Untitled

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 22 September 1880, Page 2

It is the intention of the Government, we believe, to almost entirely abolish Distinct Courts. The work will be one of time, and its accomplishment will greatly depend.upon the result of the labors of the Judicial Commission, which, it is hoped, will fiimplify the Supreme Court procedure, and jio ep.qble persons of small means to carry their case; to that Court, instead of to the District Courts. At present, it is intended to reduce the pjimber of District Courts in the Jforth Island to three and in ib& £outh Island to two, but the precise iocaUties|n which these Conrts will bb hfld ■has jpiat £ranßj>ij?cij.' We believe that there will still be regular t&l;#jgs of the Court in Gajjjjinl. It is not intended, however, "to appoint & successor to Judge Bathgate, »fld several other pistrict Judges will shortly jcetire."' Jb the jud/Je ijll /oijoaerly soos J^'^udge Batbga and

Measles are prevalent in Oamaru. We heard of four case 3 yesterday. The teaching of drill and deportment has been resumed at Mr. Anstead's school.

We understand that all necessary arrangements have been made with regard to the church parade.

A Gazette just to hand contains the full list of assessors under the Property Assesment Act. Those relating to this district are Messrs. John Church, James Bee, David M'Master, Gordon I. Millington, and W. H. S. Roberts. For Waimate, the names are Messrs. Andrew Carter and John Bell; and for Shag "Valley Mr. John M'Kenzie.

A special meeting of the Committee of the North Gtago Horticultural Society will be held at Mr. Lemon's office. Tyne-street, this evening, at 7.30. Business: Revision of prize schedule and sundry.

Cynic's" poetry is, we regret to say, unfit for publication. We like poetry— Tennyson's and Byron's, for instance ; —but our local poet's effort is too highly flavored to meet with the approval of those to whom it refers. Has "Cynic" any particular antipathy for the Mail ? If not, why ask us to pave the way to one of Her Majesty's prisons.

On and after Ist October next the following stations are to be exempt from the extra charge of 6d:—Carterton, Clinton, Coromandel, Dargaville, Driving Creek (closed), Featherston, Geraldine, Greytown North, Halcombe, Hurunui; Kaitangata, Kumara, Ngaruawahia, Ohaupo, Outram, Oxford, Kangiora, Southbridge, Te Awamutu, Temuka, Waikouaiti, Waipukurau, Waitati (Blueskiu), Waverley, Wanton, and Wyndham.

We mentioned a few days since that the Oamaru share of the vote for Volunteer district prize firing was L 33 5s 3d. This amount is divided as follows : —Adults, Ll7 2s 3d; ordnance, L 4 4s; cadets, LI 1 19s. The firing is to take place before the 31st December, and under such conditions as may be decided upon by a committee of officers, who will divide the total amount into prizes.

A number of poultry fanciers in Oamaru contemplate shortly taking the preliminary steps towards the formation of a Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Association. Already a large number of promises of membership have been received, and a meeting to consider the matter will probably be held at an early date. From all we can gather, the jie>y association bids fair to have a successful start in life, for tl)e owners of well-bred specimens of all classes of the feathered tribe are very numerous in an around the town, and with moderate entrance fees a fine exhibition plight be obtained.

"We glean from the Christchurch Echo that the Government has informed Mr, Allwright, the representative for Lytteltoti, that the plans for the new police station at Lyttelton have been approved of, and that, as soon as the land has been conveyed to the Government, the erection of the building will be commenced. We never read such things without mourning our sad, sad fate, and the fulness of our regret, dropping a tpfjr for the utterly lost- members of a Government who can only be aroused intp activity by votes. But we do not covet Mr. Allwright's success. He has sold himself, body and soul, to accomplish his object, and a man is surely entitled to some small consideration for so great a sacrifice. We, too, may he happy yet. The wlie-.-l of fortune is turning round, anil we may ijhqrtly ft Ministry on the top that will be actuated by more worthy motives than the present occupants of office. Then wc may attain our objects, too, and that with honor. The monthly meeting of the Hospital Committee was held last evening, when there were present—Messrs. Hpacjland (President), Brown, Hassell, junr., Lemon, MajnlajitJj Markham, and Shrimski. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, and tlje ojjtwanJ and inward corresr pondence read. The Visiting Committee reported thqt everything at the Hospital was in a satisfactory state j that the present patients were seven males and three females; that tlie accounts amounting to L 23 Os 9d had been found correct; and that certain | quicks had been planted. The Committee also acknowledged the receipt of donations of illustrated papers from Mesfjanjes Clowes and Cagney, and of hooks and a pgjr pf crutches fropi Mr. Greenfield. The accounts submitted wgre pa§qe4 far payment. The treasurer's report was reapl and adopted, The collector's statement was read, showing tho Amount collected for the month to be L 39 5s 7d. It was resolved, orj the motion of Mr. Brown, seconded by Mr. Shrimski, that the thanks of the Committee be tendered to the Caledonian Society for its donation of LSI 10s, half the proceeds of the late entertainment.. Tenders for supplies were opened, and the following accepted -. Groceries and medical comforts, Messrs. Spence and Bee; coal, Messrs. y.enior and Manley; butcher's meat, Mr. H. I'ry. The fpnders for the supply of milk was left with the Visiting pqmri}itte§ tp decide.

