The Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 652, 5 June 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1878.

After all the miserable croakinga of hypochondriacs, the credit of -New Zealand in the Home market does not appear to be so bad as they would have us believe it to be. Notwithstanding the many millions of money borrowed by the Colony, the money-lenders of England have fully displayed their willingness to invest still further in the Colony's securities. By a telegram which appears in another column it will be seen that the loan of £3,600,000 ordered by Parliament last session to be raised, has been successfully floated. The Government have been advised by telegraph that on the first day the loan was subscribed far more tfrnn twice over, and that the lists would close on the following day, after the receipt of the country mails.

We would recommend the Papakaio School Committee to send either its Chairman or another of its members to expostulate with the Otago Education Board with regard to paying the liability incurred in repairing the district school. The Oamaru School Committee adopted this plan, and the result tv as that, although it did not get full justice, it obtained important concessions. We entertain the greatest respect for the gentlemen that compose the Otago Education Board ; but -we think that Country School Committees that are unrepresented in that body might write about their grievances till ■ schools will be no longer necessary, so unmindful is the Board of the wants of upcountry districts, and so remiss is it iu liquidating those liabilities which properly, have the first claim upon its funds.

A Revising Court for the electoral of Waitaki was held to-day by Mr. Wit M. Hodgkins. Very few of the large nuiber of persons objected to as not being entitled to have their names placed on the nectora roll appeared to answer the elections. With the exception of the cases Messrs. Jamc3 Markham, Jeremiah Markliam, Stephen Markham, and Daniel Ruddock—in all of which the matters omplained. of were rectified—the whole o r thc objections were sustained.

There were no cases dr» vn f° r hearing at the Resident Magistrate'. Court to-da} - . We understand th* the Christchurch Hunt Club intend banging their hounds to Oamarn, and givinp two days hunting, on the 14th and ISth nstant. During the m-nth of May there were registered in O-maru 34 births and five deaths, and sevm marriage certificates were issued. The j'rths recorded in May, 1577, numbered 39 and the deaths eight. Palmerstca South appears to be flourishing hnmensily. At a dinner given the other evening to Mr. A. Ross, a farmfr, who is leaving tht district, we observe that one gentlsman proposed the toast of Our Merchant Pn'nces," while another spoke of the Mayor of the borough occupying a similar position to that of the Lord Mayor of LondoJ. Not bad, this ; but then these i were afier-dinner remarks. The returns in connection with the election of a member of the Kakanui Road Board, in the Inchholme sub-division, which took pUce on Monday, were duly received to-day. Mr. Elder, the Returning Officer, stated chat the retiring member, Mr. McDonald, had been re-elected.

A Court of Revision under tlie Counties Act was held to-day before Mr. T. W. Parker, R.M., for the Oliau, Otematakau, Otekaike, Awamoko, Papakaio, V> aiareka, and Kakanni Ridings, for the purpose of hearing and determining applications from ratepayers to be placed oil the roll for the County. s No applicants came forward, and the roll as prepared by Mr. Martin, Clerk to the Council, was duly signed as correct.

The monthly meeting of the Kakanui Road Board, which should have been held to-dav, lapsed in consequence of there not being sufficient members present to form a quorum. The only gentlemen who put in an appearance were Messrs. Elder, Hedley, McAuley, and Thomson. It was decided to adjourn the meeting until this day week.

The AV.iikou.iiti ami Shag Valley Agricultural and Pastoral Association has been the first to decline to entertain the proposal for the formation of a National Association for the Middle Island of the Colony. At the annual meeting of the association, held on Friday last, a lengthy discussion took place upon the subject, after Mr. Church's letter inviting the co-operation of the Association had been read. The proi*>sal was opposed by nearly every member present, the chief reasons urged against the formation of a National Association being the difficulties and expense to be met by owners in taking their stock long journeys for the purpose of exhibition; that the Colony was too young to establish such shows; that the expense of maintaining them would he too great: that nearly all the exhibitH for such shows would be gathered from the neighborhood in which they happened to Ijc held ; and that in the meantime National shows would prove unworkable. It was ultimately resolved that the matter should be left in the hands of the Chairman and Secretary for reply, and the following resolution was carried " That this meeting is of opinion that the time has not arrived .for a Rational Cattle Show ; and that central shows in Dunedin and Christchurch would meet present wants in that respect." j

"We have received from the Railway I Department confirmation of the telegram forwarded us by our own correspondent at Palmeiston to the effect that communication with Dunedin has been arrested by the heavy rains. A land-slip has occurred at Deep Creek, between "Waitati and V\aikouaiti, which has severed communication and stopped the traffic. The damage . will probably -be rectified by Friday next, and till then / coaches will run between Palmerston and Waitati. From latier information received we learn that the embankments between Oamaru and Palmerston are a little shaken here and- there. The damage, however, is not serious as yet, and will perhaps only affect the night traffic for a day or two.

The monthly meeting of the Committee of the Mechanics' Institute will be held tomorrow evoning, at eight o'clock. A meeting of the Council of the "Waitaki County Acclimatisation Society will be held at Messrs. Connell and Clowes' offices on Friday, at 11 a.m.

A meeting of the North Otago Coursing Club will be held at the County Council Chambers at 11 a.m. to-morrow.

The concert >fhich was to have been given in aid of the Ngapara Soaool on Friday evening next has been postponed till Friday week. The late heavy downpour of rain, although such as shruld make us all grateful, is not conducive to the success of entertainments.

