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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1091, 17 October 1879, Page 2

Mr. F. Whi taker, it seems, felt it necessary to adduce some cxensc for his presence as conductor of business for the Government in the Council, ilo. thereiore, referred to the fact that he had been appointed by Sir George Grey as a member of the first Legislative Assembly, and that his present position was due to the fact that it was necessary that tin* person leading the Council should also be Attorney-General. For the sake of Mr. Whitaker r.rnl the Government. it is to be deplored that these are the only reasons that can be given for the very extraordinary proceeding of placing Mr. Whitaker in his present position. It Lf now understood that Messrs. 11. Driver and Caughan will vote with the Opposition. Color is given to this vit'W bj Mr. Driver's action in recommending the Government to allow the jto-confidcnce motion to go to the vote without further delay.

j The annual general meeting of the Oamaru 'Caledonian Society is announced to take 1 place at the Criterion Hotel, at half-past 7 | this evening. j We would remind our readers, and especially attendants of the Episcopalian | Church, that the annual services in conInection with the dedication of St. Lukes wilt be held on Sunday lie it, the 19th i trust. The Kev. Mr. Gilford will preach morning arid evening, and there will be special ©tfert< ries. Messrs. Jam-.; Craig, Curc:-. and Draper, the deputation appointed to wait on Mr. Hattnay. traffic manager, with reference to the charges lately levied for goods! delivered at railway sidings, met with a very courteoiu reception. Mr. Hannay explained his intentions with regard to the sidings, and also made several suggestions, for which the deputation thanked him and withdrew. The fortnightly meeting of the Harbor Board, called for to-day, lapsed owing to there not being sufficient itifr/fdjers present to form a ijuorum. The only members who attended were Messrs. Sumpter, Gibba, and f Mentove- | A scratch match will be played by the | members' of the Excelsior Cricket Club on . the Old Cricket Ground on .Saturday after-1 noon. Play will commence at 2.30. j At the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day, [ before T. W. Parker, Ksfj., K.M., John j Kelly was charged with having been illegally on the premises of Mr. Robert Blair, Cornet-street. at an early hour on the morning of the Ifith inst. Prosecutor deposed to having been aroused by the barking of his dog, and on searching the premises, dis-

covered the prisoner in the wash-house. Prisoner gave a3 an excuse tliat lie had mt33«d his. way. Two previous convictions were proved against prisoner, who was sentence*! to three day a imprisonment. The Ashburton Mail says The crops are realising the advantage of most seasonable weather. Heavy showers have succeeded the warm weather of last week, and all binds of vegetation have profited. The wheat and barley crops in aome paddocks are folly IS inches high. The weather yesterday w?s (showery. T7ie Court Circular's correspondent, " Fl.uwur." says :—" I see that American ladies are reviving the fan drill, a kind of

a nut-lenient upon which Addison dilated in the 'Spectator' when he »|>okc of private meetings to exerciae fan.-«. The American ladies it would avem, huwever, practise in ! public; for I see that at the recent ' car- j nival of authors," celebrated in the Horti- j cultural Hall of Philadelphia, a squad of' charming young ladies performed the following evolutions : Kntranee march, the audacious t'irt. handle vour fans, unfurl year fan,*, (Sutter your fans, the majestic I wave, the ccornful wave, the co<jtiett:sh flatter, the bashful flutter. the angnr flutter, the merry flutter, the amorous Butter, the repellent tlutcer. gossip, salute, present J your fans, shoulder your fans, cany your j fans, furl your fans, charge your fans, discharge your fans, ground your fans, march, !.r«txeat, triumph, surrender, recover your {ana, the greeting, farewell, salute, the Parthian retreat. This would be rather itmmpnff at .a jjjhl the gentlemen might easy to look .op fpi manoeuvres."

Ifc would seem as though the various Australasian Governments were resolved on the destruction of their credit in the London money market. Only a few months have elapsed since loans to the aggregate amount of nearly L 10,000,000 were negotiated here, and now we learn that arrangements are actually being matured for further heavy demands upon the financial resources of the Old Country. If the telegraphic advices which have readied us are to be credited, tii• - Legislatures of Queeiisland. New South Wales, and New Zealand have authorised Ihe Governments of their respective Colonies lo borrow no less than LI ">,000,000 between tin-in. Happily, owing to the engagement entered into with the associated banks by Mr. Berry, Victoria is debarred from joining in this formidable raid upon our loanable reserves. It is to be feared that past successes, achieved under exceptionally favorable circumstances, have given the colonists the impression that they can have anything they chose to ask for. New South \\ ales ought to be especially warned not to compromise her fine position. Her last loan was one of the most splendid triumphs in the annals of finance; but, although the amount was eagerly subscribed, it should not be forgotten that the bulk of the loan was taken in huge lumps by financial houses, and has not yet found its way to any satisfactory extent into the hauds of the public. The speculators in the loan arc by no means pleased with their bargain. Instead of making a profit by the sale of the debentures, the market price lias for some time past teen lower than the issue price. Under these circumstances it cannot be expected that the members of the Stock Exchange will look with favor upon proposals for a fresh issue of stock so long as the market is clutted with the unsaid debentures of the fast 4 per cent. loan. There is no remedy for this state of things but patience and self restraint on tlio part of the borrowing Governments. Should the Colonies to which I have referred make an early appeal to our money market for such gigantic amounts as have been contemplated, I am quite sure the attempt will receive the utmost discouragement from all our leading monetary organs. London Correspondent of the Melbourne Argus.