The Waikato Times. UNKNOWN.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 135, 20 March 1873, Page 2

The Waikato Times. UNKNOWN.

TIIUKSDIY, MARCH 20, 187^

Teleghaphic intelligence published in anothe l ' column announces the defeat of the Gladstone Ministry. This is fin event that w.is anticipate J to a very great extent by all men who watch carefully publicopinioii as expiesscdiu the Hiitish Press, coupled with the fact that numerous elect ions which have taken place since the termination of the last sitting* of Parliament have resulted in victories for the Conservatives and destroyed the confidence of the ministerial party. The Dublin University Bill in itself is of comparatively little importance. The Ministry accepted the question as a ministerial one. which means in other words that all members who are of opinion that for the paity in power to con. tinne in office would tend to the general benefit of the country will vote with them, and that those who hold a different opinion will follow the opposition leaders into the lobby. We feel no regret that tho liberal party has been defeated, much as we admire the undoubted ability of Mr Gladstone and his followers. There ia a stage beyond which liheraH->rn wi.l not be tolerated by the British pecpie; liberalism tompere 1 with ll ie severest discretion is what is required to govern Great Britiau with success. When a ministry, however, flatters and panders to the prejudices of one class in the community it is certaiu to fall. Mr Gladstone's policy in the House, and his speeches without it, have frightened all the lovers of stability and order — he has verged too nearly on the principles of communism. The British are a proud people, and they cannot help feeling that England does not hold the pot-itiou in the eyes of all nations, which her iimneiibo wealth, her traditions auJ the c jurage of her people entitle her to. She did not come at all well <iv». ot'jhe American question. Ao government in the world, except an English liberal one (possess to? the powc to resist), would have allowed the nation it governed to be degraded to the same extent. Arbitration in theory and arbitration in practice a^two different, things. To submit to arbitrate a question unth a Kepuhlioan government of the most o »rrupt and venal stamp that has ever existed • mwed a child-hue simplici f y that no government gSnnld be liubie to exhibit. Later Canada bas been b % i iously injured by the te^ult of the San Juan question — aibitration is again to blame. Had a conservative ministry held power, tho American c'aiios Aould ha*e beeu much modified, if ever j *.. (i l; c poiic\ of the liberals has been to keep \,< >'iv ft, ai y jiti<e ; th"y held power on those terms ; Great firirain bus been insulted in consequence. This feeling has, withut doubt, produced the desirable reaction Unit hurt turned Mr Gladstone ftoni otfiea.

\ m.vting ol mtopaver* for the election of ;i committee under the now .Education Act was held nt Cambridge on Saturday. The lu-it reir'* rrport wai rend by the treusurer. The following were elected for tlio current year — Messrs McVeagh, Wright, Fihlut, X B. Walker, and the Rev Tlios Stewart. Ili« Cambridge Cui<ilr> VoiuutecM pHruvled for intipcution on TuedJaj. M-ijor Clare was inspecting ofßeer in the absence of Lfc.-Col. Lyon Thr troop was under the comoiuud of Cupt Ruiieiniiin, L.cut Pr.'l-c , m! Cjiuel. Fn'n i. Opt Runennan put t'mh.x)^ tlirou^ l » vnnom e-.olutions Ju Hi very ablo manurr. Tho inspecting offi.cr expn'-fed rc,-y I'reit ealiof'iotio\i at tin* joldicrjiko appeurunce of tho troop, and tho manner thc> ircul tliiuuyli llioir drd 1 .

T.'m residents 111 aad mound JLuuiulj 1 t.v. h.ml:' to the Pativjn Saint of the Emerald lslo on Monday by dancing all night. The Volunteer Hall was tastefully decorated for the occasion With overgic ns and ling* About, twent\ fne co\i\\'t:& of devotees took part in tie proceedm m il" .Vii my .in was 111 attendance witli ins bund, an 1 pi u X to ♦L "> ■ \, Ln' satisfaction of all, oa dancing was kept v, v >•«..»■> y tin daylight. A match for £10 took placo between the well-known pony "Lanty" and the racing mare "Dolly Varden" on Saturday the 15th inst , at Te Awamuiu. The pony carried 8 stone and the mare 7 stove. The pony went a way from the start, was ne\er headed, nnd won, hard held, by two lengths, thus landing anothor stake to the credit of bis spirited owner, Mr McCarthy. 111 our last is3iie we stated that Mr Ilarper had recovered the whole of the money stolen from him with the exception ofjL'3. This m as nob the case, as several cheques were still in us ing, by the activity, how «m or, of Contstables Matheson and Hull, the lost money with the exception of a trivial sum has since been recovered. We notice that a public meeting has been called for this evening, at Hamilton, to consider the position the late ferryman has been placed in in consequence* of the late accident to the punt at that placo. We trust that the unfortunate man will bo dealt liberally with by the inhabitants. The accident was no fault of Ins, and to have to pay the consequent damages, although probably in a legal sense just, we cannot j help thinking a hardship on a settler would be inflicted. The month's return of gold from the Thames district amounts to 778 i ozs from 7L 42 tons of stone. This is quite independent of the gold pillaged at the mines, the amount of n hicli cannot of course bo estimated, although it is known to bo considerable. — HsraJd. Colonel Gorton, a recent visitor to Greymouth , seems to be in ill-favor with some newspajwr correspondents. The Wellington correspondent of a Wangamii paper writes :—: — '' Colonel Gorton again. Hi* fiuuons saving to the country of which ministers boasted when defending his appointment and salary, turns out to be all moonshine. You remember tho story of Judge Fenton's coal scuttles probably. If so, you have the key to tl» so called 4 saTings/ When on his inspection tour, if he found a lamp or a stool that had become broken and useless (throw n aside) , he had it rescued from the dust heap or lumber room, and forthwith entered it on his list, and its original value when new, and of course ho was thus able, in tho course of tune, to show on paper a goodly sum which he claimed to havo ' sated.' If the truth were known his savings have cost the colony a pretty penny. It would pay to pension him off, if by so doing he could be kept from active mischief." Many persons consider the morepork a bird of ill umen, and never a very pleasant companion m tho busk. It is also diiliked on account of killing and devouring acclimatized birds. Mr Buller, in his new " History of the Birds of New Zealand," says : — There bas, in consequence, been a crusade against the morepoik in many parts of the country. But whether this wholesale destruction of an indigenous species, on account of these predatory habits, is wise, or even prudent, may be seriously questioned. The morepork not only preys o» rats and mice, but is also a good insectiverous bird, with a Toracious appetite. Its habits of feeding largely on the nooturnal Lepidoptera is of itself an inestimable advantage to the agriculturist, as it teuds to check the spread of the caterpillar, whose ravages are becoming more severely felt every yeiir. It is a dangnrous thing to disturb the ba'ance of nature by violent imam ; an 1, in a new country especially, we must bo careful that in removing one evil wo are not opening tho door to an immeasurably greater one. For my own part, I consider the killing of a single owl a positive injury to the farming industries of the country, and senvoly compensated for by tlio introduction of a score of s)ft-billcd msectivores in its placo. The bridge o\cr the Watkito river, at Niho o to Kiore, will, we {Bvj of Pien'y TuneiJ learn, bo finish "(I 111 about a fortnight. Oir informant s»attM that the contni3toiM aro making a sutatuuliil and credit aM* job- of it. Tiio bridge will not borealyfor trafllj for s; uj him yet, a? tho approaches (solid r;ck to work through on both sides) are difficult of formation. The Native Contingent aiv liar Jat work preparing the approaches. 1