NOTES FROM NELSON.

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 284, 31 July 1886, Page 2

NOTES FROM NELSON.

(from our own correspondent.)

The District Railways Scandal.

Some months ago I commented on the purchase of District Railways, autl pre dieted a row in the House about the business. The row has taken place and a large quantity of very dirty linen has been washed in Parliament. Briefly stated the case is as follows: The Waimate plains railway was one of those lines constructed by certain land sharks who held large blocks for speculation ; it was built with borrowed money. The Railway was held up as a bait for farmers to invest in the laud, and a large number of small capitalists bought farms, paying £, 1 an acre or more down, the balance 011 terms. TLey built their houses, they fenced their farms, they worked and slaved as southern cockatoos do, and after a while the interest on the debentures became due and the land sharks, who were the Company also, did not see the force of paying the interest, and the District Railways Act gave them power to levy rates on the lands. This they at once proceeded to do in a very decided manner. They levied a rate of 3s 4d in the pound. The farmers objected; the company had the law on their side ; and what between bad harvests and low prices the unfortunate settlers abandoned their houses, ruined in most cases ; then the company found themselves in a hole, and their only way out of it was by getting the Government to buy up their rotton debentures. And when this act was brought before the House last year the rest of the District Railways of the Colony were considered to be good enough for the Government to take over ; but the Waimate was so desparately bad that Parliament kicked it out of the schedule, then a peculiar thing happened. Major Steward, who represented the district, used every effort to have the Bill recommitted so as to get it smuggled through, and at a late or rather early hour he succeeded : The Upper House passing it through by the narrow majority of one vote; our local representative in the Lords, Joseph Shepherd, voting for it. As the company wished to sell, and there was only one possible purchaser, it would have occurred to any man whose business transactions neve:' extended further than the purchase of his weekly groceries, that there was no necessity for the intervention of a Commission Agent in the matter. But it is in a case like this that the edifying system of rewarding pliant members of Parliament is in ad 9 manifest. Major Steward, a member of Parliament, and as such, suffered to be incapable of receiving any contributions from the public beyond his honorarium, acted as go between in the matter and pocketed the neat little cheque of .£1035 for effecting a sale where there was no possibility of seller and buyer being interfered with by competitors in the market. Of course the commission was paid by the seller, but the purity of Parliament has received a nasty knock, and the Government have secured a railway which is not actually worth having in a gift. Sir Julius Vogel also came in for a well deserved rebuke, and even his excellence Sir Robert Stout had not a word to say for him.

The New Council. The newly-elected Council met for the transaction of public business for the first time on Friday evening. There was not much expected, as the appointment of committees, and the arrangements and explanations for future action took up the time, so that those who attended expecting a breeze were disappointed. But there was an evident determination among the new blood that there should be some more satisfactory method of carrying out the business of the Corporation. For instance : the unfortunate Nile street bridge lias cost a great deal

more than the amount scheduled, for it on the loan. This was intended to be charged against the general account, (•vliich no doubt it will eveutually have to be), but was ordered to be debited to Nile street bridge account, uutil that structure has reached maturity, and then the total cost of it can lie seen, and how much more it has cost th in was borrowed for it. There was a little discussion on the question ot the city surveyor having a trip to Blenheim to act as valuer of the gasworks there, which were about to be bought by the Corporation from the Gas Company ; and it was considered a matter of courtesy to the neighbouring Borough that the knowledge of our gas engineer should be placed at their disposal. One of the new blood was rather sarcastic about the matter, and questioned the title of professional " gas engineer " which had been used; permission was, however, granted, and next morning the papers contained information to the effect that Parliament had thrown out the Bill, so that the valuation services will not be required. A Good Gag.

