The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2170, 5 June 1886, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Efjual and exact justice to all men, Ot whatsoever state ot persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Prrts the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by Rain.

SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1886.

Contrary to the ex|>ectations of our Wellington correspondent, the no-confi-dence debute came to an end on Thursday night, and resulted in a triumphant victory for the Government The debate on that day was resumed by Mr Bryce, who drew a most doleful picture of the colony's position. He looked upon it as _ nothing short of a misfortune that Sir Julim Vogel should osctipy the post of Treasurer, and declaimed loudly against borrowing, initiating that instead of a million %nd a half, half a million was aa much as the colony ought to borrow at the present time. Nothing could well be less heroic than the tone of Mr Bryce's speech. If heis re* ported aright, he sees nothing but disaster ahead, a? there is, according to him no prospect of a rise in the price of mir staple products. W«k>l is down and likely to remain so, while the Argentine Republic is running us bo close in the matter of frozen meat that no relief is to be looked tor in that quarter. The Government, too, according to tho honourable gentleman, are purchasing the worst land from the natives, and altogether, if we are to take hi* opinion for it, the country is going to the dugs as fast as it can. This is very discouraging. Either Mr Bryce has allowed his rooted antipathy to the Government to carry him to extreme lengths, or an English winter of exceptional severity has produced a most disastrous effect upon his moral nature. The member for Waitotara's statement, that if things do not mend he will retire from politics altogether, does not square with his bold and tearless conduct in connection with the history of the unhappy Mrßusden. Mr Ballauce, who followed Mr Bryce, takes a much more hopeful, and we think a much juste r view of the situation. He nrguas that the condition of a country must be judged to a great extent by the condition of the working elates, and claims that working men are much better off to-day than they were in 1879. As to the depression, he point* out that even now wool has given an indication of a rise, and our protects generally are bright. He reminded Mr Bryce that, even supposing the Government had not purchased the best best land from the natives, they had induced them to put a large portion of the King Country through the Court, much of which might fall into the hands of Government if the House so wished. Mr Ballance pointed out that the Government were prepared to make a reduction of from £30,000 to £40,000, and concluded by expressing a confident hope that the motion moved by Mr Montgomery would not be carried. Several other members tipoke, and the motion for going into Committee of Supply was finally carried by 54 to 38. Mr Montgomery's amendment was therefore lost. »

The following is tho division list on the motion for going into Committee of Supply, upon whioh Mr Montgomery's motion was an amendment :— Ayes : AUwright, Ballance, Bevan, Brad.sh.-vw, Brown, Cadman, Cowan, Dargaville, Duncan, Fraser, Gore, Grace, (Guinness, Hakuene, Hatch, Holmes. Hursthouse, Ivess, Lance, Larntich, Levestam, J. McKenzie, McMillan, Mentelth, Moat, O'Cdllaghan, Pore. Pratt, Reese, Raid, Richardson, Ross, Samuel, Seddon, Steward, Stewart, Stout, Taylor, Te Ao, T. Thompson, Tote, Turnbull, Vogel, Walker. Noos: Atkinson, Ban-on, Beotham, Bruce, Buchanan, J. Buckland. VV. F. Buckland, Conolly, Dodson, Fergus, Fulton, Hirst. Hislop, Hobbs, Lake, Locke, Macarthur, M. J. S. Mackenzie, Mitchelson, Montgomery, Moss, Ormnnd, G. F. Richardson, Rolledton, Russell, J. W. Thomson, Trimble, Wilson. Pairs : For — Coster, Fitzherbert, Garrick, Harper, Joyce, Ken", Macandrew, O'Conor, Pearson, Smith. Against— Bryce, Fisher, Grey, Hurst, Johnston, Newman, Peacook, Sutter, Wakefield, Whyte.

