The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 706, 23 December 1876, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Eqcaland exsct justice to all men, Ot whatever state or pcnru«u»on, religious or political « -♦ * « # Here shall the Pres-J the Pjjople's right nuuntain. Unawed "by influence and unbribed by R«in.

! SATURDAY DECEMBER 23. 187 G.

Wb cannot be surprised if many view the constitutional changes provided by the Legislature with a feel>ikg of doubt and hesitation,- for legislation of this kind, after all, can •only be tentative and suggestive. Ifc is difficult if not impossible to form •a cut and dried constitution which shall be acceptable to a Colony composed of so many heterogeneous communities as Is that of New Zealand, and still more difficult to make such change come into force at one and the same moment fiom the North Cape to the Bluff. Tihat tkis feeling of distrust exists with respect to the smooth working of the new Institutions, as at present framed, renders it «ll tire more necessary that those who have sought office at the present elections should fully understand the responsibility which devolves upon them. The legislature has given them the* body only of a new Constitution. It is for them to breathe the soul of life iato it It never could be intended that the Act as passed, amid the vortex of party strife and at the fag end of the session, is to remain immutable as the laws of the Medes and Persians, any more than it was to be supposed that passed in such manner it should be allwise and perfect in its provisions. Constitutional Government itself must be the growth of time and so must the development of a system the mere bare landmarks of which are given in an Act It is only as the measure comes to be worked that an alteration here, an amendment there, additional provisions in the one case or excision of existing ones in another, will present themselves as necessary to the harmonious working of the system as a whole — and on the intelligence and energy of the Coancils will it rest tha* the deficiencies of the measure are intelligently comprehended and laid Kofore ti*e Government for amendment. No Government will refuse amendments suggested from such a source, and indeed the very wording of the Act shows that the Government look for the co-opera-tion in the future of the County Councils in waking the measure acceptable and geuerally workable throughout the Colony, or such large powers as those contained in the 209 th clause of the "Act would not have be given to the Governor for the purpose of remedying its defects, whether refering to general or to particular cases. The Legislature clearly enough foresaw that so great a constitutional change could not be the work of the Com-mittee-room of the Assembly, but must be a growth of time, and it is therefore, as we have said, exceedingly to be desired that those on whom in a very great degree the work of framing the future structure of oar Constitution will devolve, shonld bring' to their task not only a more than average ability, bat a full recognition of the very grave responsibility which will attach to the officethey hare been elected to fill.

Akbitrart Railwat Traffic— With such want of proper ty»tem in the regulation of charges and management of the railway dep-trtmwit in Auckland, it id not surprising that our local railways add little or nothing to the general revenue. If the commercial concern* of individuals weio entered on with the lamo want of ijHtem and intolligenco on the part; of those to whom the carrying out of the department in detail are enlrus ted, Commissioners m Bankruptcy would have a but j time of if. We are constantly hearing of one complaint and another, und now we are able to state from our own knowledge a grow instance of the prohibitory tariff for the carriage of goods imposed by the railway authoritiei, in the case of the Auckland and Mercer railway. What makes the mattnr s*~ill more extraordinary is, the charges imposed seem to be quite arbitrary in their eh tractor, fixed by no standard bat the official whim and oaprice of the moment. During the pr«« ■eat week a parcel containing piper was forwarded from Auckland to this office. It measured 24 inches by 18 inches with a dtplh of 9 inches, and weighed 651bs, yet the railway freight between Auckland ana Meroer charted oa this fraction of a ton was soren shillings and six pence, as the parcel way bill now before us testifies. Now this rate of charge is simply prohibitive. Had we been > told that such a thing had been done we should hare doubled that it "were fioiiible that such a thing could be, but there oan be no mis- I take m this case. The money hm been demanded and paid, the 'parcel has been carefully weighed and measured, and we feel very much as we suppose a man

feels when he lit • been "had." 'Waitoa Hiohwat Board.— The time for receiving tenders for the formation of ; tho Piako and confiscation boundary road has, it will be seen, be«n extended from Saturday, the 23rd mat., to Saturday, 6th December. £UiKC(rtTiNO, m a trade, has we aoe fixed itself m a permanent lustitution in Hamilton, and bean so far successful that > Mr Huge acnouncea his ohar^e reduced for one shilling to lixpence. Tiie publio will now ho able to afford to get its hair out at ahort ioterrali, keep ila bead cool in the hot waather, and mcourng* trade I at tliot»mo time*

