THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, MARCH 3, 1879.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5395, 3 March 1879, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, MARCH 3, 1879.

Whatever question might be raised respecting the proceedings at the nomination for City West on Saturday, has little chance of being authoritatively decided, for in all probability everything will be settled by the polling to-morrow. Any step would have to be taken by Mr. Goldie's friends, some of the mo3t prominent of wliom declared on Saturday that they would not seek to make anything of the fact, if it be a fact, that the motion demanding a poll on behalf of Mr. Dignan was not seconded till the meeting was closed. Great interest ia felt in the election, and probably over 1,000 votes will be polled. Throughout the colony all eyes are fixed upon the contest, and it will have as much significance in its bearing upon the struggle for the maintenance of the present system of education as the election which took place a few weeks ago at Nelson. We give a full report of the nomination proceedings. There are not two opinions in the colony respecting the manner in which Sir Julius Yogel has carried out his duties as AgentGeneral. The functions of the office are varied and diverse. The Agent-General has at one time to occupy the chief part in negotiating a loan and settling the complex details, which few but men professionallytrained can deal with, of large financial arrangements. The money market of London is so wondrously sensitive that any stupidity or blunder, or rashness, or even timidity, might cause the colony much expense, and damage its credit for years. The Agent-General ha 3 also to conduct negotiations with regard to mail services, and to the proportions of payment between th« colony he represents and other colonies and the home Government. He has to superintend the difficult business of sending out immigrants, involving a large correspondence with sub-agents; and to see after the shipment of material for the public works. He has also to be watchful that the colony suffers no harm by aspersions on it in any way, and if an opportunity arrives of keeping it before the public and enhancing its credit, he ia expected not to miss it. In all these respects Sir Julius Yogel has been unquestionably an efficient and able servant to the colony. We suppose that in perusing these lines our readers will expect that they are only preliminary to finding fault with some procedure of the Agent-General, aud so, in fact, they are, as we should not think of writing a leading article consisting simply of panegyric, unless the person commented on were dead. And the objection we iiave to make is that Sir Julius -Yogel is to be a director in a company having for its object the management of a land speculation. Several large land-owners in Otago and Southland have agreed to put their properties together, and to take for them the sum of £L,oro,o<)o, equal to £0 7s. Gd. per acre for the freehold land, and not taking into account 141,075 acres of leasehold. One of the objects of the company is gradually to break up Home of the estates into farms ranging from 200 to 1,000 acres each in extent. The land is to be sold in England on behalf cif the company on deferred payments, and as there are already numerous applicants, and much of the land is first-class wheat-growing soil, with good railway communication specdiljto be made, there seems to be little doubt of the success of the company if its operations are properly managed. As the colony will no doubt be largely benefited by the success of the project, we are glad to hear, by a late telergam, that, notwithstanding that the Times has endeavoured to throw cold water on the scheme, it bids fair to be successful. But we think the colony has a right to object to the position Sir Julius Yogel lias taken up in the matter. He has, we are informed, assisted Mr. Larnach in forming the company, and is to bo a director. Further, it has been publicly stated that Sir Julius Yogel becomes a director with tho sanction of the Ministry, and if so, Ministers are as much, or perhaps more, to blame than he is. There is, indeed, a precedent against Sir Julius accepting such a position. When the Broomhall company was mooted in London, Sir Julius Vogel was offered and accepted a directorship, but the then Government informed him that ho must not hold such a relation to the company, and lie withdrew. Messrs. Larnach and Driver have, however, managed to make a different arrangement, and have apparently obtained the consent of the Government that Sir Julius Yogel should act as a director, and no doubt he will 11 stand in" to some extent with the original speculators. Now, in many ways, it is objectionable that Sir Julius Yogel should be thug personally and directly interested in such a company. His duty is to assist in any project for the advantage of the colony, but ho should hold himself in such a position as that he can render aid to all judicious schemes alike, without suspicion of personal interest. The Times, we are informed, has opposed this new company, and probably Sir Julius Vogel, as he has done in similar cases, has written articles controverting the statements of the Times. He is entitled, and indeed called nx)ou, as Agent-General, to contradict any statements made injurious to the credit of tlio colony, but if he makes his appearance as a zealous advocate for the company's proposals, and as one Ot the promoters, the Times may make the retort that ho does not speak in any sense as Agent-General, but as a speculator, in the lloating of the company. The Timet may even contend that the interest of New Zealand is against the scheme of Messrs. Larnach and Driver, and that, if Sir Julius were not personally interested in it, he would see things in the same light as it does. Besides, the colony is entitled to look to the Agent-General as being strictly impartial, and indeed to be entirely above suspicion of favouring one part of the colony more than another. Interested as he is in this new company, he will be open to the suspicion of directing immigration to the districts where its lands lie, of getting intonding immigrants to take up the company's lands, to the neglect of other parts of the colony. By acting zealously for the company, he may groatly benefit certain districts of Otago and Southland, and do corresponding damage to other districts. A railway is to be put through that section of .the country where the company's estates lie, and the Agent-General may greatly expedite its construction. Besides, the colony pays Sir Julius a handsome salary, and is entitled to the whole of his time ; and we remember that some years ago, when Dr. Featherston was elected as the director of a bank, Mr.Swanson brought the matter up in tlio House-of Representatives, and had him interdicted from taking the position. .It is objectionable that the Agent-General should engage himself in any pursuits beyond the duties of His office, and it is doubly so that he should become pecuniarily interested in " a scheme which binds him to promote a private interest ill a particular part of the colony.

