Sixty Years Ago

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21448, 12 September 1939, Page 6

Sixty Years Ago

“The Timaru — 1 'L” September 12, 1879 ! Sir George Grey’s Election ' Leading Article.—The election oi Sir George Grey fcr Christchurch c; n ‘ only property be regarded as about J the worst joke t hat has been perpet- • rated fcr a long time. If any on? of i the thirteen hundred and odd electors • who voted for him were asked why he , did so, we venture to say he could not : give a reasonable answer to the ques- , Lion. He was already elected for Thames, so that there was no fear , of the “Great Li-xiral” leader failing , to get into the new Parliament. If he had been beaten at the Thames, or had ; stood only fcr Christchurch, the case would have been quite different, and it would have been impossible to cavil at any elector with democratic prin- | ciples for endeavouring to secure his . return, no matter what sacrifice As i it is. however, the Christchurch eleci tors, led on by a hired newspaper, and an excitable person, who only a year • ago was Sir George Grey’s bitterest ; opponent, have gratuitously given up one of their scats to the North Island. i Afghan War London.—News from Afghanistan states that grea* mortality amongst 1 the camels on the route to the cam- ! paign causes difficulties of transport. I and is delaying the renewal of hostilities. . . Tlie Russian papers un- ' animously express an opinion that the I conquest of Afghanistan is an imI perative and fatal necessity to Engj land. . . The French and Austrian | press, while expressing the greatest concern at the fate of the British • Mission under Major Cavagnari. are unanimous iff urging the annexation of Afghanistan to British India. Erroneous Report Invercargill.—At the meeting of the Town Council to-night, the Mayor, in | reply to a question whether there was i any truth in the report that an atj tempt had been made to ring the fire bell on rhe occasion of Sir George j Grey’s meeting, said he could not be i responsible for what the newspapers said, but the facts were as follows: | Believing there would be a large meeting at the Theatre he communiI cated with the police, and had a man stationed at the tower. The captain I of the brigade also stationed a couple lof men there. This was simply done spontaneously as a precautionary measure, and was no political move, nor did politics have anything to do with it. Lunacy A man named Duncan McDonald was brought into town yesterday oy Sergeant Burtenshaw, of Opawa. on a charge of lunacy. While on the way from Clayton station to Albury. McDonald made his escape from his custodians. Sergeant Burtenshaw gave chase, following the unfortunate runaway for about four miles, and had to cross through some rivers, the waters of which rose as high as his arm-pits. He eventually had to give up the chase, but very shortly after rejoining the person he had left in charge of the horse and trap. McDonald returned, stating that he came back to give them the handcuffs which he had on his hands. He was. of course, taken into custody, but shortly afterwards bolted again. This time, however, he was soon caught, and eventually brought to town.