The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1871.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 15, 18 January 1871, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1871.

A vert general expression of indignation has been called forth by the news lately received from Wellington that Mr. Sharp, the present Registrar of Deeds, is to be deprived of his appointment, in . order to make room for an officer of Mr. \ Moorhouse's nomination, the latter gentleman, upon whom has recently been t bestowed the office of Registrar General' of Land, under the " Land Transfer Act," having thought fit to appoint a Mr.' Fereday ol Christchurch, at a salary of £600 a year, to do the work now performed by Mr, Sharpior $I^s. ; When first the hewsgot wind, it was generally believed that the Act rendered it compulsory that all officers appointed under it should be

barristers or solicitors, but this is an erroueous impression, and, in order to remove it, we will quote tho section — which is a model of brevity — uuder which tlie appointment referred to has beeu made: — " There shall be au officer iu and for each Land Registrar's district called the District Land Registrar for the district who shall from time to time be appointed by the G-overnor." Beyond defining their duties, this is all that is said with reference to these officers, and thus it will be seen that the law does not reader it imperative that a solicitor shall hold the office. Itis, however, rumored that the nominal head of the Government, beiug himself a member of the legal profession, expressed a wish, after the passing of the Act, that none but lawyers should be employed under its provisions, and consequently it has been so decided. Thus, the deposition of Mr. Sharp from an office, the duties of which he has invariably performed with credit to himself, and to the unmixed satisfaction of the public, appears to be eutirely owing to a mere whim of the Premier's. And a most expensive whim it is to the province, upon which will fall the burden of paying the additional £425 pev annum. It is not attempted to be shown that Mr. Sharp is unfitted? either by want of ability or by the [absence of legal qualification, to fulfil ihe duties of his office, hut it so happeus that a gentleman who is a "learned friend" of Mr. Fox's and a protege of Mr. Moorhouse' s is in want of employment, and, under such circumstances, of what avail ate years of faithful service on the part of him who has hitherto performed the necessary work at less than a third of the salary to be bestowed upon his successor ? Can anything be imagined better calculated to impair the efficiency of our Civil Servico than this discarding of an old and tried officer, without auy reason whatever, beyond the mere gratification ofa Minister's fancy ? If all appointments under G-overument are to be considered ' political ones, and the holders of them to be subject to removal upon every change of Ministry, it would be but fair to say so at once, but up to the present time it has \ been the general impression that there was * something of permanency about the Civil Service, and there are to be found on its rolls officers who are sufficiently weak aud foolish to believe that, by a constant attention to their duties, and persevering endeavors to master all the details of their office, they have entitled themselves to some consideration on the part of their employers, aud tbey have even gone so far as to believe that if promotion was to be bestowed, or an increase of salary granted, they would be the first to whom such advantages would be offered. Their faitb, i however, will receive a rude shock on finding that they are liable at any moment to dismissal from their office in order to make room for the friends ani proteges of those in power. And now, setting aside the question of justice — as bas 1 already been done in this case — we should like to kuow why this large increase of salary is to be attached to the office. If : it is worth £600 a year, ifc is quite clear [ that Mi*. Sharp has been very hardly dealt with, in being paid only £175, ' and if it is not, why in the name of all that is economical is such a sum to be paid to Mr. Fereday ? It will be universally allowed that the work cannot be better or more honestly done than at piesent ; why then is the province to be compelled to throw away over £400 I a year at the bidding of Mr. Moorhouse or Mr. Fox, or "whoever it may be ? ' These are questions that must present * themselves to the mind of everyone who ) hears of this unjustifiable appointment, and, until they are satisfactorily replied 1 to, we have every reason to complain of such a waste of public'rh'oney. \ We protest mQst^'earnestly against the e province being saddled with so unnecessary an expenditure, and we object still more strongly to the gross injustice . inflicted upon an officer, than, whom 1 there. t is none more painstaking, clear-headed, 1 and efficient throughout the whole of the } colony. -

