The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1615, 9 November 1882, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

E(|u.il and exact justice to all men, Ot whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here >h.ill the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

THURSDAY, NOV. 9, 1882.

Through the representations made by the Cam bridge Town Board to Superintendent Thomson on the matter of investing the Jocal constable with the office of Inspector of Nuisances for the town, Mr Thomson has instructed Constable Brennan to act in the capacity under the appointment of the Board. 'Iho constable is therefore empowered to carry out the provisions of the " Public Healths Act, 1876," under which he will have sufficient power to suppress any nuisance which may be found offensive or dangorous to the community. Now that the Native Lands Court is sitting in the town, and almost every vacant corner is occupied by natives, whose respect for the laws of sanitation is somewhat of a dubious character, the importance of the appointment of an inspector of nuisances in the town cannot be overrated. Of late several complaints have reached us regarding the filthy state of a few of the most central quarters of the town where the natives are located, and where refuse and other obnoxious matter is allowed to accumulate undisturbed. Considering the sultry nature of the weather and the want of proper drainage facilities, this cannot be otherwise than injurious to the health of all, both natives and Europeans, residing in the town, and on the mind of the visitor has anything but a pleasant effect. Under the Public Healths Act the inspector can compel all property holders, upon whose property natives are located, to find the necessary sanitary accommodation, and prevent all nuisances thereon. We sincerely hope the inspector will lose no time in giving effect to the powers with which he has been invested.

A short measure, intituled "The Registration of Births and Deaths Act Amendment Act, 1882,"' passed during the last session, is of sonic importance, and its provisions should be widely known. Under the act of 1875, ifc was imperative that births should be registered within six months after the event. The result, as might be expected, in a scattered community such as New Zealand is that a pretty considerable number of children have never been registered at all. As much confusion, unhappiness, and no little injustice might arise out of this circumstance, it was deemed advisable to pass the amendment referred to, which the Legislature accordingly did. The act, so far as it relates to the registration of births, is comniendably brief, the following being the entire text : — It shall be lawful for the KegistrarGeneral to register the birth of any child born in the colony previous to the period of twelve months before the date of the passing of this act, but whose birth has not previously been registered, provided — {a) That satisfactory evidence on oath and such other proof as he may deem necessary of the fact, place, and time of birth, and of the particular.? of the parents, shall be sent to the EegistrarGeneral within twelve months from the | date ot the coming into operation of this act ; (i) That, on application to have | such birth registered, a fee of one pound shall be paid to the Registrar-General. The particulars of the birth and of the nature of the evidence produced shall be cutered by the Registrar-General in a separate book, which shall be kept by him for that purpose ; the form in which the particulars are to be registered shall be prescribed by the Registrar-General. It will thus be seen that a period of twelvemonths is allowed to registrar those children born at any time before the twelvemonths preceding the passing of the act, and who cannot now be registered under the act of 1875. It is to be noted that applications mubb be made to the Registrar General, as district registrars have no functions in this matter.

Fkw things are exciting so much interest all over the world at the present clay as the temperance question. In England the Blue Ribbon Society is attracting as much attention as " General" Booth and his Salvation Army, and forms a theme alike for friends and foes of total abstinence. The other day, too, we quoted some statistics to show the strides the temperance movement is making in the United States ot America, and the readiness which many of the States exhibit to adopt the repressive liquor legislation of Maine. From Ireland similar accounts are to hand, the " Irish Temperance Banner" states that a house-to-house canrass of the five exempted cities, for and against Sunday closing, as completed by the Irish Association for the Prevention of Intemperance gave the following majorities in favor of Sunday closing :— Dublin, 26,489 ; Belfast, 20,636 ; Cork, 7735 j Limerick, 50.~>0 ; Waterford, 3205 ; total, 63,115. In 1876 when a similar canvass was made, the majority was only 54,004. The registered electors of Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Waterford, were asked if they approved of , the extension of the Act to their respective cities. The application was made by post with the following result : The first number given in each case represents the available vote j the second, those who signed in favour of Sunday closing ; the third, those who did not vote j the fourth.' the majority for Sunday closing : — Dublin, 10,966— f)919-5047— 872 ; Cork (city part), 3086— 1628— 13T)8— 270— Limerick (city part), 1190— 683— .'507—176; Waterford, 1117—683— 434— 249. It is only reasonable to assume that of tiiose who did, not vote, some at least, probably very many, were in favor of the extension' of the act. " It is quite evident that, the friencis of totnperauce have, embarked ,on a crusade all over the world. .Y^Vt *' ie issue may be it is difficult' to fortell, but of one thing we may be certain, the workers in the cause are thoroughly in* earnest. }■

To-day, being the anniversary of the birth of' His. Bpyar Highness, 'the' Prince' of Wdles, 1 will be observed* ! as W general- holiday $hrpughoufc the colony/ •The post-offices banks', and^ 'mpjst of ithe buBinestfipl4c§«!vypl^be^cloie^.--' A *A7 Mraa inxanpfami /people, Kayo

gone to Auckland to witness the annualshow of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association, yesterday and today, and the North Shore .Regatta today, the principal attraction of winch is the Maori War Canoe Race. The special train to Auckland this morning will, it is expected,, be crowded.

