The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 1886. New Zealand at the Indian an Colonial Exhibition.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1326, 27 August 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 1886. New Zealand at the Indian an Colonial Exhibition.

In our last issue we referred to the proceedings at a special meeting of the New Zealand Commissioners to the Indian and Colonial Exhibition, and pointed out that, in our opinion, the inadequate representation of the resources and industries of this colony at the “ great show was mainly due to the injudicious action of the Government; but several of the Ministerial journals appear to be very much angered by the report from which we quoted, and contend that the Commissioners had no right to construe the Government’s cablegram into an attack upon itself. To enable our readers to judge of the force of this contention we will give the full text of the message sent. It was as follows - “July 7, 1886.

“ Exhibition.—Reflections made on the New Zealand Court—auoh as inferior to o'her Colonies not worthy Colon?; ihtrdrate museum; Bailer’s collection overprominent ; too much natural history; inadequate attention useful productions; gold obelisk desirable ; timber not received justice. Advise what (if any) truth the statements general estima'a S«.w Zealand Court ; aljo, do you thmk it desirable do anything t' It is quite possible that this cablegram may have been very much mutilated in its long journey across the world, but even supposing it reached its destination in a fairly readable form, it is just the sort of message to give rise to the discussion from which we dfuoted. The fact that the “ useful productions” were inadequately represented at the Exhibition must have been well known to the Government long before its attention was directed to the newspaper “ reflections made on the New Zealand Court.” This shortcoming was mainly due to the fact that a scientist, and not a practical commercial man, was appointed to superintend the collection of exhibits from this colony. The Government must have been fully aware of the numbers and character of the New Zealand exhibits, and that the Commissioners, as a body, were in no way responsible for the material from which they were required to make a favorable display of the colony’s resources. The cablegram, therefore, amounted to an enquiry—which implies a doubt —as to whether the Commissioners had or had not properly performed their allotted task. As we have already observed, it was only natural that the Commissioners should take some umbrage at the t me of the mesagge despatched by Sir Julius Vogel, and the members of the Government should not be surprised to find the Commissioners able and ready to make a spirited retaliation.

William and Edward Arnold, father and son, were at Wellington yesterday charged with feloniously harbouring James Mitchell, who is accused of burglariously entering Freeman’s jewellery shop and abstracting goods to the value of £BO7. Accused were remanded until to-day, when they were again brought up and discharged. The Gazette notifies the recognition of Mr Join Anderson, jun., of Chrietchmoh, rf Acting-Consul, in the event »f the absence cf the Consul for Belgium, with iurisdiction over the Boutb Itlaodi

The Directors of the Wellington Meat I Export Company recommend the payment of I 5 per cent, dividend. The Gazette notifies the appointment of ] Mr J. G. Rested as lieutenant of the Ashburton Guards. At a meeting of the Dunedin Harbor Board yesterday the Engineer reported on the effect of the recent storm —the heaviest known for twenty-five years—on the works at the Heads. Soundings show the

bar to have shifted 700 ft or 800 ft to seaward, having from 15in to 20in less water on it than before, but still showing 24£ft at high water poor tides, and 20Jft spring tides.

The works, which had stood the test well, I sustained but little damage, and were evidently producing effects in the desired direction. An opinion was expressed by most of the members that when the works were completed the bar would most probably be swept to eea altogether by the scour.

The following eorps have been formed into a battalion under the designation of the »• South Canterbury Battalion,” viz.: —The Timaru, Temuka, Ashburton, Geraldine, and Waimate Rifle Volunteers, and Ashburton Guards.

At the Resident Magistrates’ Court this morning, before Mr H. O. S. Baddeley, 8.M., Mr Caygill asked leave to adjourn for three 1 weeks an application for a re-hearing in the case of larceny against J. Toner, which, it will be remembered, was beard some months ago, when the accused was fined 40s and costs. Mr White, of Timaru, who appeared for the Government, agreed to the adjournment on the condition that the other side defrayed costa.

