ST. BATHANS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 26, 11 May 1870, Page 3

ST. BATHANS.

I (From our own Coireapondent) St. Bathans, April 30th, 1870. The month of April has been exceedingly dull quarter, and my letter will be la keeping accordingly. The weather (happy thought for a subject/ I) for the first week was glorious for Ajil ttwoVdm the Bth to the 12th we had incessant - ' rain, hail, and snow, -which clotlHd the mountains, slushed' the roads, : and raised the price of cartage, hut did not iwell the rivers, owing to the frosts. Since the 12th, we have had severe winter weather, saving three days of thaw. After three days' auction sale, Mr D. M'Connochie, draper, bid adieu to St. Baathans, having been a successfid tradesman in this place for more than five years. His ,vq place has been filled by his brother, who is making improvements to suit the times, for the fact has just dawned upon us that * St. Bathans is in its infancy, and we intend ' to make up for our unbelief by establishing ourselves as settlers. I When lam on the night shift I occasionally hear the report of guns, which I at first suspected to be a caution to the Chinese not to tread over the sluices after dark, but I have since discovered that it is a raid on goats, which, increasing tenfold each season, are devastating crops and breaking down sod walls, until forbearance jr with our neighbors is becoming a weakness instead of a virtue. Something must be done, and I propctse a petition to the Provincial Council (now sitting) to introduce an amendment ordinance making the Goat Nuisance Ordinance apply to the whole province, instead of only to municipalities. We cannot raise a mayor and corporation here, nor do we want any Punch and Judy shows up the country; but for all that, :e, our community is quite as large as some of the incorporated towns, and the malefactor's goats in this treeless country, do as much harm to the benefactor's potatoes as they do within the jurisdiction of their "worships." { x /•"' Warn your farmers to pit their potatoes carefully for they (the potatoes) will 'be Bcarce this year. Owing to a bad season at sowing time, the vegetables generally i f speaking are poor and sodden, and potatoes especially have suffered from rot and moisture. Can you throw any light on the policy of the/Qovermnent in abrogating the water tax t Surely, if they wanted to do something for us, they might have moved in an •" act to reduce the price of the miuer's right, jund given us poor siuicers a chance, instead 3 pf sparing the race-holders, who are undoubtedly the wealthiest of the; mining . jelass, and never objected to so fair an income tax as 5s for every sluice head. My S ;mate, who has an interest in water races, states 'that the water squatters (ai he calls them, for I do not indulge in colonial slang) do not thank the Government in the least for their interference, nor yet the Wardens' Conference, if they suggested it; and he says that such a reduction is incom- ) prehensible, emanating as it does from a Government partly formed of diggers, as he calls them—(he means gold-miners). Of course, as a poor sluicer, I am opposed to any reduction of revenue where its support does not immediately affect me, because I wish the Government to have a good treasury chest, that they may continue f to improve the roads, build bridges, and l subsidize mining speculations, as they have ) most wisely done during the Macandrew administration, to tlteir credit be it said, though they have done some foolish things also—things after the "plebiscite" style, 4c., &c, —" rather expensive in their way, and nothing shewn, eh V The water-race companies must laugh in their sleeves at this burst of sympathy \ for them, while the other miners sweat at the injustice. The Government surely have by this time discovered their mistake, ia depriving tho revenue of £6OO to £7OO a year, when it was obtained from so available a source, and paid by the companies so ungrudgingly. I hope all the gold-fields papers will move in this matter, for £7OO a year will help to build some more reservoirs, or sludge channels, or assist to support the benevolent institutions on the gold-fields. " Agitate !" On Saturday nights, instead of strolling about the township, my mate reads the paper, while I make and mend clothes, * am| many an argument we have over politics, and such like; but wo never quarrel, though we maintain our own views. Well, last Saturday he read out ■ i Mr Hawthorne's report on the High School, and no sooner had he finished than 1 we set to arguing pro. and con. Hear my i mate first: " Well, well," says he, " for an Artium Magister of a first-class university I consider that report tho most absurd, pleonastic, and egotistical production I ever read"—(my mate always uses long words when he is excited). He then commenced his criticism, by an anecdote. Sic. : A lady tthoi had been neglected tried to hide her deficiencies by using long words in her conversation, and afterwards explained their meaning, in case her listener could not understand on account of mis--1 application. On one occasion she is represented' aa having said, "The people about i"»*£8» vary t*%«tf— I meau poor." . (a wit) wpHod : " I compre**&wl mean I rnddrsScmcf." This anecdoto my mate considered- apropos to Mr .Hawthorne's report.

