Mataura Ensign GORE. TUESDAY, JULY 8, 1884. MR COWAN'S CANDIDATURE.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 372, 8 July 1884, Page 2

Mataura Ensign GORE. TUESDAY, JULY 8, 1884. MR COWAN'S CANDIDATURE.

One of the most 'characteristic features in the ; JBritish character is a lore of fair play in a contest. " Let the best j man win," and let their be no bad blood j after it is all over, is a generally reeogmised motto all over the British dominiuiis. We regret to discover that Me;; Cowan has thought tit, j prompted, no doubt, by indiscreet advisers, to oudtt&vorto gain a temporary and even then' aw illusory advautag by mean'si-T -'which will uot b<-ar imcloaes^senitrUiyv- -He raises in t. 1 :.. 4 Southland i hues' oHaSL fcjacuidy a indigQant complaint/that the Maxauiu Ensign report of his meeting on Tim. . ! day mgtit was unfair. We reprint tin. letter,' as il is most probabie that none of our readers are in the habit or! takin : advantage oi' the crumbs of kno-A'ledge which daily fall from oar contemporary's table. Here is the preciou.production: — U>iW: iTO THE EDITOR. 51ß|77?-I> haye .seen a report of my meetin{jr ke/e iii the 'MataUea Essigk, which is garbled and untruthf a l , and has been writteu with au object. . JUnplosed you will fin. l the motion pro eel' by 'Sir 'Botvusll, with liis siguatui 1 © attached, ad also that oJ: the chajrjnan oi the meeting. The motion of coniicllefe^eii. tp by the Bksjjjn, as proposed

by Mr DUGCTID, and not seconded, -was met by the Chairman in these words, " that a vote of confidence was already proposed and seconded." The very terms of Mr DolaMOBE's amendment imply that a vote of confidence had been proposed. All to whom I have spoken hero are indignant that the EnBIGN should have so misreported the result. — I am, &c, CUTHBERT COW^N. Gore, 4th July, 1884. Mr Cowan says the report is garbled and untruthful and written for a purpose. If that gentleman has the temerity to assert that the report was deliberately falsified to injure his candidature, he makes a very grave statement. We have made due enquiry, and have every confidence that the report is quite a fair account of what took place. If it does come to a conflict of evidence on the matter Mr Cowan is out of court. It is not so very long since a high tribunal passed a severe judgment upon his veracity. There certainly was no written motion submitted by Mr B.owtell, and therefore if Mr Cowan possessed one signed by that gentleman and the chairman it must have been concocted at a little private meeting of their own, to which our representative would not have been invited. Mr Cowan was anxious that Mr Duguid's motion should be seconded as he passed a message through our reporter to the chairman to that effect. Therefore even Mr Cowan himself did not consider the first motion to be one of confidence. The whole fact is that Mr Cowan has allowed himself to be carried away by injudicious partizans. Mr Beattie may possess excellent qualifications as a business man for all we know, but we should be very sorry to be his political protege. The few occasions on which he has made any public statement are not likely to secure him a statue, and Mr Cowan will probably regret more than anyone else the injudicious haste which haa attempted to secure a temporary advantage, certain to become a hindrance. That he should have imposed upon the 'Southland Times' is not at all to be wondered at. The last person who has the ear of that goodnatured but exceedingly unreliable journkl invariably produces what sounds he wishes, and that the emission is only sound has been abundantly made manifest on numerous occasions. Our complaisant contemporary has been again imposed upon, and has been so zealous in its hasty adoption of Mr Cowan that it has committed a breach of etiquette. One of the commonest rules with newspapers is that com. plaints must be made in the journal where the alleged error wag made, and never in another till an explanation is denied. Of course we can excuse Mr Cowan's breach of etiquette, as he does not lay claim to any great merit on the ground of courtesy, but what shal we say of the conduct of our " Luceo Non TJro " friend, which can not only allow its zeal to overcome