The snow storm which commenced about 8 1 p.m. yesterday continued until 10 last even- j ing, by which time the ground was enveloped in a coating of snow tour or five inches deep. The clouds then cleared away and a beautiful frosty night followed, but early this morning snow commenced to fall again and continued for some hours with a disagreeable sou’-west wind. This afternoon the sun shone out brightly and a rapid thaw set in. During the day a considerable portion of the male population of the Borough has given itself np to the delights of snow-balling, and the mimic warfare has been carried on with vigor and good humur at the various street corners. The Christchurch agent of the Australian Mutual Provident Society advertises that the Ashburton agency of the society is closed from this date. All communications must be addressed to the Christchurch office.

The express train last evening was aboat half-an-hour late in reaching Ashburton owing to the guards’ van leaving the line south of Camara.

J-j The consecration ot tha new St. Mary’s Church at Timaru took place yesterday. The ceremony was conducted by his Lordship the Primate. The attendance at the service was very large, and among the visiting clergy were bis Lordship the Bishop ot Dunedin (Dr Neville), and the Very Rev. the Dean of Christchurch (Dr Jacobs). In the Supreme Court at Invercargill,

At a meeting of the Auckland unemployed

yesterday it was resolved to boycott the BeV, also to solicit Sir G. Grey to address a meeting ot unemployed. The agents of the Chasca, which put into Sydney disabled, have received notice that the barque will not come on to Wellington. The sentence of death passed on Rowlands for murder at Gisborne was yesterday commuted to imprisonment for life.

The Archbishop of Canterbury one day lately confirmed in the Canterbury Cathedral, eight boys and seven girls belonging to the Margate branch of the Old Kent Road Deaf and Dumb Asylum.

The largest match factory in the United States, situated at Akron, C., turns out .j 7,000,000 matches in one day when run to its full capacity. That enormous production gives one match per day to every man, woman, and child in the country. The St. Petersburg!! Minister of Justice has given orders that within two months all the Jewish secretaries and clerks employed by the examining magistrates are to be dismissed. The reason alleged’ is that great abases have recently been discovered. New York has boarding-houses for birds, whose owners have left the city during the summer months. For fifteen cents a week and upward, according to the daintiness of fare demanded by the boarder, birds receive all necessary attentions *• by the week or month.”

It will, no doubt, be news to our readers (says the ‘ Advocate’) to learn that Sir W. Pox was twice Governor of New Zealand. Tins information is published in a liveshilling volume, entitled “ Glimpses of Maoriland,” issued by the Religious Tract Society at Home, and written by a Miss Rutler Miss Butler gives her experience of a visit to a sheep run in the Rsngitikei district, and states that, after a sheep is shorn, it is worth one shilling. The keeper of a temperance hotel in Palmerston little expected, perhaps, when ne was spinning his “ tall yarns,” that they would ever appear in a book issued by the Religious Tract Society. Here is a sample, as related by him to Miss Betler“ I was the first man who rode through this district and the Maoris were very curious Ip know if I did not need a blanket for my horse as well as myself. I have bought land at £1 par acre,; and from one acre have sold fifty trees at £1 each'"

yesterday, W. Martin, an old settler, seventy years of age, was found guilty of poisoning a neighbour’s horses by mixing phosphorised oats with feed in the field. Prosecutor had married Mar;in’s daughter very much against bis wish, and this was supposed to be the cause for his poisoning the horses. Mr Justice Johnston, in passing sentence of twelve months’ hard labor, said that but for prisoner’s age he would have made the punishment a term of penal servitude, as the crime was a most atrocious one. The Canterbury football team were met by a crowd of footballers and others on their arrival at Dunedin yesterday, and were enthusiastically received. The Otagojteam has been changed, Yallange having been substituted for Austin as full back, and Miller for Wedderspoon as three-quarters, both these players having received injuries last Saturday.

At a meeting of the Dunedin Acclimatisation Society the Curator reported that there had been considerable mortality among the salmon since they had been turned into the races, probably through the low temperature of the water; and between 1000 and 2000 out of 12,950 had succumbed.

At the Supreme Court at Dunedin, yesterday, John Mercer was indicted for shooting a sheep and stealing a carcase at Kingston, Lake Wakatipu. Accused, who is now serving a term of imprisonment for stealing a Railway Department tarpaulin and fishing nets, was alleged to have shot the sheep of a runholder and supplied moat to his workmen. The jury were unable to agree, and were locked up for several hours. They ultimately returned a verdict of “ Guilty,” and accused was sentenced to two years' hard labor.