The Wairarapa Daily SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1889. How Petitions Are Signed.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3255, 13 July 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1889. How Petitions Are Signed.

A few days ago a kindly canvasser requested us to sign a certain petition which ho bad under Ins charge. We sympathised with the object of it because its intention was to induce a judge of the Supreme Court to admit to probation a prisoner whom there was some reason to believe, had, 1 previous to the commission of the offence on which lie he was convicted, , borne a good character. Wo pointed ' out to the canvasser that we could hardly sign the document because it stated that the petitioners had known the person in'whose favor it was • drafted for a period of over fifteen years, and, as a matter of fact, we , bad no porsonal knowledge of the [ man at all. The canvasser replied I that this was immaterial, and declared that other settlers had signed it without raising any difficulty such • as wo made. Tho list of names '■ corroborated his assertion. We recognised numbers of signatures of persons who could not possibly have known the object of it, for any such period as the one to which they, had testified, For example we pointed out that a well-known literary Goliath who was specially supposed to represent the intelligence of a section of tho community, had signed tho declaration as to personal knowledge for over fifteen years, when it was a matter of notoriety that he bad not been in the district anything like that period. The canvasser explained this inconsistency by stating that tho individual in question had attached his autograph without reading the heading of the document, and that it was usual to sign petitions without any such preliminary perusal. Subsequently wo learnt from him that the heading of tho petition had been altered so that tho document forwarded to the Judge was not the text which had been signed by the petitioners. We do not believe that this recent example of the art of getting up petitions js at all a solitary instance, but that it is a fair average specimen of the mannor in which such papers are prepared. The value pf petitions is extremely problematical in a district ?here intelligent settlers sign documents without reading thorn, and genial canvassers, with no doubt the best intentions, change tho document after it is signed and attach the list of names they have gathered to some other paper, Hjs Honor the Judge did not appear to (jive very great weight to the petition thoiwh he was perhaps influenced by jt to award a' comparatively }ight sentence, At thetima the document was signed we; did not care to. call attention to it, because we had no desire to prejudice a well-meaning effort which was , being made to iudiice a judge to take' ( a merciful view of a case which there

, was some reason to believe had a claim for such consideration. But now that this document has done all the good to -its object that it canpossibly effect, it is worth while to point out the scandalous .manner in which it was signed. No doubt the carelessness with which many men give a signature—committing them to no pecuniary liability-is the root of the evil, and that all connected with the petitition to which we refer were animated by good intentions. Still the reckless facility with which people sign their names is a uionaco to the coinrauuity. Designing persons who are acquainted with the popular weakness are apt to trade upon it, aud the result is that very frequently signatures are used for very doubtful purposes. It is a discredit to a community when its members readily attach their names to. statements which they have not read, and we trust that in future, documents of the kind to which we have alluded will, be more carefully drafted, and conscientiously signod,

The owner of three sacks of wool found in a hedge on Mr Percy's pro[itrty Te Ore Oro will find a notice of interest to. him in another part of this issuo, .;

Tho Feathorston Propecting Association havo decided to discontinue operations until tho line weather sets in. They have obtained a fresh drill from Government* the original ono loaned being defective,

For tho next three months there is not a berth 'unlet in any of tho eastward bound steamships which carry passengers from the Mow to the Did World, Tho rush is precedent, over 100,000 places havlto already boon booked. During tho month of Juno the arrivals in the colony numbered 664, and the departures 969, Jf the arrivals 177 were from tho United Kingdom, 223 from-New South' Wales, and 201 from Victoria, Of the departures 185 for the United Kingdom, 445 for JNew South Walos, and 276 for Victoria.

The Loyal Grey town Lodije of Oddfellows held their half' yearly election of officers in their lodgo room, last Wednesday night, ivith the following result:—Noble Grand Bro J. Hawke, Vice-Grand Bro A. 11. Homblow, Elective Secretary Bro E. W, Tate, The election fertile remaining officos to be filled, will tako piaco at their next lodgo mooting, Wo (Standard) hear that Messrs Tringham and McKcnzie's flax mill, at Kaliautura, hud it narrow escape from destruction by firo, on Tuesday, owing to the friction ot tho scutcher setting fire to the tow. For a moment it seemed that the inflaminablo stuff could not beheld m check, but as there was a plentiful supply of water laid on from tho tanks tho piaco was soon drenched and the building saved,

