"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1873.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 116, 1 February 1873, Page 2

"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1873.

We are all ready to grumble if we ai*e not governed jn a statesmanlike and honest manner, but many of those who are the loudest com plainer?, whenever occasion offers, have not evpn taken the trouble to register their i anies as voters. It is quite time that the people of this colony awoke f.'om their prolonged indifference to all political matters. The government of tb,e country is in the hands of tjie people; if they will take a lively interest in the conduct of affairs it will be impossible for them who hold power to do other than conform in every respect to their wishes. We are proud of our freedom, but we should like to ask those who fail to register as voters how much of this boasted freedom they enjoy ? The difference between a free and despotic government is, that in the first instance the people have a voice in the government of thp country, and in the other they do not. Any man who fails to register and record his voto at elections is not fit to live in a free country ; he should have been born a Russian or a Turk ; he would then, at least, have the satisfaction of knowing that he had not neglected his dutyto himself and his country. One of the causes of the partial failure of representative government in this colony is cprtainly the indifference on all political matters evinced by a large section of the population. Power is placed in the hands of every man, and the principle of representative government is successful in proportion to the diligence with which a people exercise that power. To exercise that power in a creditable manner, it is necessary for every man to fcike an interest in the politics of the country, to watch carefully the conduct of all public men, and record his vote at all elections in accordance with his observations. There are no remarks more unpatriotic than those we often hear — " I don't care for politics, I don't understand them," " I have gftt my own business to look after," &c. When & man says he does np,{. care for politics, he acknowledges that he does not value the privileges of being in a free country, ar.4 tho remark that; he does not understand them is admitting that he has neglected to inform himself of events tliat vitally affect his interests ; again, it cannot be too strongly urged on a people that it is part of their business to understand politics. We care not wha.t a. man's I avocation muy be, he is not a good citizen unless he has studied tlic history of his cquntry and its pu,blie men. JS T ow is the time to register, and we trust that every man in the Waikato District entitled to vote will be at his post of duty at the nevt election. The tsuperintci:d,eney will be foaght for ; it must be clear to every man that it is his business to place himself in a positiqn to ensnie the return of the best man. In order to facilitate matters, we have printed some forms of application to have names placed on the Electoral RolJ ; thay Will h« i>» the hands o{ each of our agents in a few days. Electors of the Waikato, — Shew th.it you t-ike an interest in the affairs of the Colony •' those j who govern it will respect you: in the fiist ! place, because you will have shewn a willingness j to do your duly, and iii the second because you will be in the ppss.essian of yoyr legitimate power.

