THE HON, J. B. A. ACLAND.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2429, 24 November 1892, Page 3

THE HON, J. B. A. ACLAND.

The quiet little district of Peel Forest for once in its history was quite turned upside down on Tuesday last—not by an extraordinary waterspout this time but—by the excitement aroused at the return to the district of the Hon. J. B. A. Acland and his wife and daughters, who had been absent for something like ten months on a visit to the Old Country. Mr and Mrs Acland aare greatly respected by the inhabitants of Peel Forest, and as the time of their arrival drew near a great crowd of residents from near and far assembled in front of the English Church. Everyone seemed to be on the qui vive at the faintest sign of a carriage in the distance, and in some cases field glasses were brought into use. In the early pax-t of the morning a number of residents had been hard at work with the decorations, and as a consequence the township looked quite lively. Stretched across the roadway opposite the Anglican Church was an exceedingly pretty archway, framed with wood, and decorated neatly with ferns and lycopodium. Tree ferns did service as supporting pillars, and small flags were hoisted on each peak on the summit of the arch, while across and above the main entrance was seen, in lai'ge turkeyred letters on a white back-ground the word “ Welcome.” Mr D. McKay was the designer of the arch, and it certainly did him credit. He was ably assisted in the decorating by Miss Button, and Mr C. Ferry. Among those in waiting to receive Mr Acland were noticeable Mr G. J. Dennistoun and family, Mr C. G. Tripp and family, and Mr W. E. Barker and family. About 2.30 p.m. the carriage with the travellers arrived, and immediately the Church bell was set going, and lusty cheering was raised by the crowd. The carriage was pulled up before the archway, and Mr Acland alighting was met by Mr Dennistoun, who read to him the following welcome ode, written by a friend staying in the district :

A WELCOME HOME. Nov. 22, 1892. We are simple folk and few, We who bid you welcome home, Yet our hearts beat quite as true As your friends’ across the foam, Nature adds what art may lack As we bid you welcome back. Nature helps us at our need, Welcome whispers in the breeze, Birds, in voices you must heed, Pipe a welcome from the trees; Lilacs and laburnums gay, Bloom a greeting for this day. Tender bleatings fill the gale, Not a sheep shall fail or flag, Every lamb would wag it’s tail, If it had a tail to wag ; What more can the creatures do Than rejoice and welcome you. All the spreading yellow plain Breathes a welcome as you pass ; Listen to the glad refrain Rustling in the tussock grass ; _ Streams and rivers swell the strain, Welcome, welcome back again. Rangitata cries aloud From her stony riverbed; Mount Peel answers, from the cloud, Where he sometimes hides his head— Welcome! Welcome ! in their song j Welcome ! You have stayed too long. From Orari’s crooked gorges Comes a rushing murmuring sound, While the river onward forges Its strong way through rugged ground i I know well the waters sing With a joyful welcoming. White mountain, but, and snowy Somers Bpeajf iq a majestic voice, Welcoming you old new comers To the country of your choice ; Welcome! Prom a distant strand To your own adopted land. Nature, having had her say, ’Tis for us to do do our part,— So, behold! Across your way Stretches our small work of art j It is humble, do not rail, Love has driven every nail. Love has raised this arch on high, Traced this fair device in red ; Give a glance in passing by At the boughs above your head j We have done what we could do, Done it ail for love of you, And we join our feebly Vo J ces To the songs of nature’s choir, Every one of us rejoices, We all move with ape desire j Art and nature thus they write To express sincere delight. We are simple folk, and few, We, who bid you welcome home ; Yet our heart beat always true To you, wheresoe’er you roam ; And we hope to keep you here With us now for many a year. Peel Forest, Nov. 16th, 1893. Mr A eland thanked everyone present for their presence and the cordial reception they had given him. It was very nice to seo tlm old laces again, but he and his family had no idea of such a happy reception till tho carriage drew near a few minutes previously. All he could say was again to thank them very much. He and his family had been old dwellers in the country, and he was glad to think the folk thought so well of them. Ho thought that Mrs A eland deserved it more than he did, and if ho did not have such a good helpmgat ho would never have had such a welcome. He told them that while in England they had all been looking forward with pleasure to coming back once more to New Zealand. He thanked and praised tho residents for the very beautiful and artistic arch they had erected. He was very proud of it. Mr J. McCaskey, of Geraldine, was present with his camera, jpui took views of the proceedings, niter which tho church bell w<as ngain rang and with more hearty cheering the returning party were sent oft’ home, and the crowd dispersed.