After scanning the first column with an occivsional, growl or, " pish !" ho stopped short in. tho middle of tbo comment on Greek study with the exclamation, " Don't you think, Jack, that we ought to look up to as an authority on rhetoric such a man as the writer of this report? But surely he must have interpolated for the sake of giving line to his bait (to catch a Balmon), or for want of knowing howto condense and yet write grammatical sense. Would it not have sounded better to have said that the boys who acquired ancient languages proved themselves superior (even from the utilarian point of view) to those whose attention had been confined to the mere practical branches ? Seventeen words saved in seven lines in print," said my mate, in exultation at extinguishing a dominie. Passing over the information as to what Mr Abram teaches, my mate gave an indistinct chuckle when he read about Mr Brent's department. Surely Mr Hawthorne must look upon his employers as dolts when he finds it necessary to tell them.what is comprehended by the word mathematics. If that was his reason for being so explicit, it would have been better to have entered into a fuller explanation. Thus: " Arithmetic, which includes multiplication, a vexation ; with Division as bad; Rule of Three, which puzzles me ; and Practice drives me mad : Algebra, which includes simple and quadratic equations ; Modern Geometry, which includes latitude, longitude, compass-bearings, and the measurement of the terrestrial globe ; Trigonometrv (plain and spherical), which includes the measurement of heights and distances, traversing, and intersecting. Mr Pope the modern languages, which include Parisian, Norman, and patois-French, from De Lisle, Poclet, Ollendorff, and Ahn; Italian, by Garibaldi and Cardinal Antonelli; and Teutonic Gorman by Count Bismarck ; —while I teach the Classics, w-luch include all the dead languages, Latin, and Groek. I also teach the Physical Sciences (referred to by my colleague, Captain Atkinson), which branch includes boxing and sparring, head-in-chancery, belt>hitting, flyingrmare, and hitch-and-kick." My mate, who considers himself a classical man (so does General Grant), passed by the paragraph on classics, with the remark that too much learning makes one mad (quoting poor Hugh Miller's case), and that if a commercial education was to be the leading star for tho rising generation, he thought Valpy's Latin Grammar and Delectus, Cassar, Ovid, and Virgil, quite enough Latin for any boy to fit him. as a lawyer, doctor, or for society generally. (My mate says he once knew a doctor who learnt all his Latin off his bottles—l suppose he means the labels on the bottles.) I thought my mate was going to put down his piper, ami smoke a pipe, when all of a sudden he burst out with " Oh ! look here ! This noblo and erudite philosopher has been quoting all the foreign titles on his book-shelf as works to be studied by his pupils, who are to be launched into the world under tho civilising and refining influence of a classical education ; and yet he admits the history of their own or their parents' country a difficult subject. I should like to introduce him to Lord Macaulay, if that gentleman were still living. Why, I believe even Mrs Markham would blush at an interview !" (But my mate has a weakness for chronology, and appears to know who were the contemporary sovereigns of Europe during several centuries, where all the battles were fought, and in what cause ; though I puzzled him by asking what Duke was drowned in a butt of Malmsey : «I like a glass of good wine.' And he would not believe me when I told him it was an historical fact that Charles I. laughed and talked half an hour after his head was cut off.)" My niato does not agree about the greater importance of a knowledge of recent historical facts than the lives of kings, and the events during their reigns, at the time when the boys' ancestors were taking a far more active part in the world's history than people do now, for they had to fight against superstition and idolatry. He thinks the careers of Alfred, Canute, the Conqueror, and Occur do Leon are worthy of example, and may help the youngsters of Otago, when developed into manhood, to fight their way against modern superstition, such as spirit-rapping, and other