The polling for City West takes place tomorrow, at the Young Men's Christian Association BuildiDg, and we understand that such arrangements have been made as will ensure the quiet and efficient carrying ont of : the election. The poll opens at 0 and closes at 4 o'clock. 1 Writing about what took place on Saturday at the nomination for City West, a correspondent says :—" The show of hands having been declared by the Returning Officer to be in favour of Mr. Goldie, it was his duty to have declared him duly elected, unless a poll was demanded in the manner prescribed by the Act. This was not done, but a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer having been proposed and seconded, he seem 3 to have left the , platform. As far as the Returning Officer was concerned, the business was concluded, but it having been pointed oat that a poll had not been demanded for Mr. Dignan, a great deal of confusion occurred, when the Returning Officer again announced that the poll would be taken on Tuesday next. As to the announcement made by several speakers that no mean advantage would be taken of the blunder, that is entirely beside the question. The Act requires certain [ things to be done in a certain manner, and it will be within the recollection of a few of our citizens that, in 1553, an attempt was s made to invalidate the return of Colonel ' Wynyard as Superintendent of Auckland, s on the ground that the show of hands r having been in favour of his opponent, Mr. Brown, the poll was not demanded iu the - prescribed manner. Upon investigation. r however, it was proved that the form had . been complied with, and, of course, he re- ; taiued his seat, and lam inclined to think that in the present instance, even if Mr. T Dignan should poll a majority, on reference ; to the Attorney-General, Mr. Dignan would | be unseated." T Saturday was an "off-day" with the I Maori Parliament at Orakei, as it is, for the s most part, in the New Zealand and Imperial Parliaments. The members of the Maori Parliament employed themselves invatious 1 ways. Some remained in their tents or r whores, aud discussed the provisions of the I Treaty of Waitangi, while others employed themselves more usefully in catching fish in the harbour or in the Orakei basin. A good r many Europeans visited Orakei during Saturj day and yesterday. Mr. Sheehan is expected in Auckland in a s few days, and will probably remain in town [ till the time comes to proceed to Waikato for the March meeting. Mr. Sheehan will ' arrive in time to see the Northern chiefs who have attended the Orakei meetiug. I At the Ponsonby Assessment Court, which ■ was held on Saturday at the Ponsonby Hal!, a somewhat interesting discussion took place, ' the gist of which it is well should be known. ' Mr. J. A. Tole, solicitor on behalf of himself ' and others, lodged eight objections against the valuation list. These objections had been > lodged with his Honor the Judge of the I Court ia due tim«, but the Act requires that - a copy of such notice must be lodged with . the local body at a place to be fixed, and > this must be done seven days before the sitting of such Court. The place fixed in r this instance was the Ponsonby Hall, but ' when Mr. Tole's messenger arrived with the \ documents, there was no person to deliver ' them to, and he took them home again, so ! they were not delivered till next day. The " Court ruled that this was insufficient, ' although it would have been sufficient comi pliance with the Act to have either stuffed ! them under the door, or, if that was not pracj ticable, to lay them down at the door, for j the Act does not provide for delivering . notices to such a person, or at the office of . such a body, but at such a place specified in the notice. Inconsequence of this ruling, none of the objections could be heard, and Mr. J. B. Russell, who appeared for the 1 Board, applied for costs. Mr. Tole demurred 1 to this, and argued that as the Judge had ' ruled that there were no cases before the I Court, no parties to the 3uits, there could be - no costs granted, but he was overruled in this particular also, and mulcted in costs to the amount of £S 33 6d, viz., solicitor's costs £2 2s, for the case was argued, and 10s Cd for each of those which were not, as well as a proportion of the cost of the valuation made by Messrs. W. Aitken and C. Williamson, iu consequence of the objections taken. The Ponsonby Highway Board evidently entertains no idea of either joining the city or any adjoining district, but intend to remain as they are, for although there may have been, and may still be, some quarrels between the ratepayers and the Board, the ' residents appear to bo quite at one in the ) intention of remaining a highway district, i As an evidence of this, the valuer, rate coll lector, and Town Clerk (Mr. S. JS. Hughes) . has prepared an elaborate registry of all the properties iu the district, regis- ; tered after the style of the Supreme Court in two massive volumes, each containing ' 1,000 pac;es, and ruled in the most approved manner, shewing the sub-divisions, the ' changes of owners, &c., and leaviug space for similar changes which may occur iu ! future. It certainly is a most valuable com- !