The Nelson Evening mail. MONDAY, MAY 25, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 123, 25 May 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening mail. MONDAY, MAY 25, 1874.

The question of responsible government has at last assumed a tangible shape, and the Provincial Council and the pecple now know what it is tbat they are asked to deal. with. We bave before us the Bill introduced by Mr Acton Adams, which the Council will be invited to read the second time to-moarow evening, and cannot allow it to pass by unnoticed or without criticism, lor any measure framed with a view to altering the form of government is oi necessity a serious matter, and one that calls for more than ordinary attention and remark. Tbe first section repeals the existing Act, and the second proceeds to state the provisions that are to be made in lieu thereof. Mr Adams will perhaps pardon us for reminding him that, although punctuation iB usually dispensed wilh in such documents, it does not at all follow tbat the rules of grammar should be violated in their construction. Schoolboys are taught that two negatives make one affirmative, but Mr Adams rises superior to any such paltry considerations, and proceeds to tell us that, *' There shall be an Executive Council for the Province of Nelson for advising and assieting the Superintendent in the Government of tbe Province consisting of not lees tban two nor not more than four members &c." The italics, it is needless to say, are our own. Probably the words so indicated ore the result of a| mistake btit in so important a Bill as the one before us we do not look for mistakes of this kind, as tbeir existence betokens a want of proper care and attention on the part of tbe framer. Having told ue that the Executive iB to be called into existence for the purpose of advising and assisting the Superintendent in tbe Government of the Province, the same section goes on to place certain limits upon the subjects with regard to which advice and assistance are to be given by each particular member, and we are Burprised to find that their individual powers are to be so cramped and restricted. The officers are as follows : — (1.) A Provincial Secretary who shall advise and assist the Superintendent in the general management of the affairs of tbe province. (2.) A Provincial Solicitor who shall advise the Superintendent and the Executive Council in all matters of law. (3,) A Provincial Treasurer who shall receive and pay the public moneys of the province. (4.) A Secretary for public works and goldflelds who shall advise and assist the Superintendent in the carrying out of tbe public works, and the administration of tbe goldflelds of the province. From tbis it will be seen that tbe Provincial Secretary, and the Public Works and Goldflelds Secretary alone are to be allowed to offer their advice in any matters connected with the administration of provincial affairs. If tbe Superintendent chooses to consult with the Provincial Solicitor and Provincial Treasurer, of course he may do so, as indeed, he might with any other persons, but it is quite certain that they cannot claim tbe right to interfere in the general management, since their duties are clearly and distinctly defined, those of the former being to advise only in matters of law, and of the latter, not to advise at all, but Bimply to sit in his office and receive and pay public moneys. With an Executive of four, tbe Province is only to look to two for assistance in tbe general administration of its affairs. It will scarcely be believed tbat such is the proposition of one of our great reformers, but so it is, and he is actually going to ask the Council to support him in carrying it into effect. We now come to the keystone of the Bill, the provision for responsible government. Section 5 says that " The Executive Council shall be appointed by warrant under the head ot the Superintendent and shall hold office during tho pleasure of the Superintendent and (subject thereto) so Jong as they shall retain the confidence of tbe Provincial Council and no longer." With what object the words " (subject thereto)" have been thrown into tbis all important section we entirely fail to see, but they have is perhaps some hidden meaning which Mr Adams will take on early opportunity of bringing to light. But in addition to this peculiar phraseology, there is as nice a provision made for bringing about complications and deadlock as could possibly be wished for by tbe most earnest opponent of tbe Bill. The Executive are to hold office only during tbe pleasure of the Superintent and so long as they shall retain the confidence of the Provincial Council. In other words tho pleasure of the Superintendent and the confidence of the Council must be concurrent. The Council says — These gentlemen possess our confidence, they shall be our Executive. The Superintendent replies — They don't please me so they shan't ; and both sides look up Mr Adams' Bill and each finds itself in the right. It is a saddening aud depressing conclusion at which to arrive, but it really does

seem certain that the first leap of the poor little mouse from the womb of the mountain that for so long a time has been in labor with it, will be into a cauldron of unpleasantly hot water. Its little screams will be piteous to listen to; its tiny struggles painful to behold. What will be the feelings of its paternal parent who has for weeks past devoted himself to preparing clothing and silver cups, and engaging sponsors aaid monthly nurses, for his expected offspring, when he sees — as see he must — the poor little creature floundering about in so hapless a condition ? Poor father ! Poor little one ! We are not at all surprised that Mr. Adams took care not to have this extraordinary Bill printed in time for the first reading, or that he declined to give even a slight sketch of its provisions in introducing it, but now that it has been ordered to be read a second time we see no end to his troubles, unless indeed he should ask leave to withdraw it, and content himself with proposing one or more resolutions affirming the principle of responsible government. Supposing him to be successful in carrying them, as probably he would be, he might then request the Superintendent to give effect to them by sending down a Bill drafted by someone who has had a little experience in such matters.

