The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, AUGUST 7 1879.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 187, 7 August 1879, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, AUGUST 7 1879.

There was a sitting of the Court this morning for the purpose of adjudicating upon appeals made against the valuation under the Land Tax Act, but, although this was the first occasion of the kind, and in face of the fact that points of law would be pretty sure to be raised, the Government had not thought it worth wblle to be represented by counsel, and consequently the Court, after hearing some of the objections, adjourned until Saturday, in order to allow the Land Tax Department to do that which common sense should have told them would be required today, namely, to obtain the services of a lawyer. It is true that Hia Honor told Mr Rout, who was the sole representative of the Crown, that he was endued by the Act with all the virtues of learned counsel, but even this did did not encourage the valuer to assume the part of a barrister, and upon some of the legal points that cropped up he very wisely declined to express an opinion. The first was that lessees of reserves should have been entered upon the list as "owners," they being such under the Act, iostead of which the name of the reserve bad been set down in the "owner" column, while the lessee appeared in that headed " nature of interest." Hia Honor suggested that leave should be asked to amend the list in this direction which was done by Mr Rout, and the leave was granted. Another important point, and one that will affect a great many in Nelson where there are numerous Government and native reserves, was that under sub-section 2 of Section V, holders of leases of these reserves are not liable to taxation. This section defines who shall be deemed to be owners of land forthe purposes of the Act, and the sub-section teferred to runs as follows :— " Every person entitled to any land held under any lease, license, or other authority, from the Crowu or any Waste Lands Board, as to which he has a right, either absolute or conditional, of acquiring the fee simple." In order to allow this point to be argued the Court adjourned untill Saturday. Tbe appeals from the County of Waimea will be heard to-morrow. A meeting of hop growers and others interested in the trade was held at M'Gee's Hotel yesterday afternoon, when, on the motion of Mr T. Watts, who spoke of the injustice done in importing Kent hop-growers with their plants, &c , while tbe colonial growers were unable to make both cndo meet, it was resolved to form an Association to watch over their interests. — Mr George Holland showed that the duty on imported hops here was only half what it was iv Melbourne, and seeing tbat the year before last over £30,000 worth of hops were grown in Nelson, he thought it was an industry which deserved to be fostered. He moved, and it was unanimously agreed to, That in the opinion of tbis meeting it is desirable to petition tbe Genejal Government to place an extra protective duty on all imported hops. Mr Harley spoke of tbe injustice the local growers were subjected to by the fact of the freight on hops charged by the Uuion Company being the same from one New Zealand port to another as from Tasmania right through to any of these ports. On his motiou it was resolved, That the Shipping Companies throughout New Zealand be memorialised, showing the injustice done to local growers in the freights charged, and how favorable these were to the imported hops. A Committee was then formed, consisting of Messrs T. Harley, 11. Burn, T. Watts, A. Harley, Little, and Burford. Mr T. Harley was elected President, and the meeting then adjourned until 7 p.m. on Monday at the same place. Attention is directed to the sale by auction by Mr Mabin at two o'clock tomorrow of superior furniture at the residence of the late Mr Philip L. Gully. The following special London telegrams appears in the Post :— Mr Gladstone contributes a long able article to the August number of the Nineteenth Century on the political situation in England, and the policy and administration of the Government. In forcible and vigorous language he impeaches the Ministry for having sacrificed the Home interests of the country to their foreign policy, and accuses them of having, by the latter, undertaken obligations on the part of England which it is utterly impossible tbat Power can ever fulfil. Especially is this the case, he maintains, with the policy adopted by the British Government in reference to Turkey and Egypt. He vigorously denounces the Government for their neglect of home legislation, and expresses the conviction that their sins of omission in this respect justify the obstructive tactics adopted by the Iri3h members, aided by a large section of the Liberal party, as being the only way of forcing the Government to pay attention to the wants and requirements c c their constituencies.— ln spite of a number of the Bonapartists having given in their allegiance to the Republicans since the death of the Prince Imperial, with a view to keeping out the Bourbon party of power, the Monarchists have not given up all hope. A manifesto has been issued by the Count de Chambord, in which he intimates that he will, with the progress of events aud favorable opportunity presenting itself, offer himself as a candidate for the throne of France.