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Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 739, 13 March 1877, Page 2

. It i 8 reported that the native meeting at Waitara will uofc take place. BiFiiß siring Match— We understand that there is a match on the tapis between the Te Awanmtu Cavalry troop and the VVaiuku troop, which is expected to come off about the end of the month. " Educational.— At the recent meeting of the Central Board, on Friday, it was resolved to proclaim the Whata Whata district- an Educational district uuder the Act, and a sum of £7 10a, for school furniture, was voted for the Alexandra school house. 'The Taranaki Agricultural statistics for 1871 have been published, as follows : — Holdings, 745 ; wheat, 10JLGJ acres; oats (grain), 711 acres; bwley, 48 acres, ; grass, 82, 340 acres ; potatoes, 596 acres ; other crops, 268 acres : total, 95,159 acres. Total increase of acres under crops, 24.504. : The Ohotb Bridge, the want of which has caused so much inconvenience, is being rapidly proceeded with, and when finished, will be a substantial work. The piles have been driven to a considerable depth, the timber is heavier aad stronger .than before, and as the span is considerably; lengthened, tha approaches to the new bridge will be much easier than they used to be. Newcastle Eiding, County Waipa. — A\ meeting of the ratepayers of the Newcastle Biding, to consider the desirability of working the whole Ace, and of returning a councillor to the Waipa County Council pledged to oarry out their wishes m this matter, is called for Thursday next, at the Delta Hotel. It will also be seen that Major Wilson, the retiring conncillor, offers himself for re-election. The nomination takes place on Friday. Raglan Assessment Couht. — It will bo seen by reference to our advertising columns that for the public convenience the Judge of the Assessment Courb has altered the places of the sitting of she Ooait for the sereral Raglan county districts. These alterations will suit both road board officials and appealing ratepayers much better than if the sittings were held at the Court-house as originally intended. Our European Telegrams, which reached Auckland on Saturday night, are of date March the 7th. The causo of this delay is a break m tliß cable between Singapore and Java, a couple of daya being lost, m connecting thesa two poiutß by steamer. The news, it will bo seen, is again of a warlike charactei 1 , indeed more so than it has been since the first ; threatening of hostilities. Feitz Karl Troupe— Miserable as the night was, this company kept their engagement with the West Hamilton people, and played m Che large room iv the Barracks. The performance was well worthy of a fuller audience, and did they perform again and with more favorable weather, the impression thjy made last night would not fail to secure them a full atteudance. It is hardly fair to judge, even of comedy and farce, without the accessories of ataye and scenery, but the singing Waa excellent, and one song after another called forth the well deserved plaudits of the audience. Mr KeeJey sings comic songs m oharaoter with great vivacity and expression, and with a tolerably good voice, and the comio duet between himself and Miss Lyston was a capital thing m its way. The audience was kept m roar 3of laughter throughout this part of the performance, yet there was not the slightest approach to anything that might have offended the most fastidious. At the end of the farce, which concluded the performance, the forms^were.cleared away.and dancing was kept up with spirit for aome hours.

At the meeting of tho Waitaki County Council on Tlia-sday it \va3 resolved that tlio right to colloct the dog tax m the Waitaki county during the year, com- " mencing April 1 be sold by public auction, the tax to bo 10a per annum for each. dog. This is (says the ' Lyltelton Times') a new experiment, and one which does not appear to be conleinplatocl either by the Counties Act or Financial Arrangements Act. The Canterbury Agricultural statistics for the present year give the ■following returns :— Number of holdings, 4473, of which 2760 are fpehold ; land broken up but nob m crop, 130,046 acres. Land m wheat : 92,417 acres ; estimated produce, 2,707,625 bushels. Oata : 75,354 acres ; estimated* produce, 2,106,800 bushels. Barley: 16,047 acres; estimated produce, 505.70JL bushels. Hay 17,023 acres ; estimated produce, 21,213 tons. Land m grass : 316,078 acres Potatoes : 3434 acres ; estimated produce, 25,886 tons. . Other crops : 58,251 acres. Total amount under crop, including sown grass, 653,487 arras. Perfection m Marriage.— If the perpetrator of the following atrocity had been (says 'Atlas/ m the 'World') an Englishman, my dear ladies, tortures would not have md iced me to publish it. Being, however, a Frenchman, and a determined bachelor, his misdeeds may be overlooked for tbli once. He has one redeeming point. He is vory fond of children, and was asked by a friend wjy he did not commit matrimony. 'I can't, my dear fellow ; I must have perfection.' ' What do you call perfection ?' quoth the friend. 