We are requested to state that there will be no rehearsal of thi members of the Philharmonic Society tois evening, in consequence of the unfavorable weather. A writes us 3 s follows: j juj given to vflderstand that an influential deputation of the Ngapara residents waited upon Mr. Dsniel O'Kourke, requesting him to come ftrward as a candidate for the vacancy u the Waiareka Road Board, and that he -las happily consented to do so. If Mr. CEourke's well-known abilities as a his talent as a public speaker, his aptitude for business, and above all, his n;iive wit, are worth anything, he should rfeate a stir in any road board in the country.

' A case possessed of some interest to those doing banking business was heard at tlie Dunedin District Court on Monday. Mr. E. Poole, a storekeeper, sought to recover the sum of L'2oo from the Colonial Bank of New Zealand as damages sustained through the bank having dishonored a cheque drawn by plaintiff on the branch of the Bank in Dunedin. From the declaration and the evidence adduced on behalf of the plaintiff, it appeared that Mr. Poole had. made an agreement with the bank, by which he was enabled to overdraw his account to the amount of L 25. On the 4th May he had overdrawn to the amount of Ll9 4s. 2d., and on the same day he drew a cheque for L2, but.this did not appear to have been presented at the bank until the Cth, Op. the 6th May plaintiff drew another cheque for L 5 155., but post-dated it the 7th May. This post-dated cheque was presented at the bank and cashed on the same day, notwithstanding that it had been dated a day later. The cheque for L2 was afterwards dishonored, and for injury done to his credit and reputation in consequence, the plaintiff ; sought to recover damages to the extent of L2OO. Mr. Haggitt, on behalf of tho bank, contended that the plaintiff had brought the injury upon himself, and urged that bankers were not required to look at the dates on cheques—that a cheque without a date was as good as a cheque with a date. He also said that the plaintiff had committed a breach of the law by giving a post-dated cheque. Mr. Denniston maintained that the bank had acted negligently by paying a cheque on the wrong date. Plaintiff and his counsel both stated that the cheque for L 5 los. had been post-dated by mistake. Judge Bathgate having cited authorities, said that according to them there seemed to be nothing wrong in post-dating a cheque, and nothing could be infered or presumed against the drawer for having done so. He also stated that post-dating cheques was a matter of every-day occurrence. The whole thing resolved itself into a mistake on the part of the bank clerk in not having looked at the date on the cheque a3 he should have done. The jury, after a brief consultation, returned a verdict for the plaintiff with L 5 damages and costs.

The Wellington Post lately offered a grave j insult to Mr. Henry Manders, M.H. R., by classing thatgentlemanamongsfc the doubtful members, in writing on what will be the probable strength of parties during the approaching session. The Tuapeka Times, writing for Mr. Manders, says :—"We are pleased to be in a position to inform the Post that as Sir George Grey's Government have adopted the policy advocated by Mr. Manders, that gentleman's intention now is to support the Government." So will the whole Colony be pleased to be assured of the circumstance ; for, although we are not Aware that anybody had much doubt as to what the honorable member would have done, it is well that all suspense lias been dissipated by the welcome intelligence contained in the foregoing few lines. What is j the good of fretting and fuming ir/ search of a policy? Sir George Grey has been anxiously studying and concerting measures for the good government of the Colony, not only since he attained to the position of Premier, but for many years past, whilst if he had only gone to Mr. Mauders all his sweat of intellect might have been averted. There is nothing like having a policy and maintaining it, if it only be to accept the ideas of the Government of the day. We do not, of course, say to what the similarity in the policies of the Government—we beg his pardon, Mr. Manders' and the Government—is due j but we do know that some members are so accommodating in their ideas that they are said to sit on a rail. However, seeing that Sir George Grey has adopted Mr. Manders' ideas,, we may now expect to hear something about extending the fnjnchise'to women.

The regular fortnightly meeting of the Harbor Board will be yield at half-past 10 o'clock on Friday morning, -when in addition to the consideration of certain matters in connection .■ witi the Breakwater, the question of the railway tariff* on the Breakwater .line is likely to again come up. A short while age we commented upon the intended action of tie Governors of the Otago Museum, with Reference to discharging " the' taxidermist connected with that institution. We now learn from the Dunedin Age that the Council of the University has succeeded in retaining -Mr. Jennings as taxidermist to the Museum.

The following is an extract from a letter on "The .Colonies and Representative Institutions " that appeared in the Melbourne Argus, signed " H. C.," which is thought to mean Hugh 'Carletori. The Argus gives a leader on the subject, in which it states that the writer has evidently devoted much time to the consideration of the subject upon which he treats :—" For the embroglios that are thickening around us in the Australasian Colonies our paper constitutions are partly responsible. These bantlings of the Imperial Parliament are abortions. It is doubtful whether the best of them will stand the test of time. And among them ours of New Zealand is about the worst. You have the advantage of us in an elective Upper House, powerful enough, to offer effectual resistance to class legislation. In New Zealand, where a nominee Council may be swamped if it ruffle its feathers with any show of resistance, we have only the Governor to stand between the people and the tyranny of a single Chamber. Fortunately for us, we have an exceptionably courageous man at the helm, but his term of office is drawing to a close." The Ashburton Mail says :—" As an instance of the market value of land in this town and county, we note thst Ml'. Bullock sold on Saturday Mr. Henry Hunt's farm of 90 acres, on Hunt's road, within two miles and a half of the town, to Mr. J. R. Steel, for the high price of L 24 10s. per acre, there being improvements on the farm ; and Mr. Leask's farm of 55 acres, in the same locality, for Ll2 ss. per acre, Mr. T. Clark being the purchaser. On the same occasion section 741, at the corner of Peter-street, on the Town Belt, was sold to Mr. T. Clark for L7o cash.