A contemporary says : - " Over a quarter q[ ft iftillion of advertised sweeps will depend upon the issue of the Melbourne Clip event in November next. Tjiis is significant of the gambling spirit of the age."

At the dinnor.table I beheld for the flrgt time that much-vaunted feature of colonial life,*the sitting down of master and man ..at the same table. In walked four or five workmen and a servant and took their seats alongside of us. It was amusing to watch jjhcir daintiness. "A small piece near the knuckle, sir, if yci} pipage;" "lS[o fat, please "Well done, sir, if you have it," &c. Iremembereda "harvest home" which I attended in Berwickshire, just before leaving England, and what enormous platefuls those hungry laborers devoured, and the contrast was startling. Tkeexplanation wasof course cjbyious. Those Berwicksliiremen got a sight of good b.eef snd jhutton three times a year, and these Ne\sr< :Zea|;>iiflers £hpee times a day. I am sorry to have to report 3 decidedly unfavorable impressipn of the muph-talbed-of r tpuipp}i of democracy—master and man fraternising at tba social bsard. . A constraint was on all. This farmer owned some 1200 acres, most of which were in cultivation. To two of his sons he 'liad given a farm apiece, and the whole thing wore a sort of patriarchal aspect.—Leisure Hour.

; For some time past (says a Home journal) it has been made obligatory, upon, railway companies to fit continuous brakes to their rolling stock used for • passenger traffic, and various systems have .. been pfjffd upon pneumatic vacuum, hydratic, and 'and effectual being tfte Clarke and Webb lyfatfch has use |3n tj}£ North London railway for over seyen yefjrsj, afrt ff)r a lessor!: period jbnl ithie /London and K^rth.-We^er^pojnpanv'slines. .This brake if applied wheel 6f i§

half-year ending December, some two millions and a half stoppages were-made on the North London passenger line without ;a single case of failure being recorded. : ' This is however, an age of improvement and progress, and the insatiable. Board of Trade is trying to ensure .the adoption of a further safeguard in making the continuous brakes which it has brought into use automatic in their action, so as to work independently of either guard or driver in case of accident, such as the breaking away of the engine, or parting of the train. Mr. Webb, the engineer of the' London arid "North-Western Railway Company,; has not been slow; to adopt the automatic principle to his brake, and, in conjunction with Mr. Park, of the locomotive department of the North London line, he has contrived a very simple but completely successful plan, which formed the* subject of a series of interesting trials recently made upon the North London railway with a view of testing its efficiency. The automatic attachment consisted of a wire rope fastened to the engine and connected with the br-ike-lever in the guards' van at both ends of the train. In the event of any portion of the train breaking away, the wire rope parts at a joint, but not without a tug of five hundredweight in force—more than sufficient to put the, brake-levers hard over in both vans, which, by a trigger-oatch, are held secure until released by the guards.

The Hon. Peter Lalor, the newly-elected Speaker of the Victorian Assembly springs from a political stock, his father, Mr. Patrick Lalor. having represented Queen's County in the British House of Commons ; and at the present time two of his near relatives are members of that august assembly. Mr. Peter Lalor had the advantage of a good education in Ireland, and after leaving Trinity College, Dublin, he became a civil engineer. Like many .of the adventurous spirits of his time, he was attracted by the golden streams of Australia, where he arrived in 1552. He had some success at the diggings, but was involved in political struggles. The miners at- that time had good reason to complain of the injustice with which they were treated by the Colonial Government, and they were virtually compelled to assert their own rights, as they were unrepresented in the Legislative Council of that day. Mr. Lalor became their leader, and when matters came to open hostilities at the Eureka stockade, he was in command of the insurgent miners, and there lost his arm by a rifle shot near the shoulder. Subsequently a large reward was offered • for his hension ; but the miners concealed him, and when their grievances were removed and the right of representation was oonceded to them, they elected Mr. Lalor as the member for Ballarat. So highly did the Government think of him that he was appointed Inspector of Railways, a position which then ipight be "held by a member of Parliament. In the first Parliament under the new constitution, he was returned for South Grant, a seat which he has held ever since, with the exception of the years 1871 to 1875. For 13 years he was Chairman of Committees!— Sydney Town and . Country Journal. ... ..