The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1877.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 91, 1 June 1877, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1877.

The Christchurch Acclimatization Society has doubtless done good, service in procuring a large quantity of game, as well as a variety of very useful insectivorous birds, and domiciling them in the province. It has also stocked our rivers and lakes with two of the finest fish in the world, namely, trout and salmon ; and it has received large sums of money from the public chest in aid of this acclimatization work. Yet there is a danger of this society, useful though it has been, becoming a curse instead of a blessing. Some time since we pointed out that there was reason to fear that if care was not taken, some of the worst features of the English game laws would be introduced into NewZealand. Now, we find, that at a late

meeting of the Council of the Acclimatization Society, the question was mooted as to the propriety of submitting to the Government the desirability of imposing a gun tax, so that every person who kept a gun for the purpose of destroying sparrows, or vermin, or of shooting native game, would probably have to pay £1 yearly for doing so. All this has a tendency to create a monopoly of shooting and fishing in favour of the upper ten. The members of the Council of the Acclimatization Society seem to forget that the money they have been spending , was public money, and that therefore the whole public should participate in the advantages of such expenditure, and not merely a select few.

A telegram published in our last issue, states that " the Government has " for some time been in communication " with Sir W. Jervoise and Colonel " Scratcheley, with a view to obtain " their professional opinion on the de- " fence of New Zealand Harbours. The " latest advices render it most probable '• that these officers will visit New Zea- " land after reporting for the Victorian " Government." We trust that this telegram is not like the one published concerning the disagreement of the Ministry—merely a canard. We trust also that the visit of these distinguished .military engineers may be made, so as to allow of a report being presented to Parliament in time for such a sum to be voted, as will be necessajy to send to England for the purchase of heavy guns for shore batteries, and for a supply of torpedoes. It is to be hoped that the finest harbour on the coast of the Middle Island, that of Akaroa, will not be overlooked.

The inquest lately held in Dnnedin, on view of the body of a servant girl named Molntyre, terminated in the jury finding " firstly, that the deceased did not come to her death by natural causes ; secondly, " that her death was caused by treat"ment received at the hands of Mrs. " Keid (her mistress) ; thirdly, that " Mrs. lleid has been guilty of culpable "negligence to the extent of' man- " slaughter." On hearing this, the Coroner said: —" lam sure, gentlemen, "theevidence bears out your verdict." During the inquest, which lasted several days, a little girl, named Eeplin, gave evidence as to the ill-treatment of the deceased by her mistress, and. the Coroner said that he shoxxld tell the jury to reject her evidence, At a subsequent stage, when other witnesses bore testimony to the ill-treatment deceased had received, the Coroner altered his note, and said that he should not reject the girl Esplin's evidence. Why did he think of doing so in the first instance ? If it was the truth at last, it was the truth at first.