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Oamaru Mail, Volume XV, Issue 4722, 17 July 1890, Page 2

We hear from an authentic source that the aotion In the test oase brought by Mr Borton against Mr Howe, of Livingstone, for polluting the Maerewhenua to the detriment of his property, has been arrested for the present through the Intervention of the Government, in order that they may Investigate the matter. A silly attempt waa made by Sir John Hall last night to create excitement in the House, to the diversion of the minds of members and the delay of real Parliamentary business: He complained that the Wellington Press had published certain lncorreot particulars of that day's proceedings of the Hutoblton-Bank of New Zealand Committee, and Bald that the paragraph was a gross misrepresentation of what occurred. The speaker explained that to publish the proceedings of a Seleot Committee was a breaoh of privilege; bat as, according to Sir John Hall's own admission, the Press did not publish what took place, we believe that it woald be difficult to sheet home the oharge. The Government are, It is said, contemplating a reduction of the oharges for the telephone eervioe, though they are oheaper in cew Zealand than in any other colony. This wonld be another sop to Cerberus. At a time when the finanolal situation Ib bo proasing that It iB a question of either obnoxious taxation or a reduotlon of the facilities for education, and, perhaps, of small salaries—big oneß are never reduoed—it Ib sheer nonsense to make reductions on those services for whioh the people who gain the advantage of them oan afford to pay. The Walmate Times In the oourse of • well-written article on the polltloal situation, says :—The relations are strained ; there Is no attempt at conciliation on either side. Sometimes a few civil words are spoken, only to be followed by a more fierce attaok. The Premier himself when in the heyday of his power, was most ofienslvo in his manner to those who differed from him, and barely civil even to his followers. His present colleagues regard him as a sort of demi-god ; they cannot oopy ability, but they have faithfully oopied his temper and even in some instances bettered the example. It is the ugliest part of our politios that men do not appear oapable of differing on public questions and maintaining friendly relations. We would hope, and yet we know it is hoping against hope, that the ooming elections may give ub a change of men and manners. Nelson Brothers' May oiraular on the frozen meat trade has the following t—'The general supplies of New Zealand lambs on offer have been poor in the extreme, and relatively low prioes have in consequence been made. Vint-class lamb of suitable size and quality is worth ssd to 6d per lb., but few are to be found. Com* mon quality 1b Belling from 4Jd to s£d. A dialogue something like the following took place in the Supreme Court yesterday morning s— Counsel tor the defence (oross* examining witness) "Didn't you apeak to the plaintiff when he wbb giving his evidence yesterday?" Witness; "No." Counsel t •'But yon did; I saw yon." Witness: Weil, I didn't speak to him; I .only whispered I"—Lyttelton Tlmss. The Upper Wangannl district seems to ba going ahead. On the opening days of the present month the Manngapnrau blook of 16,062 aores was sold to Mr W. J, Arundell, who contemplates reselling it for settlement, and the blook of 12,490 aores, near Stratford, was sold to Messrs W. and S. Gower. It is anticipated that 200 men will be engaged at busbfelllng shortly betweea Wanganni and New Plymouth.— i xchange.

