The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 87, 18 February 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1879.

The question of opening the Institute Heading-worn on Sunday afternoons at Mastevton is al-cut to be laiscd, In different parts of the colony and in the home country similar concessions have been sought and obtained; indeed, the general tendency cf public opinion seems to be in favor of relaxing the rigid rules which formerly closed such institutions on the first day of the week, It may be said that all Englishspeaking communities arc in favor, first, of Sunday being regarded as a day of rest; and, secondly, of it being marked by quiet and decorous behaviour on the part of every person in the community. If we go beyond this and lay.' down what religious exercises should be performed on Sundays and what non-religious occupations, such as eating, drinking, walking, riding, reading or writing should be abstained from, then public opinion is divided, and it is impossible for any general rule to bo adopted. Therefore, while we would maintain the quiet and 'decorous observance: of Sundays, we are not prepared to go farther than this, or to bind on others burders which perhaps we do not care to lay upon ourselves. Wo can quite understand one man of a devotional temperament giving the whole of the day to religious subjects, and we can also understand otherspf an opposite temperament being' utterly incapable of concentrating their attention for other than a very brief period oil them. Under such circumstances it is necessary to leave the question of Sunday observance in the hands of individuals, tolerating all shades of opinions, and insisting upon those points alone on which the community as a whole is unanimous, Acting 011 this rule, we ask ourselves would the opening of the Institute on Sunday afternoons be incompatible with the general idea ot Sunday as a day of rest? Would it mar the quiet and decorum which should mark the day 1 To both queries the answer must be, No! But while we admit that if any number of persons desire the concession it would be right to grant it, we do not think it desirable to do so unless there is a general desire on the part of some section of the community in its favor. Though wo ourselves do not believe that the opening of the Reading Koom would be attended by any evil consequences, we are very well aware that it would to a considerable extent run counter to the prejudices of many persons in the community whose opinions are entitled to respect, We, would therefore advise that unless a, fair number of persons arc desirous of the coir cession and will take advantage of it, that it would be unreasonable to expect rhe Committee to extend the privilege. An innovation of this kind, though it cannot on its own merits be logically refused, is yet a mistake if the general feeling of the community is antagonistic to it, If, in other words, Mastevton is not ripe for such an experiment. The practical course we .would recommend would be to lay petitions for and against Sunday opening on the Beading Room table for a month. The number cf signatures which in that pferiod would be attached to both would bo valuable as an indication of public opinion on the subject, and though we do not say that the result of the petitions should absolutely decide the question, we think it would furnish valuable information to the Committee which would materially assist in determining it.

The Masterton Public Library re-opiais in tbd ri!?v,'.[nsfcifcufe' to-diiy.

" The House Committee of the Mastortoir Hospital meets tins afternoon at 3 p.m. The Masterton Borough Council hold their usual fortnightly meeting this evening.

■ Settling night for the Wairarapa Races take place oh Saturday at tho Rising Sun Hotel; Greytown.

Tho Grey town School Committee last night approved of the Rev Mr Porritt as Head Muster, and Miss Mary Malier from the National School, Ireland, as Mistress.

Notice is given by Wairarapa County West that the Black Bridge is not considered safe for loads over four tons. We would not be surprised if it were risky for loads under that weight.

Another act in fhe Murtagh and Falloon drama, was played.la'st evening, Falloon impounded some horses of Murtagh's from a disputed paddock on the Upper Plain. Murtagh on hearing thereof went out with •a gun to find Falloon, Isn't it time that' this sort of thing was stopped, or do the police consider that it should go oh I

At a meeting of tiie;'stewards, of the Wairarapa Jocky Club, which was held on the course at Tauhorinikau, after the second day's races, it was unanimously; decided to disqualify Phillip Murtagh from running any horse at any of .the club's'meetings for a period'"of three years, owing to gross insoleftce to'the stewards. ■ : ■

Tho following new volumes liavo ken placed on tho shelves of the Masterton Library Grace Aguilar's works; the A.L. 0. E. scries; Hall and Carlton's works; Chamber's papers; Hood's works; and volumes by tho following authors : Gaskell, Espworth Dixon,. Taine, Buckland, Defoe, De Quincey, R-lioda Broughton, Charles Lamb, Disraeli, Aimsworth, Lever, &c., &c.

