CHISPA’S LETTER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume I, Issue 23, 18 November 1879, Page 4

CHISPA’S LETTER.

(From the Ashburton Herald, November 15.) “lam not yet so bald that you can see my brains.”— Longfellow.

After all the flourish of trumpets last week about the women having votes given them Parliament altered their minds last night, and reversed their decision, so that our sistersandourcousinsand ourauntswill still remain in their normal state of political nothingness. Honorable members who have so quickly altered their minds will have a good deal of catechising to submit to when they return to their constituents, for although petticoats are still to be excluded from political power, none of us can deny that the influence of the sex is always considered to be worth looking up in electioxi times.

In sporting matters I have a hunting item to report, the sport being particularly good and the country over which the event took place tolerably rough. The other day a farmer got outside rather more beer than he was capable of walking off with, and as he started for home he was taken in charge by the officers of justice and his dray, which contained his purchases, was also impounded. Among liis speculations were some pigs, which were loud in their objections to being conveyed to durance vile, and two of them escaped from custody. Three stalwart bobbies gave chase and the hogs took through the gorse behind the lockup. Some vexy clever jumps were negotiated, a trooper in all the glory of pants of immaculate colour and fit coming a purler over a stiff gorse bush ; the scent was however good, and after an exciting chase success at last crowned the efforts of the huntsmen, and the porkers were secured.

I went to the Christchurch Show and was of course duly impressed with the great importance of the occasion, and there was nothing in the whole business which impressed me more than the way in which the colonial manufactures were inspected—and more than inspected. In some cases they were entirely demolished, more particularly in the items of preserved meats, cheese, butter, and beer. The style in which some of the bucolic element went at these exhibits was suggestive of their having been on short commons for a considerable period, the weaker sex being particularly conspicuous in the style they went at the rolls of butter. I should estimate that in preserved beef the proceeds of a bullock went in samples, and the beer being convenient, the only difficulty was the want of a stow of biscuits which was unfortunately not in the catalogue.

Only two «f all the good men and true in Ashburton consider the position of Mayor worth struggling for, and I am half afraid the borough is to suffer thereby. Mr Donald Williamson is not on, though he contested the chair last time with Mr Bullock, and would get the seat in an easy canter if he chose to come forward, no matter who else came to the front. The sitting Mayor halted between two opinions for some time, and finally caved in. Mr James Campbell would be a popular candidate, but the inexorable demands of business have called him hence. Mr Joseph Ward, who has the respect of every man, woman, and child in the borough, and whose business abilities are of no mean order, would make an excellent Mayor, but he does not just yet see his way clear to join the hurly-burly of an election contest. So we must be content with the Hobson’s choice left us between a gentleman who has not yet been in the Council, and one who took the sulks at the work before, and left it in a hurry. The one is an untried man of much promise, and the other is a tried man who has been found wanting, and fond of kicking over the traces. It is amusing to an Englishman to tot up the men who have been requisitioned to stand for this office. Messrs Williamson and Ward received no requisition, I believe, but their feelings on the matter of standing were obtained privately. The one is a Scotchman, and the other an Englishman. Mr Ivess is an Irishman, Mr Friedlander is a German, Mr Sando is a Norwegian, and Mr St. Hill, who, I learn, had a requisition presented to him, is an American. It says a good deal for the cosmopolitan feeling of the people that in giving their civic honors, neither nationality nor religion has any weight in the matter. Chispa.