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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 183, 3 August 1881, Page 2

ISew Zealanders will soon be legislated off the face of the earth. In this great, glorious and free country it will ere long be impossible to speak or act -without breaking some oue or more of the laws with which our sapient legislators are burdening the Statute Book. Mr Wakefield, in the House the other day, said that if they went on as they were doing, no hoy would he able to play marbles, tip-cat, or hop-scotch without obtaining special permission from the Colonial Secretary. Although he probably thought that he was exaggerating a little at the time, he was much nearer the mark than he believed. Mr Dick, the Colonial Secretary, was last night actually foolish enough to propose to introduce into the Gaming and Lotteries Bill, and, what is more uuintelligibie still ihe'majority were sufficiently silly to agree to, an additional clause, whereby a sixpenny bet, a wager of a pair of gloves, or of half-a-dozen marbles is rendered a punishable offence. It was of no avail that the more sensible members ridiculed and protested against such a proposal ; Mr Dick and those who shared his peculiar notions were in the majority, and as the Bill now stands, the young lady', who, in a pardonable spirit; o f fun ventures to bet a pair of gloves on a race or any other event, and the boy who bets his schoolfellow a handful of marbles that he can't jump over a hurdle renders herself or himself liable to the " penalties as prescribed by Section 8," and those penalties — note them carefully ye who are occasionally disj »sed to speculate a small coin on a donbtful result are, co states the Act: — ''Every person" committing these awful crimes "shall, on conviction thereof, be lieble to a penalty not exceeding Fifty Poowds, or, in the discretion of the convictiDg Justices, to be imprisoned WITH OK "WITHOUT HABD LABOR TOE ANT TBBM NO? EXCEEDING; THBBB

months." There is a thoroughness about this that mußt satisfy the desires even of Sir William Fox, who has such a dislike to and contempt for half measures. The Naval Brigade with their Fife and Drum Band went for a march out last night, when there was a large muster. The Band, which is steadily improving under Bandmaster Liley, played merrily throughout the march, to the intense pleasure of a large number tf youthfnl ciP'zens inspired with a love of m&itlal mu"ic. Ttaa " Majnmoi j Gill Show" consisting of a le^. ; rdem in en'e-:alnmert entitled " A Six»y Mii uses T.!p to FaJryland," a veifuloquia Jper.'o ja?ncr. and tfce distribntion ot a large Dumber o? vaVjable p».°sent2, will open in tbe Theahe Eo/al on Friday evening ntrt and no doubt wlil attract large audiences. The Company are at present in Blenheim where the/ have been dofng a good business, ard w'jl arrive here by Friday mofcin-K*B Sreaaier. At toe Magnates' Court this morning before Messrs Oldham and J. Rochfort, J.J P. ; Ihe followicg was the only case heard : — lvcs v. Jcei— Acton to recover jEI Is balance c" accoiiit due fo.* potatoes purchased MrPe;ly Adams afpeired for thepls'ntiff, and MrMcorefor t us defendant. Tbe dffeuce waj .^?t the potatoes were not in a saleable condition. After hearing the evidence the Bench gave judgment fo* the plaintiff .or the aaiount claimed,. each party to pay lii 3 own costs. A meeting at the Young Men'js Chri&tian ABsociuiion was belcl last night tor tbe puri pose of d!scußei?g the desirability of holding an Indus' rial and Art Exhibition under the auspices of the Association and Good Templars. After dfecuasion it was resolved to hold such an Exhibition in November next, and to have a special department for the handiwork of juveniles, A Committee was appointed to carry out the arrangements consisting of Messrs Aitken, Beckenham, Bingham, Bond, Child, T. Field, Gibson, Harkness, Lock, C. and F. Peart, Piper, Pettit, and W. Sherwood. Mr Field was appointed Chairman, Messrs Harkness and Sherwood, Secretaries, and Mr Piper, Treasurer. We wish the promoters every j success in their very laudable undertaking.