The Otago Daily Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1882.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6304, 26 April 1882, Page 2

The Otago Daily Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1882.

There has of late, years been-an attempt in Victoria, which is bein» imitated by certain individuals in New Zealand, to draw party lines more clearly by giving distinctive names to thetwo sides of the House. English politics have been appealed to'in order to furnish suitable designations for the opposing legions, and the Berryitea in Victoria have dubbed themselves "Liberals," while their opponents are called "Conservatives." The correctness of this classification has been over and over again disputed, and it has been clearly shown that in the Australasian Colonies there is no such dis-tinctly-marked divergence of opinion as would justify the use of terms which in England really do mean something, and are fairly accepted on both sides as roughly indicating the nature of the divergence between the two great parties which sit on opposite sides of the British House of Com- j mons. There aro, indeed, subdivisions ! of these two parties—such as are described by the terms " Liberal Conservatives," "Radicals," and "Home Rulers," which terms all have 'a distinct significance ; but the main division

at Home is between tlie great Liberal party, led by Mr Gladstone, and the Conservative party, led by the Marquis of Salisbury and Sir Stafford Northcote. The aims and objects of these two parties are so distinctly different that they have separate organisations to control the elections, and no candidate, as a rule, hesitates to classify himself on one side or the other. But in these Colonies it cannot be said with any truth that there is any such clear line of demarcation as is thus generally accepted as representing the divided state of public opinion at Home. Now that the great constitutional fight between the Upper and Lower Houses in Victoria has been settled, a Ministry is in office which, properly speaking, represents neither party, but is retained in power by the votes of both. The chief subject of divergence at present is the question of Freetrade v. Protection, but there are men on both sides of the House who are Freetraders, and vice versa. It is in fact impossible to classify Colonial politicians with any great amount of accuracy, as there are so many cross-currents of opinion. In New Zealand a certain number of persons were for a time followers of Sir George Grey, and called themselves "Liberals," but now a kr*e number of these are no longer content to accept Sir George's lead, and have not yet organised themselves under another leader. Many candidates during the late, elections declined to classify themselves at all, and have been set down as "Independents" pledged to neither party ; and the only method of roughly indicating what a member's opinions are is by the statement that, such-and-such a man is agm the Gover'mint," and such-and-such a man is in their favour. But Mr Stout has, for one, gone much further in his attempts to define party lines. From time to time he has stigmatised the. party now in power as lories, —a term which has entirely gone out of use at Home, and which is almost as. offensive as the term Fenian" when applied to an Irishman. If we mistake not, this use of the term was entirely invented by Mr Stout.^ Webster tells us that the term II 18 °f Iriah origin > " denoting a robber or a savage," and quotes the following from the New American Cyclopedia :—"The word 'Tory' first occurs in English history in 1679 during the struggle in Parliament occasioned by the introduction of the bill for the exclusion of the Duke of Yoek from the line of succession, and was applied by the advocates of the bill to its opponents as a title of obloquy or contempt. The Tories subsequently took a broader ground, and their leading principle hecame the maintenance of things as they were. The'name ho\yever, has for several years ceased td designate an existing party, but is rather applied- to certain traditional maxims of public policy;, and the political successors of the Tories are now commonly known as <Conservatives,' » It is obvious, then, accepting this as a fair statement of the origin of the use of the word, that the te*m < Tory' is one ol obloquy and contempt, and the only shadow of justification for its use in designating one of two Colonial parties would be the vilest of ill deeds perpetrated by the party to whom it is applied But what is the public verdict on the conduct of- the Hall Administration? We venture to say that as regards their Native policy nine-tenths of the colonists are with them. As regards then- financial and economical administration there is no doubt some difference of opinion, for many individuals have been personally affected most unpleasantly by it; but as far as we can judge of the tone of public sentiment, on this point also the general conviction is that what we may still term the present Government—as it is virtually the same as has been in office since October, 1879—has nobly and conscientiously, and most successfully fulfilled a very difficult and thankless task Is there, then, the smallest justification for stigmatising them by the use of an opprobrious epithet ? "But," it may be said, "they are clearly Conservatives, which is the same thing as being Tories since their leading principle has been to maintain things as they are." Is this so ? Have they maintained the Native Office as it was, with all its foul abuses? Have they maintained the reckless expenditure which, popular as it was under the Grey Administration, was fast bringing the Colony to ruin ? ttave they not, on. the other hand .passed measure after measure to enlarge the liberties of the people? Manhood suffrage, triennial parliaments, equal electorates and extended representation, the suppression of corrupt practices at elections—all these measures are due to the exertions ot the Hall Ministry. Even though they did nob originate them, which is not at all to the point, they carried out loyally, and with care and pains, the policy which -was acknowledged to be that of the majority of the people, and satisfactorily, performed while Sir George Grey only promised. In various directions they have been a reforming Ministry. Their Licensing Bill and their Gambling Bill, imperfect as they are in some particulars, were honest attempts at important social reforms. In practical legislation they have been no whit behind their predecessors, as the statute-book for the past three years will abundantly show. In their administration of the land, theyhave promoted settlement to a degree which will compare very favourably with anything done by their predecessors. In what single thing have they opposed, or are they opposing, the expressed will of the people ? Are they defenders of crying abuses? The Tories of England op posed every great step towards liberty They opposed reform, they opposed Catholic emancipation, they opposed Freetrade, they opposed the Disestablisnment of the -Irish Churcb. What popular movement is it that the present " Tory " Government is charged with opposing? The fact is, the term is an entire misnomer, merely invented to "tickle the ears of the groundlings," and no one knows this better than Mr Stout whose party feelings will not let him. be just, much less generous, to Ins political opponents, genial as ho in his general disposition. As regards ourselves, we can safely leave our readers to judge how far we have adopted any line opposed to the wishes of the people. As an organ of public opinion, we claim fairly to have represented tho people of Otago, who are by no means disposed to extremeß. We havefciie best of reasons for believing that we have satisfied the people of 0 fcp -*o and we think it will yet be found that not only the people of Otago but the representatives of the people in Parliament, except a few who have some special axe to grind, will endorse with their approval the general course of administration pursued by the Hall Government, lhat administration has been one which under extremely difficult circumstances has, in the main, been successful in placing tho affairs of the Colony, which had drifted into the most dangerous position under Sir George Prey, on a sound and satisfactory basis. -It has -all been done quietly and un-

