BAY OF PLENTY TIMES. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1872.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume I, Issue 8, 28 September 1872, Page 2

BAY OF PLENTY TIMES. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1872.

I?r all countries having a representative Government changes occur from time to time in the number of representatives and the mode of electors. Various restrictions formerly existed winch considerably reduced the number of those eligible for election, as well as of election Throughout the world there now appears to be a strong feeling in favour of manhood suffrage and the vote by ballot. Secret voting is objectionable. The <dea of any necessity for the same jars on one’s feelings of in dependence; fit'is like interfereog with the liberty of the subject, but un l orfcunafcely it is only by ballot voting that in many cases the voter can he independent. However, it is a mistake to believe, as many no doubt do, that the ballot paper can tell no tales ; though it hears no signature, each has a number corresponding to the name of the recipient. We do not say it therefore follows that the voting is not secret. We merely state that every vote can be traced. V/ e in tb© colonies are somewhat before otic brelb''en at borne, as they have but humy passed a Ballot Bill. Als population and the settlement of the country districts increases, changes from lime to timeare necessary to be made in the number and distribution, of our representatives. Frequently a district, not thickly peopled, but o' considerable importance in itself, may lequife a member; but it the electors Ijave to^ share their interests with others, say ;150 miles away, both districts may suffer instead by the arrangement. A. representation based upon population may suggest itseff as being the falsest, but this cannot be applied to cooo Iry districts. For instance Poverty Bay is in the East Coast voting district, so also Tauranga and Opotiki ; bub lauranga is as clisiiact and separate from Gisborne as if one on the other coast. ougely Poverty-Bay deserves a member to i self. Ibe subject of representation has been touched upon in the House,’ and though it is unlikely anyth‘ng wdl be den© in the \voy of a change it is highly probaole next year tbe various districts may be re-arranged. The continued development of our goldfields, and tbe increased population consequent thereon, render such a step absolutely necessary ; and if the immigration scheme be carried out, we may expect to see resh towns and settlements spring up, whose inhabitants will soon clamour for "a voice in cne legislature ; and should many of our new colonists be foreigners, it will be absolutely necessary for them to be properly represented. . . 1 J 1

The subject of a public been brought before our notice through the correspondence column, induces us to make a few remarks upon what must, more or less, interest everyone. The cemetery reserve contains something over twelve acres, but of course the whole of this would not be required at first as a burying ground. We would suggest that it he leased for a number of years, say ten or twelve, at a moderate rental ; the lessee to properly fence the whole, and also that portion that might be consecrated. Shrubs and trees could then be planted, and our last resting place rendered as leasing as possible to the eye at least.

It is much to be regretted that sitting Justices of the Peace .in.,the various Resident Magistrates’ Courts in tho colony are unable summarily to-deal with cases of horse and cattle stealing. In many instances justice doos not reach the offender, as witnesses who might come forward and perhaps prove the offence, are sometimes debarred * from so doing by a wholesome dread of being compelled to spend two or three weeks in Auck-land-•■aiting on the Supreme Court. The expense tho country is also put to is very considerable, and even then a conviction does not always foliowv W© believe that should the local Justices bo enabled to deal at once with cases of this kind fewer offenders would escape, and horse stealing, .now so frequent amongst ns, would become a thing of the past, a subject of greet congratulation to the traveller,, who, at the present t'me, unless his horse be put in a stable or locked paddock, often finds hrmselt in, the morning minus horse and tether rope, not to be recovered till a good reward is offered, and sometimes not even then; the .first news of the lost animal being from a f-iend who has seen it perhaps..at a place 50 miles distant from where stolen.

