The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1883.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2799, 12 September 1883, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1883.

There waa a great fuss tbe other day when the Legislative Council vejected the Land Bill, and at one time there was some talk of the Government swamping the Council, or doing something equally absurd. It all ended m smoke, however, ns everyone of any sense expected it would. The Government far from resenting the Council's action, expressed their acquiescence m it, m the most practical way, by introducing a short Measure containing sundry provisions of the Land Bill which were unobjectionable since they did not alter, but only facilitated the working of tbe existing laud law. What the Legislative Council stood out against was Mr Rolleston's proposal to establish perpetual leases of Crown land, without the right of purchase; and though there has been a. mighty show of indignation on account of their rejection of that scheme, we shrewdly Buspect that nobody really feels at all put out about it except Mr Rolleston himself. With him, the scheme of perpetual leasing is a matter of personal vanity and ambition. Most of our more prominent Ministers have some particular Measure or project which they are individually identified with, and which they like to be regarded as the author of. Sir Julius Yogel has his Public Works Policy, as the colony knows to its eoßt. Mr Bowen has the Education Act. Sir John Hall has the honor of having restored the public credit and saved the colony from bankruptcy. He is also known aa the first Minister who ever passed a Representation Act on a definite principle. Mr Bryce is famous for bin reform of the Native Office, and for his successful performance of the task of suppressing the Parihaka fanaticism. Major Atkinson takes a marvellous pride m his local government scheme, and m his project of national insurance; just as we often sec a child possessed by an ardent affection for a couple of clumsy, shapeless dolls, which nobody else can see any beauty m. Even Mr Dick has something that he likes to call hi 9 own. He has the Gaming and Lotteries Act. It is a poor thing, but his own. Now, Mr Rolleston has been m Parliament for many years, and has been a Minister for four years. Yet he has never done anything by which he could be remembered. He had an extraordinary opportunity of gaining a historical name m 1881, m connection with native affairs. Early m that year, Mr Bryce resigned, and Mr Rolleston stepped into his shoes as Native Minister, and did very well indeed m that capacity, 60 long as things went smoothly. Later on, however, the Parihaka trouble was revived m a very formidable shape, and the Government had to make up their mind either to pnt Te Whiti down, and make v clean sweep of the whole business, or else to surrender the West Coast to Maori supremacy. It wa3 just one of those crises which are the opportunity and the delight of men of really great qualities; aud those who up to that time had reposed unbounded confidence m Mr Rolleston, eagerly declared that the man and the hour had come. The hour was all right, — but the man turned out to be the wrong one. Those who knew Mr Rolleston beat, stuck to it all along that Vie would never have the nerve to tackle Te Whiti. They said it was not m him and that he was bound to turn tail at tbe last moment. But events marched apace, and it was quite clear that somebody would have to tackle Te Whiti m the course of a very few days. Sir John Hall, it was well known, had pluck enough m his feeble little body to undertake that or any other necessary job. What man dared, he dared. Major Atkinson again, the rough and tough old Major, is " grit to the muzzle," as they say m the mining districts ; and nothing would have pleased him better than to lay aside his Treasury schedules and take a run down to Parihaka to square accounts with Te Whiti. But Mr Rolleston was Native Minister. The affair distinctly lay m bis department ; and it would have been rather too proaoncc if the invalid Premier or tbe Treasurer, long retired from military service, had taken it off his hands. Yet something had to be done, and smartly too. Mr Rolleston at length issued the celebrated Proclamation giving Te Whiti a month's notice to quit ; and both those who believed m Mr Rolleston aud those who did not, watched the sequel with the deepest interest. That month, we suspect, was an ugly time for Mr Rolleston. It was, indeed, a. time that would have tried the stuff of any man ; and, m effect, it tried tbo stuff that was m him, more severely than it would stand. Shortly before the month was up, aud just when Te Whiti and hia followers were moat defiant, Mr Rolleston resigned, aud Mr Bryce returned to offico, expressly to relieve the Government of their difficulty. In the course of a fortnight the new Native Minister took the ringleaders of the disturbance into custody, dispersed the natives, made Parihaka. a police camp, did everything that was needed without bloodshed or mishap of any sort ; and earned for himself a fame which will endure as long as tbe annals of native affairs are- preserved. He got, m short, the fame which Mr Rolleston missed. But what has all this to do with the rejection of the Land Bill by the Legislative Council P We will explain. Had not