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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 285, 30 November 1881, Page 3

Commenting on that portion of Mr Hall's recent speech at Leeston, which refers to tho late stonewalling the l } > st says : — We cannot agreewith Mr Hull that the proceedings of last session, against which the proposed reform would be directed, were "scandalous." On thecontrary, there was a marked preservation cf good humour and orderly behaviour, even in the time of wildest excitement and bitterest party-feeling, which was most creditable to those concerned. That there was obstruction is true, but it was under such peculiar circumstances as to extenuate very materially, if not altogether to excuse, re course being had to so extreme a proceeding. The Titnaru Herat i has an article on the raid on the unfortunate Chinese in "Wellington, which is strongly deprecates. It adds : — At the Christchurch races last weeksw.epsiakes and betting went on all day "without any disguise whatever. It was a pretty sight to see two members of the Legislature (both strong supporters of the Bill) get ing up a sweep with the assistance of a Justice < f the Peace, under the approving smiles of a police officer. The fun began early. We don't know how it was in other carriages, but in the one we went to the races in, we began getting up sweeps before we left the Christchurch platform, and we had one arranged cv each event of the day before we reach d the grand stand. The penalty for the " offence," we understand, is a fine of £200 or six months' imprisonment. Yet nobody said a word. Nobody '• made a raid " on the well dressed and eminently upper crust gamblers, who flaunted their vice in the face of day. What does it all mean ? We pause for an answer from the Honorable Mr Dick, It f urely cannot be rig'.t to pass penal laws which are openly violated with impunity by the rich and powerful while they are ruthlessly put in force against the poor and helpless. A Chinese mother at Fresno, Oregon, bandaged her little girl's feet after the fashion of her country, and for several days the cries of the sufferer were heard throughout the mining town ; then a mob of indignant miners broke iuto tho house, cut oii" the bandages, soaked the chiid's feet in liniment, and threatened to hang the woman if she renewed the process. An extraordinary outrage is reported from Rathcoole, near Mill-street County Cork. Some tenants of Sir Geoi-ge Colthurst met on 2S August to celebrate the marriage of their landlord. They were assembled round a large bonfire, and had some barrels of porter. About 11 o'clock, ten men, armed with rifles, revolvers, pikes, &c, and having their faces blackened, approached and formed a circle round them. The word to fire was given by one of the body, and immediately a volley was discharged among the tenants, several of whom received severe shot wound?, two of them being wounded in the side with revolver bullets. The party then rushed in upon the tenants and beat them. Having driven them off, they quenched the fire with the porter, scattered the turf about the place, and then marched off. No one followed them, and there is no means of identifying any of the part}-. Four of the wounded tenants are in the Hospital. A late home paper says :— The toll-gate keeper at Alchington whs surprised the other day to fiud a brewer's dray at his gate and the driver sitting in his place apparently indifferent to everything surrounding him. Closer inspection revealed the fact that the driver was a corpse. It was evident the man had been dead some time, and it is supposed that the horse's knowledge of the road enabled him to continue on the journey without guidance until he reached the closed tollgate.