The Napier Evening News.ssya the pre* aent Parliament is a personified faroe. With a Premier who is better fitted to be in an hospital than to be bothered with business, with a headless Ministry, incompetent. Impertinent, and ignorant, with parties at " sixeß and sevens," with twenty-one members doomed to polltioal eztlnotion wrangling over mere nothings, who oan gainßay our assertion that Parliament is a faroe, It appears that several valuable pioturea which were sent from this district to the Dnnedin Exhibition have gone amissiog. One of these plotnres waß, we understand, woith L7OO. It will be readily understood how Buoh losses oame to pass, If it be true that a oertain woman obtained from one of the officers an order, under false pretenoes, for a picture that did not belong to her, but to which she took a fanoy. The following bnßlness of Interest to this district was transaoted at the meeting of the Land Board yesterday Messrs J. Beld and Son forwarded rent due by Mr W. Lennan on seotlon 17, blook 13, Moerakl, to 30th June last, and asked the Board to resolnd forfeiture of his perpetual lease. The request was granted. Application for land on perpetual lease was granted to J. H. Laurenson, seotlon 22, blook 13, Moerakl. W. Lunnan was granted permission to transfer seotion 17, blook 13, to John Lefevre. A large number of settlers are In town today on their way to Timaru, where the land sale is to take plaoe to-morrow. We fear that Bome of them will be bitterly disappointed— though not for the first time—for the supply of land Is Bmall and the price high. We have been asked whether or not one person may hold more than one run. The & ct of ISBS says, In effect, that a person may not beoome a lessee who owns any freehold land, or land held by lease or license of any kind whatever from the Crown,- whereby suoh person, either by himself or jointly with any other person or persons, would, beoome the owner or ocoapler of lands anywhere in the colony, whloh, together with the lands for which he is a bidder, would exceed 6,000 aores. The Amendment Act, 1887, substituted 21,000 for 6,000. So that it Is not legal for any person to purchase a lease, If that lease, together with what he already posseaseß under any tenure whatever, would make a total of more than 21,000 acreß. But the declaration to be Blgned by the leasee of a small grazing run Is contained in the Aot of 1885 and makes the signatory to swear : " That I am not the holder of any snoh lease in any part of the oolony, nor have I aoy Interest in any suoh lease." So that while a person may hold land np to 21,000 acres he may not hold more than one grazing run. Early this morning information was sent to the police that attempts had been made to break into the Post I'ffice during the night. It appears that at abont 10 oxlook last night a man came into the telegraph messengers' waiting room and stated that he had lost his way, and requested to be directed to the Empire Hotel, whloh, by the way, is directly opposite the Post Office. The man was told where the plaoe he sought was looated, upon which he left. About an hour after one of the telegraphists, having oocaslon to go to the baok of the building, found the outer door open. Thinking it had been left open by someone abont the plioe he took no farther notioe of the matter. On returning, however, he found the look would not aot and an examination showed tbat the socket into which the bolt shot had been forced out. On the matter being reported to Mr Sobs, who was in oharge, ha suspeoted that the man who had loet his way had something to do with the matter, and at once made inquiries at the Empire Hotel if a man answering to the visitor's description had been etaying In the place. He was Informed by the barman that snoh * person had been about an hour in the house, and it was noticed that he had no boots on. Mr Ross returned to the Post Offioe, and, after looking around

ti» pramlns, food a pair, °' J? 3 ?,*®" holhisg had b«ea takea from the bonding I tad the c'omsy bumt the whole affair was gosa aboot showed the perpetrator to be i soviet it tht btuhzds or th*t be mi tot C2& iMSiitg a OoTKroment Hlht for U* next fair crcntfaa. The matter waa placed la Iht baada of Detictlf* O'Brict), who wma ant loog ia finding hla mm The accoaed. who la a yorra man named John Palmar, hailisg from Karow, wm brought before Mr Stratford, K.U., this morning, and charged with breaking Into tbe realdsace of Sanaa! Coaitsiy. who baa the ore of the Peat Office. laspcst-r 1 hompicn applied fir a raaiaad of Uw case octil Mocd»y, which waa granted, accoaad being allowed bail ia two raratiaa of fcIO each or oeecf L 29. Xbe Maaagtr of the National Mortgage aad Agency Company infarcts ua that the Mamert did not ban Melbourne before Tuesday night and thai she will probably aot rsach tbia port before Monday next. Aa exchange say* Major Csmpbell, latq Clerk to th« Hotue cf Bepreaeatstlvoe. drew L6CO from the Tnasary annually op to 1871. aad slace then L7CO a year, or ovtr 122 000 for the thirty-five years* nnlce, and cow he retina oa a pension o( L4OQ a year A* bla dniiaa only ocaopied bim for about foor months ia tbe year, aad were light at tbat, ha haa beea ipa-'d la rooal figures, at tbe rate of LI6O a month or LAI a week. No oae will blame Major Campbell lot drawlag the mosey, bat cine oat of every tea colonists will envy bins bla good fortune aad come tn tb* coaoruaioa tbat there ia room for retrenchment.