The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 30.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 368, 30 January 1880, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 30.

Willi reference to the further progress of the Akaroa railway, the following communication from the member for the district will be read with interest by many of our readers :—" Christchurch, Jan. 20, 1880. I have received a letter from Mr 01 liver, the Minister for Public Works, in reply to si letter I wrote to him some days ago, in which he states that he has given instructions for the survey of the line on to Little River, also that as soon as the present contract is finished, tenders will be called for the phue laying of that portion of the line now under contract."

As many of our readers must be anxious as to the state of the awards made by Mr OHivler in the matter of compensation for lands taken for roads, we publish for general information the following memorandum, which has been furnished to us by Mr \V. Montgomery. "Jan. 28, 1880. To NY. Montgomery, Esq., M.H.K., Christchurch,— Referring to our conversation re the road su.tve.ys under awards, I find that Mr Fenton's corrected survey of award 2, Breitmeyer's, 8, Barratt's, 9, A. F. Leonardo's, 20, St. John's estate, G4. Harriett's, and 12,Aldridge's, were received by me on the 19th December, ult., and on the 23rd of same month returned to Akaroa to be handed to the solicitor for the preparation of the deeds. Particulars of some of the roads were sent to Mr Fenton on the 12th May, 1879, and all were forwarded by the 13th September last. Finding that the surveys wore taking a much longer time than the Government anticipated, and were consequently costing more, 1 wrote to Mr Fenton on the 22nd instant, informing him that I would accept such surveys if they ran on the true meridian, and I would connect with the triangnlation hereafter.—John 11. Baker, Chief Sur-

veyor."

The Commissioners for Middle Island Land Purchases will open their sittings in Akaroa pro forma on Monday next. They will, however, immediately adjourn until after they finish in Duuedin. This change has been necessitated by the illness of Mr I/.ar,d the counsel conducting the case on behalf of the Middle Island Natives.

A public meeting of householders was held on the 2Glh January, in the Little River Schoolroom, for the purpose of electing a School Committee, twenty-six persons being present. Mr A. D. Allan acted as Chairman. After the usual report had been submitted to the meeting and approved, the following householders were duly elected as a Committee for the present year :—Messrs P. F. Ralfo (Chairman), Capt. Aschmann, A. D. Allan, W. Johnson, Win. Coop, Jos. Smith, and N. Walters.

A public meeting of householders was held at Okain's Bay, on Jan. 2G, to receive the annual report and balance-sheet, and to elect members to serve as a School Committee for the ensuing year. The report was considered highly satisfactory, and the balance-sheet showed £9 to the credit of the school. The election of members was then proceeded with. The following gentlemen having been duly proposed and seconded were declared elected :—Messrs J. Wells, J. James, W. Moore, J. Moore, F. Priest, W. Harris, and W. Robiii-on.

A kind of reunion picnic took place on the beautiful sandy beach of Okain's Bay, on Tuesday, 27th hist. The picnic originated through the visit of Mr Geo. Bishop, the friend and late schoolmaster of the district. The weather was delightful, which induced all who could possibly do so, even from the neighboring bays, to respond to the invitation so cordially given. The school children likewise obtained a holiday, and mustered in force. Both dinner and tea were partaken of in the lofty and commodious cave in thorough picnic style, and altogether a most enjoyable day was spent.

The annual meeting of householders of the Duvauehelle's Bay School District, for the election of School Committee for the ensuing year, and also to consider the annual report and balance-sheet, was held at the schoolhouse. Buvauchellc's Bay, on Monday last, Jan 2G. The Chairman (Mr Cossar) laid before the meeting the statement of receipts and expenditure for the past year. The expenditure consisted of —Salaries, £130 8s ; incidentals, £93 18s Gd ; leaving a balance at Bank of £0 12s 2d. Mr Shadbult proposed, and Mr Everett seconded, the adoption of the report. Afterwards the election of members to serve on the committee for the ensuing year took place, when the following gentlemen were duly elected : — Messrs Pettigrew, Yogan, Pawson, Malinanelie, Libeau, Mould, and Cossar. Mr Cossar was re-dceied Chairman. A meet-

ing was iK'ld a Tier wair Is, when i! was re

solved I'; iKuiiualo Mjssrs Fallen."!, Saunders and Welch as camiida;cs for the

Doard of iv.iucaii"U

We are

promised a visit from an Eng-

lish Opera Bouffe and Comedy Company, who announce their intention of giving two performances in Akaroa on Tuesday and Wednesday. The company is not very strong numerically, but its performances have been very highly spoken of by the Press in other places where they have performed. Akaroa has so seldom an opportunity of listening to anything good in the way of music that we doubt not the company will be well patronized. Full particulars of the performances will appear in onr next issue, and may be learned from the bills.