Thb Zikgari En'hrtainment last night warn a {(rand success, whether looked at from a monetary or artistio point of view. Tho Operatio Burlesques were well tplnyed and Mag, and vrell received, and the songs and instrumental music rendered in the interval bvtwetn the two pieces as good aa we remember themto hare bntriu Hamilton, not «yob excepting thwe of the laat occasion. Dbatk From Lockjaw.— We regret to have to record a very distraining, and fatal accident which befell a fine little boy eight years of age, the ion of Mr Kutabu, of Ohaapo. A few days ago he ran a tmall splinter of ti-tree into the ball of the big toe, which wa» at once extracted, and little more «u thought of it, but toon after it vu noticed that hit mouth waa<parMy oloied, and that he wu occasionally seized with ipaim. For • little while hi* father thought it woflsome obstinate fit of temper the child had taken and meeting Br Waddington on the road caxuarly informed him of it The Dr at once taw tint it was a cai* of tetunut, savr the-cbHd, "b»t found it was too late to save him. Every meani was resorted to but without arail, and the poor little fellow died from the comcquence of what •seemed to be »t the timo the moit trifling accident' An'^coidint, which wag attended with ■erious result* to one of the parties con* earned, ocuurr«d, we regret to mt on Wednesday evening after dark to Mr Pott* and Mr tfcCabe of Ohaupo. They left Hamilton tbortly after six o'clock on Wednesday evening, and when near Mr Harper's gate on the Obaupo and To Awa> mutti road, the vehicle by some mean* was capsized giid both cccup»nts were thrown out upon the soad. Mr McCabe wu* uninjurud, but when Mr Potts was picked up it was found that he bad received severe injuries about the head- The lower jiw was broken, there is a severe cut from the nose through the upper lip and another garli across the fuc«. Dr Waddiugton who was up country was telegraphed for, and on arrival did ull that wtt* necejisary for the sulferer* r«hef but found it n^ci-Hsary to send him at once to the Hospital in Auckland.

Thjc Cambridge Li»baby. — The following reiiurt was read to tho»e present at the Annual meeting of the subscribers to th« Cambridge Library, held on Saturday last : — Cambridge, 16th December, 1 >7S. It is with pleasure that your oommitte* are enabled to report that the affair* of the Library are in a much more prosperous condition than they were at your last meeting. This ohange for the better baa been induced principally by the efforts of Mews, Jus. Stuart and Camp. Instead of some fourteen sub■cribert, which was the number last annual meeting, we huve, now, fifty-four. A large number of new books has been added to the library, partly by, purchase, and partly by donations from Messrs Pearson, Smith, Camp, and Jan. Young. Your Committee have alao to report that the sum of £10 15s 4d has been received during the year, and that there are subsonptions due to theamonnt of £2 18 j. Also, that there is a balance in band of £3 18* 3d. Full details are contained in the Treasurer* report. — James Hally, Ohairmia.

Boaming Sciiool jor Youko Ladies, Hamilton West. — The want of a good local school for girl*, where a auponor kind of education can be received, it always a notable want in country district, and the more felt, at people Tory often do not like lending their young daughter far away, as to Auckland, to a sohoo, to iay nothing of the expense. We are glad, therefore, to see that the want ia being met in Hamilton by Mra Culpan, who, as will be seen by advrtnment elsewhere, ia prepared to receive a few boarders, tome half-dozen, we believe, aiid impart to them a good sound English education, with the addition of Fieuob, masio, and drawing. Thin will be an opportunity for familiea in other parts of the Waikato to avail themselves of, as they will hive the advantage of keeping their daughters comparatively near home, and yat secure for them the advantages of the discipline aad systematic training tit a boardiug-sohool, an occupation for the efficient cotduot of which Mrs Culpan'a previous truuing and accomplishments are a tatwfaotory guarantee.