evils, as lying, wonder, and false prophets. In regard to medals, my mate considers there is too much ostentation betrayed by the colleagues in advertising their gifts ; but I rather thiuk the shoo pinches another way, for I have heard him say that he thought knighthood, orders, and medals are honours which should exclusively belong to hei oes of battles—to the army and navy. He laughs in derision at a London alderman being made a K.C.B. The idea of putting spurs on a turtle-fed citizen! He compares the farce to, making magistrates of New Zealand publicans, " who (lie says in his sarcastic manner) are untaught and illiterate, encourage men to drink bad liquor, and then mount the Bench to fine the unfortunate victims for getting drunk. (But I do not encourage my mate in this stylo of bitterness, for he is rather dyspeptic, and besides it is not right to speak disrespectfully of men in high places.) Oh tempora! oh mores I (My mate is fond of those easy scraps of Latin.) The knights

of England are iii comparison as thick as J.P.s in' New Zealand, ,and now a lot of young Btriplings are, for excelling in hj knowledge of history, from Hauovor back to Tudor, and physical knowledge, to have dangling to their jackets a laurel for which many a poor fellow fought at Alma, Inkerman, and Redan, and returned to his country with a battered, shattered carcase, an empty sloevo, and a wooden leg. Ok tempora I oh mores !" " But," I ventured to remark, " what would you give them, Tom 1" " Some good 'useful book," said he : "Go to the shop of Wise or Livingstone, and you have thousands to choose from. Give them a bat, bows and arrows, a watch, an aneroid—a thousand useful things, worthy rewards for youthful diligence, instead of decorating their breasts with medals, thereby encouraging in their minds a love for the stage, conceit, envy, and their concomitants, making them paper soldiers (like volunteers in their sheds on a wet day), and derogating the honour due only to warriors who have done something for their country worthy of record." So excited and angry was my mate becoming that I began to fear some evil, consequences, and proposed a game of chess (he cut out the chessmen with his penknife) ; but he was bent upon having another fling at the report, and sneeriugly remarked, " he would wish to be a member of the Provincial Council, if only to be patronised by so great a man, who hopes that young Otago will justify their liberal ant] enlightened (and here I thought he would choke himself with hysteria) policy. Aye, not so bad !" says my mate ; "I wonder who enlightened them, eh V But I lost all patience with him, and blew the candle out at the wretched pun i he perpetrated as a winding-up : "Ah ! ah !" he said, " the Magister wishes to retain the credit to himself for an increase in the number of the scholars, and carefully explains that it was not owing to the reduction of feas, as that had not taken place ; but was it not quite (feasible) feesable that they might have known that that was going to take place, and were politic enough to send their youngsters beforehand, so as to spare the youths from being taunted as cheap ones." My mate wanted to criticise Captain Atkinson's report in the 3rd paragraph, for I heard him saying something about sword exercise, Tue's drill, cuts and guards combined, muscular system development, and gymnastics being synonymous ; when, worn out with a hard clay's work, and tired of listening to his foolish bitter criticism on what appeared to me to be a full and able report, I dozed off to sleep, and dreamt I saw poor old Tom standing on a platform addressing a number of boys in pinafores, with ribbons, medals, and stars on their breasts, and I could hear him calling a boy up to be examined in geography, who modestly replied that ho belonged to Mr Brent's class. Tom then called another for Algjbra, who.stated that he belonged to the Political and Physical Geography class. Despair was depicted on poor Tom's face. He muttered something about physical scieuces, when in a moment the whole school sat co sparring and wrestling, while one gentleman dressed in black (evidently superintendent), and another with military stock and closely-buttoned frock coat,: looked complacently on, with occasional side glances at Tom, to see if he was edified.