The steamer Lady Barkly will not sail for Motueka to-day as advertised. Volunteer Bal_. — -A Volunteer Assembly Ball will be held at the OddFellows' Hall tbis evening. Reform League. — A meeting of the league will be held this evening at the usual place and hour. Wesleyan Church. — Prayer meetings will be held at tbe above Church I every day during the present week at noon, and in the evening at 7 o'clock, coniEjencing to-day. The publio are respectfully invited to attend. Responsible Government. — A lively debate is expected to take place in the Provincial Council on the second reading of Mr Acton Adams' Executive Council Bill to-morrow evening. Sudden Death. — -A painful case of sudden death occurred on Saturday evening. A man named Henry Goddard, a ship's carpenter, who had for some time been in delicate health, and burst a blood vessel a few weeka ago, was engaged in hauling the ketcb Pearl off the rock on which she grounded on (be previous day, when he fell down in an almost insensible state. He was picked up and taken home, but died before he bad been ip the, house many minutes. His death, it is said, was caused by disease ot tbe heart. The poor fellow leaves a widow and family. Stabbing. — Stephen Mathews was J arrested on Saturday for stabbing his wife on the previous evening, and will be brought before the Resident Magistrate to-morrow. The wounds, two in number, were inflicted in the back ] between the shoulders, but, fortunately, owing to the bluntnesß of the knife used, were not very deep. The cause is said to have been jealousy, but the particulars will, no doubt, come out in Court. The ketch Pearl, after undergoing a severe bumping on the reef at the entrance to the harbor, was brought in on Saturday afternoon, and was yesterday hauled on to the bank where she now lies. The Neio Zealand Herald remarks that—" It is evident tbat Auckland is at the present time undergoing a baptism of fire. The ordeal is a severe one, but it is to be hoped that the city will ultimately be the better for it. It would seem that fires have become almost epidemic in the city, for scarcely can the embers of one fire be allowed to cool, before another is kindled. Whether they are all the result of accident, or carelessness, or wilfulness, it is impossible to say, It was but on Tuesday evening tbat some £12,000 worth of property was consumed by fire in Queen-street, and yesterday afternoon ao effort was made to bave another blaze on a somewhat smaller scale. This is evidently a clear : case of incendiarism, but by whom it will be for tbe police to find out. It appears that about half-past five o'clock yesterday afternoon some of the residents in the neighborhood of the school in Hepburn- street discovered the school to be on firo. They at once rushed to* the building, which was just catching fire, and found that a most deliberate attempt had been made by some person to burn tbe building. The school is raised upon blocks a short distance from the surtace of the ground. Under the building they found a large quantity of materials, consisting of cotton cloth, a woman's apron, newspapers, _fee, thoroughly saturated with kerosine oil, blazing furiously. The burning material was pulled out, and the fire extinguished. The police were then communicated with, and SergeantMajor Pardy and Detective Ternaban proceeded to investigate tbe matter. Tbe result of their investigation was that an old woman was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the attempted arson. The circumstances which have led the police authorities to deprive the woman of her liberty will doubtless be fully detailed when the case comes before the presiding Magistrate at the Police Court." The Sumut correspondent of the Gandagai Times relates that a few months ago a model temperance society was established by six inhabitants, each of whom signed a guarantee to abstain from partaking of all alcoholic drink for a twelvemonth, and i

as a proof of his bona fide, deposited a promissory note for £10 in the treasurer's hands, to be forfeited if he failed to l^eep his vow. But though the spirit may be willing to resist spirits, ihe flesh is often weak, and the weather has of late been exhausting and thirstprovoking. We are informed that within the past week, two of the members of the society " fell " — -that we are informed is the proper phrase — and mulcted in the sum of £10 each, which they at once handed over to the treasurer of the association. Tbe more temperate brethren, therefore, received a dividend of ±5 each, realised io a period of two months. The following are two extraordinary instances of presence ot mind :— Some days ago, says the