MOUNT BENGER.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 87, 9 October 1869, Page 3

MOUNT BENGER.

(From a Correspoiident. ) Last night a most interesting and instructive lecture was delivered in the new school house at Roxburgh, by Captain Baldwin of Long Valley. The subject of the lecture being " Echoes from America. 1 ' The large room was comfortably filled, and I am informed that a very handsome sum was netted towards defraying the cost of erection of the new Wesleyan Chapel at Coal Creek. Captain Baldwin has expressed his willingness to deliver another lecture of a like nature, when it is expected the proceeds will be devoted towards the establishment of our public library, which is now being started. About 250 volumes of very useful and instructive books, selected by Mr Hislop, have already been received ; and from the interest manifested by the inhabitants, I venture to think we shall shortly have a most valuable library.

The attractive programme, issued by the Teviot Jockey Club, gives promise to our sporting friends, of a day or two's good horse racing, towards the end of the mouth. The race course is in first-class trim, and a large attendance of visitors is anticipated.

It is wonderful to think to what a frightful extent red-tapism is sometimes carried out, and two often by full-fledged officials in a most arrogant overbearing, and to say the least oppressive manner. An instance of a very glowing character is just now exhibiting in the quiet little quasi municipality of Roxburgh. An old and respectable resident there, who has recently been left (through the death of her husband) with four or live young children on her hands, appears to be the doomed victim of flunkeyisni aud redtapism, owing to the police having ascertained that some difficulty existed with reference to the legal proof of a marriage having been entered into between tiie widow and her late husband. The few effects, consisting of -an old iron building, &c, were seized upon, taken away from the poor womau and children, and submitted to a public sale, which sale took place according to advertisement ; but I am happy to state that the residents in this district had exhibited a true and proper sympathy for the bereaved family, by refraining to bid for the property, aud allowing the woman to jiurcliase it at the nominal sum of £2 2s. I may also state that the Sub-Inspector of police had previously arranged for a sale of the eifdcts, and finding that there was a possibility of no one opposing the woman m the purchase of the property, .expressed himself as determined to take means to change his place of sale to somewhere where no sympathy would be shewn. He failed in his attempt to do so in the case referred to. He had now ascertained that there is an old screw of a horse and a couple of head of cattle, which it is well-known are the private property of the poor woman, but which he imagines he can seize as forming part of the intestate estate of her deceased husband ; he has accordingly instructed the police here to seize the cattle referred to ; and in order to prevent the poor woman and her children being able to repurchase them in the event of sv.ch sale being allowed, has ordered the cattle to be driven from Roxburgh to the Beaumont, a distance of about thirty miles, so as to secure the sale being attended by persons who being unaware of the hardships of the case, may not be influenced into showing any sympathy for the distressed family. But it is, nevertheless, to be hoped that sufficient publicity may be given to the facts of the case, and prevent the woman being deprived of property unquestionably belonging to herself.

The little quiet township appears to be the very hotbed of squabbles and difficulties, referring to the few paltry sections which have been so niggardly laid off by the Government. The first squabble took nearly three years to settle, and was only then brought to a satisfactory conclusion by the Government being threatened with an action for heavy damages. Scarcely has this matter been satisfactorily arranged, before hydra-headed-like another commotion shows itself. It will be as well to state that the Government, in the plenitude of their wisdom, placed a fictitious valuation upon certain of the town sections, so as to prevent any competition for their purchase. It being intended that the sections in question should be purchased by those parties who had business premises erected adjacent to such sections. In. tlie case of one or two of these sections, the parties interested refrained for availing themselves of the privilege thus afforded, consequently others were prevented from purchasing them, on account of the great amount of the supposed valuation. Subsequently, however, another sale was announced of all unsold sections, and no reservation made in respect of valuations. One individual, a little more plucky than his neighbours, ventured to purchase the envied sections, one of which he purchased from, the auctioneer in the same manner as several other parties did after the sale took place. The vab'dity of the sale remained unchallenged for some considerable time ; the party referred to paid his purchase money, and afterwards procured a receipt from Mr. Livingstone, Dunedin. He has also fenced in, and at considerable cost, cultivated and improved the ground. He now finds that one of his naighbours has raised the question as to the validity of the sale; and the Government have at last intimated that the sale cannot be allowed; so who is to pay for the loss of time, trouble, and expense incurred through blundering of Government servants. A great amount of cariosity- rat' -er than anxiety, has been evinced h, > with respect to the supposed prediction of Saxby ; but whatever the weather may have been elsewhere, we have experienced, sines tha sth mat., a remarkable change ;-for we are enjoying what might be properly termed midsummer weather.