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Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 78, 10 July 1878, Page 2

In order to let'our leader appear — which has been in type for the last two issues — and to publish Mr Halcombe's letter, Jwe are compelled to hold over a long report of the County Council, also several letters from correspondents. Before the Opening of the business at the County Council on Monday, Mr Halcombe .asked leave to make a personal explanation with regard to the severe criticism upon his conduct made at the recent public meeting at Foxton. He stated that he would not have asked the concession, or referred to the matter, were it not that a letter in defence had been unavoidably crowded out of last issue of the local paper. As, however,, the communication appears elsewhere, and more fully deals with the subject than Mr Halcombe did at the» meeting, we need not repeat his observations further than to add that he stated that! as it was hfe- intention to. stand for the . County in , the Assembly on the next Vacancy, and a misrepresentation would be calculated to .do him an injury with the people of Foxton, he was anxious ,to refute the unfounded' statements which had been circulated; about him. He. was quite sure when Mr Thynne had read his letter, he would be ready to acknowledge that his strictures upon bis (Mr Halcombe's) action were uncalled for. Mr Thynne, briefly. replying, stated that he would be i only too happy to have reason to do bo, but that as he was not a candidate for the County, and consequently would not be an opponent of Mr Halcombe, be should bo acquitted of moving in the matter for any personal or politicalrend. . It has been stated that every third man in Wanganui is either an ex-captain, exmajor, or an ex-colonel. Perhaps this will account for the verv r mysterious paragraph in Monday's "Herald,'' to the effect that " tlie exact positio^'Qfthe Borough Council and the Hospital,' as 'shown' in the leading columns last Monday, has been brought under the notice of the ' Colonel ' Secretary." Is there another Richmond in the field, or does our contemporary allude to. the Hon. George Stoddart Whitmore ? Although the amount of stock catalogued for sale by Mr Maysmor, at his recent auction, may appear to have been small, we have been given to understand that not only was the number largely supplemented at the ■ last moment, but the quality disposed of was unexceptionally good. As a proof of the last statement, it may be mentioned that a number of sheep yarded from Mr Robert Linton's property, Woodlawh, near Halcombe, brought the very high figure of seventeen shillings each. The other lots changed hands at equally satisfactory prices. Those who have read Samuel Lover's' inimitable novel of "Handy Andy" will remember that when the matter-of-fact hero had been orderedjto throw out a jug: full of dirty vwat'er^that^wprthy, treatejl.it. in a literal sense,, an^flupg'pitcher and contents into the street.- -'Palmerston rejoices in the possession! of a counterpart to Mr Andrew Rooney, and the local specimen is "happily" dubbed Felix. A day or. two since his master became the purchaser of some ohoice peach trees, and in due course gave Master Felix the order to plant them. "Yis, Sur," says Felix, "but where'll 1 plant 'em; Sur ?" "Ob, under the fence," was the reply— meaning, of course, in shelter of the fence. The next day, wishing to inspect the position, the owner sought in. . vain for his trees, when summoning Master Felix, the following dialogue ensued:— "l thought I told you to plant the peach trees, Felix P" . " Qh, begorra you did, Sur." " Well, end how comes it you did hot do so?" Felix (reproachfully): "Oh, aisv, Sur ; shure I'll sware I did." : " You did! Where ?" " Under the fince, Sur !*' " Under what fence P" "The gardin fince, Sur." And true enough he had; but as Master Felix bad peculiar Colonial ideas as to the meaning of the word " planting," he had taken the trouble to dig a grave on each side of the fence, into which, with half extended on^one, side and half on the other, he hid carefully deposited the peach trees in fflobo, placing thereon ' at least two feet of soil. When chaffed' about the operation, his only ,reply was s "Well, he towld me to ' plant "era , if he ment * set,' why the divil didn't he say so ?" After the very extended tour of the members of the^Government, at the eleventh hour Palmerston is to haye a chance of interviewing a real live Minister, in the person of the 'Hor« John Sheehan. Mr James Carroll, of the Clarendon Hotel, this after-