The case Official Assignee v. W, H, Wilton, hoard in tho District Court yesterday lasted all day, and at half-past sis o'clock as there was no liklihood of its boiug completed that night, and His Honor, Judgo Robinson,waacompollcd to return to Wellington this morning, it was adjourned by arrangement to Wednesday, 24th July, at 10 a.m., to which dato,-,the Court adjourned, There is in addition to tho completion of the abovo case tho examination of Edwin Kiug before tho business of the present sitting is brought to a close. It is, however, confidently anticipated that this somewhat protracted Court Session will be concluded early in tho spring, and will net, as some suppoao, run into tho next quarterly sitting. Six hundred guineas are to bo spent in erecting a bust of Mr Mathcw Arnold in Westminster Abbey, M. Benaudin, an ex-army veterinary, who served at Waterloo, attributes his having attained tho ago of 105 years to the fact that neither he nor his father evor smoked,

Sir Frederick Roberts eonsidors that the sorvices rendered by workers in connection with the Koldiors' Total Abstinence Association has been equal to tho addition of two battalions to the .effective forces,

Joseph Sutherland, a veteran seaman who resides at Milton, Sittingbourne attained his 100 th birthday recently, Sutherland was a powder monkoy on board tho vessel which brought to England tho news of tho glorious viotory of Trafalgar, Ho was borno ai Sheerness, and now enjoys good health and is ill possession of all his faculties.

On March 31 there were under construction in the United Kingdom 528 vessels, of the gross tannago of 020,1)89 tons. Last year, on the sauio date, the number of vessels under construction was 380, and the tonuago 594,420 tons, These figuros represent an increase of more of uioro than fifty per cent on tlioso of twelve mouths ago, There is now on his way to England from America tho " human pouter pigeon," This phenomenon possesses the power of distending his chest to such an oxtentlliatiio will probably bo also advertised as tho '■ Man Balloon." His normal chest measurement is l|2iu, but he cam puff himself out uutil he readies 41ii:,

When the Orient steamer Iberia recently arrived in Loudon from Austialia it was found that one of tho packages of specie containing 5,000 sovereigns from Sydney, was missing. The specio room was in a part oi the ship to which passengers had no access; but as soveral of tho crow had deserted at ports at which the vessel touched it is surmised the robberies were committed by some of them, Tho key of the specio room was in tho captain's possession tho whole of the voyage, but it is thought that some of the sailors must have got an impression of the key. in wax and had a duplicato made,

A remarkable instance of fast living regardless of the consequences is illustrated in the case of Mr Walter Arthur Powell,- of Bury-street, St James,' and tho Court of Bankruptcy, Portugalstreet, Lincoln's Inn Fields. In February, 1885, when he came of age, there were £05,000 waiting for him ; and in March, 1888, he received a further £16,000. Now he is under the caro of the OQioial Receiver, with liabilities .t'SOGI and assets nil, the £81,1)00 having vanished in "lossesby speculation on tbo Stock Exchange, betting and "ambling, the cost of keeping racehorses, and general expenses of living." Mr Powell appears to have bad a very good time. ' Jem Mace, the ex-champion pugilist of England, has addressed the following letter to the London Sporting Life:— "So well am 1 at tho present moment that I feel as though 1 should like to box one of tho best of tho many claimants to tho championship honours three rounds to find out out who really is the cliampiou of the world, for it seem to mojustuowwo have champions all weights and colours j moreover, I am anxious to ascertain if tho new style is any improvement on the old. I cannot box earlier than in two month's time, as lam engaged dune? that time touring with Tayleure'a circus. After that I shall be ready, and first come will be first served." Maco's last fight for the championship was in November 20,1802, when ho was defeated by the late Tom King, Mace was matched to fight the Irish Giant, Ned Baldwin, in October, 1867, wheii Mace was arrested before thoyinet. r Yfe have an extensive rango oi English and Colonial Manufacture, the former at prices unaffected by the enormous increase of duty and the latter regardless of the advance that Colonial makers have put. on their productions. In a word; we shall self ur Flannels of all makers for last yearns oiices at To &io Housc.WellingtDr),

Hamlet: "The air biles shrewdly," Horatio, " It is a nippmg and an eager air, my Lord." Had the philosophic Dane •lived in our day and city, he would, with thousand of other intelligent citizens, have sought and obtained, the'true .Safeguard, eood,"hSn6sf,Tlaund, i o'I'o 1 'o Aro House, Wollujgton.""'""" ■''"' ,'.„,,' "The wind that btows" and .'.%F" J»at "biles shrewdly" v/ould have beep successfully defied by, selecting'(ran? the many excellent makes of Flannel that are o had Te Aw House, Wellington, . .

