THE Otago Daily Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1875.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4024, 11 January 1875, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1875.

The people of Victoria are to be congratulated not only upon the persistency with which they have elaborated and carried out to its extreme consequences—and to their own manifest injury—a system of "protection to native industry" unique in the Southern Hemisphere, but also upon the consistency with which they have striven to introduce the same time-honoured superstition into departments hitherto undented, by any traces of that old serpent which was not killed, as we all thought, but merely scotched, years ago, by Cobden and Bright.

Education is the field to which the Victorians have lately turned their attention, probably as being one of the fear unoccupied spots that still offer room for an entirely novel protectionist experiment.

It seems that considerable sums have been, expended by the guileless men of Melbourne in. training young men as teachers for their public schools. But owing either to the smallness of the remuneration offered to these neophytes while yet in the chrysalis state, or to the severity of the work exacted, or, it may be, to the vexatious natm-e of the rules and regulations imposed, an alarming centrifugal tendency has developed itself amongst the probationers. From some inherent perversity, they fail to recognise the paternal care of the Victorian Education authorities, and long before they have completed the period of apprenticeship, which in Victoria extends over four years, they ungratefully betake themselves to other Colonies, carrying with them, alas ! the technical skill they have acquired at the expense of that self-contained and self-sufficient community, whose watchword has ever been " Victoria for the Victorians."

Here was a difficulty unforeseen by the astute weavers of the cunningly devised web of Protection. So long as it was merely a question of excluding the products of foreign industry and skill from their sacred shores, the task of i the Victorians, though hard, was not absolutely impossible. But the elaborate machinery invented for this purpose was powerless to prevent the outflow of native talent. The valves that shut so promptly and so closely on the advent of a stranger, opened freely for the exit of the home-grown deserter. In this extremity, the happy idea occurred to some unknown genius, whose light should no longer be hidden under a bushel, that the neighbouring Colonies might, by a little management, be made to do the work of an educational preventive-service, and turn back to Victoria the ingrates who were attempting to smuggle themselves into communities that had paid no duty on them. A polite circular -was sent from the head-quarters of the Victoria Education Department to the various Colonies and Provinces of Australia and New Zealand, requesting Education Boards to enter into a mutual understanding " not to make appointments of teachers who are or have been employed in other Colonies, without first a-certaining the character of the applicants, and whether any objection ex-

ists; as, for instance, an applicant Jmving been trained at the expense of the department of one Colony, and not Jiaving subseqiiently served the stipulated time, or any other objection wltate«er." The italics are ours. The effect of this admirable scheme would be that Victoria, at no expense to herself, would establish a cordon, of detectives round the Australasian Colonies, who would put into quarantine every appli? cant for a school, who, for his sins, might have been employed at any time as a teacher in Victoria, until the authorities at Melbourne, and at much | remoter places, couid. be communicated with, and either give the suspected person a clean bill of health, or so damage his reputation that he would be fain to slink back to his bondage, and serve the remainder of his time. The advantages of this notable scheme to the Colonies and Provinces that might be weak enough to become catspaws to Victoria are not quite so obvious. To delay the appointment of a teacher presumedly eligible in every known respect ; and. in many cases, to keep a school closed for an indefinite period, until it was ascertained that there was nothing against the man, or, at the worst, nothing more serious than his having broken an engagement that, it might be, the state of his health or the unsuitability of the climate rendered it impossible for him to carry out, seems to us an unwarrantable proceeding. And surely it would be an unheard-of indignity to treat every stranger who came to our shores from Victoria, seeking employment in teaching, as a suspicious character—reversing the wholesome maxim of English law that assumes innocence until guilt is proved. The services of unwilling pedagogues can scarcely be worth retaining at such a cost as this. For our own parts, we would make a bridge of silver for a flying teacher.

