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Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 97, 30 July 1880, Page 2

County Council. — The usual monthly sitting of this body will be held on Monday next v LofcAt- Board.— The Local Board will hold a meeting on Tuesday ne*fc,at 6 30 p.m. Earthquake. — The most severe shock of eartTrtfuTake that hah " passed under " this district for many years took place on Wed nesday last, at 5.15 p.m. The direction - was from north to - south, and the vibration lasted fully half a minute. The rumble which preceded the shock was singularly, loud, and resembled the booming noise o-iused-by a strong blastfurnace. .'l%o.preliminary shocks (for the earthquake was rather a succession of shocks than one steady shock) were faint, but were immediately followed by a most? severe upheaving of the earth, and the various buildings, in town literally reeled to and fro. This continued for several seconds, when there was a plijrhc quiver,- after which the vibration returned with cvf p greater intennity than before. This again contiuued for Several seconds, and was followed by a quiveringmotion for about five seconds, which gradually subsided, leaving Mother Earth in her I normal state of quiescence. So far as \ffi' can learn, no damage was done, but *c distance which suspended articles swung I showed only too plainly that the shock was' | a most severe one. We hear it was severely felt in Eangitikei, and was also felt in Wellington In Wanganui a chimney was thrown down. The Mail Service.— There are rumours afloat that retrenchment is likely to take effect in the form of giving the West Coast district a tri- weekly mail service instead of a daily, as at present. We can scarcely think the Government seriously contemplate adopting such a course, as a daily mail is an absolute necessity to these districts. We, are fully, prepitred to.subv mit to retrenchment provided it is equally spread over the Colony, and does not impair ihe efficiency of the public service, but such a course as that indbated would be a monstrous wrong to the whole of the settlers between the White Cliffs and Wellington. It is to be hoped the whole of the West Coast members will unite to protest against any proposal to cut down the daily mail service. The Wood Old Days. — Mr S. M. baker has shown ua a document formerly belonging to his late father— the Key. Charles Baker — which illustrates what New Zealand was 50 years ago. The document reads as follows : — " This is to oertify that I Te Potai do give up and renounce for ever all claim to Tahi, my slave, to \lr Charles BaKer, in consideration in the payment duly delivered in kind as undernaraed, I being two blankets. In testimony whereof j I have hereto affixed my mark this 17th day of December, 1831 — Te Potai, bis mark. Witnessed by Key. Thos. Chapman and Rev. John Hobbs."- It is hardly necessary to add that Mr Baker purchased. the slave in order ti secure him his liberty. The Editor and the Bailiff.— We quote the following paragraph from the Palmerston Times of Wednesday, and as we expressed ourselves very plainly regarding the manner .in which the public charge was made, we now with great pleasure DOtice Mr Ward's decision in our coutemporury, which has taken first opportunity of publishing the R.M.s "judgment," notwithstanding that it is in direct opposition to the assertions made in the columns of the up-country paper : — '" The Charge against the Foxton Bailiff. — The following is the result of Mr Ward's enquiry into the charge laid against the Foxton bailiff: — ' I find ihat in executing the warrant of distress that officer used proper diligence in seeL-ing for property of the defcadant whereon to levy, and not being able to find any returned it nulla bona, within tho time tuontioued therein. With regard to the service of the judgment summons : ho was taken ill on tho day it arrived in Foxton, and was confined to his bed for a week, and to his house lor another week. I enquired •strictly into the nutter, and found he was not to blame f;>r the non-Nervice.' As we made the charge publicly, as well as privately to his superior, in justice to Mr Fansley we publish the result of the inquiry." A Good Tip.— Mr A. J.'Whyte is generally, credited wite an amount of shrewdness which enables him to give the " straight tip " as regards horseflesh ; but it may not be generally known^hat this same " bump," as Dr. Carr would say, applies to elections. Yet such is the fact. Early on the last jiolling day Mr vVkyte went carefuily through the voters' list for the Awahou Hiding, and as the result of his calculations made a " tip," which was sealed carefully, an. l placed in custody of a second person. -The following is the "tip" and the result of the poll :— Wbyte'a " Tip." Result of poll. Gray .. 74 74 Purcell.. 59 67 It may be added MrWlvyte accounts for the overplus in Mr Purcell's poll by the fact that several more persons from the country voted than he expected. Decorated. —On several occasions recently there has been displayed at Lovejoy's. butcher shop a novelty, in the way of de/ coration. By careful manipulation a sheep has been transformed into what resembles a .white rocking horse., with, saddle and harness 'complete ; in fact, the illusion is perfeot. The get up is exceedingly creditable to the, establishment. ' • ' ' R. M. Court.— At the R. M. Court, on Wednesday, before Mr Thynne, J P,, Hugh Auld, for being drunk and disorderly the previous evening, was fined ss, with the alternative of 24 hours' imprisonment. Prisoner " took it out." BuBGLAtiY. — A daring burglary was committed at the Wanganui Courthouse on Tuesday, the building being entered by one. of the windows' of the bailiff's office, and several attempts made to force open drawers, &c Nothing of value was taken. The Chronicle says it has been conjectured that the thieves were in.pearch of the depositions and other papers • connected with a case recently dealt with by the Resident Magistrate. Foxton to the FitoST. — Though Foxton will not be represented at the Melbourne exhibition in the way of manufactures, &q., ifc will have-a worthy representative in the art line, Mr S. G. Palmer's pictures, whic'i were sent to the Sydney exhibition, having been taken on to Victoria for display in the New Zealand section of the Me J bourne ci- ; hibition. ; The Srroeant-at-Aems. — It is evident there is a growing tendency in the House of Representatives to do away with those apings of. the English Parliament; which put the Colony to increased expense. As a matter of fact, numbers of the officials who " hang on " to the English Parliament are simply bloodsuckers, there being neither, sense n.ojf reason in the offices they hold, and which have nothing but custom (so dear to the average Englishman in Eng-

