The Ashburton Guardian, COUNTY AGRICULTURAL & SPORTING RECORDER. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1879.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume I, Issue 10, 18 October 1879, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian, COUNTY AGRICULTURAL & SPORTING RECORDER. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1879.

The equality of parties in Parliament this session is almost a calamity to the colony. While one or two votes sway, so to speak, the destinies of Now Zealand, and place power so near to the hand of either party, it is evident that no-confi-dence motions will occupy the attention and time of members more than good legislation, and the many new members whoso political careers took birth in the last election will have passed through a not very edifying training in party warfare before they begin their political apprenticeship of legislating for the colony’s welfare. Just now everything is, so to speak, at a standstill, and no real progress can he made with public business until it has been decided who is to rule. And we would not be surprised to find that, when the time for prorogation comes, this difficult question has not been satisfactorily settled. Believing that the Ministry of Sir George Grey was markedly incompetent for the duty of administering public affairs, as has been amply shown since Sir George’s party went into Opposition, it is not likely the Constitutionalists will care to allow them, if they can possibly prevent it, to return to power. The reconstructed probable Ministry under Mr Macandrew, or Colonel Whitmore, with Messrs Shepherd and Pyko included therein, will he even less likely to secure their confidence, so that an accession to office of the so-called “ liberals ” will not in any way help to allay the feeling of their opponents against them. With Sir George Grey’s well known and openly avowed belief that the present Ministry are the representatives of the land-sharking section of the colony, and the Premier the catspaw of the Canterbury squatters —that all largo owners of property are dishonest and ever ready to compass their own enrichment at the expense of the working men, —that Liberal measures can never be hoped for from a Government made up of such selfish politicians ; with this belief shared in, or at least apparently shared in by his supporters, it is not to bo hoped they will readily care to disabuse their minds of the hitler impression Sir George’s bitterness against his opponents has left. And so the light will go on, and while it does go on, time that should be devoted to practical business is wasted, and the colony, in return for the cost of maintaining a Parliament, receives—talk, and talk alone. So far as business is concerned, Sir George’s costly appeal to the country has ended in making things worse than before the first vote that showed so heavy a majority against him. Yet his party has now a majority in the House, and that majority is being used mightily to stop business. The evening sitting of the House goes on till the bed-time of ordinary mortals, and then an adjournment is carried by the Greyite majority, after a flood of purposeless talk has hindered everything. There arc this session numbers of private Bills, the progress of which is being delayed by party tactics blocking the way. The waterworks Bill of the Ashburton County Council is one of these, and there are many other districts of the colony similarly situated in regard to their private Bills before the House. There are measures of reform, the passing of which have been laid upon this Parliament as a duty ; and the question of the colony’s finance lies on the floor of the House waiting to be grappled with. But all these matters must stand aside until it is settled which is to be the dominant part. The Ministry have already showed by the Financial State merit they have brought down that the party they ousted had but a very in-, different care of the public funds, and ought never to have been trusted with their control, while Mr Bryce’s statement of Native affairs'is sufficiently exponent of what the Colony might have become under the free and easy administration of its Native Department by the Hon. John Sheehan. Though we cannot hope that the Statements now before the House will have the effect of staying the desire of a party to obtain office, when it has a majority of the House—nor would we see a minority rule—yet we cannot but hope that the laying bare of the position of the colony will exercise a wholesome chock on the extravagance that has been rampant, and bring about a satisfactory nmlerstand-iug—■-whichever side is in power—to allow business to proceed.

ped. from the Wos'o Coast, for £3 aside, distances 100, 150, •'and 200 yards. TheV convincing ground will either bo in East street, oposite the Guardian office, or in the Domain.

