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Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1255, 4 June 1886, Page 2

The no-confidence debate suddenly collapsed in the House of Representatives last evening, and a division was taken at 11 30 p.m. The amendment moved by Mr Montgomery was rejected by 15 to 28, a much more pronounced victory than the most sanguine Ministerialist anticipated. It i 8 now expected that the session will be an unusually brief one, and it is not improbable that the prorogation will fake place during the first week in August.

In ’ll i Appeal Court at Wellington yesterday in the case of Ell v Harper (Christchurch), Mr Jellicoe moved for leave to appeal to Her Majesty in Council against the dicision given by the Court of Appeal, in which they remitted a petition for adjudication to the Christchurch Bankruptcy Court for rehearing. The application was refused.*

Ac a meeting of the North Canterbury Board of Education, held yesterday, it was decided to inform the Ashbnrton School Committee that the Board saw no reason to allow the school an additional master, and I recommended to take steps to secure a female teacher iu place of Miss Harband.—At the I same meeting the report of the Select Committee appointed to enquire into the condition of the schools in the North Canterbury district was read.—Consideration of the report was posponed until next meeting. The licv Father Chastagnon has request, d us to state that Mass will be celebrated at Methvqp on Sunday. Vespers at Ashburton at the usual hour

The meeting of the Ashburton (suburban) Licensing Committee fixed for to-day was postponed until Wednesday next, at noon. The Ashburton County Counoil has decided to take steps to divide the Ashburton riding of the county into two ridings; the Ashburton river to be the dividing line.

After a brief period of lino frosty weather rain commenced again last evening and has fallen almost without intermission since. The rivers are rising, but no serious damage is yet reported.

The “ Referee ” of this morning devotes a j long article to the action taken by the Ashburton Racing Club in connection with the new racing rules. We agree to some extent with the remarks made by our contemporary, but the writer appears- to have lost the point of the Club’s objection to rule 20. We understand that (he members of the local Club distinctly approve of the Metropolitan Clubs imposing reasonable restrictions upon country race meetings, but they demand that these restrictions should be clearly defined, and that when the other rules are complied with the Melropolitan Club should not have power to withhold its sanction from any race programme. The “ Referee” says—“ The Committee of (lie C.J.C., wo consider, have been insulted by the members of the A.R.C. hinting that they will make an improper use of the powers conferred upon them by the new rules.” It is not often our contemporary gives utterance to such complete nonsense. No member of the Ashburton Racing Club even hinted that the present Committee would make an improper use of its power, but several members very sensibly asked “what guarantee have we that the next Committee or the Committee to be elected ton years hence will not endeavor, with the power given them by this rule, to suppress country racing?” The “odds,” to quote the language of our contemporary, may be very much against snob a contingency, but a well framed set of rules would not make the future interests of sport dependent upon the whim or caprice of half a dozen unknown persons.

Mr C. C. Bowen Christchurch has received advice from London rr the Midland Railway, which show that all difficulties on ,the side of the company have removed.—All the papers, including the contract, in connection wilh the Railway arrived in Wellington by the Ban Francisco mail and were laid upon the table of the House yesterday.

A social gathering in connection with St Stephen’s Church was held in the Church Schoolroom last evening. Notwithstanding the inoloment weather there was a fairly good attendance. Refreshments were pic! vided by the lady members of the congregation, and music and conversation assisted in making a very pleasant evening.

At the County Council meeting this morning, Mr Wiight said be thought the C mncil would shortlp have to consider the question of re-adjustment of the representation of the Council, so that nine members should be returned to the Council instead of seven as at present.

From remarks made at tho'County Council meeting to-day, it seems probable that measures will at some time in the near future have to be taken in this County for the repression of the rabbit nuisance. It was said that rabbits are plentiful on the Mesopotamia run, and that every season they encroach more and more upon the bounds of the County.

The Ashburton County Council have voted the sutnjof £2OO to be expended in the purchase of poisoned grain for the especial delectation of small birds. The grain will be distributed among the various road boards in the district, and it is hoped.that by means of this concerted action the numbers of the feathered pests will be considerably reduced.

The report of the Temperance Vigilance Committee, which has been tacitly ignored by the Christchurch Licensing Committees, was read at the Lyttelton Licensing Committee meeting yesterday, and elicited a warm discussion. The report goes to show that in the opinion of the temperance people the prohibition of Sunday trading is practically inoperative in Lyttelton.

The following statement of the rateable value of property within the various ridings of the County was laid on the table at a meeting of the Ashburton County Council to-day : Rangitata, £237,080 ; Mount Somers, £1112,211 ; Anama, £32,300; South Kakaia, £181,508; Upper Ashburton, £501,500; Mount Hull, £601,000; Ashburton, £070,051 ; total, £3,021,878.