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Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 370, 7 April 1876, Page 2

Mr. Hall aunounces that a dance will take p'ace in the Town Hall, on Wednesday evenin* next.. ~-.- • "' . , i -Messrs. Inder and G-eorge-announce the • sale, at an early date, of Mr.: M'Oluskey's household furniture-and-effects. A special notification -to membersof the Ark of Safety Lodge, 1.0. G.T., appears in our advertising columns. The Victorian Parliament has passed the "Mining on Private Property Bi'l." We do not know its exact nature. •Thk San Francisco mail arrived at Naseby by the mid-we jkly coach on Wednesday. The mails for the out-districts will arrive on Saturday morning, at the usual hours.

Ik Victoria the Land, Property, and In* come Tax Bills—having only passed second reading by a small majority of three—have been withdrawn by the Government. Fkom the fall report of the Wellington Harbor deputation it appears that the Premier did not say Parliament would meet "within two months," but "in the coons of, say, two months."

Gleeson, the pedestrian, announces his intention to walk thirteen miles under two hours on Saturday next in the Town Hall, Naseby. He drew a good house together last Monday evening. . Messrs. J. axd J. Cbeiqhtos were busily engaged on Monday last removing their camp to a spot a little below Mr. W. Inder'a yards. A vigorous start has been made, which we hope will characterize the work throughout. Mr. R. EL Browne, the District Engineer, will be engaged during the next few days in laying off the la3t mile of the Head Race. It were to be wished that some progress were being made in regard to the making up of the completed portions ot the race, so that the water might be utilised. Unfortunately as yet nothing is being done The advertisement calling for tenders for the dam is slightly altered.

It is rather surprising that no effort has been made to develop the reefs known to ex- ' ist at the Serpentine. For a long time it has been known that the Serpentine district is covered with indications of substantial reef 3. Yet nothing whatever has been done. The Serpentine reef.* stand in the same position that the Maeetown reefs stuck at for so long. - Their apparent inaccessibility is also against them. Some of our practical men, of adventurous spirit, might well spend some of their spare time this dry weather in visit- , ing the localities. Mr: John Cogan has sent us in a few specimens he obtained which are full ot gold, not mere specks, but of a rough nature. These can be seen at our office by any interested.

The 'Evening Star' of Saturday last says: "The many friends in Dunedin of Mr. Frederick J. Bunny will hear with regret of his death, which took place at St. Bathans on Saturday. The deceased gentleman was connected with the Telegraph Department in Dunedin for several years, and latterly had charge of the St. Bathans station. His assiduity to business gained him quick promotion ; his courtesy towards those with whom he was brought into contact was universally admittpd; aud in private he exhibited mauy of thos . qualities which lead to the formation of lasting friendship. Mr. Bunny, who was cariied off by typhoid fever, had been, married only three months." Bishop Moran alluded to Mr. Bunny's sad death on Sunday la3t, testifying to his msrit.

At a meeting of the Wellington Board of Education the ' New Zealand Times ' reports that: —A letter was received from Mr. Alex.

M"Kenzie, of Vlasterton, to the following effect : T would like to know if Mr. Lillington, teacher of the vlasterton school, is doing right in telling his pupils to lie down over a form till he beats their latter-end ? My boy, with my ad vice, will not sut>mittolie down and be beaten in so disgraceful a maimer, neither by him or any other man In resisting, the teacher tore his coat very much, and I should like to kmw how I am to be paid, a: it was a new one ? My children never' resist a stand-up beating. I should like to have an answer a3 soon as convenient. Lower Manaia " A member explained how the beating was performed. A boy was made to lean over a chair, sometimes to bend down and touch his toes with the tips of his fingers, then the rod was applied. Another thought it was not part of a gentleman's work to flog boys. Mr. Bunny reminded the Board that they had sanctioned corporeal punishment, and that no law was laid down as to position or posture Mr. Liliington's pupils must have a lively recollection of frosty mornings. There is something in posture, after all, in spite of the Grecian bend. It is unfortunate that the Provincial Government has seen fit to stop all expenditure on the roads. In this district, so far as we know, every roadmm has been paid off and every road contract has been stopped. No energy after, in the winter months, can maku up the mischief of not having the roads seen generally to, and ruts til'ed in, before the rain falls. What the object of this action is we shall doubtless learn in a few weeks. It may be the Provincial Executive refuse to be parties to expenditure of their own monies byact of grace from Wellington, or, else, wish, to teach the interior districts practically what shortness of money means. If ihis be so, in our opinion the lesson was hardly necessary.

