Untitled

Bruce Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 1752, 25 May 1886, Page 2

We have never regarded with favour the Colonial practice of levying a polltax on all Chinese. It has not been conclusively shown that they are undesirable as settlers and citizens. They abide by the laws of the land in which they live, rarely become recipients of charitable aid, are very seldom in the police dock at our Courts, and are vastly useful in various occupations and industries which Europeans as a rule neglect. Besides all this, it should not be forgotten that strictly speaking they have as much right on Australian or New Zealand soil as we have ourselves. The idea that Chinese might in anyway retaliate has never seemed to enter the thoughts of those who favor the polltax, and generally approve of an antiChinese policy. Recently the San Franciscans raided the Chinese quarter of that city, and committed barbarous outrages upon the inhabitants. This has led to a very justifiable assertion of herself on the part of China. The Q-overnment has demanded from America an indemnity for outrages already committed, and an assurance of protection to Chinamen in the future. It is not likely the State will satisfy this demand, nor is it probable that China will send a fleet of armed vessels to take it out of America. But there are not a few Americans resident in China, and there is considerable trade between the two countries. Would it be altogether un? reasonable if tho atrocious Sail Fraru

ciscan business were avenged on the soil of China ? These Chinese nre but heathen, and they have not yet been indoctrinated with the Christian principle that " an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. " principle of avenging evil ia wrong, any more than have Christian nations themselves. Eeally one could hardly blame them if they took their revenge in that way. But it is to be feared that they would be found no respectors of persons. It would be a raid not upon Americans only, but upon all of the white races settled in China, and thus Great Britain and other countries would suffer through the brutal conduct of the enlightened San Franciscans. It is the bounden duty of the United States G-overnment not only to pay a substantial indemnity for the outrage, but to severely punish all who were concerned therein, and the civilised Powers ought, for the sake of their own people and interests in China, to deliver themselves to that effect. Mr A. Tapper's sawmill at Rimu, near Invercargill, has been burned down. Littlb hope is entertained of the recovery of Mrs Irwin, one of the victims of the Dow-liug-street catastrophe. The inquest upon the death of Mrs Finch, killed in the Dowling-street catastrophe, stands adjourned until Thursday. Thb Star of the Mersey, from Kaiapara to Dunedin, timber laden, sprang a leak on Thursday afternoon. The vessel became waterlogged, but was towed safely into NewPlymouth harbor, where she was anchored, and the crew and captain landed. Loyalty is not quite dead in the Old Country. At the dinner of the Foreman Tailors' Association in London, two snips refnsed to stand when the health of her Majesty was drunk. They were pelted with apples and oranges, and very properly kicked out by the rest of the company. The Permanent Artillery were soaked to the skin dnring their march to the Parliamentary buildings on the occasion of the opening of the Session. The Naval Brigade refnsed to turn out as a guard of honor unless Government supplied them with overcoats. We cannot approve of any infraction of discipline even by Volunteers, but really on this occasion the men were justified in the course they pursued. The Rev. W. Will was actually guilty of a joke, or what seemed to be intended for a joke, at a meetin/y of the Dunedin Presbytery the other day. A communication from th« Premier relative to the New Hebrides question was being considered, when upon Dr Stuart remarking that Mr Stout's letter " showed that M3 heart still beat true to the traditions of Otago " Mr Will rejoined : — " You would almost think he was a Presbyterian." The first Mayor of Gore has been presented by his wife with a son, and the Council will Bhortly present him with a Bilver cradle. The article is &fac simile of that recently presented to Mr J. A. Duthie on a similar occasBion, and Mr Green, the Mayor of Gore, has named his son Milton. Gore always was a go-ahead place. Dunfermline had to wait two centuries before it could get a Mayor who could raise a male baby while in office, but Gore has done it right off the first try. It is commonly supposed that this is the last session of the present Parliament. Such, however, does not appear to be the case. The election took place iu July, 1884, and (he new Parliament was opened in August. According to the Triennial Parliaments Act each Parliament exists for three yeara from the day fixed for the return of the writs at its election, ao that it is evident there will be opportunity for another session, should not a dissolution take place. Ashbuktok was laid out for a big town, but has not quite fulfilled the ideas of those who had to do with, ita earlier affairs. At the present moment there are no less than 437 sections within the Borough overgrown with tussocks, the owners of which are to be notified to clear them. It may be taken for granted that there are a good nuny vacant sections not overgrown with tussocks. Building site3 should be marvellously cheap in that delightful township. With a loyalty which deserves the highest praise sad a substantial regard, the Milton Drum and Fife Band turned out before daylight on Monday morning, and serenaded the inhabitants with the familiar strain of the National anthem. Considering the bitter coldness of the atmosphere, it was wonderful they were able to finger out any music at all on their flutes, but possibly their hearts were 80 warm with patriotism tbat its glowing influence extended even to their fingers' ends. We ('Marlborough Express') heard the comparative merits of four great political leaders summed up the other day in an epigrammatic fashion, Mr Stout has frequently nothing original to say — and says it badly. Sir Julius Vogel always has a little to say— and says it irapndently. Major Atkinsm always has more to say than he can find time for-^and says it plainly. Sir George Grey never has anything to say— but always says it well. Something sensational may be expected from the Catholics with regard to the Education System. The ' Tablet ' says : — " Catholics do not mean to tamely submit for ever to the crying injustice of which they are the victims. If for the last two sessions they have not moved as to this question, this is not to be taken as a sign that they mean to desist from agitation. But they have been quiescent for a reason that will be apparent when the next general election comes round." Our Clutha contemporary has two columns and a half in last Friday's issue upon the subject of what it calls the contemplated liquidation of the Mutual Agency Company, The ' Leader ' had previously published a paragraph stating that such a course would be adopted . Our contemporary may possibly foe giving expression to the wishes of certain

