THE AFGHAN QUESTION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2011, 9 June 1885, Page 2

THE AFGHAN QUESTION.

Just as there was every reason to believe that- the Afghan boundary question, which lias caused so much excitement of late, would be amicably settled, the news comes to hand that the-Ameer, Abdur Rahman, has been assassinated. What further difficulties may arise out of this, it'is impossible to foresee. Everything will, however, hinge on the appointment of a successor. England will, as a matter of course, have not a little influence in the matter, but is it likely that Hussia will make iio-uttem.pt to interfere? There is only too much reason to believe that she'will, and if she does, fresh difficulties' are certain to arise between England fetid Kussia, for there is little hope of ,a : prince being ! found, who would satisfy bo'th sides even'by his profession.' If : t|e sselectionjs hot speedily settled,; tlje breach .'bet ween the two interested.inations may be looked upon as still';open. It -is just possible that theyriews is incorrect, because it has 'tiiily , come on the authority of a Russian newspaper, hut until it is contradicted it will be generally believed, '■■.

The Masterton Hospital Committee hold their ordinary monthly meeting this afternoon. - '< !

We call attention to a new announcement by L. J. Hooper and Co., of Bon Marche, in our advertising columns. The usual fortnigfcly meeting of the Loyal Masterton Lodge, 1,0,0,F„ M,U., takes place this evening,

Mr 0. Smith, of the Cash Store, Queenstreet advertises specially ohoap lines ol drapery and clothing, to which he desires us to draw the attention of our readers.

Mr W. Reese is, we are informed, the successful tenderer for the erection of Awaldno bridge, near Dreyer's rock,

A series of winter entertainments has been arranged in connection with St. Matthews' Sunday School, and the first of them will be held on the 16th inst.

The bridge over tho Manawatu river at Awa'puip is rapidly approaching completion, and Messrs H, McKenzieandOo., the contractors, anticipate that it will be ready for public traffic by the Ist July next. • We learn on good authority that at a Cabinet meeting held at Wellington yesterday it was decided to propose no increase in the salaries of civil servants during the epsmng session. The Baldwins player] to, a. ppqr house in Greytown on Saturday night. The entertainment was interrupted' by the noise fiom tho gallery, and the Professor attributed two or three failures to this, The Greytown footballers turned out on Saturday afternoon, and had a very good': practice. Some of the young players showed up remarkably well. The Native Chief Manihera Rangitakaiwaho, who has been lingering for eonie time, died at his pah, Papawai, on Saturday night about ten o'clock. He wos a very' influential clfief, and his loss will be felt 'very much by fchoi>p who have business with tho natives, We are requested to remind buyers of stock and agricultural implements, of Messrs Lowes & lorns' sale at their yards to-morrow, The list will comprise 20 fat bullocks, 5 fat cows, 200 fat wethers, 200 crossbred ewes, 24' pigs (embracing a}} sizes), several daiiy cows, draught, brake, f aiid hack horses, ploughs,' harrows,' and reaper.; ,also a quantity of both purebred and table'|owJs,' ; saddlery,&c. ' The northerly rain and pccasionally strong winds which have been exporienged during the past'few days culminated in a heayy thunderstorm, with a very 'heavy falj ,of rain, early jthis morning. Since sunrise the wind has fljjanged about considerably, being |chiefly frjqn) (ji?''South Wept, kt as'jthe sky Ijua's cleared,'and tho barpmetor is rising, a few days' pf fine weather may he expected At a Blue Ribbon Army meeting at Dunedin, tho Mayor was incautious enough to suggest that members should only deal among themselves, and now the other side is talking about reprisals, It is to be hoped that the people of Dunedin will show a little more common sense. T))e old saying that" birds of a feather |oclf. together" no doubt applies to a certain .excfcojit to both sides, but to boycott trad'esmaij ho wears the blue ribbon, or vice yes! ? ; be tho height of absurdity, ' "' ""•'" <

For some time the people of Greytown have been indebted to a lady amateur for valuable assistance at all of the local concerts, there hardly being a cencert in Greytown in which she has not taken some active part; and as she is now about to have .Greytown \t has been decided to show her th'e'publjj esteem and appreciation of her services pn Wednesday next, when some of' the" best talent we have in the district' wilj. take part, After the concert a dance wjll jje held whioh will probably be kept up til} the small hours.

