THE DAILY OTAGO TIMES. MONDAY, JULY 29, 1895.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10424, 29 July 1895, Page 2

THE DAILY OTAGO TIMES. MONDAY, JULY 29, 1895.

"We not very long ago alluded to the difficulty of getting parliamentary returns from the Government, which difficulty has become quite a feature— and a very disagreeable one—of these modern days. Certainly no such difficulty was ever thrown in the way of the representative before. Ko small portion of the Hansard oi: this session is taken up with;- the complaints of, member after member that on various flimsy excuses and sometimes with scarce an excuse at all, returns were refused or opposed, or the order for them neglected or disobeyed. It was pretty much the same last session. There are always plausible professions on the part of Alimsters that they are most anxious to give all necessary information but this is wrong or something e l se i s o ut of order, and so the return is either not given at all or the special occasion tor which it was wanted is paat It often happens that returns are wanted tor the purpose of a debate— to enable some particular matter to be properly discussed. In view of the debate on the Address-m-Eoply, for instance, it wa, desn-able that the yearly abstract o£ the revenue and expenditure should be before the House, not for an

exhaustive financial discussion, but as a commentary upon the financial, references 'in the Governor's Speech. The law requires that such an abstract should be gazetted immediately (" forthwith "is the expression used) after it has been certiiied to by the Audit Office, and it must be in the bauds. of the Auditor-general within 30 days after the close of the financial year. The financial year ends on 31st. March, so that there shcmld be nobbing to prevent publication of the abstract by the middle of May. Yet Parliament met on the j 20th June, and the information 'was not before it. It is true that the ! quarterly accounts are separately pub- i lished. But the same statute that i requires quarterly accounts to be • gazetted also demands publication of: the full abstract for the year, the only form in which the information is easily available. In view, too, of a discussion on the Financial Statement, the most important ot the year, returns explanatory of general heads of revenue and expenditure are always required, yet the greatest difficulty is no\v experienced in getting the information, ii: it is got at all—which is not very often. It was very material to the discussion of Mr "Ward's London exploits that the date on. which lie sent his three million .-worth of securities Home should be known, were it but to j | test the_ accuracy of statements of his1 i which in other directions were hope- . j lessly conflicting. But Sir Rojjkiit Stout could not get the information in ! time i'or the debate, nor does he appearto have got it yet. Five minutes' research in the books of the Treasury would haye been sufficient for the purpose. But the return was "opposed," and therefore even a simple piece of . information of the kind could not be got. Two or three days ago a return or last year's Ministerial travelling expenses was presented which had been moved for on the 4th July 1894 ! The return would probably not have been given now but that the member who originally moved for it (Ml- Geoiige Hutchisox) had returned to the charge and was becoming troublesome. The excuse offered by the Premier in the first instance was that the return had been asked for too late in the session of: 1894 to enable liini to supply it. When it was pointed out to him that July 4 was really early in the session he discovered that pressure of work in the public offices precluded the compiling of the information. And so on with other returns, one of which was required by the Consols Act of lost year. All this is bad a.nd politically disreputable. It is the method* not of statesmen, but of mere political' hucksterers, who are Avilling to resort to any paltry device to escape a momentary inconvenience. That returns are opposed with the deliberate object of withholding information calculated to be useful to Oppositionists in debate, or weighty in addressing constituencies .during the recess, there is abundant evidence. Sometimes it ■is not convenient i'or the Government ostensibly to oppose returns, in which case a'■ Government supporter of the subservient order is put up to "block" them. When Sir Robert Stout moved i'or a return of amounts spent in Government advertising for the past few years Mr Halt.—a typical follower of the Government—opposed it on the flimsy ground that it did not travel back far enough (which was no concern of his in any case), though it turned out that the information for the years he required was already in print. The unfortunate feature of the matter is that there is no sufficient remedy for the evil, since the highest court •in the land is the culprit. Returns are of_ three kinds. First, there are papers laid on the table by command of his Excellency, or by'him in answer to an address of the House; Secondly, there are returns in response to an order of the House; and finally, those pur-^ suant to statute. It" is in connection with \ the' two last that the trouble comes in. If the House should refuse a return there the matter ,must end. Should the Government disobey the order it would amount to a contempt'of the House, but in its present demoralised and subservient coin dition it would not punish the contempt. "^ut re,frjrns demanded-; by statute are on a different footing. A Governm eht with a majority may alter the law, but it has no more right to break it than the meanest citizen of the colony. It is true that it cannot be punished in the ordinary way. But it has. to be remembered that the Governor,: is the supreme guardian of the law in ajiy British colony. It was for permit-, ting his Parliament to break the law that Sir Charles Darling was recalled from "Victoria on a memorable occasion some.3o years or •so ago. And if neglect of the requirements of the law should ever grow into a serious evil— which in these days of subservient majorities i 3 quite a possibility-^-there would be nothing for it but to petition the Governor to remedy the evil.

