The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1987, 2 April 1885, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

i i u.i l uid cx.itt justice to all men, Ol wli its(ie\cr state or persuasion, religious u political. Hi k sh ill (Ik> Press the People's ri(;ht m iintiin I n iwi il b\ inlliiL'nce md unbribcd liy tin THURSDAY, APRIL 2, lit So.

Oi'u feelings towards the present i \'<»\ eminent have always lieen tnendly and indeed in some instances their line of action has met with our warmest approval. It is therefore with regret that we foe! rompelled to find fault with the wholesale manner in which the) ha\e exercised their power of nomination to the Upper House. That power is one which, being guarded and limited only l»y the good sense, or what we may term the sense of decency of those in power is one which ought therefore to be all the more carefully exercised, more especially as that which one party of men may do in the way of rewarding their friends is Aery apt to be imitated by succeeding sets of men and thus in time grow into a great abuse. Happily, so far, we are not aware that this power has been greatly abused, as e\ en in the case of the Grey Government, who nominated an unusually large number of their supporters to .seats in the Upper Chamber, it could be argued thatSn George Grey found the Upper House so hostile to himself and his views that it was not possible for him to carry on constitutiually without doing so. This excuse or reason cannot, however, be advanced in tins instance, for with the exception of one measure, viz., the District Hallways Bill, the Upper House has refused to pass none of the Government measures. Neither can it be said that any of the nine gentlemen nominated are men of distinguished ability or men well suited to take charge of the Government business in the Council. We freely admit that all of them are fairly estimable men. We also admit that the presence of Mr Swansonin the Upper Chamber will be very great advantage to that somewhat somnolent body, and we are exceedingly glad to .see him there, to see his long services to the colony so recognised and an opportunity given to him of continuing them. It may be also said that Mr Shrimski, although in many respects a most unsuitable man for the position, has long and uninterruptedly represented the people, and therefore may be said to ha\e earned this distinction, if it be his wish to retire from the stir and excitement of the other chamber. Jle also will be useful in .stirring up the dry bones. It is, however, rather comic to see the great antipension apostle quietly pensioned off in this manner. When we come to enquire into the reasons for appointing the others, although these reasons are not hard to find, we scarcely think they will be such as to satisfy the public at large or reconcile them to the additional annual burden of eighteen hundred guineas. Captain Morris, having been the only Auckland man who was found willing to join the first Stout- Vogel Cabinet, had, of course, to be rewarded, and no portfolios being available, it has been done in this manner. Then Mr Shepherd was another of that halfdo/.en asjnrants before whom the new portfolio of Mines was dangled last session likethebundleofcarrots. The House, however, would not sanction the creation of the new portfolio, •md therefore another fossil has been added to the Museum, as Mr Reader Wood somewhat irreverently terms the Council. Of Mr Launcelot Walker we know little, except that he is a squatter. The only capacity in which he is known to the New Zealand public through the medium of the Press is as a boon companion and guest, and not a very juvenile one either, of the Duke of Edinburgh on board the Galatea. Fi om this we conclude that he is a gentlemen. However, as association with Royal Dukes does not necessarily unfit one for political life, we shall give the Government the benefit of the doubt, and hope that they will find him exceedingly useful. We trust that the colony will be immensely benefited by his services, and from his early association there can be little doubt that he would make an admirable Chairman of the House Committee. Jn Mr Bathgate yet another fossil has been added to the Museum. Any services lie has ever rendered to the colony were amply rewrvaud long ago. MrPharazyr. } ,ye presume, hns been called because he is the .son Lis tather. The public who are to pay him never heard of him before, but then perhaps hi» appointment was one of the conditions of Ins father's recent retirement. The father was known to the public, principally, of late, through the medium of the Police Court, for double voting and little eccentricities of that sort. The credit of initiating hereditary honours therefore rests with the Liberal Stout Ministry. It will, however, be rather embarrassing to future Ministries if the system of bargain* ing to retire on the condition that sons or nephews be appointed be pursued as extensively as such a brilliant and business-like idea deserves. It is a pity that the opportunity of reducing the present over - representation cf Wellington in the Council was ini&sed, it having twelve seats to Auckland's seven — now nine. Ttis quite a relief to come to the name of Capt. Kenny, as his nomination

">en cs to pro\ c that quiet and unol)trusivo merit is not yet entirely overlooked. In fact we c.mnot help thinking, on reviewing the w'nole tiling, that when the other s<>\ en names were decided upon, foi the foregoing reasons and others, 1 tetter or worse, some more worldly wi-.e member of the Cabinet, proli,\l)ly Sir Julius or Mr Larnach, < ut in and said, " Come look here, we must take the edge off this ; let us ■ ppomt Kenny and Swanson to irwen this lump, otherwise the i ountty will not stand it. Of these, it least, no one can say we arc dimply paying party debts .it the •\pense of the colony." Highly un•,atisfactory as full this is, a graver .ispect to the question still remains, md it is this. Here we have a i lov eminent that has quite recently declared the urgent necessity of stopping appointments to the coun- ■ d for life, promised to introduce a measure limiting the term to seven or ten years, and which in the same bieath deliberately sets to work to abuse its powers of nomination to ,\n evtent never before equalled, and, w ith the exception of two or three names, with no adequate reason. They have simply in order to reward services of no very high order, increased the burdens of the country, and added to the already too large number of life members of Legislative Council, while at the same time declaring, "We shall do this, but our successors shall not, having used the ladder to the utmost we will now pull it up after us. We write thus with regret, because we expected better things from the present Ministry, but a\ c consider we should not be doing our duty to the public u ere we to pass it by without remark.

