The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MAT 31, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 129, 31 May 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MAT 31, 1872.

Suez Mail. — The next Suez mail will be despatched from Nelson per s.s. Gothenlurg on or about to-morrow (Saturday). Football. — The alphabetical match which was commeuced a fortnight ago, will be played out to-morrow, the game to commence at 3 p.m. Acclimatisation. — By the Rangitoto, which arrived early this morning, the Secretary of the Acclimatisation Society received five hares and a couple of Egyptian geese from the Melbourne Society. The former arrived in good order, and were immediately taken out to Stoke where they were liberated, and ran off in the most lively manner. The geese have been turned out in the Eel Pond. A Runaway Horse. — Hardy-street presented even a more animated appearance than usual about noon to-day, when people were brought flocking out of the houses and shops by the sound of a horse galloping along the road. It was soon seen that the rider, a litle boy of about ten or twelve years of age, was quite incapable of managing the animal, off which, after sticking to him well for some little time, he fell, and was dragged for a few yards, fortunately without receiving any more serious injury than a few cuts and bruises. .The Highways Act. — A lively, and, at times, amusing discussion took place in the Council last night upon the petition praying that the exemption from tolls clauses might be struck out of the Highways Act. The feeling was very generally expressed that an exaggerated importance- had been attached to the clauses complained of, and tbat the Council would not be justified in retracing the steps it had taken after full and deliberate consideration — this point having previously been discussed for nearly two hours in Committee on the Bill — without any additional argument being brought forward in support of the petition. No disrespect whatever was intended towards those who bad signed it, but as they had failed to assign any reason for striking out the clauses referred to, the Council, as will be seen by our report, adopted a resolution, stating its willingness to reconsider the matter next session if, in tbe meantime, any such evils as appeared to be anticipated by the petitioners were found to exist in the working of the Act, We fully believe that a large number of those who signed the petition entirely misunderstood the purport of these clauses, being under the impression that the toll gates were at all times free to aoy one in the employ of the government who chose to pass through without payiDg, and that when they learn the true state of tbe case they will not be disposed to take so serious a view of the matter. That we have good grounds for believing this to be the case will be allowed when we state that one of those' who were most actively engaged in obtaining signatures to the petitition was ignorant of the fact that government officials were to be exempt from paying tolls only when travelling on duty The whole matter is but a very small one, and a deal of unnecessary feeling has been aroused in connection with it. If any abuses can be proved by the next session of the Council, or if the. objections that are now raised continue to exist then the clauses will no doubt be repealed without any hesitation whatever.