The eleotiono in Great Britain and Ireland are now all but complete, only four returns having to coins to hand. Though the Libarals who followed Lord Rosebsry have held their own fairly well dating the past few days, the rout is still very complete. The Conservatives and Liberal Unionists now number 4-10, and have np fco the pre6snt an actual majority of 154- against any combination.

Two earth tremora and a smart shook of earthquake were nofeiced in Duuedin on Saturday morning. The first tremor was felO about 7.16, and the.second about 10 or 12 minuteß later. At 7.42 there was a short, sharp shock, the direction being apparently west to east. Our Port" Chalmers representative writes that a Smart shack from the S.B. was experienced there st 7,30 a.m., laatiog for about 20 seconds.

We understand that up to the present the witneoses who gave evidence at the inquest on the bodies of the children found in the garden of Minnie Dean at The Lsrchea, Wintoa, hava nob been paid • their expenses. It would bs interesting to learn why there has bssn snch an unrs&sonßblo delay, involving in imny cases considerable hardship.

The Hon. J. G.'Ward, in a letter to the Boubhland Times, states that s circular, signed " John M'Qcf.ea, Knapdßle," with reference to the SouthLnr.d Frozen Meat Company and the Ocean Beach Freezing Works;, has been forwarded to hira. "It conteina," he mite, " Bfcatementß that are grossly untrua ; and ss I aia informed that the 'wire-puller' therein referred to ia intended to apply to me, I desire to Gtete that I am instructing my solicitors to take P roce2d;ngs against. the writer. A more malicious slander has never been published. For the information of those who mo.y have received the circnler, I desire to state that no propoeal of any £md hna been made, or any influence whatever attempted to bo exeromed by either the Mcaers Keisan or myself, either ia New Zealand or in London, for amalgamation of the Ocean Beach with the Southland Freezing Company.. Ob the contrary, I have been, and am, opposed to such a course ; nor hss any attempt o*r request of any kind been made to the Southland Company's bankers to interfere with any bnsiness. arrangements between them."

Me Panlin sent us the following forecant fit '8 o'clock last evening :—" Squally S.W. to S.E. winds, and Hnow or hail nhoweiM in about 12 hours; indications stormy and cold."

At last wec.lt's meeting of tho Women's Franchise Lcf.gae ib was reported tb.it the researches of fbe Visiting Committee plainly show the necessity for some radical change in tho administration of charitable P.id, for ■ it; appcara that while men are able to mcke their wants known, and by combination get tkem tupplied, weuk and sickly women and children are practically let perishing amidst misery, hunger, acd dirt. One instance of privation so Effected t.he visitors th&t; one o£ them there and then stripped herself of her uuderhkirts to cover her suffering sister, while another went home and fetched an (,-xtra bedstead (there being only one for a sickly mother and five children), while the Bewing Bte supplied' beds, bedding, fco. The erecutive earnestly appeal for ntill further help from t),ose comfortably lircorostauceJ in life, so that tho lives of these suffering ones miy fee tp.vle n little reore huivsn t ua<i thry

ISI-11. U, Wilivi: sod, onb!»turday,was Jtclcd, on the nomins.bion of Robert Alien siiid Samuel M'Ciacken, to represent North Ward in the Cavwfham Council.

