The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 276, 19 April 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1898.

In our last issue we published a very condensed report of Mr Rolleston's address to his Riccarton constituents. There should be very few men in the country who do not endorse nearly every conclusion he arrived at. There is no question which is of greater importance than that of securing that the business of Parliament should be conducted in such a manner that the fullest information should be at the disposal of the representatives of the people. Mr Rolleston complains that this has not been the case under the leadership of the Premier. He alluded particularly to the packing of Committees —the disgraceful performance which caused such a waste of time and exhaustion of meuvbers Inst session. The importance of having all parties fairly represented will be appreciated by all who are versed in the proceedings of Parliament. It is by these Committees that the legislation of Parliament is to a very large extent governed. The Premier went so far as to practically boycott some members from sitting on certain Committees. Mr Rolleston alluded to the arrogant manner in which the Premier has talked of a dissolution of Parliament, and reminded his hearers that the pawer of dissolution vested solely in the Governor, who exercises the power on well defined constitutional lines, and Mr Rolleston might have added, that by no possible contingency, would His Excellency be justified in granting a dissolution until he had called upon the Leader of the Opposition to form a Ministry. This no doubt Capt. Russell would undertake, and in the event of his finding that he had not sufficient support in the existing House it would then be his privilege to ask for a dissolution, which in accordance with precedent would be granted. This would allow of the pigeon holes of the different departments to be overhauled by keen and discriminating eyes, an event which the Premier and his colleagues will without doubt postpone till the very last possible moment. In spitG of the strenuous efforts of Ministers, so many glaring cases of mal-administration have been exposed, that it is impossible not to anticipate that the catalogue of misdeeds will prsve so long and incriminating, that the country will reject with scorn the men who have been guilty of them. Mr Rolleston very truly said that the Premier bad no right on the strength of a vote of £7OOO to spend £40,000 on Parliament buildings. It

is only on the plea of urgency that Governments are constitutionally fled in spending money that has not been specifically voted. There was no urgency in this case unless it were that the Government was anxious to wipe «ut the insult which tho Premier put upon the working men of Wellington by interfering with their selection of a candidate. In reference to the tirades of abuse and misrepresentation which had been heaped upon tho Opposition by Ministers and their satellites on ths grounds that thay had displayed au unnecessary spirit of opposition, Mr Rolleston said there was no truth in the accusation, and referred to Mr Hutcheson's speech in Wellington to show that the stonewalling was deliberately forced upon them by Ministers. He also condemned the principle of Ministers holding seats on syndicates, and said more would bo heard of the business in Parliament, and he hoped the House would decide against it.—So does every decent man in the country. Mr Eolleston said he was not satisfied with the present constitution of the Upper House, and thought reform should come in the form of election under the Hare system. He pointed to the American Senate as a possibly good example to work from. Mr Eolleston appears to have overlooked the - fact that members of the American Senate are elected by the local legislatures, two for each State of the Union. Ever since the principle was supported by tho Colonial Office that Governors should, to a large extent, follow the advice of Ministers as to appointments to the Council, we have held the opinion that members of the Council should be elected by large constituencies, in place of being selected from amongst defeated Ministerial candidates, whose defeat has evidenced, in a degree at any rate, that they had forfeited the confidence of their constituents. Election by the above means would ensure the return of men of colonial reputation, and result in the Council being composed of men of character and ability in place of the subservient dregs of a political party. Mr Eolleston concluded his speech by declaring that the policy of his party when in power would be one of fair play to all. They will insist on the Parliamentary machinery being properly run ; they must have a policy of truthfulness and honesty instead of the system of looting which has become synonymous with Liberal ism. Labour legislation must run concurrently with the needs of the industrial classes, but must not be elevated to a party cry. There must be no standing still in land settlement.

Mr Rolleston in the early part of his speech said Mr Seddon and his party were becoming daily more obnoxious to the country, and the party to which he (Mr Rolleston) belonged was becoming stronger, and would soon assert itself. The speaker did not seem to think it worth while to again point out that there is no going back in legislation, or to contradict the statement that if his party came into power they would repeal much of the legislation of the past few years. Those who make the statement know perfectly well that existing laws are never repealed except in obedience to public opinion very emphatically expressed.