ostentatiously too, without that dangerous agitation and political turmoil which characterised the proceedings of Sir George and his immediate supporters, and which seems also to have been so strong: a characteristic of the proceedings of the "Liberal" party in Victoria. If it pleases Mr-Stout and his friends to go on calling such an Administration by the abusive name of " Tory," it will hurt no one but themselves, as no one with any. pretensions to fairness will acknowledge that it is in the slightest. degree a justifiable application of political terms, or that it in the very least depicts the real characteristics of the men it is sought to stigmatise by its use.

The Evening Star will not admit that it foil into a patent error in commenting upon the school attendance returns given in the Education Board's Eeport for 1881, which error we pointed out a day or two ago. Indeed the Star haß become more hopelessly confueed than ever. It states that we endeavoured "to demonstrate that the average daily attendance does not give a correct idea of the attendance during the year, as compared with the number of children who attended 'at all.'" We should be sorry to endeavour to demonstrate anything so absolutely meaningless. What we did demonstrate was that our contemporary had seized upon the wrong set of figures wherewith to make the calculation he did —namely, that only 60 per cent, of the children attending school in the Otago district could be credited with an average daily attendance. In order to show exactly the proportion of average attendance we have obtained the following detailed returns from the Education Office .-—Number on roll during first quarter of 188], 20,696 ; during second quarter, 20,729 ; third quarter, 20,580 ; fourth quarter, 20,425. The average daily attendance for those quarters respectively was 10,235, 14,858, 15,186, and 16,078. These figures show, as we stated, a proportion of 80 per cent, instead of 60, except in two quarters of the year, when, as is explained in the Board's report, a very serious outbreak of measles and scarlet fever reduced the average. Bat a3 proving that under ordinary circumstances the average is about 80 per cent., the figures for the March quarter of 1882 may be quoted. They are : Total on roll, 21,309 ; average attendance, 16,367. We hope that these figures will enable our contemporary to see that its " alarming " conclusions were based upon entirely incorrect data. The rest of our contemporary's remarks to cover his retreat are altogether beside the question.