individuals in its own district, but those are ( by no means representative of the company. As a matter of fact, we are in a position to say that if such a course should be ultimately adopted, nothing will be done for at leaat from 6to 9 months. All that has been done is the appointment of Mr R. H. Leary, not 53 official liquidator, but as inspector of the Company's operations and affairs, The Football match— Balclutha School v. Milton High School, was played yesterday in Mr A. M'Kechnie's paddock, in the presence of a fair number of spectators. The local team won by four tries, or eight points, to nil. The tries were obtained by H. Murray, 0. H. Graham, J. Grey, and W. Graham. Although the visitors played pluokily, they very seldom got the ball out of their own territory. For the Clutha team, Barr, Powley, and Stewart played well. Every member of the Milton team played very well ; the collaring and the kicking of the backs being particularly noticeable. After the play, the visitors adjourned to Mrs M'Farlane's, where they did justioe to an excellent dinner provided them. The Hon. Mr Scotland's motion to abolish hot dinners at Bellamy's was lost on the voices. We feared it would ba. Our honorable representatives are not the sort of men to pass self-denying ordinances. It is to be feared that Mr Scotland raised a feeling against his praiseworthy motion by injudicious speaking. He said that "he had frequently seen members waddling into the House after a boa constrictor's dinner, washed down by quantities of sack." Seeing that the boa constrictor makes no bones of the live Stock it consumes, but after squeezing the life out and crushing the bones of its victim, then swallows it whole, Mr Scotland's similitude was tantamount to the charge that each member when he sat down to dinner at Bellamy's went " the whole hog." During last summer the greatest heat attained in the shade in Wellington was 79 degrees, and that only on one occasion. It was occasionally rather higher in some of the other towns of the Colony. In London the mercury is frequently over 90 in the shade, and not long since it reached 97 degrees. The winters have been severe at Home lately, but their consequences, so far as the age at which people die are concerned, do not appear to have been very serious. An Australian lady, who spent last winter in England, was commiserated on account of the severe weather. She pointed to the ' Times ' and replied, " I've been interesting myself by going through the ages of the people whose deaths are chronicled there, and I dare not talk disrespectfully of a climate that doesn't kill people till they are 70, 80, 90, or 100, and then has to conjure up such a winter as this to do it." As a matter of fact most people who hail from England complain of the cold in this country. Tee School Committee of Cromwell has adopted a course which reflects very highly to their credit. At the meeting when they were elected only nine householders were in attendance, who chose seven of their number as a Committee. Subsequently these gentlemen resigned, in order, as their Chairman said, " to compel the public to publicly criticise and sanction or otherwise the previous Bchool management." But the public may not be so greatly to blame. In this district the public was not properly notified of the election, and consequently the attendance was very much smaller than usual. Perhaps it was the same in Cromwell. Two handbills can hardly be expected to sufficiently draw attention to a meeting. Bat when circumstances are most favorable it is doubtful if an eleoted School Committee is really representative. Even if there should be a good attendance of householders, the atrocious system of voting spoils the whole affair* A terrible catastrophe, compared with which the wreck of the Taiaroa, and in fact any casualty which has happened on New Zealand land or New Zealand waters since the Colony was first settled by Europeans would have sunk into insignificance, nearly happened in Wellington on Saturday night, May 15. The story has only just become public property — hence the staleness of the news. The wooden mantelpiece in the Speaker's room of Parliament buildings was discovered to be on fire. A hose reel was promptly brought in and turned on and the conflagration was, as Sir Bryan O'Rorke would have said, " nipped in the bud." The Press Association's telegram draws a graphic description of what might have been had the fire not been discovered. We will not reproduce it. Our readers will imagine for themselves the sad state of some 130 or so Ms.L.C. and Ms.H.R., houseless and homeless, most of them in a strange city, far from home and friends. Fortunately the huge wooden block still stands, and the tide of talk is not interrupted. The first of the series of winter evening entertainments in connection with the Tokomairiro Blue-ribbon Association was held in the Presbyterian Church on Friday evening. There was a fair attendance. The Rev. Mr Chi3holm presided. The Rev. J. Taylor gave an address upon the subject of "Toastdrinking," and Mr J. Adam delivered a very interesting lecture upon a trip up the Rhine. The illustrative views, shown with limelight, were teally excellent. Mr Adam has obtained a new burner for the lantern, and is now able to show these very beautiful photographs to great advantage. Those who only saw them with the deficient light used last winter will be surprised at the improvement. The united choir3, under the direction of Mr C. King, rendered a number of selections with great taste, while the choir being located in the gallery was in every respect a decided improvement. It would add immensely to the enjoyment and profit of all concerned if at these entertainments the juveniles were compelled to scatter themBelves all over the building, instead of being allowed to monopolise all the front seats, and by their fldgetting and conversation annoying all others. I c is to be hoped that the House will not consent to what appears to be the intention of the Government, the patching up of the

