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Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 170, 7 June 1872, Page 4

Oy the motion of Mr. Mervyn, it was agreed to ask that the sum of £2OO be placed on the Supplementary Estimates, as a subsidy of £1 to £1 against any sum raised by the residents of Mount Ida, for the purpose of establishing an Athenaßum in Jiaseby. At the Warden's Court, during the week, a large number of applications of different descriptions were dealt with. The amount received from licenses in the town of Naseby, for last year, was £463 10s., next in amount.to Dunedin and Invereargill. A passengeb by the coach on Tuesday last informed us that there w,s every expect ation of Mr. H. A. Stratford being appointed to .the to be created Wardenship at Arrow. 'lt will be remembered that Mr. Stratford, after having been for several years a Warden and Resident Magistrate, was reduced to a subordinate position on the score of economy—it being at the same time understood that, should at any future time further Wardens be necessary,, and other appointments made, his claims should not be .forgotten. Since that time two Wardens have iSben appointedMessrs. Borton and Carew—-the former to Mount Benger, the latter to Blacks—both of whom are junior m the service to Mr. Stratford. Nevertheless, Mr. Stratford has held persistently on, doing his duty as a subordinate faithfully and well—sometimes, perhaps, doubtful; never, at the same time, hopeless. W» are glad to hear that there is a chancenay more, a prospect—of that gentleman's patience meeting at length with a suitable reward. We trusts that the report will not turn out to be mere report, but that in a few days it may prove itself a veritable and established fact. We shall be glad to congratulate Mr. not upon his prospective promotion, but. rather upon his re-instatement in his former position

We are glad to find that the Maerewhenua Irack has been completed, and completed satisfactorily. Indeed, all persons with whom we hare conversed upon the subject, and who have seen the work, pronounce the iob to be a first-rate one.

At a meeting of the Trade Association held at Hunter's Empire Hotel, on the evening of Monday last, the Secretary (Mr. A. Craig) rea4 a letter from Mr. D. H. Mervyn, advising the immediate formation of tke town df

by into a municipality.—After lengthy- discussion, it was proposed by Mr. de Laub >ur, seconded by Mr. Wilson, " That the inhabitants of Naseby form themselves into a municipality." Carried.—Proposed by Mr. John Bremner, seconded by Mr. Inder, "That the Directors of the Association be instructed 1 to make all enquiries, and obta n copies of all Acts bearing upon the formation of munii;:-. palitie*, with a view of laying the same before a public meeting to be convened for that purpose." Carried.—Proposed by Mr. Wilson, seconded by Mr. Smith, " That a .Committee be appointed to draw up memorial and circular, urginsj upon the G-overnment. the necessity for the immediate construction of the Sludge Channel. Said Committee to consist of Messrs. Thomson, Craig, Lautour, Inder, and the mover." Carried.—A vote of thanks to the chair terminated the proceedings.

Another accident, resulting in death, .occurred from a fall of earth in the claim of Mr. Moore, situate between Cooper's residence and Baxter's Gully. The victim in this case was named William Parker, a native of Greenock, Scotland, of about twentv-five years of age, a sailor. He arrived in New Zealand about two months since, at Timaru, and deserted from his vessel there. Subsequently, pushing on his way so far as he was able, working as he went along, he arrived here only a few days since. How his career terminated here will be found in our report of the inquest on his body, which was held on Wednesday at the Hospital, before H. W. Kobinson, Esq., Coroner.

Ix connection with the death by earthfall of William . Parker, a report of which, .s given elsewhere, we cLsire to call attention to a very erroneous impression which appears to exist with regard to the principle by and under which such institutions as Hospitals are <:uverned. It would appear that, on the occasion of the fatal accident above recorded, there seemed to exist a widely spread opinion that the Hospital was the only fitting receptacle for the remains of the deceased. Expostulation, and very proper (in our opinion) expostulation, was made ngaiust introducing into an institution for the recovery of the sick, the body of the dead. To our mind the refusal so to admit it was right anil'proper, and the attempt made by persons to enforce an entrance as ill-judged as it was illegal. •As '"s usual in all cases of death, whether by accident from earthfall or natural causes,, the inhabi ants of Mount Ida, miners and 'others, invariably show their respect to the ineniory of the dead by mustering in large numbers tn follow the remains of the dead to. their last resting place. A notable instance of. this kind occurred on Wednesday last, when, upon the interment of the body of t he late William Parker, whose death is recorded elsewhere, and who was a perfect stranger to" ahnosi every person in the place, the' funeral <'o?tege.tip to/if it did nofr>xce.Q'Jirii2Qy. iu.jiujuber. . . .. •;!. • , c - The usual fortnightly concert will ta<>:e plae« at the Masonic Hall on the evening of lion day rtoit. H. W. Robinson, Esq., will occupy'the chair. Iu this instance readings and recitations will be dispensed with aijid the entertainment be purely musical—-instrument d and vocal. Considering that tlie funds are to be handed over to the Naseby Brass Band, to whom the public are so much and upon-so many occasions indebted, we trust that there may be a bumper house, and a return worthy of their acceptance. We understate I that there will be a ball immediately' after the concert, under the auspices of the Band. We fear that the spirit of la-.rikinism which has pervaded, in a greater or lesser degree, the various large cities both in Europe and America lias now extended itself to this small township. Not many weeks since a window was twice smashed in a room wherein a gentleman was reading. inducing the belief that there was no animus in the matter, but simply the result of youthfu' frolic, no notice was taken of the occurrence, and the affair passed off. On Wednesday nipht, however, a most serious case of the same kind occurred. So far as we have heard fchem the facts are as follow :—A "hogshead of ale, brought up by dray at an hour too late to receive it into the cellar, arrived for Mr. IC. T. George, of the Victoria Hotel, and the hour, as we have said, being late, it was allowed to remain outside the premises with the intention of cellaring it the next morning. Shoitly after midnight, however, some ge\tlemen retiring from the Oddfellows' banquet discovered the cask to be actually running to waste, the content# passing out in torrents, ihe source of discharge, was discovered to be a" newly-made auger-hole, of fully an inch in diameter, pierced into the very bilge of the cask, the contents of which, up to that point, had run to waste. Mr. G-eorge was called up and the cask taken into the house. A more vindictive act, if spite were the object, or of larrikinism, if the perpetrators were of that class, it has seldom been our province to record. Mr. George has offered a reward of £o for the conviction of the offending party or parties. He has our best wishes for his success, and the sooner the obnoxious animals are expelled the better. In connection with this subject we may mention that, on more than one occasion casks have been sent running down the street, and Daniel's coach started to take its course in the absence and without the consent of the owner. We are also informed that some person has wilfully destroyed 250 Bods, the properly of Mr. Kirby of this town. The sooner these larrikins are put a stop to the better for all and the better for themselves, for there is no saying where such things may stop or to what tliey may lead. The inaugural meeting of the.Loyal Mount Ida Lodge of the Ancient Independent Order of Oddfellow* took plice in their lodge room, Hunter's Kmpire Hotel, on the evening of

