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Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 402, 10 December 1874, Page 2

A !•. other minister, the Hon. Mr Keynolds, has addressed his constituents in the South. In the aLaeuce of Mr Vogel from the colony, it is perhaps h.tidly to be expected that one of his subordinates should take upon himself the task of sketching the system of Local Government it is contemplated to establish, in place of the Provincial Goveroment which it is proposed to abolish. The delay in gn ing any outline to the public as to the future policy gives high color to the accusation that the resolutions passed last session were brought fo i ward hurriedly, and in a fit of spleen at the \ oinied remarks of the Superintendent of "Wellington. It gives the whole business the appearance of being a "sight" move on the political chess board rather than one made after delibei'ate calculation as to probable results. Had the matter received the consideration of the Cabinet it is fair to presume that an outline of detail at the very least would have been decided upon, and it is equally so to beliovo that were this the case one or other of the ministers who have addressed their constituents would have taken the opportunity to inform, the publio, in order that members of the House could return to Wellington fully informed as to the opinion of their constituents on one of ihe most important questions that New Zealand legislators have ever been called upon to decide. !N'o information having been afforded, the public --3 justified in the opinion that it is the intention the matter shall be decided before the public can have an opportunity of bi'inging pressure to bear on their representatives. At the first blush it was argued that no attempt should be made to carry out a radical change in the constitution without pie"vious appeal to the country. We were of that opinion and are still, but feel that it would be utterly useless to appeal to the electors before the principles of the system proposed to be substituted are clearly stated. It is one thing to hold the opinion that the present system is bad, and another to vote for its extinction, without knowing, what 13 to be • substituted " for it. There has been an attempt made by nearly every speaker returned by Southern constituencies to allay the fears of those who anticipate the confiscation of their land fund by the colony. The objection raised in the North that to partially abolish the provinces would be unjust in the extreme has been met by several speakers, notably by the member for this district with the answer that " half a loaf is better than no bread," nnd that the fall of the Southern provinces would speedily follow that of the Northern. So far from this being the case in the opinion of those who are supposed to speak with authority, no opportunity has been lost to abolish fear on uhis head. They have been assured again and again that their land revenue will be secured to them \ in fact, that provincialism at one end of the island will take a new life consequent on the summary <unputalion of the weakly limbs at the other. Air Beynolds says that if the Canterbury and Otago members me true to the interests of their constituencies their land fund is safe. We say that if the Northern members are true to those they represent, they will stiudily oppose partial abolition of provincialism, and as sturdily tight for its total extinction.

Wt< Irarn tli«t it is tlie intention of the Waikato lettlers ib c r!fiißU) Co! Ljon at dinner pi evious to hie departure Tor Wellington There ib likely to be a very luige attend<utr, indod it is doubtful tt a room will be found oi ■>i r i i' i i cc, 1 1 •(} to entertnin all tlioce w! o will be desnous f.i riif.'irn •' '" itß^'t-t to tic gallnnt oflicer who ba> coiniciuiuitf tlib W»ik»tofor icreral jean.

Wo burn thnfc No. 3 Cnnpanj of the Wuikato MilitU b« ohalli ngfd the Engineer Volunteer Militia to a match at the I tii-gets. Wo understand that the two teams will probably i fire on the 19th inst., on the Ngaruawahia range. The i number of competitors on each tide id not arranged, neither i are the ranges at which the teams are to firo decided upon. { A good deal of interest ii locally felt as to the probable result 1 of thi§ " jump in the dark." [ It is unfortunate that the weather that has prevailed in 1 | this province has not been favourable for the observation of < the transit of Venus. As will be «een by telogram, little 1 more than a momentary obiervat ion has been possible. For | reaeone to us unu countable, I c telegraph agency has not ( lorwarded any particulars as to the gnccew or otherwise of < observers in the south. We trust they have met with better I Huccess than Captain Heale, who had made great preparations for the event, from his well-known zeal for the study | of scientific question! he must feel his disappointment very keenly. If the latest intelligence from the Thames is to be i relied upon, Ohiuetnuri is in a fairway of being opeuol. Mr Mackay was engaged laying oiF boundaues, native resei yes, and lines of i oad. We ti ust sincerely that the matter will bo brought to a, satihfactory termination, for lt^is not at all exhilarating to learn of the departure of diggers from .New Zealand, one of whom is more than equal, as regards benefit to the colony, to two