Notwithstanding tho victory gained by tlio Government on Thursday night over the advocates of retrenchment, so-called, they still adhere to their determination to out down the expenditure. On the conclusion of the debate the leader of the Opposition, Major Atkinson, asked the Premier how the Government proposed to proceed with the Estimates. Sir Robert Stout said he had given a promise to the effect that a reduction of £30,000 or £40,000 would be made during the financial year, and to that promise he still adhered. ♦

An impression seems to hare got Abroad that the Railway Reform League is .asking for a great doal more than it is likely to get. Now the worst part of this impression is that it has restrained many ardent friends of reform from contributing to the funds of the League. It is just ns well to be perfectly plain and straightforward about the matter. Without the sinews of war the League, can do very little, and that little not at all efficiently. Whether the League is asking too much or too little" is easily determined. It is asking for that which every cauntry settler, and everybody interested in the settlement ana future prosperity of the colony must feel to be urgently necessary— «i reversal of the present railway policy. Thote who have studied the railway problem the deepest are quite convinced that nothing short of this will meet the necessities of the case. No reduction in fares or modification of freight charges will be sufficient ; the chief result of such concessions would be an increase in taxation which those not bonetitod immediately by railway communication would object to bear. It is ridiculous, then, to say that the League is asking for too much. Either we must run our railways on commercial linen, or we must work them in the interests of colonisation. If while puniumgthe latter course we can show n favourable financial balancesheet, as Mr Vaile claims he will be able to do under hit system, to much -the better, but whether such be_ the c»se or no, consideration of the question is not *t an end. The country settlers, as a class, havo been loud in their denunciation of the railway policy of the colony, and zealouu in the fight, against it for years past, and we hope they will not show the white fenther at the moment when the pros[>ect of victory u near. At the present moment the executive committee of the League are taking steps to collect and collate all the evidence and information obtainable bearing upon the question, and to expect that they can do this without funds is to expect more than anybody has a right to. We trust, therefore, that no further appeals for monetary assistance will be required.

We would Again direct the attention of graziers and flock-owners to the announce* ment recently made by the Meat Freezing Company. The company notify that they are now prepared to receive applications for space for the export season, commencing in October and ending in May or Juno next, and we would urge upon those interested the propriety of making arrangements for taking advantage of the offer. As we before pointed out, several stockowners will require to co-operate in order to make up a shipment. So far as we can judge the tmv»t profitable meat to export is lamb, and the be«t months for exportation are December and January, as the February market at Home is the most favourable. Taking the past season as a criterion, the producer may anticipate to realise at least fourpence per pound, net, on his meat, which would give him thirteen or fourteen shillings for a well fatted carcase,' or about

twice (is much as ho now gets for ewes in the local market. Wo repent oar advice to graziero thus early in order that they muy have ample timo to mako provinion for Setting their sheep and lambs in good conition, for npon this depends, of course, the •ucceM of the venture.

♦ Concerning a letter signed "Terra Flrma," which appears in another part bt thii issue, wo have only to say that whatever may be the result of the Matamata experiment, it is quite certain that nothing but the «ucce»s of the venture would be aatisfactory to Mr Firth. We quite agree that plenty of land in other places can be bought at the same price, but we question very much if it could b* got on the same terms.

Commander Edwin wired at 12 36 p.tn. yesterday:— Expect bad weather between north west, and south. Glaus ri«e within 10 hours and much colder weather.

The annual examination of pupil teachers and candidates for employment will be held on Tuesday, the 29th inst., at the Training College, Auckland; Wniokaraka school, Thames ; and the Hamilton West School, Hamilton.

A meeting of the members of the Hamilton Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association will be held at the Wailent* County Council Chamber*, on Monday evening next, to make arrangements for the coming season.

On and after Tuesday next, return tickets at Saturday return fares will be issued on the Auckland section of the New Zealand Railways to Ohttuiw on Tuesday, from all stopping stations, by the curly morning train which leaves Auckland at 8 o'clock. This will be » great boon to those whose business calls them to Ohanpo on market days.