Our cable intelligence this morning is interesting. Affairs m the Soudan appeal to be going in fa>rmr of the Bntiih Rebellion has broken out among the Mahdi's follower^, and Osniin Digna is retit in« from hii position at T.tinai. Theie is nothing startling regai ding the Affgh.m question. Loid Hartmgton lias intimated that no infoi ination concerning the progress of negotiations with Russia can be given until aftor the Easter recess. It is geneially believed that pacific overtuies have been made by Russia, but the truth will not be known for some days. The additional war vote has, afterall, been voted by the French Clnunbei. The Lyttelton Times suggests that a patriotic fund should be instituted to provide the means for haihour defence. The nominations for the Cambridge races close to night at 8 o'clock with Mi Peicival at Auckland, and Mr (J.ur, Cambridge. The entnes are expected to be unusually laige. To-morrow Good Friday there will be diwne service at S. Peter s, Hamilton, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., at S. Andiew's, Cambridge, at 11 a m. and (i.30 p.m. and at Cambridge \Ve-~t, at 3 p.m. The hour of evening service at SAndrew's, Cainbiidge, ha* been alteied to half-past six from tho iirst of Apul, and the hour at Chi Ist Chinch, (Jhaupo, to a quarter-past three. The nominations and handicaps for the Cambridge spoit-. on Eistor Monday appear in snother column. Judging fiom tlie nomination^, the \anoiis events piomise to be well contested, and a good day's spoit should bo .itfoided. The following gentlemen will represent Hamilton in the cnckct match ■ig.mist Auckland to bo played on Kistor Monday -.—Messrs Foi re^t, Stevens, I3i o\v ning, Knk, Jenkiu-, (Jiieison, Hawkins, P.i\itt, P.ukei.J. 13. Smith, Hogan, and Yon Stuimei. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Pi iko County Council was held at Camburlgo yesteiday afternoon, when a quantity of routine business was disposed <>f. The proceedings aie leported fully elsewheie. No less than 200 head of cattle left Cambndtre by the train yesterday morning. This was doubtless owing to tho unexpected rise in tho price of beef. Mr Buckland's sale at Ohaupo on Tuesday was the best that fanners have expenenced for some time. The stewards of the Cambridge Jockey Club will meet Mr Hudson, railway Traffic Manaerei, on Tuesday evening, at Cambridge, and bring befoio him tho matter of a special train at special rates from Auckland on the first day of the Autumn Meeting. The Government is now spending the £400 grant in widening the ArohaKatikatitiack. The woik is being lapidly pioceeded with, Mr Denis Murphy being in chaige of the men. It is expected that the road will be open for hoi so traffic in a few days. The cricket match between Cambndge and Auckland, comes off on Saturday in tho Government paddock. The Cambridge men aie lequested to 101 l up punctually at 10 o'clock for play. Tho Cambiidge Band will be on the giound in the afternoon, and will enhsen the proceedings with a piogramme of popular music. The Piako County Council gave an older to a bookseller some time ago for a dog legislation book. The asticle came to hand in duo course, and is now quite a feature in the office furniture of tho council. The clcik calculates that, should the dog registiation business continue at the piesent l ate, something like a thousand years will elapse before the book is used up. The Gazette notifies that pheasants and Califonnan and Austiahan qu.iil ma> betaken or killed within the Auckland district, coi sis-ting of the Auckland provincial district, excepting the Counties of Cook, Tauranga, IVhakatane, East Taupo, and Wairoa, from the first of May to the 21st July, and also that native game (excepting tuis) may bo taken or killed within the said district from the lit of April to the thirty-first of July. The motion for a writ of mandamus against the Resident Magistrate and Mr J. W. Mernck, at the suit of Mr W. M, Hay, in the case of Hay v. Mernck, lecentlv dismissed at Cambridge for w.int of jurisdiction, camo on for argument at the Banco sitting of the Supremo Cmut yesterday. An order for the wiit to issuu was made, and the case will no doubt come b"f..ie the K.M. Court again on such future day as the Resident Magistrate may appoint. At the usual sitting of the District Court at Hamilton mi Tuo-rjay. before Mill. (J. Seth Smith, judgo, the business was unimportant. In the caso T. Wells v. J. Mackay, claim £35 8s lOd, judgment wat gi\on for amount and costs, to be paid forthwith. In the case M. Doran and J. SliGehfti), claim £40 odd, judgment was also given for plaintiff, The case Mercer and Marshall v. liaacs was adjourned. Two or three bankrupts came up for examination, but tho proceedings were merely formal. Mr A. Bach, proprietor of the Royal Hotel, Hamilton, yesterday received the .second instalment of tho stake to be competed, for in the running match between MessiH Cmifc. of Cain bridge, and Cutler, of