The Evening Mail. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 895, 27 February 1879, Page 2

The Evening Mail. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1879.

Tew Ministry, in a weak moment, appointed; Mr.. t>. M.. LrtfcJS Head of the Cwvtn-nment Life Asaaranse and Annwi- [ ties* Dspartment of the- Colony. It was a most injudicious appointment ; best, the dead! was done, and should not now be undone,, except in the moat honorable and approved manner. When the tion was rlrst mooted in the Cabinet, it would appear that the Prtmder did nut oppose it with bis usual earnestness. Ifa was only a mild dissentient ' and his uoltt-agues—although- we- and many others disapprove of their action may be pardoned if tfusy t-o-winded, from the Premier's treatment of the- matter, that he had not very .strong feelings ttpon it, and only desired that hid disapproval slvndd be registered. Had the Premier strenuously objected to- it at the outset, amt adduued reasons for so- doing possessing the uogenyy for whwh bis- arguments are uetebrafed—if he had argued, as he tuighf. have done, that there wt-ro- other men better entiided to the position which Mr. Li''-'-«K sought,and that the ex-newspaper writer's appointment would h t ? generally viewed with disfavor —we have exevy reason to I'lelieve that his eotleagues would vat he i' have waived their opinions than have made so ttnliuportanf a cytestio(» thesubject for discord, Pecanse, after all, nobody but Mr. LtvKcr, hivusetf cares much whether he is made Commissioner of ttoternment Life Assurance or not ; if we except the multitude who believe that a fairer and better appointment «<>titd have been made, ft is not now •-, <ptestton with Messrs. Ms,i'-X*«'R.exv, S'fort, and FtsfcKß.. and Co to net W-**t-xror-.**, of maintaining the eftieieney of the department I>y placing it under the presidency of Mr. LevklE. This business now presents another phase. The appointment has been made by the Cabinet, :>ir I't-F.num-, Crtu*v's upoositiotv at. the time being more of a negative than positive character,and the reputation—the honor—of the Ministry, it is fett, wilt be at stake should- such apparent vacillation and injustice be perpetrated. This is, no-doubt, the higher ground that is occupied by those who differ from Sir ("Ir.ofcitr, Or.F.v and Mr. Ski**-, •-.«.•* on this matter: but there l is another. Men with wilts «f their own object to be moutded like dough into fantastic shape* under the hands of other men, and do not tike it to aopear to the wortd that they, in- popular tanguage, are living fooled; It is a pity that this iutemeetne warfare has occurred, ft is undignified and unworthy of the whole Cabinet, from the Premier downward-*.. With reluctance we say that the only thing that, the Premier has brought into this unpleasant disagreement, that is characteristic of him is his detemutuvtion. When the Premier has- been fighting in the eauso of right and the people, such determin.ition lias called forth almost universal admiration, bt*t tits determination in the present, case would be better designated obstinacy. He would would have acted with the wisdom that he tuvs from the astuteness and judiciousness that have signalised his past careerted us to expect from Kim, had he allowed J so- unimportant a matter t*» drop. It is not a e<*rrstifcuttonat e-rtestton. nor, s» far as w£ can see, does the welfare of tr.e Colony depend upon whether or not the Premier and Mr. Sitafc.it.xs or the other members of the Cabinet prevail. Sir itKnfcrtß t'R-KT "as usually carried the : people with him. hut IW will not meet with the te:vst popular sympathy in what .is now a struggle for ascendancy more than from principle: in which, indeed, principle would be sacrificed if Sir CtEHBttE CJrKY attained his object. No man knows better than the- Premier that it is his duty to give waxto the wishes of the majority of the mem- ! bers of his Ministry. As Premier and a man who has welt earned the respect of nil, his Gunnel* art> listened to- and appre■uiatsdij. tiwt his yotttsaguea art? not ettitdren—they are men who fuwe been chosen for their intelligent-**- for the high positions : which they occupy, and witt not submit to autocratic petulance.. We sincerely hope ! that the matter will be- heard of no more. One quarrel begets ethers -, and if the proceeding* of the Cabinet Chamber is to tie the- scene of unseemly and undignified wvangting, which would totally destroy the pi-Kstl'j* and usefulness of eh* Ministry. the dis**u*dan t elements, must fee l divorced. We entirely disapprove of Mr. Ltc-SiE-'s appointment. There are plenty of reliable officials who wonld W more capable of fttling the' position, and they ahowM have received the appointment as a reward fwr past services. Mr. LccKlfe* career ha* bestt » p«cxitiaar orwr. Hu h& done nothing substantial U> gain tha friendship of the present Ministry, and he is not to bo feared! as. an cnen»y. But the appointment baa b««n carried by a large majority of the Ministry, and it is now too late to reverse audi a decision.

We liave received a well-written, but | excessively pungent communication from a correspondent signing himself "Toko," the subject of which is the Corporation valuator. At any other time the letter might have been admissible, although there are few ! people that would like to have ita inuendoes I applied to them; but at this time, when the Assessment Court i« sitting, and Mr. Clark I aad others are giving evidence in order to enable the Court to arrive at-fair valuations, it is better that they should be allowed to do so without any interference. We think that our correspondent will agree with us on this point.

