New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4878, 9 November 1876, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9.

In our leader yesterday morning, pointing out how objectionable it would be were the City Council to reduce the general rate to one of sixpence in the pound, we omitted one special argument which seems to us to act with great force in the matter. That is the great injustice that a reduction in the rate would bring upon the outlying portions of the city. For years and years these districts have paid the higher taxation in order to have the bulk of it in effect spent upon the central parts of Wellington. It is not too much to say that the Municipal authorities have almost invariably neglected the out portions of the city for the sake of spending the greater part of the rates upon a few streets, near the centre of business. Even now we are aware of much'discontent which prevails in what may be called the suburbs, and which has only been prevented from taking some form of general remonstrance by a belief that in the future the City Council would equalise matters, and let the places that have been long paying rates without receiving any,corresponding benefits' have justice done to them in the 'shape of street making and improvement. But to reduce'the general rate to sixpence in the pound would be practically to render such justice impossible. All the resources of the city would be required for the mere maintenance of those few central streets which the money of the ratepayers in the more remote parts has gone in the past to form, and the result would be that the more remote streets would be still left in the disgraceful condition in which many of them now are. • We commend this view of the question to any gentleman who might be inclined to advocate a sixpenny rate in order to gain a little popularity. He might save himself the trouble. The ratepayers, and they form a very numerous portion of the whole body, who live or hold property in the streets which have been taxed and neglected in the past would be very likely to make the advocate of a sixpenny rate extremely unpopular. , - !

A very full telegraphic report of Mr. Macanbkew’b speech to the celebrated Convention appears in another column.; Tho lateness of the hour at which it was received prevents our criticising it in tho present issue, if indeed criticism be needful for whit may be fitly described as being “upon the whole” a specimen of

rhetoric, “ which the learned call rigmarole.” It is full of the most monstrous and ridiculous assertions, and plainly asserts that a portion—we will _ admit l a large portion—of a single district ot the colony (Otago) had a right to dictate upon matters of legislation to the Parliament of New Zealand. Like most people who try to be sublime, Mr. Maoandkew does not escape being sufficiently ridiculous. In the midst of his pathos about the grandeur, glory, and sublimity of his aspirations and the greatness of Otago, he advocates a separate colony for her, bn the ground that such would prevent her representatives having to get occasionally sea-sick on their way to Wellington. His speech is thoroughly ad captandu.m vulgus. He is prepared to promise everything in the future to gain anything at the present. The new colony of Otago is to be an exception to all other colonies. Railways are to be made everywhere, and yet no one is to pay taxes. Great public works are to be undertaken, but every port is to be free. Few sensible people will be able to reconcile these things. As to the bosh and bathos about the colony sucking the life-blood out of Otago, that is simply of a piece with the remainder of Mr. Macandbew’s wild assertions, and these are but a rechauffage of what he and some of his followers have been saying for the past twelve months. The Convention has already produced a crop of notices 'of motion. That by Mr. Db Lautour, containing studied insolence to his Excellency the Governor, is a perfect sample of flabby impertinence.

Warnings for falling barometer and northerly gales were sent out yesterday afternoon. The cable steamer took on board the remaining portion of the cable from tbe ship Zealandia yesterday. She sailed at 4.30 p.m. yesterday to pick up the end of the cable which was dropped overboard on Tuesday, and buoy it at the surface. She will anchor in Worser Bay f«r the night, and at daylight will commence grappling. At the meeting of the Wellington Presbytery yesterday it was decided to hold a meeting at Wanganui on Wednesday next, fer ordinary business, at 11 o’clock in the morning, and in the afternoon of the same day to hold a service at 2 o’clock, tor the induotionpf the Rev. Mr. Treadwell, who has been appointed by the Colonial Committee of the Free Church of Scotland to take charge of the congregation of St Paul’s, Wanganui. The Rev. Mr. Paterson will preach and preside, the Kev. Mr Boss to give the charge to the minister, and the Kev. Mr. AUs worth to address the congregation. In the evening a tea meeting will beheld. The following tenders have been received by the Public Works department PateaManawatu railway cepted : Richter, Namestad,and Co., Palmerston North, at Is. id. each. Declined: C. Rees, Palmerston North, at Is. Sd. each ; O. Bees, Palmerston North, at Is. lOd. each, if notched ; Morgan and Robinson, Wellington, at Is. 9d. ; Manaon and Bartholomew, Palmerston North, at 2s. 6d. Waitara-Wanganui railway—2o,ooo sleepers. Accepted: Broadmore, and Co., New Plymouth, at 2s. 6d. each. Declined : Timothy O’Sullivan, Havelock, at 2s. each (did not comply with conditions) ; Henry Brown, New Plymouth, at 2s. 9d.; Brogden and Sons, Wellington, at 3s, 3d.; Kensington Bros., Auckland, at 3s. 5d.; Richter. Namestad, and Co., Palmerston North, at 3s. 5d.; Brogden and Sons, WelUngton, at 3s. 5Jd ; John Reid, Palmerston North, at 3s. -6Jd.; Richter, Namestad, and Co., Palmerston North, at 3s. 7d.; H. Malcolm and Co., Foxton, at 3s. 9d.; Waller and Garlick, Onehunga, at 3s. 9d.; Randolf and Walker, Palmerston North, at 3s. 10d.; George Snelson, Palmerston North, at 3s, IOJd. We learn from a Wairarapa exchange that there was a large meeting of the Taneru Bridge Committee on Saturday, afternoon, Mr. Bannister occupying the chair. Mr. Yallance sent a note to say that owing to indisposition he was unable to attend. Sub-committees to make arrangements for the lunch and ball were appointed, a number of minor matters being also considered. The affairs promises to be a great success. The wet and cloudy weather which prevailed during the last three or four days has done a great deal of good in the Wairarapa district. Grass appears to have taken a fresh start, while the soil seems fit to grow almost anything. Fortunately, too, it is not followed by a scorching sun, as summer rain but too often is, and the water had ample time to soak in.

