The Standard AND PEOPLE'S ADVOCATE. (PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1874.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 189, 22 July 1874, Page 2

The Standard AND PEOPLE'S ADVOCATE. (PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1874.

“ We shall sell to no man justice or right: We shall deny Io no man justice or right V e shall defer to no loan justice or right.

The Ratepayers of the Highway District may congratulate themselves on the affirmation of the resolution for a fortnight’s adjournment passed at the Annual Meeting. We will not now turn attention from what is before us, by referring more fully to the fact that that adjournment was uselessly caused, and should have been prevented ; but much good will come of it if those who are most interested in the local affairs of the district, will but profitably employ the time that remains between this and next Tuesday, in studying the position in which they are placed. With this object in view, the meeting called for this evening in the Court House, will doubtless, be numerously attended; so as to discuss the many questions which will naturally arise and require

explanation and attention. By such a course, and an avowal of the names of intending candidates, inueh interest will be created, aud will afford facilities to the despatch of business at the adjournment. Had something similar to this have taken place before, it could not fail to have evoked an enquiry into the state of matters ; but almost an universal distrust of the present Board has begot a disinclination to step forward and take up the unpleasant, duty of displacing them ; stil 1 greater has been the unwillingness to fill the places of men who have no! only allowed things to drift into a muddle, but who have turned a persistently deaf ear to the mild reproofs From time to time administered. The ill-judged opposition of the late Chairman in refusing to acknowledge the rights of,,and respect the authority possessed by, the Ratepayers, is the keystone of the whole conduct of the Board, which, under his leadership, has been built up during the past year. An habitual disregard of any advice, or suggestion — however well-inten-tioned—outside the sphere of his own will, has asserted itself in an open hostility to the wishes and demands of the Ratepayers. Au undisguised contempt for the information conveyed through our columns has brought about the present crisis, or, at any rate, contributed largely to it.‘ Mr. Poynteh, (and his coadjutors, insofar as they identify themselves with him) has affected to despise a power he could not avoid, but was sure to feel; and which, in the nature of things, was bound to assert its prerogative sooner or later ; therefore it is but the repetition of a trite aphorism to say that “ as they have made their bed, so must “ they lie upon it.”

But to return to the subject more immediately connected with the Annual Meeting. Oue of the most important benefits accruing to the Ratepayers during the adjournment will be that of more accurately estimating the capabilities of the several candidates. The new Highways Act imposes duties at once larger and more onerous than the old Act; a capacity for the proper understanding and administration of which should be an indispensable condition of election. Not only will the new Board have the ordinary duties to perform, that appertained tothelate Board; but it will have the extraordinary ones as well, such as are involved in the ppwer to borrow money on the security of rates—a power which should not be lightly intrusted, nor flippantly accepted ; and others which will, probably, form a subject of discussion to-night. Again, clause 66 of the new Act says that the Boards of districts shall carry out so much of the education laws of the province asrelate to the particular locality in which they are situated. Therefore, -as we take it, the new

Board will have the supervision of the schools within the boundaries of its district—an imposition of duty we have tried hard to avert, but which is, nevertheless, law. Under these circumstances it is imperatively necessary that the electors should be satisfied of the fitness of the men for whom they vote; and the candidates should be equally justified in taking upon themselves responsibilities which, at their best, are

not lightly to be borne, and for the due performance of which they, in their turn, will have to give an account. The settlement of the main road question is, also, an undesirable legacy, requiring a tolerably intimate knowledge of ways and means to manage. Referring, briefly, to the question of votes and proxies, we append so much of the altered state of the law as is essential to be known just now. L'he scale of votes to be exercised by each voter, according to Clause XI, remains unchanged, and is as follows :— For £1 or under 1 vote Over £1 and not exceeding £3 ... 2 vote 8 Over £3 and not exceeding £6 ... 3 votes Over £6 and not exceeding £lO ... 4 votes Over £lO and not exceeding £15... 5 rotes Over £l5 ' 6 votes In the election of members, proxies can only be given to, and exercised by, Ratepayers ; they must be in writing, and signed by the Ratepayers who give them, in the presencs of either a Resident Magistrate, or a Justice of the Peace ; and no one Ratepaver can exercise in the whole more than six votes by proxy, according to the above scale; that is, if a Ratepayer has proxies from, say, three others, he must be careful that the united votes do not number more than six. Of course proxies will only be given in case where voters cannot attend in person, which, considering the importance of the interests at stake, we trust, for the credit of the district, will not be very numerous.

Meeting of Ratepayers.—Ex Road Board members are at last showing signs of duty, for besides the meeting which is to take place tonight in the. Court House, meetings of Ratepayers are to be held on Friday evening at the Royal Oak Hotel, Matawhero, and on Monday evening at the Chandos Hotel, Ormond. New Oil Springs.—Our Waiapu correspondent’s letter intimates the discovery of fresh petroleum springs a quarter of a mile from the mouth of the Waiapu river, and about six miles from those previously known to exist, in that district. He suggests the probability of Dr. Hector visiting that locality shortly, when, doubtless his attention will be drawn to the matter. Chubch of England. — Those of our readers interested in the progress'of Church matters connected with the Episcopalian body will be glad to learn that their oldest friend is their best friend after all. The languishing position of the building fund has received new life through the timeous arrival of Bishop Waiapu, who has set to work with characteristic energy in the good cause; and the success which others failed to achieve, has been his reward and ours. In one week £lO3 were, added to the list of subcriptions already in hand ; and we are authorised to state that there is every probability—nay, an almost certainty—of the money required, some £BOO, being immediately forthcoming, and of the building being commenced, according to the design furnished by Mr. Reals, in a short space of time.

Divine Services. —Sundays are now spent in Gisborne, and in the country as well, when practicable, with something like Christian observances, services being now regularly held twice a day. In the Court House on Sunday lust, the Bishop of Waiapu read the beautiful Litany of the Church of England, and preached an impressive sermon, the Rev. Mr. Murphy reading prayers. The Rev. Mr. Root conducted service in the evening, delivering a most appropriate sermon on tile prevailing evil of slander and tale-bearing. The Rev. gentleman read his text, “The words of a tale-bearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly,” from Prov. 26th ch. 22nd v., but, doubtless, he took it. from amongst the community. The Rev. Mr. Russell also held the two usual services morning and evening in the Music Hull. Services were also held at Ormond in the morning by the Bev. Father Simpson, and in the afternoon by the Rev. Mr. Root at Matawhero. The Rev. Mr. Root desires us to say that (D.V.) he will conduct public worship at Ormond on Sunday next at. 11 a.m. The Bev. Mr. Murphy will also hold service at Ormond in the afternoon at three o’clock.