Mr W. Vile notifies in another column that his coach loaves-Maunceville every Wednesday mornin? at 8.'30 arriving in Masterton at 11 o'clock returning at 3 p.m. Pares 2s return lsCdaimda. Messrs 0. Smith and Co, ihe cash drapers desire us to say that their new brick Btoro wdl not bo ready fov occupation until Thursday July. 22nd. Consequently thoy have decided to continue their removing Bale fursoven days longer and offer still further reductions.

The fresh quarter for evening classes at the School of Design commences on Monday, 15th, and for day classes on Tuesday, Kith inst. Pupils who join will have the opportunity ot comnothi" for prizes in connection with the Masterton Horticultural -aud Industrial Society for drawing and pamtiii". Mossrs Lowes and low will boII by auction on Saturday, 27th inst., a splondid freehold proporty. in Queenstreet Masterton, being subdivision of town aero No. 78; also the Sash and Door Factory lately ownul and worked by Messrs Williams and Barker, which is acknowledged to bo a most complete plant, and includes a steam fire engine together with land having a. frontage ol 113 ft to Chapel-street.by a:depth of 198 feet, and a fourteen feet right-of-way to Queen street.

Ono fact destroys much of theory says a Boston journal. On Dec. 11 tho city of Boston witnessed a fact, Wotnon voted—l7,ooo of them, Tho fact stands out in heroic isolation. Thetheories about woman 6uffrago, so volue uiinous, tho prophecies so gloomy, till apprehension of danger to women as wel, as to the body politic so sincerely held aro dissipated in the li»ht of this fact, The registration list showed the names of 21,300 women, and of these -80 ptr cent, voted. It will not be forgotton that it was a violontly stormy day, aud the rain falling' m torrents aud. beating piteous] y into face and clothing. It was enough to bravo tho unreasoning prejudice of Society in the march to a new and embarrassing duty, but to start for tho ballot box in such a Btorm demanded the spirit of Sumnor, Phillips and Harrison; and the women of Boston possesses it. Tho polls opened at seven o'clock, but the first voter was a woman. No word of insult, no act ot discourtesy was anywhere shown to these women, indeed these women did much to chasten and sanctify tho ballot box, Titos o women redeemed Boston, Thoy will do it in the days that aro to come. Recently the second of two monster guns has boon placed oii Calais heights The woight of the pieces of ordnace is said to bo from forty-live to forty-six tons, length of bore 86 foot, weight of projectile 1008 lbs, and charge 476 lbs. They aro breechloaders with a. range of ten miles.

Says the Sydney Bulletin .—The late John Shcehan, who was for a number of years Minister of Native Affairs in New Zealand was as much noted for his love of a Mod juke as for his ability at the Bar. An oxport Maori linguist, his services were in much request at the sessions of the Native Land Courts when the conflicting claims of porhaps four of five tribos to one block of land had to be sifted and adjudicated upon. On ono occasion Iloane Hohani—as Sheehan was called by the Maoris—was retained by tho Ngiitiinaniapoto to represent thorn, in a very muoh involved ease, and lie appeared before the court wearing an onorraous pair of green spectacles, which wore somewhat of a novelty on tho Waikatb frontior. Sheehan's client won anil Maori-like, attributed their scccess not much to the justice of thoir as to the powerful witchorafc of thoir counsel's spectacles, and while the dancers of the tribe danced a knhi in honour of the victory an aged tohunga improvised a waita which wont this way, :—Haeremai! Haeremai I Haeremai I Chiefs of.A'gatimaniapoto. List whilo 1 sin», Though a son of Maui And not a man from Ireland, Of the virtue great Of wearing green, Of raring green. Oh I great witchcraft, Oh! great necromancer, Hehani I—A smart storekeeper at Kihikihi gotting wind of the superstition imported several hundred pairs of the "now witchcraft," and sold them off to .tho natives "like hot caltos" and to tins day when the eldors of the Ngatimaniapoto meet in conclavo every man-jack of them, besides tho hair feather of rank wears tho grcengogcjles of necromancy.