Every preparation is being made for keeping up the Prince of Wales’ Birthday at Masterton. AU the stores will close to-day, and the Masterton cricketers play a match at Featherton, proceeding thither by this morning coach. The annual pic-nio in connection with the Wesleyan Sunday School, as also several private pic-nic parties, will take place. Those who are only able to look a very short distance back on the history, of Wellington, ’will acknowledge that difficulties in the way of ' travelling inland have been overcome with great rapidity within the last few yea-s. At one time it was an important journey to the Upper Hutt. Things are changed now ; but we heard yesterday of an- excursion made by two gentlemen that is quite worth relating. The Rev, Mr. McKee started on horseback from Featherston yesterday morning, caught the Upper Hutt train, and arrived at Wellington in time to attend the meeting of the Wellington Presbytery, held at 11 o’clock. .Having taken some lunch at 1 o’clock, this energetic minister left Wellington again by the 3.20 train in order to reach home at night, when he had to baptise a child ; and in the morning to conduct a marriage ceremony. A match will be played at Pahautanui today between the Pahautanui and Thorndon Cricket Clubs. The following is the Thorndon team-Messrs. Daly, Dodsworth, Watson, Dobbie, Osgood, Harris, Milue, Burrett, Freeman, and Burbush (oaptan); emergency, Mr. W. Rivers; umpire, Mr. G. Humphries.

: An alarm of fire was raised at about six o’clock yesterday morning, the cause being that Mr. Barnes’ storeroom’in Dixon-street had caught fire. The flames were quickly extinguished, however, the Wellington and- Armed Constabulary Fire. Brigades being quickly on the spot. : We learn that the collection of articles for the bazaar to be held to-day and to-morrow at Creytown, in aid of the parsonage fund, is of a most varied and attractive character. ‘ We can only hope the bazaar will be the success which the merits of its object entitle it to be. ■ That excellent, comedy of Byron’s “Our Boys,” was produced for the fourth time with unvarying success to a crowded house at the Theatre Royal last evening by tho Lingards, supported by the Bates-Howard company. The performance ran very smoothly throughout, Miss Alice Lingard acting with the same style of vivacity and charm as hfls hitherto marked her * performance on the boards in Wellington, and. Miss Lizzie Morgan acted prettily and well, as usual Mr. Lingard’s representation of -the retired batter merchant fairly convulsed the audience with ; laughter. The other parts were very well sustained, Mr. Oily Leering rendering the character of the aristrooratic old baronet in his usually' careful style, and Mr. Ihglis and Mr.'Medoalf acted their parts remarkably well To-night the same piece will bo produced, and : judging by the fact that it is a holiday and the success which the play has already obtained, wo anticipate for it a crowded house. I .■ ■ ■ ■’ > ■’ Mr. Martin Powell, ventriloquist, will make his first appearance in Wellington in the Boulcott-street.Hall-this evening. This gentleman ‘possesses the-reputation’of being, rqally clever, and will no doubt meet with on encouraging reception. • f The, ordinary fortnightly meeting of the City Council will be held to-morrow afternoon at the usual hour.

A satisfactory'trial of . a cocoanut-matting wicket has been made on the Wanganui cnoket ground. • 1 ; v \ . We have been requested to draw attention to the fact that tenders for the erection *of the Wellington ■ Athenaeum" and Mechanics Institute must be given in at or before noon on Friday. The following item of news re the Melbourne Cup supplements that which appeared in our cablegrams yesterday ; —The Cup Race. —Briseis, 1; Sibyl, 2 ; Timothy, 3. Time, 3min. Sfiiseos. Thirty-seven horses started. It was a grand race, and was won by three lengths. There was a capital attendance at Barlow s Circus last night, the entertainment losing none of its popularity by its prolonged stay. We understand that owing to their success the proprietors intend to perform until the . end of the week. : There should be a bumper house to-night. - The only business before the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday was two cases of drunkenness. As it was the first 1 offence in each case, they were respectively fined 65., with the usual' alternative, Mr. Dransfield presided in the absence of the Resident Magistrate.