Reports of the City and Port Chalmers Police Courts, of the Port Chalmers Borough Council, and letters to the editor are on our fourth page. It would appear that Sir Arthur Gordon intends remaining in the Colony until the opening of Parliament, as a telegram from Wellington this morning states that H.M.S. Miranda will stay there until the 18th May^ and then convey his Excellency to 3?iji. _ Mr Maxwell, general manager of railways, is understood to have withdrawn his resignation.

The Union Steam Ship Company received a cablegram from London yesterday advising the departure of tho Manapouri froth Lisbon for Melbourne direct on the 17th inst.; of the sailing of the Mahinapua from the Clyde on tho 22nd inst.; and of the successful launching of the Omapere on the 20th inst.

We have to apologise to Dr Macdonald, of the High Scheol, for accidentally dubbing him (in a report which appeared yesterday in our columns) with the title of "Reverend." We can assure him that it was an accident, and that we meant no disrespect.

The case of M'Comb v. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, a claim for £500, damages for trespass of cattle, occu. pied the attention of his Honor Judge Williams and a special jury at the Supreme Court .yesterday. It was not concluded when the Court adjourned at 6 p.m., and it will be continued at 10 a.m. to-day. At about noon yesterday a quantity of straw in the packing-house of Mr Gilchrist, painter and glazier, in Bath street, was discovered to be on fire. The Eire Brigade, with some members of the Salvage Corps, were quickly on the spot, but the flames were extinguished without much., difficulty. .."The damage done was insignificant. ■ A meeting of the Committee of the Benevolent Institution was held yesterday afternoon, to consider what steps should be taken in reference to the recommendation of 'the jury in the late libel action Quin v. Hitchcock. A statement was made .by Mr M.W. Green M.H.R., detailing an'interview which he had had with the girl Agnos Johnston, who had distinctly denied the imputations made-against Mr Quin. It was eventually resolved, on the motion of Archdeacon Edwards, that a public meeting of the subscribers and life-governors of _ the institution should be convened on Friday noxt for the purpose of taking such steps as seemed necessary for a further investigation. It was also decided to recommend that the tribunal should endeavour to obtain the. powers of a Royal Commission to examine witnesses upon oath. The meeting held at the Princess Theatre last night, convened by the Trades and Labour Council to consider the subject of the eighthour system of labour, was attended by a large number of people. His Worship tho Mayor occupied tho chair, and a number of resolutions in favour of the eight^hour system and its legalisation were carried unanimously by the meeting.

The Somersetshire on her recent passage to Melbourne had the same experience as befell the Janet M'Neil on her passage to this port from Glasgow. Whilst in the N.E. trades she had a storm with her for 360 miles which carried with it a cloud of red dust that covered every part of the vessel.

W. S. Eagan, who is to run W. J. Burk on Saturday a mile race for £100 and the championship, arrived in Dunedin last night.

Information was brought to the Police Camp atPalmerston, yesterday morning, that a man had been found drowned at the mouth of the Shag River. The body was found by some miners from Shag Point. It is that of an elderly man, the head being quite bald, and the forehead being very prominent. The man when alive was passed by several parties in the vicinity where the body was found, and he was spoken to, but gave no reply. He was evidently a stranger.

