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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 203, 29 August 1870, Page 2

Resident Magistrate's Court. — Richard Mc'Rae, charged with allowing six cows to be at large, was this morning fined 30.s and costs £1. 19s. 6d. Me. and Mrs. Darrell. —We would remind our readers that these talented performers are to make their first appearance in Nelson at the Oddfellow's Hall, this evening, for which occasion a liberal and highly attractive programme has been published. Telegraphic. —We understand that the Government, desirous of discouraging the dispatch on Sundays of all telegrams excepting those of real importance, have determined upon doubling the charges upon the messages sent upon that day, such alteration to corae into force after the Ist September next. Winter Evening Entertainments. — The fifth of this series of popular entertainments is to take place to-morrow evening when Mr. Maclean will give a reading from " Enoch Arden," and the Rev. G. H. Johnstone, from "Pickwick." The musical portion of the entertainment, the programme of jwhich will be published tomorrow, promises to be quite equal, if not superior, to those of former evenings, several popular solos, choruses and glees haviug been selected for the occasion, in addition to instrumental music by the Harmonic Society's Band. There will be a practice at the Harmonic Hall this evening when the members of the choir and the band, and others who are to take part in the entertainment are invited to attend. Nelson, the General Government, and the San Francisco Mail. —ln our issue of Saturday last we published a slight rebuke, administered to us by Mr. Lightband, for having ventured to comment unfavorably upon the line of conduct pursued by the present Ministry, with regard to the province of Nelson. With a great deal that Mr. Lightband says we most cordially agree—for instance, we are

quite of opinion that if we are desirous o* extricating ourselves from the slough o* despond, in which we are at present submerged, we must assist ourselves and not be content with bawling out our prayers for help to Jupiter Yogel, who, like Baal of old, is deaf to the entreaties of those who have hitherto worshipped him ; we must put our shoulders to the wheel, and, if we are so deep in the mire that we need stepping-stones to assist ourselves out of it, we should thankfully accept Mr. Lightband's suggestion, that no more useful or reliable pathway could be formed than by using the coal of which we possess au abundance in various parts of the province. The hint thrown out that we should use our utmost endeavors to develop our coalfields, and thus place ourselves in a position to supply the demand that will be created by the new line of ocean steamers, is of the utmost value; and we sincerely hope that it will be taken up and acted upon by those who are in a position to enter upon so important aud so remunerative (as it must eventually prove) an undertakiug; but we are bound to say that Mr. Lightband's letter is very much like di awing a red herring across the scent. The paragraph to which he alludes had reference to tlie neglect with which Nelson had been treated by the Ministry of the day — or we should rather say by Mr. Yogel, for " the Ministry" has become an obsolete term in these da/s, when the form of government iv New Zealand may be described as an autocracy; and we are unable to see ia what way the suggestions as to our coalfields, valuable as we admit them to be, tend to absolve the Government, as represented by the astute Colonial Treasurer, from the charge which we brought against it of ignoring our interests. Mr. Lightband's oropensities are confessedly pro-Yogelian, ours have au entirely opposite tendency, aud therefore we can hardly be expected to agree upon any subject of which the present ruler of our destinies constitutes the principal feature; at the same time we are very glad to find that the subject of the Sun Francisco Mail route, and the advantages which it might be made to confer upon Nelson, have been taken up in so practical a manner; and we trust that Mr. Lightband's letter is only the commencement of a discussion on this subject that wili be as earnestly carried out as it has been begun by our correspondent.