Amougst the several items of important news brought by the Omeo we have one of great interest respecting Spain. Don Alphonso, Pr;nce of the Astuiras, eldest son of Isabella 11., ex Queen of Spain, has been chosen King, and his elevation to the throne, wonderful to relate, has been accomplished, in an orderly and peaceable manner. Of the Carlists we hear nothing ; but it is reasonable to presume that their forces have become greatly weakened by successive defeats, and that Don Carlos has had to give up all hope at present of ever dividing with his latest rival the support of the Spanish people. Perhaps, after all, it is not so very surprising that Don Alphonso should have arrived at Madrid and should have been proclaimed King "without bloodshed," as the telegram informs us. Peace must indeed be welcome in the Provinces, which, for upwards of six years, have been suffering almost continuously from the evils of civil war. In 1868, the Spaniards got rid of Monarchy for a time. A Republic was formed, which, however, had but a short life. The restoration of the Monarchy was determined upon, and the Spanish crown was offered successively to the King of Portugal, the Duke of Genoa, and Prince Leopold. By each it was declined, but in 1870 it was accepted by Prince Amadeus of Italy, second son of Victor Emanuel. For little more than two years he remained on the throne. In the early part of 1873 he abdicated, and at the same time, in a message to the representatives of the nation, he told them that he saw more distant every day the era of peace and prosperity he so ardently desired, and that it was impossible for him to find a remedy for the evils which oppressed the country. His renunciation of the Crown was followed by the establishment of a Republic under President Castelar, and that has been the form of government in Spain up to the present time. In the midst of their troubles the Spaniards have, no doubt, remembered that, during the reign of Qneen Isabella, their country attained a high position amongst European nations, and that all their industries were in a flourishing condition. Hence, probably, it has arisen that the claims of her son have been regarded with favour. Let us hope that his elevation to the throne maybe followed by an absolute discontinuance of those civil dissensions which have caused Spain' for so long a time to be a bye-word of reproach.

Our Auckland correspondent telegraphed on Saturday as follows:—"The requisition to Sir George Grey to stand for Auckland City west has been signed already by nearly 500 electors. Mr Swanson, M.H.8,., has taken it in hand. A steamer will be hired, and a deputation will go to Sir George next week to present the requisition.

We received the following telegram yesterday from Winton : —"The Kingston and Invercargill coach, with part of the American Transit of Venus, Expedition, and Messrs Malaghan, Manders, Powell, and others, missed the opposite ford in crossing the Mataura and floated down the river. The passengers escaped by a miracle. The coach upset afterwards. All owe their escape to Mr Powell. The river is flooded."

If ever legitimate occasion for the running of a special train between Dunedin and the Port presented itself since the railway between the two places was opened, that occasion was last evening, when the steamer Wellington, with the San Francisco mails on board, arrived an hour or so too late to catch the last train, which, the day being Sunday, left at 5 o'clock. The Wellington had been expected at a very much earlier hour, and preparations to receive the mail had been made both at Danedin and the Port. The Post office ! officials were on the alert; and, when the J fact of the Wellington being late was patented, the Port Station-master telegraphed to Dunedin to, we understand, inquire about a special train. Seeing that English mails and many passengers were waiting, it was naturally assumed that a special train would be run ; but no, not only was the train not run, but no reply was vouchsafed to the Port Station-master's telegram. We can only stigmatise such action as miserable parsimony, as tantamount to a gross alight upon the commercial community of this Province, especially that section of it in the country districts. Had the mail been forwarded to town by special train, the more important letters would have been in the hands of those to whom they were addressed last night, whilst the letters for country districts would have been iu time to have been forwarded by the outgoing mails tlrs morning. As the case stands, the country letters will not be forwarded until t .-morrow, and it is more than probable that the needless delay thus incurred will prevent advices of great importance having replied to by outgoing mail on the loth. We sincerely hope that sueh a lamentable blunder will not ! occur again, but that permanent arrangements for running a special train under special circumstances will be made by the Post office authorities and those of the railway. The Sunday-school in connection with St. Matthew's Clutch was opened by the Eev. E. J. Penny yesterday afternoon. About 60 children, with a good teaching staff, attended at the wooden structure adjoining the church. The school-rcom requires both internal and external improvements, which ' can be effected at a trifling cost. Several additional volunteers as teachers are re-