A member of a licensing committee in in the Wairarapa, probably a temperanco advocate, said, according to the Standard, on the bench the other day, that the committee were elected to stop drinking. Tho other members tried to convinco him that such an action would be impossible. The same committeeman then said that ho could not read tho Licensing Act, but hadgoj, some person to do it for him. He ajso said that no "premits," whatever that means, #,ul<}.b,c granted to hotelkeepers on the .occasipn' $f 'race?, shows, &o, The majority pf the' "'coiijiiij.f ee, taking for gr/ihted .tliat he njeanfc special licenses, ruled otherwise, fli)4 also explain.-' edthat any two of a pomwiitej gpyld grant such licenses,

Mr Huvsthouse, M.H.R. for Motueka, addressed liis constituents tho other day, and in reference to the struggles of last session remarked;—'' The proposal was made that Sir J, Vogel and Mr Stout shpukl join Major Atkinson and Mr Mitclieph, and that each of the party should nominate 'tfyo, others, and that .the. remainder'would suppQr£'''tljsn if their measures were Canterbury members had prqmise,4Maiqr A tkinson that if he offered terms toSirJulius Vogel, and tho latter refused, they would give him (Major Atkinson) their hearty support. They offered to put it into ( writing, but Major Atkinson declined, saying, he was treating with honest and honorable gentlemen, whose word was sufficient. Sir Julius declined the coalition, unjcgs he was to be Premier, but this was refused, as it was considered that he had no. prior right over Major Atkinson. That was the reason the coalition broke down,- But mark the sequel. The Atkinson party supposed that, in accordance with their promise the fourteen Canterbury members would support them, instead of whicTi only one went into the lobby with them. He was riot vindictive, but, so sure as he was speaking, a day pf'reckoning with these Canterbury men would come, and he hoped to be there when' it arrived."

Mr W. Kibblewhite advertises a grazing farmat-Palriatuatolet. -. :,:. It is notified that J. S. Crimp, of Pahiatua, carpenter, 'a bankrupt, intends to apply for his discharge on the 24th hist.

Those interested in the Pastoral Society question in the Wairarapa, will, perhaps, be interested to learn that the Patea and Hawera Pastoral Societies have amalgamated, and intend to hold shows alternately in their respective centres,

Our readers are reminded that the service of song "--Eva will bepefformed' by the Carterton Wesleyan Choir'at the Temperance Hall, Chapel-street, to-night. The service was performed at'Carterton with great success, and,as the Choir is in good practice, a.very good and instructive entertainment may be anticipated.

The working-bee formed by some of the members of the Wesleyan Church at Carterton for the purpose of raising funds for gravelling a path to the chapel door, and erecting a shed at the rear of the chapel for the convenience of those who come with horses, commenced operationsthis morning in right earnest, there being quite a number of workers. A poll will be taken on Saturday, 11th July, at the Opaki Scht : house on a proposal to levy a special &v of seveneights of a penny in the pound on the ratable value of property of persons interested in the reconstruction and lengthening of the Miki Miki bridge, to provide for the repayment of £320 to be borrowed under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act.

Says; yesterday s Evening Press:—The "atmospheric disturbances" have been having any amount of larks with the telephones, The instrument at the Police Station seemed to be connected with every subscriber in the city at once this morning, and the man on " watbh-house duty" knows more of the ins and outs of family affairs than even the detectives. The loving messages that passed through the ears of that blissful policeman "would full a three-volume novel, Mid.the growls and swear words would make the fortune of a tragedian, Verily, the policeman's life is not always an unhappy one, nor devoid of occasionalmoments of "innocent amusement."

Thompson's " Colossal Diorama of the Soudan War and Mirror of the East," describing the whole of the Nile expedition, opened at the Theatre Royal last evening to a very good house, the lower part of the Theatre being nearly full, with a fair sprinkling upstairs, As to the entertainment itself, the pictures are very good, being well executed, and finished, and the mounting and general working of the Diorama is all to be desired. The mechanical' portion, viz., tlio bombardment by British ironclads, and the inarch past of the entire body of troops, was exceedingly well manipulated and reflects great credit upon the manager. Mr Thompson is a good lcpturer, and tells oneofthoiriostdisastrousofourforeign campaigns graphically and with dramatic fqrce that enhances the narrative. It appears that the presents which had beenpromised, by some mifortunp accident (lid not arrive in time yesterday for distribution, This evening the performance will be repeated, when amongst many and numerous other presents, a handsome suite of bed-room furniture will bo presented.