CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4227, 7 October 1874, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] The excitement created by Mr. Vogel's abolition measures never was very great here. Messrs. Eolleston, Montgomery, and Reeves lost nq time, as soon as the session broke up, in stumping then- respective constituencies with a view to shape and direct if possible public feeling in a way hostile to the resolutions. But their efforts have been vain ; and it is pretty well recognised that the. doomed system has few friends in this Province, outside of the> circle of those immediately benefiting by its existence. Sir Cracroft Wilson's explanations to his constituents were received very favorably ; as, while the eccentric knight is sometimes looked upon as holding visionary and impracticable views, all agree that he is sincere, and never looks forward to benefiting himself or any party. His disclosure of the manner in which Mr. O'Rorke came to deliver the ridiculous speech for which he gets so much credit in Auckland has not, I find, received any comments from the Auckland press. Our ex-Provincial Secretary, Mr. Kennaway, whose services as Home Immigration Secretary have been secured by the_ Government, gave his farewell address to his constituents last week, and it will be found that the views he then expressed of the Premier's reconstructive measures -are those of the people of the Province generally. This gentleman is not new to Colonial politics, but has made his mark as the shrewdest representative and best debater this Council has seen for a 1-rag time. His appointment has given great satisfaction, although his loss • will be keenly felt. As a, departmental administrator, I don't think his superior could be found in the island; and his abilities as a precise and indefatigable official are of the highest order. He is the father, I may say, of our education system, which has proved such a success and has become so popular. Mr. Rolleston, the Superintendent, whose Provincial Secretary Mr. Kennawaywas when the latter introduced and framed _ the measure, threw as much cold water upon it as he could at the time, but the wide popularity the scheme suddenly acquired soon made a convert of the Super., who now loses no chances of identifying himself with its creation, and is often found to accept that kudos, from those who do not know better, which he well knows he does not deserve. As Mr. Kennaw»y is supposed to be the head of that portion of the political world here which holds dissimilar views on the Provincial abolition question to those of the Canterbury representatives of the so-called reform party, viz., Messrs. Rolleston, Reeves, and Montgomery, I think it not out of place to quote a few words from Mr. Kennaway's speech, relating to the cry of loss of land fund that the abovenamed anti-abolitionists utter right and left as their pretended objection to Mr. Vogel's measures. Mr. Kennaway said : —" As to the cry of our land fund being in danger. I do not see why a change in the local form of government should place the land fund in danger. If there ever was a really practical change in the form of government as regards a part of New Zealand, it was that Act providing that 25 per cent, of the Canterbury land revenue should be handed over to the Timaru Board of Works. That was a radical change in the Constitution. The Government then did not propose to dissolve. There was no idea that such an Act put the local localisation of the land fund in in danger. The Timaru district enjoys now, in reality, as near as possible the form of local government understood to be proposed, and which I believe will be established, not only in the North Island, but also all over New Zealand." Mr. Kennaway has for some time past incurred the hostility of the two local papers, which combined together, while he was President of the local Executive, in raising the price of government printing to such an exorbitant amount that the then Government were compelled to get their printing done out of the Province. On that account mainly, few, if any, of his political utterances find their way into those organs ; and there is little hope that his late speech at Timaru will see the light in Christchurch. While on political subjects, I may state that the offer of a seat in the Cabinet, made to Mr. C. Bowen, R.M. here, has somewhat taken people by surprise. That the appointment would be a highly-desirable one, no one acquainted with the miserable manner in which the judicial department has been hitherto conducted, and who knows Mr. Bo wen's high qualifications for office and extensive experience of that branch of the civil service could doubt. But I may say that every effort will be made, should he accept the portfolio, to cause him to forego his determination, and remain at his old post, where for such a lengthy period he has given _ a satisfaction to. all classes of the community such as falls rarely to the lot of one holding a similar position. A more popular man, or more valued magistrate, could not be found, I think, in the Colony ; and Mr. Bowen's hard-earned experience in the service would enable him to place the department on a satisfactory footing. Strange to say, the local press has been silent on this proposed change, although as a rule, the Lybtelton Ti,nes and the Press are somewhat fond of dealing with safe topics, such as ploughiugmatches and tea-meetings, the shorthand accounts of which fill up ad nauseam columns of those estimable journals. The want of a free and unfettered organ is becoming more and more felt here. While public prints, especially those assuming the mantle of high respectability in which our two dailies continually attempt to cloak themselves, are supposed to lead or reflect public opinion, these two journals are in the hands of a few—very few—men, whose dexterity at pulling the right strings at the proper moment has been marvellous. Efforts, hitherto unsuccessful, .have been made to float an independent journal; and if report speaks true, the- "ring" of which I speak are determined to spend a few thousand pounds to crush any attempted opposition that might arise. The two evening papers are simply reprints of the morning Times and Press, and as such arc ignored. They were intended as a stop-gap to prevent any intruder from establishing a footing upon the sacred precincts in the occupation of those half-a-dozen gentlemen who aspire to rule Canterbury, but they have only succeeded in bringing their promoters on the wrong side of the ledger. The evening Globe has just published the fact of its having changed hands, but for all that its columns contain the Press's matter, as set in the latter's morning [issue, and its purchaser is the largest shareholder, and the manager of the Press itself. Journalftm is indeed at a very low ebb in Canterbury. ■/ This pretty quarrel amongst the learned I men of our scientific world holding official 1 positions I mean the Hector-Haast mia-

understanding has, from a. petty origin assumed more weighty proportions ; as I find the Canterbury Philosophical Institute has had a "hand in" at their last meeting. Their action in the matter is generally condemned, and so far as a judgment of the case can be formed from the facts already published, it is thought that McKay has the best of it. However, the whole thing is treated as a joke, except by some of the learned men, with whom I certainly agree to that extent that perhaps Dr. Haast has some grounds of complaint. But from a molehill lie certainly went to great trouble to puff up a mountain.

