SATURDAY, DEC. 9, 1876.

Marlborough Express, Volume XI, Issue 874, 9 December 1876, Page 5

SATURDAY, DEC. 9, 1876.

A newspaper published m the Wairarap? has started a story to the effect that ore oJ the new counties will be entirely owned bj one man. This story has bee^n published m nearly every paper m the Colony, and it is supposed to be quite true m every particular, The following is the paragraph which the Wairarapa paper , published:— "Just fancj that a man like 'MoneyV Robinson, who took advantage of the Nelson cheap land regulations to buy up years ago large tracts oi country at a nominal price, has beer enabled to get his nin constituted a county, bj the influence his wealth and his position ir the Legislative Council has enabled him tc exercise ! Lucky Mr Robinson ! He wil henceforward, as a matter of course, be his own Chairman of a Council composed saj of the menials who manipulate that extensive estate. The honorable gentleman will tai

himself to maintain his public works — or any other works which he may consider needful or useful — m fact, rob Peter to pay Paul, he being those two worthies rolled ' into one. We have failed yet to learn what County name Parliament has given to the strip of country m question ; it is intended, however, ! to be called Cheviot." ! Now it is quite true that Mr Robini son does own about two-thirds of the . Cheviot County, but he does not ; owa the whole of it, and, as we will show, it is a great mistake to suppose that he will have the entire control of the County. It may not be known that there are two ridings ! m tlie County of Cheviot, one called Benmore "which is situated m Mr Robinson's - country, and the other called Hawkeswo'od, which is situated m that portion of the country which is owned by three or four other squatters. But as Benmore only returns three members to the County Council while Hawkeswood returns four, it follows as i a natural consequence that the voting power m the Hawlceswood riding will outweigh , that m the Benmore riding. Therefore however much Mr Robinson may desire to have things his own way, it may fairly be presumed that he will not be able to do so. We do not for a single moment say that he wishes to acquire complete control over the County, but as it has been insinuated that he not only 'desires, but will actually possess that control, we have thought it necessary to point out that -he connot have it. In all such cases it is quite clear that no ons man can benefit at the expense of the People, because it 1 would not only be unjust that he should be allowed to do so, but there would be such* a cry raised against any Government or Parliament that would make one individual a desl potic ruler over his fellows, as they could not withstand. We object entirely to the system L of allowing a few persons to monopolise nearly air the good land m the Colony for other than agricultural purposes, but unfortunately at the present time this could not j easily be remedied. However, the people t | have sufficient power to prevent persons who ' I have already acquired immense tracts of land ■ ;■ for next to nothing from becoming small [ monarchs m the country, and if anything of '■ J the sort were tried on they would not be slow i to exhibit their power. We notice that Mr Seymour ir tends to address his constituents at E wart's Hall on Saturday evening next. 1 We understand that the Blenheim Cricket Club will probably be. challenged by the Nelson Club to play a match on New Year's Day. A meeting- of fh > joint committee of the Friendly Societies is to be held on Monday evening next at Ewart'a Hall. The object of the meeting 13 to mike arrcugements for the New Year's Ball. The "examination of candidates for the Civil Service took place on Tuesday last at the Conn House. The following are the name 3 of the Blenheim candidates : — R. W. Farmar R. McCallum, and A. Clark. Mv F.ccxF.a held his land sale on Wednesday afternoon at Ewavfc's Hall, There was ' a gonrl attendance bnt the bidding was not very .spiriterl. 90 acres were disposed of. the amount realised heincj €219?), or about £25 p«r acre. Some of the allotments brought as much ; as £ tipper acre. County Elections. — The Governor has m consequence of thr> impossibility of giving the requisite amount of notice, fixed the elections f >r the Marlborongh Ridings for the 29 h "Dec. The noticea will h« found m our a'lvf-r'ising c Jumna. For the Kniknura County, the nomination is fixed for Kaikoura Town at the Court Houss, on 14th. election 22nd ; for Clarence, nomination at Swyncombo Station on 13th, election ou 22nd. At the cattle show last week two Lincoin rams were rx'iihited by H. Redwood and Mr Qporge Shorty. It was difficult to say which , of them would yield most wool, and a well known settler laid a .wager with another that Mr Storey's ram had the heavier coat on its back. The confeqnenco was that both sheeo were shorn by Mr Buckrell. Mr Storey's a imal save 16^ lbs wool, and Mr Redwood's ,■ as nearly as rjossible 23 lbs. Four Htrgetts belonging to Mr Redwood were shorn on ths same occasion and yielded 12£ lbs wool each. ■ In our last issue a rather important error occurred m connection wif.h the Woodeate murder case. We stated that the point raised by Mr Rogers on behalf of the prisoner was whether the statement of Susan Woodgate to the effect that the prisoner had made certain admissions to her, required to be corroborated * by other witnesses or not. The point actually reserved was whether the prisoner's confession . should not be corroborated either by actual proof that a murder had been committed, or by the production of a murdered body. The result, however, m either case will be the same. If the 1 Court of Appeal decide m favor of Mr Rogers' 1 point there can be little doubt that the prir soner will be liberated. Mail Services. — The Chief-Postmaster informs us that the following tenders have been ; accepted for the years 1876-1877 :— Blenheim ' and Kaikoura, and Kaikonra and Hawkeswood, r W. Blii'k ; Blpnhoim and Rpnwick, G. Stevenson ; Blenheim and VVairau Valley, W. Ocklev ; I Havplock and Nelson, J. Hippolite ; Picton 5 Wharf, and Railway and Post-Office, J. 1 Heberley ; Kaikonra Wharf &c, and Post-Office j C. Haergar ; Blenheim Wharf, vessels m Opawa l and Wairau rivers, Post-Office and Railway j Station and Post-o rfice, G. Stevenson ; Havelock and Homewood, not decidetl ; Picton, Grove j and Havelock, re-advertised. r County Flections— Under the new 5 Reijula'ion of L> cal Elections Act 1876. nntninat tions •will not be as heretofcra carried out by