its discretion, but past discredit upon its own representative spfGially refained by emasculating his report, a 8 we have private and sure reasons for believing was done. Donald Dinnie was the other day fined L4 } in default fourteen days' imprisonment, for insulting behaviour towards the Mooroopna (Victoria) police. A case of extraordinary fecundity of a cow at Chatton has been reported to us. She has produced no less than five calves within 12 months — three at on-j birth and two at another. His Excellency the Governor has taken his departure on a short visit to Victoria. During the absence of Sir William Jerrois the Hou. G. M. Waterhouse has been appointed Deputy-governor. The desire to retain Crown lands in the hands of the Government is not confined to New Zealand, a bill having beeu introduced in the Victorian Assembly having for its object the leasing for fourteen years of ten millions of acres in 1000-acre blocks. On our fourth page Mr J. W. Bain, of Inrercargill, announces his candidature for the Hokonui seat. He will at once begin his election campaign, his first meeting taking place at Winton to-morrow evening. He speaks at Waikaia on Thursday, and^Gore on Friday. awo stacks of wheat and a threshing mill — the former the property of the Agricultural Company, the latter owned by Mr M'Pherson — were mysteriously destroyed by fire early yesterday morning. The wheat was insured, and it is likely that there was also a risk on the mill. It is now stated that a disease which has been, puzzling the Victorian doctors is known to be smallpox. By cable last night we learned that a case has occurred at the Melbourne Hospital. Stringent precautions are being taken to prevent the spread of the disease. A meeting was held in the vestry of the Mataura Presbyterian Church on Wednesday last, at which it was resolved to form a Mutual Improvement Society, with the following office-bearers : — President, Rev. J. M-, Davidson ; Vice-President, Mr Thomas MacGtbbon ; Secretary, Mr J. Anderson ; Treasurer, Mr Lowden. The New Zealand Farmer^' Co-operative Association, Cbristchurch, held their third annual meeting on Saturday afternoon. The report showed that there were 1212 shareholders, 5610 shares. The wine and spirit business had been discontinued. A seven percent dividend was declared. The profit and loss account showed receipts, including discounts on cash payments and balance from last year, L 3975. The balance available for appropriation is LB7B. The rearing directors v/er'r ip-ykviod. Onp-sixth of the preliminary eibo.ic'-s uryl- bscii vrrineu off On W'c-.i'iii'.'.'M.s ,\ l-'nii it)^*;ii"!i . \ho h-i-i---yearly in-ftin: •>'' \>\ Hniar. 1.,0<i c, 1.0.:'. , , . - h.-' . Will'" . vV - . ■■- ■ • li J_. ■ a ci'o .i. balance ot L.75 is 7*l, aud uumoei^ forty- hree members. Considering th'tthe Lv igo a.-, ouiy been in ex;.- <■>■•■,■ f>>r s ; k moutli3 tliw uitist Lc considci'ij-i verj; .<-'^r ■ factory, p. Ms, Bros. Vy';^iii'r :-iu-l T)ifi<.-.<>;i % of Lh.Q I'iotiour Lod^ii, jjujtcuik l^ flje ii/.eetnig j cor tli© purpos- of ins-ailing the njiylyVj ■.;!.-;cte '■ oiS«'.'r.-,, 'lh.. foi:-,wrg took -.hdr^ respective cua-ii's ; -j^,U, { r>yo- -ilonsoii ; V.G., Bro. McKuuhuie ; beorefcaiy, lira. P.irk ; treasurer, Bro. Cameron ; permanent secretary, B r o. Waike>*. At the close of the Lodge, about thirty of the brethren adjourned to Cameron's Hotel, where a neat supper on teetotal principles had been prepared, to which, it is needless to say, all did i justice. '

Gore won the football match against the i Invercargill Pirates on Saturday. " Long Drop's " report is held over. j There was very pleading ceremony at the house of Mr F. S. Canning on Saturday evening, when Mr E. G. Macpherson, who wa leaving Gore for Lawrence, was presented with a handsome gold ring — the purchase money for same having heen raised among the lady members of the Wesleyau Church Choir, of which Mr Macpheraon was organist and leader. The presentation was suitably made by Mr Canning, and acknowledged by the recipient in a few felicitous sentencesMr M:icpherson was attached to the staff of this journal during his residence in Gore,and left to accept a literary appointment on the ' Tuapeka Times.' In musical