Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1891.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6027, 26 March 1891, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1891.

NEW ZEALAND AND FEDERATIO >.

Up to the meeting of the present Convention the people of this colony exhibited a lukewarm interest on the subject of Federation. There have been platitudes by Sir George Grey and others about New Zealand being allowed to work out her own glorious future ; that the colony was certain, if left unfettered, to become the mistress of the thousands of islands in the South Pacific, and more high-falutin talk of the sort. Our trade with the islands is * mere bagatelle compared to that with Australia, and in all likelihood will continue so if New Zealand becomes a part of the proposed Dominion. The producers of the colony know perfectly well on which side their bread is buttered. At present Australia, next to England, ia our best customer, and with absolute freermefr between all the colonies, there would be an immense development of intercolonial commerce. Federation is in a fair way of being accomplished. Tho two great colonies of the group appear to be in fair agreement on the subject, the principal objections having come from the representatives of the smaller communities, and the objections have been put forward more with the object of obtaining favorable terms than with the object of d of eating the isolations movedby SirHenryParkes. very little importance should be attached to the telegram sent to the Convention by Sir Bryan O'Loajhlen Btating that Victoria would never surrender the control of her Custom dutieß. Although Sir Bryan was for a short time the Victorian Premier, be has never been regarded as one of the leading pnblift msn. of. -thfi_oDli)ny-_.lt was notorious that his Government existed upon sufferance, for it was too weak to be capable of doing mischief. The Convention did quite right in talcing no notice of the telegram. The Protectionist party is strong in Victoria, and probably Sir Bryan's action was an attempt to gain poptlarity amongst that section of the peoole. There can be no union of the colonies without intercolonial free trade. Victoria has not be&n asked to make any sacrifice at the outset, as it is understood that the tariff of that colony will form the basis of the Customs duties throughout the Dominion. If New Zealand could be kept, out of the Federation, the producers of Victoria would be greatly benefited by the establishment of intercolonial free trade The production of agricultural and dairy produce in Victoria exceeds local requirements, and New South Wales and Queensland would, in the absence of New Zealand competition, afford profitable markets for tho surplus. The Victorian farmers would bo glad to see New Zealand excluded from the Dominion, but if this colony remains out it will be through its own choice. The. fnct if? that the refusal of New Zealand to join at the outset has materially helped the canse of Federation. If this colony decided to join the Dominion, the agricultural community on the other side would at once be aroused to a sense of danger. A provision that this colony can join hereafter will fully meet the case. Our farmers will not long resist the temn. tation of free Australian ports for their produce. A T T nion of the other six colonies will assuredly be followed by a stroncr agitation in Otago and Canterbury for New Zealand to join the Federation. The colony must stand aloof. Selfinterest and sentiment are on the same side. Tho advantages of intercolonial free trade far outweigh every other consideration. Since the foregoinc was written a cablegram has been received stating that Mr j Munro, the Premier of Victoria, is of opinion that the prospects of Federation are gloomy, as neither his colony nor Nesv South Wales is likely to accept the new j constitution, Th© Customs tariff is not ; the rock on which the Federal ship is likely to come to grief. The composition of the Senate is sure to be the great point j of divergence. The smaller colonies claim representation on that body out of all proportion to their population. They point j to the United Statesfor a precedent. In the Senate of the Great Republic, Rhode Island has as much representation as New York, though tho latter has thirty times the population. But ths constitution of the United States was framed more than a hundred yoars ago, and the American has a superstitous dread that if the work of alteration were once entered upon the whole structure would tumble down. The constitution of the United States, although advanoed when framed, hae fallen behind the times. As a matter of fact, the will of the people is more potent in "the Mother Country than in her great offshoot on the western side of the Atlantic. It is absurd in these days to propose that Western Australia or Tasmania should have equal representation with New South Wales or Victoria in the Upper Chamber of n Federal Parliament.