GERALDINE COUNTY COUNCIL

A special meeting of the Geraldine Connth Council was held yesterday. Present Messrs Balfour, Howell, Mackay, Barker, Talbot, and Quinn. On the motion of Messrs Howell and Talbot Mr Balfour was re-elected chairman. Messrs Barker and Jackson were re-elected to represent the Council on the Hospital Board, and Messrs Balfour and Howell on the High School Board of Governors. RIVER ENCROACHMENT. A deputation appointed by a meeting of ratepayers at Pleasant Point last Friday consisting of Mr E. Acton, Col. Eichbaum, Messrs Morris and McKibbin waited on the Council. Mr Acton explained the purpose of the deputation. The Council at the last meeting passed a resolution that they could not undertake the protection of private property threatened by over-flow of the Tengawai, and that the occupiers concerned had better form a river board and protect themselves. This resolution was sent to him with a request that he would lay it before the ratepayers concerned, and this he had done by calling a public meeting last Friday. There was a good attendance, and Mr Howell and Mr Marchant were there. The meeting passed a resolution, which he would read, requesting the Council to construct 25 chains of protective fence. This application, Mr Acton stated, was quite different from the one made to the Council some time ago by himself and Mr Butler, that being a request for work to protect private property. Their present object was to point out to the Council that it was the opinion of the county engineer, and also of Mr Annand, the Levels Road Board’s overseer, that if the two pieces of fencing referred to were constructed at a coat, approximately of £250, they would probably have the effect of turning the whole of the water of the Tengawai under the traffic bridge. They submitted that the responsibility of keeping the river under the bridge distinctly rested upon the Council. They quite agreed that the Council had nothing to do with protecting private property, but they desired to dwell particularly upon the fact that it was part of the Council’s duties to confine the rivers under the bridges, which were the Council’s property. He instanced one case at the Opihi bridge where county funds had been spent for this purpose. The Council, in that case, did not hesitate to spend money in retaining the river under the bridge, and no ratepayers ever thought of complaining that it was an improper expenditure. There was the bridge, high and dry, and the view of the deputation and those they represented was that the Council should divert the river under it.