and) to support them. Of course in centuries long gone past, these offices had a meaning, and were necessary. Such is not -the case now, and they are ftimply sinecures for'tbe favoured individ up tswho obtain them. As ihe frdrld grows older, and men get educated beyond the of "baubles" and "baublers," the undoubted tendency is to simplify ceremonies, to do away with things hallowed only -by usage and custom, and t» preserve simply what is useful and necessary. The oftice of '" Sergeant- at- Arms " — mark the title— of our New Zealand Blouse of Representatives, is one that is doomed, as foolish and unnecessary, and if wo mistake not there will be within this generation a clearing out of the same class of functionaries from tha House of Commons. The principal duties of our Colonial Sergeant-st-Arms aro to .march in front of the Representatives with a gilded concern called " the n.ace,'? alia* ''the bauble," when summoned to or dismissed from the Upper House, to act as gaoler over members or other .persons imprisoned' Tiy tKe House, to announce "Mr Speaker," and to place " the bauble " on the table when be takes bis seat, and remove i(r--when her vacates it. This latter business is his most important duty. Every time the Speaker enters or leaves the edifice whioh is called the chair the Setg^ant-at- Arms lifts " the bauble" as tenderly as if it were a new bora baby, and doposits'it on tho table as nftvetionately as.if he-were the mother of the aforosaid infant. 'No wonder that considering the financial circumstances of the Hiplony, the Representatives recently dealt some hard knocks at the office of the Sefgeant-at-Arms. When the Estimates "■'yrere being considered, and the item " Sergeant-at Arms, £250 " wns called, Mr George proposod that the amount be reduced' to £200. Oue of the Armed Constabulary would do the work for £50 a year. — Sir (J. M. O'RouKe deprecated such talk about bringing members of the Armed Constabulary into that House. No one . could seriously think it would be ever necessary id lay a hand upon any hon. member of that House. Lie strongly supported the vote.— Mr Tnrnbnll moved, Thut the item : b» struik out.-Mr George said, if he had the misfortune to be arrested in the House, the duty of arresting him would' cotne.much better from a constable thau from a Sergeant-at-Anns. There was no such office in the Upper Hou->', ami he did not see why it sh<i ilil not bo ub jli.ihed in the Lowers — Mr Swanson said, if any member of the House ever had to bo looked up a policeman would be the right person to do the deed. (Laughter.) lie saw no reason why a messenger could not do routine work as well as the Sergeunt-at-Arms if they gave him an extra £25. And as to the •' bauble," that might be got rid of, too — sold for what it would feteh — to help defray the expenses of the oountry.— Mr Seddon thought they should vote the money this year and strike it off the next. — The Hon. the Premier explained thut the Sergeant-at-Arms was the executive officer of the Speaker, both in and out of the House. — The motion for item being struck out wns declared to be lost on the voices. A division was called for, and resulted in 22 ayes ; noes, 43. — Mr G-oorge moved that the item be reduced by £200. Lost on the voices. — A motion to reduce it by £100 called for a division Ayes, 36 ; no"*, 24. — The amount was accordingly no reduced.