Wednesday, sth inst. R.W.D.G.M. Bro. London, assisted by P .Gr. .Bro. Teague, and P.S. Bro. Pyke, conducted the proceedings in a most impressive and efficient manner. A goodly number of members were initiated into the mysteries, and became expectant participators in the privileges and benefits of Oddfellowship. After the proceedings of the evening the iJrethren and a few friends sat down to a banquet at the Empire Hotel, where, after discussing the good things, ediole and drinkable, which had been provided for tliem by mine Host Hunter, song and joke kept the company in merriment till after midnight. About that time the party broke up all apparently pleased alike with themselves as witli e «cli other. By the way, we must not omit t.o mention a very well executed transparency, representing the symbols of the Order, which was displayed at one of the windows of the Lodge room during the evening. It was gratuitously supplied by Bro. Teague, to whom no little credit is due lor the artistic manner in which it was got up. lir reference to a scurrilous attack upon himself, which appeared both in the ' Daily Times' and ' Witness' of recent date, and to which allusion is made by a correspondent signing himself "Justitia," in our issue of to-day, the following episode took place in the Provincial Council :—"Before proceeding to the business on the paper, Mr Mervyn rose to a question of privilege. The hon member would bring under notice of the House a statement which appeared in this morning's ' Times ' respecting himself ; and, having read the statement complained of amid several "haar, bear's" from hon. members, Mr Mervyn went on to remark that he would put it to hon members whether this was true and faithful report of which took place. (Hear.) If the Press was permitted to misconstrue and misrepresent what was said in the House, in self-defence those who suffered from such treatment must take measures of self-defence, and prevent them frcm coming there to misrepresent them. He would deny that he had any animus whatever against the Goldtields Secretary ; nor had he uttered any words calculated or intended to give personal offence to that gentleman. Again, as to " persisting " in the course he was said to have done, he denied this also. He had repeatedly stated his willingness to sit down if the Speaker considered he was travelling outside the four corners of the motion. He had called the attention of t ie House to the matter because he made it a point never to reply through the Press to attacks made upon him in newspapers, and this was the only course open to him. The Speaker:! fad to catch the qadstio-i of which the hon.member wishes to call attention. Mr Mervyn : The question is this—Are country members to be wholly ignored by the Press and all their statements mis: e >resnted? The Speaker: I still fail to see any question of privilege inyolyed. ILthere.be ny ground of complaint respecting tiie Press hon. members have the remedy in their own hands. The matter then dropped.—'Star.' T;is Most iieveroni Dr Viarl, Roman Catholic Bishop of Wellington, died at halfpast two o'olock on sanday afternoon, and the sad intelligence was communicated to the large congregation which abSjmbled at vespers at St. Joseph's Church last evening by Bishop Moran, who referred to the loss the Church had sustained in the death of the late prelate. At the conclusion of the sermon Mr Sykes played the " Dead March in Saul" on the organ. From information supplied by our correspondent at Wellington,- we leam that at noon yesterday Dr Viard was seized with a sudden attack, which notified his approaching end. He was conscious up to the last moment, exhorting those around him to prayer. He was ordained in 1834, and landed in New Zealand in December, in 1839. Privations and exposure in New Caledonia laid the foundation of the disease of which he died. During the last few days he bore the pain with heroic patience. The deceased prelate was born at Lyons in 1809, and was consequently sixty-three year 3 of agd at the time of his death.—' Star.' The strike by the Police for increased wages has resulted in nineteen of their number having to leave the Force permanently. The members whose connection with the Force has been tlius sevv r-id, are-—Sergeants Maloney, Coneys, and Keligher, and Constables Coffey, Ryder, Drew, M'Mahon, Hodgins, Walsh, Cotter, Boss, O'Donnell, Haldane, Carter, Turnbull, Cosgrove, Taylor, Skirvine, and M'Cann. Since the dismissal of the men, a large number of applications for appointments as constables are being made.