'Why, I could enjoy all the happiness of married life m one week.' 1 But*thatis too much to expect, is it not ?' ' O no ! Quite simple, m this way ■:— You marry a very rich girl on Monday j you have a son and heir on Tuesday ; he is baptised on Wednesday ; on Thursday you take out letters to administer the property of your mother-in-law, who dies on Friday, and whom you bury on Saturday j on Sunday you touch your inheritance." The Proposed Hamilton Bridge.— We have been repeateily asked when the bridge at Hamilton is likely to bo commenced. In all liklihood, the Engineer-in-Chief, Mr Oarruthers, will approve the site, and that gentleman, as far as we can learn from the Southern journals, is now, or has, quite recently, been engaged m laying off a line of railway m iha South. Mr Carruthers may, however, be expected up, possibly, this week, or at auy rate during the next, when the site will be definitely settled. As far, however, as the survey goes, there is very little doubt bub that the site fixed upon som.9 time since by the District Engineer, Mr Clarke, will be tho one selecbed. It fulfils all the requirements as the site of the proposed bridge far more fully than any any other spot. It carries the main street of the one township right through, and direct into that of the other, is just at the spot where the river, for a long distance either way, is narrowest, and where ihe banks are of equal height, and with a good and easy approach on either side, and what is more, is at a point where a clay baud crosses the river, and where the banks, consequently, are less liable to injury by floods. Pooley, the English Cricketer, is, it will be seen ny our last nights telegrams, m Canterbury awaiting the trial of the charge of assault laid against him. We take from the ' Wellington Argus ' it 3 Ohristchurch correspondent's version of the assault m question, which appeared m that journal of the 2nd inst. ' A most brutal and cowardly assault was made on Mr Donkin, Assistant Eailway Engineer, while that gentleman, m company with a friend and Charlwood, of the English Eleven, wore on their way to the Theatre Royal. The assailant was Pooley, one of the English cricketers. It appears that on Saturday last Pooley, who stopped at the same hotel as that gentleman, said he would take odds of 6 to 1 that he (Pooley) would name the scores for the Canterbury Eighteen. Mr Donkia took him up, thinking that the bet was a perfectly bona fide one, and that Pooley would place the exact number of runs to each man. It afterwards turned out that this was a • catch ' bet, Pooley boasting that he ' had ' Donkin by placing a duck's egg to each man. Hearing this, Mr Donkin was heard by many to declare off, before and after the match began. Last night Pooley met Mr Donkin m the smoking room, and demanded £36. The latter refused to pay, when Oharlwood (who knew Mr Donkin's relations at Home) took that gentleman away, as his friend j and it was while on their way to the theatre that the assault was made. Unaware of his approach, Pooley caught hold of Donkin, and, before anybody had time to collect their senses, struck him three times violently m the face. Being thrown down, Pooley jumped on him and continued Btriking until he was pulled away. Threats being held out, Mr Donkin, by the advice of his friends, slept for the night m another house. This was not the last of it. The room at his usual place of abode was forcibly entered and every particle of Mr Donkia's wearing apparel torn to shreds, and some important plans partially destroyed. The public indignation at the outrage is intense. The law has been set m motion, aud it is not unlikely that one, if not more, of the English cricketers will pay another unexpected visit to Canterbury. Mr J Knox held a very successful sale of furniture ond effects at Mr Longbottom's, Hamilton West, on Saturday last. One feature about the sale, however, was somewhat objectionable. Not only did the goods go off quickly and well at the sale but thej went off s^me of them a great deal faster than they ought to have done after it w s over. The fact is there was a good deal of petty pilfering indulged m, some few things were stolen before the auctioneer disposed of them, tind more still afterwards when they stood at the risk of purchasers. This sjrfc of thing needs putting a stop to, and it becomes the duty of all present to assist the auctioneer and owner m detecting the perpetrators of petty meannesses. If m one instance an example were made of the offender, if only to the extent of public exposure on the spot, we should hear less of ten of complaints of such conduct. Easter MoNDAy'SpoitTs.CAiißßiDGre.— Ihe people of Cambridge intend to keep Easter Monday, the 2nd April, as a public holiday, and a. more than usually attractive programme of sports has already been drawn up for the occasion which will appear m our advertising columns of lueßday next. The sports will take place under the management of Mr Camp and a handicapping committee of three to bcappoiuted. Itiahopsdthat the subscriptions will be on a sufficiently liberal scale to allow of a "Cambridge Cup" being run far as the chief prizs. Ib is, indeed, a move m the right direction, and our local sports would be far more liberally subscribed to by the general public if the prizes were other than money ones. It is expected that there will be a larger umber of entries than usual for then Easier Monday sports, and no effort will be spired by the committee to make them a success. They will take place mMr R Kirkwood's acre paddock, opposite the church.