Cricket.—A match will take place this afternoon, in the Domain, between the County and Borough Clubs. The following are the players selected to represent the respective Clubs : COUNTV CLUB. BOROUGH CLUB. F. Mainwaring G. Andrews St. G. Douglas A. Andrews \V. B. Denshire J. Ashwood T Fooks D. Amos T. Buchanan W. Broadbelt E. A. Field C. Wright W. Grant H. Fowler Hodder H. Whitely E. Saunders J. Lusk S. Saunders D. Leitch R. Wostcnra F. Shury EMERGENCIES : Mr Crisp Mr Groves Guy Poyntz ’ H.arris Tarawhiti The Unemployed. — A telegram raceived by the Mayor from Mr E. G. Wright, M. U. R., states that the Minister for Public Works has ordered the im- . , mediate survey of the railway line tween Oxford and Sheffield, at the Waimakariri Gorge, so that it might he ready “ for the unemployed in a fortnight. Buti I . meantime such as can be provided for at ■ Aibuvy must be sent there. Fire Brigade.—Some time ago the 1 : members of the Fire Brigade decided that the erection now doing duty as a belltower was situated on too low a site to be heard to the best advantage, and resolved to erect one in some more elevated part of the township. With this object in view, Mr. George Compton, Captain of the Brigade', and two of the committee, inspected a number of the reserves, but none which would thoroughly answer the requirements were procurable, those best adapted for the purposed being considered too valuable for the purpose, and those' avail-'j f able to possess the same disadvantages as 1. the present one. We should imagine, considering the number of reserves in Ashburton, so necessary a body as the fire ■ * brigade should have a site granted to them in such a position as would make the best, possible use of their services. We think 1 '- ' 1 it would not be difficult to obtain leave from the General Government to erect the shed and bell tower on the waste section between the post office and Hodder and Co.’s shop. This, from its central and' 1 elevated position could not be excelled for the purpose. At any rate, it is to 'fljjjF desired that the brigade will find some’! place in town in which their engine and boll will be of some more utility. The framework on which it is intended to erect; the bell is to be about 35 feet in height. I

The Hen Thefts.—Moore,, the hep thief, pleaded . guilty in the Court on Thursday to the charges laid against him, and he was sentenced to twelve .' months’ 'imprisonment. He has been carry-.") ing on a robbery, of the, fowl- u; houses and no less than 22 birds were produced in Court as evidence of his guilt. His Worship \ severely reprimanded him in passing sen- I tence, adding that larceny of that kind | had been frequent of late, but thanks to the smartness and energy of the police, his Worship was able to make an example; •: i of Moore, and such thefts would be put j down with a strong hand. _ r umn The Ashburton Courthouse.— ln tbp;g House on Thursday Mr E. G. Wright, the member for Coleridge, obtained an assurance from the Hon. Mr Rolleston that a sum of money would be placed on the estimates for building a Courthouse at. Ashburton. ‘ ; .•* j . \ '■

Mail News. —The Postmaster notifies that letters, &c., despatched by the train

this (Saturday) afternoon will be in time to connect with the Wanaka, wlifßih leaves Lyttelton for Wellington in the evening. Mr Sheehan’s Private Character.— The “ N.Z Times ” on Mr Sheehan says : ‘‘ Mr Sheehan certainly made a good speech last night. Many, if not most, of his hearers were in accord with him when

he said that he claimed that so long as he could do his public business, and do it thoroughly and well, his peraonal character did not concern the House Or . tho country. But it is only fair to remind’; our readers that it is exceedingly doubtful whether it is possible for a Ministerwho claims to exercise an unusual amount

of personal influence to avoid forfeiting that influence by personal failings which., are calculated to lower him in the eyes of the very natives in whom he wishes to inspire respect and confidence, both in himself and in the law which. he re-; presents. ”

Inquest at Temuka. —On Tuesday Mr Guinness held an inquest on the body of James Guy, a cadet in the Temuka Post’ office, who died suddenly last Sunday. On hearing the medical evidence of Dr. Gumming, who made a post-mortem examination, the jury returned a verdict

that deceased died from pulmonary apoplexy.

Cambridge School Committee. meeting of the Cambridge School- Committee was held in Mr Megson’s house on. the Ist inst. The members present were Messrs Megson (Chairman), Watkins, - Lloyd, Dale, Margetts, and Ashton. The Chairman recounted the business done by himself since last meeting, and the work executed on the school grounds, which had been considerably improved by fencing, planting, etc. The business done by the Chairman- was approved of. -Mr Joseph Lloyd was appointed Secretary and Treasurer to the Committee,’ and a vote was recorded expressive of the Committee’s satisfaction with the manner In which the inqirovements on the school grounds had been carried out. Itwaa resolved to apply to the Board of Education for the special grant to defray the cost of the improvements. The Chairman and Treasurer were appointed to sign cheques, and the outstanding accounts for stationery, etc., were ordered to be paid, after which the resignation of Mr Lul, aa a member of the Committee, was accepted, and the meeting adjourned.

Point, Teachers in Government Schools. — At a meeting of the Board of Educiiti' ■!) on Thursday, in reference to an ; application from a schoolmaster, the jj Board decided that when pupil-teachers I hr.vo completed their term of serviceJ masters arc not entitled to payment fflfri giving them instruction, and no such payments will be in future.