On Thursday rao-tung tour or five of My Jordan’s men commenced planking our sea wall. The planks are 3m. thick, of, kauri, and being well tyr-ed, are likely to last for a long t-roe. As soon as this part of the work is completed the filling in commences, and we have no doubt M>. Jordan will be able to complete his coa' ract in the time specified, viz., in December. This work, when completed,-will be a great improveroe b to ©ur town. Wo have received a letter from “ One of those Others”—which we publish—suggesting that the ■comm-tiee established to superintend the introduction into Tauranga of a clergyman of the Church of Englend should give the public some information relative to what has been already done in the matter. We have been given to understand that a house has been secured for him, and also a site for a future church ; further that several gentlemen have become ■gua-antee for a salary of £loo per annum, which is to be increased £SO by the Church Mission Society, whilst the collect ions in church up to the time of his arrival will be used towards defraying the expenses of pnssage and for the future for an addition to the salary. The Ist. and 2nd class Militia, paraded yesterday for the<r quarterly four hours’ d-ill. They were put ■through the manual, platoon, and bayonet exercise by Cep.am G-uad-v during the fi-sb two hours, from 10 to 32. - In the afternoon raia stopped the parade. The asires of the Tuu anga hfo-th Highway District Board sat in the Con.; t House on Friday to hear appeals against the Assessment Roll for the year 1872-73. The only case was that of Mr. SomcrviMe, ■who objected to the amount of rates levied on some land held by Idm from the Church Mission Socieiy. After hearing the objection a reduction was made. We recmSd our i coders that at noon to-day tenders must be put in for the construction of portion of the Tam anga and Tapapa Boad, also for the erection of a truss b:. ! .dge at Te Taheke and the repairs of the Mourea Bridge. A queslion arose in Mr. Bevmet’s Hotel the other day as to the strict meaning, of a. man having common sense. A gentleman present gave it as his opinion that any mao who could open his mouth without gutting his joot in. it was decidedly iu possession of that very good one, but as according to our .friends idea few would bo without common sense, we are afraid it will not hold good. In an old work, entitled “ Webster's History of Metals,” a description is given of the ‘‘ divining rod,” much believed in by mcny in olden, times. °. The rod must be of hue), cut before the , sun • ri*e especially, the moon increasing- and above all about the day of the Anuunciition of the Mi'.’gin. Mary. It rau#t be a yard long, of one spring’s growth. It must be tied to the middle of the staff with a thread, and hung even, like the beam of a balance, and carried ■ thus; up and down (iu, a calm morning) where you suppose, there may be mine#; and when you come over where any may be, the rod will bow down jfs root end towards the earth as though it would grow there. Wben .it does so, it must be carried round the place, to see that it turns still to, the place from which side soever you stand, which, il. it,,does, you have certainly 7 found a treasure. : Mr. Fortune, the celebrated botanist, gives the following account of the manner in which the Chinese colour their teas “ The superintendent of the teamakers manages the colouring part of the business himself. In the first place he procured a portion of indigo which be threw into a porcelain' bowl, not unlike a chemist’s mortar, and crushed it" into a fine powder, Hedhen burned a .quantrty of gypsum in the charooal fires which were roasting the tea. The object of this was to soften the gypsum in order that it might easily be pouhded into a fine powder, in the the same manner as the indigo had been When taken from the fire it readily crumbled dqwii, and was reduced to powder in the mortar. These two substances having been thus prepared were then mixed up in the proportion of four parts gypsum to three of indigo, and together formed a light blue powder, which in this state was ready for use, This colouring matter was applied to the tea during the last process of roasting. The Chinese manufacturer having no watch uses a joss stick (incense burner) to regula ( e his movements with regard to time, knowing exactly how long the joss stick burns. About five minutes before the tea was taken out of the pans, the superintendent took a fine porcelain spoon, and lifted out a portion of the colouring matter from the basin, and scattered it over the tea in the first pan. lie did the same to the whole, and the workmen turned the leaves rapidly round with their hands in order that the colour might be well riiffused. During this part of the operation the hands of the men at the pans we-e quite blue. I could not help thinking that if any drinker of green tea had been present during this prrt of the process, his taste would have been corrected, and X hope I may be allowed to say improved. To 14ilb. of tea was applied more than an ounce of colouring matter.”