Wagga Wagga Advertiser, a boy aged ten, tbe son of Mr Heath, watchmaker, of this town, fell down a well at the back of hia father's premsises. Notwithstanding the shock of a fall over 30 feet, the boy retained sufficient presence of mind to support himself in the water until a rope was lowered to him, and finally placing his feet in a noose at the end of the rope, he held on while bi w«*s hauled to tbe surface. Tbis is one of the most extraordinary instances of presence of mind in a child that has ever come under our noiice. But a still more remarkable exemplification of the possession of the same faculty remains yet to be mentioned in connection with the affair. A considerable concourse of women and children were attracted to tbo spot, Mr Lowe, agent of the Mutual Life Association, was there also, and coolly seizing his opportunity, he delivered an extempore lecture on the blessings of life assurance, illustrating his argument by tbe accident which had colled them together. " Consider the feelings," he is reported to have said, "of the agonised parent who rushes to the well, and, as the inanimate body of his child was brought to. the surface, reflects that he was not insured!" The scene, was affecting in the highest degree, aed Mr Lowe must be congratulated upon the possession of special qualifications for his vocation. The following little Jeu d'esprit was suggested by the sight of the Duke of Edinburgh and his intended bride skating at St. Petersburg : — Here they are, the Royal pair, British Lion, Russian Bear, Ursa's p iws in muffs are hid, Leo's caws in gloves are slid. Let us h-'pe they'll keep them there — British Lion, Russian Bear. It often becomes desirable to insert screws in plaster walla without attoching them to any woodwork; but when we turn them in, the plaster gives way, and our effort is vain. And yet a screw may be inserted in plaster so as to hold light pictures, etc., very firmly. Tbe best plan is to enlarge the hole to about twice the diameter of the screw] fill it with plaster of Paris, such as is used for fastening the tops of lamps, etc., And bed tbe screw in the soft plaster. When the plaster has set, the screw will be held very strongly. The latest Yankee notion is an iron tower, to celebrate the centenary of American independence, and to be 1000 feet in height, or double the height of the highest building in the world — the spire of Cologne Cathedral. Plans and engravings have already been published by the Scientific American. The tower is to be circular, 150 feet in diameter at the base, and 30 feet at Iho top. Access to the summit is to be given by four elevators and a spiral staircase. The elevators are to ascend in three minutes, and descend in five. The proposed site is in Fairmont, Philadelphia. It is calculated tbat tbe erection of the building will occupy one year, that its cost will be one million dollars, and tbat it will make a splendid observatory when completed. A firm in Birmingham lately executed an order for the Tarapacca Bailway, Peru, which included some of the largest engine lamps ever made. Tbe lamps in question were to attach in front of the engines at night, and each one, exclusive of the dome, measured two feet high, two feet wide, and eighteen inches deep, and from the bottom to the top of the dome the height was three and a half feet. Each lamp weighed nearly one cwt, and contained two gallons of oil, ten burners in front of a twelve-inch reflector aßßist in throwing out a most powerful light through an 18-inch concave lens in front. A new Atlantic cable is to be commenced this year on the principles established by Mr Highton, the electrician, on whom tbe Suciety of Arts has conferred a special medal for discoveries in telegraphy. The cable will weigh only 1$ cwt. per nautical mile in water, will Bustain twenty miles of its own length, and will be covered only witb prepared maoilla. It will be laid by ordinary ships, without machinery, and only one tenth part of the electric force now in use will be required to give distinct signals. We are promised that by this cable messages shall be Bent between England and America for one shilling. They are very careful of their Governor in India when they have to make a railway for his especial use. From a paper called the Critique, published at Secunderabad, we make the following extract: — We hear that vigorous efforts are being made by the Executive Engineer (Mr H. Tyndall, CE.), to finish the laying of the rails of the Hyderabad State Railway as far as Lingampilly, about fourteen miles from this place j so that his Excellency, Lord Napier, may not be put to the inconvenience of going over bad roads.