THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1871.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 146, 15 December 1871, Page 4

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1871.

We observe that our contemporary the ' Luke Wakatijj Mail,' in its issue of the 6th inst, aliudes to the Golclfields Aety 187 L, as having become law. As many: persons may be led into error by this statement, and the article thereon, we deem it right to say that the .Bill was brought into the Lower -House by the Government, was read a second time, and referred to the (roldfields Committee, when it came to grief, having beeii rejected by the Committee as too bad to amend. Another; Bill will be brought in again next session, Avhich, it is to be hoped, will be prepared'with greater attention and knowledge of the subject.

;We last week alluded to the action, taken by the residents, miners, and others of the Maerewhenua Diggings, to obtain Governmental assistance to bring an increased water supply for sluicing purposes on to that field—at the same time complimenting them upon their unanimity, and expressing a hope that their energy and pluck would meet with the success it, in our opinion, deserved. Can not,, we should like to enquire, ; some effort to advance the in-

terest of our own district be made by ourselves, or are we to allow a work, the construction of which would admittedly confer a great boon upon the district, to be almost lost sight of, if not entirely forgotten. We refer to the Sludge Channel, about, which so much has been said and written, and concerning which so many promises have been made both by our representatives and the Government. These promises, it mny be said, were simply election promises, but are we to he told that they are in any degree the less binding—i:i other words, that election promises are mere bunkum, mere humbug. It must be within the recollection of our readers that, for nearly three years past, this journal has consistently—feebly, perhaps-, but still to the best of it* ability —advocated too construction ol this important work, that officer after officer has been sent down to examine into and report upon the whole question, and that reporrs in abundance were sent in to head-quar-ters —which, in all probability, still " lie mouldering," if not in their graves, at least in some of the musty pigeonholes in the Provincial Government buildings. The Government, by the sending of these gentlemen to examine and- report upon the subject of tiie Sludge Channel, clearly admitted that, in their opinion, the work was necessary if found to be practicable, and the reports, one and all, declare that practicability at a not very large cost Why, then, we desire to know, has nothing been done P We think we are able to furi.ish a reply to our own question. The Government have discovered that ourselves and our members have become indifferent upon the subject, and they are only too glad of an opportunity or shelving the question and evading the construction of a work which will compel them to loosen the Treasury purse-strings. They siee, further,., that we are not-unanimous upon the subject, and so take advantage of our want of unanimity. Let us, then, take example from our Maere when ua frienus, and enter upon this great question *in the same spirit of energy .and unanimity with which they are prosecuting their effort to obtain assistance from tha • Government, and there can be no reason- why we should not be as successful as they will undoubtedly be. Many months cannot elapse before the Provincial Council will be again in session, and should it be the case (a matter easily ascertained) that the construction of Sludge Channels out- oi* the Water Supply on the Goldfields Loan cannot be permitted, then let ua at once set to work and circulate a petition for signature for presentation by our members when the Provincial Council re-assembles, calling upon tha Council to vote the necessary sum. It would be well, in the first place, to as-, certain the state of the case relative to the Loan. That done, no time should be lost in again agitating the question in such a manner as to call forth not only the attention of the Government, but in such a way as to secure their consent to its construction. Delays are dangerous ; the sooner, therefore, that the Sludge Channel question is mooted again, and action atrain taken in the matter, the better. Mount Ida not being one of the favored and fancy districts which the Government deto honor and pamper, or upon which to expend any portion of the ■Provincial revenue—-be it for any purpose whatever—pressure, and outside pressure, must be brought to bear ta compel them to do, even unwillingly,., that which they are evidently disinclined to do from motives of honesty and justice.

The concert and readings in uid of the funds of the School Co mittee took place n theMasonic Hall on the evening of Fridav last., when there was a very fair attendance, the total receipts being £l3 10s. In all entertainments of this sort, in which local celebrilies alone appear, there must necessarily be a certain amount of sameness, however great the degree of effort made to prevent it. S*'ti 1, in spite of Solomon's assertion that there is nothing new under the sun, we discovered several " points," as Mark Twain lias it, which tended materially to make the effort a success. The readings were well selected and well read] the songs were well chosen and well suny, and the selections of music by the Naseby "Brass Bund were tastefully chosen and as tastefully executed. On the whole, we are, we think, justified in complimenting the Committee ou their programme, ai)d at the etfme tinie 1

