NOTES FROM NELSON.

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 283, 24 July 1886, Page 2

NOTES FROM NELSON.

- (FROM OUli OWN" COkULSI'ONDENT.) Our Victory. The Borough elections are over, and the liefonn party have carried their programme out in its entirety, so far as, turning out the objectionable members of tlio old body is concerned. Of the new ones, my portly friend Mr Akersten stands alone in not recognising my patriotic endeavours on behalf of the city, lie is suffering from some harmless delusions, born partly cf disappointment and partly of vanity, and as the elections areover and have resulted in a victory ail along the line for us, it is not requisite for me to take up old grievances seeing that there is plenty of fresh matter to ventilate, and as Mr Akersten proved a very useful tool to us till we found it convenient to drop him. I trust that the alarm the other eight councillors feel at the prospect of him posing as a propagator of railways to the moon, or as inventor of two knot an hour paddle steamers, will prove a false reckoning, and that Mr Akersten will not bo as some of them prophesy a blathering nuisance. As for his letter in your columns last week it was merely a repition of his production in the Mail previously, an I replied" to there. Meantime I gave him something to answer iu my last letter, and until that is satisfactorily replied to, I will give him a rest. [Since the above was in type a memo from Mr Blair, the engiuec-r, has been published, completely demolishing Mr Akersten's insinuations and charges, and he again started off in a half-column of abuse, but he has been so effectual sat _ upon that no one does otheiwise tra@T' pity the poor man's sad case.J The Champion Company. All attempts in the direction of raising capital to resuscitate the company having failed, it has gono into liquidation. No one can help sympathising with the numerous individuals who liayo lost their money in the venture, and there are some very lamentable cases. I have been accused of having been too rough upon the directors. It is all past and gone now, but I have read carefully through all I wrote in connection with the company and I do not now retract one word I said about them. And now, whilst they are making a last desperate attempt io float a new company to raise funds, I say they are placing a false issue before the public. Months ago I pointed out the necessity of constructing proper tram roads to convey the ore from the mine to the smelter ; without the tram the works are useless; yet not a word has been said in any of their new offers as to the necessity or cost of this work. Another thing is being very much talked about—the appointment of the legal manager as liquidator. On the face of it thure seeni3 to be good grounds for complaint. The gentleman in question has no doubt a great aptitude for ligures ; but as wa3 acknowledged at one of the meetings he was largely in iirTGiir of his calls; and there was an evident desire on the part of shareholders who were not directors for an examination of the books by some independent accountant. At the last meeting this idea was carried into effect by the appointment of Mr William Black as a second liquidator. lie is an ex-banker, a man accustomed to account and of ir.ieproachablo character, and great satisfaction was expressed at the prospect of a clear statement of accounts being formulated ; and of the affairs of the Moribund company being wound up in a manner which would show explicitly what had been done with the funds, whose shares had been allowed to lapse, and all other mysterious financial operations which had taken place. But it was not to be—The Court appointed Mr Bayfield as solo liquidator, and a notice appears in the papers over his name that all defaulters will be sued after the 24th instant. Ij will not bo pleasant in any case for shareholders to pay up their calls, but there would have been (had an independent liquidator been appointed) the satisfnetion oi knowing all hands were tarred with the same brush ; now, there is a suspicious feeling that, as the liquidator is himself a defaulter, fair play will not be shown. I hardly think that, as the books will be subject to the inspection of the Court, and I believe endeavours will still be made to have an associate liquidator to assist the official one. A Bellicose Club. The long winter evenings in these dull times afford ample opportunities for the development of the various idiosyncracies of individuals. Some on pleasure bent promenade the streets; some prefer a cosy fire and a book, whilst others have a hankering to improve their minds, and fired with the ambition to solve the problems of social and moral philosophy, and to disseminate the principles of Political Economy devote their spare hours at the winter evening debating club. _ This society, holds its meetings at the Bishop's School. I never attended a meeting, not having sufficient thirst for the kind of mental pabulum retailed at this shop. My limited knowledge of this organisation is drawn from a contributed local in the Slop Bucket. By that reliable journal I discover that ten debaters, including his Lordship the Bishop, discussed the momentous question 44 That disputes between nations should be settled rather by arbitration than the sword." Now one would naturally have laid long odds that such a discussion, held in a building belonging to the Church oi'England, and having the head ot the church as a debater, would have been a very ; one sided affair, and that the trite saying | til it ''The pen is mightier than the i swoi'vl WotlM havv ioiii..* a lull measure iui biippoit. Lui tile icii, or latucr et

thorn, evidently belong to the church militant; for the Sword was victorious by two votes. So that the march of Christianity has not yet succeeded in converting even a majority of its pillars to the notion of heating the sword into a ploughshare. A Treat in Store. Yon will shortly have a visit from the Coghill Minstrels (fifteen strong), who will arrive in Nelson on Monday next, playing four nights here, and then probably take coach through to the Coast, playing at Lyell on the road; or they may Visit you after playing at Westport. In any case, Mr Smith, the agent, ~ fully intends giving you a treat. Korari.