Passing Events.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 1, Issue 45, 1 July 1890, Page 2

Passing Events.

We are glad to see that the Colonial Treasurer, in the Financial Statement, has proposed a plan for settling the lands similar to that we have advocated in these columns—namely, to allow intending settlers to make the roads necessary for opening up the country intended for settlement. This plan was adopted in the first settled district in the Colony by the Wellington Provincial Council, with the greatest success, and we see no reason why it should not be equally successful at the present time. We have always held that road-making and railwayconstruction should go hand. in hand with settlement, but, unfortunately, no attempt has ever been made to carry the ideainto practical effect. It should have been done at the time when we had plenty of money to carry out such a plan more rapidly than at the present time, when we are short of funds, but we must console ourselves with the old sayihg, “it is better late than never.”

Mr W. T. Erskine, Secretary of the Pelorus Road Board, has received two letters from the Surveyor-General, one relating to the Alfred Creek bridge, and the other to the road over the hill to Mahakipawa. With regard to the former there is a vague promise that the bridge will be built if there are sufficient funds; but with regard to the latter there appears no intention of making tlie present track into a dray road. The reason given is that it will be very little used on account of the communication by sea being alongside. The Surveyor-General appears to know more about it than those who want to use it.. It is quite clear very strong representations will have to be made and pressure brought to bear before this necessary work will be done.

The application for a change of venue from Nelson to Blenheim of the case in which John Tucker Robinson is charged with embezzling the funds of the Marlborough Education Board has been granted, and, therefore, the case will be heard in Blenheim to-day, or during the week. , Since the above was in type we learn that the case has been postponed and will be heard in Wellington.

The following vessels left the Blackball mill during the months of May and June with timber: —Zior, for Timaru, 50,000 feet; Clematis, for Timaru and Lyttelton, two trips, 100.000 feet; Crest of the Wave, for Lyttelton, two trips, 80,000 feet; Falcon, for Lyttelton, 55,000 feet; Croydon Lass, for Lyttelton, 40,000 feet; total for the two months, 325.000 feet.

A petition, five miles long, in favour of compensation to publicans, has been presented to the English Parliament. It has half-a-million signatures. The Procedure Committee have been appointed. Dissatisfaction is expressed both by the press and the public at the vacillation of the Government with regard to the Licensing Bill. Stansbury and O’Connor mutually agreed to row the race over again yesterday, but so far we have not heard the result.

The railway employees have practically got all their demands conceded to them by the Commissioners. A marriage, which has caused a good deal of interest, took place yesterday, at Havelock, at the residence of the mother of the bride, when Robert, second son of Mr William Brownlee led Iverina, third daughter of the late James Pickering, to the Hymenial altar,, The Rev. Mr Grace officiated at the ceremony. We offer our hearty congratulations to the happy couple, and wish them long life, happiness, and prosperity.

The usual fortnightly dance will be hold in the Town Hall on Friday evening.

We understand that Mr A. P. Seymour will come forward for reelection for the Waimea-Picton electorate.

Messrs W. B. Girling & Co.’s new advertisement appears on the fourth page of to-day’s issue. With reference to this firm we may relate an incident. A lady bought a piece of merino at the Havelock branch, and afterwards went to Wellington, and, wanting a piece more, she tried all over that city to get a piece to match it, but without success, one of the shopmen in a large drapery establishment in Wellington remarking that they would have to give Havelock the palm so far as the quality of their merino was concerned.

The schooner Sisters has just been sold to Mr Kidd, one of our Pelorus Sound settlers, who intends to put her in thorough repair and keep her employed in the Sound lor the convenience of moving stock, etc., and as she is a smart little craft, we feel sure the new owner will do very well with her.

In the course of an interesting and impressive sermon at St. Peter’s Church on Sunday night the Rev. MiGrace alluded to the subject of Biblereading in schools, and hoped at the elections candidates would be asked to pledge themselves in this direction.

A financial journal in England called Fair Play has made a statement that two members of the New Zealand Government, resident in Auckland, owe the Bank of New Zealand £60,000, and that they pay no interest on the amount, with the inference that the Government keep their account with the bank as a sort of set off. Mr Fisher asked the Government whether they intended to take civil or criminal action against this paper for this and other statements of a damaging character.

All persons interested in the' land laws of the Colony will be glad to hear that the Government intend to legislate this session for the prevention of dum-. myismandof the speculative acquisition of Crown lands at Government land sales.

Mr Fyke, member for Dunstan, intends to introduce his Private Schools Bill this session.

The Registration of Electors Bill, introduced by the Minister of Education, is practically a reprint of last year. One innovation was that every person was required to renew his application for his electoral right every three years, and another was the provision for special representation of seamen.

Perpetual lease is shown by the report of the Crown Lands Department to be still the most popular system of land tenure, 852 selectors having availed themselves of it during the year (or 24 more than the previous year), with holdings averaging 313 acres. Cash purchases come next in order, with 702 transactions (including village settlers), and an average area of 141 acres per holding. The formerly popular deferred payment tenure has fallen from 895 selectors in 1880-1 to 428 in 1890, with an average area to each rural selector of 136 acres.

Notwithstanding the universal desire that very little legislation should be introduced this session there appears to be the usual number of Bills placed on the Order Paper. They, of course, include the special fondlings of a number of honourable gentlemen who would become despondent if they did not have their pets within sight.

The debate on the Financial Statement commences to-day, but we are afraid that very little practical good to the country will result from it. There will be the usual amount of abuse instead of fair criticism, with a great display of words without ideas.

In the match with Yorkshire the Australians were defeated by eight wickets. In their match with the North of England the Australians appear to be doing a little better, as they managed to total 216 in their first innings,Murdock 74, Blackham 47, and Turner 42, being the highest scorers, Spofforfch and Woods, of Cambridge, are going to join the team. Sir George Grey has again carried his Law Practitioners Bill in the House of Representatives, as he has done on several previous occasions, but we suppose it will again be thrown out by the “Lords.”

It is proposed to form a branch of the Knights of Labour at Blenheim. Mr B. Rawlings, of Renwicktown, was found on Friday near the river-bed quite dead. It appears he had gone to the post-office, but as he did not return a search party was organised, and he was found as above.

It appears pretty well settled that Sir Harry Atkinson will retain the Premiership nominally, but that Mr Mitchelspn will practically take his place as leader in the House. . In the case against Harris, who was charged with issuing valueless cheques, Mr McCallum said the prosecutor was mislead by an advertisement running in the Havelock paper that he (Harris) had £1,200 to lend. We may say that Harris never had an advertisement in the “ Havelock paper,” but one appeared in a Blenheim paper, stating that he had that amount to leild. Harris was committed for trial.