MOUNT BENGER.

Evening Star, Issue 3659, 13 November 1874, Page 3

MOUNT BENGER.

(From our ovm Correspondent.) November 9. By an advertisement I had learned that Mr G. Ireland, M. P.C. for Mount B;r.ger would (U.V.) address his constituents on the evening of Saturday, Slab ult, 1 hurried to the city of Roxburgh, and easily guessed, by the doleful tolling of the school bell and fpom the number of sour-featured saints from Coal Creek and its neighborhood who tfirongod the thoroughfares, that Providence had not seen fit to inteipose and that the greeting was just going to begin. In accordance with the principle of n-tural selection, Mr Mervyn, M.H.R. for Mount Ida, Was placed in the chair, and, after a pause of unusual duration and depressing solemnity, Mr Ireland faced the electors. I am porry your space will not permit a verbatim report. The absence of sound Sunday reading is a want generally felt, A full report would be invaluable for such purposes. The chief portion of the address was taken up by a defence of secular education and a free Sunday. Excellent things, but when came Sanl among the prophets ? From the groans and lengthening visages of some prominent supporters of Mr Ireland, I could see that his new-born liberalism was not likely to tell on his behalf at a new election. Then followed an attempt to wriggle out of a local grievance. Mr Ireland, it appears, had promised at Teviot to ?*ert himself to have a road

formed from thence to Waikaia Bush (enfre nom an absurdm dertnkiug), ami at Switzer? have the road made thither, it being the natural outlet of the kipper Waikaia goldfield. Bike mast men who experiment in straddling the fence, he now finds himself exposttl to the abuse of 'noth sides I failed to discover any other ideas in his long address, which was evidently the fag end <t a sermon secularised for the oooa.iou. The whole thing was a meiancln ly and oon temptible farce, ami the, vote of 'thanks that f 1 owel so qualified and nstiiced as to almost amount to a direct censure. Mr Ireland is not likely to remove the stigma linthas always rested upou the hj n. members for the goldfields.

A gentleman in this district, has recently (1«\ oh.(1 Ins attention to the eAab iahmeatwf a sanitarium somewhere in the vabey "f tha Molyncux The other day ho waited upon orn* of ov.r mo-t prominent obijws, and broached the scheme. “ Great he vein, s : r !” was the astounding roplv ; “ how daro you come to mo wi‘h so di-grac'jfifiiy immoral a proposal ? ’ “But surly you'do net comprehend,” was the, mi’d rejoinder. “Hr, f would have you kn w my Latin is not -mite fo ru=ty a; to proven- mo understanding thit, the sanitarium, in plain English, moans a gigantic house of iil fame.” Tim promoter collapsed, ami has since been a victim to chronic by tcr’a. Sheep shearing has commenced in eannst. Hands appear scarce. The prevailing north winds have caused a heavy rise in ihe Molyr.enx and the ce.-station of nearly all minima work dll the crops are in. There is but a small acreage of wheat sown, . wing to the local Hour not being found srflici'Titly rood to compote with the I/lie’s ai tide supplied litre at a ! must the same figure.