THE Mount Ida Chronicle. FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1869.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 10, 9 April 1869, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle. FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1869.

We are sorry Ave are unable to"congratulate the Naseby Improvement Committee iej^lier_uppn \ their .consist-,: "fcißyVtheir unaninjity, qj« theii' .We had previously to our advent to this District, that disunion raged in the ranks of the Committee, and that such.,., were the petty existed that it was a .matter of absolute impossibility to accomplish anything in the. way of public improvement.'' We were, inclined to hope that the assertion was a libel and a calumny ; but our experience of Monday's meeting has, caused; us to feel that the accusation has not been altogether without some foundation. We'had, from the proceedings of the Committee. in,tbe?matter .of the memorial to ' the Postmaster-Greneral, and the energy displayed by.-almost every member of the Committee in obtaining signatures, been under, the ■ pression that, when the time arrived, the. Committee would be disposed to act"' as" wejl, as they had talked, y and; Should JSave . beeii inclmed- , tp, Jiaye proved their sincerity, and earnestness, in the cause hj that surest,-but, at,-the. : same time, in too many sorest test- —a: respond.]• toi;an.appeal <to their pockets.: Bebevdng^iich-would most certainly be"' the case, ;we have spoken and written-, kndo induced - the 1 public and the,,(*oyernment believe; that a special deputation would : be v " despatched to Dunedin to present the memorial tp the Superintendent and the Chief postmaster, and .urge? upon them to endorse its prayer. We conjsidereji and we still consider, s .that, from the votes and proceedings of the jCpmmitteertnp to.: Mpnday /.afternoon' 1 lastly we-were perfectly justified not -only in holding, but also mMisse'mMafe 1 ing that opinion. Reference to the proceedings of jthat day, which "appear in another column, will put our readers in possession tf£ r -tlfe vwhipb-haxe lM;to the miscarriage and more than vprobable consequent failure of amenterprise which at one time bade fair to bear good fru#, ; ?Md%e Juct tive ofitheVhappiest results. It would -pQcket, td ; #Hch we have alluded, has the members Committee ;tpijcbange their opinions in ampstmaryelloiis manner, and to-see-the matter of-the deputation in\a vastly

different light to £hat ir^ tlieyviewed it up to Mpuday last. \)■■.■ "We very much- regret jhaij ; events? have taken their present course, ancfair the same time that we should unwill-, ingly and unwittingly have misled our :readerS upon the subject; the only excuse we have to offer is .that we have been ourselves deceived in the,ytemper and spirit of the Improvement Committee, and for a hright flame >pfffaTSiotism and liberality, that? which has turned out to be a mere flash-in-the pan, an exploding meteor, a painted bubble. The cause isCone so good, so reasonable, and so just, that it is quite possible that the prayer of the memorial may yet be granted in spite of the late suicidal action of the. Naseby--Im-provement Committee. There can" however, be no doubt. .that its chances of success have, by the present altered aspect jjf affairs, been. reduced' from the ma,ximuin to the mhiiiaum—from a certainty to an uncertainty. If the prayer be granted, and the altera•tion' of the mail contract, ?andthe extend sion of telegraphic communication to this place become established facts, we cannot \see that any credit can be claimed by the. Naseby Improvement Committee.

In all cases* where >are involved, and special wants, or necessities require to be supplied, special efforts and special sacrifices must be made, if we are in earnest and would ensure'success. It doesnot suffice to leave a question. nnpbHanee'eitSer^ to otKers "or to chance—it must be done by ourselves,, and at" "once. What can be more indefinite and unsatisfactory than i the-present' state of the case ? The I matter-stands thus:—The memorial is t6be |ent down to Dunedin by first post, and " shpuM any members; Committee lia/ppen to he in Dunedin -between the 21st ; they ■ aretqbeinstructed to inquire what action has been taken in matter." 'Could anything be imagined more;- loose, or i more unbusinesslike on the part of a public body than such a resolution?— a resolution which on Monday last received the sanction,and Support of a majority | of the JSTaseby Improvement Commit- j tee. ..There were nine members j | five voting for this ex- ! traprdmary. course, j and four against it ;~the Chairman's voice was with the minority, but his position precluded - -fact- that .public spirit is dea,d in Jvaseby "?' and hasccontinued isolation from their fel-low-men producedsuch a misanthropical and'selfish turn of mind that the resi- : den-tsare indifferent to all feelings excepting those of direct, personal, and. immediate gain, and-are desirous of continuing their hermit life, and perpetuating/their own isolation ? We are really at a loss to imagine what-; other, construction can' be put upon the course lately pursued by the gentlemen who compose the Improvement Committee. ; On-a-matter of vital importance to :the best interest of the. tpwjarand residents rof jSTaseby; the Impro ; have exhibited'aspiritof selfishness andanutter disregard' of the welfare qffthe great mass, of the people, for which we are unable in any other way to account, except by admitting the existence of the petty jealousies, to .wMchvvpß have before referred. ¥e cannot for, a moment allow ourselves to, .entertain the idea iihat the l scheme-has/really fallen through on the score of the expenditure of a few paltry <pounds, isay a £lO note having to be divided among a Committee of twenty' gentlemen. I'rom what cause .soever ; the .matterhas miscarried, it has now become;.apparent that the Improve--ment Committee in its present divided condition, is totally unfit and wholly incompetent to the .circunitlie district;' they have been tried in theibalance and found wanting; and the sooner, therefore, that the irresponsible ISTaseby Improvement Committee supersede.dieitheribyia'municipality, or by -some other legally con--stitiited and responsible body,__who shall possess the power of giving, effect to their opinions and resolutions, the better for ,the town, the better for tne H aistridt,the better for the Province, and I the better for the onward course of pro- | gress and enlightenment. = ~r" 7;" . ',

Thb English Mail will close this "day "at eleven a.in. : a-'o^-q -yS .---■■ Owing to the demand upon pur apace, Dunedin correspondent's letter-^n^'^been^un-avoidably crowded out. Divinb service waPSoMucted on Sunday last, morning and evening, by the Rev. Mr. Gilbert "of Fort' Chalmers. The attendance was, on both good,.

