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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue XIV, 3 April 1879, Page 2

The following is an extract from the Auckland Star's report of Dr. Wallis' meeting with his constituents : — Having expatiated upon the benefits following in the train of these reforms, and having indicated the importance of securing a settlement of the Maori difficulty, the gentleman began to refer to hi*9 own doings during the last session of Parliament. At first he had played the part of devil's advocate ; and like a father dealing with a child; had taken upon himself to point out the faults of the Ministry 5 but finding that the task did not pay, he gave it up. He had advocated the extension of the franchise to every man, and to every woman too. He was in favor of the reform of a Legislative Council, aud he had strongly urged the shortening of the duration of Parliaments. He had gone in this direction so far as to bring in a bill, providing for Triennial Parliaments, and he would have carried it too but for the action of J. C. Srown and the non-fulfilment by several members of their promises. Mr Macaudrew had premised to support th« bill, but when the division was called, ha (the speaker) saw him walk out of the House. Then an Auckland member who had promised his support, was suddenly seized with the belly-ache, and forgot to pair. (Laughter.) There waa no doubt, however/ that a Triennial Parliaments' Bill would be passed under the auspices of the Grey Government, and that it would be law this time next year. — A voice : Name the member who badt he belly-acbe.— Dr. Wallis : Oh, you know, a doctor should not tell the . Barnes of those who are diseased. (Laughter.) The following is from the --pott of Saturday :— Although the amount Of : the various tenders for the construction of the railwajwharf have not yet been allowed to transpire, those of the Wellington tenderers are pretty well known generally among the contractors, aud we understand that the closeness of the tendering was something hitherto quite unprecedented. Formerly it used to be quite a common thing for the highest tender to be twice or thrice the amount of the lowest, but the present tightness in the money market has changed all that, and tenderers are now obliged to make their calculations very carefully, aud be able to show a fair chance of profit, if, as is usually the case, they require some assistance from their bankers in carrying out their contracts. It is rumoured that several of these wharf tenders did not differ by more than a few hundreds between the highest and lowest. The Lyttelton limes in an article on the redistribution of seats, says :— Three questions will have to be considered by Parliament in this essential branch of Parliamentary Re form. The first is the number of members to constitute the House of Representatives. The second is the division of the Colony into suitable electoral districts. The third is the allotment of members to each electoral district. We pass by, at the present, the question of Maori representation. That will be a matter for independent and special consideration. We may make up our minds with tolerable confidence to the conclusion that the total number of European members in the House will not be reduced. No Representation Act has as yet effected that result. And we are not disposed to think that under the circumstances of the Colony, its rapid growth in population, wealth, and settlement, that such a result would be at all desirable. There is, moreover, within reasonable limits, a political safety in nuni? bers, which is cheaply purchased by the increased cost of each session. If there is any change in the number of our representatives it will almost certainly be in addition thereto. The battle will be fought on the other two questions, the definition of districts and the distribution of seats. The Sydney correspondent of the Christchurch F^ss writes with reference to our new Governor :—" There is a general impression over here that Sir Hercules is the very man for the Governorship of New Zealand. And for two reasons. First, because his robust temperament will find a congenial sphere amongst the throbbing activities of your colony ; and, secondly, because he will be as pronounced in the maintenance of Imperialism as Sir George Grey may be insidious and persistent iu his tendencies towards ultimate separation. In this connection I may mention that the Marquis of Normanby's remarks at Dunedin re an elective Governor, have been widely re-published and commented upon here. I need hardly say that they have been thoroughly approved l We are in no hurry to cut the painter that binds us to the Old Country." Some thirty years ago a gentleman named Orr left a sum of money, the interest of which was to be annually divided amongst the following people in his native parish, St. Cyrus, Forfarshire, Scotland— the oldest woman married in the Parish Church duriDg the year, the youngest, the tallest, and the shortest, This year, on the 6th of January, the interest was divided. Five competitors for the prizes put in an appearance at the St. Cyrus Manse, when the measurements took place, with the result that £6 Is lOd was paid to one competitor, and £4 lis 4Jd. to each of the others,

Lord Ebrington, who has just retur'tfWE from a lengthened tour in Australia and New ! Zealand, delivered au interesting lecture at j Barnstable, in the course of which he astonished the audience by telling them how he had seen five millions of acres of uncultivated land advertised for sale by one firm in a single advertisement; also that so great is the preference for pastoral laming that only ioat millions of acres are under cultivation, or leas than the area of the four western countries. — 'Priith: A most peculiar accident (i&s& the Post) which narrowly escaped being attended with consequences, accurred last night at Kaiwarra to s child 6t Mr A. Phillips. A bucket of water was standing in . the porch, aud the child—a baby who can Just crawl — was playing around. Mrs Phillips went into the front room to speak to her husband, but the crips of an cider daughter soon recalled her. It fftS then fonnd that the baby had managed to crattl Up the side of the backet and had fallen in hedd downwards. The little thing was iusensible, put prompt measures restored life. The sister was returning from an errand, when she "saw the child in she bucket, and to this circumstance the saving of the child's life may be attributed. The Adelaide Observer says that a few more seasons so unfavourable to the wheat crop as the last three, will ruin South Australia. Over-cropping" has a good deal to do with it.