SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1884.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 68, 20 September 1884, Page 2

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1884.

Thk decision given by Mr Kcnrick, L.M., in the case of the election petition heard by him on the 9th inst., though doubtless sound law is decidedly startling, and leaves no question as to the desirability of immediate amendment of the Counties Art of '76 and Amendment Act of '«2. The ruling with reference to the matter on which the petitioners filed their objection to the return of >Air E. K. Cooper, was received with surprise by the majority cf persons who took any interest, in the case, and the existence of tlfc cbmse m^the Act which allows the exceptional j»riyilege. apparently conferred by Ahe possession of a miner's right, is a Bntjeet that is deserving of gray* -consideration 1 . As was justly remark^ iljv the Keturning Officer tue law ttofetd&s such a jjiivi-

.ege. upon every p.M'son »v n> chooses to invent, or •rho has invest e.'l for hhn. a pound for oup of these diuMimenrs p< i r .aps only five minutes prior to recoidiug his vote, opens the door to a larije amount of corruption an I abuse, an I an instance of what may be done was furnished at the recent election, when a numl c.* of persons sought in this manner to qualify themselves only two -lays previously We are quite of opinion -that tue. miner should, by virtue of his miners' right al me, he entitled to vote both at Parliamentary and County elections, whether he be enrolled or not, but we are also of opinion that some restriction in the form of a residential qualification for a stated period should he placed upon indiscriminate voting. Every person seeking to exercise the privilege should be in a position to prove, if requested to do so, tliat he has resided in the district, for which the election is being held, for at least several months. It cannot be supposed that a man who may have come to the district only a few days prior to an election (although a resident for the time being), can have sufficient knowledge either of the candidates or the circumstances of the locality, to enable him co take a clear and unbiased view of the position, but to such persons the Act, as it now stands, gives the right to vote. It is not, however, in this respect alone that it is objectionable. If, as has been stated, the Act was so framed in order to meet the requirements of the mining poition of frhe communiry, vhy should not the same attention have been given to other classes similarly circumstanced. Settlers have come among us within the last twelve months, have acquiied property upon which they have paid rates, anil who are in the strictest meaning of the term bonajide residents. Purely they have an equal, if not a better, right to a voice in an election which more nearly concerns them, and in which they must naturally have a deeper interest than the miner who may have come to the district only a few .lays before, and may leave a few days after the election. Jn these repects the Count.es Act is decidedly defective, and we hope to see it so amended that residence for a reasonable length of time prior to elections will be necessary in the case of a miners 1 right qualification, and that every settler, whether he be on the roll or not, shall be privileged to vote provided he can show by the production of a receipt that he is a ratepayer of the district. By all means let the miner have every reasonable privilege accorded him, but not to the exclusion of other bonajide residents who may not happen to be duly enrolled. Whatever may have been the intention of the Legislature with respttct to the Counties Act and Amendment Act, in view of the late decision, and also with regard to the inducement held out for corrupt practices, we think some further safeguard should be imposed, and trust that this question will not be lost sight of.

The Financial Statement, which has been looked forward to with the greatest interest, was submitted to the House on Tuesday night, last. It is without doubt one of the most important that has been delivered to the House for many years. Its principal proposals are :— First, to dispense with the Sinking Fund, and appropriate the amount devoted thereto for the purposes of colonial revenue ; second, to reduce the Properly Tax by one-half, namely to three-eighths of a penny ; third, to raise a loan of one million and a half ; fourth, to give special encouragement to local industries. The mining industry is to have the special attention of a Minister. The proposals, made to remedy the depression at present existing in the colony, are of a bold character, but appear likely to tend in the direction indicated by the Treasurer. The Statement does Sir Julius credit, will undoubtedly strengthen his Government, ami deserves the careful perusal and serious consideration of nil who have the welfare of the Colony at heart. A full report of the Statement will be found in this week's supplement.

Snow fell during last Saturday night and was plainly discernahle from the township I on the top of the ranges Sunday morning. Cholera, which has been making such ravages on the Continent lately, and the rapid spread of which had caused great alarm all over Europe, is now abating. In some of those cities where its appearance lias resulted in terrible mortality, amount ing in some instances to hundreds of deaths daily, its progress appears to have been arrested. We sincerely trust this terrible scourge will soon be entirely stayed. ' i Lord lioseberry, speaking at Aberdeen recently, expressed the fear that England was allowing her Colonial Empire to drift away from her. Mr Downes, the manager of Mr Lark- ' worthy's station at Waitoa, has, it is stated, purchased Mr C. S Stafford's interest in the fwnn known as " Wairakau," situated near Wuioron^joniai, on the main road to Shaftesbury, and the property of Messrs Whitaker and Stafford. The Piitko County Council, as is announced by advertisement in another column, .propose to borrow the Bum of £9000 as a special loan, for the purpose of defraying the cost of the Te Aroha Tramway, and a meeting of the ratepayers of each Riding will be held at noon on Tuesday next, to eousider the proposal. The Aroha ratepayers will meet at Warren's Hotel, and we doubt not that the proposal will have thrir entire approval. The raising of the loan and the revenue to be pledged as security for it, are matters that ought, not tv be cavilled about in the part of tlie~ County for .whose esgeeial bertti fc

