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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1215, 9 March 1880, Page 2

Wb are tempting "Providence." If any person doubts this, a visit to that part of the Oamaru Creek which extends from the Thames-street bridge to the shingle bar which arrests the creek'B progress towards the sea, sill produce conviction. This part of the creek is thick with impurities of almost every conceivable kind. We take our stand .on * portion of the reclaimed land in HumberrStrAet, not too near the nestiferous pool, lest we should fall a victim to our philanthropy. What meets our gaze here? What assails .our nostrils? An unsightly and unsavory solution, in which are suspended fever genn3 sufficient to vitiate the atmosphere l.of, and spread devastating disease in, a London —under favorable, or, rather, unfavorable, circumstances. How grateful we should be that during the summer season just past plentiful showere of rain «!earcd the atmosphere and diluted and refreshed the waters of this putrid .stream. How particularly grateful for this should bo the inhabitants in its vicinity. We observe that the stream is! running towards Hie sea; but, as the outlet is blocked up,-and it cannot what becomes of the water Jthjm-fAiittid to'-'it? Wfi presnnie' that BMOOSf it drains througn the shingle arid the remainder evaporate*. Thus, the impurities which are washed into the stream aggregate at

should be, and remain there. We need not explain what these impurities are. They are various, and find their -ways into the creeks in a hundred different ways. Whilst inspecting the locality this morning we discovered that a culvert, the debouchure of which is situated on the bank at the end of Tyne-s+reefc, empties its complicated mass of fil.h inn- the creek. Perhaps there was ?, « ni « when this was comparatively immaterial, because the sewage was less in amount and the water of the creek sufficiently pure to drown it. ..But the case is different now. Day by day the water is becoming more impure. The late reclamation has not yet had a mitigating effect. It is a step in the right direction—but only a step. There was, until the earth was lately deposited in the creek, an island at its mouth. The channel that ran round the | northern portion of this island has now I been blocked up. The effect of this is to send the impurities into the corner thus created near Humber-street, and leave them there to fester. Worse still, the deposition of this earth will prevent the floods from having the cleansing effect that they once had, unless they happen to be sufficiently high to overflow the barrier that blocks the northern-.-branch of the channel. It appears to us that it will be necessary to abate this nuisance without delay. The alterations that havejjeerf made by depositing earth da n«fr"Tn the least degree mitigate the evil. Indeed, as we have shown, they have only increased it. Nor can what ,has been done in this respect be deemed as a portion of a wise scheme for abating the nuisance. We are not prepared to suggest a mode of proceedure. That is more the province of a civil engineer. But we do know that a clear channel should be made to the sea, and the northern bank of the creek entirely filled up, or the bank that has been lately placed there removed, so that every portion .of the stream may be subjected to the scour.

The Hampdenites.have been served with very scant courtesy by the Government. Whilst other centres of population in the Colony exa swarming with J.P.'s, not a single resident of Hampden has been invested with the honor and legal power which a J. P.-ship confer. If, however, there was not anything more in the position than the compliment which is paid in conferring it, no one could complain. The Government may not be in love with the Hampdenites. They may feel that the inhabitants of their town and district can claim no favor at their hands. But, even admitting thjs to be the case, we see no reason why it sh.ouki hold back from ministering to Hampden's wants, j To confer an honor is one thing—to per-1 form a duty is another. So far as we can j learn, the Government feels annoyed on account of some real or supposed grievance in connection with the election of Hampden into # municipality. It virtually states as a reason why it should not follow the usual course and proclaim Mr, Mayor Murcott a J.P., that the promotion of Hampden had been effected by gross and that Mr. Murcott had been the chief conspirator. This is very sad, if true. Bat Hampden is a municipality, nevertheless, and, we suppose, it cannot now be deprived of the proud position. Mr. Murcott is also Mayor—the chosen of the people—and I the Government cannot divest him of the powers, vestments, and his office, Disappointed andapnoyed though it may be, it should and pleasantly do its duty, A sepfton of the ! Hampden people may have caught the Government napping; but that is no reason why the settlers of the district should be deprived of the judicial privileges invariably bestowed upon municipalities. If the Government disapproves of Mr. Murcott because he is not sufficiently' moral to be invested with the responsibilities of a J. P.-ship, it should endeavor to find aomeone else after its own heart to fill the position, Jfothing is impossible with Buch a Government as the present. It really is necessary that Hampden should have aJ. P. At present Mr, Parker is compelled to pay a weekly visit to the district. This is an absurd and unnecessary arrangement. It does not entail much expense, but what is expended is thrown away. Busiuess men can easily realise the inconveniences of having to travel a number of miles for a J.P. when one is wanted. We recommend the people not to rest till they get what they want. ■

