The Dunstan Times.

Dunstan Times, Issue 901, 25 July 1879, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

Beneath the rule of men kxtimjly just the PF.N- IAMTOnTTRR than thr swoKn. FRIDAY, JULY 25. 1879.

Tlie following telegram received by the Vincent County Council from their Chairman, V. I’yke, Esq., M.H.R., has been kindly placed in onr hands :—“ The Government is in a minority of 10. I am making arrangements re C.irrick Range Water Race, which I think will result beneficially to County and miners. The | Goldfields Committee are unanimous in condemning the clause in the agricultural I leases regulations enforcing residence. The report has been referred to the Govern- 1 ment. The projected meeting to-nicht, at Sir George Grey’s instigation to intimidate i Parliament, will bo a failure, and may cause a removal of the seat of Government to the Middle Island. I have placed mo- 1 tions on the papers to amend the Land Act, to abolish Land Boards, and to construct a telegraph to Wanaka, and to complete the railway survey to same.” At the last meeting of the Vincent Conn- j cil the opinion was expressed the report in reference to the fault in Macandrew Bridge was of a very slight and immaterial nature indeed. We draw special attention to the no)ice in another column, under the hand of 11. Stewart, Esq., Manager Hawksburn Station, to the effect that poison is now laid on his run for both dogs and rabbits. The poison for the latter is wheat soaked in phosphorous. Wc deem it advisable to give this notice, as there is a possibility of danger arising from the consumption of the flesh of rabbits that have taken the poison but not sufficient to kill them. We understand that the same poison is laid on the Earnscleugh run. We regret to record the death of a very old resident of the district, Mr James Sanderson, after a brief illness. At Alexandra deceased was well known and respected. We again remind the residents of Alexandra and neighbourhood that the Rev. Mr Ash has kindly offered to deliver his inteeating and instructive lecture entitled “London” in the Town Hall, Alexandra, on Friday, August Ist. The proceeds will go to the funds of the Dunst.au District Hospital, and as this Institution has unfortunately had a rather large number of inmates lately, and as it is in need of funds, we shall hope to see a largo attendance. The lecture will be followed by a dance. The Report of the Engineer to Vincent County Council, and read at its last meeting on Wednesday, on the difference of cost bewcen contract labour and daylabour, showed that, so far as could bo ascertained, the daylabour system cost a trifle, the lesser of the two. Wo have been informed that Mr A. G Smith, .agent for the Bank of New Zealand at Naseby, died there on Sunday last. Mr George Clarke, Town Clerk of Nasohy, died on Friday last, after an illness of only eight days. A deputation of all the Otago members nowhere waited to-day on Sir George Grey as Colonial Treasurer to urge the claim of the County Councils of Otago to the payment of the L3L.000 of land revenue kept hack from them, and which the Public Accounts Committee last session recommended should be refunded. Mr DoLautour acted as spokesman, and after hearing him, the | Treasurer expressed himself much impressed ! with the force of the arguments, and promised to consult ins colleagues with a 1 view to giving effect to the requirements of the deputation. The amount now to the credit of the Vincent County Council is TbOOd,

The Cromwell Argue Bays the Board, if we we may he permitted the expression, to have a chess match between players of Clyde and Cromwell. ‘While it is known that the first-named town possesses some really good players, in Cromwell there are some who are enthusiastic lovers of the game and have a skilful knowledge of its mysteries. Should matters be arranged, no doubt there will be an interesting contest.” Despite the cry that is raised against the action of the Kaitangata Belief Fund Committee, the greatest evidence that by contributors their course is recognised as a good one is the fact of their still receiving sums of money. During the last week L22S lls :>d has been received as contributed by the officers of the General Post Office Department of New Zealand, and LlO 7s lid from the Principal of the Normal School, Christchurch. We hear on good authority that the teacher of Tnapeka Mouth (Mr D. M. Scott), whose correspondence to the board together with the Inspector’s and Secretary’s reports, was published by the whole of the Dunedin Press, acting by the advice of counsel, is about to commence actions for damages against the papers concerned, and also the Secretary of the Education Board. The basis of the actions is that the proceedings of the Board not being. “ privileged ” the papers in question were not at liberty to publish the correspondence to Mr Scoffs injury The matter is in the hands of a leading firm of Dunedin lawyers, ami will possibly come on for hearing at the next sitting of the Supreme Court. They have in Wanganui, North Island, a child-woman, named Jane Bond, 22 years of age, who has not grown an inch since she was six months old, she cannot walk, can speak only a word or two, and gets a tooth every two years. She eats and drinks the same as a grown-up person, and enjoys a glass of beer, with bread and cheese. M isg Bond is to lie taken through New Zealand by ber parents, and then to the Sydney Exhibition. Writing upon the subject of the necessity for an amendment of the law regarding bankrupts, the Daily Times says:—One of the problems in commercial legislation just now is how to prevent rogues and swindlers from sheltering themselves under the laws made for honest men’s protections. many of the greatest swindlers go unpunished because they had boon sufficiently astute to evade the actual provisions of the penal clauses of our bankruptcy laws, and the difficulty of obtaining evidence ; and thus bringing a bankrupt, within the four corners oi the law, makes the Bankruptcy Act almost useless as a penal act. . . . . We think that, perhaps, the best course which could be adopted by the Legislature in amending the bankruptcy laws would be to pass a short amending the Act, to the present Fraudulent Debtors Act, miking it incumbent on every bankrupt to show that be has not incurred any debt within twelve months of his insolvency, without having a reasonable expectation, based on actual facts, of being able to pay such debt, ; and further providing that, in default of satisfactory proof of this sort, the bankrupt shall become guilty of a misdemeanour. A measure such as this would meet most cases, and. it would further have the advantage of providing some punishment for reckless trading and gross extravagance in living two crimes, or qnasi-eiimes, which at present go entiiely unpunished.