the Work was uudortanen, and \\'y h«»p« to set. 1 the project well supported. The Waito i ratepayers will meet at Duck's H wte '> ( Morrinsville. Football match this nftornonn. Local i Representative Team v. a United team. The following are" the' names of the r . United team : — Messrs Quinlun '(captain),*" Steel, Oolemnn, Johnson, Johnson, Hyde, Sfott, McCormick, Liwrence,G>ip v s, Morgan; Donoghue, Mofr'att, Weight, Wallace. Emergencies — Menzies and Rawera. On Friday next the "Keep it Dark Minstrel's" under the management of Mr G. Gapes, will give an entertainment and ! ball at Waiorongomai. The programme, besides a variety of songs (both comic sentimental), includes u stump spjech and sailors hornpipe, the entertainment eonj eludes with the farce "He would be an ! actor," We anticipate there will be a I large house on the occasion. ! As will be seen by advertisement in another column a meeting is to be held in the Public Hall this evening, to matters of grave importance. Every elector should if possible attend. A meeting of Sunday School Teachers was held in the Wesleyan Church on Monday evening last, at half-past seven, llev. T. J. Wills presided. The minutes of hint meeting were read and continued. The number of scholars on the roll was returned as> 100, with an average attendance of 52. Mr and Mrs Buttles resignation were received, having removed to Waiorougomui. Present number of teachers on roll 9. A long discussion tjok p1a0.3 respecting the desirability of inducing all schoolars who were old enough, to carefully prepare the lessons appointed for them for each Sunday, and the duty devolving upon all parents to co-operate with the teachers by encouraging their children to do so was dwelt upon. The usual monthly meeting of the Wuiorongotiiai Band of Hope was held on Friday evening, sth inst. The schoolhouse was crowded on the occasion. Mr H. liuttle presided, and Mr W. J. England took charge of the musical part of the proceedings. The Chairman delivered a short address well adapted for the occasion, and as he has now permanently tuken up his residence in Waiorongomai, will without doubt be found steadily working in the cause of total abstinence, and prove a great help to the temperance workers there. The programme was well arranged and successfully carried out, consisting of readings, recitations, songs, dialogues, etc. During an interval in the proceedings 100 copies of the Band of Hope Review were distributed amongst the audience. The next ordinary meeting will probably take place about October 3rd. It is also intended toshoitly hold another concert in aid of the Organ Fund. On Friday next Messrs D. R. Gel lion and Co. will sell by public auction for Mr P. Austin, at his residence, Belmont Farm, Paeroa, his entire farm stuck, including about 20 valuable dairy cows, calved and springing, a number of young stock, and a tirst-cluss short-horn bulj. Amongst the horses area number of really good draught mares and fillies. The farming implements include a combined 4< Buckeye" mowing and reaping machine, disc, and other harrows, dairy utensils, etc. ; also, the household furniture, piano, etc. Full particulars will be found in our advertising columns, and we would draw special attention to this sale as offering an exceptionally good opportunity to settlers and others to obtain stock, furniture, etc., etc. A thunder storm passed over this district early on Thursday morning, accompanied by heavy downpour of rain and vivid flashes of lightning. The property known as Tonge's Boaiding House, in Whitaker street, was off o red for sale by public auction on this day week, but failed to find a purchaser. In his Financial Statement Sir Julius Vogel states that he has arranged to have | all post and telegraph offices opened from 7 to 8 p.m., being impressed with the inconvenience occasioned to the general public by u large number of said offices closing at 5 o'clock. Mr F. Pavitt has been duly appointed Returning Officer for the Te Arolia Riding Piako County Council. Next Te Aroha Band of Hope meeting will be held on Tuesday evening, 23rd inst., at uHual hour and place. From a circular now before us, we read that Mr Wilfred Badger, the compiler of " The Whole Law of New Zealand," has had such satisfactory support accorded his work, that he proposes to bring the laws down to 1884, in addition to 1883, as previously announced. Mr Badger appears to have spared no pairs or expense in the matter, as he had taken the trouble to despatch over 8000 circulars to possible, subscribers, fit a cost of po&tftg'e alone of £40. The form and size of the work is also stated, and there will be added the valuable addition not only of alphabetical ; and chronological tables but of a general index, specially compiled. We recommend intending subscribers to send for a circular at once, and secure copies as early as , possible as from our knowledge of such > publications the first issue 'is' generally I disposed of at once, and delay in ordering j may compel many to^wmt till the publication of a. sewoiid vissue. The w,ork, ( will ■ we doubt not, pi'oye most valuable to the ' members aud officers -pi J,ocal, bodies,' legal gentlemen,, and, others who l' frequently^ to reference tythti, statute -law \ , oft the colony, y - . ' ,-,,.-< v, .*•;-''

