Marlborough Times. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1880.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 159, 28 September 1880, Page 2

Marlborough Times. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1880.

Til 15 Royal Commissions appointed by If the present Ministry are among theft! most important works performed by Sf them. A’Yo agree with a large section- - tlio iPress in condemning Govern-g ment in any shape by commissions, g| and consider that as a rule the broad if track of the Constitution is the only (§ safe one in the end. Short cuts often 1 land men and tilings in very awkward if positions. While, however, the prin-1| ciple generally is not commendable, j| there are occasions when the recommendations of disinterested or non- If political parties may be of great scr- \) vice, not in legislation, but what is of 8 more consequence, in giving the public accurate information. In our Pub-1 lie Works expenditure, it is a matter g of notoriety, that log-rolling was the || order of the day ; that successive min- I istries were forced by combinations of | members to promise largo public works I to various localities, and they, per- | haps, and certainly the public, were ft not aware of the preposterous nature | of many of the proposed schemes. The 1 most serious phase of this state of S tilings is (be desire, especially of the g business portion of a population, to f have money expended in their dis- | trict. Whetlior the works will be f i payable or are really required, being with many a matter of secondary consideration. We have an example of this near at home. It is well-known that the Nelson members have been putting pressure on successive Govern meats to have a line of railway constructed to Grey mouth, and thence to Amberley. Pamphlets were written, speeches made, and resolutions carried at public meetings, all attempting to prove that such a line would pay. The ; real object being to get the main, trunk line carried through Nelson, instead of Marlborough, and thus divert the ; future traffic from the South in the : direction of Nelson. Many knew, al- : though their number was relatively j small, that such a line would pass ; tlirough useless country, and would ; cost l . 1 ; millions of money to no pur- ! pose. Put the public did not know ! this, and it is questionable even if the j members of the various ministries knew what a succession of barren mountain slopes, useless gullies, and precipitous spurs, they were being asked to construct a railway through. § A. Royal Commission looking at the proposal, outside of log-rolling and Parliamentary votes, from the standpoint of commercial utility, dispose of the claims of Nelson to the main trunk line in a very few words. Here and in similar cases, we consider the lioyal Commission lias done valuable service by giving the public outside Nelson reliable information. We hope to hear no more of the Haast Pass, Nelson-f 1 rev mouth, Canterbury Central railways. It is gratifying to find that they recommend an extension to the Awatore, for here even their advice was required, as wo have among ourselves much difference of opinion on the subject. So much so that we rely more on the report of the Commission than on local pressure to have this extension proceeded with when the finances of the Colony can bear the expense. Another Commission that has done good service by giving" reliable information, is that appointed to investigate the claims of

the Natives of the West Const of tlm North Island, 'to portions of the confiscated land. In this Island particularly, the knowledge of native affairs is very meagre, and although it may he asserted with confidence that we are willing, nay anxious, that strict justice, nay that more than justice, should he done to the na tives ; yet had war broken out, some time ago, we should have heen in utter ignorance of the real cause ; and would probably have sympathised with every effort made to crush the native race. The reports of the "W est Coast Commission show how very erroneous our conceptions of thenati ve affairs were, and that instead of the natives acting unfairly it was the various pakcha governments that were wrong. The now celebrated Waimate Plains were confiscated by the then Colonial Government as the result of the West Coast outbreak in 1868, Titokowaru and his followers being compelled to take refuge in the Waikato and other places. Had the confiscation been then enforced by the strong arm of the law, peace this time would have been secured. I here were a few stern obstacles in the way / however. The Maoris, driven off, must have lived on others, and it is also very (juestionablc how far, according to European jurisprudence, land held by cognation and tribal right, that is, where the females have a Nairn, can he confiscated. We scarcely could punish women for rebellion, and whether the present Ministry arc acting on the fact that agnation does not exist among the Maoris, or are taking the merciful view that the natives must live, certain it is that large reserves of the confistated land are being returned to them. But the facts, as presented by the Commission, prove that the natives have serious grievances. In the first place, by some of those inexplicable mysteries of red-tape, the land of neutral and friendly tribes were included in the confiscatory proclamation; then, in 1872, distinct promises were made that large reserves of the confiscated land would he returned, yet from that date to the present these promises have not been fulfilled. No wonder the neutral and friendly natives, as well as those induced to return from the Waikato by B>ii Donald McLean felt aggrieved, and resorted to ploughing, the only means of redress with which they were acquainted. The Grey Ministry were actually proceeding with the sectional surveys and had advertised the Plains for sale before the natives took any steps in the matter. All they did then was the removal of the surveyors without violence, and the ploughing of land, to force, as they themselves put it, “ consideration on the Government.” The wasteful extravagance of Mr Sheehan, the disregard of all faith by the Grey Government towards the native race, are daik phases in our relations with the Maoi is , and had war broken out it would ha\o branded the colonists with disgrace, as we were, beyond all doubt, in the wron". The Commissioners conclude a well-digested and able report in the following words : “ Hie story speaks for itself. We entirely believe the moving cause of all our difficulties to have been the same, that the tribes we had encouraged to return to the Waimate Plains have never known what land they might really call then own ; and if any of us are tempted, as an easy way of escaping fiom 1 reproach, to say that the fault is all le Whiti’s, we ought not to forget how our own records show lie never took up arms against us but did bis best in all that time to restrain from violence his unruly and turbulent tribe. If the story we have told has. not made this clear, we have told it to your Excellency in vain.” Much has therefore been done by these two Royal Commissions in giving the public reliable information and valuable hints, which may be of great use in future legislation. So far as Macandrew’s grand railway scheme is concerned it is to bc'lioped we have heard the last of it; and we are pleased to observe that the Hall Ministry are treating the Maoris as the Commissioners recommend —with justice combined with firmness. Still, with the new difficulty of Te Whiti’s claim to the whole of New Zealand and the fanaticism of his followers, enough remains to cause considerable anxiety for our future relations with the Maori race.