The Chairman of the Kariol Highway Board call* a meeting at the Council Chambers, Raglan, on Tuesday next, for the purpose of taking into consideration the best means of bringing the Counties Act into force in the Raglan county or otherwise, and to consider any othor'busineu that may be brought forward.

At the Police Court Hamilton, yeateiday, before Mr Northcroft, Resident Magistrate, a man named Shaw was charged with deserting his wife. The evidence closed a painful state of thing*, faults appearing to exist on both side*. His Worship adjourned the case for two monthi in order to give defendant a chance.

At Thursday's meeting of the Auckland Crown Lands Board, in regard to to an area of some 12 or 13 acres, respecting which there had been some correspondence from Mr Lewis, Sheep Inxpector, who suggested that it should be let to some person who would keep down the Rorse and rabbits, it waß agreed to let it' from yew to year.

The following are the names of the player* on both aides who will take part in the football match on Sydney Square. Hamilton, to-day :— Cambridge : Messrs Pilling, Hunt. "\V. Paltridgc, C. Roberts, G. M'Cnnn, J. M'Cann, W. Moon, M. Morrisey, Pearson, R. J Parry, D. Johns, Hunt, A. L. Souter, D. Carnachan, S. Richardson, D. Dillon, and Chambers. Hamilton : Messrs Yon Stunner, Wood, VV. Odium, J. Odium. M'lntyre, F. Pilling, Bindon, Gribble, M'Kenzie, Jolly, Stevens, Mayej, M'Swceney, T. Reed, and Hinton. Emergency : Davis, Scorgie, Biggs. Play will commence at 3 o'clock sharp.

News is to hand of the death of the Rev. J. Wntkin, the oldest Wesloyan minister in the colonies. He died at his residence at Ashfield, New South Wales, on Friday, 14th May, in the 81st year of his age, and the 56th year of his ministry. His remains were conveyed to the Yorkwood cemetery by a special train. The funeral was largely attontled, and among those present was Dr Watkin, one of his sons, who was at one time a scholar of the Jate Mr W. Finnimore's, at Wellington, and now principal of the Wesleyan College, Melbourne. The deceased gentleman landed on the Friendly Wands as a missionary in 1830, and has spent the whole time in New Zealand and the Australian colonies. Three of his sons are ministers of the Wesleyan Church, Jabez, who is stationed in the Islands, and William, who occupied the pulpit of the 'Parana ki-streot Wcwleyan Church on Sunday last (who is now stationed at Auckland), being among the number. The deceased mUnionary leaves behind htm a host of friends in the city of Wellington.— -Press.

Referring to the knighthood of the Premier, the Lyttelton Times writes :— The scene in the House of Representatives yesterday was touching and highly cieditable to everyone concorned. It is the peculiar characteristic of manly, generous, evaltod natures that, when receiving the applause, on great occasions, of their fellowmen, they are overcome by their emotions. Their lost control is a sign ot the sincerity and honesty which make the backbone and lifeblood of their disposition. Nothing better has, moreover, ever been heard in the House than the expression of the Premier's regret that Major Atkinson had not been honoured in the same way when he wan worthily tilling the position of Premier, unless it was Major Atkinson's exceedingly graceful and manly tribute to the qualities and deserts of the Premier. Misled by a telegram, we once had the pleasure of thinking that Major Atkinson had been delected by Her Majesty for the honour of knighthood, and we congratulated him accordingly. None regretted the error at the time more than ourselves, but with tho speech before us, in which Major Atkinson ro ungrudgingly and so feelingly congratulated his successor on this elevation to the honour which he himself had almost achieved, our regret is, if possible, augmented. We can unite with Major Atkinson in the belief that as long as our public men, forgetting gain, look only t« the welfare of tho country, the state of the country must ever bn sound. And we can go further and say so long as our public men, forgetting the blows of the Parliamentary warfare, can meet each other on all great occasions in the noble spirit which Major Atkinson displayed towards his successful rival in the hour of his triumphs, or which that rival has shown by meeting his success, overcome with generous emotion rather thau carried away by feelings of arrosjant pride,— so long will the destinies of New Zealand be in safe hands. In the hands of public men of that high stamp the Colony is safe from degeneracy.

