The Evening Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 844, 28 December 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1878.

Mn. W. Wool, late M.H.R., has been gazetted a member of the Legislative Council. In making this appointment the Government has about readied the end-of its tether, for, by Act of Parliament, it is stipulated that the number of " Lords'' shall not exceed 45, and there are now 44 "Lords" exclusive of Maori members. Mr. Wood's promotion has been made to supply the place of the late Sir John L. C. Rf<ii.uu>sox, whose death deprived Invereargill of one of her representatives in the Upper House. Each Administration signalises its advent to power by promoting a number of its friends to be Colonial " Lords," partly as a reward for political services, ami parti}' in order to have friends in Council to assist in counteracting any antagonism to its policy that may there exist. The almost unbroken harmony that lias reigned in the Upper House in the past will now probably receive :i shock from the infusion of an element of Liberalism, the work of Sir Gkouisk Giu.y's Administration ; and the probability is that the I'pper Chamber will become quite, as celebrated for warm discussions as " the other place. ' Rut short work will be made of the Liberals. They will be outnumbered and outvoted by tho appointees of former and more Conservative Governments, whose kindness in elevating such appointees will be remembered with gratitude and requited with an ardour worthy of a better cause. It is a pity that Sir Gp.orof. (Jury has not the power to appoint to t)ie Upper House ii sufficient number of Liberals to counterbalance the opposition of the friends of the kite Government. The tight is by far too one-sided to create any doubt as to the result. That S,ir Gkokhk Grey will suffer keenly for his plain speaking about the squatocracy of the Colony there can be little question, An overwhelming majority of tho wool-growers of the Upper House will oppose him at every turn, and to the best of their ability stultify the actions of the House of Representatives. The New Zealand House of Lords provides it rid/Re that is dillicult of solution, but which will have to be solved sooner or later, and the sooner the better. Tt is maintained by some thai the Upper House, as at present constituted, acts beneficially in times of .public excitement, and as a check on rashness of action in the House of Representatives. Jt would be more correct to say that it often acts as a check upon the carrying out of public opinion by rendering nugatory the legislation of those who have been elected by the people to legislate. The appointees of the Upper House do not represent public opinion. They are the dregs left by the subsidence of successive Governments. We rupeat that it is a pity that Sir Gkokof. Gkev has not the power to appoint a sufficient number of political friends to the Upper House to •dve hint a fair chance of carrying out the policy he has enunciated. The re-con-stitution of the New Zealand " House of Lords" calls for earnest and determined effort.

Would our country subscribers who do not receive their paper* regularly be good enough to adopt the simple plan of putting up a Binivll Hag-a piece of split stick with apiece of white paper inserted in the split -where they wish their papers thrown out. This would act as a reminder and a guide to the guards ; so that there would not only be a better chance of their being left, but they would more likely be left at the right spots. This should be done whenever papers are missed : and if the guard is at fault, as we fear they arc in some eases, there will be some chance of having the matter rectified. In the case of new guards, the plan suggested should prove etiectual in indicating where papers are intended to be left. The Maerewhenua train still runs without a guard's van —butter, eggs, poultry, vegetables, men and women, and Kvknin'o Mails, being mixed up in a manner mnrc varied than pleasant to thcie bipeds that are addicted to reasoning. Butter, eggs. I and fowls are not bad companions in the I farm-yard or on the table, but when one ' gets them intermingled with one\s skirts, i dear me, what a sad mess there is. Besides. j it is not not nice to have butter in a cai riage j rendered elo.se by passengers. There are few things that are so easily tainted. We think that we have at last discovered how it is that butter in this district, where itshould be of the very best description, judging from the quality of the feed and the ability of the makers, is often unfit for admission into the human stomach. Would it be a serious matter if the railway authorities were to spare a guard's van for this line '! A number of subscribers between Oamaru and Jhintroon, who are supplied with their papers by means of the railway, complain that they have received them with singular irregularity. We have just been supplied with some clue to the mystery. The papers are thrown down at the various spots according to the instructions of subscribers, and certain gentry thereabouts, fearing that \ they might blow away, take care of them in order to spare the wind the trouble. We repeat our offer to supply all such, who either cannot or will not pay for a paper of their own, or who fall victims to their cupidity on seeing that in the ]3ossessioa of others which they have not themselves, with free copies of the Mail, if they will be good enough to send us their names. We are requested by the Secretary of the N.O.A. and P. Association to intimate to prize-takers at the late show that he will be glad to be informed whether they prefer medals or cash for their prizes. Only a yery few as yet have signified their wish in the matter.

We ara glad to see that the Australasian, in return for copies of the Evening Mail ami Aorictltcrist, has noticed favorably our report of the last North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association's Show, and spoken in high praise of the progress that lias been made by that Association. That our exhibitions of stock are really good everybody confesses, and we think it highly advantageous to the Association and the district that this fact should have been made known by a paper with the wide circulation of the Australasian.

It is expected that 500 excursionists will arrive at Oamaru, per Hawea, on New Year's Day, returning the same night.

We refer our readers to an advertisement in another column, relating to train arrangements in connection with the Caledonian Sports, which are to take place on the Ist and '2nd of January next, which will afford country settlers every facility for being present.

"We regret to have to chronicle the occurrence of two painful accidents. While two men named James Borthwiek and Michael Noonan were shoeing a colt at Messrs. Reid and Gray's shoeing forge to-day, the animal kicked Noonan on the head, causing another horse- standing by to plunge, knock down Borthwick. and trample on his ankle, which it fractured in two or three places. Dr. De Lautour set Borthwick's ankle. Shortly after the accident, Noonan was able to proceed with his work, so that it is hoped that Ids injury will prove inconsiderable. Dr. Wait has just returned to the Colony free; Great Rritain, and will probably arrive in the district early next week to resume practice.