A meeting of the Committee of the Marlborough Agricultural and Pastoral Association will he held at the Club Hotel on Saturday afternoon next at three o clock. The following tenders for the Court repairs contract at Blenheim, liavo houn r «* ccived :—Michael Johnson Lilt, Javid AVemyss LSI), O. A. Smith and Co. LSI IJs 6d. (Accepted). AVe hear that coal has been found in the Pelorus Sound, but in these days 01 prospectors, and discoveries oi copper, coal, silver and gold, people are inclined to believe in the old motto “ seeing is believing. A meeting of persons interested in the formation of a Cricket Club for the Spring Crock district will he held on Saturday the 2nd instant, at the Junction Hotel, at seven o’clock in the evening. Yesterday afternoon a son of Mr Gumrill picton, met with a painful accident, breakinf' his arm. Dr Scott was in attendance immediately after the accident and the patient is now progressing favorably. A young man who was lately staying at Mr Pritchard’s Hotel, Grove Road, leL a few days ago taking with him a hoi sc, saddle and bridle, not his propcity, Ihe horse hts been traced to Nelson, and he is " wanted ” by the police.

Mr J. .Tellyman called a mooting of persons interested in the beer trade for last evening, at Mr Penney’s Hotel. Only one publican attended, and no business was done. Mr Jellyman states that if sufficient inducement offers lie intends to start a brewery here. The nomination of candidates to fill tbe three vacant seats at the Havelock Hoard of Works took place yesterday. Messrs Alexander, Horton, Levien, Morrison, Perry and Price were nominated, of whom there are three to he elected. A poll will he taken on Monday next, October 4th. We are sorry to hear that Mr Humphrey Leary, whilst shoeing a horse at the Awatcrc, met with an accident on Saturday. The horse was restive and knocked him against a wall, breaking his arm. He managed, notwithstanding the occurrence, to ride into town, where lie had his arm set by Dr Cleghorn, and is progressing favorably. A serious and difficult operation for stone was successfully performed by Dr Cleghorn on one of the patients at the Hospital on Friday last. 'Phis is, wo believe, one of the few operations of the kind that lias heen successfully performed in the Colony. The patient, who is a man well advanced in years is progressing favorably.