■ vioii voce proposers and seconders, Imfc m Ihnir ! place written nominations- must he given to the , Returning Officer m accordance- with the second Sjhednle to the Act, which provides a form m . writing for that. purpose aud must be signed by . two duly qualified electors and also by the candidate himself m token of assent. Any ratepayer whose name is on the roll for the Eoad Board District, m force at the time of an elec- ■ tion is qualified to nominate a candidate, and 1 any person whose name kon any roll m force m ; the County can he a candidate. Nominations ; must be given to the Komi-ninu Officer before . noon en the day lie appoints for receiving them. | An eldeily witness created considerable 1 amusement m the Supreme Court on Tuesday. | While being cross-examined by Mr Rogers he 1 said a certain man liaUlo-e something "to him, whereupon he;(the witness) " muzzled "him and i nave him an awful hammering-; when he get home • he told his wife that the main boon of a boat . had struck him, and he didn't drink a glass of grog for two years afterwards.'' That witness , mu3t be a dangerous sort of a man to have . any words with. . It's all very ■ well to l " muzzle " a man, but when it comes to pummelling him to such an extent that he has to ' account for his disfigurement by telling his wife 1 that a vessel's mast fell on him it is rather too 1 rough. But after all even that is nothing com- ■ pared with the result of the row. .. We coujd.pnt ' up with that if necessity compelled, but it would ■ be absolutely erne! to damage us so niiif.h that we couldn't swallow a glass of grog for two . years. Considering all things we should prefer ; to keep out of that witness' way. The death is recorrlwl this week of • Oeorge Parsons, E-q., of JVlarlook, Somerset, but latterly of Kaikonra m this Province, to ; which place he came some three years since to i p:isa the remainder o&his days amongst his sons. , Although comparatively unknown here, few . agriculturists were better known m England, as . a practical as well as a scientific farmer, and a . man of great and varied f;xperience. By his travel and observation he added much that was ' useful 1 5 his own knowledge, and to the improve- \ ment of the district m which he lived. He" formerly occupied New Cros3 Farm, one of the best ' farms m the West of England, and from his ability was often chossn as Judge at the Bath ■ and West of England, Islington, and other good Cattle Shows. It was he who founded the Parrot . Tron Works and many other useful undertakings. . In a word his life was one of energy and u«eful--1 ness. He was a good friend, |and a jocular, yet- • amusing companion. Walking Through a Fiery Fqrnace. — The Iron gives an account of a wonderful feab, which promises to open up an entirely new future for fireman : — On Tuesday evening some experiment's were made m the grounds of the Alexandra Palace with an extraordinary invention. • Mr Oersherg, a Swedish meehanican, claims to have invented, and Captain Alilstrom, a compatriot, to have matured and fitted for practical use, a dress which will enable the wearer, to dash with impunity into the fiercest , fire for the purpose of saving life or property. At the east end of the palace, between the circus arid the banqueting hall, huge piles of old. dried wood 'were heaped up, intersected by narrow avenues, and the wood was drenched with petroleum. . The consequence was, that the moment ■ a light was applied to the pyre the whole blazed up with a flame so fierce, and sending forth a heat so intense, that the thousands who had gathered around to witess the scene were forced to retire to a more respectful distance. The sun's rays, which had hitherto baen inconveniently felt ■ from above, were quite forgotten m the glow 1 whi-h now flamed up from below, and it really seemed as if there wag malice m the tongues of fire that spat ont on every current of passing air. ' Standing 40 yards to the windward of this fierce fire the heat was all but intolerable, and even the fireman of the palace Brigade, under the ' command of Captain Archer, "the chief officer, were fain to give a wide berth to the burning ■ centre. Then it was that Captain Alhstrom, ' clad m a dress not unlike that worn by Captain 1 B'oyton when he paddled himself across the Straits of Dover, made his appearance on the scene. His costume consisted, so far as it was possible to ascertain, of an ovorcoit of fustian. . covering an inn-er garment of wool and felt. Between the two skins — so to say — iv a netl work of veins, through which are pumped [ continuous supplies of air and water, the main i air-tube before it reiches the body being , enclosed m the larger water-tube and by such means kept perfectly cool. The escape for , the cool air is through orifices m front of the , face, and the current so made forces back the flames, and leaves perfect brpathing space. Assurance was given that the clothing; itself was m no way chemically prepared, and is simply pro- . tected against the action of the flames by the ' torrents of water that pour over the man from | head to foot. With the greatest possible nonchalance, Ciptain Ahlstrom walked into and 3 throush the fiery furnace, not only free from ' discomfort, but apparently with enjoyment. ; After spending ahnut ten minutes m about the 1 warmest climate it is possible to imagine, en- ' veloped so as at times to be hidden by flames, 1 he carried nut a chair which was on fire, sat L coolly down upon it. and to the amnsfirn"nt and astonishment of the spectators, smoked a cigar.