I have no doubt many of my readers have heard of, and perhaps heard Mrs Edith O'Gorman Aulille, (or Awful, as the Sydney Bulletin calls her.) She calls herself the Escaped Nun, and is a sort of Father Chiniquay in petticoats; and is an out and out showwoman, down to every move on the board. There isn't a professional theatrical agent iu the colonies who can teach Edith very much. Jack Smith, the enterprising agent, who has ruu all kinds of shows from Professor Pepper to an Old Englishe Fayre, gives Mrs Awful the cake—and Jack is pretty fly. Her first appearance in the Colonies was at Auckland. She did not go in tor gaudy posters or half column advertisements, but interviewed parsons and sympathisers, and had short and suggestive locals in the papers, and, she drew like a circus. The house on her first lecture was crammed, the stage beiug occupied by a double row of white chokers, and the applause was enough to start the mortar in the walls. Whilst describing the horrors of convent life, and piling on the agony about the priests, a brawny Irishwoman, with a baby in her arms, pushed her way to the front and bawled out: " It's thrue for ye, Misthress O'Gorman, for shure the praste's the father of this choild." The thing was so apropos, and so naturally done, that it fetched the audience, and it was not until the boss of the concern asked another showman what he thought of that for a bit of gag, that the idea of such a put up scene dawned upon him. There's no mistake about Edith ; she wasn't intended for convent life.

The Bible in Schools.

The School committee had the above subject under consideration at their meeting this week; but hardly in the form I predicted. There had been such an exposure of the tactics of the pro-bibie minority, that they thought it advisable to concert their direct onslaught into a flank attack. So, instead of bringing the matter boldly forward on its merits the Rev. Kempthorne produced a mild notice to the effect that the subject should be considered at a special meeting to be held in a fortnight. This he lost; as the majority of the committee declined to waste an evening for that purpose; so it was agreed to take the discussions at the ordinary meeting next month. The request was signed by five clerical gentlemen of four different creeds to show that there was no particular dogma to be more represented than another in the business. They may be good theologians and senior wranglers in classics these persons, but for generalship; the chairman of the committee can give them a big start and then beat them easily. For instance the time of meeting was altered to suit the convenience of one of them from 7 p.m. to 7 80. At the last meeting Mr Kempthorne moved that it be still altered to 8 p.m ; several committee men said they hid no objections but would not prolong the sittings after 10 o'clock, which would give ample time but not too much for ordering business ; and any new business having dobateable matter in it would have to take its chance; this was agreed to. The efiect of it will be that the bible in schools will stand a poor chance of a discussion, for Mr Chairman Graham if not sure of a majority will have the chance of stonewalling till 10 p.m., and then refuse to take any new business. Oh no! These persons are not up to the ways of this wicked world.

But supposing they earned their motion I should be curious to watch the effect ol it. Let me take a hypothetical case. The Rev. Patrick Calder (Presbyterian) is first on the list; so it is safe to assume he would have Mondays for his share of gospel teaching. Nine am. is the hour fixed. The Rev. P. C. is not remarkable for physical energy, but no doubt he would make a struggle to appear to time with a view of reclaiming over juvenile heathens at the appointed time, It would be a gross breach of courtesy on his part to seize upon any stray lambs belonging to another shepherd's flock ; so it would be necessary to ear mark all presbyterian children to prevent errors and jealousy. It would never do, my gentle readers, for Episcopalien city arabs to have the shorter catechism forced into their minds already overburdened with long division and syntax. Nor would it be in accordadce with the Education act for the Baptist clergyman to endeavour to dip the whole school on his day out; that would lead to a rebellion anions the pupils which would be a difficulty to suppress. The whole business is just as much surrounded with difficulties as the Vogel (iovermnent's attempts to satisfy all the demands of their -upporterj is.

The Champion Sphynx.

From tlio ashes of tbc ill-fated Cha 111pion mine desperate attempts are 11 ow being made to create a new company. Tlie efforts of the promoters are heroic, and deserve success, if they fail to achieve it. The object of course is to get in fresh shareholders, with Faith and Cash ; the latterj'is indispensable, as the old proprietors have enough of the former for a dozen companies. When they catch enough fresh fl , (investors I mean), they will buy the liquidator out of the mine for .£10,000; and they expect, with the balance of £3OOO they raise, to start boiling down again, and at once commence paying dividends. That is about the hang of it as far as I can understand, and if the success of the attempt is to be guaged by the number and status of the Brokers engaged in offering shares—wholesale, retail, and for exportation—there ought to be a boom on Champions in a very short time. Lut there is one thing they carefully neglect to let up 011 at their meetings: the impossibility of their getting ore Irom the mine without a proper tramway, which will cost at least i'oOOO, and take six months to construct. As long as they continue their sileuce on this point, I must be excused if I consider myself bound to let folks know it. Korari.