and football circles especially he will be much missed. A man named Donnelly has for some time past excited some alarm at Fortrose by his J strange behaviour. He had been an inmate of the Lunatic Asylum, but had been discharged as cured. Now it is feared that a return of his malady has occurred, and Constable Prtvtt of Wyndham was sent for on Sunday in order that the unfortunate man may be prevented from doing harm to himself or others. Patrick Gavigan was on Thursday last at Dunedin charged with having, on the 22nd March, at Gore, unlawfully obtained by falsa pretences the sura oE 10s from George Brett, storekeeper, Gore. — On the application of Mr Calvcrt, accused was remanded to Gore. Bail was allowed in accused's recognisance of LIOO and two .sureties of LBS. The accused was brouglit up ou Saturday at Gore and was charged with the offence. It transpired in evidence that he had obtained. 10s from Mr Brett for the purpose of paying railway freight on some goods for Mr Styles, with whom he was working. As there was no evidence of feloiiio us intention the case was dismissed. It is understood that a civil case is likely to arise out of some business matters between them in respect of a threshing machine. It is satisfactory ts learn that the determination to extirpate the rabbits is this season everywhere general, says fha ' Otago Daily Times.' The monthly reports of the subinspectors go to prove that on the whole all classes of land owners #aye, since the advent j of winter, proceeded .with poisoning operations faithfully. TJaia year it is noticeable that occupiers of small holdings are much, more impressed /than formerly with the necessity of the svork, and consequently are watchful of neighbours or parties who otherwise would emde their responsibilities. This feeling lightensandfacjlitatesthelabora of the officials chajged with the administration of the Act, for there could be no better inspectors than the residents of a locality who are resolved on having it thoroughly cleared of rabbits. It is now certain the vermin are much less numerous than in previous year.". The New Zealand Meat Preserving Company commenced operations for the season recently, but find it difficult to obtain moro than 500 rabbits daily, although at the price of 8 per pair. In other years 5000 were to be had daily, and at a lower price. Only in a few cases are rabbiters working on the old terms — 2d per skin and poisoned grain supplied. The rates now ruling vary from 2£d to over 3d, and where the rabbits are very scarce the men have a wage in addition to the skins, sufficient to bring their wages up to 30s weekly, A case of some local interest came on a the Invercargill R. M. Court the other day, that of the British and New Zealand Mortgage and Agency Co. v. McGregor. — Mr Kattray for plaintiffs, and Mr Wade for the defendant. —Plaintiffs sought to recover an entire horse named Camden, or his value, L 49, illegally detained by the defendant — From I the evidence it appeared that the horse had been seized at Switzers from one A.exander for a debt owed to the plaintiffs. The bailiff having brought it to town, Alexander got it from him on the understanding that he had a buyer for it, Some weeks afterwards McGregor, the defendant, told the plaintiffs' manager that the horse was in his stables. The horse was advertised for sale by plaintiffs, but McGregor afterwards refused to give him up unless he paid for livery at the rate of LI per week, and was indemnified by plaintiff as against Alexander, -= After evidenoe had been taken his Worship nonsuited the plaintiffs, with costs, L 2 2s. At the last meeting of the Southland Land Board. The following applications wore granted : — To capitalise : William Urquhar^ section 497, Hokonui ; T. Wilson, section 328, Taringatura ; Joseph Wilson, section 344, Taringatura ; Wm, Dibby, section G3O Hokonui ;J. Mcc, section 503, Hokonui ; J, Hobbs, section 620, Hokonui ; J. Lovney, section 337, Taringatura ; M. O'Brien, section 336, Taringatura ; J. Campbell, section 8, block 2, East Dipton ; A. Stewart, section 402, Hokonui ; E. Allison, section 17, block 7, Mataura. For deferred payment sections ; H. J. Gingell. section 663, Hokonui ; John Dods, 666, Hokonui.