quired. This is also the case in St. Paul's School, Archdeacon Edwards having requested further assistance from the congregation yesterday. Mr.; Richardson, the organist" and choir-master of St. Matthew's Church, will commence a singing class for youths on Friday next. Singing classes have recently, been arranged by Mr A. J. Towsey, of St. Paul's Church, the lady members of which meet to-night for the first time, and the gentlemen on Wednesday. The unfortunate vessel Margaret Galbraith, which was anchored amongst the other shipping on Saturday, after a protracted voyage, and which, at the investigation of the health authorities, was afterwards removed to quarantine through having had a case of infectious disease on board, brings with her 139 immigrants, equal to 122£ statute adults. From a list supplied us by Mr Allan, Immigration Officer, we find them to be made up as follows :—Male adults, 62 ; children, 9. Female adults, 4S; children, 16 ; and infants, 4. Their occupations are : Ploughman, 1; farm labourers, 10; gardener, 1 j general labourers, 16 ; carpenters, 2; engineer, 1 ■ mechanic, 1 ; plumber, 1 : plasterer, 1 j brickmaker, 1; porters, 3; carmen, 2 ; sailor, 1; saddler, 1 ; masons, 3 ; shepherds, 3 ; painter, 1; tailors, 3; draper, 1. Single women—Housemaids, 5 ; servants, 19; cooks, 2; housekeepers, 3 ; laundress, 1, Their nationalities are : English, 81 ; Irish, 37 ; Scotch, 11; Welsh, 3; Jersey, 2 ; and Finland, 3.

In consequence of- the alterations being eflected in the Wesleyan Trinity Church, to provide accommodation for the new organ and extra sittings, Divine services were yesterday conducted in the Schoolroom underneath the Church. The Rev. P. W. Isitt preached both morning and evening, and the prayer meeting afterwards was well attended. The collections in aid of the Benevolent Institution amounted to nearly £17.

A meeting of the Immigration and Eailway Committee of Southland was held on January 7th. Captain Hankinson, E.N., was elected a member of the Committee, and expressed the warmest sympathy with the efforts and objects of the Committee. Only by some such organisation, he considered, would it now be possible for Southland to obtain anything like a moderately fair share of the advantages to which she wa3 entitled. The re-union movement he had always regarded as a great mistake, but it was now too late to amend that, and all that remained was for the inhabitants of Southland to exert themselves manfully to prevent their district being utterly neglected.

A most agreeable rennion amoDgst the employes of Messrs Guthrie and Larnach, timber merchants, was held iu the Imperial Hotel on Friday evening, when over sixty persons sat down to a good repast provided by host Haydon. The chair was ocennied by Mr D. Blackie, and the vice-chair by Mr Charles Eose. The Chairman, in a brief and interesting speech, proposed the health of the members of the firm, and in doing so referred to the liberal and energetic manner in which the establishment and its surroundings were conducted, making the business one of the most extensive and prosperous of its class south of the Equator. Mr E. Walker responded to the toast, which was drunk with bumpers. The "Commercial prosperity of Duuedin," coupled with the name of Mr P. M'lntyre, was proposed by Mr Murray ; and " Success to Messrs Guthrie and Larnach's fleet of vessels " by Mr Eobt. Guthrie, and replied to by Air Yaldwin, who paid a fitting compliment to the enterprising energy of the firm. The Vice-Chairman proposed " Kindred timber yards," which was responded to by Mr A. Pulton ; and several other toasts having been done justice to, the company dispersed after spending a very pleasant and sociable evening.

The presiding Justices at the Resident Magistrate's Court on Saturday —Messrs Ward and Birch—soon transacted what little business there was to be done. Matthew Watson was mulcted in the minimum penalty, and George Davis fined 20s, in default, 4S hours' imprisonment, for the com mon offence of drunkenness. Two disreputable women named Alice M'Namara and Ellen Power, alias Burke, for causing a breach of the peace by fighting in. Walker street at 11 o'clock the previous night, were each ordered to pay a penalty of 20s, or undergo 48 hours' imprisonment. James Walker was bound over to appear on Monday, in answer to a charge of wife desertion.

DuriDg last week Mr Deans, the Manager of the Acclimatisation Society, distributed young trout in the following streams :—Waitati, 200; stream on Mr .NeiU's property, Blueskin, 50; Owhio Creek. N.E. Valley 110; Water of Leith, main branch, 450 ; Abbott's Creek, 150; Creek at Sawyer's Bay, 200. There are still about GOO young fish ia the ponds at the grounds.