Constable Stuart Emerson, son of Inspector Emerson, has died in the Auckland Hospital from typhoid fever. A meeting of the Waikato Rugby Uniou will be held on Saturday next, at 8 p.m., at the Royal Hotel, Hamilton. The Waikato Hounds will meet for the first tiire this season on Saturday next, at 11 a.m., at the Kennels, Bruntwood. A prospectus of a newspaper company, with a capital of £25,000, has been issued. The object is to publish another morning paper in Wellington. A concert will be given in the Volunteer Hall, Hamilton, on Thursday, 28th inst., by Mrs Whitaker and friends. Full particulars will be given in a future advertisement. The annnal meetings of householders for the election of School Committees will be held on Monday next. Times and places are fully set forth in an advertisement appearing on our third page. A telegram from Napier last night states that the unusually long spell of dry weather was broken yesterday, a steady down-pour of rain taking place. The country is exceptionally bare and the rain will do an immense amount of good. Mr W. J. Hunter has received instructions from Mr John H. Scott, of Paterangl (who has sold his farm), to sell in conjunction with Messrs McNicol and Co. on Thursday, May sth, his cattle, horses, implements, furniture, etc. Full particulars will appear in a future issue. The Government has referred to the Crown law officers complaints that several local bodies iu the North Island have been deducting fiom the work men's weekly payments for insurance claims to the amount of over £4OO, though the Act allows only a maximum of £2OO.

We understand that considerable interest is being taken in the testimonial to Father Luck, and many out.sid!.* his flock who esteem him for his personal worth are subscribing liberally. Ihe lists will close on the Ist May, and the presentation will be made on the following Wednesday.

It is our sad duty to record the death of Elsie Wright, aged eight years, daughter of Mr John Wright, of this town, who passed away at Newmarket on Saturday last. The body was brought up to Hamilton by train yosterday afternoon for interment, the funeral service being conducted by the Rev. J. M. Mitchell.

The annual meeting of the Hamilton Chess Club was held at Mr J. T. Home's rooms last evening. There was a fair attendance, and it was decided to continue the Club through the winter, and to include draughts, as well as chess. Mr J. McCrea was appointed secretary, and the subscription was fixed at 2s Gd per annum.

In confirmation of the report we recently published concerning the immediate opening of the King Country, we learn that lour or five survey parties passed throueh Franktou yesterday to take in hand the nece&sary survey work. A party under Mr Spencer will be engaged in laying off the road between Kilrikihi and Otorohauga.

(Some time during (Saturday night the Black Horse Hotel, in Lincoln Road, near Sunnyside Asylum, was burglariously entered, and a safe was removed. Ou Sunday the safe was found with the back cut out in a paddock about 400yds away. Two sledge hammers and other blacksmiths' tools were discovered alongside it. Tha landlord had taken his cash-box with the money up to his room, arjd nothing valuable was left in the safe. It was evidently the work of experienced safe - smashers, who got nothing for their pains. About three years ago the same hotel had a similar experience, but on that oecasion about £4O was secured.

An accident happened to one of the drainage ejectors in Victoria-street, Wellington, on Sunday, owing to some of the joints blowing out. Yesterday morning it was Lund that the sewage had found its way into tho cellars of Messr.s Bing, Harris and Co.'s warehouse opposite, and that damage had been done amounting, roughly, to £IOOO.

There is a strike amongst the bricklayers engaged ou the Parliament buildings. Their complaint appears to be that they cannot get paid for their work. It this allegation be justifiable, the Government is setting private employers a very bad example and one not calculated to check the decadence of confidence in the Ministry which is already so manifest throughout the colony.

Wo regret to record this morning the death of an old Waikato settler in Mr Thos. Clarkin, of Kirikirina, who died yesterday afternoon. The deceased had been in failing health for some time past, but his death at the end came rather suddenly. Mr Clarkin leaves a widow and grown-up family to mourn their loss, and to them we tender our sympathy in their affliction. It is rumoured from Wellington that the Government has resolved upon printing new electoral rolls so that they may be prepared for any circumstances that may arise. It is stated that tenders will not be called for the work, but that it will he given to those who printed the last rolls. This arrangement will at any rate save those who are not of the right colour the trouble of tendering, without the slightest chance of getting the work, regardless altogether of the additional cost to the country.

In Gazette No. 24, of the 7th inst., the shooting season for imported and native game and the license fees for the Auckland district are published. Cock pheasants and Californian quail may be taken or killed from the 2nd May to the 31st July on payment of a license fee of £l, and these licenses will only be issued by the Chief Postmasters it Auckland and Thames, and the postmasters at Cambridge, Dargaville, Mercer, Papakura and Pukekohe. Native game except tui, huia, white heron and crested grebe may be taken or killed during the same period without license fee.