of those just imported from Europe. Mr Travers exhibited before the momberi of the Wellington Philosophical Society, a bottle containing worms, found bv Mr Bidwell, of the Watrarajju, m the throat uud nostrils of some sheep. Mr Waterhouso informed the meeting that these worms were \evy injurious to sheep — often causing no doubt, from suffocation. Mr Travers thought the worrai were taken in the system by the sheep while drinking from stagnant pools, where the worms abound. Some further observations were made upon the matt after which the meeting adjorned. cr ' We have received the following lotter : — Sir, — Allow me, through the medium of your columns, to thank Mr James McNeish ior saving me from an untimely death. Your informant states it was a Maori who saved me from drowning, this is not true. I think that Mr McNeish deserves the Humane Society's medal, and I sincerely trust you will, through the Press, use yeur influence on his behalf. — I am, otu., ■YV7~Wiisoy.— Cambridge, DecemT)ef~77~TB74. T\ c quite agree with Mr Wilson in the opinion that Mr McNeish should receive some recognition at the hands of the Koyal Humane Society. We recommend lliat a statement ot the whole affair be drawn up and forwarded to the Society, with the signatures of all eye-witnesses attached, and we have little doubt that Mr McNoish's bravery will meet with its reward. There were about 250 persons present at tho reception Ball to His Excellency (he Governor, on Monday. Tho ball vr as held in the Choral Hull. Tho usual course of not " speechifying " at ball suppers was departed from, and the usual loyal toasts were drunk. In the course of his speech thanking tho company for drinking Ins health, His Excellency said: "The colonies now possess a constitution as free and as liberal as any m the world. If you have a difficulty which jou wish to overcome, if you have reforms which you wish to make; if there is any mismanagement i in the Government of the colony, you have the remedy in your own hands in a constitutional and proper manner. • (Loud cheers). It theiefore rests with yourselves to take , care that the Government is conducted in tho manner iv which you think best. I have heard, even in England, •ome people- who would uphold a republican form oi government I own, myself, I look upon them as visionaries, because, excepting m name, I maintain that in England we have tho best possible systom of republic in government without any of its evils. (Cheers). We have a Queen who is beloved, honoured, and revired by all her subjects, who takes the place of a president of a Republic. In this manner we are -aved all the difficulties and dangers wbich attend the election periodically of a new president ; but witli that one exception, I maintain that every possible good which can be obtained by the Republican form of Government is better and more securely obtained by the Constitution of England. You, joining in and enjoying a similar- Constitu tion in the colonies, are naturally bound to the mother country. The bond which unites her colonies to England may be, in some respects, compared to a silken thread. It is light, but it is strong as steel and hard as adamant. It is formed by mutual self-interest and mutual self respect, and so long as that feeling exisU I entertain no fear of any difficulty between the mother country and her colonies, and long may the day be deferred when any difficulty of any kind may arise." An accident of a somewhat singular character occurred a few days since not a hundred miles from our office. It ap* pears that a man, well known by his tanned appearance and renowned for his winning wajs and genial spirits, had been making advances to a joung and comely maiden, whoso heart he had fairly taken by storm. In walking round the garden one evening in a spooney manner, they began todiscourso on the language of flowers. They stopped opposite a plant whieb seemed to fade under the gaze of the young lady's fascinating eyes. The lover, always willing to assist in a enso of emergency, said, "My dear, if you will get men bucket, I will draw some water from the well and help restore that little faded flower. She did io, and immediately pulling off his coat, he begun with vigou • to raise the tub, as it reached the top, however, owing, no doubt, to tho smiles his fascinator bestowed upon bim as reward for his kind a*sistence, he let go the h-indleand fell down on the ground, exclaiming. "My back, oh, my back is broken 1" We are alud to inform our readers, howe\er, that he is not seriously h\irt, and hopes to recover in a short time under the nble treatment of his charmer fair. A large number of the inuuigiants by the Hydaspes, , says the Herald, huve already received engagements. These include the whole of the single girls. Ot the others about 25 have been sent to Gisborne. There ai c several appl cations on the books for labour, but the Imuaig. alion Officer finds a difficulty in meeting the requirements objections being made at either the wages or the country districts. It may be mentioned that ten gills arc wanted for Poverty Bay, but only three have been prevailed upon to go. 1 Four are r< quired otTauranga, but onlj one will go Twenty , agriculturists are required bv Mr Coates at Hamilton; four or five are applied for at Waiigarei. Although there are now over two hundred immigrants left at the