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Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 101, 13 August 1880, Page 2

To the Otaki Electors. — By our leading article it will be seen that the Representation Bill proposes to cut off the Otaki and Waikanae distrint from Manawatu and join it on to the Wellington Country District. The consequences of this proposal, if carried out, would be most disastrous to the Otaki District. The settlers there have no interest in common with the people of Porirua, Karori, Makara, or any other part of the Wellington Country District, and to join them on to it will therefore be disfranchising them altogether. The whole interest of Otaki lies in the direction of Manawatu. It is a suction of this County, a large portion of its supplies are drawn from Foxton, an inland road is being constructed to connect it with Foxton, and the interests of the settlers are identical with the remainder of the County. The proposal of the Government must therefore not be allowed to become law without a firm protest from the people of Otaki. We therefore counsel them to at once hold a meeting, and agitate the question ; and, if necessary, appoint one of their number to visit Wellington, to bring the subject under notice of the Premier and the member for the district. The Accident to thb Ttji. — We understand Captain Wills, of the steamer Tui, which recently met with an accident to her propeller in the Manawatu River, has forwarded to the Minister of Marine a letter bringing under his notioe the fact that a dangerous snag is lying across the channel of the river in Hartley's Bend, and asking that steps may betaken to have it removed. We presume the Minister will commnnicate with the Harbour Board upon the matter, asking that body to remove the snag. If he does, the Board should send an answer to the following effect : — " When you endow us, or provide us with a revenue, wo will be glad to do this and other necessary works. Meantime, as we have no money in hand for the purpose, we must request you to do the work yourself." A buoy has been anchored in the ohannel, to indicate the position of the snag. Rowing Club.— A meeting of the Rowing Club was held at Whyte's Hotel on Monday evening last, and was well attended. Mr Howe, captain of the Club, occupied ttie ohair. Several small accounts were passed for payment. The meeting then considered the desirability of having

a dressing room added on to the present building, and it was untinimously leßolved to make the addition at tho north-east end of the boating shed. When this is finished, the shed will be exceedingly complete. The Club is considering the deoii ability of obtaining a secor.d inrigged boat. If one were obtained, scratch matches could then take place amongst the members of the Club, and better practice would result, besides showing which was the heat crew. It is probable entertainments will shortly be inaugurated with a view of providing funds for the purchase of the sesond inriggor. The Tui. — This favorito steamer is now regnlavly running between Foxton and, Wellington. Frequent steam communication will prove a great boon to the travelling public, and as the Tui is well appointed, her passenger lists should be large. CHitrsTYa — The Foxton Christy* have decided to make their next appearance to a Foxton audience on Wednesday, 25th inst. The members aro now engaged in active rehearsal, and we believe a good entertainment maybe expected. The Maori Toll-Gate.— Natana, the principal obstructionist in connection with the Maori tollgate, is grieved that Ihakara should have removed the gate. He thinks IhaKara must have been under the influence of liquor when he consented to such a foolish thing as to abolish the gate. Absent, Without Leave — "What a profound study is the law, and how difficult to futlmtn," says tbe author of " Goody Grim v. Lapston?," und truly if inconsistency i3"a mark of profundity, law is profound. At the Otaki Court on Wednesday a gat ire girl named Ti Oiioii was charged with escaping from legj custody, !>ut on Afr Hankins subjecting the information to n critical analysis, it appeared there is really no law under which a person who escapes from gaol before being tried can bu punished. The law is very strict regarding persons escaping who have been convicted of an offence and committed to gaol, but apparently if a person is arrested and escapes from gaol before he is brought before tin* Court and committed lo prison, it is no offence. If a man escapes from the constable taking him to gaol it is a serious offence, but if ho escapes from the gaol itself after the policeman has run him in, the law says nothing to him. The only law bearing on the question seems to be " The Vagrant Act, i860," sub-section 1 of section 5. which provides that " Any person who shall break or escape out of any place of legal confinement before the expiration of the term for which he shall have been committed," shall be liable to two years' imprisonment. That section evidently applies to a person escaping- from gaol after conviction and committal to prison, but as the girl Ti Orion had not been committed there was no law upon which she could be convicted. Strange to bay, Ilumsey, the man who assisted her escape, was upon her evidence and his own statement committed to stand his trial at the Supreme Court for rescuing her. It will bo remembered that somo few months ago Rutnsey stood in the same position as (he girl, and was charged with escaping from custody, but the case was withdrawn by the Police. He probably thought that as he was not punished for escaping himself, there was m law to prevent him assisting the escape of the girl. He has found out his mistake by this time. Removed. — The rather unusual spectacl > of a house on wheels was seen in Foxton on Wednesday last, when a cottage formerly occupied by the Foxton whnrfinger, and latterly by the stationmaster, was "wheeled" from its site on to Mr Coley's section. The old cottage has home historical associations. On- Sale.— Mr J. E. Evans, tho well koown Wellington saddler, announces in another column that he is selling refined neats' foot oil, prepared by himself. Mr Evans is so well known that purchasers may rely on the article being first-class. "We Ri;n Them Is."— lt is not often that members of •• the Force" are " had," but the other day Constable Al'Anulty was sold completely by a m.in namud John vj'Conville, who generally goes by thename of " .Melbourne." It apperrs tho Constable had expressed himself as desirous of obtaining the services of some one to run in the straying horses which have so long infested the outskirts of th<? township, and as Melbourne heard the officer express the wish, ho at once said, " Well I'm just cut out for the job: give mo the authority, and I'll know nobody's horse, and put tho whole lot in the pound." The authority was soon writienou% and next morning the Con stable's assistant started off on his expedition. Soon afterwards he was seen driving some fifteen or - sixteen horses into the town, and it is hardly necessary to say the constable's heart was gladdened when he saw the mob at beholding the triumphant blow that was at last struck at the wandering horse nuisance. Sat as Melbourne neared the centre of the township, it was I evident something was wrone, for instead of driving the horses to pouud he whipped them into a convenient paddock, ani distributed them to their respective owners, much to the chagrin of Mac, who, it is needless to add, at once cancelled Melbourne'n commission. Meeting of Creditors — A meeting of creditors in the estate of H. Brown, baker, will be held at the Foxton Athenaeum this morning, at 11 o'clock. Perhaps creditors in the estate may be interested in reading an advertisement in another column, signed by Mr F. H. Cook. Delayed. — Owing to a trifling accident to some of the punt gear at Ohau, the mail coach was unable to cross at the usual time yesterday, and wrs therefore about an hour late in arriving at Foxton. Tho train waited fifteen minutes, and then started without the northern mails, which will be forwarded by this morning's train. A Short Experience. — A young man named Johnson, employed at Futter's Hotel as a waiter, was some few days ago sued on judgment summons in the Wellington Court, and in default ordered to be committed to Wanganui Gaol. Having suspicions that he was about to be collared by the myrmidon of the law, he rode off to Palmeraton on Wednesday to " file," returned to Foxton, and handed in the declaration of insolvency to be published in this issue of the Heeald. This, however, did not save him, for, the notice not having been gazetted, he was amenable to the law as a defaulting debtor until this issue was published. He was accordingly arrested and sent per train yesterday afternoon to Wanganui Gaol, but will of course be released immediately a copy of this day's Hbbald reaches the northern town. Ouit New GovRBNOR.-«The following is the entry under Sir Arthur Gordon's name in " Men of the Time :"— " The Honorable Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon, G.C.M G., youngest son of George, fourth Earl of Aberdeen, some time l J r:me Minister of ; England, by his second wife Harriet, daughter of the late Hon. John Douglas, was born November 26, 1829. In 1354 he was elected in the Liberal interest for Beverley, having defeated Mr G. W. Hastings, and retained the seat until the general election of 1857, when he unsuccessfully contested liiskeard against Mr Ralph Grey, who was afterwards appointed a Commis-