The action taken here and there by the police and the local magistracy with regard to Sunday observance, &c, has, and is still, exciting attention. The other day a man was fined at the Ohristchurch Police Court for selling a cocoa-nut on Sunday. About the same time Mr Bathgate, R.M., at Dunedin, held, in a case criminally brought before him, that working on Sundays was a punishable offence under existing Statutes, and said he would convictforsodoing. Thenwe have Mr Hansford, R.M., at Port Chalmers, (as reported in the Daily Times), fining a drunkard an increased penalty on account of " the offence having been committed on a Sunday." I think this is a subject which deserves the attention of the Legislature. It is well known that opinions are divided in the legal world as to whether the Act of Charles 11. is operative in the Colony or not; and, as was very properly put by counsel in the Duuedin case, if operative in part it must be so wholly- ; the application of which proposition will certainly riot be tolerated in a country populated by the elements New Zealand, contains, in an age especially when—unlike the days of Charles the Second —people decline being made good by Act of Parliament, or recognising State religions. Another of those not unfrequent clashings of authority which have been witnessed here between the Bench and the police occurred lately, and has given rise to various comments. The Clerk of the Bench and a few gentlemen, represented by. a solicitor, brought before the R.M.'s Court while it was sitting a complaint against the police under curious circumstances. They complained to the Magistrate that a detective had stated to Canon Cotterill that they, the complainants, were suspected of having been concerned in the disappearance of the college gates, which had been removed during a ball given at the college whereat the complainants were present ; that thereupon they had asked the Commissioner of Police to show them the police , report 'sent him by the detectives, in which they were suspected of the offence, requesting at the same time the Commissoner to protect them from such aspersions. These demands the functionary in question had refused to entertain, and now the complainants sought redress from the Bench. The police replied that there was no legal information before the Court to go upon ; that Canon Cotterill having complained to the police of the removal of the gates, a detective had been set to work, and had subsequently communicated the result of his inquiries, privately, to the Rev. Canon. The latter indignantly repudiated having allowed himself to receive private communications from the detective/ but on the contrary had mentioned to the Cleric of the Bench (Mr. Malet) those suspicions as told him. The Magistrate expressed an opinion that the officer of police had acted indiscreetly in his communication to Mr. Cotterill, and nothing came out of it all but the appearance in the following issue of the papers of a lengthy account of all these arguments and proceedings forwhich publication the complainants had made duo provision. < After all this ado about nothing, it has been asked whether the Magistrate had any jurisdiction or locus standi in such informal complaints; and further, whether it would be for one instant expected of the police authorities to inform suspected—or other—parties of what reports had been sent in against them, or, in fact, what steps were instituted to procure a conviction. The only tangible effect of this mistaken step of the gentlemen concerned, has been to cover most of them with ridicule, and perhaps to strengthen the belief as to the identity of the offenders, while the position of the Commissioner of Police was rendered more secure. The Magistrate acted, as he always does, with a desire to redress a wrong if the means be in his power. Siuce the arrival of the late glowing accounts of the state of the Palmer goldfields, a movement has been made by the laboring men which may result in great numbers leaving, should the next reports be favorable. Immigrant ships are coming in as fast as ever, and the authorities state that the immigrants are absorbed as quickly as when the first batches were originally landed. . Yet, I fancy that a great number who have neither skilled trades, nor used to country manual outdoor labor, are finding it difficult to %et employment. ■ ~ The Provincial Government are said to have purchased Quail Island from Mr. Potts, M.P.C. for Port Victoria, who has resigned his seat in consequence, and comes up for re-election. This purchase is intended for quarantine barracks, the buildings lately erected for t that purpose at Ripa Island having been found, for some reason or other, not suitable. The price given for Quail Island is .-£4500. Some people hint at a job, but I do not think it for a moment. However, the matter has been kept remarkably quiet, and the newspapers ai-e silent on the subject, while Mr. Potts has not even addressed Iris constituents, nor explained yet to them his reasons for resigning. While during the winter the weather has generally been inordinately fine, the last fortnight has proved very boisterous, and we have not escaped from the downpour of rain and consequent inconveniences felt all over the Colony. The irrepressible Waimakariri has again played up, and traffic has been temporarily stopped on a portion of the Northern railway line. Our new Railway Engineer, Mr. Warner, is thought a great acquisition to this Province, and under his able superintendence matters connected with our railways are getting into a most satisfactory groove. It is, indeed, a pity his services had not been secured long ago by the Government, especially before this wretched system of narrow guagc was introduced here. There is a growing feeling that the narrow guage lines will eventually have to be taken up, and replaced by the guage now in use near Christchurch, at least as far as the flat country is concerned.