Untitled

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1271, 4 May 1880, Page 2

The advocates of Bible reading in schools have found a powerful ally. During his speech at the opening pi the Normal School at Wellington, yesterday, his Excellency the Governor, we are told by telegram, advocated the reading of the Bible in schools. The Government have apparently become convinced that the working men of the Colony are not so frugal as they might be, and that they do not make that provision for the future that begets independence and avoids misery. With a view to offering facilities for saving money, it has been decided by the Goyernpjent to keep the Post Office Savings Banks open from 6.30 to 7.45 p.m. on Saturdays. This is being done as an experiment, and we shall be pleased to. see it "prove successful. We shall watch with considerable interest the result of this

experiment. At about 6 o'clock this morning a fire broke out in the dwelling-house belonging to Mr. Henry Manchester, situate in Highstreet, Waimate, which resulted in the total destruction of the premises. Mr. Manchester was from home at the time, and Mrs. Manchester was aroused through experiencing a suffocating sensation. She quickly awoke her sister, who was staying with her, and they with the children (four in number) barely escaped from the ignited building in their night-dresses. The origin of the fire is enveloped in the usual mystery, The premises were insured fpr Ll5O, but in what office was unknown when our correspondent forwarded us the above brief particulars, A shop in the occupation of Mr. John Green, tentmaker adjoining, nairowly escaped destruction, which may be attributed to the total .abjsepce gt wind. The usual monthly meetjijg gf tlieKakanui Road Board will be held in the offices, Tynestreet, to-morrow, at 2 p.m.

In future the Post Office, Oamaru, will be open on Saturday evenings from 6.30 p.m. to 7.45 p.m. for the reception of Savings Bank deposits only, The farmers of Auckland are mee£jng with bad luck in more ways than one. Pleuropneumonia is obtaining a strong hold afnongst thfe cattle of the W a ikato- district,, and one would think that this slice of misfortune was sufficient evil for the day. Now, however, we learn that the caterpillar pest is working its direful ravages in the soutf) pf the Province. By an unfortunate accident Mr. Ronayne's slut Kathleen will be shjit out from competing during the approaching coursing season. - Yesterday, whilst trying her with a number of other coursers, on rugged, stony ground, one of her fore-legs came in contact with a stone, thereby stripping off the flesh and laying bare the sinews. It is hoped, and, indeed, expected, that the J jnjupy will only be temporary, and that sh.e will be ablp to re-enter the field and display her prowess next year. Mr. Ronayne will be a considerable losep by the accident, as he will be deprived of the services of as fine a little slut as ever looked. through the slips. Kathleen has Jjeen a good consistent performer, and. has ran many fine courses, her iriost brilliant performances being in the Waterloo Cup last season, in which she was runner-up, and the Canterbury Cup, which she divided with her kennel companion Camelia. Last evening No. i Company and the Citizen Cadets paraded op the old Cricket Ground-for the purpose of going through evolutions preliminary to the review to be held on the Queen's Birthday. The corps ! were put through a number of movements by Drill-Instructor M Thereon, and acquitted themselves very creditably.

i. ;^Gaptaii;Edwin( telegrapha:—"Bad weather from any 1 directioa northwest and west and south/- 7flOie|e?jwill' I be a farther fall'ofi the glass, but it will*rise ; . i again jwithin 12 irours.' Expect rising" 5 sea ; | and much rain." ' | An anniversary entertainment wilf be i given on the 24th May next at Ngapara, in I connection with the Public Library of that township.

We have-been favored -with an'-inspection of the goldJoracelet to D. Kett, of -.the Royal the winner of the JPuppy.l jßtakes, .to. be run_for to-, morrow. The bracelet is of solid gold, of a very neat pattern, with a centre piece, in which are set three pearls. It is a prize well worth struggling for, and the sportsman who is fortunate enough to become the winner might be proud of becoming the possessor of a trophy alike valuable, ornamental and useful. The bracelet is valued at L 5 5s and Mr. Kett is to be complimented upon seeking to promote an interest in a sport that is above all others free from the vice, of gambling.

The North Otago Coursing Club will open the season to-morrow witl> a Puppy Stakes and Vice-President's Plate. The meet will take place in the paddock of the Awamoa Estate, near the plantation, and the public will enter at the fropt gate. Mr. Wise, who arrived from Victoria iinder engagement to the united clubs, will act as judge. It is particularly requested that owners Tfill have their dogs on the ground early. The first pair will be placed in the slips at 9 o'clock sharp.