Local sportsmen have been busy since the first Dacks are reported to be very plentiful this year, and a number have been bfought into Naseby for sale At Hamilton. Mr. Booth shot a bird a stranger to the district, but -which may be more commonly known in the bush. Its weight was lib 2ozs, back and neck green, breast white, and a dash of yellow below. Its length, from tip of beak to tip of tail, was 21 inches, and girth 124 inches, tail feathers 9 inches. The bird looked like a pigeon in the head and bill: It was feathered to the toes, which, were flat and wide at the root of the nails, •which, in appearance, resembled talons'. There was nothing in the crop to indicate what it lived upon. It had a gall, and the gizzard was very small and soft, but contained nothing. Whether common or rare the stranger, with its handsome long and tail, nicely prepared, will make a welcome addition to the district trophies. Can nothing be' done to organise a small museum in connection with our Naseby Athemeum. We have plenty of local naturalists who would contribute, and the specimens *»f auriferous wash and gold-bearing stone" from claims and reefs, would be of great value and help to popularise the institution.

It is not easy to satisfy peopb -when they develop & grievance. JJr. Bright developed one. We, with the audacity of a village journal, were a little rough on one of his reported freetbought lectures in the circus, and .considered, subject to correction by the author, that—as the report was published in 'about a dozen papers, and was uncontradicted, although Air. Bright himself subsequently attempted to enter into a theological controversy with the ' Guardian.' 'i"i n his lectures—we were quite ju tft.l in b in' so. As soon as the "Daily limes explained on behalf of the lecturer, that he acknowledged his authorities at the delivery of his lecture, disregprding the ambiguity of the .statement, we at once withdrew the charge, so far as the piracy was concerned, then we have been called upon by Messrs. Sievwright and -tout, on Mr. Bright's behalf, to appease their client's wounded feelings. We have endeavored to do so, but decline to »dmit having anything to do with ,the manuscripts. If a publis journal is not to e allowed to criticise reports, as uncuntradictedly published in respectable papers, all freedom of criticism would be destroyed. The point is of grave importance. We could wish it were likely to be settled at the expense of parties more able to meet it. than either Mr. Bright or ourselves So the matter stands. We refrain from publishing tne' correspondence at present.

Therr is not only no necessity **or Piovincial Councils meeting nowadays, but according to Mr. Ormond, Superintendent of Hawke's Bay, there never h-is been. The Abolition Bill prohibits any meetine of the Councils before September n?xt. 1 his b°inf» bo, Mr. Ormond who desires to open 5000 acres o' land for occupation under the nr visions of the ' The Special Settlement Act, 1872,' and finds.he oannpt do bo without tha

conspnt of the Provincial Council, hits upon a grand plan. Ho consults the Members of the Council by circular. Tho ' Hawkn's Bay . Herald puts it this way : —" It is nceeasary, ■ under the Act, that the consent of .the Cornell should bo obtained j and ns it cannot be cailed together, the only way in which this . ; con W.got is by a circular.letter to each member. 'Th3 consent required will, noj doubt, be given as a matter of course." The Buperia- ' r tert"demVhim«e>f in his circular write? —" I feel satisfied that the members of the Provincial Council will readily assent to this proposal.'' ' What a ridiculous bit of byplay this is—As if a Provincial Councillor has any power, except a» ft unit of a body, endowed with powers whim in session. Tho individual member, even when sittiiij; in session, has no power. Power alone is embodied in the properly constituted Chamber. Is Mr. Ormoud inspired in his idea by the Government. It is a little in the direction of - 1 - ellington Ministerialists. If it be bo, why lake the trouble of nsking members of As-embly to go to Welling ton? Kvery mail since we read of this Hawke's Bay jugglery we have expected to hear that a Vogolian circul ir has been issued asking members to consent to the consolidation of the Wang ,- nui shadows. Sue!; a circular might be expee'ed to wind up—"l feel satisfied thn f the members of the General As--1 Bembly will readily consent to this proposal. J. Y."