'and the gether with style of address, evidenced his fitness ifor the -peculiar work in :"whichhe is engaged—as seamen* s missionary. "Oil Monday evening a public meeting, to enlist .sympathy in the mission, was held in the church. -The chair was taken.by the-Kev."l|?.*"_ _l Burchett, who, in his remarks rbbserved- that,.- 1 ••.' in addition to the usual motives for missionary effort, there-were special mission, arising from our national' ahd~individual obligation to seamen —the comparative ease with which they might be r reached— i deep need for-the the vast influence for good they would were they Christian men. The ...B«v. G-ilbertcoilmienced his address by reading the... .. annual a'epprt of the mission, which was of • ja£- : '"." very satisfactory; ahdl encouraging '■- He then gave a most interesting account of his;;'■* labors among seamen* narrating-a "nxiinber of '■'-'_ _"" facts and incidents: which called 'applause. At the close of: the address; which ,'- was heard with the.greatest attention, nbtwith- : standing its length, a committee, consisting of Messrs. Burchett, M. ,Cooper, Green; aiid :•-'■ • Lory, with power. to their. huinber,i ;to -"• 'co-operate with the mission connnitiee intowii, was appointed.;.,. After a.vote of thankslo Mv." - Gilbert for his address, themeetingterminated. A collection, made during Ahe evening, realised • ■' £2 6s. ■ '' ';'".-'[" ■' ■"• ■'■ '" "■■■

The examinationbf the pupils of the Mount. J\. Ida District School, after occupying three con-' secutive days, was concluded yesterday afternoon.. ..The examiners express:themselves'sat- ' : ...'■/■ isfied with the made by. the scholars- - in the various branches of their studies.2 At r '-- «' the conclusion of the examination the prizes were distributed by Chairman- and the Secretary. We must defer a report of the examination, together with the names of the prize-takers, till our next issue.-• ■;.■--<-} .-■>•-■■ The fencmg_of the Naseby.Cemetery- is ■ pushed forward/with considerable the end of this week ia* au-'prdbabuifyi witness the completion-of the work. Thearea now being taken in is about tliree-acres, audtHe« -walls, which are of sods, are four "feet hjgh..3_ The work appears to he, well executed, we have" been'given to'understand jthat.inuch difficulty has been experienced suitable sods, in consequence =of theVtoney -"'* nature-of-the grov ncl, .and .its surface being, in .'-:.■ many places, much: intersected and by water races. Mr. E. C. Saiith is the contractor "for the work.

; ; : AtzWojtg, one of the aT Cromwell before Mi*. Warden Pike, with.: 1 making and offe.-ing for sale spurious gold, wa» sentenced to two months'- iniprisdmnenL, with" hard labor, under the Vagrancy Act, and on Monday lasi; sent to Dunedin; to .undergo; his punishment. The prisoner was defended by Mr. ;ißrorgh, solicitor. Ah Loo, the G-o----veriuneiit'interpreter, being subpoenaed as 1 a witness in the case, Ti Jani acted in his stead.

The hall of the jNaseby Temperance Society, to-wliiclilwe alluded iri'ou:.* last issue as being on the eve of completion, is now out. of the builders' and decorators' Lands, and. will, .we understand, be foiv.ially opened on Monday evening next -witlr a tea pa--ty and musical eni-erkiinuie-x.t The t liid ug is a .substanfci. 1 and comfortable one, being lined and papered, and supplied with plain but good fuaiiture, a beating stove, and. is ligbted with two swinging lamps. -There -s no doubt that the Temperance ball will fi,id numeitms frequenters diving the long winter evenings which will shortly close in upon us. We .vjiderstand.ihat; a b-anch of this fcoeieiy has been established at St. Bathans, and bids fair to' become a T success. : ' : - : •'"■'-"' " ;;: "

~---Tme : opening, and coxweei-athm of tLe.,new Masonic Lodge; Dunediri, is apjid>nied to take: pkce on Friday.the 23rd hist. 7 (St. pay), and it is, we .under&tapd, in eonleinpla- - v tiou* by H;be brethren',who 3iu\ster very strongly, in the M6unfcldaDi3L : ic!;_,'fclia£thei\ respecfcive lodges shall be "well rep upon the. Ocr casion. The ceremony and spectacle, of the 'opening of-a new Giund Masonic Lodge are,' we believe, eqiially-gorgeous, and impressive, .and_rwi]kno doubt attract a large. attendance of the younger, and such other members ofthe craft, as ; an opportunity of 1 witnessing sm?*iraV^i^ic^. ;: _._.Theiiew_.bi^dmg-"- : stands in Moray place_,"and is, beyond- doubt, •- one of the finest specimens ofarchitecture in Dunedin. .-.„... : Y\ -■■■• " . - .

""FBOif : _. encouraging:"""As" evidence of "' '~~ importance and ■ anticipated p:! success -of these diggings, Ave may mention that there are aire ady.several;stores, r and'that'a tliird; is aliout to be ei-ecfced by Mr. Cain of Havniltohs.