Mr Rollcston " tucked m bis tuppenny " to Mr Bryce on that occasion, we should never have heard of his scheme of perpetual leasing. He would either have attained the high position m native affairs which Mr Bryce then took and has ever since occupied ; or else he would have muddled the whole thing and come entirely to grief. As it was he did neither. He simply gave native affairs best, and resolved to seek the bubble reputation somewhere else than m the cannon's mouth. Land administration proved much more to his stomach, and we soon saw him dabbling m all sorts of schemes of settlement. In this kind of work he did a great deal of good at first, and if he bud been contented to drudge along m departmental business which he understood and was fit for, he would have been a very useful Minister. But what he panted for was not utility but glory. The youth m tho Idylls of the King placed on We shield <

an eagle rising to the sun, with the 1 motto, " I follow fame." But the wise man obliterated the device, and painted m its stead, a gardener putting m a graft, with the legend " Rather use than fame." There was no wise man at Mr Rolleaton's elbow, and if there had been, his wißdoin would have had no more influence on him than castor oil on a graven image. Ho consumed himself with a burning passion for celebrity. He registered a solemn vow that he would never rest till he too had his Act, or his scheme, or bis something or other, that he might be known by m the political history of the colony. Not having been endowed by Nature with a solitary ray of constructive ability, he naturally developed a tendency for smashing up existing institutions. Half the radicalism of the age, and all the socialism, arise from a deficiency m the faculty of constructiveness. Men who cauuot make any new thing, always want to break some old one. Mr Rolleston having set out an a conservative land reformer, speedily degenerated into a socialistic radical. He became infatuated with the theories of Mr Stout and Mr George. He came to regard it a8 a cardinal sin to own more than 620 acres of agricultural or 5,000 acreß of pastoral land ; and thence he drifted into the dogma that to own land m freehold at all, is to incur the greater damnation. Thus inspired with a frenzy not by any means his own, he conceited and brought forth his scheme of perpetual leasing of Crown lands, and on that scheme he fixed his hope of political immortality. Now, there was nothing particularly novel or m any way objectionable m the proposal to lease Crown land. That system had, m fact, been m operation for many years on the goldfields and on reserves. There was no reason why it should not bo extended to ordinary Crown lands, as a means of attracting a class of colonists who have not sufficient capital to buy land m freehold before settling upon it. Regarded simply iv that light, the leasing scheme appeared not only reasonable, but very desirable. The Legislative Council took that view of it, for they left the leasing clauses of the Land Bill of 1881 intact, at the same time adding a provision for enabling the Crown tenants to convert their leasehold into a freehold, if it should suit them to do so, within a specified period. This was obviously an improvement as far as promoting settlement was concerned ; because it afforded a powerful inducement to men of small capital to take up the leases and make a home for themselves and their families. It soon became evident, however, that that was not what Mr Rolleaton aimed at. His object was not to facilitate the acquisition of freeholds by small settlers, but to prevent small settlers from ever obtaining freeholds. The sole value of the leasing system, m hia eyes, lay m the perpetuity of the leases. He desired, m short, to substitute absolutely the lease of Crown lands for the sale of Crown lands. That is what he stood out for so obstinately m the Conference with the Legislative Council on the Land Bill last year ; and that is what he again endeavored to establish this year. The Legislative Council, plainly discerning the true naturo of hia scheme, refused poiut blank to encourage it m any way. They were quite ready to assist m making necessary amendments of the land laws ; but they would not allow the principles of land tenure to be trifled with, merely to gratify a hobby of an individual Minister. They, therefore, threw out the Land Bill, and though Mr Rolleston blustered a bit, the Government as a whole took the action of the Council m very good part. There is nothing to show that the public care for Mr Rolleaton'a scheme any more than bis colleagues do. 3c.vdatTradi.no. — We hour that the licensee of the Lynwood Hotel is to bo proceeded ujjainst on Friday for selling liquor on a Sunday. Wixchestbb Faib. — The stock fair at Winchester, adjourned from lust week ou account of inclement weather, will bo held to-morrow. Tun Salvatios Army. — We loam that a detachment- of tliu Army has been told off to blaze away — we believo that is the correct expression — at Temuka 60 soou us v stronghold can bo secured. Petty Labcbny. — A littlo girl will be brought up at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, on a chargo of taking away a cloak, the property of another child, from the Timaru Public School porch. Huntiko. — The South Canterbury harrier* meet at Ashwiek this morning. On Saturday, tho 15th, Fairlio Crcok township is the rendezvous, and the hour of starting 11 o'clock. Sprcial Train.