Mr Howell said he .did not mention a special rate, but said the rate over the whole county would be heavier. He thought Mr Acton had been explicit so far, but not thoroughly explicit. At the meetiug there were two issues. Mr Acton read to the meeting the engineer’s report that a particular district was liable at any moment to very heavy damage by flood, and that, he took it, was what the majority of the meeting was most interested in, and not in the question of turning the water under the bridge. The latter question had been considered before the stock bridge was built, and the conclusion arrived at was that it would be better to bridge over the river than to attempt to divert it. These were the two issues before the meeting. He still held that in order to make a thoroughly good job of all the rivers, the county would have to undertake the work. It would be very difficult, if not almost impossible, to form river boards, and it would be impossible to do so in this instance. There was only a narrow strip of poor land above the Point, in any danger, am\ the occupiers were too poop to undertake the cost of protection, and they could hardly be called upon to provide protection for the richer lands lower down, the owners of which could not at present see they were in any ganger, yet who would be protected by the works asked for, In reply to Mr Talbot it was stated that the points requiring protection most were from to 8 miles above the Point. Mr Talbot said this was a very important matter, and the council must consider the consequences of assent before acceding to the request of the deputation. He could not believe that they came with the patriotic desire to save the qouuoil’s bridge. Mr Acton carefully avoided making any reference to the protection of private property, yet in reality that was the matter that interested them. (Mr Acton : No.) At all events that was the main thing. He denied that it was the Council’s duty to protect private property. The reference made by Mr Acton to the case of the Opihi bridge had no bearing on this case. There the ends of the bridge itself were endangered ; they were protected, and nothing more. If the QqpnpU undevior' 1 - to confine tl\o Tengawai as tlm- j “ askqc] tft do, they would haw> * / Y ero the' control of all would involve - . - e nvt f’ aild . that , i , • eery heavy rating. As a mat oi fact all the plains were more or less threatened. They had been built up by the rivers filling up one channel and then seeking a new one, to be filled up in its turn, and that process seemed to be still going on ; not so rapidly as formerly, perhaps, but still going on. On the question of building a bridge over the Orari a short time ago the engineer reported that the riverbed was filling up there. If they undertook to protect private property from river encroachment there would arise the question of their liability for damages if the work was not properly done. No importance could be attached to the statement of the meeting that they would be willing to be taxed for similar work elsewhere, as they spoke under the pressure of their own needs. There were many other parts of the district, still poorer land, not threatened at all, and it would not bo fair to tax them to preserve richer lands from danger. If it were possible to determine what lauds were threatened over the whole county, and subject them all to a special rate to protect each part as the danger arose, something of the kind might bo done, but to tax the whole county would be highly objectionable. Temnka itself was threatened, and might bo cut off some day, and if they adopted the policy of protecting private property they might be called upon to protect Temuka, and a good many other places between the Pareora and Rangitata. If the means proposed would have the effect of turning the water under the bridge, and keeping it there, the council should be prepared to assist in the work, but to protect private lauds under the plea of turning the water under the bridge was more than he could accede to. He sympathised with the people threatened with danger, but their course was quite plain. It was for them to consider whether they should put the ir lauds under a liability for £2 or £3 an acre in order to preserve them ; but their straits could not justify the council in placing any of the liability upon (fiber lauds in tlm county. On the Orari a

river board had been formed, which spent £3OOO on works that probably saved Temuka from injury, and they had been paying for it till this day. [Mr Barker : They have just paid it off.] If this was the only case he might have considered the application favorably, but if they acceded to this there would be no end to it.

After further discussion the question was put to the vote, the result being that, by a vote of four to two, the Council decided against doing anything.

Enquiry Wanted. —■ Chinese residents are petitioning the Governor for a full enquiry into the circumstances of the death of Ah Ching in the Wellington Asylum on the Gth inst.

Suspended. —ln Banco, at Christchurch, yesterday, Jxidge Williams suspended Mr Rowlatt, solicitor, of Naseby, for professional misconduct pending the decision of the Appeal Court, to whom the matter will be referred.

Supreme Court. —At the Supreme Court, Christchurch, on Monday. Robert Stuart, charged with stealing £ls from the person, was found guilty and sentenced to six months’ hard labour. Eva Simpson pleaded guilty to a charge of concealment of birth, rnd was sentenced to be imprisoned till the rising of the court. She had been three months in gaol awaiting trial. Edmond Harman and Frederick Kirby were acquitted on a charge of stealing £G from the landlord of the Garrick Ho<el, where they were lodging. On Tuesday, John Hampton, a small farmer at Halswell, was found guilty of stealing 1G pigs, the property io£ William Yan Asch, and was sentenced to G months’ hard labour. Edward Carlyle, a lad of fifteen, was convicted of indecently assaulting a girl under fourteen years old. and was sentenced to be imprisoned for three months, and once whipped. Holloway’s Ointment and Pills.— Coughs and influenza. —The soothing properties of these medicaments render them well worthy of trial in all diseases of the respiratory organs. In common colds and influenza the Pills taken internally and the ointment rubbed over the chest and throat, are exceedingly efficacious. When influenza is epidemic, this treatment is the easiest, safest and surest. Holloway’s Pills purify the blood, remove all obstacles to its free circulation through the lungs, relieve the over-gorged air tubes, and render respiration free, without reducing the strength irritating the nerves, or depressing the spirit; such are the ready means of escaping from suffering when afflicted with colds, coughs, bronchitis, and other chest complaints, by which the health of so many is seriously and permanently injured m most countries.