The Oamaru Mail. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1140, 10 December 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10, 1879.

TJic indiatiin given by the Minister lor Pabttc U'orka in ha statement of the manner to which the Government intends to #<lraitifater th«r wa.*tr lanirt of th»-' Colony shows that wijrlom is fvutiiri.- ground ii» our Parliament. Not«iSh«tnt!ing tiat the carth|io»gcrof a section of northerners has been afetisficd. lad miilicD*of acres alienated from the ' ntaiT tn the operation, therr is v«*t >fl»! it M W«"l" tltat it ' Ma.tr in r.

I Th>' r« •' «rn tn •-i. st»-i c irrv." i. ■ ' feJ.t ure.:' in the ''t • • where ,wt Whrr. it *:••»!. it if th± po'-ry ahnv .-,tt o{h->fM t':*Xt th- C v re • ; ijr.iKn. it Sfc; liovftmiwiit rti'l n<>6 fiiter irt.>:v v fch-y t|r».:rv.".TMlit f«rhsv;n- u ' st» valuable an it'-tft fr"tu the p-i^rver'i.-i>i th"tr pcK»l»'t;«w>r3. It wmiM be ftstite i to cnsp»s»r to travel thrwirhwit the length anil Ucuttli of the I'nitot ! tt>s«6 forth the l advantages of small capital:?; i farmers maktti? their home in New Zealand, if w« have nothing lifter to offer tilt-in than land rmt of which speculators are desirous of making protita so fat that no one that is foot etwagh to pay them can, by any agricultural process, get a hare unbtftstciice. Land at f~f) to L 2'» per ncn is not, however. likely to tempt anylxxlv in the Old Coantry whilst he can get jteiaewlicre at so 1 many shillings. The administration of our laud.* from iw„'sniting to end has* been a huge tnimtafep l . Kvcry facility slionld have l>eeri j offers! to colonists and outsiders for the awfttinrment of land at rcas-enble ntos. Th«y s>hntthl not Iwr railed upon to {my pri* that have Iwro computed so as to shift on to their ghonld-r* an unfair proportion of the httfthen of the Colony's indebtedness on account of the Public W orfcs Policy, an«l leave them with no other resource bnt to seek an asylum in one of our financial institutions, and to suffer in the end curtain rain. The Government should open tif* and set apart largi? Mocks of land lor settlement, and they should submitted to public competition under such restrictions as to prevent tiicin falling in Urge portions into the hands of speculators. Tftw fias not been systematically done. Investors have come here intending to settle, bat have gone away again with their money in their pockets. It is to l»C hoped for the Colony's -sake that the deputation from t iie j Linrolnahire farmers will meet with a cordial reception, and ofFerud every facility for th»? ancomplishmcnt of the object tiicy have in view. Their success would ntean the importation of a large amount of foreign cnpiital from other quarters, and the settlement and development of the agricultural and pastoral resources of the country. ! Capital and an addition to onr army of producers would he a sovereign remedy lor every malady from which we are diilfcring. A meeting of the Oamanr-N.iscby Railway Committee was held j to-<iav at .Mr. Sumpter's office. Tin re wi re present —Messrs. Gtbbs (Chairman*. I'ud. j Steward. Pennison, Brown, and Sinm.tor j (Hon. »eer«tnry). Some com-snonderice Elaving lieen read and information placed l»e----forc the Committee, the several matt era were dealt with in the following resolutions:— "That the following telegram be sent to Mr. IVLatttonr. M.11.K.' Ilave received short tettf.craro from Mr. Shrimski stating tn.-.t Minister absolutely refused to assist._ Committee earnestly retjuest you. ao being less ioollv inlenatpl, to urge uj>oi« Mini.-t<-r to 2« t ttnancml help to settle survey. Tailing | kclv. try to get sun* plved upon Supplcmen- | tary B«6t«»atcsf your-wfE. Ple.w* rejuy tmroe«iiately. Coiumittec meet t©itj»ifcler your answer. State if prosjieoc ot success and whether you can recoic::ie:id any otiwT course that we can take to heh) ytti.—O. Srjtrrf.K. Hon. Sec. Katlw av Committee. ' "That it be nrpjiifty represented to the Minister for I'ublic orks that the I ommittee is n possession of information which showed conclrtstvelv that the fevels at which the \Vm.tsnr-f.ivtnp,tonc lino is Win'.' nin wilt, it .vlhere»t toJ'r» [»i.'i- it_ !iii|wM«;iMe lt> i : m-rrv" on the* t-% . fntnre time wit!n>ut .-.itenr.g the levt-.r n: th-j '[v • intt'W nearest ' L these five miles of the Wjntlsor-Living.-f>>tn-1 line ace as yet untouched, tiic* * " ! * tniCtee Mrtiratly nrgeS that l>« % fore . 