It is highly gratifying, writes the Greytown correspondent of the N.Z. Times to find that the Working Men's Club is in a very flourishing state. The half-yearly balance sheet shows the assets as being considerably over the liabilities, and the average receipts to be close on seventy-five-pounds a month. There are one hundred and thirty-two members on (lie roll, none of whom appear to have lost any o.f the interest which has been.shown from the day the building was first thrown open t'i them. The affairs of the club are wellcaved for, and supervised by the zealous managing secretary, Mr W. Bock, In our report of tho late race meeting at. Tauherenikau, Ada was placed third in tho Wairarapa Stakes, when she was amongst the number scratched. The third horse was Danebury, by Traducer, from Ada, by St. Aubyn. We may also mention that after our report of the second day's racing was despatched from tho course, there was another Hack Race, excluding winners of previous hack events at the meeting. There wero ten starters, and Romeo, by Southern Chief, from Little Nell, proved the best of the crowd, occupying a leading position throughout. This colt is half-brother to Sauntercr, both claiming the same dam; and as he has on more than one occasion pulled off a scurry, he ought to be worth trying for something better, especially as we hear he jumps like a buck. Our Carterton correspondent writes that since the rain pretty well damped the fires at the beginning of last week, things have, been uncommonly flat in the locality, One of Messrs. Booth's oldest benchers mot with an accident while firing soiiio : timber on the bench, by which he very nearly lost the top joint of the left hand forefinger. However, I heard last night that DrSpratt, jun., thinks it will knit'together all right again. The Council held vhc : r usual monthly meet'iig, but that of course you have already dealt with. En passant, however/ I may say that the decision given of the Black Bridge by the County Engineer is only what the Chairman of our Local Board, Mr R. Fairbrother, when sitting as Councillor for this Riding, again and again asserted to be the case when the question was under discussion.

I'm a worthless fellow, Judge," said George Thompson, in tho Fifty-seventh Street Court on Sunday, " I've a family and Ido not suppoat them, A toiling wife, sir, who loves me too much to make a complaint against me. Two little ones, who put their arms about my neclc and call mo " dear father.' I drink and drink and cannot help it. I beg of you to send me where I cannot taste liquor," "Do you want a month 1 !" "More than that." He bowed hishead in shame. "More than that, sir, Three—yes, six—months—a year. Do raako it for that long, She will try to get me out, but keep me there. It is my last hope." His prayer was granted.— New York Times.

Tho following is tho Synopsis of the lecture which the Rev J. W. Inglis will deliver on Thursday next" Music and her sister, Song"—Query: Which is the elder?— Songs of the ancients—Songs of Scotland: their range of subject and style—Character-writing—" Greetiu' fou" —Rustic Wooing—The "blate" ladDomestic deadlock—The gudewife triumphant—Naturalness and Simplicity vermis prudery and affection—Sentimental Songs —"Auld Robin Gray hgudman to mo —Paisley and its Poet—Jacobite SongsAncient spiritism and its manifestations—- " Wae's me for Prince Charley"—Songs of Patriotism—' 1 Scots vha liae": its influence upon an enthusiastic ScotchmanSongs of Burns—"Auld Lang syno"— Scotland's .place among the. sipgers—lnfluence of Song. Song—a; moulder of national character and national life—"A man's a man for a' that"—Tho past and its lessons—The present and its duties—. The Colonics and their future—The worlds future and its hopes—" There's a good time coming." A congregational meeting of the Wes-

leyan Church was held last evening to receive the report of the recent Auckland Conference from the Rev J. B. Richardson and the lay Representative, Theattendance was very 1 moderate, and we have no doubt that the sickness which we understand is at present somewhat prevalent among children nilitated against a larger attendance,. The proceedings having been opened with prayer,, the Rev Mr Richardson introduced Messrs Perry and Slade, stating' that his own opinions upon tho conference. were already before the congregation who would now have the opportunity of regarding it from tho lay representative's and candidate's point of view. Mr Perry then delivered a very able and interesting address, in which he detailed the proceedings of the Conference, and congratulated the congregation and the Wairarapa Circuit upon its high position in the connection. Mr Blade followed with a few animated remarks on the same subject, and the Rev Mr Richardson having briefly expressed his. satisfaction with the speeches which had been delivered, and having eulogized the efficient manner in which Mr Perry had discharged his duties as lay, representative, the proceedings closed with prayer,

:-We;:trnst to; see; a large attendance at the: Ram.Fair on Tliursday neit,\ Walso. trust .tb,:spe'the various 'exhibits put .up to tho hammer in" a genuino manner. . If big reserves find buying'' iii characterises the sale, tho prospects of. the Show, for the ensuing year will be poor indeed.