depot, em- , ployment will be found for all these in tho course of a day or so, if they are willing to accept work. The ship Assaye s is now hourly expected with 354. immigrants on board. The Dilharee, with 315 souls, is also ou her passage fo this port. . Tne Cospatn^K, with a largo number on board, may also soon be looked for. Mr John Pinches has just executed, through Mr J. H. Coleman, of New Zealand, (says an English paper) u medal for the Kawke's Boy Agricultural Society, and ho has ccr- ! tainly avoided tho conventional manner of treating designs for this purpose by designing in equal prominence the heads only of a bull, hoise, and merino nun in separate i circles or medallions. The outer spaces have been judi- . ciously filltd in with accessories consisting of agricultural produce, implement", &c. On the reverse, is the New Zea- > land fern tree, flax, &c , with a tablet for engraving the ; name of a successful competitor — the title of the society surrounding the whole. The work is worthy of the artist, nnd it will, no doubt, give satisfaction to those for whom it ; is intended. Tho following is Josh Billings 1 definition of an editor : — An editor is a male being whose business is to navigate a ! nuzepaper. He writes editorials, grinds out poetry, inserts deaths and weddings, sorts out manuscripts, keeps a wiste basket, blows up the "devil," steals motter, files other ! people* battle, sells his paper for a dollar and a-half a . y -ar, takes white beans >md apple-sass for pay when he can get it, rai-es n large family, works nineteen hours out of - every twenty-four, knows no Sunday, geU damned by everybody, and once in a way wlupt by somebody, lives poor and flies middle-aged and often broken-hearted, leaves no money, • is rewarded for a life of toil with a ihort but fiee obituary 3 pufl" in tho nuzepnpers. Exchanges pleaso copy. t Tlip members of the scientific expedition on board 11. M.5. Clmllengcr, nppenr says the Glasgow correspondent of the t Olago Daily Tiwes, to have been anything but delighted _ w it h either the climate or the people ol Wellington, if the Standard's roi respondent on bourd is to be trusted. Writ ting from Levula under date Ist August, he sajs, after 3 mentioning their departure from Port Nicholson — " It was with but little regret that v»e left the »hores ol New Zeaf land, it being o»v this time of year (mid-winter) a bleuk, x stormy, inhospitable place, void of amusements, and tue re-idents showing but little of the hospitality and kindness - we had so recently experienced in Sydney." 1 We have seen, says the Thames Advertiser, a new banner winch ha<i just arrived from England to the older of the » Loyal Waikato Lodge of Odd Fellows. It is eleven feel 3 long by nine feet wide, of blue silk, with a yellow bordor. On one side is painted very beautifully the arms of the order with the name of the lodge. On the reverse side the • } arms of te Widow* and Orphans' Fund, with t e words i we provide for widows and orphans." The public will have an opportunity of viewing tlushundsome banner on Monday T neit, as it is mtendod to have a pioccssion of tne Odd Fellows lodges to Tarara on that day. Mr. T. W. Reid, in a lecture deliverod at Croydon, in J England, spoke of the dodge* resorted to by unscrupulous - persons to secure pnzos at cattle shows. Amongst other improvements made, in their animals by exhibitors he men1 honed a prize bull at the Ayi shire' Association's Show , which was afterwards found to have false horns, and an Ayrshire cow was bought which pioved to havo a guttapercha tail. On one occasion he saw three men pouring can • after can of water down a cow's throat the morning of the show to give the beasts ribs a better spring. At Penniwick 5 an exhibitor had painted the no*es of his black foced , sheep so lucccsslully that ho would have got tho second . prize if someone, in examining them-, had not been umde I tit black as the ace of s-udes. i As will be seen by advortisemmt in another column) a • meetingW tlie Ngaruawahia Sports Committee will be- held at the Delta Hotel, thii evening, tt eight o'clock.

The result of a ©barge preferred lately in Melbourne by a barman againtft *a' obstreperous individual who had called for drink without th« Meant to pay for it will lomewliat astonish our publicans t—* 1 Henry If artin was charged with assaulting Henry Fern, a barman at the Parade Hotel. Tho defencant, in company with several othei men, called at the hotel and ordered driuki, for which they refused to pay. They attempted tolo^rotk* premie**, when, being detained by the complainant, Martin struck him a aerere blow in the oye. Mr Edwards, who appeared for the defendant, urged that us a publican cannot recover for liquor supplied on the premises, Fern committed an illegal act in dotttininu the defendant for th.c money, and he therefore had no legal redress for the assault. Tho Bench held the argument to be valid, and dismissed the case. A cricket inatoh will be played on Saturday in Mr Enpall's paddock, near Taupin, by two teams selected from J\ T os 1 and 3 companies of tho E.V.M. Wickets will be pitched at noon. There are several Tery good players on either side, so that a good game may bo anticipated. ' Boats will bo in attendance to put visitors across the nrer. The Governor and Lady Normanby will leave for the south to-day in the p s, Luna.