The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 15.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 403, 15 June 1880, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 15.

-Owing to a press of matter is, on this occasion, necessarily crowded out. We. have to-acknowledge receipt of a batch of Parliamentary papers-frbm/the Government printer. We would remind the electors "of the Borough of Akaroa that to-day is the day appointed for the nomination of a councillor to fill the seat rendered vacant by the resignation of Cr O'Reilly. We trust that, they will not, as on the last occasion, allow the vacancy still to remain unfilled by failing to nominate a candidate. Our subscribers are reminded that the much talked of case Henning v. Wiggins, adjourned from the Ist inst., is to be heard to-day. The case is one of alleged breach of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876. We understand that able counsel has been engaged by the defendant. Our readers will see in our advertising. - column that a public meeting- is called for Saturday next, to be held at the Council Chambers, Duvauchelle's Bay, to consider the new Property Tax. As this is a matter which is causing considerable interest we have no doubt a large muster will be present. We regret to have to record the sudden death of Mrs Nicol McDonald, of Purple Peak Farm. The deceased lady was seized with paralysis on Sunday morning, and although Dr Guthrie was quickly in attendance, lie was unable to render any aid. The'funeral will leave St. Peter's Church, to-morrow at three p.m. for the English cemetery. We hear, on what we believe to be reliable authority, that no tender has been accepted for the plate-laying on the finished portion of the permanent way of the Akaroa Railway ; the reason given being that there is not sufficient money voted. On the same authority, however, we are given to understand that the Ministry are endeavouring to arrange a contract for such a length as the money voted will construct. Granted that our information is correct, how does this dove-tail in with the Hon Mr Oliver's reply to the Railway Deputation.

We perceive Mr William Jolly, jun., of German Bay, has taken a step in the right direction for- relieving tbe monotony of the winter, t/venings> and exercising the intellects of the younger members of the residents in German Bay by taking the initiative in forming a mutual improvement association in that district. We wish him every success in his undertaking, and would like to see a similar step taken here and on other parts of the Peninsula.

We learn that Capt. Malcolm, of the s.s. Wellington', on bis last trip here had an exceedingly narrow escape of overrunning a small whaleboat. He states that when between Wainui and the wharf he saw immediately across the steamer's bows and not at any rate further than ten yards off a boat containing two men and four ladies, making apparently for the former spot. He said he was compelled to turn his face from such a fearful sight, and feared every moment to hear that the steamer had run' over the boat. Providentially however she was enabled to escape. We have frequently had occasioa to notice the reckless manner in which many from the other bays leave here, oftentimes late at night for their own shores, and although as yet there has been no fatal accident to chronicle, still we never feel sure when sucli en event may occur. The usual monthly meeting of' the Little River Road Board was held on June 7th. A letter was read from the Akaroa and Wainui Board proposing arbitration in the matter of the Mount Bossu Range Road. The proposal was accepted, and Mr A. McPhail was appointed arbitrator on behalf of the Little River Board. " Presbyterian" writes to a southern paper to the effect that the Southland Times, while denouncing Madame Carandini's Sunday Concert, was not above abetting the breach of orthodox Sabbath observance by printing the programme, and taking advertisements for it. As, after doing those things, the Times did not notice the concert, he presumes the printing was done in error, and that the amount to be paid the Times Company for it will.be. duly handed over to some charitable fund. The following return asked for by Mr Shrimski shows the number of defaulters and amount due under Land Tax Act, 1880 :—Auckland, 303 defaulters, owing £853 ; Hawke's Bay, 176, owing £1692 ; Wellington, 1325, owing £4965 ; Nelson, 392, owing £1254; Canterbury. 2285, owing £10,689 ; Otago, 1674, owing £8438. Messrs Money Wigram and Sons' s.s. Norfolk arrived in Lyttelton from Plymouth on Saturday last. She is the second full powered steamship that has come out to Lyitcllon direct from .England. Owing to tho encountering of very heavy gales and seas for fourteen day? 'after leaving

the Cape, the passage has occupied fiftythree days and twenty-two hours from Plymouth to anchorage. She brought out 310 passengers for Lyttelton and other ports and 1050 tons of cargo. We regret to state that late on Saturday evening,. one of tho'sfti-rage pd-sengers complain-dlbf onef o£ their children being- £11,_ and, on theY dpcto.l exanlining „he' child he fdtmd.some 8 , eruptions on the forehead close' to dife'chilasp which he at onee v ppnoiinjed^J||f rfteaftfpe, stantly taken, and the vessel was ordered into quarantine on Sunday.

Mine host;of the White Hart-Hotel; Christchurch, is certainly,orie of the best business men in the Colony. Mr J. Oram Sheppard has a thorough Knowledge of hotel management,, and anything that Joseph does not know is not worth picking p. The latest improvement introduced by Joe for the comfort of hispatronsisaplentiful supply of flowers in each of his bedrooms, and a few weeks ago an unsophisticated commercial traveller made something of a fuss the'reanent. i The individual in question was?quartered in number nineteen, and the morning, after, his first night's stay at the house, he rushed into the commercial room, looking the very picture of despair. " What's the matter, Samples, old man ?" queried Spriggins, the leather traveller, from Sydney. 'Matter/be blowed !" ejaculated Samples; "why, they're doing their utmost to smother people in this hotel. I did not close my eyes all last night, and I scarcely know whether I'rh standing on jny head or my heels this morning." "What the deuce is the matter?" asked Spriggins. t' Well, you see," replied Samples, " when I went to my room last night, I found it filled with all kinds of horticultural plants in pots. For the space of two hours I tried to doze off, but failed to effect my purpose. I felt a choking sensation as if I were nearly smothering, and at last I had to jump out of bed and open the windows. I felt a little relieved afterwards, but still the fumes from those fiowers prevented me from sleeping." At this moment mine host entered, and Spriggins, out of sympathy for'his, friend, ventured to hint that a conservauny differed slightly from a bed-chamber, upon which the astute landlord explained to him that the plants were not natural but arlificial whereupon the laugh turned against Samples. This is one of the strongest evidences of the powers of the imagination that has been experienced for sornp time. —Frank Fudge.

The Crown is an awkward antagonist in a court of law, and generally manages to get the best of it. Sometimes, however even Her Majesty, represented by her officers, is caught tripping. A case of this kind occurred at Timaru the other clay. The Deputy Land Tax Commissioner had brought a number of defaulters before the R. M. Court for the purpose of compelling payment of the impost; Theinajority of the cases were purely formal, until at last one defendant was called (a newspaper man by the way), who pleaded noti indebted. Hereupon Mr E. C. Latter, Deputy Commissioner, produced the roll, and read defendant's name and the particulars Of tbe claim from it. Tho defendant handed a cheque to Mr Latter, and also a reoeiply both documents proving the .payment of the amount claimed. The Deputy Commissioner expressed himself as veiy much surprised at the production of the and remarked that the money had not been" paid to his department, and that he .would have willingly withdrawn the case befoiq it was calleo! on had he known ,tlic claim' had been settled: - -The defendant replied that that might possibly be the, case, but' that he prefeired that, the ' matter be brought before "the Court 'in order to show that the books of-, the Land Tax Department must be very badly kept. The" case was, ef course," withdiawn.