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Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 359, 21 January 1876, Page 2

Mr; A. J. Burns' majority over Mr. J. G. S. Grant in the contest for Boslyn was 187, out of 279 votes polled. We acknowledge having received from the Government Printer, at Wellington, " Statistics of the Colony of New Zealand for the year 1874." For the Waikaia election Bastings polled 239, Ireland 110, and Mervyn 10, exclusive of Nokomai returns, of which we have as yet no note. Messrs Inder and George announce the sale on Friday, January 28th instant, of the stock-in-trade in the estate of John M'Donald, storekeeper, Naseby. The prizes to be given to the children of St. Patrick's School, Naseby, having arrived, will be distributed in the school at 3 p.m. this day (Friday). A good attendance of parents and friends is anticipated. The Mount Ida Jockey Club is supposed to have fallen through, owing to a lapse in the collections or attendance of members. A meeting is called by advertisement to enroll members for a new club. The Naseby Cemetery Managers have submitted their balance sheet for the year end--ing-3lst December, 1875. The receipts during the year have been £42 7s—the disburse ments £3l 19s. A balance to credit of £lO Bs. is carried forward to 1876. Iron piping is being introduced on to the Naseby Goldfield on a large scale. The piping made up by Mr. M'Gregor, of Naseby, promises to give every satisfaction. When fairly in work we purpose to give a more extended notice of the material used, and its relative cost to hose canvass and solid ingRumors last tale : —" It is stated in an English paper received by the last mail that Baron Rothschild, accompanied by a nobleman of high rank, purposes making a trip through the Australasian Colonies this year. He is expected to arrive in New Zealand daring the next session of Parliament, and when in Wellington will probably become the guest of Sir Julius Yogel;" Major Atkinson is not particularly careful as to his logic. At Taranuki he stated : " The Government was of opinion that a paper constitution was useless, as a constitution must be of slow growth, and could not be carved out by any able statesman. They took the road boards as the unit from which the people could build up a county system. The Government, however, would now be prepared to submit to the next Parliament a complete form of Government."

The Kyeburn Diggings Cemetery Managers hare also submitted a return from 1871. From this it appears that the original amount raised in subscriptions was £l3 3s, which was expended in fencing. In 1872 a subsidy of £ls was received, and an expenditure of £l6 17s incurred—the balance being advanced by Mr. M'Gregor. In 1873 and 1874 receipts were nil, expenditure also nil. In 1875 subscriptions realised £3 ss, expenditure 17s 6d, leaving a balance of £2 7s 6d.

The Presbyterian Synod, after lengthy debates, have sanctioned the use of instrumental music in churches. In speaking to the question the Kev. J. M'Cosh Smith is reported to have said :—" He supported the use of instrumental music, and warned the Synod that if they did not give congregations permission to use it they might do so without leave." We. are glad to learn that Mr. M'Cosh Smith's party were ultimately successful in their opposition. Congregations will now have the matter in their own hands.

Me. Stout lecturing on Evolution at Lawrence said:—Tho people pre always well represented. When one hears of such a representative ! Who is to blame ? The representative—not he ! It is the people who sent him there. If he is defective. If he is extravagant. If he changed his political creed —t he people changed tbeir's. If he was careless of how the public money was squandered —did he not have a constituency whose continual cry was progress and spending money in the place ? The constituency in a double sense makes the member."

Now that the district election is over we feel at liberty to breathe as we like, not at all appreciating the moral handcuff# placed upon our pen during the past few weeks. At the outset of the contest, November 6, We pledged ourselves to a certain course, which we have adhered to—a free admission of all correspondence bearing on the contest, how ever hot in nature, provided it was not libellous. That the correspondence was onesided we regret;—the fact we could not help. Our columns were open to candidates or their friends, if they had elected to uise them.

The 'North Otago Times' reports im" portant mineral discoveries at Otepopo. "Im" portant discoveries of anthracite ooal and o f silver have been made within a short distance of the township of Herbert, ~ Otepopo. We have seen a sample of the coal, which is apparently pure anthracite, and is said to exist in large quantity. The indications, in another locality, promise tho development of a payable

silver mine. We are in possession of information which, would onable us to give more detailed particulars, but the discover, Mr. Francw Hancock, desires them (for obvious reasons) to be for the present withheld. In the meanfinie, however, we have much pleasure in congratulating the diatrlcfe on what promises to prove in thre early future a great source' of wealth." Bomb bombastic writing which appears in a-. ' late number of the ' Waikduaiti Herald' is noticed by. the ' Southland Times. 3 In its description of the P&lmerston races the fallowing unique sentence occurs.—"The'-course was-quite gay with ladies, escorted by "their friends —indeed,, it is asserted: that there was quite a, galaxy of beauty and that many a heart of adamant was pierced and wounded by the. lajs of fascinating and bewitching black eyes,; and its owner placed hors da combat. Between flirtation id 3 horse-racing, aby oo means unpleasant dby was Bpent." . .

Thorb who live in the district and should be electors but have neglected to register. themselves should at once do so: Many are of opinion that the Parliament just elected will be an extremely short-lived one, anct ' .that another general election will be imminent. Be that as it may; an election of representatives t<j the South Island Provincial Council is a proximate possibility. Whatever form of local government is adopted members to represent districts will have to be elected. Everyone who can should qualify at once. After the month of March another year's chance will have been lost. Wb learn that plans have been completed and sent down to Dunedin to be lithographed, being two blocks of about 3000 acres each, to be set apart for implication on deferred payments in the Kyeburn Hundred. The date fixed by proclamation for the opening of this Hundred is the Ist of February. Afine area of agricultural sountry will then be open for settlement. It is not very creditable that greater'publicity is not given to the fact. A. private! firm having goods to dispose of would hardly be so reticent.