Two or three months ago a resident of Waimate had the misfortune to break his leg. The poor fellow, being unable to reenter the straggle for existence with his fellows in the ordinary way, enlisted the sympathies of the Waimate County Council, which made him storekeeper at a salary of !.'** per week. It has been suggested to us that it would be a great boon to the district if a weighbridge were constructed in Waimate, which could be given into the charge of this unfortunate man. We arc sure from what we have heard, that he would them be able to earn a little cheese for himself and family to cat with their bread, and the boon that would be conferred upon the public would l>e great, as there arc now no mean* in Waimate of weighing coal, grain, wood, or other produce in bnlk. The average of the crop of wheat and oats nt Waimate will l>c about •«."» bushels to the acre. The quality is also excellent. The service of song—Bunyan's " Holy War "—which drew such a large audience at the Wesley Church the other evening, will fie repeated on next Wednesday evening, for the benefit of the Kaitangata Widows' and Orphans' Fund. There will bo no tickets. Payment will be taken at the door, the minimum charge being one shilling: the maximum being gauged according to the liberality of the donor. Wc arc warranted in expressing a hope tiiat the attendance at swh an entertainment for such a puq<ose wit! be large. i live nsaal fortnightly meeting of the Munib'tpal Council will be held at the usual hnitr this evening.

The Assessment Court for Oamani is still i sitting, and is likely to continue to do so for 'some- time. The aj.jwals in S'evcrn Ward were Kotittmwd to-day. and Thames Ward h,w yet to be eotu-htded. xvhile Jetty and ! His:h Wards have not been entered upon. iTIw sitting of the V»trt is lik.,-!y to be i sUfH'tetmd considerably by co:n:>ro:nis.'!: bt-in;; e! : tVeti"vi between the • "orporatioii r."j>re.-;hta-ttve and tht; ratepayers.

"t'iie Mrmomieemerit r >i the h-cttirc to be i/iven Fiy the Ilex*, -f. W. Ingt:* appear:! in I another cofitnttt. As prcviotisly atmr-t-ne-jd, the s»bject xvitE I).- mie d-.'ar to cv.tv S:-oteh-tti;m —•* fl»f.ert nnnvs. the? Tout and the Matt." It xiiE! U> serrt that th-r :ti-iit tivd is Friiby. and not rfi--rsday. as [>r..-vi.»tidy »;i-ri" i rni , ei.t. thf* eh •«■-,''* Flavin-.' b-.' '« r.-ndere 1 u -ivssa-y the ftettTiti-.ti of tlie steamer. I

in reply to a .•om'.<!><.'!>.-ietit. wii-. .-..-.!;.-, *.-fi-tW f.r n«t Mr. W. Si-th'-Tlai-d. of | Mserewhemm. xvho :* about t» pro'.-ei-d j Hnnie. has hern appointed by the I'oxwn-j merit as an immii;ratt"n a.i.'ent. we be-.' toj state, as the residt of itifptirit-s. that sueh i.-* i not the ease : atid xv«» think that our corn-.-:- j ■po'v-lent's allusiotis to "his proFiabl-j col-■ tengrtr. Captain Ittrry." xvrre fjiu'tc «ncal!<rd- [ for. Mr. Srithcrland. although not hoMiiii; | the dignified title o! flovenimcitt Imnii.tra-| tion Agent, is an emigration agent itevcrthe- | less, and has been entrusted with an impor- j taut mission. He is appointed by some of; the targe lauded proprietors of tin's district ! p.s ernigratiort agent in the ili-.*hlamts o! : Scotland for the .itstrtet of W.itt.iki. His! duty a.-- such will £•-.• to asto--.i-.ti '.he j of his native l.ind xvith truthful but glowinu'; pie tares of the country that he has adopted, j xvith musical aeeotiipaniui'-nt. Just imagii:'.' j how the shepherds xvill be lost in xvouder and admiration at the maje.-tie step and i general deportment of their countryman. | f Vninty Cormetttor, ami bagpiper: ami how, , as ttie pd>roet« re-eehof.'.-; in tlie glens ot the j dear otd land, they xvill irresistibly be drawn j t-> the piper's side, determinrd to " <io or [ die " in th«- country xvbieh has furbished upi their old eoHtitryutan and craftsman, and j made him n little king. The good that such I ■a man as Mr. W. Sutherland ean do for us j in the Old Country eauuot be over-estimated, j He is going to the land of uood sht-phtrd.-. and xvill, better than any other man, be able to perform the xvork xrith xvhieti he has been entrusted. Messrs. Hunt and Jeffrey are straining ex-ery norvc to keep the contractors for the Oamarxt Waterxvork.4 xx*el! supplied xvith tindier. TEieir contract stipulates that they are to provide 40.0"Mt. per month ; but, by the special rw*t*est ot Mr. M'Leod, they ansending in doable that quantity so that th--xvatcrxvorks aqueducts, xvhieli arc all let to eintraetors. may hj comptetetl speedily. This is a large ausottiit of timber for one tirnt to provide in addition to their other business, and the prompt response of Messrs. Hunt and JetFrey to Mr. M•Lends rei|uest is Flighty praisexvorthy. We are informed by a party just returned from Asttbttrton that one lot of erop on tinplains there, e.'uat to l'ttlO acres in extent. on being threshed out recently, yielded the poor average of It bushels per aero, xvhile another area of l.*) 00 acre.* belonging to one only retnnicd the miserable result of 5 bushels per acre. We imagined xve had suffered in Oamarit district from drought, het xrinds. and the ntimerous ills that crops generally are liable to. but on learning Uic ahfl-vc'we beliex'e ot«r fanners have cause to be: grateful.