'tttni. any part of this mil-age a survey be or.-erct. with a view to the line tv;ng compb-Ud t° Ltvinsrstone on such a level as will cn.ibl a ano-l starting point for the extensio:! to Kasebv to be reached. the ( cmmittet: h;ive ascerta:t>.:d thnt the •jiic.-t making the line to be at any future tin..: tended toXatby has not tiec# taken account in making the survey for the \> ;n»t.-"r-Livincstone line, and they leani that then wnttW be no ilitlieulty at the present stage of running the remainder of the line on ; _ :i _''h tevets as won Id suit S>teh '-j-teusio!!. t'emnvittee therefore earnestly urge that the necessary instructions may be given.'' " That an adj'wnicd meeting of this t 'omriiittee b«r held to-worrow, nt 11, and in the event ot no satisfactory' rtply Iwing by that time received, then that the chairman be requested to jitoc d to Wellington forthwith ! tf> endeiivor to urge on the Minister for Works the necessity of causing the levels of the remaining iivc miles of the WindsorLivingstone tine to be revised, and work in the meantime, on that portion, to be postponed : also, to endeavor to induce Mr. De Lantour and the mcnil>erß for the district to do all in their power to secure the placing of LSUO on the Supplementary Estimates for the purpose of causing a complete survey for the extension to Kyebnni to be made." The service on Christmas eve at St. Luke's Chtireh will consist of carols and selections from the " Messiah." his will be the first eand service ever held in. Oaniaru. The following members have lieen chosen to represent the Oamaru Cricket Club in the iii itch against thu «"liristchurch College Club, to W pl ayed on Saturday next Messrs. h. Booth, Crearfi, de Lantour, F. Fcnwich. G. Fenwick. Grieg. G. Millington. J. Millington. Rice, Sumpter, and Walls. Kpiergenc j,»j Messrs. Coates and Lintott. I'iay Will commence at 12 o'clock. ... The Kakanni Prnmatic Club intend giving a performance on Boxing Night in aid < of_the w-uiow and family of the late W dliam M'Kenzie. We hojie tliat the efforts of the flnb •will be secouded by the pnbiic, and that the entertainment will prove a financial *UCC«9c*. 3fat!st for t!ic Atiatralian Colonics?. i»er -\lbtott, close at the WutT on Friday, at 11..10 a.m. . At the R.M. Court this morning, before ! G«orEC Snmptcr, E3<|., Tliomas Ilenrjj Smith, for beint: drunk and disorderly in j Itehen-strect yestenlay, was discharged with a caution. Henry Fell was charged with that lie did. at Pnncdin, forge the name of James Wilson and Co. to a certain cheque on the Bank of New Zealand for the sum of _l>7 ICter. Accused was remanded till the 17th I We have received from Mr. B. W . Hayes | a neat card pocket almanac for ISSO. It is printed in colors, and the calendar is so arranged that the day of the month can be ascertained at a glance. I The recnlar monthly meeting of the Waitaki Koad Boani was held yesterday, when there were present—Messrs. Connell fChairman), Stewart, Hall, Borrie, Sinillic, Snmptcr, Sehluler. Borton, Procter, Dnncan, anjd Oliver <Engineer). Ti»e minutes of last meeting were read and continued, and the orjt«'ard corrcspoßdcnce was rend and apptiiVeJ. A letter was nveived from Cavil-15 vritb referop.ee to tite rr.iiwr.y eru.-i----i;:g in block Avvaftsp'.o, infomiing tile r..Mrd that the crowing '.vouhl lie shifted ok t.> the road tine in the cotfr"*" ff r. few •«;«>>. J |c n-'-t .-it.-.:ed tthe ;:t.Ttt -v h.-I .'.lr.:r.ily J b,-.-:: attWidfl/..'. tr- f::-; C«v;tvtv Cruue!* v .r te :''-W!r."rc .i r. -juest j of thc'Waiinate t'er.nty C.v.t n e:l tb.V: reti..-as ; of tlur amouat-i e:.j>c:uL.:i Ly t u .i .-cvera. j K->ati lV.mls in this l.Vu'ity - !-: -Ian:;;iry. be forrrard-'rt. together v.-.th a I'st j r.f the nt«rd» efticers, with the amount >.i j their respective salaries. After discu.-sioii | U v.-as rfbolvckt that the n.,jue<.t U: devltue.i j aatil so;::e rcasor. was ss:p;/!ie«! :">r asking j for the: infornsattoii. The p.nginter v»as cn> ixmtriv! to call f-r tender? for the formation ■ i; a ro;'.d-line in block 4, Pspikaio. _ The nueudiera for the Wcvuiontli Subdivinion were empowered to expend the sum of L 7 on repairing crossing on road-line between Mocks 5 and S, Pa;»kaio. The following tenders were accepted :—Contract 11, Thos. Flaherty, L2« 2» W ; contract 7S, Rooney and Slattery, L 167 Ss. The Chairman and Kpjl'nwr were appointed to wait on the