The usual monthly inspection of the Port Chalmers Naval Brigade was held on Friday evening by Major Atkinson. Captain Goldie and Lieutenants Taylor and Wilson, were present with about fifteen rank and file. Arms and accoutrements were pronounced to be in good order by the Inspector.

Daring the week ending January 9th, twenty-four patients were admitted into the Dunedin Hospital, and twenty-four were discharged therefrom. William Johnston, labourer, aged 54, native of Ireland, died from disease of the knee-joint. The number at present in the Hospital is 146, of whom 25 are females. •.'

Amongst the other news brought from the Chathams by the Swatara was an account of a sad accident whereby a fine lad named George Banks lost his life. It appears he was attempting to cross a lagoon on horseback, when the horse slipped into a deep hole and threw his rider, and the foot of the latter being entangled in the stirrup, he was drowned.

The Hon. and Eev. A. E. Stanley (son i f Lord Stanley of Alderley), who is on a tour through New Zealand, officiated at St. Paul's yesterday. He read the lessons at the morning service, and preached an eloquent ser. mon from St. Matthew viii., 24. The Rev. gentleman has a very rapid, though pleasing style of delivery, but the celerity with which he repeated the invocation after his discourse, was anything but appreciable. He intoned the principal part of the evening service. The Ven. Archdeacon Edwards, though suffering from a severe cold, assisted at both services and preached in the evening.

The pedestrian T. B. Jacobsen, of Christchurch, having learned that Macgregor is not satisfied with the result of the recent contests, challenges him to walk a match for one or two miles, either for love or a trophy valued from £50 to £100.

If vessels bound here with stock from British and other ports wish to avoid the inconvenience to which the ship ArabyMaid ha3 been exposed, they will do well not to leave without the usual certificate or clearance that is given by the inspector relative to the condition of the stock so shipped. The Araby Maid unfortunately failed to comply with the rule, and on arrival here with ten fine sheep on board, the inspector, Mr Thomson, refused to pass them. The sheep were on their way to Wellington, but as they were not permitted to land, whilst steamers going to Wellington refused to carry them without a clearance, they had to to reman on board the vessel which brought them from England, pending some decision on the part of the Government. A world of trouble and a waste of telegrams to and from Wellington, the authorities there having

been appealed to, were expended upon the affair, until at last the Colonial Secretary instructed Mr Logan, Chief Inspector! of Sheep and Cattle in theProvince, to permitthe sheep to be forwarded to Wellington, which, of course, meant that the Government would undertake any further responsibility. The sheep, accordingly, were sent on by the steamer Phoebe, on Saturday, and yet were not permitted to touch Otago ground, for, true to the sense of duty by which he was influenced, Mr Thomson, the Inspector, had them conveyed in a truck from the Araby Maid to the Phoebe. It is to be regretted that, whilst being put into the truck, one of them met with a serious mishap. It was hanging in the slings, and, struggling, fell into the truck and broke its leg. The limb was at once put into splints and bandaged, and no doubt will become sound again.

The following cricketers have been selected to represent Otago at the ensuing match with Canterbury:—Messrs Allea J., Downes, Fulton J. a, Glen A., Godfay, Kettle C, Lambert S., Paramor, Eeade, Rhodes D. K., Sampson, and Tait. One of the Canterbury crack3 was eijoying a game with our men on Saturday afternoon, and he will assuredly make profitable use of the information then accorded him.

Captain Jaspar, of the barque Glencoe, from Hobart Town, brought over with him a couple of very handsome thorough-bred spaniels, and also a number of prize pigeonscarriers, dragons, almond tumblers, aud baldheads. '

The case of careless driving which we alluded to in last Thursday's issue formed the subject of an enquiry at the K.M. Court, Port Chalmers, on Saturday. An informa tion against the driver, William Pedlow, for a breach of the Corporation bye-law of driving round a corner at another pace than walking had been laid by the Police, and he was brought up in due course, and pleade 1 N..t guilty. Two witnesses, however, proved that he drove round the corner at a sharp trot, and also that the wheel of the cart knocked down a little child. Sergeant Neil remarked to the Bench that the offence complained of was becoming very common, and required checking. To this His Worship readily assented, and further remarked that many parents were very careless about their children, and permitted them to wander uncared for in the street. No wonder that accidents happened. He should deal leniently with the case before him, but that should not be accepted as a criterion of the action he -would take if other cases of the kind occurred. Tbe defendant was fined in the nominal penalty of Is and costs.

