The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1879

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1052, 3 September 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1879

Mr. Steward, at his last night's meeting at Otepopo, said that, "though an old journalist of the district, he had, as they would see by the public prints, no newspaper advocating his cause." We were not aware that it is the daty of the conductors of paplic newspapers to allow themselves to be swayed in their treatment of politicians and political matters by feelings of journalistic brotherhood. What has weighed with us in our demeanour towards Mr. Steward are his past political career and the persistency with which he supported a political party whose actions tended towards general ruin rather than general benefit. We appreciate Mr. Steward as a man and a citizen, and if we can admire nothing else in his political conduct, we remember with admiration the persistency with which he supported his party, the dregs of which have acted as a drag on good government, as editor of our contemporary and M.P. We think that, whatever may be Mr. Steward's feelings towards the paper with which he was, until lately, identified from its infancy, and which has perhaps, according to Mr. Steward's idea, become demoralised since he left its helm, we may reasonably claim from him that character for consistency for which we give him credit. However greatly we may rejoice at Mr. Steward's conversion to a belief in what we conceive to be fair and honest political principles—however much we may congratulate him on being "clothed in his right mind," and having adopted a political course more in accord with his principles as a man than that from which he has strayed—he is but a new convert, and should be treated as such. Were we to desert those who have held the principles which Mr. Steward now favors ever sines they entered upon political life, despite the sharp firing to which they were subjected by the 'party that Mr. Steward adhered to for many years, we should be treating them unjustly, and they wottld be afforded good cause to turn upon us and charge us with a more heinous sin than that liid against as by Mr. Steward—that of deserting them without cause. We have not changed—it is Mr. Steward that changed—and we shall, cojne what may, as long as we have a journalistic existence, continue to pursue the course which is so honest that it has earned for us popularity and prosperity.

To-day we publish, in a supplement and elsewhere, the speeches of the three candidates for seats in Parliament as representatives of this district. They are given pretty folly, in order that those who are not already acquainted with the views which they promise to support if elected, may be placed in possession of the necessary information prior to the polling day. We have reported Mr. Steward's last night's speech at Otepopo, as that gentleman's speech announced for to-morrow night could not be published by us until Friday evening (by which time the election will be decided) and we deemed it only fair that his views should be given the same publicity.as those of his opponents. Our old friend Dr. Smith again writes to Mr. Coggins, this time from St. Thomas' London, giving particulars of the present state of his health, and as he has desired Mr. Coggins to convey these particulars to all his old friends, his illness preventing him from writing to them all, lis he desired, that gentleman Las kindly bonded hif letter to us so that we might publish those portions which are likely to interest them. The doctor says " Finding mys«U becoming rapidly worse under private medical treatment, I determined to enter a hospital wfrerc I conld secure constant and efficient nnrsipg end attendance, and the best medical skill in London. I selected this hospital on account of the admirable system of nursing which prevails in it, and with the understanding that I was to be a "paying" patient. Here I am stretched on my back, a poor, weary, helpless sufferer, with, I fear, but a slender i chance of leaving this bed alive. I am under the medical treatment of a very good j physician (Dr. Ord), who, with others of the staff, take a very grave view of my case, and, I can see, regard my recovery as extremely uncertain. I am so reduced that I doubt if yon would know me, and I cannot ittre the bed without almost fainting. The pain times severe, but the worst of it ! is I*"* I can baldly eat anything, and am ! growing sensibly weaker and weaker daily. 11 mention these melancholy particulars that jofl may bo prepared for the worst, J can-

not write without con*iderable effort. You might cause a notice to be inserted in the fkmam papers that I am dangerously ill, which will account for my not writing to many of my old patients and neighbors as promised. Mrs. Smith and little Charlie are pretty well. They are off to my father's residence in the country to-day, and truly Grace is in need of a change after so much watching at»d anxiety on my account." The doctor concludes his letter by wishing Mr. Coggins to remember bim warmly to his* old friends. In order that electors may make no mistake in voting for candidates on Friday next, we deem it wise to inform them that they can give but one vote to any one candidate, and that they must strike out the name of the candidate, or the names of the candidates, for whom they do not wish to vote. Electors, wherever their qualifications may exist, are eligible to vote at any polling place throughout the electoral district. Notwithstanding the counter attraction at the Volunteer Hall, in the shape of the election addresses of Messrs. Shrimski and Hislop, there was a very good attendance at the new Tees-street Hall last evening, when Mr. Rock delivered a lecture on " The Holy Land," illustrated by some very excellent photographs thrown upon the canvas by means of the lime light. The lecture was a very interesting one, and was well delivered. It was listened to very attentively, and the lecturerer is to be complimented upon the success which attended his first effort of the kind.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, before T. W. Parker, Esq., R.M., John Vaughan was charged with wife desertion, bnt on the application of his wife the charge was withdrawn. Robert Keenan, for rescuing two horses from the pound, was fined L2, and ordered to be imprisoned for one hour. John Madden and Sarah White were brought up on remand charged with stealing L 4 from one Isaac Goodson in a house of ill-fame on Saturday last. The evidence was of a very inconclusive nature, and the Bench, while of opinion that the police had been warranted in bringing forward the charge, decided that they could not convict, and the prisoners were accordingly discharged. Last night Messrs. Cook and Kilkenny (billiardists) repeated their exhibition performances- at the Royal Hotel. The programme last night, as played, consisted of a game of billiards (750 —out of which number Mr. Kilkenny received a start of 175 points from the ex-champion) and four games of pyramids. In the early part of the game Mr. Kilkenny seemed altogether out of form, but pulled up remarkably well towards the end; however, his opponent won the game by over 100 points. At pyramids, Mr. Cook disposed of the Yorkshire champion very easily, winning all four games—the average time for each being veiy good—about four minutes.