noon received a telegram from the Native Minister, asking him to have a conveyance ready on Thursday morning" to convey a party of four through the Gorge to Kopua, to meet the Napier .train. It is therefore, more than likely Mir Sheehan and his friends will arrive by the morning train from Wanganui on that day. Were Palmerston situated in the land of Mr Sheehan's forefathers, it is more than possible that both horses and trap would -. mysteriously disappear until the Minister had particioated in the hospitality of the people, revelled in the eloquence of the local magnates; and promised to supply at least a score of the most pressing waiits of the district. We do not suggest that such a thing should be done. Oh, no ; we merely recall what has been done in other lands upon similar opportunities. The ball ordered by the Palmerston Football Club arrived last night, and we understand its qualities are to be tested on next Saturday in a match between the .Square and Terrace End. We will publish the names of the players in the respective teams in ourgnext issue. fflt will be seen elsewhere that the Feilding Choral Society purpose repeating the Concert lately given in the Assembly Rooms. Although the programme will consist of selections from Wallace's "Maritana/' there are Bome few variations from the. one submitted pn that occasion. We trust that on Friday evening the weather— whioh was the only drawback on the last presentation— will-be more propitious,/and that those who are anxious will be permitted to enjoy the rich treat prepared. We have been requested by Mr. Dalrymple to contradict the statement or insinuation made by Mr Maearthur at the meeting at Woodville, to the effect that the former gentleman had been acting- on behalf or in the interests of a party of speculators. Mr Dalrymple declares that he was asked to take action in the matter by a number oi,,bonafideresidenta on the other side of the river; that he did so; that he would pursue the same course again under similar circumstances ; and.further, that he had never been spoken to on the matter by any speculator whatever. It may be remembered that the official trustee in- the insolvent estate of Henry Fisher called for tenders for the purchase of the land and premises lately in the occupation of the bankrupt. There was but One offer received— that from Mr Henry M'Neil, at £1050. The bid was considered too low, was refused, and a reserve of £1200 placed upon the property, it being however decided that the tenderer should have the refusal at that figure. Mr, M'Neil elected to giye the amount, and his judgment was rewarded five minutes afterwards by receiving a bonus of £100 from Mr.F. Loudon for the right to purchase. A largely attended meeting of the members of the Church Of England was held on Saturday at the Corporation Barracks, Feilding, to receive the anuuaj report of the Churchwardens and Vestry, Mr Nicholas, in the absence of Mr Halcombe, presiding. The accounts and reports having, been read, were adopted. The offertories for the year amounted to £99 16s 6d, and the proceeds of the, Bazaar to £197 16s 3d, making a total of £297 12s 9d. The expenditure was £21 18s lOd, leaving a cash balance of £274 13s lld. Tenders for a parsonage had been received, the sum being £250, and the retiring Vestry urged the necessity of at once taking steps to obtain funds to huild a church, to which object -Bishop Hadfieid would contribute £100- They also desired to tender their marked thanks to Mrs'Halcombe, and the ladies of v Feilding !and. neighborho'odr for their efforts toward the. the success of the Bazaar, to the members;; of the choir, but more especially to _ the lady who had presided at the harmonium. Mr Sherwill was elected Parish Churchwarden • Messrs Nicholas, Beattie, Youug, Macarthur,||and Wasford, Vestrymenl for Feilding ; Lash and Douglas, for Halcombe ; and Mr Menzie, for Awahuri. The proceedings closed with the usual vote of thanks to the chair. There is likely to a large number of competitors in the field for the seat at the Wanganui Education Board, vacant by the resignation of Mr Bryce. Already there are four Candidates mentioned : Messrs Peake (Wanganui), Halcombe, and the Revs. Doull and Toogood, ; the former of Bulls, and the latter of Marton. Of the quartette, Mr. Halcombe is decidedly the most fitting person to fill the vacancy, for, as a rule, we do not lean to clergymen for the position, and. Wanganui is at present quite sufficiently, represented at the Board. Those to whom .Mr Halcombe is -known will rest assured that in coming forward to .-ac-cept-the trust, he is prepared to faithfully and conscientiously discharge the duties.