A BOROUGH COUNCIL HARD-UP.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 159, 23 February 1871, Page 6

A BOROUGH COUNCIL HARD-UP.

An amusing scene occurred at the meeting of the Sandridgc Borough Council, very recently, in connection with the reading of a letter written by the Rev. J. M. Abernethy, the Presbyterian Minister at Sand ridge, as Secretary of the Ladies' Dorcas Benevolent Seciety, in answer to an application from the Council for assistance to the extent of £19 to cover a debt incurred in relieving destitute persons. The letter, after expressing sorrow that the Borough Council should have been reduced to the necessity of applying to a charitable society for relief? went on to say that the ladies regretted that by their rules they were precluded from granting relief, except in kind. If, however, a few fore-quarters cf mutton, with tea and sugar, and bread in proportion, to which the ladies would willingly add some articles of dress, would be of any service, they should be placed at the Council's disposal. It was conceded that th c materials generally sewn by the ladies were light for gentleman's wear, but it was

pointed out that, as summer wns at hand, this would make thedbMlthe more seasonable. If the j^H^K were accepted, the Council must apply to the lady visitors, by whom their case would be reported to a future meeting of the committee. The committee regretted that was the utmost they could do, the funds at their command having been contributed to relieve individual distress, and not to pay the debts contracted by public bodies. The document was at once returned by the Town Clerk to the writer, with a curt endorsonient concluding with the scriptural quotation " be courteous" (1 Peter, iii, 8). Councillor Morcly, in the interests of the Dorcas Society, thought the composition too good to be lost, and accordingly laid it on the table, with an opinion tlret the Town Clerk, whose voice trembled with emotion on this letter yhich dealt so lightly with the corporate dignity being placed in his hands, said he hoped he should be spared the pain of raeding this impropercorn munication. Councillor Morley replied that, however distressing it raight be, he must remember that he was a paid servant of the ratepayers. "But," pleaded the representative of outraged dignity of the borough, " I am also a man." The Mayor and Councillors May and Pool' nan considered the letter insulting. Councillor Curtis was grieved that a Christian clergyman should have written it. Councillor Swallow said the letter was evidently written as a joke. Councillor Westall observed that the communication might be very funny, but it would require a man with a microscopic eye to discover any fun in it. In his opinion it was insolent and contemptible, and the reverse of funny. Councillor May : " A few foro-quarters of mutton ! the thingis " — the speaker's indignation deprived him of further utterance, and he resnined his seat without intelligibly completeing his sentence. After a very animated discussion, it was resolved to thank the Town Clerk for the course pursued by him with regard to Mr. Abernethy's communication, and to return the letter to the writer.

A rather exciting adventure with an old man kangaroo occurred lately near Sandy Creek, where a large party of gentlemen were out shooting. The " Wagga Advertiser " of Saturday says : — At lunch time Mr. Ferdinand Tompsou and one of the Mr. Bests left the party, and cantered over a hill in search of kangaroos. Soon catching sight of a great big fellow, quietly feeding, they gave chase, but the game "old man " refused to fly, and turned furious on his pursuers. Spriutjraji on to the quarters of Mr. Best's horse, aud holding on by the crupper, he belaboured the frigthened animal with his huge tail, and made desperate open-mouthed dashes at the rider, who, between the kicking of his horse, and dodging the blows of his strange companion, had as much as he could do to keep his seat. On Mr. Tompsou coming to his assistance, the old man flew at him after the same fashion, and for some time there was presented the strange spectacle of two flying horsemen, with a monstrous kangaroo leaping from one to the other, and trying to tear them from their seats. At last, the rest of the party coming up, the brave old fellow was brought to grass, dying like a true Marsupial hero, biting hard amongst the dogs.

The "Weinar Gazette" publishes some extracts from a letter written by Mr. Thomas Carlyle, in which he says, " So far as my reading goes, never was such a war, never such a collapse of shameless human vanity, of menacing, long-continued arrogance, into contemptible nothingness. Blow has followed blow as if from the hammer of T-hor, till it lies like a shapeless heap of ruins, whining to itself 'In the name of all the gods and all the devils what is to become of us ? ... All Germany may now look forward to happier days in a political sense than it has seen since the Emperor Barbarossa left it. My individual satisfaction in all that is great, and all England, I can say all the intelligent in England, heartily whish good fortune to brave old Germany in what it has accomplished — a real transformation into one nation, no longer the chaotic jumble which invited the intrusion of every ill-disposed neighbour, especially of that ill-disposed France which has inflicted on it such interminable mischief during the last 400 years — wars heaped upon wars without real cause except insatiable French ambition. All that, through God*3 grace, is now at end. I have in my time, seen nothing in Europe which has so much delighted me. 'A brave people,' as your Goethe calls them, and as I believe a peaceful and a virtuous one. I only hope that Heaven will send them the wisdom, patience, and pious discretion to turn to a right use all that has been achieved."

The two 24 pounder guns belonging to the Thames Naval Volunteers, arrived last night from Auckland in the cutter Glanre. and have been placed for the present in the drill shed. "We believe that practice will shortly be commenced with them.

The " New York Times " describes a forty-mile walk for the champtoa^ ship of America, at Boston, .-Shiran.* ncr was Mr. j. Adams, of New York, who made the whole distance in- 9b. 5Q sees, •