The Naturalists' Field Club made their first excursion for the year on Saturday afternoon. The locality selected—Deborah Bay and the Tunnel works—did not prove attractive enough to secure a large attendance, in the face of the sports at the northern end of the town. Those who did muster at the station were further diminished by a misunderstanding at Port which divided the forces, so that only a half were able to visit the Bay. Those who did enjoyed themselves thoroughly. After inspecting the fine ship Auckland lying in the Graving Dock, the pumping machinery, the new workshops, and the fine tools being fitted together, the romantic beach road round the harbour was taken, and Deborah Bay arrived at in due course. Passing up the creek side towards the sawmill, a detour into the bush was made, and some fine flowering plants and ferns were gathered. After resting a little a start up the steep gully was made to the mouth of the tunnel, where the party were fortunate enough to meet the Messrs M'Kenzie, the contractors, to whom they explained their purpose, and were at once furnished with candles and kindly accompanied up to the face, where the miners were working. The air was very dense, some shots having been fired only a short time before, and the lights only served to make darkness visible. After reaching the face, the scene was in every way most remarkable ; the dim lights, the dusky figures of the men, the din. of the hammers, and the apparent immensity of the space in which they were working —for the roof and sides were all but invisible in the smoke—made a picture which must be seen to be realised. The farthest point the workings have reached in this direction is fourteen chains from the entrance, and is nearly all through a firm safe rock, not difficult to work, and quite dry, in this respect forming quite a contrast to either the Caversham or Chain Hills bores, which were both, as a rule, at least ankle deep in mud. At the northern end the bore is iu six chains, making twenty chains out of the entire leugth of sixty-six. On reaching the daylight again, it was determined to ascend the hill by the tunnel line, and have a view from the top of the MIL This was a very stiff ascent, necessitating several rests; but the toil was well repaid, for a most extensive prospect was had. Away to the north the eye commanded Purakanui, and the sea across to Waikouaiti, the houses in the township being plainly visible glistening in the afternoon sun; while, nearer hand, rose Mopanui and the other wooded hills over, towards Blueskin. Turning back, Mr M'Kenzie kindly invited the party to his residence, where refreshments were most hospitably served round. After an interval of rest, the road along the hillside was taken to Port—a road which affords many grand views of the lower harbour, the shipping in the stream, &c, and a little nearer Port Chalmers, a fine view of the upper harbour as well. After a most enjoyable walk, the party arrived at the station in plenty of time for the last train to town. The next excursion was fixed for the 23rd inst., the locale the Leith Gorge.

" A Man in the Bust," in the New Zealand Herald, -writes:—"A new and rather novel style of collecting a debt owing by a deceased person recently came under my notice at Mercury Bay, snowing the mean, crafty, and sordid disposition of a certain well-known hotel-keeper residing tiere. It appears that a short time since a lodger, known under the soubriquet of Nosey Sam, having had the misfortune to die in the said house, scarcely was the breath separated from the poor fellow's body than this kindhearted Boniface, showing his great respect for the dead, drew up a subscription-paper, stating that the deceased person was in his debt, and trusting that the inhabitants of the Bay would subscribe together and pay it; and proving the disinterested motives.of the man, places his name at the head of the list to the amount of two pounds. Mr Editor, would not this be a fine subject for Spiritualists to enquire into: Was the deceased in the man's debt? If so, how much ?"

The Steele-Keogh Dramatic Company are playing very successfully at Invereargill.

" Cox and Jiox" and " The Rose of Auvergne," with a portion of the pantomime, constituted the programme at the Princess Theatre on Saturday night. To-night, the Opera Company will appear at Port Chalmers.