I Tow. t' ;;;i with reference to the coni -»trunt .'Jti of r. over lace at Awamoko. 11; w.v-. rk-.ii!! .f7 call tenders for the

:of a f jt[>-i ! '.. I.i Lar.don. The • irn;t!.T_": of a!i if, : ■ll int. iMwh in Lnndon was-- rrliiTi.d t-7 tii'; . .nb-r for the Subdivision Snvc i'. carried oat.' Accmnti aii.otst.'i*;i-"■•'>'■ l--' "• vi r ' ; passed "for pnynr.-n". . >•! r. • jte of thanks havitii' n accord* ,U. ciinir the meeting terminated. \\c team tf:a" .Vr. i "iv/ard A. Gifford has been busy in iii- ; :-tud;o of Sate. Iu additipn to the works lately balloted fvr in" the litet annual Giifoni art-umon he has sent,forward pictures to both the Sydney and the Melbourne Kxhibitions. In the Fine Court of the f'-rmer the paintings by \odt Focal r r - T -lit ir;tve heen reeeived. a:"T. ; frj:t» v.l.nt onr Sydney corresp • - v. *.v«r are dispesed to believe tl: . : K::.-I r -V ;".:r;:tat:on v/hteit i.r«. ; 'ht «.n* v.ith ,-hiin -is llkfcly to r.er;i.iv« ail.iitwiiiViitr^^^rH-hisNewKi^lSwdp. l !.'' dr. ;"».ns'. W. : have I-.'-n favored witl UifTord it'.v ",t wo;-R*H»f.:i for the I.'unedin Kxhibiri'.ti r.f tlr.-i month. There are four in ally .1..' the are the subjects "A fMMUUs on Thauie#-uear Graveseiul V'..'i.Latitude :"dez- South, Longitude iOdeg. Fast, or the Tropical"Sunset, June IS An Afternoon in Spring, near Florence and "On tile Coast near Moeraki.'' c have been requested to refrain from parsing any opinion uiwn these works until after the openintr day, when, however, we hope to have the privilege of criticising them. The Oaniaru portion of the Dttnedin's immi'_Tants arrived by tiie afternoon train, being all nominated. They went direct to their friends.

Tlie rhilharmonic Society's weekly prac tic: will be Jield this evening, and will com prise all the pieces to be given at the forthcoining cone rt.

Wolverhampton, Fturland. is a cjrcp.t centre for horseshoes, yet the Wolverlianipton Tramway Company, and certain of the the London and Liverjiool tramway companies, use American shoes, saying they are chcajier and better. The first-mentioned company have entered into a 12 months' contract with a New York gentleman for supplies of shoes. The works now in course of execution in Paris, in the Pnvillion of Flora an<l ill the wing of the Tuilerics bordering on the Seine, have brought to light a number of secret stairways and passages, the existence of which was unknown even to the keepers the cellars form a perfect labyrinth. The old Louvre, built under Francis, I. is honeycombed with secret passages and staircases, aud it was in these places that the most of the artistic riches of the museum were hidden in 1870, when the Prussians were advancing on Pari». The veracious Wellington correspondent of the Timaru Herald'says : —The raising of the exemption from property tax from' L3OO to LiiOO has uiven a good deal of dissatisfaction, and notice has heen given of a motion to recommit the Bill, and to resort to the original nmount. -The Opposition aim at altering the Bill, so as to make the property tax very much the same tiling as the land tax. instead of being as the Government intended it to be, a tax falling fairly upon all.