Thb Rabbit N(ji3anoe.~-4.s giving some idea of ihe rabbit nuisance m the South, the Wiatoa correspondent of the " Southland News" writes :—" During the late flooded state of the New River, the settlers undo another crusade on bunny. People m localities where they have not yet become a pest, may form some idea of what the settlers along the river flat have to cope with from the following facts, which nre not m the least exaggerated. Mr John Co wie, assisted by his brother-in-law, killed, during two nfternoonp, the enormous quantity of 1.800, and by Saturday they had reached tho round figure of 2,000. Several hundreds were likewise destroyed'on almost every adjoining farm bounded by the river. During the flood they are described as being 'pilled on top of one another m the bushes by twenties and thirties.' Mr Arthur Grerrard is confident that he has, during the past year, destroyed rabbits on his firm to the extent of nearly 20,000. Religious Instruction ix Public Schools.- The Secretary of the Central Board of Education m Auckland, at its meeting of Friday last, read a memorial from a number of clergymen and others upon this subject. The following is the text of the petition-:— "To the members of the Education Board (hs to Religious Instruction m Schools).— Gentlemen,— Since the adoption of the present Education Ac*, it ha 3 been the common practice, on eccasion of religious instruction after school hours, to announce the same generally ; giving liberty to those scholars who may be unaole, from any cause to attend, to leave for their homes at the close of sohool hours. It is thought that this plan carries out the meaning ar d spirit of the Act." Any dispersion and re-assembling of the children at the schools, would prove wholly detrimental to voluntary efforts now put forth to impart knowledge of Holy Scriptures. We bring this matter under your notice because of an order recently given to a school teacher by your Inspector \ to disperse the children before religious instruction was given. Wo respectfully ask your decision m the matter. — (Signed) Clergy men : R S rlassard, R F Macnicol, William Kirk, John O Cargill, R Taylor, Charles M Nelson, D W Runciman Laity : J C Firth, Frederick Buttle, D Goldie, George Heinus, T B Eendei dine, Joseph Newman, G P Pierce.— The Chair man said the memorial appeared to ask from the Board an interpretation of the 45th clauee of the Act, which provides that no religious instruction shall be given within school hours.— Colonel Haultain : They ask that the children shall not be dispersed, for once dispersed, they will not come m again. — Mr Luckie thought the matter came under rule 14, which provided that the school should dismiss m a particular form. : Religious instruction could not take place until the school was dismissed. —The Chairman : It appears to be forgotten that religious instruction might be given before school assembles — ihat is m the morning and m the afternoon. There would not be the same difficulty m defining what was within school hours then.— Mr Dignan was of opinion that the Act contemplated the exclusion of religious instruction, and to make any rule by which it was to be admitted would operate as a reversal of the policy of the Act.— Colonel Haultain : The face is that nearly all people are m favour of religious instruction as a part of education, but nobody can agtee with the other as to tho character of tho instruction that shall be given. Any proposal ahould be made with great caution. The final decision must be postponed. It might m the meantime hs put to those gentlemen whether the suggestion made by the Chairman would not obviate the objection they make. He would move a resolution to this effect. Motion put accorJingly and carried.: At thb.Cambbidgb Resident Magistrate's Court held on Friday last there were_ several ca3es on both sides. In the criminal, Robert McVeigh, charged with a breach of the Impounding Act, m re> fusing to receive from Mr Forrest the pound, fees when tendered, was fined one shilling and costs, £3 Is. Two drunkards were also summarily disposed of. On the civil side, Edward Hewitt obtained a judgment against George Hair for £1 12s, with costs, 19 j j and James Camp a judgment against Hote Thompson for £5 iOs 6d, with costs, £1 33 ; the claim of £3 103 made by X E Keeley against George Henson for wages, wa3 adjourned till next Court day to amend particulars. There were two cases of judgment debts — D Carnachan v Richard Mitchell, £6 12s 5d : defendant o.dored te pay £1 per week, with costs 6a 3d ; and J G Elmsley v J A Stewart, £6 16s : defendant ordered to pay costs within two weeks, £1 m March, £1 m April, and tho balance at the rate of £2 per month. Pr..>3?essor Taemagb on Newspapers. — There are sheep and goats m the newspaper world, a» Professor Talmage m his sermon specially directed o newspaper i men, points out :— " There are only two kinds of newspapers — thd one good, very good — the other bad, very bad. A newspaper may do started with an undecided character, but after it has been going on for years, everybody fiuds but just what it ia j one piper is the embodiment of news, the ally of virtue, the foe of crime, the delectation of elevated taste, the might es: agency on earth for making the world batter. * The other paper °is a brigand amid moral forces, it is a beslimer of reputation, it is the right arm of death and hell, it is the mightiest agency m the universe for making the world worse and battling the cause of God. The one an angel of intelligence and mercy, the other a fisnd of darkness. Between this Archangel and this Fury is to be fought the great battle which is to decide the fate of the world. If you have any doubt which is be the victor, ask the prophecies, ask God j the chief batteries wibh which he would vindicate the right and thuader down the wrong, not yet being unlimbered. The great Armageddon of the nations is not to 6e fought with i swords, but with steel pens; not with cannon, but with Hoe's ten cylinder presses ; and the Suroters, and the Moultrios, and the Palaskis, and the G'braltara of that conflict will bo the editorial and reportorial roomf of our great newspaper establishments. Men of the Press, under God you are to decide whether the human race shall be saved or lost. God ha 3 put a more stupendous responsibility upon you thau upon any other class of persons, ani is there any doubt about my being right this morning, In addressing myself especially to you ?"