$The Inspector.— The Wanganui Herald of Saturday says: — The modesty with which the learned Mr Foulis disclaimed nny desirs to examine so tulented a man as Mr Fearnley wiil be remembered. The friends of the Inspector admired his weakness, his detractors were amused at his scheming. The same roanceuvering has boeu shown in preparing the papers for the scholars hip examination. Two local gentlemen of scholarly attainments were associated with the Inspector— the Board evidently "having some doubt as to the fitness of" its own highly paid officer — and the' division of the work marks Air Foulis' position. The Latin and French papers are to be prepared by Mr Barnicoat; the Mathematics by Mr Godwin, and '' History and Geography " by Air Foulis. O wortny Inspector ! O lenient and friendly Board.

Havanna Cigars. — The following particulars will afford some idea of the extraordinary detail into which the apparently simple industry of cigar packing is divided : — livery box of cigars, for instance, packed in Havaisna has at least six distinctive ■narks upon it. First is the brand, which is burned in ;he upper side of the lid of the box with an iron made for the purpose; second, the label, which bears the name and address of the manufacturer; third, the mark designating the size and shape of the cigars (this is usually put on with a stencil) ; fourth is the color mark, which is also put on in stencil ; fifth the class mark. All the round cigars manufactured in Havanna are separated into three classes — primera, or first ; segundu, or second ; and tercera, or third. Some makers never mark any of their cigars as of the third class, not because they do notmUte them,but because they think they .°ell better without the mark. They make the first class, flor ; the second cla^fl, primera; and the third, segunda. Others mark all their cigars ap of the firstclass, and indicate the classes by the color of labels, and in this way ' none but the wholnsale purchaser knows the secret, six, the last, in the . mark denoting the number in the box : this is stencilled on the side in Arabic numerals.

The English (. o.vsbrvativks. — Lord Beacunsfield < surprised everybody .by the speech' he delivered to tho members of his assembled at Bridgewater House. It was expected that they had been called together to bear the last speech and confession of the ex- Premier. Nothing of the sort. Lord Beaconsfield takes defeat with the utmost apparent philosophy, and in the very hour of his fall, speaks with a vigour that had rather forsaken him during his lat6r days in office. He professes to be surprised that Mr Gladstone should have accepted high office after so often saying he had dove with political controversy, Ihoujrh he must know what everybody else knows that office was thrust upon him by i the leaders of the Liberal party Far from thinking- of retreat himnel f, he says ho never gave tho slightest ground for such a sup. position, and openly assumes the leadership of his party/ For the first time the Conservatives seem to fuel that in spite of their minority they may stilt show a front of opposition in Parliament. Curiously enough^ too, they have already succeeded in filling up two places vacant by members of Mr Gladstone's Government re appealing to their constituents. The Home Secretary at Oxford, and the Lord Advocate of Scotl land at Wigtown, were both superseded by Tories, and Mr KuatchbulUHuserson, who wan raised toj the peerage to make room f of a Liberal, has been succeeded in his con* stituency by an old-fashioned Tory. There can be no talk as yet of a Conserraiive reaction, but these facts show a desire to keep the balance of parties rather more than the general election has left it. — Home paper.

The official estimate of the Chinese' population in Viotoria is 20,633 Melbourne, and its suburbs have 2000; Ballarat, 2192"; Sandhurst, 1062 ; Caatlemaine, 1872; Ararat, 996 ; Maryborough, 2031 ; Beechworth, 2455.