The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1880.

Kumara Times, Issue 1135, 19 May 1880, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1880.

The Christchurch coach, owing to the heavy flood in the rivers, was telegraphed this afternoon as not probably arriving nt Kumara before noon to-morrow. We understand that the deputation of the Arahura Road Soard who waited on the County Council yesterday, received a most favorable reception, and that after the deputation had laid the whole matter fairly before the Council relative to the liabilities of the Board and the steps they intended taking for their liquidation, the Council intimated its intention of assisting the Board in carrying out the course they had suggested. A meeting of the Hospital Committee was held at the Secretary’s office last evening, at which there Was no business transacted of any public interest. . The ordinary fortnightly sitting of the Residents Magistrate’s Court will be held by J. Mackay, Esq., R.M., to-morrow morning, at which we ‘ understand there are a number of cases set down for hearing. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather there was a capital muster of the local Rifles on parade at the Drill Shed last evening, although owing to the noise caused by the thunder and heavy rain, it was with the utmost difficulty that the words of command could be heard. After a district order from the officer-command-ing the district had been read relative to the review at Greymouth on the Queen’s Birthday, it was unanimously resolved that the Contingent attend the review as a body on that occasion. It was notified to the members present that special plain clothes parades, with arms would be held at the Adelphi Theatre every evening for the remainder of the week, at which every member intending to take part in the review would be expected to attend. The concert in aid of the funds of St. Patrick’s School, to take place on the

Queen’s Birthday, the programme of Which appears elsewhere, will doubtless attract a large audience, as not alone will several well-known and talented Hokitika and local vocalists take part therein ; but the programme possesses more than ordinary interest, inasmuch as the various pieces selected have been most judiciously arranged and carefully chosen after frequent rehearsal. “Mr Seddon, M.H.R., addressed a meeting of the electors at the Town Hall last evening,” says the West Coast Times, “his Worship the Mayor in the chair. Mr Seddon spoke for nearly two hours, and was well received. At the conclusion of the meeting he said, in answer to a question from Mr John Cross, that he would support any vote of no-cofidence in the present Ministry. A vote of confidence in Mr Seddon was then proposed by Mr J. Cross, seconded by Mr King and carried, an amendment by Mr Kenny not being seconded,” We hardly like questioning the truthfulness of our contemporary’s assertion; but at the same time, whatever may be Mr Seddon’s faults, that of equivocation is one that can never be laid at his door as a public speaker, and after the opinion he expressed relative to the present government at his meeting on Saturday last, We are greatly afraid that the “ no-confi-dence” business alluded to in our contemporary’s paragraph has emanated in the over-taxed mental abilities and Grey ite proclivities of the writer of the paragraph in question. To assure ourselves that our opinion in this respect was well founded, we communicated with our “ own correspondent” at Hokitika and subsequently received the telegraphic message in regard thereto, which appears in another column, and which places the matter in an entirely different light when Mr Seddon’s reason for supporting a noconfidence motion is explained. The funeral of Mrs Mitchell, who, it will be remembered, some two years ago, in saving her child fell into a creek at the Waimea and was washed down a considerable distance before she and the child were rescued, and from the effects of which she never permanently recovered, took place yesterday. Despite the pouring rain, the mournful cortege, when it left the Waimea for the Stafford cemetery, was one of the largest that has taken place in that district for years as nearly every man and woman in the two places and also a large number from this town followed the remains of the deceased to her last resting place. The funeral service was conducted by the Rev. Father M‘Oauhey in the most impressive manner, St. Patrick’s church at the Waimea being crowded with those who attended to pay the last tribute of respect to the deceased. Through inadvertence the ball of Mr and Mrs Morris was announced last evento take place on Friday next, whereas it should have been on the evening of Monday (the Queen’s Birthday). An excellent opportunity to any person requiring a first-class billiard table or a rosewood pianoforte will be afforded next Tuesday, when Messrs Pollock and Bevan will submit to auction, at Hokitika, the whole of the furniture of the Post-office Hotel, under instructions from Mr H. J. Hansen, who is leaving the Coast. The sale was announced for to-morrow, but, owing to the inclemency of the weather, is postponed till Tuesday. The city fathers were much exercised (says the Lyttelton Times) by an application from a Mr Jackson, who informed them that be had started a pack of beagles, and suggested that on account of his enteprise he should be relieved from the payment of the Customary registration fee, of of Some portion thereof. The term beagle was by various Councillors rendered as beadle or beetle, Until at length it had been clearly determined, that beagles were hounds and therefore dogs. A resolution not to remit a farthing of the tax was most heartily carried, and a suggestion was ? nlade to add a rider that the Council regretted its inability to double the fee. His Worship supposed that a man he had seen that day with fifteen greyhounds following him would be the next applicant. The Australasian says There is no evidence that Sir George Grey had ever given any thought or attention to the financial position of the country. As his ends were wholly factious ones, and as no political capital of the kind he sought was to be made by grappling with the difficult subject of the finances, Sir George Grey just allowed them to 1 slide.’ And the result was that they’did slide a long way. Ever since his Retirement from office, when Sir George Grey has spoken on the subject, it has been only to show

that he was either indifferent or ignorant with regard to the question. There seems to be an impression With him and hi? supporters that' it is, after all, only a matter of figures, and that, as ohe ite member observed in the budget debajjp the Treasurer could have shown a surplus as easy aS a deficit had he wished to do so. It is easy to see how oni* demagogic party in these colonies, when called to power, always either breaks down on finance or leaves a legacy of difficulty to those who come after. In financial matters they have to deal with realties which gassy rhetoric cannot at all alter. They have never learned business of this sort; they fail, and the country Calls in abler men. It is fortunate for New Zealand—bad, indeed, as the case is at present—that the country was wise in time, and did*, not, by giving Sir George Gtey a new lease of power, prepare the financial catastrophe which nothing could have averted..