LATEST TELEGRAPHIC

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 104, 10 March 1879, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAPHIC

(per press agency.)

DROWNED IN A WATERHOLE. CiißisrcHUßcn, Friday. An inquest was held yesterday upon a child two years old, named C. H, Houston, who was drowned in a waterhole at Toitoi, near Ashburton. A verdict of accidental death was returned. ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. At a meeting of the committee of the Royal Agricultural Society it was stated that 17G members had enrolled themselves, but that nothing could be done, in accordance with ■ a resolution previously passed, until the number amounted to four hundred.

■j EWE FAIR. i, The ewe fair to-day was a dead failure, i- for not more than two hundred ewes were s catalogued, There was ainiserablo attenB dance, and only about fifty animals » changed hands, at prices ranging from , 10s Gd to 15s. 2 AN IMPOSTER, ' At tlio Resident Magistrate's court [ to-day Elizabeth Wells, on remand from , the 28th of last month, 011 a charge of , imposing 011 private individuals, did not | appear. Her bail was estreated, and a I warrant issued for her apprehension, KAJ.TANGATA. Messrs Bird and W, H. Paul have up 1 to to-day collected £3OO in aid of the Kaitangata relief fund. PIAKO. A special thanksgiving service will be rendered up co-morrow for the escape of the ship Piako from fire, and the preset vation of the crew and passengers. MR COMERS AGAIN. Mr Oonyers proceeded by the express this morning to Dunedin, en route for the lakes, where he will remain a month before resuming duty. Auckland, Friday. WALLIS M.H.R. Wallis, M.H.R., intends to call a meeting of his constituents at City West next week, to explain his views on the education question. The lion, member wholly repudiates being a denoininationalist in education, but claims that it was mainly owing to his exertions that the Government passed the present Act, A SENSIBLE RETURN. Messrs J. M. Clark, Haultain, and I Peacock have been elected to the Board of ] Education. One of the country school | committees'voting returns opened at the j Board meeting was as follows" j Mangawai districts candidates totally un- < known. Can they read and write ?" j Written opposite the names of the candi- s dates—" No meeting, no election, no a school, no one to thank, to vote, or to t record and children are uneducated,' c Please publish find' dismiss the Inspector, g

IMPORTANT MEETING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. —<—-v THE RABBIT QUESTION. A large gathering of the rodent inhabitants of Julia Creek and its neighborhood was recently held to consider tho question of defence from foreign aggression. Grey Rabbit, Esq., the senior warrcnorpresent, took the chair.

Tho Chairman said they had met for one of the most important of purposes. At least he considered rabbits among tho most important of poor pussies, [Cheers.] 1 hey knew that the peoplo in Parliament had been trying to find a way to exterminate them—[Shame!]—and though he was never much afraid of anything a Parmentcould do—[Laughter]—he was happy to inform them that the attempt had been abandoned, He felt sure that every honorable rabbit would have a fair hearing, and that the discussion would not exhibit any of that violence and abuse that marked the debates of thoso inferior animals calling themselves M.P.'s. [Hear, hear.] John Buck, Esq., rose to move " That the thanks of the meeting are due to the Government for the consideration they have shown in deprecating any practical steps for our persecution." He had no doubt that the Protectionist principles which the Government had so clearly shown in their tariff had led them to deal leniently with rabbits. Theirs was a thriving community, and as a proof of their native industry he proudly pointed to their countless happy homes on Julia Creek. [Cheers.] They had several corporate burrows, and, although in times of panic thero was often quite a run upon their banks, they were never bankrupt, Some people in Adelaide said that tho accounts of the rabbits were overdrawn; but lie denied it. They had thus far successfully met every check. [Hear, hear,] Mr Lopear seconded. He not only wished to thank the Government, but he thought they should also thank Mr Coles, who had offered LSOO for their preservation.

Mr Bobtail said the last speaker did not understand what lie was talking about. [Oil, oh.] Did he know how Mr Coles meant to preserve the rabbits ? Why, they were to be preserved in tins. [Groans and " Turn him out,"] Yes, if his young friend were turned out after he had been preserved in that style he would be eaten there and then. He roust suy he was not quite clear about the Government. If they were so friendly to the rabbits, why had they thrown difficulties in the way of colonising the Northern Territory by the followers of Bishop Bunny'un, who he supposed was a branch of their family ? Mr Furlong said he should vote against the motion. He mistrusted the whole human race, and the less they had to do with them the better. He had once been hunted nearly half a mile by some rude men, and had had to run for his life ; and although he never turned a hare he was glad to abandon his race at the first burrow lie camo to. Men wore jealous of rabbits because they could marry and bring up a family respectably, while human beings were slavin? for years as bachelors. He remembered a song which showed this feeling when it said—

And the fanny little rabbits, So retiring in'their habits, Have all a mate but me.

That was written by a bachelor, who ought to have known better, for he believed he was called the Bachelor of the Al-bunny. Then even in their amusements human beings showed their spite, for he was informed they had dances called " shot-tisches" and " pole-cats," to say nothing of "pop goe3 the weasel," [Shame.]

_ The Chairman, before putting the question, said the remark of the last speaker reminded him that he heard their neighbor Mr Morris had actually sent not only for ferrets and polecats—(great excite-ment)—-but for a terrible enemy of theirs from Africa, called he believed a musk cat. It was not the must cat of Alexandria, the young oflshoots of which were so refreshing, but a creature tiiat killed rabbits by the hundred. (Intense sensation.) How they should meet this cruel attack ho knew not, but meantime the action of the Government contrasted most favorably with that of Mr Morris. _ The motion was carried with acclamation, and the meeting separated after giving threo groans for Mr Coles and Mr Morris.