The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 332, 23 September 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23.

It will bo remembered that a few weeks ago Mr P. O'Reilly interested himself in getting up a subscription list for the purpose of procuring funds to fence in the old cemetery at the rear of the Catholic Church, Akaroa. Having received sufficient promises of support, he has since let a contract for the fencing. Mr O'Reilly will therefore feel obliged by those who have promised subscriptions for this purpose paying the amounts as soon as convenient.

Referring to the alleged informality in the Kaiapoi electoral roll, tho Press has a Bhort article, which appears to us to maintain an*, astounding position. The ~writer admits, that thirty-one names in-' i tended for the Ashley roll wero in 'error inserted in'that for Kaiapoi." The mistako was discovered a day or two after the; lajtter rolls' had been printed, but before'l they had been issued. Of course this must have occuired after both rolls had passed through tho Revision Court. According to our contemporary, the Registration officer detected the mistake, aud telegraphed a to the Colonial Secretary's office. Mr G. S. Cooper, Under Colonial Secretary, replied "in effect,'' that the names might be erased. .This the Press professes to find a perfectly sufficient justification for the " blue pencil" alterations in the roll made by the Registraton and Returning Officer. The question as to the validity of the election remains to be decided by the House of Representatives, and whether the alterations made in the roll have, or have not, affected the result is entirely beyond the real point at issue. But it is essential to tho public confidence in the purity of our whole electoral system, that such " amendments" in the electoral roll shall be rendered impossible for the future. The Legislature provides certain judicial machinery for the revision and correction of these rolls, and to allow of their being altered after having been passed under review by the Revision Court, even Avitb the high sanction of an Under Secretary, is to render the sitting of the Court a solemn farce. As reasonably might a Sheriff " amend " a judgment of the Supreme Coiut under simihr sanction. We have no doubt that the action of the Registration Officer has been dictated by the best of motives, but the apology for it has placed it in a far more serious aspect than it wore before, inasmuch as what might have been a mere act of thoughtlessness, appears now to have been done with deliberation and after applying for advice or instruction.

The following notice appears in the Gazette : —" Whereas, a person named George Vennal, of New Brighton roadnear Christchureh, in the Provincial district of Canterbury, has mysteriously disappeared, and there are reasons for supposing that he may have been murdered by some person or persons unknown. Notice is hereby given that should the said George Vennall be murdered, His Excellency the Governor will grant a free pardon to any person implicated in such murder, except the actual murderer, who shall give such information as will lead to the apprehension and conviction of the murderer or murderers.—John Sheehan."

A certain theatrical company, called the Victoria Loftus Troupe, has lately been performing in Wellington, where they gained an unenviable notoriety. Their performances were there denounced by the Press in unmeasured terms, at least one newspaper declining to insert their advertisements. It speaks volumes for the taste prevailing in the Cathedral city, that, on their first appearance there at the Gaiety Theatre on Saturday evening, the hall and galleries were packed almost to suffocation. The -following is an extract from the'critique on their performance, which : appears' in the Lyttelton Times general; terms, the entertainnient; ipay\ b_'< described as a " variety "one,-in which the principal characteristics dancing, mediocre acting,* and iMifferent "singing, the whole being interspersed with indecently pointed remarks,- unnecessarily scant costume, and vulgar gesticulations and remarks. The sketches were of the most trashy description, and were such as might be put on as Christy Minstrel -afterpieces, after having undergone revision by someone possessing a very slight degree of morality." ' s '.

The following memorandum has been received by Mr Montgomery, from the Chief Surveyor, in reply to one from that gentleman, asking for particulars as to the position in which certain awards of compensation for lands taken for roads were at present: —" W. Montgomery, Esq., M.H.R., —Replying to your favor of the 10th inst., conveying a letter—herewith returned— received from Messrs Barnett and others, on the subject of certain awards to be made for deviation of roads through private property, I beg to state that particulars required for the road survey at Le Bon's Bay will probably be posted to-day to Mr Fenton, who will be asked to put the survey in hand at once.—John H. BakerChief Surveyor." During Mr Montgomery's election tour on the Peninsula he was more than once asked when the -£100,000 due to the Canterbury Road Boards would be paid. Mr Montgomery promised to telegraph to the Premier on the matter, and let his constituents know the result. He has, therefore forwarded us the following telegram, received by him from Sir George Grey in answer to one from him to that gentleman, with a request that we would give it pub. licity:—" W. Montgomery, Esq., M.H.R. Christchurch, —We are in- expectation of soon hearing that tlie money has been raised from which this amount of £100,000 is to be paid. When money is obtained there shall be no delay in paying. Until that is done there are no funds available for making payments asked for, —G - Grey."

