MARTON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5071, 25 June 1877, Page 3

MARTON.

(KUOM OUU OW.V CORUKSI’OXDEXT.)

Without doubt Martou is the most progrea* this island. BuiMiug* are being rapidly erected in every d'reetlou. Tin-Good Templars are now besily engaged raiding -‘ubscriptious for a public hall. The site for the building was originally bestowed gratuitously by the Hon. W. Fox on the Kechabitos, ami this family have lately transferred the land to the former society. The necessity of having a reading-room was apparent to all residents m Marten, and they have shown their feelings by responding hi a most liberal way for the above object, 1 understand that the Bank of Australasia are about to call for tenders for a new building. The prosperity of Martou, like all other small agricultural towns, is due to the fertility of the soil, and the manner in which the land is subdivided. In this case Marten has an excellent rich fertile soil, equally good to the grazier and agriculturist. The farms average from 2-0 to 500 acres in extent, and the success of Marton is principally due to their being no land sharks in their midst. Such men are ruinous to all towns.

Rather an interesting case was tried here in the Resident Magistrates Court on Saturday, June lOth, before R. Ward, Esq., K.M., and the Hon. \V. Fox, J.F, The police discipline In Martou up to the recent appointment of Constable Warren has been remarkably lax, and the consequence is that the publicans in particular, and all persons inclined to occasional irregularities, hud the discipline maintained by an active and energetic constable particularly irksome. On the 11th instant Jdamtnd Gibbons, one of the Martou publicans, was summoned by the policeman for a breach of the Licensing 'Act, and a tine of £lO imposed. This sentence was deemed unusually severe by those persons interested in the sale of ardent spirit, and one of our leading citizens immediately started a subscription to pay the ilue*, whj-jh ho succcded in doing through the of the publicans and their frieuds> The case before the Court ou Saturday, which arose out of these events, was a charge laid by the said Samuel Gibbous, publican, against Arthur Warren, constable, for having committed corrupt perjury in his evidence given before the Court on the 11th instant. Mr. Cash appeared to prosecute, and Mr. Hutchison for the defence. Prior to the opening of the case the Hon. W. Fox, one of her Majesty’s Justices of the Peace, requested permission of the R.M. to make a few remarks. He said that had taken his seat on the bench that day as a deliberate protest against a monstrous and absurd argument in the local newspaper that it was noT becoming’ in him as a prominent temperance reformer to sit ou the bench when a publican was being tried for an offence against the law. There were two parties whose interests must be guarded in these cases, namely, the publicans and the public ; and so long as he (Mr. Fox) had a seat on the bench he would do his best to protect the interests of the latter. This case, which proved extremely interesting to the Martou public, judging from the number of persons who crowded the Court during * the day, was finally dismissed, as the evidence proved so absurdly contradictory ; and, in dismissing the charge, his Worship -said that the Bench were really in doubt whether a charge of perjury should not be issued against Mr. Gibbons. The defendant left the Court without a stain upon his character. Mr. Hutchison conducted the cross-examination of the witnesses for the prosecution with remarkable" tact, and the information dragged out of witnesses concerning their particular vanities and weaknesses afforded great amusement to the bystanders. He (Mr, Hutchison) proved on this occasion altogether too much for his legal opponent, whose usual bullying air seemed quite to have deserted him. The Eargitikei District may consider itself extremely fortunate in having been selected as a field of evangelistic labor by Mr. Gordon Forlong, of Bull's town. This gentleman, who has recently arrived from Home with a large family, has purchased land near Bull’s, with the intention of settling. He is at present engaged in delivering a series of highly interesting and peculiarly instructive lectures on “ Infidelity and Deism,” in the Town Hall, Bull's. He is a very original speaker, and his style is clear, lucid, and very forcible. He is, I understand, a barrister by profession, but has been engaged for many years in conducting evangelistic services in different parts of England and Scotland, and took a very leading part in the celebrated Scotch revival of former years. Jn his former days he spent many years of his life in studying the works of infidel writers, agreeing with them in looking •upon the Bible as a tremendous falsehood. But his opinions underwent a complete change, and consequently his former study of the works of infidel writers now helps him very considerably as an earnest advocate of Bible truth. His services have been remarkably well attended, and are proving increasingly intere-nting. A correspondent in one of our local papers, signing himself “ Fiat,” recently quoted the absurdly shallow arguments of a certain Mr. Fish, to prove that the Bible history of the deluge was utterly fabulous. Mr. Forlong, however, in a remarkably well-written letter, S* Completely crushed him with overwhelming >J(Bof from standard authors that ho (“Flat”) haa not returned since to moot the subject. Mr. Lee, the energetic Inspector of Schools for the Province of Wellington, has recently been through the district making bis surprise visits.

An amusing case wm heard in connection with the Maoris at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on "Wednesday last. From the evidence adduced it appears that a Maori named Keren is living with two pretty half-castss at a place called the Ren Ren, much to the disgust of his own tribe, and a woman in particular of his own color who, I may state, -is somewhat jealous, and consequently became an intermeddler in the Maori’s affairs, until tilings became serious, when he violently kicked the woman in sundry places. If was ludicrous and amusing to see the woman anxious to show the unhealed parts to the Court. There is a place called Bonnygleu not many miles from Marton, upon which stands a church of the Presbyterian denomination. Now, although this church is scarcely four miles from Marton, it is presided over by a Turakina clergyman. Now, why should there be such opposition in religion ? I believe the Marton Presbytery are endeavoring to get the church abolished, and rightly too, as good nature must not be imposed upon. The weather in Itangitikei has been of late very unsettled and o£ an unsatisfactory character ; for some weeks there has been a continued downpour, in fact, rain is far too chronic to be pleasant. It is to be hoped that the Marton Councillors will do something to prevent another flood taking place in their Broadway.

An advertisement appeared in this morning's Marton paper, which afforded much amusement to the public, as follows ; —“ Wanted known, a splendid opening for a chemist in Marton, who can mind ids own business. For further particulars apply to G. Wisdom.” The writer is a billiard marker in one of the Marton hotels, and is exceedingly annoyed with our new policeman, because lie compels him to close ids billiard saloon at ten o’clock each evening. The person referred to is the Marton chemist, and takes considerable interest in the welfare of the place, and is quite opposed to public-houses and billiard saloons, being one of Mr. Fox’s disciples. He was, moreover, instrumental in posting up Mr. Hutchison with all the necessary information of the late police case. He prides himself on being an old settler, and mentions periods when a policeman was unnecessary in Marton.