sioner of Customs. Sir Arthur Gordon whs assistant private secretary to his father when Foreign Secretary, and also when Prima Minister, and he was specially attached to Mr Gladstone's mission to the. lonian Islands in Irto9. He was appointed Governor of New I U-uns wick in 1861, Governor of Trinidad, in 180(5, and Governor of Mauritius in October, 1870. In 1871 he was created a Knight of the Order of St. .Michael and St. George. When the Fiji Islands were erected into a separate colony called the ' Colony of Fiji,' Sir Arthur Gordon was appointed its first Governor and Commander-in-Ciiief, February 4,1875. Sir Arthur married in 1865 Rachel Emilj, eldest daughter of Sir J G. Shaw-Lofevra, the Clerk of the Parliaments."

The Registration of Electors. — The following extract from Hansard shows that in the opinion of the Government if any person's name is omitted from any Parliamentary electoral roll who ought to be on it the fault rests with tha Returning Officer. Tlio Premier thus speaks on the subject : — Mr Hall would ask honorable members to look at tlie Registration of Electors Act, and take into consideration the population in the several electoral districts and the number of electors ou the rolU, aud also to remember that the Registrar wns responsible for the presence on that roll of every unqualified person. The duties under the new Act were entirely different from what they h&d been previously. Independently of making up th<J roll, t lie Registrar had to sen thit it was kept, as complete as pos<ib'e, and f'»r that purpose was obliged to put upon it the nan.c of every person of whose qualificnfr'ons us an elector lie was Butisfiud: the names were not to be brought to him, but he had to find out who ought to be on tho roll and who ought not, and lo take action ;accordingly. The remuneration was really very small for the work, and if the salaries were cut down it would be difficult lo secure the correctness of the roll, for this was a caso in wh'ch it was very difficult to ascertain whether an officer did his duty or not. The Colonial Secretary had agreed to give way to tho proposition of the honorable member for Rodney, which added to the iO percent already promised, meant a reduction of 25 per cent in the payment for most important work connected with the political ma chinery of the colony. As the honorable member for Grey Valley had pointed out this work had to be done in overtime in that district, and the same was the case in many other districts.

Native Affairs. — The Opunake correspondent of the N. Z- Times telegraphs as follows undvr date August In :— For the last month the natives, men. women, and children, between bore and Waitiira have been wending their way to Parihaka, and now fc.ll the Maori settlements between here and there aro almost desi rted ; only the very aged being left behind. This is literally true a* regards the settlements this side of Wuingongoro. About thirty of 'litokowaru'a followers went there two days ago. Honi Pihama's wife and family have been there for the last mouth. Faith in the prophet seems ns strong, if not stronger than ever. Mob*, of the men, many of whom have hitherto expressed contempt for To Wliiti, are not only willing, but most anxiou*, to join the fencers and be sent to gaol, even soliciting Te Whiti aud Tohu to be told off for the work. If matters go on much longer as at present, the result must be very disastrous to the natives, who aro in tho meantime employed on their cultivations and making provision for future food supplies.