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. j"We are indebted to the Dunediu Evening Star for the subjoined condensed report of the Council's proceedings.] FRIDAY, APRIL 29. The Speaker took the chair at 2 o'clock. Several notices of motion and questions were given. A message was received from his Honor the Superintendent that he had ass anted to the Imprest Supply Ordinance. Several papers were laid on the table. Mr Sibbald presented a petition from csrtain intending settlers at Martin's Bay, praying that a regular trader be put on bat ween Port Chalmers and that port. Mr Mitchell moved for leave to introduce a Bill to repeal the Thistle Prevention Ordinance, 1862. He drew attention to the rapid extension of the thistle nuisance, and said that the arragements of the Government for their prevention were useless, and that, as the Ordinance was inoperative, it would bo better to repeal it. —Leave was granted, and the Bill was read a first time, ordered to be printed, the second reading to take place on Tuesday. The Secretary for Land and Works introduced a Bill for the management of rivers,' which was read a first time, and the second reading fixed to take place on Monday. The Provincial Treasurer moved that an address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, asking him for certain sections of land at Roxburgh for a police station. Captain M'Kenzie asked why the corrections mado by him in the report of his speeches were not made in the Hansard. — The Speaker stated that the reports were held back for a weok to give opportunity for corrections being made, and that where they were not received in time they were put in an erratum at the end of tho work. Every pains had been takon to'rcndor the i repwt ox perfect as possible. j

The Secretary for Land and "Works moved that his Honor be recommended to set apart a certain portion of land for the purpose of erecting and maintaining works for the conservation of the Clutha river.— Mr Mosloy proposed that tho debate be adjourned to Monday, which Mr Thomson seconded.—Mr Ashcroft supported the, motion for adjournment on the ground that fuller information should bo given.—MiMitchell supported the motion for adjournment, svo believe, but from his peculiar manner of speaking it was' impossible to understand his reasons.—Tho adjournment was also advocated by Captain M'Kenssie. —The Secretary for Land and Works did not object to that course. Mr Main presented a petition from the Licensed Victuallers, praying for tho abolition of tho bottle license. The petition was received. On the orders of the day being called, Mr Thompson, in addition to the 300 acres proposed by the Secretary of Land and Works to be set aside as a reserve for commonage for the use of the inhabitants of Port Molyneux, proposed as an amendment that 250 acres should be added.— Mr Mosley supported the amendment, which was opposed by Mr Hutcheson, as the ground which was proposed as a reserve was the only proper site for a township, and that a principle should be laid down on which reserves should be granted.—Mr M'Dermid considered the area proposed was so trifling as not worth discussion, and that were the whole block not set aside, that proposed by the Government would' be useless.—Captain Mackenxio supported the amendment.—lt was opposed by Mr Shepherd and Mr France.—The Secretary for Land and Works considered that where maps were issued on which reserves were marked, those reserves should be strictly adhered to. The Provincial Government had been blameable for not having those reserves legally set aside. The Government had no objection to the extension proposad if it met with the views of the Council.—The Council divided on the amendment, when 12 voted for and 10 against it,—The amendment was therefore carried. The Provincial Solicitor moved the second reading of the Licensing Ordinance Amendment Bill. The object of the Bill is to do away with the necessity for periodical applications to a bench of* magistrates for a license after it has once been granted, and that it may be continued on due payment of the license fee at the Treasury. It provides for investigation as to charges against landlords of improperly conducting their houses.—Mr Haughton proposed" when the Bill was read a second time, that it be referred to a select committee in order to introduce provisions to abolish tho bottle license.—The Bill was read a second time.—The Provincial Solicitor moved that the Bill be committed, when Mr Haughton moved, and Mr Hughes seconded, that it be referred, to a select committee, whom he named.—Mr M'Jndoe proposed that the committeeshould be chosen by ballot.—The latter amendment was carried, and a ballot taken. MONDAY, MAY 2. The Speaker took the chair at 2 o'clock. Some slight discussion took place on Mr Mitchell's motion on tho interim report of the Printing Committee. Mr Seaton then moved that an address should be presented to the Superintendent for extending and validating the Thistle. Prevention Ordinance. He pointed out the necessity for taking steps to prevent the spread of thistles, which he described as an intolerable nuisance.—Mr seconded the motion.—-Mr Main suggested that the motion should be postponed until Mr Mitchell's motion for the repeal of the Ordinauce came on to-morrow.—Mr France said it was iaipossiblo for anyone to keep his land clear of thistles so long as the Government neglected to keep the Crown lands clear of those weeds.—Mr Ashcroft affirmed that, unless on pain of hanging, nothing would induce farmers to clear their land.—Mr Mouat confirmed Mr Ashcroft's opinion, and said it was impossible to clear the land.—Mr Hutcheson shewed that endeavors had been made by votes of money to clear thistles, but it was thrown away. If money were voted for destroying thistles why not for up-rooting sorrel ]—The Secretary for Land and Works pointed out the impossibility of attempting to extirpate thistles. The seeds may bo carried perhaps a hundred miles by a gale of wind. It was perfectly true that they were an annovance for a year or two, but eventually they did the land good, as the thistle is not a weed that exhausts the soil.