The annual distribution of prizes in the Le Bon's Bay School took place on the 23rd instant. Mr George Hall, the chairman, stated that the Inspector, Mr Edge, had decided who should have the prizes. According to his report, the percentage passed in the various standards was 85. The prize list is :—Class I, Elizabeth Bailey, 1 ; Sarah Cairns, 2. Class 2, Jas. Charles Oldridge, 1, Andrew Cairns, 2, William Bailey, 3. Class 3, James Alddridge, 1, Lenaah Condon, 2, George Oldridge, 3. Class 4, Jane Aldridge, 1> John Crotty, 2, Elizabeth Cairns, 3. Class 5, Frank Leonardo, 1, Alice Cairns, 2, Paulina Nielsen, 3. Infants, Dora Leonardo, 1, Alice Cairns, 2. Senior Sewing' Harriet Barnett, 1, Alice Barnett, 2; Junior, Lily Heileur, 1, Paulina Nielsen, 2. Senior writing, Lenaah Condon, 1, Willie Crotty, 2 ; junior, Frank Leonardo. Each child had a book given it. The children'then adjourned to MrT. Oldridge's paddock, and amused themselves running for toys, &c. The annual school treat had taken place about a month previously.

It will be remembered that a few months ago a Road Board was sued and cast in dampges for injuries sustained by a traveller through their having left a portion of a ditch which ran across a load under their jurisdiction unprotected. This decision was appealed against, and the following is the report of the hearing of the appeal. It will be observed that the decision of the Magistrate's Court was upheld: —"Road Board of the Cust Road District v. Wheeler.—For argument of special case. This was an appeal against the decision of the Resident Magistrate at Rangiora. Mr Joynt appeared for the appellant, and Mr A. Clark for the defendant. The decision appealed against was one for £90 damages, sustained by the respondent falling into a ditch within the jurisdiction of the appellants. The point relied upon was that the Board was not responsible to one of the public. His Honor referred to the case of ' Manson v. Heathcote Road Board,' and pointed out that the present differed from that, inasmuch as the accident was caused by a ditch made by the Board across the road, only part of which was protected. His Honor dismbsed the appeal, with costs."

The letter on the subject of the Irish Famine whicl: appeared in our last issue and the few remarks thereon have, we hope, had some effect. One of our local storekeepers (Mr 11. Billens) intimates his willingness to receive contributions for this laudable object. It is high time, howover, that the work should be taken in hand in a thorough manner. A committee should be formed and a systematic canvass of the district instituted. We observe that the good work is being <varmly prosecuted in Christchurch. The directors of the New Zealand Shipping Company, and those of the Union Insurance Company have in each case voted a hundred guineas as a donation to the fund. No doubt the munificent example thus set will be generally followed.

Among the Australian news appears the following extraordinary paragraph:— " Much uneasiness is felt at four cases of poisoning by drinking Colonial beer. One man died from the effects ; the three others recovered. It is alleged they exhibited symptoms of poisoning by strychnine. The cases all occurred wicbin about a week of each other. It is believed the poisoning was the result of not properly cleaning the bottles." The sequel, as toid below, confirms the worst and most improbable auspicious in reference to this painful case, for we are told that "Mr Johnston, analytical chemist, has finished the analysis of the beer of the Queenscliffe poisoning case, and found enough strychnine in the bottle to poison fourteen men. The Brewers' Club are taking action in the cases in the interest of the trade."

The Lyttelton Times says : —" The pheasants have had an excellent season, and it has been noticed have since breeding time been working away from the vicinity of the towns. They are exceedingly plentiful just now in the upper part of the Hare wood district, at Rangiora, River Hawkins, Irvvell, Lincoln, Cashmere, and on Morton and White's run at the Port Hills. A good many partridges have lately been seen at the Sandhills on Mr Turner's old run ; between Kaiapoi and Waimakariri, and in

the Eyreton district. The Califomian quail are in abundance everywhere, and are swarming between Burnside and Matson's River bed."

The following anecdote of the " good old times : ' may or may not be new to our readers, but has the merit of being strictly true. It is related by an Ashburton paper: " An unfortunate drunk yesterday could'nt raise l-,)s to save, not his life, but 48 hours

of his iibivuy. I admired rhe iniioecnce of his answer, ami it reniituied me of a

simiiiii' ca--e up north a good aiany years i ago. The then stipendiary Magistrate)

now long gone to where drunks are un-

known, was a huge portly man, the veryembodiment of Sir John Falstaft', with his fat rubicund visage, portly appearance, and gruff voice. Old John, as he was famililarly known, never wasted many words on a drunk—his convictions were very summary—hut he sometimes was bad. One of his most frequent visitors at Court was an eccentric old gardener who religiously tried all the taps in town when he did his marketing, and very often got run in. On one occasion when brought up he was duly fined 10s or 24 hours, and he replied in answer to the question if be was going to pay, ' Well, my Jlovely old boy, you can fine me if you like, but you'll have to take it out in apples,' and the bar-

gain was struck

A contemporary remarks as follows on the "tinkering" which New Zealand statutes are constantly undergoing :—We do not remember in the annals of the New Zealand Assembly such an instance of absurdly abortive Isgislation as that recorded of the Imperial Parliament by Lord Brougham in one of his essays. The penalty for the breach of a certain Act was imprisonment and whipping. Some alterations being thought necessary, the statute underwent a course of "tinkering" at a subsequent session. The penalty was left as it originally stood, but one of the sections of tli3 amendment Act provided that half the penalty should go to the informer, and half to the Crown. But though the colony has, perhaps, hitherto escaped such flagrant blunders as the above on the part of her law-makers, the Statute-book abounds with contradictions, hasty work, and palpable omissions, which make the administration of the law a far more difficult task than it ought to be.