of the Provincial Hotel, was charged with supplying liquor to a drunken man. The drunkenness was admitted to a certain extent ; but for the defence it was c intended that the liquor was not sold by the hotelkeeper in accordance with the Act, but by a barmaid, and that tin driik was purchased byanother man, who “shouted” for the man who was intoxicated. It was also stated that the barmaid <*id not know the man was drunk, tlis Worship overrule! the law points, and on tho evidence of the police c mvioted. He allowed the right of appeal on the law points, if it were wished, or would give a small penalty. Mr Barnicoat, for defence, agreed to the latter alternative A fine of 40s was imposed, his Worship ruling that it was not necessary in these cases to endorse judgment on the license in such case. The judgment was not endorsed.

We would remind our readers that the Masonic service to be given in the Freemasons’ Hall will bo held to-morrow afternoon, and as the ceremony cannot fail to be interesting to those who do not belong to the t rder, we feel sure that it will bo largely attended. The service is by no means limited to Masons, and invitation is freely extended to all. In connection with this, we may mention that a very beautiful set of Royal Arch Banners will be shown in the Hail for the first time to morrow. These have just come to hand from London, where they were purchased by Mr Rudolph Friedlander foe the Ashburton Kilwinning Royal Arch Chapter. They, are made of silk and decorated with the various emblems of the Order, and representations of the tribes of Israel, and are in their way veritable works of art. The mountings are of Drass and the banners are sure to attract the attention of those who take part in the service to-morrow. If a certain Brooklyn suit (says a New York paper) goes for the plaintiff, a good many people will find that they laid the foundation for a prosecution for bigamy when they were babies. It has always been a favorite pastime with the older folks to have toy marriages, so to speak, among the boys and girls. Usually the husbands and wives are far below the marriageable age, and are married for that occasion only. But hereafter boys and girls who are above the marriageable a .e will probably avoid such dangerous pranks, A boy of eighteen was united in this humorous way to a girl of seventeen, and the whole matter, according to his statement, was regarded as a huge joke. He claims that he has never in any way recognised her as his wife except by writ ng her a jocular note in which he called her “My dear wife.” To his astonishment, however, she has brought a suit against him to compel recognition of her as his wife. If his statement is true, this is blackmail, and worse. Count Strickland, who arrived in New Zealand by the Rotomahana, was commissioned by the Council of Malta to deal with the subject of immigration of Maltese to New Zealand, a subject which was introduced by M. Da Cesare, who was here in the beginning of last year. Count Strickland is a Maltese nobleman, and a considerable land owner there, and as he was leaving fora tour round the world ha was commissioned by the Maltese authorities to act in pressing the matter of emigration, Malta being very thickly populated. Count Strickland’s father was an Englishman, and he was mostly educated in England. Ha comes accredited by Sir F. Dillon Bell, and before he left London he consulted with Sir 0. Clifford, formerly of New Zealand, and others with whom he was acquainted. It will be remembered that the Hun. Mr Roileaton consented to che introduction of some 30 or 40 Maltese, who were to be settled to the North of Auckland, to commence the cultivation of crauges, olives and other subtropical crops, which they and their fathers have been accustomed to cultivate. Count Strickland thinks the number spoken off by Mr Rolleston is far too small to do any good either to Malta or New Zealand. He proposes that either some landed proprietors should guarantee work for a certain time to Maltese, with some land for themselves, or that a special settleme it should be formed. Count Strickland and Mr Mitchelson are going to Wellington. He will have an interview with Mr Rolleston, in whose department this matter lies. His desire is that an offer cf a special settlement should be made in the first instance to the Maltese authorities, and if they do not see their way to take it up, that it should be made to a number of gentlemen in London, some of whom are interested in Malta and some in New Zealand, a id who would advance the funds necessary to start the scheme.

These old people whose blood has become thin and steps feeble are praising Hop Bitters for the g«od they have done them. See.— [ADVT.J Buies and Bugs.—Beetles, insects, roaches ants, bed-bugs, rats, mice, gophers, jack-rab-bits, cleared out by “ Rough on Rats.” Moses, Moss and Co., General Agents, Sydney Mother Swan’s Worm Syrup —lnfallible, nsteless, harmless, cathartic ; for feverishness, restlessness* worms, constipation, is at druggists. Moses, Moss and Co., Sydney, General Agents.