As the men engaged in pile-driving near Leaay’s breach were shifting their punt on Friday last it got Idled with water ami sank. A quantity of tools and other property was lost but fortunately there was no loss of life or serious bodily injury entailed by the accident. We are indebted to Mr Holmes, the local agent for the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., for a copy of the following telegram :—“London, Sept. 2.>.—'Thewool sales closed this day firmly at the level of last sales. 'The next sales are expected to open at present quotations. The principal advance is in superior greasy and superior combing washed.” We have to acknowledge with thanks the receipt from Mr White, the Registration Officer, of a copy of the Electoral Roll of the Wairau District, corrected to the Ist September inst. It contains the names of 807 electors. The roll for the Electoral District of Picton, will be issued, we understand, by the end of the month. Wo again take the opportunity of reminding our readers that the complimentary benefit tendered to Mr E. Mason will take place at the Lyceum Hall to-morrow evening, when we expect to sec a crowded house. The programme is a full, varied, and attractive one as will he seen by reference to our advertising columns. Mr Turner, nianagtr of the Ravcnsclifl Mine, had a most eventful passage on his way to Ricton during the recent gale : his boat was capsized and lie stuck to it for several hours, then lost consciousness, and when lie recovered he found himself on the beach, the waves washing over him. Mr Turner is to he congratulated on his happy escape. Wc observe in a Wanganui paper a paragraph stating that Mr \\ . Hood, formerly manager for Messrs Rent and ihornton, saddlers, Blenheim, has taken the extensive business lately carried on by Messis Clarke and Co., saddlers, harness makers, &c., Wanganui. Mr Ranger has taken Mr Hood's place in Messrs Peat and Thornton’s establishment at Blenheim.

There was a heavy downfall of rain on Saturday in Havelock, and owing to the Town Hoard’s works opposite the Lank of New Zealand about three feet of water came into the building. Mr McClashan, Government engineer, and his chain-man Jones are the occupiers, and their apparel suffered considerably. Mr MacGlashan’s instruments were damaged, and an action is pending against the I own Board on this account. It is understood that the Bank of New Zealand, with adjoining proprietors, intend to make the Board remove the “dam” called a footpath in front of their premises. The afternoon train brought the Blerheini Hospital on Friday last a patient named Cook, whose leg had heen fractured by the falling upon it of a tree near Mr Thompson’s mill at Para. The sull'erer was at work with the axe felling a tree which in its descent struck the end of another previously felled and caused it to rebound, and the unfortunate man got his leg crushed, between the timbers, So fast was lie jammed between the two trees that one of them had to he cut through before lie could he extricated. On arriving at the Hospital the injured limb was set and we arc glad to hear that the patient is doing well. The Australian Mutual Provident Soey. is undoubtedly one of the most flourishing of its kind. The Commercial World of London says “No British Company of any a ,, 0 can vie with the Australian Mutual, which, during the JO years of its existence, has received in interest a larger amount than it lias heen called upon to pay in claims.” The Post Maya'ine. says:-—“lt is, as a whole, the most complete statement ever issued by a Life Company, and affords an incontestable proof tlias the talc of singular success it tells is the result, not of chance, hut of practical and theoretical abilitv! governed by sound judgment and prudence. . . - An enormous solid income has thus heen gathered together under serious drawbacks, with respect to popula. tion and dstance, at a comparatively small cost.

Since the prorgation of Parliament the Government have been in communication with Sir Julius A r ()gcl with respect to liis dual position as " Agent-General of the colony and Chairman of the New Zealand Agricultural Company, and in conformity with the wish of Parliament, the alternative of his retaining the Chairmanship, at the expense of the Agent-Generalship, v.as placed before him. Wo understand that several telegrams have been exchanged upon the subject the Government maintain ing a firm attitude, and that probabilities are strongly in favor of Sir Julius Vogel relinquishing the position lie so long held of Agent-General. — X. Z. Timex.— September 27. Air. Alexander Armstrong, locomotive emdncer on the Dunedin railways has been presented with a purse of 100 sovereigns, on the occasion of his retiring from the service. A strong feeling was exhibited by some of the speakers in reference to the recent Railway Commission, for which three groans were called. The meeting, however did not respond to this invitation. IJxllomnfx PilUiwe securities of health to all nations, of whatever clime. They have given hope, relief, and comfort to millions. In irritation and debility, generated by excesses of any kind, or in general prostration of the system, their effect is rapidly soothing, renovating, and restorative. They rapidly drive from the system the morbid cause of ailment, and renew in the frame its pristine animation, health, and vigour. They greatly increase the appetite give tone to the stomach, assist the digestion, and impart elasticity to the spirits; their essence enters the circulation and, carried through its course, exerts its cleansing power over every organ. On the lungs they affect most striking changes converting the impure venous into pure arterial blood, by which the whole frame is inorgorated.