From a private letter receiv.-.d by a lilosgiel rogident tho Advocate Icarus thai; on one station in Ountral Oiago no . .-' than 4COO uui of 16,000 she&i> were misai'i.; after the recent snowstorms. On olbtr stations it ha 3 not b&en discovered tiat tho loss among the cheep is very heavy, h.ti'l many of tin stafciou-ov/nera have buffered. «. reverse from which they will (,nke a lu.ig limn to recover. Oh" tho 40G0 missing hhtcp alluclsd to above, it has not: yefc been ascsitaii:e4 beyond a doubts that all have perished. i The d. alii w-s lately announcel ia Vienna of the popular Australian composer Herr Franz yon SupfC*, icom whose compositions the Dun--1 ediu 'Orchestral Society frequently play eelec- ; tions. The. oeseased was born nt.Sp&lato, in i Dalraatia, in 185:0. I A question of Ici raised (says a contemporary) 'is whether or ro'; a Bank of England note/ I whicli maiuly composes the national currency, in invariably g'jod ior its face. As a matter of: fact, whe'htrlcst or stolen, the note will alwajs be paid aO tie back. This point was finally settled naaitj- y; ars ago by the theft of £20,000 lin notes by tto principal clerk in one of the | London bnafcs. Ho escaped to Holland, and j there dispecud ot tho notes to a Jew. The • theft, with the number of tbe notes, was widely j advertised for aix months. After that period the Jew appeared with them and demanded payment, which was refused.- Hewent to the Exchange and raised an outcry. The bank, hs said, had refused to pay itn o.nn notes, and was clearly insolvent. In a few, minutes a cleric appeared to invite him back to the cashier's office, and his-claim, as well as the question which it raissd, wti3 settled for all lime. Newly all tLe (stolen notes* iv England aie returned through bookmakers. Tbese gentlemen do business on racecourses, and have no | means of tracing person-) who deal with them. i They euStr do lo3s through ths stolen paper, j and are very generally used ia this way by the i thieves.

A fracas Gc-urredin Mitchell street, Bendigo, tho othee eveaiiig which cau^sd much sensation. A man styling himself "P.ofessor" Richard had beau giving lectures a::d exhibiting his powers &san-electric healer. "Dr" Stanley :\ud his wife wers also visiting Bendigo, aud annonnceniects havo nptisared -id the: local papsro which show that no.lora is losb between tho ps.rtie3. The othtr ni,>jhb Stanley met: Itichird.iu. BiitcliGll etrcet and assaulted him. Stanley appesred to get the worat of the encounter, End Mrs Stanley weat to her husbaud's assistance. She gave Bichard a severe trouncing with a horsewhip, cutting his head and hand. Richard bad a warrant issued, and Siiftuley aud his wife were arrested on charges of iwsaulfc, but were afterwards bailed c vi. Iv the watohhouse boDks A. M. Stanley, who is 06 years of age and an Eoglishman, and Amy P. Stanley, ajed 39, a native of England, are described as pnsciilists.

It is agvitt.rumoured (a New York telegram dated 13th June says) thst the Prince of Wales is to .visit Newport this summer, and that he will be the guest of Mr and Mrs Ogden Gbelet. Mr Got-ltt has recently ordered extensive radccoratioD of his house at Newport, and it is said: that a suite will bo especially decorated for the Frinca. ?»Irs Goelet is a daughter of B. T. WiUori, aud the Goelets have a handsome towa residence at 609 Fifth avenuo. It is more elaborately deoorated and furnished iv the interior than the outward appearance would lead one ;to exps&t. Its large drawing room is hung iri"hesivy silks,^and the spacious. hallway of English weathered oak adorned with exquisite carvings from old Indian temples and a fireplace of Sieuna marble. 16 is said that the decorations o? this hall and. of the main drawspg room cost ■ 30,C00d0l.1 Mr and Mm Goelet have been in Europe for some time past cruising in the MediSgrrtuHan iv, their yacht, thu White L&dfc,: which was formerly tho property:of Mrs Laiigtry. Their acquaintance with the Prince of'VVale3 is ssid to have commenced several years ago, and thsy ara said to bs among the few Americans who are reckoned among his friends. The Princa of Wales has not been in America Tiince 1860, and at that'time he did noc visit Newport. It is expected that the season at Newport this summer, in coafcrasb to the rather dull one of last year, will bs especially brilliant,, and the prasence of tha Prince will be :i favouiing circumst?.ncs.