Mrs Ledger announces the arrival of a ! krgo and well-aelected Btock of autumn dr pety and faucy goods, an enumeration of wLiuh' will be found in our advertising oolumns. At the R. M Court this morning the preBiding Justioes wera Messrs Tucker and Lucas. The following civil oasea were heard:-!). VI Orr v. Alfred Uillis, claim £8 7s Bd, judgment for default with costs L 2 (Mi- Nol.n for plaintiff) ; D. M. Orr v. \V S. Greene, claim Ll la Bd, judgment by default with 7s costs ; Cook County Council v. James Irvine, claim i/10 12s 6<l, judgment by <lo-f.-uilt with co ts Ll Is. The case of D. M. Orr v VVaikore, claim Ll4 7s 6d on a dishonored r.N. was next heard. Mr Nolan appeared for plaintiff and Mr Bay for defendant. Defendant pleaded satisfaction of the p.n. Judgment was given for plaintiff for the amount olaimed ess 245, with costs L 2 Us. The following petition to the Harbor Board is now in the course of signature : — " We, the un-iersign^rt masters, owners, and consignees beg respectfully to bring under your notice the great want of accommodation provided for vessels plying to your port for discharging or taking in cargo, and to ask that your Board will be pleased to extend the present wharf, taking into consideration the factg of the increasing trade of this port, and also thus tho berth .#e dues charged here are for in excess of every other port in New Zeilanrl, whilst facilities for discharging are so limited that on y two vessels cau discharge at a time, and have room for the lighters baking in or discharging cargo. Unless this is done the freights will have to be considerably increased to recoup tho loss entailed on vessels unable to j a berth to discharge or take in cargo. I The alleged failure of the Gisborne harbor ■ works is now and again referred to in moat unexpected quarters. Mr Moritzaon, of Dunedin, in a report on the grass-seed crop of the colony, say 3 :— " In Poverty Bay the ryegrass crop will be of fair average, although some say it will be short, but it is wonderful how the seed cornea forward when prices rule high. \ great deal of thia seed will be wanted within the province. Six shillings a bushel is easily got for good seed f o.b. In fact, we know of several transactions having taken place at 6s 6d f.o b., and rtven thai price was got for a 400 aack lob on the farm ; but unfortuna ely the whole wts uonsumed by fire before delivery, with no in aurance on it— a heavy loss for the poor farmer. The breakwater at < «isborne is a perfect farce, and so many thousands of pounds thrown into shallow water, and not into deep, where it should have been The smaller steamer taking passengers to and from vessels arriving, and drawing 3ft of water, can get behind the breakwater at hi^h water and calm weather. Auckland, of course, produces very little in cere ils and seeds, but their maize growing seems to expand, aso the kauri gum and flax trade. I ■<aw the Leading Wind, which was on fire, scuttled and sunk in the harbor. The harbor is next to Wellington for facilities, but it surpasses Wellington for beauty >iid scenery and for yachting and excursions. The surroundings of Wellington harbor are ngly in the extreme The town of Auckland has beautiful surroundings. The streets are, however, b.dly kept, but it seemed to me a ■msy town. At tke R. M Court to-day Messrs Tucker utd Lucas, J.P.s, heard a case, Sydenhara >xenham v. Michael Su livan, claim HO. ■Ir Cluisp appeared for plaintiff and Mr Finn for defendant The case for plaintiff was that a horse was bought on condition chat the warnntthat the horse was sound nd fit for shaft work was true. L 7 was paid ou delivery, and immediately afterwards i 6 was found the horse was not sound. The plaintiff claimed a return of tho L 7 and L 3 for breach of warrant. Plaintiff said that early in the year he was wanting a shaft horse. Defendant said, "I have a good fil-y which will make a good shafter."^ Defendant took him to see the filly, and witness asked if she were souud, and he replied that she was, and couldn't be otherwise, as she had never been handled, and that he could depend on having no trouble with her, but put her to work at once. He pressed him to take her, and said ha could take his word she would make him a thorough good shafter. Eventually a receipt was drawn up and signed, and the horae delivered. Immediately on delivery he examined her, and found she would not lead, and from her action she was _ya>l unless. .._H.n. 2ftye_himnptIce~to~£ak"e"Her aw y. Sullivan subsequently denied receiving the note, though wifcuess saw him receive it and read it, and Sullivan said " You were so smart in telling everybody about the mare, you have spoiled the stile of her, and now you will have to keop her. If you had come to me quietly at first;, I would have taken her back." Two days fter witness proposed arbitration, and he said "we don't want any trouble about this bloomin' horse : we are both poor men, and can't afford to give our money to lawyers " Sullivan woulc 1 give no answer. Witness sent him two further letters, but could get no reply He had lost time, and had not been able to get on w&b. his work owing to breach of the warranty. The h»rse could not turn, as something was wrong with her back. In cross-exam nation witness said the horse looked to be a good one, though he preferred a colt which Sullivan said would not suit him, and then witness agreed to take the filly at Ll4 Prichard told him the horse appeared to be of a sire to suit him. He relied on the defendant's word as to the horse's qualities and made no further enquiries. Six witnesses were called on behalf of plaintiff John Wall said the horse was crooked and couldn't turn. It was only fit to be placed on a cart with its legs tied. When put into shafts by Oxenham she fell on her noso, nobody being near her. Tho other witnesses gave corroborative evidence, Goodnight saying Sullivan said, "I'll guarantee she ia as sound as a bell." Defendant gave evidence that Oxenham said he sont a man to see the filly, and hejsaid she would suit him. Oxenham saw the fil y and colt and said they were regular beauties. Witnosa denied that he gave any warranty, bub said ho warranted her to be sound as far as he knew. He knew nothing wrong with her. Did not tell him she would make >i good shafter. (Left sitting).