We learn that Mr A. J. Hunter, Resident Engineer for Waikato, in the Public Woi-ks Department, has resigned his appointment, and is only holding office pending the arrival of his successor. Mr Hunter intends practising his profession in Auckland.

The Native Lands Court resumed its sittings at Cambridge on Tuesday, before' Judge Williams. The Waotucaae is still under consideration, and will be followed by that of the Maungataut «ri block. Most of the natives who went to Whatiwhatihoe during Mr Bryce's visit have now returned to Cambridge.

Our Auckland morning contemporary states that Mr Bryce has received information that the natives at Whatiwhatihoc are considerably agitated, and great regret is expressed by numbers that the offers of the Government were not accepted ; but Wahanui having supported Kingism in the way he did, a Urge section of the Maoris will support him. The natives are expecting Mr Bryce to return to Waikato, and are inquiring when he is to do so. It is very likely that the outcome of the meetings which the natives have been holding since the Native Minister's departure from Waikato will be that they will make a proposal to the Government, and, if it is at all reasonable, no doubt Mr Bryce will be prepared to ghe it his favourable consideration.

Last evening the residence of Mr D. Salmon, Hamilton West, had a narrow escape of being destroyed by fire. It appears that his children had been amusing themselves by letting off fireworks, and, having thrown a lighted cracker into a furze hedge close to the back of the house, the hedge was in a blaze in a few moments ; and bad it not been for the exertions of a couple of neighbours who were working in an adjoining garden when the fire broke out, there is not the least doubt that the house, which is uninsured, would have been burnt down, «os a brisk wind was blowing in that direction at the time. In our last issue we called attention to the cracker nuisance, which we trust will be speedily abated.

A very pleasing incident occurred at Cambridge West School on Monday afternoon. In the presence of several members of the committee and ladies interested iv the school the children presented their teacher, Miss Allan, who is leaving, with a handsome silver buttercooler, in token of their esteem, and also of their regret at losing her. An address, signed ou behalf of the whole school by the chairman of the committee, the head teacher, and three senior pupils, was read by Miss Howie, and the presentation was made by Master T. A. Hicks. After three hearty cheers for Miss Allan, all present united in singing "Auld Lang Syne," which was followed by the National Anthem. The gift was very much admired by all who saw it, and Miss Allan kindly consented to allow it to be exhibited for a few days in the window of Mr Sargent, Cambridge.

Our Raglan corrsspondent informs us in another column that the postal authorities have accepted Mr Johnson's tender for a coach mail service between Hamilton and Raglan, This is the only intimation we have received, and it is probably based on information that Mr Sutton has relinquished his contract, a proceeding which is, of course, necessary before it could be handed over to Mr Johnson. We trust the information is authentic, as the necessity for a coach service is much felt. Only the other day the steamer Macgregor, bound for the Manakau, had to put iuto Raglan owing to stress of weather, and the passengers were, greatly to their inconvenience, detained there some time. Had there been a coach to Waikato they could have reached Auckland by rail. Indeed, they were greatly disappointed when they learned that there were no means of reaching Hamilton.

Alluding to the arrest of High Sheriff Gray in Dublin for contempt of COlH't, the Pall Mall Gazette says ;—"lt; — "It is not often that high sheriffs are either imprisoned or fined by Judges in the excrcUe of their 'summary jurisdiction. Of the imprisonment of a high sheriff, indeed, we do not remember any modern instance ; while it is twenty-two years since a fine was imposed upon one— namely, on Mr Evelyn, High Sheriff of Surrey, Guildford Assizes in 1860. Mr Evtlyn published a placard in which he stated that Mr Justice Blackburn had, contrary to law, excluded the public from his court, and announced that he had ordered the court to be opened again, and had forbidden his officers to assist in keeping the public out of it. Lord Chief Justice Cockburn who was going the circuit with Mr Justice Blackburn, described Mr Evelyn's manifesto as 'a painfully contumacious contempt of court,' and fined him £500. Who is the proper person to take a high sheriff into custody was not settled in Mr Evelyn's case, and remains a question to the present time, at any rate in this country ; while what precedant there is in Ireland for Mr Justice Lawsons directions of the coroner of Dublin in the case of Mr Gray we do not know. If Mr Gray or the mob had killed the coroner, another interesting question might perhaps have arisen as to who was to hold an inquest on him,"

The half-yearly accounts of the Borough of Hamilton arc open for inspection at the, To\yn Clerk's office. Te Aroha mining notices appear' in this issue. , . /rwojiotifications by the Te< Awamutu poundkecper appears in our advertisinff,column«. In our advertising columns will be found a schedule of lots to be ; submitted for lease by auction,. ,by» order of . the, Hamilton ; .Domain _ KdardJ- on 'the 18th' irist.,' at the HamiUon'Aucttpn Mart. ' ', / .! ! ~Mt D: 1 RicharJspn,' Cambridge, ' t \ tena^b foFalte'^^^