Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JULY 30, 1881.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 180, 30 July 1881, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JULY 30, 1881.

A question was put to the Government the other day by Mr Levestam relative to the appointment of a Resident Magistrate who should be permanently resident in Nelson. No decisive answer was given — " the matter was under consideration " or something of that sort—but we trust that something more will be done before long, as the present state of aflMrs is of a most unsatisfactory nature. Mr Broad, who is now nominally the Resident Magistrate for Nelson, is also a District Judge, and his district includes the West Co:tst and Marltjorbugh. To the former be has to pay quarterly visits on which he is absent from five to six weeks accordiDg to the amount of work to be done, practicability of the bars, and other contingent circumstances, and he has also to make periodical trips to Marlborougb, so that, on the whole, he ia abas n; about six months out of the year, during which period Nelson is without a Resident Magistrate and is entirely dependent for the administration of the law upon Justices of the Peace. We venture to assert that such a state of thiogß ia without parallel in New Zealand, and that nowhere else in the colony will a population of some 10,000 inhabitants be found without a Resident Magistrate. Nelson i3 by no means a litigious placr, but there are many cases that arise in ihd Court which require to be dealt with by a professional and trained Magistrate, and the inconvenience occasioned by the necessarily frequent and lengthened a;Binces of the present holder of the office is at times considerable, as may be easily imagined. A '• Resident; " Magistrate in every sense of the word is absolutely required here, and we hope that the appointment wJI be made without further delay. The subscribers to the Wangapeka Prospecting Association have decided to suspend operations until October. At a meeting of subscribers held yesterday, it was found that the sum of £15 15s 6d was to the credit of the AssoGia tion. At a meeting of shareholders of the 11 Panama Gold Mining Company Limited" held last night, it was decided to amalgamate with the "Pleasant Creek" Company. These claims are situate i at Mount Arthur, and the known existence of thereof in the ground held by the owners of the " Pleasant Creek"' lease should stimulate shareholders to active work. The firsi handicap of the season under the auspices of the Nelson Carbine Club will be firtd at the Mdisai Butta on Monday next commencing at 10 a.m. Arrangements have beeu made for erecting a refreshment booth, and visitors will be able to procure lunch on the ground. Monday next being a statute holiday, the Town schools, and many of the business places will be closed, The Banks will remain open as usual, A petition ior dividing the town into wards i3 lying at Mr Budden's and is being numerously signed The proposal, we understand, ia to constitute four wards taking the Synions memorial aa the centre acd dividing the town into four portions from that point. As each ward is to elect three Councillors thi3 will have the effect of in creasing the number from nine, as it is at present, to twelve. An evangelistic service under the auspices of the Young Men's Chii3tiau Association will be held in the Theatre Royal to-morrow evening at tight o'clock. During tha month of July one death 22 births, and six marriages were registered in the borough of Nelson. In July, 1880, there were twelve deaths registered. We have received from Messrs Budden & Co a descriptive catalogue of farm and garden seeds to be obtained at their establishment in Bridge-street, from which it appears that a large variety is kept ia stock. There is also a calendar which will no doubt be found useful t3 those interested in gardening, that most fascinating of all pursuits. 1 K3 funeral of the late Mr Charles Watts to k place thi3 afternoon, when the remains of the deceased gentleman were followed to the grave fcy a large' number of his old friends and fellow colonists including the members of the Masonic Lodges. The football match, Awatere v. Kelson, ia being played in the Botanical Reserve this afternoon and up to 3- 15 both sides seemed very^ evenly balanced and consequently cOB b ing had been scored.