various ladies and .gentlemen j who took part in • iViii having i}j:itp.o:tco;r iira greater or lrsser djj.'er iifliriikli.* fcueiwhole all air the succor it i.n>.?fc un lo.ibv6.liv was, . the District, llospitial'O j place in i he oifiee of thi--Jfaseby W>tef Victoria U.-t!i, ; on the-"everun'i;>pt'*?i\l r oVidHy\hrst/ i wiien the. ifol. lowing ; —Mcww Stral ; ' fori (ciiaifj); rB-'ookea,*Ghuunitf, (J C.til-ighan.< - Inder, ICertslet, -Smith, C eight; n, and Gvorgt-, i -Tiife-"sd'jond Site Committee's report was giver ; l"iri/'-by' >Mr. John Ciei>rh f t6iiv sta'fed t li.-i.r-A 'Mr. Kobinson,- Mr. MSntosh, and himself ha ; • oi" thtown, with the view f of obtaining an. eligibh . site without purchase, and t hat, t hey had conn ' to'trie uDiielusiOil 'tliiit the most available sit. »ttas'a -piece* of -ground in extend about half in t , acre, .below Mi 1 . residonw ivreai'whiei - .v-they. had accordingly] rnarke 1; out, f and ; which they recommended, lor ■ the consideration aiiii accep ance of the' Committee.. A somewhat : s : lengthy and desultory coa vcrsal ion then l oot pi-ice, as to a wet! w i hiii the boundary pegged i put claimed-; by Mr. -Bleach, 'tlie expense of' making ruad, erect ing fence,-ifce. ; After which. .Mr."Hertslet proposed,...pro forma, that th« . report of the Sub .Committee be adopted, ; inti' mating, at the same time his /intention to vot*.. • against it. There being_no seconder, the pro- >- position was, with consent, wit hdraVvn—a re-' s.,,solution by ■: Mr., G-rumitt i; fellat jtiie vconsHera ; ■ stion f the report of the Sites. Commit tee bi ■■■■■' held over till Thursday, being substituted ants carried. It was also resolved tliat. the furthei; ■ n'discussion as to : the Calling for tenders' for tin erection of the. ; building be ; deferred u fci. .Xhureda^.^tD/p.uK-v^^'^if-^;--:, A ViEUlr.old resident and .official in Nasebv, lias left us I —\Lr.'t*. A.; Connolly, for many ': years past bailiff to the Court, having' been re - moved fromithisMplace to Clyde, his' successor, being a .Mr. Hall, for many ollicer the same .cap;icit c v.,, , Kumorlujs it t lrnt Mr: Connolly will ;be re-instated here before Christmas. ' There can be no doubt that a lieayy loss . "Will be. sustained by Miv Connolly consequent, upon his remov lj saiaty attached to the. office .is; small,.? liisi family; large, and no *allow : am-e whatever- made . fcjr travelling;< expense?! We fe«l surje that .the, whole district.will regret ■ V; the removal of an officer who, in tlie execution of-an nhp easaiit and difficult duty, has cou•ducied linnself with kindness and courtes-y to'-' ...... all .whom it lias- been his duty to come in con- , ■ tact. . . -. '

\Vb have been requested by the Mount Ida / District;' School pommittee to convey to those ' ladies andgentieuien Nvlio 'kmtiiv gave t'Jieir v" services at the readings*> and concert on the - evening Friday-last ther,best: thanks of the 'Committee, as also to the Naseby erass Band, for their kind assistance on that occasion. WED.N tdUAY, J, i muai i , y'lutn, at 11 a in., has been appointed lor the final examination of the bankrupt Frederick To'otell. , .' \ - Thkke isevery reason to believe that a large v.nninbjer of horsi% maiiy. of tliem enjoying high reputations as imi\;i's, will put in an • appear-, - -iwoft at the forthcoming gathering. of ; the' Mount. Ida Jockey Club, when' 110 doubt there 1 tvill? be soihe excellent ''sport. ;• i v ills Jhlonor Mr. Wilsou Grjy has, we are in- . formed, in Mutated to iVir. n. A; Slratloiidi ...Clerk. to " r in the ease White v.. hmv, for laise .imprison'-' ment, heard at the 'late sitt ing of the' District Court, will be for.the tlclciitiaiit. The I'ornuil judgment will, we uniiei-stund, be delivered by his Honor, in the Court -House, Kaseby, on Wednesday, i.Otli January, IS7I ; ; The outward- iiome mail, via Sail Francisco, *' 'will plose at the post oflice,'iS'aseby, on Moirday next; isth instant, at i wo p in* • , The inward. Home niail,' via S:Yn Fraiicisco,. ■...., is. expected to. .arrive- in i by; to- morrow s' Coach. ~ v ... '; V.;' i ,; ' AW aiid after to-day ( Kriday, i)eceaib>r J. 5) ' tKe down-country- njailfc will r at the post 'office,'Naseby, at two p.m j instead of oiie p in-.! as formerly. hj; • < >i hi : i'\ ; >' ■