NOTES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2764, 2 August 1883, Page 2

NOTES.

When Mr Wakelield lost bis seat in Parliament at the last General Election it wi!B observed by a leading morning pnper that he could very well bo done without, because he had never shown any aptitude for practical legislation. There was much truth in tlio remark from the point of view of those who consider that tho whole duty of a politician Consists in swelling tho'bulk of tho Statuto Book. But it was not altogether truo. Mr Wakefiold's sternest censors cannot deny him the credit of one very practical pieco of legislation. He is the author of tho Divorce Act 1881, by which the privilege of getting rid of a bad husband or a bad wife, as the case may be, was brought within the reach of all claisoa. In moving the second reading of his Bill, MrWakctield observed, with just a touch of sarcasm, that under tho law as it stood, divorce was "ai luxury reserved for the wf althy ;" and he appealod to tho democratic spirit (if the House, to extend the operation of that necessary evil to tho suffering poor. This appeal was irresistible, and it was forthwith enacted that thenceforward any Judge of tho Supreme Court might grant the relief which had previously been obtained only by a costly suit before three Judges. The results have been very remarkable, for whereas divorce had, prior to 1881, been very rare in New Zealand, it is now decidedly common. What is moro to tho point, as proving the necesity that existed for tho alteration of the law, it ia most common among those who could- not possibly have reßorted to. it under the old procedure. A striking illustration of this has just occurred at Christchurch, where a carrier, in very humble circumstances, obtained a decree of divorce from his wife, with coats against a Chinese hawker, who was proved to have invaded the sanctity of his home. It was not by any means what is called a fashionable case, and there was nothing at all romantic about it. But it was precisely the sort of caso that Mr Wakefield must have had in his mind when he brought in that eminently practical piece of legislation, the Divorce Act 1881. The Registrar-General goes to infinite- pains to elaborate statistics designed to show tho social condition of the people at various periods. It might not be amiss if he were to includo in his next volume a table setting forth the number of divorces granted in tho colony during each of tho last ten years. One of tho worst features of the Mongolian character, we are told, is insensibility to human suffering. The reading public iu England have been greatly exorcised lately by a description in Mr Gilmour's new book, " Among the Mongols," of a horrid spectacle which he witnessed at Lama Ali'au in Chinese Tartary. A man, presumably a criminal of the worst class, was con G nod in a cage in tho open, street, there to be publicly starved to death. A crowd of people, Mr Gilmour tolls us, were collected round the poor wretch, jeering at him ; and what is most strange, the man himBelf " chaffed back and laughed loudly 'with tho mirth of hell.'" A powerful writer in the Pall Mall Gaztlte, commenting on this story, contends that such dreadful cruelty ia not peculiar to the Mongolian race. " Hardly more than a century since," he says " two negroes, who had joined in a rebellion, were hung up in iron cages by Christian Englishmen at Kingston, Jamaica, and similarly left to starve to death before the eyes of a hostile crowd ; bo that such cases can hardly be conßidored fatal to the claims of any religion ns a molliGor of manners." Somewhat disingenuously, we think, this writer omits to mention that these two negroes had committed indescribable outrages on settlers' wives and daughters who had fallen into their power during tho rebellion ; and that tho passions of the whites wero inflamed to such a pitch at the moment, that all considerations of humanity were forgotten in tho frenzy of revengo. It must be admitted, nevertheless, that the case was bad enough. But, after all, tho feeling of horror and indignation that is aroused by such narratives as these, is caused mainly by the way in which the thing is put. There does not appear to be anything at all shocking to the sensibilities of tho British public in starvation per se, even when it is inflicted most conspicuously and when the victims are entirely innocent. Men, women and children may any day be seen starving to death in the streets of London; and if tho crowds of well fed and wealthy people who surround them do not actually jeer at them, they certainly display no sympathy with them, but on the contrary, treat them with contemptuous indifference. Wo observe from the published returns, that there were fifty-eight deaths in the metropolitan district last year, upon which Coroners' juries returned a verdict of death from starvation. Twenty-three occurred in the central division of Middlesex, twentyeight in the eastern, three in tho western, one in Westminster, and one in Greenwich. Thus it will bo seen that starvation ia a more or less common practice in all parts of London. It may safely be calculated that the cases on which verdicts are found by Coroners' juries, do not number one-tenth of those which actually occur. The chances are that more people are starved to death in London every year than in all the towns of Chinese Tartary put togethor. No feature in the character of the English, probably, would strike a Mongolian traveller more than their total insensibility to human suffering.

Winchester FAin. — The usual monthly fair at Winchester will bo held to-day. Boaud of Education. — -The ordinary monthly meeting of the South Canterbury Board of Education will be held at tho Education Office this morning, at a quarter past eleven. Grain CojirANY.— A meeting of tho promoters of the Winchester Grain and Produce Storago and Dressing Company (Limited) will bo held at Winchester to-day, at three o'clock, to consider important business. The Timabu RACBcorraaß Bbsbbts Bill. — This Bill was passed through, the Legislative Council yesterday, after certain amendments had been made in it.

