The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 983, 13 June 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 1879.

Our telegrams tcwlay inform ns that Sir William Fitzherbcrt has accepted the Speakership of the Legislative Council, rendered vacant by the death of oir J. L. C. Richardson. Thus another of the oldest and moat prominent members of the fionsc of Representatives has been removed from the scene of bis former political straggles and glory. Sir William PJteherbert has been a member of the popular Chamber for something like a quarter of a century—we are not aware of the exact time—and has during a tong political career held a foremost position amongst the very many able men that the Colony has posucsatd. nearly all of whom have quitted the political arena. Sir William Fitzherbcrt, prior to hts election to th>i Speakership of the House of Representatives, occupied a position in several Ministries, the' chief amongst the number having been those of Mr. Weld (in which he waa a colleague of the late Sir John Richardson. whose ptuce in the .Legislative Council he ha» been selected to fill) and of Sir E. W. Stafford. In both of these Administrations Sir William held the portfolio of Colonial Treasurer, and his annual financial statements were characterised by great ability and minute attention to details. He has ever proved himself a powerful debater and clever tactician, and by his removal to the ealm and serene atmosphere of the Upper House the Representative Chamber losses another of those members who have gained : for it the reputation of being the most able and best conducted House of Representatives ja the colonies. In this connection it may be mentioned that of those who formed tiie Welti Government. ono of the strongest Ministries the Colony ever possessed. Major Atkinson is the onty member holding a seat in the House, while we think we a correct :t» saying that not a single representative of the Stafford Ministry that followed the Weld Government and preceded the froxAoge! combination is to be found in tha Houa>-. Time works wondrous changes even in the and that. too. we »»»► At the meeting of the Harbor Board today. it was decided that the Standing Committer should bo authorised to arranga with ■ Mr. Gilford for a painting of the town and breakwater, to be forwarded to the Sydney Exhibition.

Not many jnitea goath of Ojmani the i other day, a young and h.iniiaome surveyor was basy -with ht3 th«o<!o!ite. As he was adjusting the instrument he was accosted by a fascinating female, who, In addition to many other charms, possessed a board. She wished to know if he would take her por- ; trait. So delighted was ho at the prospect 'of enjoying- the society of so beautiful a creature that fc« bad® her go and *3311 lier face preparatory to securing a lasting monument of her great beauty, Tho subject having been posed, and the theodolite screwed ttp ami unscrewed a bit, the operator pronounced the deed to be accomplished. What, however, surprises the good lady is that the artiat has not yet shown her the ' picture, although weeks have elapsed since the eventful (lay. Just now his life is a perfect misery to hint. He cannot avoid being in the vicinity of his inimom!>t'i residence, for " business" takes him there ; bnt he cannot add another excuse to those which he has daily made in reply to the demand to see the picture. Ife has already said that it woitlii fade if exposed to the air at so' early a stage of its existence, and all that kind of thing. It would have been uiuch better had the young man announced at beat that the theodolite was to take tevela and not women.

[ Mr. Hasher. District Engineer, with two 'assistants, arrived in Oamaru last evening, 1 for the purpose of starting the work on the first section of the Livingstone railway, and proceeded to Windsor to-day. The last train from the sooth also brought a quantity of plant intended for the works a3 far sa ! the Waiareka Junction, and this was taken |on to Windsor to-day. It is notified that those desirous of betn£ employed on the line ' must apply to the Dt strict Engineer on the I ground on Monday next. This should be good news to those of the unemployed who ar« really anxious to obtain work, as they will be enabled to secure sufficient employment to carry them through the winter. A special train will leave for Windsor at 11.35 a. m. to-morrow, conveying the members of the Railway Committee ana those invited to take port in the ceremony of turning the first sod. The Shag Point Branch Railway will l>c opened on the 17th instant. A special train will leave Palmcrston for the Point at 9.50 #.m. • ... I

Mr. W. F. K inn ear has just received from Mr. 11. B. Moore, of the Exchange, Melbourne, two samples of "Moulds Paris Exhibition wheat," both red add white, and I has handed them to Mr. J. Church, Secretary of the N.(XA. and P. Association, for distribution amongst our -wheat growers. We clip th# following from the Australasian in reference to these celebrated samples:— " An opportunity is afforded persons interested in wheat-growing to compare some samples, reported to be prize ones, of "Mold's I pedtgree* white and red wheats, from the Paris Exhibition, with several bright bat not otherwise extra good samples from various parts of the Wimmera district. Sir. Walter Madden, of Collins-street west, who was long connected with that district, having sent to his friends there some parcels of the pedigree wheats obtained through the Department of Agriculture, has received in return the Wimmera samples for comparison. The former were evidently grown under unfavorable conditions of weather, and fo. milling would be useless. They may, however, prove valuable when acclimatised, 1 which process we should be disposed to attempt in the first instance in the cooler : districts rather than ia one so warm as Jour north-western. At least' two seasons -must elapse ere A fair estimate can be i formed of the value of wheats thus ■ derived. Those who have received ' parcels for culture should not hastily ; i judge them, but should remember how i potential is the power of climate to mould t the quality of wheat, and that Australian wheat stands at the very top of the London market. It is to be hoped that experiments [flriß be carefully conducted, both on . the J

State farm at Dookie and by farmers wlio receive samp'es, to determine -whether any and what benefits are likely to accrue from the introduction of old ones. There is a favorite theory that resort to the Old Country for seed is essential to maintain the stamina of the plant. To determine what grounds exist for this idea should he a principal paint with planters." . ~ . The Victorian Government agricultural retarns show that the deficiency in the yield of the potato crop in that Colony, as compared with Lwt year s, is seventeen thousarid.tons. On 22nd May Warrnambool grown potatoes were selling at L 4 10s per ton m Melbourne. _ A Christchurch exchange says -.—Despite the outcry about hard times, there is evidently some loose change left. On Saturday one of the leading retail drapers of the town took upwards of LI 500 in cash. It is satisfactory . also to know that the principal " lines dealt in were articles of everyday use rather than of luxury, tending to show that where requisite "tho people can economise, but have sufficient money left to supply themselves liberally with the necessaries and comforts of life. , ■ . Alexander Maclaggan, tne Scotch poetdied in Edinburgh on April 20, at the age of 67. A native of Perth, ne was apprenticed as a plumber in JSdinburgh, and before- his indentures expired contributed to the " Edmburgh Literary Journal." His ppems attracted the attention and won for him the friendship of Professor Wilson, Hogg, Lord Jeffrey, and Lord Cockburn, and in 1854, at the suggestion of Dr. Guthrie, he published an edition of his poems called " Ragged and Industrial School Rhymes." He wrote the song, " Dinna ye hear it?" relating" to the relief of Lncknow, and contributed largely to the Tempesaijco, Freemason, and Volunteer song literature. He had a pension of L3O a year from the Government. His widow, who is 70 years of age, has been left unprovided for, and it is suggested that a memorial should be presented to the Government in favor of the peqsioo being continued to her. .