The enquiry into the origin of the late disastrous fire in Dunedin terminated on Thursday night, .when the jury, after deliberating for over three hours, returned the following verdict:—'* The fire which occurred at Ross' Buildings on tho morning of Sept 8, was the wilful act of William Waters. 1 ' They added a long rider, in which they/found that the construction of the building was bad, causing the fire to burn rapidly and' fiercely ; that the interim passages wore'even "bewildering in daylight, and necessarily must be more _jo-.to v -pAnic-.strickenj- people in. the middle/ of the pight." They |ls|/<fee_f attention to the carelessness on the part of the officers of insurance companies, that in., this case the insurance was at least double what it should have been. They found that the Fire Brigades were jpromptly on the spot, and worked skilfully and energetically ; that the fire escape was in perfect order, but appeared to be very difficult to manage by untrained hands. At the inquest on the bodies,* after afiout ffivo minutes deliberation, the jury delivered the following verdict: —" The fire at_Ross' Buildings, the Octagon, was the wilful act of William Waters." The Coroner : That is tantamount to a verdict of.. wilful |uurder against him. The Foreman : W*. do, not believe he had any desire to cause loss of life, probably believing that the people would be driven out-by the smoke. -The Coroner : Then on your verdict I commit the prisoner to take his trial at the next Criminal Sessions of ; the. Supreme Court. The prisoner, who appeared 1 greatly agitated, on being approached*by a couple of gaol warders, requested to.be .taken-out of the hotel by means of tlie back saying that he did not wish to be gaped -at by the crowd. Having been assured that he need not be apprehensive Pf .sustaining any harm, he put on his overcoat, and hat, and muffled up closely, and after being handcuffed, was removed tO, ; th_ gaol from the back of the hotel. ,■', •*.;; I

We learn that Mr Montgomery, M.H.il., has forwarded a donation of £5 5s to the Akaroa Library. '■•"■-." i .. The election of a burgess to:'fill the extraordinary vacancy in .the; ; Borough Council caused by the disqualification of Mf Beecher as a Councillor, took place at the offices of the Council 8 on Friday last. Before the day of polling Mr R. Noonan,' one of the candidates nominated, retired, as advertised in our last issue, and the choice lay between Messrs Checkley and, Henning. Very little interest was taken in the polling ;, one of the' candidates, Mr Checkley, not putting in an appearance at all, and the proceedings dragged their slow length along until 6 p.m., when the Returning Officer, a few minutes afterwards, in the presence of his Worship the. Mayor and about a dozen persons, declared the numbers to be for Mr G. Checkley, 15, and for Mr W. 11. Henning, 47. Mr Henning was therefore declared duly elected. Neither of the candidates were courteous enough to the electors to be present, and after giving the- ghost of a cheer, the few persons present retreated to; , the nearest hostelry with some sad reflections as to the want of public spirit amongst us. Referring to-the Jate KaiapoL^lection } the Lyttelton _r_jm-S_.Df, Saturday s.ays :—- ---" The Kaiapoi "el-cttiijtj',, i I _is said, will be -petitioned against, on. -tlie ground of the tiUegal alteration. 9f ±he._o!l by the Returning Officer j*.f|ei a certified copy jt?ad been lodged iiii the Colonial SecretarylsJ Office, Thirty-three names Were struck* ou,t of it with a blue pencil, and at the footi of the roll is writteil—' Thirty-three West Eyreton : names transferred. to Ashley roll. (Signed) Caleb, Whitefoqrd.' It has been held that 4t certified roll once lodged in the Colonial Secretary's Office,, even where minor's hainesTiave been? put" on \>y mistake, cannot be. tampered , -w th. At Napier, for example-, three h-jnor!* wrongly on the roll/were allowed /to)vote. This discovery,yestgrday caused.,g.ea,t consternationin the 'Opposition camp> bid the Ministerialists are preparing forjjanother fight. ' Mr ""however, will not stand again, but it is staled that.a candidate certain to command success on personal and political grounds will be brought forward." Considering the precautions provided by the Legialature for guarding the electoral rolls, it seems almost incredible that a returning officer should haye : taken upon himself to strike out from or add to a roll names "in blue pencil." But, if the facts be as stated, there can be; no doubt that the election is invalid, and; we should think the return for Ashley wduld also be jeopardized. • {.'■'