There is scarcely a town in the Colony that is not at the present moment surcharged with labor. It would not be any exaggeration to say that there'are thousands of artisans and laborers now out of employment in the Colony. It is rather awkward for the Colony that this difficulty has occurred at the present juncture. But it will have to be met, and we know of no other way of meeting it than that which is being adopted. It is the duty of the Government to see that men who have been induced to come to the Colony through' the representations of the emigration agents of the Colony, and in consequence of a liberal immigration policy, do not starve. The Colony occupies the position of a workshop in which the Government are employers and the laborers and artisans are employe's, By inducing these men to come here the Government have rendered themselves responsible for their .employment, for they have virtually engaged them. The position, however, of the Government is a very peculiar one. They will be compelled to adopt a policy the reverse of that whiflh they have enun? ciated. Numerous railways will be com; menced and will be in progress when Parliament meets. Thus the Government will, incur popularity, and at the same time be able to excuse themselves for numerous heavy engagements by referring to the necessity that existed for giving work to the • unemployed. It will, we think, be admitted that the position is a peculiar one, and that it will be pregnant ' with most undesirable consequences. The question that will have to be considered during the next session of Parliament will be, To what extent are the Government responsible for the heavy expenditure, on railways the construction of of. «rhich should not have been com-i menced. tfon/ij'dermg the circumstances of! the Colony, and the eomple:ion of which will not be possible for years.

As yet nothing has been done with regard to the three little children named Young, whose- parents have deserted them. As mentioned previously, a telegram was sent to Dunedin to ascertain if accommodation could be provided for the little waifs in the Industrial School, and to this a reply lias been received Btating that there is not room for them in the institution. The authorities are therefore in a quandary 1 as to what course to adopt. Mrs. Sullivan, who lias had charge of the children for some time, and who has been in receipt of a weekly allowance for their maintenance from the Benevolent Society, declines to have anything further to do with them, the. BenevoJentfSocfety declining to continue the weekly payment, It has, however, been arranged that Mrs. Sullivan shall keep charge of the children until Monday next; and; that the Society shall pay for the week the usual sum. The children will be brouglit up at Court again on Monday next. A special meeting of the Loyal Alfred Lodg?, 1.0.0. F., will he held to-morrow, evening, at ojght o'clock. The business is highly impoitant, and a full attendance of members is desired.

We remincd our sporting readers, and especially owners of local horses, that the entries for the Mniden Plate and Novel Race will close at the Club House, Empire Hotel, on Friday next, the 12th instant. The North Otago Horticultural Society's Autumn Show will be held on the 20fch inat. We are glad to learn that.there-ia every indication that the array of fruit, pot plants, and cut flowers will, notwithstandtf gfltf drynesaof the past few| weeka. be large