— A special train with Mr W. J. Steward, M.H.R., for Wuimato, and two or three other Members of Parliament on board, arrived from Christclmrch about two o'clock yesterday, and aftor a brief stay, continued its journey south. Turatkb Royal. — We remind our readers that tho short three-night season of Messrs Stanficld and Dark's Company commences this orening Tho town has been well " billed," and there ought to be a good attendance of people who believe ill tho adago " Laugh and grow fat." Thk Hiou School.— Mr Duwson, Rector of tho High School, has been to Dunedin for tho purpose of obtaining temporary assistnnco m tho teaching staff of the school. He had secured the services of Mr W. J. Catlan, 8.A., of the University of New Zealand. Between two Fiuks. — Our Resident Magistrate is unfortunate. Only a few days ago he was informed that application hud beou lnado to the Supremo Court for an order to prohibit his proceeding m ono ciril case (Clayton v. Skorralt), and yosterday hs was threatened with a mandamus of the Supromo Court to compel him to proceed with another case iMullor v. Sullivan) which ho declined to entertain. Oamaku WATEHWonKS. — Last night's Oamaru Mail states that tho lato heavy rains havo caused a serious break m tho watcr-raco, the result being that yesterday there was little or no water m tho reservoir, and all tho motors were brought lo a standstill. Tho eiact nature and extent of tho damago was not known m Oamaru, but the Borough Engineer and a staff of mon were busy repairing it. Child Dkownbd. — A child named William Henry Ellis, three years of ago, was drowned m tho stream at Silverslream on Sunday last. It appears the little fellow was playing with his brothers and sisters near the banks of tho stream, and after some timo was missed. Search was made for him, but without avail that day. On Monday hie body was found m tho stream fully half "a mile below the spot where he had been playing. Mr Beswick will proceed to Silverstream this morning to hold an inquest concerning tho child's death. NOHTH OTAOO AQRICrLTUBAL SIIOW. — We havo pleasure m acknowledging tke receipt from the Secretary of a copy of 'he neatly got up schedule of classes and prizes for the North Otago A. and P. Association's Show, to be held at Oamaru on tho 15th and 16th November. The schedule comprises 208 classes and tbo prize list is a liberal one. There is ono prize of 25 guineas, fire of 20,

five of 10, one of 6, nineteen of 5, one of 4 and two of 3 guineas, and silver and bronze medals for first and second prizes respectively m nil other cases. An entirely new class is provided under tho heading implements for " refrigorating machine suitable for a small dairy, not to exceed £40 m price." RnaiDRNT Magistrate's Court, Waimate. -At this Court on Monday, before J. Manchester, Esq., mid Dr Stacpoole, J.P.s, a man for being drunk and disorderly on tho Bth instant was fined 03. Sarah Agor was charged by the polico with baring no lawful visible means of support. The defendant, on being required by tho Bench, did not giro a satisfactory account of her means of living. The evidence, of Sergeant Ramsay and Constable Guorin showed that defendant's conduct had been bad for some time, particularly on the nights of the Bth and 9th instant. She was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. The Court then rose. English Cable News.— The following telegrams appear m a- contemporary : — "London, September Oth. The French Press disavows nnv intention of annexing the New Hebrides.— Sir Vernon llavcourt has asked the Marquis Tsing to submit fresh proposals with regard to tho Chinese difficulty. The French tone on the subject is moderating, but the Marquis Tsing has, m un interview, intimated that it will bo regarded as a do?lnrolion of war if the French attempt to re.nforco while the parleying is going on. — News from llong Kong on Saturday states that the garrisons to the north liavo been reinforced, and that the Government has depleted the Banks. -Chatham dockyard is busy, preparing and despatching reinforcements to the fleet m tiro Chineso waters ; and a German, squadron has been ordered to cruise m those parts to reassure German residents.— Admiral Pierre has arrived m France m a dying condition. — Tho Euphrates, from Adelaide, has arrived at, Falmouth, damaged, having collided with a barque off Cshant. — Ilanlan baa challenged Livyeock to a. match for £2000, to be rowed on the Thames." Lee tube. — Mr Bawson, M.A., of the High School, delivered a lecture on Monday night m the Mechanics' Institute, under the auspices of the Presbyterian Young Mcn'i Mutual Improvement Society. The chair was taken by the Rev. Mr Gillies, Hon. President. There was a very large attendance. The subject of the lecture was " The Eye." The lecturer having explained first the anatomy of the eye, proceeded to treat, of light, sight, tho defects of t lie eye which caused what aro known as long and shortsightedness, and the remedies recently discovered for theso defect?. In referring to the different modes of treating the defects of sight, ho pointed out tho advantages llmt education and research have been to the weak sighted, and urged the claims of higher education as promoting the greatest blessings upon humanity. Upon the motion of Mr GraDger, seconded