—Mr Haughton might have voted for the resolution, but did not understand it. He could support the statement of the Secretary for Lands and Works.—Mr Seaton replied.—On a division, three voted for the motion and twenty against it. Tho Provincial Solicitor laid on the table the Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway Compulsory Land-taking Ordinance, which was read a first time. The Provincial Solicitor laid on the table the Licensed Theatro Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1870, which was ordered , to be printed. Mr Sibbald moved that tho petition of certain intunding settlers at Martin's Bay bo referred to the Select Committee on Private Petitions. Tho petition prayed for tho establishment of means of couimuui-

cation with Martin's Bay.. The motion was agreed to. TUESDAY, MAY 3. Two petitions wore presented, and received. Members of Government, in answer to questions, stated—lst. That the Provincial Engineer had received instructions to propure plans for the construction of a jetty at Waikouaiti, at a cost of .£51)00. In preparing those plains he was guided by the report of the commission which examined the harbour two years ago. Since then he had examined tho harbour and taken soundings himself. His opinion had now altered to a very great degree ; his estimate being £82(50. Tho plans had been prepared, and would liavo been sent to England last mail, but for tho engineer's report of the 27th of last month. Tho Government would, have carried out tho agreement entered into, if the jetty could have been erected for .£SOOO, the Hum voted, but finding the cost would exceed it by £3OOO, they did not feel justified in sending home orders for the plant, and it depended upon the action of the Council when tho order would bo sent. 2nd. The Government pamphlet of rules and regulations affecting gold-fields did not contain the Amending Acts passed since 186 G. The omission was, however, unintentional. The Secretary for Land and Works could not accept Mr Shepherd's assurance that tho miners would not suffer from tho omission, neither could he see how it could be rectified. The shing, however, was very plain, that the Government had issued a publication which was almost worthless. Mr Mosley rose to propose—" That an address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting that he will he pleased to recommend to the General Assembly the desirability of a duty being levied, for the purpose of revenue, on grain and flour imported iuto the colony. Hk speech was, in the main, devoted to a review of statistics, although ho spoke at some length in support of tho motion.— Mr Shand seconded the motion, and after a little heating about the bush, stated his opinion that it was absolutely necessary the agricultural interest should be encouraged.—ilr France, after some blustering, and with apparent loss of words signified his intention of supporting tho motiou,—Mr Ashcroft was prepared to support it, but would like the words " for the purpose of revenue" omitted.—Mr M'ludoe moved the previous question, and in the course of his remarks, characterised the farmers as the only pampared trash in the country, which subsequently brought the Provincial Treasurer upstanding, to defend the class, whom he sought to prove was the poorest of all.—After Messrs Shepherd, Thomson, and M'Derraid had. spoken in support of the motion and Capt. Mackenzie against it, the question was put and carried. WEDNESDAY, MAY 4. The Speaker took the chair at 2 o'clock. Mr M'ludoe, after some difficulty, was permitted to read a statement by magistrates present at the sale of the Island Block, contradicting statements made that, by intimidation on the part of Mr Clark's agent, several settlers had been prevented bidding for the sections of that block. Mr M'lndoe moved that the document be referred to a Select Committee, consisting of Messrs Brown, Green, and the mover, for inquiry.—The motion was agreed to. Mr Allen presented a petition from a number of settlers resident in Taieri and Waipori, asking a re-survey of the Clutha line of railway over the Taieri Plain.—The petition and others on different subjects were received. In reply to Mr Barr, Mr Reid said that although the reserve at tho back of section 53, Green Island' Bush, was in the same category aa many others, merely a temporary reserve, any person cropping it did so on his own responsibility. Captain Mackenzie gave notice that on Monday he would move, " That the Land; Laws of this province are not such as can successfully compete with the inducements which neighboring colonies offer to intending settlers ; that it is therefore necessary that tho Land Law should bo altered or amended ; and in order to secure for thi» province a fair share of the labor and capital which is constantly emigrating from Europe, a new Land Law should be passed without delay, embodying tho principle of free situation, deferred payments, and commission over unsold land ; and in order to secure those three principle?, provision should be made in the New Laud Act. for the resumption by the Crown, at an early date, and-on just and equitable terms, of all the lands now held on lease for pastoral purposes. A discussion took place on Mr Brown's motion for a return, showing tho various agricultural blocks which have been proclaimed for settlement as recommended by Mr J. L. Gillies, specifying the area of such blocks, the rate of compensation, and whether the pastoral leases have ever been cancelled over tho later blocks so set apart —-The Secretary of Land aud Works said the Government had had great difficulty in getting the blocks and arrauging for them. They had, however, taken action, and wore prepared to lay the return moved before the House.