Auckland. The first doj./wifc of £10 each was paid xomn time ago. Tha sacoud do. posit was £20 each. Tho third deposit of £20 will be paid on tho 20th nist , and tho match will take place on tho Cambndgo racecourse on the 21st. At the R,M- Court, Hamilton, yesterday, before Mr Northcroft, R.M., a first offender was fined ss, with oosts, fop drunkenness, In the caso I. Coates v. Kinona-, claim £2 14s, judgment wan rocoj'ded for plaintiff. Messrs James Jackson, Taupirl, T, Yi> IMd, Tnuwhare, and John Cwniwtone, Ta JVwamutu, w^ ro charged by the sheep inspector with having sheep infected with lice exposed for sale at Ohaupo on the 24th March. Defendants admitted the offence, and pleaded ignorance, and were each fined 20s and costs, this being the minimum penalty pun utad by tho act,

The vexed question of the dog t,i\ w.is (Incused at some length .it yes teidiy's meeting of the Puko Count) Council. It tianspired that a Lugo numhoi of people who ow ned docs thioughout the county absolutely ignoied .ill noticu in tin inittei, and persistently refused to pay the M\. One councillor was of opinion tint the injustice was so gie.it to those who had paid the t.ix, that the money should be ie funded them. A tax like this should he umveisal, or nothing 1 . A munhei of u lines of persons residing in the P ' • Icie Riding were submitted, and it w.is I^l pod that the list be handed to the police to take proceedings in the matter. The Wellington correspondent of the Herald telcgiaphed on Tuesday .— rheie aie 28 big guns in the colony. Foi ■ icli of these Government have m ston s~> lounds of shot and shell. This would not perhaps be much to repel any sustained itt.ick, but it is a good deal tow.uds lepuking any sudden assault that might \v> made. The ammunition ordered fnnn Hngland should airive here some time in \I ly. Besides the above, there are a million rounds of Snider cartridges in store The Government have given authority to Sn Dillon Bell to purchase a swift cruisei for coastal defence. The purchase is to be made subject to tho approval of the Adimlalty. She will be fully armed and equipped, and will sail for the colonj without delay. The Government have offeied to pay tho whole expense. The mining business cannot be spoken of as flovnishing at To Aioha ju^t now. The ti am way it, only woikmg two days a week. Seveial teasons are assigned foi tins falling off. Some people give it as their opinion that the mines are not sending down so much quartz because it is not so payable as hitherto, while others piotest that the stuff is as good as ever, the cause foi the falling off being that minors prefei waiting until the new battery is completed. The matter was referred to at yesterday's meeting of the Piako County Council. One gentleman was of opinion that unless the mines were going to send down a little more quart* things threatened to be veiy serious. Respecting the finances of the tiamway, the clerk remarked that he had not been able to pay the tramway wages foi l'Vbmaiy yet. There v\eio neatly two months' wages due now. The fnt thereon sideiatum of the matter wa-> deferied till the council went into committee. The proposal to strike a general rate thioughout the Piako County was coiisideied by the coi- 'til in com mittee yesteidav. It had b-oii e\|>eetod th.it the late, would be stiuck, some of tlie claims against the council being of a piessing ch.uactei, and thine being no other money available with which to meet them. It w.b pointed out at yestei day's meeting tli.it as the Government owed the council t'3ooo on account of the trainwav, it \vm better to make a struggle foi this, befoie inflicting such a penalty on the county ratepayer as that suggested. The Minister for Mines was expected in the district in about a month, when a deputation could wait upon him and represent to him the injustice to w Inch the council had been subjected through being kept out of this money. Should these representations be attended without success, then tlie necessity of le\ying a general rate would be obviated, otherwise tho late would have to be levied .as proposed. The collecting of the rate would, no doubt, be attended with considerable opposition from ratepayers in the Patetere and Taotaoroa Ridings, who protest that no liability has ever been incurred in their behalf, and they therefoie refuse to be so heavily rated for the benefit of To Aroh.i. The death of Lady Georgiana Fulleiton (says the World) removes from Catholic Society one of its most characteristic figures. "It is Lady Geoigianaora begger," said a lady once, who caught sight of an approaching visitor. Her diess, indeed, w.is of a kind so extremely dowdy that one wondered where she got it fiom ; but to the mortifications she made for heiself she by no means desired to condemn her f i iends. She liked the young people about hei to be as bright and as gay as the rules of their religion would allow them to be ; and she took care to be the only thing