Messrs Primrose Bros.' portable engine had a narrow escape from meeting with an accident on Saturday last. Mr Jas. Primrose was bringing the engine along the river road, and when just near Mr Wardell's house a jolt threw the safety valve and whistlecock open, and the engine was soon enveloped in steam. This frightened the horses, and they at once galloped off. Mr Primrose fortunately was able to guide them round the corner leading to Claudelands and up the hill, which checked their speed and allowed some of the hands to get to the engine and put matters right. Had the horses continued on down the river road, what would have happened can hardly be imagined.

Yesterday morning an old man, named Jumes Maxwell, formerly of Raglan, was brought up before Messrs Knox and Jones, J.P.s, on a charge of vagrancy. The old man has been a source ot considerable business at the meetings of the Waikato Hospital Board almost since its institution, and at last it was decided to receive him into the Refuge, but !>;e did not care to conform with the rules, and a short time ago he left and wandered back to Raglan. He, however, returned to Hamilton a few days ago, but was unable to get into the Refuge again, and he had been sleeping about in stables and outhouses. After hearing the evidence, Maxwell was sentenced to three months' imprisonment in Mount Eden, whither he was taken in the afternoon by Constable McConochie.

On Saturday night Mr Hemphill's store at VVaihou was broken into, and the safe taken out and ransacked a short distance away. Mr Hemphill had locked the store up as usual and gone to Paeroa on business, and the first intimation that anything was wrong was given to Mr Pilling by a neighbour who had found a cheque in an adjacent paddock. Proceeding to the store, they found that the back door had been broken open, and the safe taken away on a wheelbarrow, and following the wheel track it was discovered in a ditch near by. The back had been burst open, apparently with an axe, and the contents thoroughly gone through, some £lO or £l2 in notes and coins being taken. The affair was at once reported to Constable Forbes at Te Aroha, and he is now investigating the matter.

Apt illustration i 8 the preacher's treasure (says a recent number of the St. James's Gazette). That Father Bernard Vaughan (brother of Cardinal Vaughan) possesses this gift is proved by the following extract from a recent sermon which he preached at the opening of a new baptistry at the Church of the Holy Name at Manchester. "Life," said he, "is not unlike a game of whist. Some are playing for liohes," continued the preacher, " and for these diamonds are trumps. Some are playing for love—for these hearts are tiumps. Some are playing for power and dominion—for these clubs are trumps. But there is a fourth hand, and this is the most important in the game ; this hand is taken by the Angel of Death, and for him spades are trumps. Shall yon," asked the preacher, "be able to say when spades are turned up on the table, " 0 Death where is thy sting ? 0 Grave where is thy victory ?'"

As will be seen by an advertisement in another column, Dr. Duff, of Glasgow, Scotland, will address a public meeting iu the Hamilton Presbyterian Church on Friday evening next, at 7.30 o'clock. Dr. Duff, as mentioned in our last issue, was one of the Free Church delegates to the Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland on the occasiou of its jubilee, which was celebrated a few weeks ago. He has made quite a colonial reputation as a public speaker, all the Southern newspapers speaking most highly of his talents as an orator. We have also been shown a private letter from the South, in which the following passage occurs: "Dr. Duff has all the qualities of a good public, speaker—vigorous thought, beautiful language, good voice, and animated manner. His addresses are bound to leave a good impression wherever he goes." So if the public of Hamilton can appreciate a good thing, they should not miss attending the meeting on E'riday, where they will be most heartily welcomed.

The following is the letter of condolence forwarded to Mrs C. A. Davis by Capt. McPherson, the clerk of the Kirikiriroa Road Board, in accordance with the resolution of that body : " Madam, —I am directed, by the Chairman uud members of the Kirikiriroa Road Board to convey to you their warm sympathy in the irretrievable loss which you have sustained by the untimely death of your much-respected husband Mr Chas. A. Davis. A meeting of the Board, appointed to be held on the Ist inst., was postponed till the 15th inst., as a public mark of respect to his memory. His services in the mattor of local government were of a more than ordinary valuable character, and his widely known efforts to forward the interest." of his fellow colonists have been publicly recognised and appreciated. He spared neither time, troubh nor expense in his philanthropic endeavour to better the condition of his fellow-men. It must be a consolation to you, although a sad one, to know that he lived a useful life, and that he died universally respected by all who had the honour of his acquaintance. Permit me to add my peisonal sympathy and regard."