Lieut cnant-Ouloncl Lyon mspectod the Te Awamutu Volunteer Cavalry on the §9th. He expressed himvlfhighly satisfied with their apppearance and knowledge of drill. lie confiders that the. corps is the ma>t qJßoicnt he has inspected in the colony. The firnurs throughout the district a,re b,usy getting in and tluywhing thalr grain. The average of the wheat crops is high. Mr Bndgnian, of Te Aw.unutu, heal* the list with an average of fifty -three bushels to the acre. This fact should answer those who state that tho A\ r aikato is not a ] grain producing c^is^ri^it. Mr McGovcrn, (writes our Alexandra Correspondent), quietly walked, m.to this settlement lust Saturday, with a bag on his back ; it is so long since Alexandra has been honored by a vMt from this gentleman tho,t his old friends were delighted to have the pleasure of seeing tha ol(J familiar faco again and were most hearty in their welcome, and profuse m their pressing enquiries after the newly elected " partner of his joys ;" but f.ieps changed when Mr M. commenced to disgorge tho contents of the nforoaji 1 bajf, and requested a sample of bread, just, as he blandly remarked, to see if what is oallcd a two pound loaf weighed 211)3. I qm sorry to say o.ir storekeepers were a trifle short in their loaves, something abctu.t three-quarters of an ounce, but the bread was two days. But the best of the joke is that the unlucky delinquents, neither of whom keeps a baker, but sells on commission for those in the trade, had been consoling themselves with the thought that the author of their trouble would be in the same box. They were d.isappo,inte.d, however, for when Mac went down to the bakery he found the bakenjust taking out ft bateh — tho loaves, weighed whilst hot, were found to h,o over weight, his. victims will no.t, therefore, have tho pleasure o,f his company in the Court at Hamilton on Tuesday next. A writer in the Southern Cross advocates the continuance of the Wa\Lato railway by the western side of Taupo till connection takes place with the railroads of "Wellington province, and states that by the construction of a small branch line to Tarnnali it would unite a large and fortile country to Auckland and its harbour. Wo hove, much satisfaction in stating that Mr Godkin has been entirely exonerated from the charge of assault preferred against him in the case of Mallay. Mr Godkin obtained u formal release at the Police Court, Auckland, on Thursday last. The men Staunton and Malone w ill be brought up on Monday next, when the} will no doubt be committed far trial at the Supreme Oo\irt Eleven of the seamen belonging to H.M s. Dido made their escape from the vessel "while in harbour on Thursday night last. They managed to get away in one of the boats,, althqugh fired upon, and made ior Freeman's Bay, whero they landed, and it appears carousod to their hearts 1 content at the Eob l?oy Hotel until the next morning, when tho police discovered their whprpabonts, mid after a t,evore struggle, succeeded in aflcoting their capture. The men are the wprat diameters on board the ship, and had their lca\ c oS absence stopped in consequence of their previous bad character. A woman named Anstey paisonod herself in Auckland by inking " rat poison,." It appeal a that aho l,ad been eccentric her manner, and the lime and pl^eo selected for taking 3 fatal dose were in keeping with her u«iml conduct. Sho rchased the poison at a chemist's and afterwards went to a blic house and asked far a glass of been, into which she ured t lie powder and swallowed the mixture, feihp then .lLed about the sti-oelb till 6lic dropped down. AVI on r .jkcd up by a passer-ty sic was (lead. The Kciidout Magistrate for tins district will sit ai follows during tho current month : -OfgaruaMahui, Urd and l!Uh : Hamilton, <Uh and 18th j Cambridge, Glh ; Alexandra, 11th , Ranginn, 25th ; Mercer, 2(Jtli. Wo learn that Captain M.icPhcrson has been appointed 1 storekeeper at Hamilton, vicr Sergeant Dando, ordered to | Wellington.

A hall was hold at cm Thuiidaj last to cele bra to the ammcrsai^ of tho province Qne gf fho largo roo:ii3 in tho Hospital was very tajitofullr denorated for the octtfu.on ; great credit is duo to thene who had tlje managemciit of this part of I Ik- prograrnino, Mr Shanaghan'* band was in aUendaiuv, antj plnjod the dance humid in a a cry creditable manner. There w ere about thirty couples present, and dapping was kept up till after daylight. It is to b,e regretted that entertainments of this desenptiqn are not more frequent ; tlio> break tho monotony of a country life, and, what is perhaps of moro importance, they bring Qur j Ming men and women together, thereby increasing the dunces of getting married to both sc\pa. A fyrnjpr w ithout a \> rfc has only half a chance of success have had singularly few marriages to record during the past jeqr. AYliat arc our young mcii thinking about? An ingenious method of rewarding humble merit has been devised by tho Taranaki Rifle Associal ion. At their la^t riQc meeting the Jo«est scorer was presented with mud il muleof tm, about ten inches in circumference, with tho alphabet arjund the run, and tho portrait of i\ douley in tho centre. According to the statistics just published by Government, the population of the colony, exclusive cjf aboriginal natives, on the 31st December, 18/1, was 2(JG,9BG males, aqd 110,555 females. The excess of registered births over registered deaths in tho year 1871 was 7.93 Q, and the excess of immigration over cmigratiqn 4...78G, together making a net increase of 12,703 per-,oi}s, namely, 7,200 males, and 5, 476 fomalos. Breeders of thoroughbred horses arc reminded that the fourth volume of the Xeu Ze.il.md Stud Book is now preparing for tl c press, and they are requested to send a return of hiich of their stock as have not appeared in formoiMolunies t) Mr C. Elliott, Nelson, not later than the end of tho en-su-ng month of February, in order that thpy ujqy appear in the forthcoming volume. Mr Elliott will also be glad to be informed of nny dmtln whn;U mr»y have taken placp in JJioroughVed > >touk, th.it the\ maj be recorded-