; A correspoude-ifc of the Sydney Diily Telegrtiph ■-states that the reciprocity tariff negotiated by tbe Colonial Treasurer with tho 'Dominion, of Gaaada is mainly freetrode in respect to waay ciasses of natural products and manufactures, but in a few-lines there ara ad valorem duties of 10 to 25 per ceut. Ona of the chief item:! is wool, of which Canada imported frc<sn Now Zealand lisa year upwards of £3.000,000 worth. The duty on this was 3= a lb, so that iihe remission of this impost would mean a very considerable gain to pastoralisSs. Among the other liuss dealt with ara lumber, flour,, fisb, flix, mftchintry; tools and implements, furnifeute, &o.

According to the Melbourne Argus, Canadian riflemen, who compete regularly in England for toe Kolapore Cup, have been making inquiries in Sydney with a view to sending a teim to shoot in Ne^Zealand and Australia next year.

Mr Hugo Fischer, agent'for ilr H. S. Smythe, arrived in Buaedin yesterday from Melbourne, to m?ke arrangements for a short season cf lectures by the famous war correspondent; Mr Frederic Villiers. The first lecture is to be given on Tuesday, 6th August.

Messrs James Samson and Co. will hold a sale of household furniture, &c. to-morrow.

Messrs Donald Raid and Co. will hold a sale of graiu t"his morning. The Leitk U>dr.e, 1.0.0 F., will hold an in memorhua ceremony this evening. .A tea meeting will be held iv the Choral Hall on Wednesday oveaing to welcome Bro. Mazingrab, who will in future conduct the services in the Stivirt street Hall.

The 'Farmers' Agency Company will hold a sale of grain and produce to-day. Mesar* Park, Hr.ynoids, and Co. will sell household furniture, tools. &c. to-day.

The New Zealand Loan jmd Mercantile Agency Company will hold a sale of graiu and produce to-day.

Mr W. A. Walton will sell on Friday, 9th August, freehold property in Eothesav, West Harbour.

The Bey. Thooaa Tait, H.A., will re-deliver at the Garrison Hall, on Wednesday evening, in Vid of the fumls of the Otago Miners'Associat'ioK hh dr&wiog ruoui lecture and entevtainraoat. which proved so successful last week. Several leading amateurs will assist. B Mr r. Neyiou, an elderly gentleman, who resides in Walker street, suffered for over a vp-m----with liver complaint and indigestion He took LOASnv's "Wab.no," and was cured in' four days

Among luc.il productions Stones' Directories take high rank,'and we understand tW "if, Otaso edition for JB»S h now in couk-e of pre paration Being printed in the colon,, cmXv rnent is thereby afforded to Btmedia workfnun and the information is also brouelir r!,« ' deSS^^^^-^cal Princes .street. The oldest estehlUhM 1' "4 town. Repairs of all kinds totn T' Se X 1 ti^^^e^^^^to C.ll .W

Fiudiug our stock of Waterproof Coats somewhat baivy for this time of Ihe year, we have decided to offerthem at a substantial reduction Sea acvp.vUseroent on third pajre.— \V. and R fccorr. —[Advt.J

hc-e U. and i. fcauNo's Christmas advertisement ou first page, aad Dote that watch, dock, find jewellery repairs receive personal supervision of Mr 1. (t. 1 ounff. Cxunputent workmen only eatployed. ba'vi^faotion guaranteed. Moderate pricei.-.—[Anv ] .Spaoially proparsd aodawater-for invalids, ■ as' Btipjibed by Thomson and Co. to the Diinedui aad Wellington .HmspiWs, Union Coinpaav's er.t-.re ih^t, and other public invitations. In nearly sU eases'of-sickness Thomson and Co's soJawatcr is held in high esteem by physicians for_ its.purity and wttoieaonie action in iwsirruluting %yith milk and other nutritious liquids Labelled with name and trade mark —f A'bv'f ]