The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1332.

Temuka Leader, Issue 9418, 20 May 1882, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1332.

There seems to be' a destiny that shapes the ends of the Tinaru Haibor rough, very rough indeed. There seems to be a strange fatality hanging over that port. No one can remember that a vessel has been lost in Tiraaru in a storm, no vessel has ever been driven ashore there by strong winds whil* attempting to come to anchorage- Jkry vessel that has ever been lost, Ibid been for some time previously anchored and m apparent security. Another most extraordinary coincidence is that all the wrecks that have taken place there within the memory of the oldest inhabitant have occurred in board daylight on fine Sundays, with the exception of the Duke of Sutherland. That vessel came to her fate on a week, day, but she is so far as we can ascertain the only exception. Yery stormy days and nights have been experienced in Timaru ; we have seen the sea so rough through bad weather that it sent the shingle up to where the railway station recently stood, but the vessels in port rode out the gale in safety and no shipping disaster occurred. Does it not apperr ‘very strange that while in the heaviest gale and in the stormiest weather vessels live in the Timaru port, they are torn from their anchorage by some extraordinary and unforeseen commotion of the sea, on fine calm days, with not even a breath of wind to assist them in getting out to sea ? We must say indeed that it appears very strange to us, and that it convinces us that there is a stream or current of some kind, altogether yet unknown that causes this commotion. We do not suppose, however, that more precise information on this head, would enable the Harbor Board or its officers to contend against its influence when it comes. There appears no way to prepare for it but one, and that is to get a powerful tug boat, and have her always in readiness to take' vessels to sea in such emergencies. The cost of such a boat and its keeping would be a mere nothing, compared with the loss its want has caused during the time the Board has been parleying about it. We believe that for the last five years the subject of a tug boat has been under discussion. Committee’s to inquire into the matter have been appointed, and any amount of fuss made, but in all this time nothing has been done. For the last five or six months it has been constantly before the Board at every meeting, but the subject is yet in such an indefined state that no one can understand whether they mean to get a tug boat or not. It is time, we think, that they came to same conclusion on the matter. They experience, we believe, a difficulty in getting a suitable one in this colony, but if they want to establish a safe harbor at Tiraaru, they must make an excuse of this no longer, but get one as soon as possible from Er gland. Until recently the wrecks in Timaru consisted of small coasters and intercolonial traders, but withiu the last three months four English vessels have come to grief. The result of this will be that unless something is done, owners of vessels will not allow them to come to Timaru, and Insurance Companies will decline risks. I is obviously, therefore, the duty of the Board to bestir themselves, and do all in their power to re-establish some faith in the satety of vessels coming to Timaru or else they will soon be without shipping.

ISvidektly Charles Stewart Parnell ia slosely watched. The other day when | he was allowed to go from Kilmaiuham

gaol to Paris to see his sister, every day brought some extraordinary news about him. One day it was that he had broken his parole and ran away. Another that he had been shot and was dead, another that he was conspiring with red republicans in Paris ; but after having digested a tremendous quantity of lies about him we were informed that he had quietly returned and surrendered his body and soul to the authorities of Kilmainham. Since his release from gaol an extraordinary quantity ot unreliable news has been received about him, so unreliable indeed that we think they may be classed in the same category as the former telegrams to which we have alluded. One day we find that he is released on condition that he would put an end to agrarian outrages, another that his life has been threatened, and that he was under police surveillance owing to having sided with the Government in carrying out its coercive policy in Iceland. The statement that he was released on condition that he would assist the Government in restoring order has been hotly contradicted by Mr Gladstone. We think that it is quite evident Mr Gladstone is right, and that all that has been said about Mr Parnell is untrue. How could he guarantee that he could restore order ? was certainly leader of the Land League, and it is on account of that ho was imprisoned. But the Land League as a body has never been known to.be guilty of any outrage, all that could be brought against it is that it advised farmers not to pay exorbitant rents. It was a great boast of the Land League that it prevented outrages,- and resorted to constitutional means only to obtain redress of grievances. Since the Land League was declared illegal and the Coercion Act putin force outrages have increased, for this reason, we presume, that the restrain kept upon the people by that organisation was broken, and it had no longer any influence and that then individuals resorted to the wild justice of revenge.” Mr Parnell, of course, had nothing to do with the actions of these individuals. He was only a leader of the Land League, and when that great organisation was broken up his controlling power was gone. It would be therefore absurd to think he gave a pledge of that description, and in the second place we do not think the Government would release him on such a condition. It would be a very humiliating thing indeed for the Government to confess that they had failed in governing the country, and that they had to release Mr Parnell to help them. But that he was released with the hope of restoring order we quite agree. When the Coercion Act was put in force, and Mr Parnell and others thrown into gaol, the Press and public speakers told the Government plainly that it would only make matters worse. Heedless of the warning, Mr Forster used all the despotic power the Coercion Act gave him, but despite all he cculd do the outrages increased. Mr Gladstone saw that the course adopted would never do, and in the hope that the release of pri-soners would have a beneficial effect, Mr Parnell was released. That this is the true position of affairs, and that Mr Parnell neither was asked for nor gave any pledge, we are quite convinced. There is no doubt, too, that his release would have a very good effect but for the unfortunate assassination of Lord Frederick Cavendish. If that had not occurred, and the rigorous laws under which Ireland was governed were relaxed, as intended by Mr Gladstone, order would have been restored. But as new laws more rigorous still are now being made, specially to govern that unfortunate country, we are afraid the result will be the prolongation of her disturbed state. There is, however, one gleam of hope, The assassination has, we believe, so horrified the most rebellious of Irishmen that they will probably cease further agitation until such time as that fearful tragedy has been cleared up, and- the murderers made known. Let us hope that something will be soon done, and that it will be succeeded by peace and prosperity.