It is reported that the reef in the Waimangaroa claim has been struck in ashaft recently sunk. Doran Company. — We understand that. Mr. Gardiner, the newly anjrfoiuted working manager, has arrived^rom the West Coasl, aud will proceed to Wangapeka without delay. Meeting of Electors. — It is scarcely necessary to remind our readers that Mr. Shephard proposes to address the electors at the Provincial Hall, at 8 o'clock this evening. Cricket. — The Nelson cricketers have made arrangements for playing a return match with Wellington, and the eleven will take advantage of the opportunity offered by the excursion trip by the Taranaki on Sunday next, to visit the Empire City. We wish them every success. Election Intelligence. — Mr. Rolleston, the Superintendent of Canterbury, has been returned for the Avon district without opposition. Only five people were preseut. Mr. E. J. O'Couor has announced that he will solicit the suffrages;, of the constituency of Westland North in* opposition to Mr. bonne. Messrs. Hoos, Carreras, Tribe, and John White are probable candidates for the southern district. Attempted Suicide. — A man named Thomas Betts, a butcher of Stafford Town, recently attempted to commit suicide while in a state of deliruini tremens. He cut his throat with a razor, but upon seeing the blood he became frightened, and walked out of the house and gave the alarm. A medical man happened to be close at hand, and he at once sewed up the wound, which was a most severe one, several of the veins being severed, fand the sheath of the carotid artery just touched. The unfortunate man is iu a fair way towards recovery. Nelson Volunters. — A meeting of the members of the newly formed company of City Volunteers, was held at the Nelson Hotel last night, wbeu tbe following gentlemen were proposed as officers: — As Captain, Messrs. John Sharp and Manson Sinclair ; as Lieutenant, Mr. Thomas Garrard ; as Ensign, Mr. Lewis Gully. The nomination list will remain open at the Adjutant's Office, until three o'clock on Wednesday next, and the election will take place that evening, at eight o'clock. The names of nearly fifty men appear on the new roll. Wesleyan Sunday Schools, — The auniversary of these schools was celebrated in the church yesterday afternoon, when the building was crowded. The proceedings commenced with a tea meeting, after which was a public meeting, wheu various hymns were effectively suug by the assembled chileiren ; addresses' were delivered by the Revs. T. Buddie, J. Watkin, and J. Taylor, also by Messrs. Bouudy, Wagg, and others. The collections after the two services on Sunday and at the meeting amounted to £11 Ss. 2d. The following report was read by Mr. R. Lucas, the general secretary : — The Committee of the Sabbath School belonging to this Church, record their thankfulness to God '^or the favor with which He has regarded Ae school during the past year. No deaths have occurred among the children ; no Teachei&has been called away by death. The School- has been conducted according to rule, and there has beeu a fair, attendance both of teachers and scholars. Series of lessons taken out of the Old and New Testaments have been studied, and considerable interest has been manifested by the scholars in them. Scripture has been committed to memory, together with hymus and portions of the Conference Catechisms. The Library is small and not very attractive, consequently there are few readers. The Committee gratefully acknowledge the support that has been given to this Institution, and would respectfully remind the friends of the School that the only means of support the School has are the collections made at the Anniversary services, aud will be much obliged if the amount realized this time is in advance of that of last Anniversay . Wo desire an interest likewise in the prayers of parents and friends, on behalf of the School, that the instruction given may be sealed on the children's heart, and that they will become wise ■unto salvation. Committee for 1871 : — Messrs. Galland, Shannon, Spencer, Constable, Harvey, Dixon, Berry, Scott, Haddow, McEachen, Jno. Cock, Captain Cock. Treasurer : Mr. Moorhouse. Auditors : Messrs. Bethwaite, and R. S. Lucas. General Secretary : Mr. R. Lucas, senr. Superintendents : Messrs. Boundy and Brent. , School Secretary : Mr. Stick. Visitors :" Messrs. Wagg and Crisp.