• We have been favored with an inspection of the plans for the new South School, which have been prepared by Mr, Somerville, The front elevation of the building shows wings on both sides, and a protuberance in the centre formed by the projection of the head master's room is 102 feet in length, and will have a bellfry in the centre. The wings will be 76 feet in depth, and will contain two class-rooms, each 30 feet by 22 feet. The pOrtion of thebuildingwill consistof capacious passages leading into all the rooms and a classroom of the same dimensions as the others. The whole school will be somewhat ventilated by means of the passages; but, in order to ensure an p,mple supply of fregh air a puniber of ventilators will be placed in the roof. There will also be a fireplace in each of the rooms. Each room will comfortably seat 100 children, so that the school will aeoom? modate 500 scholars. The building will be lofty, convenient, and handsome. It will be constructed of Oamaru stone, with Port Chalmers blue-stone facings, corners, and sills. Tenders wj}l be inyited for the construction of the building within a few days.

It will be remembered that one of -the many false accusations that were laid to the charge of Sir George Grey was .that ,he had paid Captain Barry's passage money to and from England out of public funds. In writing of this subject; the Dunedin: Star (which does . not : sympathise with Sir George Grey) says Captain " Barry should at his lecture take advantage of the opportunity to make the admis? sion he ought to have made long ago, in justice to his patron," that his passage money to England was not defrayed by the then Government, but out of the private purse of Sir George Grey. ' ; The Dunedin EJcho says ;—W e trust that Mr, Hislop may yet see his way to remaijiin the House during next session. He is a most useful member, and his liberalism being founded on a wide study of sociology, is not liable to the fits-'and starts of opinion that are common enough amongst uneducated men. He is riot found, like some' Dunedin newspaper editors, praising up one thing one month and condemning it the next. ' We believe Mr, Hislop, if he remains, in the House, will yet 'take a foremost place in the Liberal ranks. The House could better spare many members we could name.

Mr. W. A. Murray will riot," he says, be able to find time to.favOr the electors- of Bruce with a pre-sessional address this year, in consequence of his engagements as a Royal Commissioner. TJie electors of Bruce are, of course, dejected because qf their depriya? tion of an intellectual treat'.

An exchange says that it has.been cqnir puted that it would take all the proceeds of wheat (at 4s), all the oats (at Is 3d), and a large proportion of the barley, grown in Canterbury this year, to pay the interest on the public loans. On the subject of the political situation the New Zealand Times writes :—Upon one point there is remarkable agreement amongst the various section's ofthe public Press of .the Colony, and that, i 3 confidence. ; in...the present Government. With one or two very singular exceptions, papers support the Government, for it is felt that only thoroughly tried and respectable men may be entrusted with the guidance of the ship of state just npw. Still the Hall Ministry is not immaculate, and will peed tjie coun T terpoise of an Opposition—not a factious, quarrelsome party " clique but an Opposition actuated by a desire to promote good government. Such an Opposition is, we believe, in course of formation, and and all others having the Colony ? s good at tyeart trust it will be able to keep the Gpyernpjent in order. At the same time there is little or no pros bability of any political " high falutin " this session. There is too much sober reality about the legislation of the day; finance and the Native question should effectually steady Parliament, and we believe will, and also that on both those sub? jects, especially the latter, the Ministry will be very strong. So far their Native policy has been quite a success, and a complete settlement of. the difficulty that has so long agitated the Colony is looked to ? and at no di.-tant date.

We (the Dunedin Echo) hope some member pf Parliament will enquire why Major Kemp was dismissed. It hag been said that had he consented to the Government allow? ing Messrs. Moorhouse and Studholme to acquire the Murimotu block, he would not have been dismissed. It is peculiar that so soon as he declines to allow the lands to go to the speculators, he gets his dismissal for insubordination. This should have been remembered that no Maori was sq braye, and none fought so well for the Pakehas, as KemPr Colonel Whitmore has often stated that Ketnp was tjip bravest he ever met. But then he should have seen thp need of big-block settlement. Who knows whether he might not yet have been in the receipt of Government pay, if his land law views had been correct ?

Through pressure of business lately we (Wanganui Herald) were nearly forgetting to chronicle the departure a few weeks ago of an old acquaintance. We mean Mr. William Gordon, of the Telegraph Department. On that gentleman from his post we made enquiries, and found that he had been transferred to Oamaru as counter clerk. During Mr. Gordon's five years' residence here he made many friends, and did his duty

I * | as, a public Servant well,and to , the' satis- j faction of the public. ;"We wish, him eveiy? success in his new' sphere ; ofjtction. "- l ~\ T Mr. Gladstone has elected to-sit for Midlothian, and though he was electedfor Leeds prior to. his election for Midlothian, the Tory candidate'does not intend to petition, for his Midlothian seat. We can only explain this on two hypotheses—(l) Either the Tory lawyers in Great Britain are.not so.skilled as j Mr. Whittaker and Mr. Moorhouse, and the members of the Christchurch Election Petitidns~Committee, or else (2) Such a petition would be dismissed. Will the New Zealand Press that defended the* unseating of Sir George Grey for Christchurch explain the reason of Mr. Gladstone being allowed to sit unattacked for Midlothian ?—Echo.