that had not the last finish fiom Paris about it at her dinner-table when her ft iends came to see her in Chapelstreet. Her manners were over of the hweetest, and they were not the icsult so much of a .studied politeness as of natural goodness of heait and fastidiousness of taste. It was told of her that she once took the place of a, woman who swept a London ciossing wo that the woman might go to mass, and that nobody noticed the difference. Yet she was equally at ease in the appointed place at her husband's table, gioaning under its weight of gold plate. Latterly Lady Georgiana had lived almost entnely at Bournemouth, v\hich suited her own and her husband's glowing in h unities. The arrangements for the Easter encampment, to be held at Mr W. McLauglilin'n estate", Papatoetoe, fiom Good Fiiday to Easter Monday, are (says the Herald), now completed. The caterer Mr Ilobson, of the Commercial Diningrooms, has had his location set out, and will at once proceed with providing the necessary appliances for his department. Yesterday Major Shepherd, who lias been absent for some days at Waiuku, had a conversation with the officers who wore acting in his absence, and tlie arrangements, so far, are very satisfactory. It is anticipated that the whole of the Auckland and Devon port volunteers will turn out en masse. The Te Awamutu and Waiuku cavalry will muster in full strength, and it is oxpected that tho Wairoa South Rifles will also largely represented, in all probability with a full muster. The Thamea Rifle Rangers and Naval Brigade are also expected to muster well, and it is anticipatad that nearly 500 men will be in the encampment, with noarly 100 horses, including those of tho cavalry, artillery, and staff officers. The volunteers will leave Auckland by special train on Friday morning at nine o'clock, and on ariival at the oamping ground they will be landed within almost ten minutes' walk, and will at once proceed to pitch their tent*, these ha\ ing already arrived on the giound. This will occupy the time up to dinner, after which dull will be commenced, probably company dull, and then guaids will bo set for the night. Dull will be icsnmed on the follosving morning, commencing with company drill, and followed by battalion and skumishing drill. On Sunday thei'o will he ohurch pai.ide, at which tho llovs. Messrs liatus and Calder, and the Very Rev. Father Walter MoDonald, aic expected to officiate as chaplains, and after dinner the usual Sunday afternoon march out will take place. Monday v\ ill comprise the principal features of tho meeting, embiacing a sham fight, and the camp will bieak up at eight o'clock in the evening. This is a buef outline of the piogiannne. The utmost discipline is to be enforced, and eveiy available opportunity will be taken to aitord the volunteers all the instruction in field duties. The following is the directors leport presented to the annual meeting of the shareholder.-! of the Auckland Agneultui al and Mci cantile Company, on Monday : — Youi diiectors have to bring befoie you their thud annual repoit, and in doing so would niako it as concise as possible. Tho seveie losses in trade during the preceding year which our company, in common with tiading firms doing -v similar businexs, had made, were not all determined at tho end of our last financial year, and those losses have had to be provided for. In addition to those losses a depreciation in value of some of our stock took place, and affected the general result ; yet, notwithstanding o»r providing for all depieciation the total amount of profit fro>n all sources is £%8(> Bs 4d. Our balance-sheet you will observe piesents a more favourable condition, showing our direct liabilities to to be £11, 183 12s 4d less than thoy were 12 months ago. In tho matter of business, our inland trade has been much curtailed, but ft good intercolonial and export business lifts been done. Shipping haa not been so profitable as in former years, but as our vessels weio oniony away froiu the colony, and not brought into competition with the low rates ruling on the coast, wo were enabled to show a bettor return on that bianch of our business. As wo mentioned, our profits from all sources have leached fiWSO 5s 4d, and after |)iovjdmg for trndo expenses, discount, depreciation in stock, and bad debts (nearly nil tho lesult of foimer ycais) a balanco of £1821 His 3d remains over to the credit of profit and loss account. Out of that amount we pioposo Jo pay a dividend at tlie late of t8 per centum pfif annum, which will absoib £150!) l(js sd. and the balanco will bo carried to credit of profit and loss now account.

Mr N. T. Maunder has been appointed valuator for the Te Aw.imutu Town District. A notico referring to tbp roll will bo found in another column. Mr W. Sloane, To Awamutu, announces that ho li is no intention nflc.nmj; that pUi <■, and li i^ o[kih il \Mtli i n< w stock oi (lnifi, 8a , 111 ll IS old premises, liank-strectt