Representation Aot to make it suit the circumstances of some districts. The expiration of the period for which the Act was in force would be a euitable time for the reconsideration of the whole scheme of Representation. Mr D. Reid, in his pre-sessional address, said the number of members of the House might be 7ery well reduced to 70. This would, of course, necessitate a complete re- organisation of electorate?, and re-dis-tribution of seats, and we trust that such a change will be effected. There could not be a more opportune juncture for such a work, and it is to be siDcerely hoped that Mr Reid and others like-minded with him will oppose to the very utmost any such patchwork legislation as it is said the Government contemplates. Mr Bbadlaugh is not a prophet whose deliverances we much admire, but he has recently given utterance to a sentiment which merits approval. The question of the Government finding work for the unemployed by constructing harbors was to the front, and Mr Bradlaugh set his face against the proposition. He said that " only despotisms should find State labor for the unemployed," and characterised the scheme as "veiled Socialism," which would work irretrievable mischief on the masses it meant to benefit, Mr Chamberlain opposed the proposal on the ground that as harbors raised the value of land in their vicinity from 10a to £10 an acre, the rest of the community should not be taxed for the private benefit of one small portion thereof. Both Mr Bradlaugh's and Mr Chamberlain's remarks are well worthy the consideration of certain parties in the colonies, who are perpetually crying to the State to do some local work, or remed j some social grievance. The Clutha Parliamentary Union at its last meeting, very properly as we think, took up a local question, and discussed a motion relative to asphalting and kerbing the footpaths in the Borough. In the course of the debate, honorable mention was made of the footpaths and kerbing in Milton. We cannot quite agree with the Hon. Mr Calvert, who took occasion to say that Balclutha was greater in commercial importance than Milton. If the riverside village has got what is called a market day, she needn't be so cocky about it. Tbat is only one item in which Balclutha can boast over us. Mr Dunne, who by the way is Mayor of Balclutha, ought to have known better than to refer to the heavy debt Milton had incarred. As a matter of fact, the Borough of Milton is entirely free from debt, and always has been, and is, we believe, almost, if not quite, the only Borough in the Colony in such a happy position. Moreover, it is doubtful if there is another small Borough the streets, footpaths, channels, &c, of which are in such uniformly good condition. We are not at all jealous of Balclutha. Neither of us shine with a very brilliant light, and if our neighbor succeeded in emitting a slightly more visible glimmer than ourselvss, the honor would not be very great. At the same time, it ia only proper to defend ourselves from false and calumnious assertions. The Paris correspondent of a contemporary writes as follows. This and the recent labor riots in the United States form capital illustrations of the advantages of republicanism : — The couple of shots fired off last week in the Chamber of Deputies, by a mau who took this method of attracting the attention of the House to a demand for employment which he wished to address to the president of that body, have been followed by shots fired off at the Bourse, by a miscreant who appears to have committed this atrocious deed at; the instigation of one or other of the dangerous societies that are dreaming of regulating society by dynamite and gunpowder. The man is found to have been busy in the preparation of explosives, and he threw a bottlefull of some dangerous mixture among the crowd before firing off the two shots that created so lively a panic in the Temple of Mammon. The abundance of revolvers and explosives is becoming a serious source of danger in all the so-called civilised countries. Deedß of violence are occupying an uncomfortably conspicuous position in the mind and records of society at the present time. The latest victim of the prevailing shooting mania is, strange to say, the immensely popular author, Jules Verne, who has been shot at by an insane nephew, one of the balls entering his leg just above the ankle. The state of the youth has been causing nneasiness to his family for some time past, but his relatives hesitated about having him consigned to a lunatic asylum. His utterly unprovoked and unexpected attack on his popular uncle has been followed by his confinement in an establishment where he will, at least, be kept from attacking others. No one can be sick if the stomach, blood, liver and kidneys are well. American Co.'s Hop Bitters keeps them well. Notice. Wells' "Rough on Corns." — Ask for Wellls' "Rough on Corns." Quick relief, complete, permanent cure. Corns, warts, bunions. Kempthorne, Prosser and Co., Agents, Dunedin.