The Evening Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 481, 13 November 1877, Page 2

The Evening Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1877.

We most cordially endorse the views of our correspondent signing himself " Wilfred," whose letter appears in another column. The political apathy which unfortunately permeates the whole of the Colony is the primary cause of the unseemly conduct wiiich periodically occurs in our House of Parliament. Men are returned by the electors to occupy the highest positions in the laud who are devoid of common honesty, and whose object in aspiring to such positions is not that they may serve their country, but that they may look after Number One. Such bein,' tiiei- design, tliey grasp at the first opportunity offered by unscrupulous leaders for improying their own conditions, even at the expense of their vows to their constituencies whom tiey set at nought. There are men in the House who sit on a rail watching the allurements of either side until, after the fashion of furniture at a Cheap John auction stle, they are knocked down to the hi'hest bidder; and there are political weatia-rcocks wlr'ch, spun round by every brei z , ju Vtr do anything in particular, except afford conclusive evidence that they are dolts. Tne leaders of political parties who use thise "machines" are as culpable as ar; the mac lines themselves. With reference to the present disgraceful struggle, Major Atkinson, evidently possessing tne ability to discern who are mm and who are iioiidi scripts, and the prices at which tluliiit> r could be procured, has bet n tuto carry on a system of p- rs cntion against the Grey Government in the hope that he would succeed ii| attaining i.is object. Had venality not been rife in the House, lie would have been t'srust aside and rendered harmless long since ; and, indeed, the House would have bi en as shocked as the people are at the initiation of so new a system of carrying on the Government of the country by Mijor Atkinson and his party. the day of reckoning is approaching, when men of the Mandeus and Bukns stamp— there are numerous others, but we mention these because we think they tire entitL-d to be viewed as representative men of the chameleon class —will get their deserts. It remains, in a great measure, in the power of the people to prevent a recurrence of the present deplorable absence of political morality in our House of Parliament.

Jn our telegraphic intelligence occurs nn item to the eff ct that the natives have been giving a little trouble in the Waikaco district, near the confiscation boundary. I was on the JNlra ratuatua swamp that Sul ivan was murdered, and now the natives once more are showing signs of troublesometiess by interfering with settlers' eatle. There has always been a dispute between the natives and Europeans over this locality. —V'ch has led to no end of unpleasantness frontier settlers. An ultra-conciliatory 'gnified native policy has from time •tched up old wounds by the adof sugar, flour, and rum, but out again. We presume that •s of the foe-going articles •uisti-d, the n.-'tive? think another was to hand, the end of the '-able variation he pru*e-it ■>f things uative

The outgoing San Franciso mail will close at Oamaru at 10 a.m. to-morrow.

The Rev. Mr. Berry, 'We leyan minister, of Napier, has from; the; pulpit' denounced, the conduct of those vrho are responsible for the disgraceful scehe3 that have '.lately characterised the conduct of members of our Pur iament. ' We applaud that gentleman ior having gone ouir of the/beaten track of' sermonising to ded with "a question that alike afKc:s the religious and moral welfare of the Colony.. The Waitaki Amateur Athletic Club's Gymnasium, which has been fitted up on the premises latdJy by Messrs. Fulton and Barrett, will be opened to-night at 8 o'clock, at which hour the C unmittee will also meet for the transaction of business of importance. The Directors of the Caledonian Society held their weekly meeting last ev ning at the Royal Hotel, on which occa i>n were present" Mes ■ r.-. N. Fleming (Pre irlent), K. Kowlaii'ls. G. li. Ta\lor, H. Aitk n, I>. Miller, R. L. liulo, •). fiddle, R. Wilson, J. S nclair, T. Pratt. W. Bee, Ab:x. Snddi-, \Y. M"hit-osh, H. B. Hook, J. Marr.in (Hon. Treasurer), and W. Aitken (Secr.-tary). Messrs. lughs and L. Ha I were ad ied to the d rectory. On the motion of Mr. W. Bee, it was resolved to accept the offer of the Ag lcultual and Pastoral Society's Uroumls for the sum of I 2) lor the j\ew Year'd -ports Mr Rowland's nime was added t> the Bind Com.ni.te in th •■ place oi Mr. I. Hay-Mackenzi •. Judges for th-i va iom events were appoint-.d. The I'ivsid -nt sig ifie-l lis desire to oiler a prize of LlO for the best bagpipe music ; the >tipul.ition being that there we-e to he three competitors, and that the winner was to play at r,he dinner. Tne offe- was accepted with tha .ks. Mr. H -Mtken was appointed to his oil p>»t of lArector-Jenial of the uames.