Ashbtjrton Poultry Snow. — For tins show, which is to be held to-morrow and Saturday, 33G entries have been received, Bhowing an incrense of Gl over last year. The numbers for this year are li-t poultry, 82 pigeons, and 110 canaries, Ac. District lliGri School.- The South Canterbury Board of Education notify by nn advertisement in another column, that the public school at Temuka has been created a District High School under clnuee 55 of The Education Act 1877, and that, a secondary course of instruction will forthwith be commenced. Particulars as to fees, and subjects of tho course are. also published, TJkclaimbd Letters. — The following is a list of letters from places beyond the colony, received at. the Post-office, Timaru, during the month of May, 1883, and unclaimed on the 31st July, 1883 :— Burr, Charles ; Campbell, David ;" Cronen, Miss Julia (two) ; Fitzgerald, Miss Mary ; Hall, F. W. ; Hokton, Miss Adelaido ; Johnson, C. ; Kemplen, Fred. J. j Kerneth, Mrs W. ; Kreb?, E. (barque Rewa) ; Martin, 11. ; McGallagley, James ; O'Neill, Mr ; Smith, Mathew ; Thomson, Captain (barque Rewa) ; 'flicker, James ; Williams, Mrs M. ; Yeats, Duncan M. Resident Magistrate's Court, Timaru. — J. Beswick, Eeq., R.M., and H. 11. Hcnnnh, Esq., J.P., occupied the Bench at this Court yesterday. Before taking any cases, His Worship gave judgment in the cases adjourned from the previous day. In that of W. F. Christie v. F. E. Rad'don, judgment was given for defendant with costs, £2 17s. In doing so, His Worship said ho was quite satisfied that there had been a. breach of contract on the part of Christie, and that the wheat was in too wet a condition to bo threshed. In tho cross action, F. E. Raddon v. W. F. Christie, the plaintiff was nonsuited, costs amounting to £2 2s being allowed. Tho following civil case was then heard : — J. Smith v. R. B. Sibly, claim £5 5s Cd. The sum of £3 17s was paid into Court by defendant. This claim was for work anil labor done at the defendant's quarry and workshop, and after the evidence of both parties had been given, His Worship gave judgment for the amount claimed and costs 11s, including the amount paid into Court. Three men, named respectively John Sims, Jame» Dennison and Henry Bodlev, were charged with trespassing on MrT. 11. Wigley's run. The accused admitted the offence, and were lined 4Os each. This being all the business, the Court rose. E^OLisn Cadlk News. — The following special telegrams appear in a contemporary : — "London, July 31st. Carey, the informer, was travelling under the assumed name of Power, and was shot as the steamer Melrose was nearing Port Elizabeth. He expired shortly after receiving the wound. O'Donnell, the murderer, was delivered over to the Natal police. On the news of Carey's death reaching Ireland there was the wildest excitement at Cork and I Dublin. — Sir Julius Vogel has secured the right to lay cables between Western Australia, Ceylon and Singapore, and intends to reduce the charges for transmission of messages. — In the House of Commons on Mr Norwood's amendment, Sir Stafford Northcote deprecated the question being made a party one by Mr Gladstone The Parncllites abstained from voting. — It is now stated that by the earthquake at Ischia 4000 were killed. In the village of Lawo, only five escaped death.— Five hundred French infantry have been ordered to Madagascar. — At a meeting of tho shareholders of the Union Bank, the Chairman expressed a fear that the Banks in the colony would scarcely escape losses during the current year. — Eleven hundred pounds have been subscribed towards tho Colonial Institute building fund." The Disasters of Mat 1-tin, 1882. — Among the despatches from His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand to the Secretary of Stato for the Colonies, we find the following : — " Government House, Auckland, 21st May, 1883.— My Lord,— l have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's Despatch, No. 15, of the sth March last, covering a copy of a correspondence which had passed betweon the Royal Humane Society and the Colonial Office, concerning tho request made by the Government of Xew Zealand, that tho gallant efforts of certain persons at Timaru, in this colony, to save life from drowning, should be brought before tho Society. Tho Committee have evidently acted undera misapprehension as to the facts of the case. This colony ' has no Humane Society recognised by the Governor.' I learn, from the enclosures to your Lordship's Despatch, that there is ' a Society in Melbourne bearing the namo of the Royal Humane Society of Australasia,' but as neither I nor my Government have any cognizance of that Society, New Zealand cannot bo regarded as within its sphere. I transmit herewith a copy of a memorandum which I havo received from my Ministers on the subject, and I hate the honor to suggest that, should your Lordship see fit, these facts should be brought to the notice of tho Committro, in order that the caso may be adjudicated by them. I havo, 4c, Wm. F. Druiimojtd Jervois." — Enclosure referred to : " Memorandum for His Excellency. — In returning to his Excellency the Despatch and enclosed correspondence, respecting an application for the Royal Humane Society's recognition of efforts to savo life during a storm at Timaru, in May, 1882, tho Premier has tho honor to reply to the question put by His Excellency, that it does not appear that the Royal Humane Society of Australasia, at Melbourne, has been recognised by New Zealand, or indeed that any correspondence has taken place with the NcwZealaud Government regarding that Society. The Premier would bo glad if His Excellency would ask thd Colonial Offico to communicate theso facts to the Royal Humane Society, and to state that it is the desire, of this Government that New Zealand eases of bravery with respect to saving life should be considered and dealt with by that Society. (Signed) Fbed. WniTAKER, Wellington, May Bth, 1883." BYNOPSIS OF NBW ADVERTISEMENTS. Maclean and Stewart— Will sell horses, drays, ploughi, bugjry harness, Baddies, &c, on Saturday ; sheep and cattle at Studholme Junction on Monday next. B. Wllkln and Co.— Will sell household furniture and effects on Friday ; leasehold section on Saturday. O. Purdle and Co.— Have cocksfoot seed, trees, seeds, Ac. on sale. S.C. Board of Education- Notify that the Temuka Public School has been created a District High School. Waiting employment and wanted— General servants at Davics Labor Exchange. Lost— Throe notices. Found— One notice. In Bankruptcy— Ro D. W. Richmond. Wanted- Ono notice.