■ pilatiou, and will prove beneficial and useful, I not only to the present property-holders iu ■ the district, but to persons who may hereafter desire to invest in property there. . One of the volumes was on view at the ; Assessment Court held in the Ponsonby ' Hall on Saturday, aud it excited a considerable amount of remark and commendation. The volumes have been elegantly and [ strongly bound by Mr. Leighton. The first general competition for the New Zealand Rifle Association's prizes will commence to-day at Nelson, and the result will no doubt; be watched with keen interest from day to day. Should the experiment prove successful, similar meetings will doubtless be • held annually, but not always at the same ' place. | The times for firing for the secoud set of district prizes have been fixed. The carbines will compete on Tuesday, the 11th; the 1 rifles, on Thursday, the 13th ; and the 1 cadets on the following Saturday. It is expected there will be a large number of comi petitors each day. 1 Few people are perhaps aware of the ' rapidity with which Mr. W. J. Marks's cou- ' tract lor the extension of the city water ■ supply through all those streets which were ! not formerly supplied, is being pushed for- , ward. On Saturday the laying of the mains 1 through Pousonby Road, Franklin Road, r Hepburn-street, aud Collingwood street were r completed, ani the water was turned into the maius, which, so far as we can gather, [ have stood the test well, even with the pressure from ICyber Pass on. While in the ' western part of the city the laying of the ? mains has made such good progress, the ' eastern portion has not been behind-haud, " for the water has been available for nearly a - mouth iu O'Korke-street, Alfred-street, aud i Park Place. The contractor has taken i every advantage of the fiue weather which £ has prevailed, so arrauging his work thjit all [ the heaviest cuttings are already completed, and he will not, therefore, should the weather , slightly break, be so much at its mercy as ' otherwise he would have been. 3 An exhibition, called the Museum of Art , aud Science, was opened on Saturday evening in Queon-street, near the Thistle Hotel, „ aud was well patronisod. There are a large " number of articles exhibited which attract 1 and merit the attention of the audience. p Among them arc cariosities from the South * Sea Islands, such as weapons of war, native f manufactures, aud domestic utensils. There I is also a prismatic fountain, a mechanical I singing bird, aud several small pieces of 1 mechanism. A Punch and Judy show is given also, while a short descriptive lecture 0 upon the exhibits is delivered by Mr. Allen, y one of the proprietors. e The clever optical illusion, Fatima, ree ceived a fair share of patronage on Saturday s evening. During this week it will be ex;l hibited in behalf of the sufferers by the Ivain tangata colliery accident, the proprietors £ generously undertaking to turn over one-half of the proceeds to the Relief Fund. f Last night thero was a very bright rr tion of some large fire in the direction of Z Otahuhu, between S and 9 o'clock. Up to the hour of going to press no report had reached the police of either houses or corn ® stacks being burned. The reflection miyht ) have proceeded from a bush tiro. 1 Mr. G. V. Stewart, of Ivatikati, is at present at the Thames, and conferences are B taking place with the Thames County autho--3 rities respecting improvement of the road 3 between the Thames and Katikati. 3 The P. B. Standard says the young person recently from Ireland who excited the r ire of Father Hennebery by coming in F from Ormond to marry a non-Catholic, was afterwards united to the man of. her choice 3 by the Registrar of Marriages. 3 A private meeting of plasterers was held at 1 the Carpenters' Arms Hotel, Grey-street, on ® Saturday evening, for the purpose of taking 8 into consideration certain cpiestions raspect--1 ing their rights and privileges, which have V arisen in consequence .of the arrival of several i men from Sydney under engagement to do plastering work in this city.

THE CITY WEST' ROLL. As the polling-day for City draws Dear, the roll is- of oourae closely scr, a t' n i ,ec '> and so many strange things are dis*.^ over rG ~ specting its condition that in all .likelihood the subject will be brought before ment and an inquiry will be made, most mysterious feature of the affair ii 'his : A number of citizens who have bceK' in Auckland for many years, and have contiL <uously held property in City West, and hi,™ voted at elections for that district, are n01." on tbe roll. They have never been objected to by the Registration Officer nor by any other person. Their names have never been published in any list of objections made, and indeed it would have been absurd to have made an objection, because that they were owners of property in City West was quite notorious to every citizen. And yet their names have disappeared from the roll, and they now find themselves disfranchised. Whatever may be the result of the polling to-morrow, the subject ought to be strictly investigated, as it would seem proved thai there had been illegal tampering with the roll in some way or another, without the knowledge of the Registration or Revising Officer. Otherwise, the roll is by no means what it should be, for there are, it is stated, on it about SO people who are dead and between 300 and -100 who have gone away.