The ordinary meeting of the British-Israel Association was held on Tuesday evening. Mr R. N. Adams in the chair. A very able and instructive paper on British history was read by Mr Adams, the reader dwelling on the Magna Charta, the Reformation, England's success in war, and many other matters of interest to the student of English history.

'It is intended to open the Dunedin Telephone Exchange this morning.

Mr D. Grant, of Granton, had between 30 and 40 bags of whaat burned on Saturday They were stacked in the field, and were part of a large stack which was being carted away. The cause of the fire is unknown.

The annual tea-meeting of the South Dunedin Congregational Church was held last evening, and was attended by about 200 persons. Tea having been partaken of in Naumann s Hall, an adjournment was made to the Town Hall, where addresses were delivered by the pastor of the congregation (Rev. Mr Tonkmson), Dr Roseby, and Messrs Jago and Shaddock. Dr Roseby congratulated the congregation upon the success of their efforts during the year, especially in the matter of their having procured a, site for a church, which he hoped to see erected before the next annual meeting should be held. The choir of the Moray place Church rendered valuable assistance during the evening.

A man named John Morrison was brought up at the City Police Court yesterday, before Mr E. H. Carew, R.M., on a charge of assaulting a woman named Isabella Johnson, with whom lie had lived for 12 years. His Worship sentenced the accused to 12 months' imprisonment, remarking that lie was unquestionably a most brutal man, and not fit to bo allowed into the society of women.

The Bruce Herald states that " one day last week two men, bearing letters of introduction irom a Dunedin labour agent, sought work on the Catlin's River railway works. It was noticed that they were not accustomed to such a kind of employment, and were, for some reasons regarded with suspicion. They were, however told that they might take their meals and sleep m the tent, which they did. On Friday morning, while they were absent, the carpenter was engaged in putting up nomo bunks mthe teut.aud accidentally discovered some

very suspicious-looking articles in the place where the men had slept the previous night. He called in several others, and a search of the men's swags was. instituted, which resulted in the discovery of a dark-lantern, which, when turned o», would show three different shades of coloured light, three revolvers, and nearly 60 keys, besides crooked and bent wires. The men were, upon their return, told that unless they immediately cleared out they would be given in charge. They then left, and took the road in the direction of Balclutha."

A somewhat remarkable case was referred to by his Honor Mr Justice Williams during argument in the Supreme Court yesterday. The facts of it were that a young lady was travelling alone in a railway carriage in America, and the conductor ventured to givehe^ a kiss. Action for assault was taken against the company owning the railway, and after the case had passed through several courts, the plaintiff was finally awarded a thousand dollars damages.

The Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Tunes says :-'< The statement that Mr Garvey, of the Lyttelton Gaol, has been appointed to the charge of the new prison at Mount Cook, Wellington, is denied here. The governorship of that prison has not yet been allotted.- Mr Garvey has been appointed chief warder of the Wellington Gaol; and the building operations of the new prison are to'be under the supervision of Mr G-. W. Proctor of Dunedin."

At Oamaru Court on Monday, Alexander Copeland was charged with absconding from the Industrial School at Caveraham. It appeared that the boy, who had been committed recently to the school for five years for being in an unoccupied house off Tees street, had run away a couple of days after being sent down, and walked from Dunedin to Oamaru. He was ordered to be sent back to complete his term. His Worship cautioned the boy that he might have been sentenced to a whipping for the offence, and that if he appeared again he would certainly receive one.

At the first annual meeting of the Canter bury Caledonian Society, Mr P. Cunningham, in returning thanks for the honour the Society had done him in electing him first president, announced that he had decided to offer the sum of £25 to be expended in promoting one of the objects for which the Society had been formed, and he wished it to be called "The Caledonian Society of Canterbury Scholarship." Mr A. M'Rae then stated that he wished to make a donation of £5, to be expended in recognition of special acts of bravery in saving life in New Zealand or New Zealand waters. Votes of thanks were passed to Messrs Cunningham and M'Rae for their handsome donations.

