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Mataura Ensign, Issue 842, 19 January 1901, Page 3

Tbe Gore Musical Society purposes giving :t concert programme of miscellaneous items at the Town Hall on Wednesday evening next. Mrs Blue, tbe well-known Invercargill vocalist, has been engaged to assist, and the Orpheus Orchestral Union is to supply an overture as well as some of the accompanying music.

Mr John Boroman, a local celebrity of district fame, sails from tbe Bluff to-morrow in a grain boat for South Africa. The Age states that Mr Barton's policy sounds a staunch strong note of liberalism and sound one of protection. The Argus characterises the reference to the tariff as indefinite phrases, and concludes that the tariff will be one of moderate protection. It is a little more than a century ago that the British Parliament passed an Act prohibiting the sending of newspapers to certain countries. Put (who was tbe author of I his Act) and his colleagues of tbe Government held the opinion that the newspapers which criticised the Administration in an unfriendly spiiit were guilty of sedition. As a consequence, many printers and publishers were prosecuted, fined, and even imprisoned, the charges brought against them being generally of a somewhat flimsy nature. It was to strengthen his hands in this respect that Pitt introduced his Newspaper Act in April, 1798, which was intended to prevent " the mischief arising from newspapers being printed and published by persons unknown, and for regulating them in other respects." One of the clauses in the Act was that " every person who, during the present war, shall send any newspaper into any country not in amity with His Majesty shall forfeit £-500." The Bill was denounced by Sheridan, Lord William Kussell, Sir William Pulteney, and Sir Francis Burdett, but tbe Government deticd all Opposition. It is not at all surprising that the verdict which condemned the ' Daily Chronicle' to pay £I9OO in damages for libel should have astonished most of our contemporaries. In the course of the hearing of an action brought in the County Court by a firm of preserved food merchants, it was given in evidence that the plaintiffs had supplied a certain proportion of goods in bad condition, and they lost their case in consequmce. In reply to the .lodge, who inquired whether the traveller who had booked the order for the defendants had taken any of the defective jars of food with him to South Africa, a witness observed : " They are more deadly than Boer shells." The leaderette in the 'Daily Chronicle,' which has been held libellous, appears to have done little more than make a somewhat humorous comment on this evidence, to the effect that such badly preserve.] food would "give the Boers a nasty jar," in case our ammunition ran short. The impression was, perhaps, conveyed that the proportion of bad tins was greater than was the fact; but, if technically a libel, we think that very moderate damage-; would ha.e been ample compensation for any injury caused by the editoiial comment as distinguished from the reported facts of the case. It is so important to the publis that cases of the sale of unfit food should be exposed by the I'tess that it is disastrous that severely vindictive damages should be given against a newspaper for slightly exceeding what a jury chooses to regard as legitimate coinmtnt. It is to b-i hoped in the interes's of the public as well as the Pies, that the' Daily Chronicle' will take the opinion of the Appeal Court on this extraordinary veulict. ' St. Janus's Gazette.'

Latest war news states that systematic collections of Boer fami i.<s and stock at convenient centres are steadily proceeding. Voluntary refugees are given advantages over families whose head is still with a commando. The refugees are mostly acquiescent to the action. General Kitchener reports WOO Boers at Carolina. General Colvile's column was engaged at Van Tonderst ick and the Boers were driven off with heavy loss. Three hundred Boers looted Aberdeen and retreated on the advanceof ahundred British. William Stcyn.apeacedelegatedeputed to interview the Boeis at Standerton, was arrested and sent to l'iet Belief on a charge of treason. A patrol of Prince Alfred's Guards surrendered near Steynburg after two hours' fighting. The men were stripped and released. A commando has appeared in Little Namaqualand. K»sidents of the Cape Peninsula, excipt otlieials and soldiers, have been forbidden to possess arms or animuniti >n, and after Ist February all the colony, i xetpt a few towns, will be un ler martial law. It is intended to land addilional naval guns at Capetown. Two of the largest cunmandos are stationed at Rooscnkal, north east Transvaal and Western Magaliesberg. It is expected that Botha is organising a raid on Natal.

The Waimumu Central dredge returned 1(1 07, ldwt for Ol'i hours' work; the Waimumu i-1 ev, l'.'dwt for l.'iO hours. The small number of working hours on the Central was occasioned by the buckets becoming disconnected and falling into the well, and the spreading of the top tumbler. The replacement and repairs occupied about two days, the return being for four working days. The dredge is now in first-class order again. The Charlton Creek dredge returned 230z for tbe week. Twenty-live women have been hanged in England during the leign of Queen Victoria. The average duration of human life is longer in Norway than in any other country on the globe. SPENT A GOOD FAIfM DOCTOKING. Mr A. N. Noell of Asherville, Kansas, says he spent a good farm doctoring himself for chronic diarrhcr i, but got no relief and was afiaid that he must die. He chanced to get hold of a bottle of Chamberlain's Colic.Cholera and Diarrhu-a liemedy, and was permanently cured by it. For sale by D. B. Esther Chemist.