The following appeared in the Melbourne Argus of :he 27th" November By private rolegrnm an important item of intelligence has just been received. It is communicated that the directors of the Union Bank of Australia, now an unlimited bank, intend to take advantage of the Act recently passed by the Imperial Legislature, and to register the l»ank under the Companies Acts ISO'2 to IS7'.', increasing the amount of the shares from L2."). the present paid-up amount, to L7-*i each, the additional L-"i 0 per share being intended to l>r exeic iivdv guarantee or •" 11 el M-" cani*.;d. I7:idei lii>- .iiteiiiieil re-

1 jL-tr.i-.ioi:. the pa r i!-;:p capital u ill be as at ! present, Ll.'itO.OlJO ; the paid-up reserve i ttuid as at present, LSOO.OOO: the new j reserve or guarantee capital, L 3,000,000 [ The total paid-up and subscribed capital and j reserve will be L 0,300,000. The shareholders will thus know precisely the limit of their res|»jnsibility. and the public will be | guaranteed to tins extent of f.3,500,000 over i and above the paid-up capita! of the bank, i A .-i ei iV-.I meeting of the .shareholders is j j called for i litii January next, in London, to j i <-!~;'.-et to the |iropo.ia!.i of the directors. | T:ic tendency of this most desirable proi ceding will be to do away with any deter- | rent iiitiueiice attaching to unlimited "liability f in the minds of inv...-tors. and to maintain the ,-itr.re list in a L-!.ie(. ry p.jMtiou as to ! the wealth an I p■sp-etabiiity of the proI prictor.s. t Tlie Wellington correspondent of the j Lyttclton Time.-- sends that paper the fol'The fol'.i'V. ini' amendments were I m.nir- in I o:;:i.ii:tce on the Property Assessment Hill : -I iau.-sc i'i. every company shall lie liable to taxation on it.s capital, viz., the : alance of assets over liabilities of cotnpany wa- struck out. Ciaus.- 12 was made to read ;-.,s follows :—Mort:;a_-i s of any land shall, ;t! respect of such huni. be liable to taxation | niily »n the di!;'.-r. !-■ ■■ .v.-n the whole j v.dr.r of the land n:oit -1 and the amount •'i money advanced on the ni'irtgage of the la.id. provided that in every sueii case the mortgagor ihali ajipeiid to the statement of property belong;..:/ to him the names aud addresses of the re.'pecu. e mortgages." In view of the fact that it is well understood now that the Property Tax Bill lias been introduced by the Government rather with the view of testing the feeling of the House aud of the country as to that special form of taxation than of actually putting it in force, members arc getting terribly weary of the debate. Ministers are in hopps that a good harvest, improved market at Home, and a generally brighter prospect will obviate the necessity of imposing the tax. It is of interest (.ays the London Daily Xi;ws) to notice the action of War Department upon >he reiterated complaints of damage done io in the Plumstcad Marsh district by flte vibration of the firing of the SO and 100 ton guns, it has been ascertained that by the firinu of these guns the iron plates of the gasholders bulge in to the extentof half an inch, and this, of course, may be productive of disastrous consequences. Notice has also been taken of the effect of the firing of heavy ordnance on passing vessels, and it is stated that at the moment a 100-ton gun is tired a -i earner or other vessel passing up or uuwn the river makes a leap. Such a tiling has happened as a heavy gun wheeling rounil while being tested, and attention is called to the possibility of the 100-ton gun turning in the direction of London. and a shot weighing about a ton finding its way into the heart of the city. Ifc is natnraily thought by Londoners that the time has arrived when it is necessary to remove the Government proof butts out of the metropolitan area to some site remote from human dwellings.

The Lyttclton Times says :—Our Waimate correspondent writes:—On. Monday a Waimate bank clerk took advantage of the bank holiday and paid a visit to stone city, lmt finding things as dull there as the place he left, he amused iiinjsclf by sauntering up'and down the main, street admiring the architecture of the buildings and fancifully decorated shop windows. In doing so he wan suddenly accosted by a—(l had almost Said gentleman) policeman in' disguise, 'when tlie following' dialogue ensued.:—Detective: "I be» ypur pardon, sir, is your name Watkins?' ..Bank clerk; "No, iny name is Detective: " Well, I niaJy tell ydn I "am a' detective, and you answer the description of a person I am looking for, and—' At this juncture the bank clerk's face turned crimson with fear of In ing innocently locked up for the aitrht, which"the vigilant ußicer mistook for ; a a ;;uilt; but happily, at that moment a hr >:her bauker came upon the scene, and proved to the satisfaction of the detective tji.-.t he bad cot the wrong man, whereupon '.h'-y !:ti's ami adjourned to the : '• where the agitated feelings >,"" l' • I ■ and the disappointment of tpi- •. .7.1 bv an application i