Sea Saws About Wind and Weather.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 247, 20 October 1886, Page 4

Sea Saws About Wind and Weather.

Seamen find it convenient to express many important facts in rhymes, and a few of tho more prominont are horo given. The evening grey and the morning red. Put on your hat or you'll wot your head. When the wind shifts against the sun, Truat it not, for it will nin. When the Bun sots in the clear An easterly wind you need not fear. The evening red and the morning grey Are aure signs o[ a fine day; But the evening grey and the morning red Make the sailor shake his head. Adverting to tho barometer : — First rise, after low. Indicates a stronger b'.ow, Also Long foretold, long last; Short notice, suon past. To which may be added— In squalls, When tho rainY before the w!nfl. Ilaly'ards, sheets, and braces mind. And— When the wind's before the rain. Soon you may mika sail again. Also, speaking generally— When the glass falls low, Prepare for a blow. When it liseshigh Let all your kites fly. " A rainbow in the morning, Sailors take warning; A rainbow at night Is tho sailor's delight." —" The Ocean Ware.'

Mr Laishley could not allow euch oomments to pass unchallenged. Mr Philcox's illness had nothing to do with the present inquiry. The certificate showed that tho illness had been going on ior months. Mr Aliaon : Nonsense. The Chairman : Dr. Moore's lettor serves to show that the excitement of givirg evidence yestorday has had a very injurious effect upon Mr W. Philcox. Mr Lftishloy: When Mr Allison talks such nonsense, as ;i wrong indicted by Mr Philcox, he was compelled to say thai Mr Philcox did not lottVO Auckland for anything connected with the inquiry. Mr O'Mcnshcr: There is no mistake Hint a wrong has been done by Mr Philcox. .Air Allison: Ho has tried to run me into tho felon's dock. Mr O\Meughcr then resumed his examination o£ Mr Mitchelsun, questioning him very closely with reference to expressions and statements made use of in his telegrams to persons to Auckland, and his evidence before thu Parliamentary Committee at Wellington. MrMitchelson stated Hint he hart communicated with Messrs. Hurst, lioss, Daere, Phili-ox. uud Ashton with reference to thc.stai-k pureliasc. When he telegraphed.to Mr Ashton thai tlio Government were trying to burk an inquiry, he helievcil that to he the case, still hudid not in his place at Wellington charge thu Government with suppressing anything. They did not seem inclined to bring forward any evidence. He thought at the tune, and he agreed so now. that, tho Government were afraid of the inquiry. Jle was not ashamed of his telegram. Mr O'Meuglier : Possibly not, it is purely a Mr Mitchelson had considered the oiler made by Allison through Cochrane to he bogus, and in the sense of a trap; furthermore that Hie valuator and the Government agent were influenced by it. Since then he had been assured by Messrs Coehranc and Dacrc that it was a genuine otter. If the thing had to be gone over again, however, he would bu more careful in his actions. lie had been misled, and he was sorry for the part lie had taken in this matter. It was quite possible that he might be offered a portfolio in the next Atkinson Ministry ; but if so ho would not accept it. lie considered that no Minister of the Crown would bind Himself to a transaction such as the Slack purchase had been reported to be. He would be sorry to think it probable, und if so it would be a bad tiling for this country. He had tried to got the phrase "the notorious K. W. Allison" expunged from Mr. Philcox's letter because he thought it, wrong to apply such a term as "notorious" to any person, itwasauoil'ensive expression. Mr. Philcox's letter was handed by him to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Commit tee and was detained and tmpoundedagainst his will before he got Mr Philcox's permission. He had never known Mr Alison to be notorious for anything improper. If he had again so to consider the course to be pursued he would not use Mr Philcox's letter, lie still thought, however, that the Government too hurriedly rushed into the purchase of Stalk's property, and it was his opinion that it might have been got for much less money. Jle did not think it was worth more than £ijOOO at thu outside when it was bought. Mr. Charles l>aerc was a partner in his firm and he believed that Mr Dacrc assisted Mr Philcox to rake up the information that was sent to him. His object had not been to throw odium upon the Government without appearing to do so. At Hie time of the Stark purchase he had heard it reported that Mr Stark intended to contest tho Waitemata seat at the next election. He did not himself expect to be a candidate for the same seat, nor did he now intend to contest it. He did not look upon it as a convenient pocket borough. Mr O'Meagher: In your opinion was it proper to lise the pen of a detainer to help the Government or the country out of a difficulty ! Was that a laudable object ? The Chairman : What do you refer to ! Mr O'Meaghcr : Mr Philcox's letter. 3lr Mitchelson : I consider Mr. Philcoxs action to be perfectly right as far as the information contained in it is concerned.

Mr O Mcaghur: I call it defamatory. You havomado tolerable amends for the statements yoU gaVe in Wellington. Mr Mitchelson. and 1 thank you for the regrets you have expressed today. The Chairman expressed satisfaction at this acknowledgment from Mr Q'Meagher. «»Mi«ft'¥oaßhci": \aS vcr-v K'a<l to sec that Mr Mitchclson has had the grace to do what any honourable man ought to do under the circumstances,

Mr Mitchelson (10 Mr Laishley) 1 am still of opinion that the Government gave too much for the property. 1 think £8.000 was quite enough. I adhere to mv opinion that the price paid was exceedingly high, and 1 am still of opinion that the country lost £0,100 by the way in which the purchase was conducted.

By iMr Brewer : During part of tho time he was Minister of the Crown J[r Brewer was a Governmeut land purchase agent, and from his purchase transactions that came before him he believed Ibo did his duty, lie never heard of him paying such a price as for tho Stark property. All that he had heard Major Atkinson say concerning Mr Brewer was in his favour, he did not think that an officer like Mr Mrcwer, whohndbecn in thopublicscrvic-osince ISIiS would bo likely to sacrifice his position, his retiring allowance, and his reputation by conspiring to defraud the Government in this' Stark purchase. He bud never believed that Mr Brewer was mixed up in the same conspiracy. Such a report was quite uncalled for. Mr Brewer mentioned that be intended to bring the matter before the House next session, and asked Mr Mitcholson if ho would then repeat the answers he had just made. Mr Mitchelson replied in tho affirmative. In further answer to Mr Brewer. Mr Mitchelson said he was not aware that Mr Brewer never met Mr Seaman until they met on board the Hawea on the way to Wellington, and that they had then to be introduced to each ottier. He had thought Mr Brewer reccommeniled ihe purchase on the strength of Mr Seaman's valuation.

By the Chairman : While he was a Minister of the Crown there were two cases in which tho Government tookland for Public Works property and both went into the Compensation Court. In each tho award was only half the amount the. vendors claimed.

The Commission then adjourned till 2.15 p.m.