by Mr Bruce, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer. Both gentlemen referred to tho great benefits to be derived from such gentlemen as Mr Dawson coming forward to deliver lectures upon such subjects us had been taken up by him. A Mean Thick. — A letter was put into our letter-box last evening purporting to be signed by Captain Reuben Smith, of the Salvation Army. It, amongst other things, held out certain threats against the "powers" (meaning, we suppose, the police) of Timaru. Doubting the genuineness of the letter, we took tho trouble to ask Captain Smith if he had written it, and ho assured us ho had not done co, nor had he any knowledge of its being written. He further added that by tho rules of the Army, they were not allowed to do such a thing. Now, although wo are far from being supporters of the Army, and have our own doubts and suspicions us to the final result for good of their manoeuvres, we cannot too strongly express our contempt for the writer of the letter beforo us m attaching Captain Smith's name to it, with a view, evidently, to creating bad blood against the Army. It is mean and unmanly, to say the least of it. Mind tour Stops. — An advertisement appeared m a Napier paper lately announcing that " dancing with refreshments during the evening " would take place on ii certain date m a country town hall. A resident wrote protesting against this programme : — " If we are expected to dance with refreshments and not with living glowing youth and beauty it will boa failure. This will be very much to bo deplored, because the proceeds are intended for a most charitable purpose. Our beauties do not like the idea of a dance without a man. They do not like to trip ' the light fantastic toe ' with an arrowroot biscuit m one hand and a slice of cold ham m tho other. Our gentlemen ' mashers ' are seriously wondering what kind of good things they will bo required to dunce with— whether (hey will bo expected to dance a Scotch reel with a bottle of whisky for a partner, or will it bo necessary to waltz round the room hugging a little darling pork pie." Tub licsrnA>-CB Qpestio^.— Owing to the exorbitant rates charged by tho Underwriters Association at Christchurch on largo vessels loading at Timaru for Home, the shippors by the Waimate, with one exception, declined to insure their cargo until the vessel had sailed, being perfectly satisfied of her safety whilst iv this port. If the Association wish to do business m Timaru, they must come down from their high perch and meet merchants and farmers here on a fair field. If they think they cau forco us to pay tho Bi s they demand for a roadstead risk, even when a ship only requires a boatload or two to finish her up," after taking m the bulk of her cargo inside, the Breakwater, they uro trusting to a broken reed. The public mind iv Timaru is now well made up on tho niiittor, and it will not be long ere tho Christchurch Association, if thoy do not change, their tactics, will find themselves out iv the cold, so far as insurance on shipping ut Timaru is concerned. Tho eighty shillings per cent card was a bad one to play, and will certainly not secure the odd trick." A Tbip fob Nothing. — By the Express train from Christchurch yesterday forenoon thero arrived a gentleman well known m Insuranco circles m the City of the Plains. Tho object of his visit was, we are assured, to spy out the land, or rather the water at Timaru, with a view of reporting oil his return tho 6afely or otherwise of the 9hip Waimate while loading inside the Breakwater. Our readers nmy judgo of the surprise of tho gentleman m question at finding that tho Waimato had gone, actually pone after lying only four days and a half m Timaru, and he was chaffed most unmercifully for not coming sooner, and sagely advised that the next time he wanted to 6oe a ship loading inside tho Breakwater, ho had better come m her, so as to bo m time to sco her sail. In all fairness to our visitor we must say he took tho banter m tho spirit it was given, and oxprcssed himself as being highly surprised as well as ploated at the despatch afforded the Waimato here. The Result of Removing Bundnb63.— An old nogro woman m Pennsylvania, who was born blind, has (says an American papor) rocontly received her eight by tho removal of the cataract. When tho bandage was first removed the patient started violontly, and cried out as if with fear, and for a moment was quite nervous from tho effects of tho shock. For tho first time m her lifo she looked upon tho earth. The first thing she noticed was a little flock of sparrows. In relating her experience to a reporter, sho said that sho thought they were tea-cups, although, strange to say, a few moments afterwards she readily distinguished a watch which was shown to her. It is supposed that this recognition was owing to the fact that sho heard its ticking. The bluzo from a lamp excited the most lively surprise- m her mind. She bad no idea what it was, and when it was brought near her wanted to pick it up. When night approached upon the day when sho first used her eyes aha was m a fright, foaring that she was losing the sight which she had so wonderfully found after sixty years of darkness.

Administratrix ol the late Mr Abram — Notice tf accounts. \ Waiting Kmploymcnt and Wantetl-General icrvansj at Davies 1 Labor Exchange. W.intiMli-Four notices.