W« WISIH YE3TEBDAY SHOWN lome nicely executed pieces of needlework by tocne of M»t (lumby's pupils, and also specimen* of handwriting, map-drawing, •ml diofcatioa, which reflect very creditably upon the children placed under her charge, or, perhaps, more properly •peaking, on Mi'm Gumby hereelf. We dont ■ay anything of the smoking cap, table mats and flowers warked in wool, though they were u well made m auqh things usually aro, even by older children, for too much time, we think, ia allowed to be given by young girl* to auoh useless trash, and we had far sooner tea * good •pooimen of a padding or tart, or a well j washed well got op ahirt, than all the' wool work ia creation— and »o, too, doubtless, iome day would the future husband* of these youthful scholars. 'We must, however, give great praise for the neatness and style of the handwritiug, and the evident advancement ia grammar, arithmetic and geography ahown by the dictation copies, sums, and maps ; and thn name* of the Misses Amelia and Louisa Macpheraon, Amy B. and Kdith M. Miasen, >wd B. Beere deierre apeoisl mention. ludeod, we are not; surprised to find the maps, anH cren the writing so well executed by Mi-iS (jumby'a pupils, for that lady hmielf it an artist of more thsn ordinary merit, as her drawings amply testify. We were yesterday ih own a p»ir of chromo drawings by this lady, of very great merit, and if she h» the saino aptitude for imparting to others the knowledge of <th« art that she so etniueubly poiaessea herself, many, doubtless, besides the pupils of her sohool would be glad to tain advantage of i her instructions.

Thb Cottaqb of Contrt* Hotki, Victoria and Hobson Streets, AuokUnd, W. B. Imngb ridge, Proprietor, hating been Enlarged and Improved, affords unequalled Accommodation, and will be found a Really, Well-appointed, Firstcliu Hotel.— -[Aj>vt.] O"T» fellow-settlers will loon bo visiting Auckland and we ad rite 'them, before miking *ny purchases, to walk into the City Hull Vrcade. This is an establishment conducted after the London style. By buying there you can prooure all you require in tho way of Clothing and Furniture. The goods are carefully packed and despatched without trouble to the purchaser. We see there the gre*tcit display of goods in Auckland. •Furniture for the Drawing, Dining, Bedroom, and Kitchen ; Carpets, in immense variety, from 8d to. 7s 6d per yard ; Floor Cloths, all widths ; Bedding of erery description, and Upholstery work. Holloway an 1 Q-nrliclc hare secured the -services of Mr X Cranwell to superintend the furnishing departtnont,-and his long experience t* u guarantee for good work. A ntcotv -assorted stock of Men's ond Boys' Clothing, tho latest fashions in Drapery and Millinery Goods, Baby Wore and Underclothing. The proprietors srll at low prices to command a Cash Tbadx. Go to Uolloway and G-arlisk's City Hall Drapery and Furniture Arcade (show rooms 166 feet long), Quoen-street, Auckland. —[AnTr,]

Appoint mknt of Valubbs— We are glad to see the eeferal Highway Boards aware of the neceisity of getting valuers appointed at once, «o that tho 'Valuation lints may bo ready by £ho 15th Janu-iry in accordance with the Act and forwarded to th« Colonial Treasurer before the end ctf that month, for unlesi this provision is complied with, no *üb«idy will be paid. We republiih from the Rtfting A*t, 1876, the 7th olame by which it will be teen that the Valueri appointed haye pow«r to enter upon th« property of indiTiduali : "it «hall be la^al for any vrfluer to enter at any time during the day upon any land or premises 'for lh» purpoie of valuing the sime, and to put to the occupier or owner thereof any question! ho thinki fit touching any of the particulars he is required to fumub. in the -valuation list ; and any perton obstructing & valuer in the performance df his duty herein, or refusing or wilfully negleoting to answer any inch 'question, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds."