The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, MARCH 8.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 485, 8 March 1881, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, MARCH 8.

The nominations for the Little River races were advertise') to close on Tuesday last. Nevertheless the secrtary has not thought fit to furnish us with a list of them up to the presont time. On Saturday our representative waa over at Little River aud even then could not obtain a list. If the stewards wit>h to gain the the confidence of the public, they should taks the latter a little more into their confidence, and let them know what is going on.

The Assessment Court commences its sittings on Thursday next, when objections ngainst the Valuation List of the Borough of Akaroa will be heard. On Saturday the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board will be dealt with at the Head of the Bay.

We would remind those interested that the adjourned sitting of the Licensing Court takes place at noon to-day at the R.M. Courthouse, Akaroa.

There was a clear sheet at the Resident Magistrate's Court on Friday last.

With reference to the enquiry into the working of the Wellington Asylum, a correspondent of the Times telegraphs as follows under date March 4 :—The Asylum enquiry is proceeding slowly. The evidence for the defence so far, consists entirely of a point blank denial of the alleged acts of cruelty swum to by the previous witnesses. Mr Guirdner Blackmore, formerly a civil servant, and ft amateur pugilist, who gave evidence as to having witnessed, from a hill overlooking the Asylum grounds, a brutal assault upon a patient, hae published a letter •reflecting upon the manner in which Mr Edwards, the counsel for Whitelaw, treated him. He writes :—" I protest against theabusive and insulting language used of myself personally yesterday by the solicitor for the defence before the Asy urn commission, apparently without check from the Commissioners. I gave evidence in thin matter on the former occasion and on this, without any other motive or interest whatever than that of humanity. It would be no satisfaction to me to chastise personally this person who is mean enough to so grossly abuse a privilege in itself proper. That would merely put me hi this man's power. To characterise his conduct in language similar to his own, however gross the provocation, would sink me to his own level. I can only say tlat under any circumstances such terms applied to a gentleman who had given evidence unfavorable to this person's client, would be highly improper; but applie pas it was in an opening speech, before any conflictevidence was legally before the Commission, it was simply outrageous. Public opinion well knows how to deal with tin's conduct.

We observe that Mr W. Hughes, formerly of Akaroa, has been distinguishing himself as a cricketer at Timaru, where he is captain of the Crusaders. In a late match which they won against a Temuka club lie was top scorer in both innings with 31 and 22 to his credit

A meeting- of the Town Hall Committee is convened for this evening at 7 o'clock. Afterwards a meeting of shareholders wilJ be held

An advErtisement which appears elsewhere looks at first eight like what Artemus Ward would call a " goak." We allude to one in which a local firm advertise for a quantity of thistle seed. However absurd it appears, the notice is in sober, serious earnest. There is a Gaelic Society in course of formation down South, and we thought at first the order might have emanated from them, though whether the thistle is the emblem of the Gael or the Lowlander we are quite unaware. A friend of ours, who has travelled, assures us that thongh thistles were liberally cultivated in the part of the country referred to, they have nevertheless become scarce, having been kept down by being fed off! by the largo number of d well, animals supposed to be partial to them as an article of diet. However, the order does not come from the Scottish portion of the country, but from the owner of an estate in the North Island, which is covered with fern. He intends to introduce the thistle, and set it to fight tho fern. We would freely back the " Scotchmen " to root ont the fern, although the latter is on its own ground ; but whether the remedy will not be worse than the disease is another question. In any case, grass-seeding is about over, and here is a new industry opened up in our very midst. The " unemployed " should make a rush for the utilisation of this new product.

The Rev W. Douglas left here on Friday last for Christchurch en route for Wellington, where he purposes passing a short time, prior to proceeding to his destination at Hokitika. On his passing through Pigeon Bay the members of his congregation residing in that locality took the opportunity to present him with a purse containing a sura of over £35 as an expression of their regret at losing his services.

The colonial institution the swagger ie (remarks tho South Canterbury Times) becoming a bore. These fellows literally swarm over the country just now, some doubtless looking for work, but too many, it is feared, hoping not to find it. The large stations are beseiged with them, but it is the small farmers who chiefly complain of the tax upon their resources which these men become. A farmer in the neighborhood of Timaru had as many ns ten swagmen to breakfast one morning recently, and before eleven o'clock seven others turned up and asked for refreshment. The swagger's favorite time for putting in an appearance as is well-known is the dewy eve, when having partaken of tea, he turns in, gets his breakfast the following morning, and goes on his way rejoicing, and in many cases the farmer is frightened to refuse board and lodging to his unwelcome guest for fear of after consequences in the shape of burning stacks or broken fences.

A CASE of shooting occurred in Christchurch on Thursday afternoon. It appears that at about halt-past 2 o'clock a man named John Banfield suddenly came out of the Golden Age Hotel, at the corner of Hereford and Colombo streets, with a revolver in his hand, and immediately began to fire at a carrier named John Spring, who was standing on the footpath outside. Banfield fired two shots, one of which went through Spring's trousers, while the other mis&ed him. There were only two charges in the revolver, and after they had been discharged Banfield turned to walk away, when he was seized by a cabman, and Mr Kiddy pinioned him, and took the revolver from him. He was immediately taken into custody. Spring has sustained no injury, though he had a very narrow escape. Spring says he has never done any injury to Banfield, and cannot account for tho assault in any way. On the following day John Banfield was brought up before tho Resident Magistrate's Court, charged with shooting at John Spring with intent to kill him. There was a large attendance on the part of the public, tho gallery in particular being largely monopolised by anxious spectators. Sergeant Morice informed the Bench that the evidence for the prosecution was as yet in an unfinished etate, and he therefore asked for a The case was accordingly remanded till Wednesday. March 9.

The latest novelty in New York is a drees album A piece of every new dress is carefully cut, and gummed on one side of a leaf, and the date attached. Thus it forms a complete history of a lady's dress from season to season. This practice has at least one thing in its favor—however extravagant a lady may be, she will eventually have something to show for it.

A clergyman recetly aroused a sleepy audience by asserting in the most positive terms that, notwithstanding tho Government had signified its intention of doing away with the ten per cent reduction, the wages of em have not been cut down one iota.

Says a correspondent of a Southern contemporary . —The good lambing, the good clip, and the good harvest form a material addition to the colonial wealth. If piioos are augmented by increased facilities of experts as well as the efforts in the way of sending frozen carcases to England, 1 am inclined to think the worst of our days are passed.

On Thursday last the following ease was heard in the K.M. Court, Christchurch. Cross v. Mclntosh, claim £10, commission for : r curing a tenant for an hotel atLittlo Akaioii. and the sale oli its furniture, stock, etc. Mr MoConnel appeared for the plaintiff, Mr Thomas for defendant. Judgment for plaintiff for £4 8s and coats.