Some extraordinarily hard swearing took place at the Oamaru Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday. George Wallace, a publican at Isgapara, who has frequently been charged with breaches of the licensing laws, was charged with being drunk whilst driving a buggy. Constable Cleary swore that when he saw defendant driving along the road defendant was drunk. He had a companion in the buggy, who was sober. This companion was James Campbell, a blacksmith, who swore that Wallace was sober, as also did an ostler who had seen the buggy start. The charge was dismissed. Wallace was further charged with using threatening and abusive language to the constable on the same occasion. Constable Cleary was again the only witness for the prosecution ; but for the defence James Campbell swore most positively that they never saw the constable, and, therefore, that Wallace most certainly never used the language imputed to him. His Worship (Mr Robinson) said ho •ould not profess to understand on which side the truth lay, and^dismissed this charge also. According to the Home News, the great American showman, Barnum, is to visit Australia. The celebrated elephant Jumbo, from the London Zoological Gardens, is to be amongst the curiosities of his menagerie.

The fact that the Invercargill tramways ply on Sundays is a heinous offence in the eyes of tho Southland Times. It says :—" It does not need a Sabbatarian to denounce with emphasis the conduct of the Invercargill tramway directors. Tho return they are making for the unexpectedly liberal patronage of the public is to create a public nuisance and outrage the feelings of the best-disposed part of the community. They found a quiet Sunday in the streets of luvercargill and in the suburbs, and they have made one of din and bustle, unmarked, as far as their traffic is concerned, from every other day of the week. . .... It will be a thousand pities if a boon so great as the tramway has furnished is to be countervailed by misuse and perversion. Let it be clearly understood that the present state of things is due simply to the greed of a company (represented by its directors) that is abusing it a privileges, and that prefers indulging that greed to doing justly, loving mercy, and guarding the morality of the people."

What promises to be a most enjoyable* concert is to be given in the Garrison Hall tonight, in aid of the Robert Burns statue fund. The programme is an excellent one. Mrs Murphy, Mrs Ansley (whose- singing was so much admired at the former concert), and Miss Campbell are the • laUy vocalists; whilst tho gentlemen include Mr Eraser, Mr Erancis, Mr Stewart, arid Mr Denovan, the well-known comic singer. Mr A. J. Towsey will give a pianoforte solo, and will accompany throughout; while Mr Schaght, the new leader of the Choral Society, will play a violin solo. The choruses under the conductorship of Mr Stewart will be well worth hearing. Mr Bracken, MHR will also recite "The Eate of Macgregor'■'' The prices (3s, 2s, and Is) are very moderate, and no doubt in this community a concert for such a purposo as the present will be rein arkably well patronised.

The Caversham skating-rink opens to-night. ! Vwvkn.' BaCOD WiU seU furniturfl '"-day at South n&f*™ F^'ff' He Pbu">. and Co. will sell varFriday to-morrow, and general goodo on Messra Bastings, Loary, and Co. will sell furniture da? to-morrow, and in. Canongato on FrlBid^to'day!* 0161"1 Md C°-wiU Bell Pikers at BurnMessrs D. Reid and Co. will hold a clearing sale at Burnett's farm, Mosgiel, on Tuesday, 2nd May • rJtf?% 3d am? ,Sam 3™ a"d Co. will sell a consign* merit of imported goods to-morrow. - "W*;," '"CM option" clause is the beat proof that the old " leaven "is not gone out of us vet We are too lazy to think and actlor oureel yes What is th™Bs^ ft 0" y°U gl ye Ptopl° libert >-i 9to "duckte them that they may become capable of performing local Belf-government." -l.et every man think 'or himself and use his judgment, and not be led by seN 2r retv'n d fUap &T, d baCOnaad hams «« wholesale ?eea of muWon ned Aberv( and corned rounda> smoked legs of mutton, 4d.—A. Dor.nwbu,.-[Adyt.]