and the quality of the exhibits fully.equal/ if not superior, to: the exhibits of previous shows. Intending exhibitors are particularly requested:to send particulars of their exhibits, to "the Secretary, care of - - Mr. Falconer/ seedsman, Thames-street, at least two days before the show, so that the necessary staging room may be provided. A c icket mttch was played on the 6th inst., on the Oval, Dunedin, between an eleven from Orakanui C-liege and an eleven from the Normal School, resulting in an' easy win for the College. For the College the Rev. R. L. : Stanford and Messrs.'M'Lean and Borton played well, and for the Normal School, Messrs. Knox, Rosa, and Montgomery played very fairly. The following are the totals :—Orakanui College, 96; Normal School, 57. The St. Paul's Young Men's Association has been revived, and there was a very fair attendance at the meeting last evening. The Rev. A. B. Todd occupied the chair, and the evening was spent pleasantly, selections and readings from the "Life of Lord Macaulay" being given. Mr. M'Donald was chosen secretary. The subject for. the next meeting will be " A Nightwith Scott.",j The householders of Teaneraki andNgapara elected their school committees on Saturday evening, as follow :—Teaneraki Messrs, tees, Mee.k, Sjnplair, Rainfp.r-tli, Falconer, Burns, and Henderson. Ngapara~-Messrs. H. Roxbujg< , Trßeid, W. Cruickshanks, J. W. Gruar, J. Collie, and W. j Some amusement was occasioned in the Court to-day during the hearing of the charge of larceny preferred against the notorious John Madden, "When the. arresting constable praduoed some false die found upon the prisoner, the latter declaimed strongly against such damning evidence of his bad character being produced, against him, asserting that it had ho connection with the case. The indignant tone and' the virtuous,appearance of Madden, when h<?, declared that such a proceeding would not be allowed in any other court of law in the wqrjd, was top much for the. risibility pf the large audience, and drew forth a roar of laughter. Madden renewed the merriment when he said that if he had'stolen the watch he would not have allowed the constable to arrest him with the stolen property upon him.. »Ibaye,"§aid he, "had too much experience, to do such a thing as that." Everyone in Court laughed heartily, for everyone thoroughly believed Madden- to have spoken the truth for once. ' One of the prisoner's witnesses, Jane Paul, also created a great amount of-amusement by the. ludicrous manner iji which she gave'her evidence, more especially when under tion. In reply, to Mr. Newton's first question as to whether she was a married woman, the witness replied that she had been married at Home, that she had left her husband there, and that she did not know : whether he was alive or dead. . The witness then laughed immoderately, but her tune was changed when Mr. Newton asked that the reply might be taken down. ] The witness tljen begged that the statement might not be takep dpwn. "Jf you do that," she said, "I shall be perjure;!. The laughter was now very great, but it increased when'the witness was forced to admit that.she'had told an untruth, and beggedtohavethecorrect statement put down. Mr.Newton then asked the witnessif she was not intoxicated, and she indignaptly • denied the soft impeachment, and offered to bef; the learned counsel LI that she. was'nqt drunk; Of. course Mr. Newton declined to accept the challenge, as he also did when the witness challenged him to, a trial }n the street as tp who could walk the' straightest. Had not the whole of the surroundings of the case been of a shockingly immoral nature, the Court to-day would have been better than a play. Shorthorns won at the annual Smithfield ,Glub'~Fat Stock Shows, from IS3O to 1879, thirty of a possible forty-nine champion prizes. It does not pay to feed bad hay to stock. It not only lacks proper nourishment, but may engender disease. Gqod straw and cornstalks' are by far to be preferred to spoiled hay. The s.s. Tararua brought from Hobart Town last week 37 valuable merino sheep, viz., two rams and 35 ewes. They are from the flock of Mr. James Gibson, and were purchased from that gentleman at a very high figure by Messrs. G. and F. G-. Bullen, of Kaikoura.

The Czar, Alexander 11., is said to have found the following letter on his_ dressingtable, after the late attempt on his life: —"To Alexander n., Etngeror of all the Russias. Sire,—For the fifth time fate, has preserved you from the stroke of justice. . There were five decrees dictated by the law of humanity, a law which you no longer recognise. You know our'power and determination. Beware of the sixth decree ! ■■ Do you wish to be a great monarch ? Do you wish all the Russian people to acclaim you and recognise you as their father ? Do you wish that those who strike to-day shall become apostles instead of executioners ? If you do, then cease to be a tyrant and become a man, and render to your subjects what belongs to man by the law. of nature —namely, liberty. It is not your person that we attack, but your principles. So long as you l-emain as you are, our judgment will he always the same. Saved to-day, ypu will perish to-morrow. Neither death no? persecution will stay our arms. You posses brute force; we possess moral force. We have sworn to vanquish, and we must carry off the victory in the end. The first spostles of Christianity perished at the stake ; their martyrdom was- the cause of the ruin of Rome. Beware and reflect!— The Governing Committee."