t fli»> Auckland tiamcirs ar^bjiiu well •atrouised, the tl-dl.y av<>rag# of passengers umjud is 700: and on Saturday*" 1000. . * At the cheese factory meeting held at Ciml.ridge on lust Sat. n'da/'eyening it was agreed to purchase a piece of land, four acres in dxtentj \oni AHwilPtf farm, laid down in .and .fenced. ;; It, is contiguous to the railway lino, on whirh the company expect to have a special'siding' The prioe is £25 per acre. The site offered by the Auckland Agricultural Company, though much cheaper, was considered unsuitable, the land being unimproved and in parts swampy. It was decided that four directors go to Auckland to arrange for plant, and they expect to have it in work orderin two or three months. Members of the Library Committee are requested' to meet in the Reading Room on Monday evening at 7.30 p.m. The election of a membefc?for this Riding to fill the place ip tho Cotirfty CoupyU, rendered vacant by the annulling of the former election, which resulted in the return of Mr E. K. Cooper, will take place on Friday, Oct. 3rd, uryl nominations will bo received at the Court-house here on Saturday, the 27th inst. We understand that Mr Cooper and Mr D. Murphy are again likely to appear as candidates. We have much pleasure it* stilting that on the opening of the railway to Morrinsville a daily mail will be substituted for the present tri- weekly service. This will prove a great boon to the district generally. Messrs Bradley and Co. have just completed an augments with Mr W. K. Carter whereby they take over his contract for the couveyance of the mails, together with the who.c of Ilia present coacliing plant as now engaged in the Aroha-Ham-ilton service. &aid arrangement will come into force on tiie opening of tue line. In addition to this plant Messrs Bradley and Co. have already on the ground a handsome new coach, capable pf carrying 15 pa&scuger.i, and a couple of teams ot' liivtclas-- horses ; and are determined to leave nothing undone in ord«r to induce a large passenger traffic by this route. A mass meeting of the miners was heid at Qu.irtzville on Tuesday evening Tor the purpose of burning the eiHgy of Mr W. F, Buckland, M.H.R. A figure, well made up and stuffed with saw-dust saturated with kerosene, represented the member for Franklin North, and after a formal trial the learned judge passed the following sentence : -" Prisoner at the bar you have been found guilty by a jury of your countrymen, of a slanderous attack on the gold miners of the Province of Auckland. You have not only ignored their singularly temperate and generally ob*teinious habit*, but have stated before the Parliament of New Zealand that * they waste their substance in riotous living.' In thus bearing false witness against your neighbour you have outraged both the Commandments and the laws. In defaming the goldminers you have, in the words of England's greatest bard, ' robbed them of that which not enriches you, but makes them poor indeed.' The sentence of the court is that you be taken from hence to a place of execution and hung, then when half dead, you be blown up with dynamite your remains, if any, shall then be burnt to the end, that you may receive no kind of burial." The above sentence having been duly pronounced, a number of the indignant miners forthwith proceeded t>> carry it into execution amid tJie howls and execrations of tho^e present. \ An exoejdingly Uiiploisaut exp'M'ionce befel a young miner namod Williun Burley recently at Lleefton. it appear-* from theaccountgiven in tho' 1 InangoJma Herald" of tho 26th u ! t- that tho <Jk>!>.' (Toldmining Compun has an ierio-1 tram way nearly a mile an- 1 a-halE long connecting the mine and the imttnry. The quartz is conveyed along itsmpendod in a bucket ? which carrie-. from G')il>. to 7011). weight at a time. The bucket travels over abrupt ascents and steep descents, and at one spot the span of wire between the two supports is about I,oooft. In traversing this, wide gully the bucket swings in midair more than 300 ft. above the surface. On Tuesday evening Burley made the rather rash attempt to travel on the bucket up to the mine. He started about 5 p.m., and his progress met with nn check until reaching the gully described, when the wire ceased moving. The cause was duo to the man at the break in the mine having stopped work for the day, and the poor fellow was left suspended through the dark hours of tho night until nearly 9 o'clock the following morning. The narrow iron bar of the bucket nunv. it impossible for him to remain long in one p osition, and all through the weary hours he had to be constantly changing his seat' Fortun.itely tin*- night was mild, but had there been <i heavy frost, nn on the previous Thursday and F.idny, it is very doubtful indeed wiiether the ,man would have reached the mine alive. Tenders for the conveyance of mails for 1885 and. IBrf6 close this day week. For particulars see advertisement in another column.' ' On Thursday an accident befel Mr H. Verity, who n is for some time past been mining on the Hill; ' While sawing a heavy log it suddenly, gave way and rollecj over him, causing 'severe' bruises. . He is able to walk about/butjyjll n^t be atyle to resume, work for som^days. j . < " • ■h, V^V^'Md rijm ' n $ tlioiJiß.'who-lua)' think; !of pleasing tho CbuutV^iawuv Cut Waiuf

ronufoniai, that tender.<,wjll Hose at Cam* l>rid k c«ion Tu^.sjluy tiext at 5 p.m. Tenders uuisl'be nddrosßjid to the Chairman, of the Piuko tloufity. Council, and be accompanied by a marked cheque for £100.