Our Wellington correspondent. telegraphing on Wednesday, says :— The nllesed grievance of Mr nnd Mrs Aernow, to which I referred yesterday, came before the House to-day on a question bv Mr Steward. He said that during the p.u-t 12 months two persons named Agnew had been continually about the Parliament and government Buildings, and had repeatedly stated to members of the House that they had a great grievance. They bad done him the honour to place the&o grievances before him, and it was necessary that some Authoritative statement should be' made on the subject. They ituted that they were under the full belief that the Public Petitions Committee of the Legislative Council had recommended that they should receive £1000 for false imprisonment and deprivation of property, and further that the Petitions* Committee of the House had recommended that they should be awarded £250. These recommendations the Government had refused to carry out, and the Agnews had only been granted £50, whereas they had been put to a greater co3t than this would cover in the endeavour to obtain justice. They had related their grievances to American and other visitors, and had waited on the French Consul in the hope of getting redress It was possible, Mr Steward said, that an erroneous impression might have got abroad on the subject, as the public had no opportunity of ascertaining what Government had done in the matter. He hoped the Press representatives would publish the reply of the Minister, so that the matter might be definitely settled.' Sir Robt. Stout then stated very fully the facts of the case. He said the Agnews had been treated too kindly by the House in 1880. Agnow was sued at Naseby^ for £39 by a coloured man, the claim being for wages. Judgment was fjiven against him, and a distress warrant issued. The bailiff of the Court sold Agnew's right to an Agricultural lease for £39 under the belief that the right to an agricultural lease was a clatel. Afterwards the man who bought the land took possession, and when Agnew and his wife found this they forced thf ir way into the house, and attempted to regain possession of the loose. Some goods he believed were also damaged, and an nction was commenced against thorn for malicious injury to property, which resulted in their committal for trial at Tuapeka. They, however, wer« acquitted of the charge. There was also, he believed, a charge against Mrs Agnew for larceny of tome poods, but the Grand Jury found no true bill, and tho.ro the matter ended. The

Agnews then initiated that the balitf had no right to sell their interest in an agricultural lease, and various stout were Ukon by Agnewtogpt it back. The matter came before the Supreme Court, but Agnew was unsuccessful. He then asked the Waste Landi Bonrd to accept payment of the rents and of the purcha.se money, as if he wero still the owner of tho land. Thin the board refused to do. The Agnewg tliou interviewed the Minister for Lands and the Governor about their grievance. The matter came before the Petitions Committee of the House la^t year, and they recommended that the land should be purchased back and that the Agnews should get Home compensation. The land w.i.s piucliascd back at a coat of £100 and Agnevv received in addition £50, for which he gave a receipt in full of all claims against the Government. The grant was i*mied in tho U*t month of September bust, but the Agnews still kept to Wellington and taid they were entitled to something more. He (the Premier) advised the man to pet some work, and save a little money to work his land. Ho got work from the Public Works Department in the Railway north of Miisterton at (3s per day, but declined to do any more work unless he put 8s per day. Since then the Government haH done nothing for him. The fact was th« man had no claim whatever on the colony, and there never w.vs a recommendation to pay him £1000. Mr Buchan.m here asked if tho Government were awaie that the Agnews were indulging in threats against members of the House. Thf, Premier said he did not know, but the umu was in the habit of using language he should not use, and if the nuisance continued something should be dono to put a stop to it. I may add that the Agnc\v<«, having been forbidden to enter the Parliament precincts, took up their position to-day as usual just outsido the buildings. Their case has created tho greatest interest.