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Wairarapa Standard, Volume 8, Issue 667, 14 February 1878, Page 2

The Banks close to-day for the Wairarapa Races.

We remind our readers of the excellent entertainment to be given this evening at the Town Hall, Greytown, by our Amateur Ministrels.

Our reading matter in our present issue is somewhat curtailed to meet the viaws of the P. I), of this establishment who is off to the Races. In our last issue we stated that “ on Thursday next the leases of the Featherston and Waiohine Toll Gates would be sold/’ we should have said *• Thursday week next” as the sale is on the 21st iust.

The (dan of the allotments near the Tauhnrenikau Bridge to be sold by Mr E. J. Ihincan on the 21st inst., maybe seen at this office. They vary in size from Ito 7 acres and have frontages to the river and to the Lower Valley Road.

Mr Hutchison intended to he in the Wairarapa in the early part of the present week, but he has been obligcddKpostpone his visit until after Sir meeting in Wellington, which this evening. A deputation of Featmßton settlers waited on the Colonial Secretary land PostmasterGeneral, on Tuesday, relative to the Post Office site, when they said that after consultation with their colleagues the wishes of the deputation would be attended to. The 11. B. Herald publishes a long correspondence between the Hon. H. Bussell and the late aud present Government, relative to tho establishment of an Inland Hospital at Waipukuru. which has resulted in a grant being plomised of £SOO, by the present Ministry, to ths credit of the building fund, and one pound for every pound contributed by subscribers.

One of the claims to be submitted to Sir George Grey on his arrival is that of a maori named “ Stuart,” who imagines he has a right to one side of Greytown, and intends either to exercise the same or receive a quid pro quo, amounting to someth in gjlike £2OOO. The latter alternative would bo the cheaper one, as the section of the township he claims must he worth at least £20,000. We fear, however, if Stuart should be driven to take possession of his supposed properties he will get more kicks than halfpence.

In referring to the crisis in Victoria, the II B. ll.’raid says“ In the chapter headed “ Checks and Balances,” Mr Bagehot, alludes to the power residing in the hands of the Crown —that is, now-a-days, of the Cabinet —of increasing the numbers of the Lords, as “the safety-valve” of the Constitution. They do not possess this safety-valve in Victoria, and hence their deadlock. We do possess it in New Zealand, and tor that reason there is little ground for fearing a Victorian crisis here—except in one contingency—that is that of an alliance between the Governor and the Legislative Council, formed for the purpose of standing out against the will of the Representative Chamber. From the view that both Sir James Fergnsson and Lord Normauby have taken of their functions and duties as Governors, there would be the gravest reason to diead that were such men left to the dictates of their own wisdom, they would veto any measure intended in the last resort to bring the will of the Upper House into conformity with that of the Lower. If it is thoroughly understood from the first, i however, that the House of Bepresentatives, backed by a strong majority in the country, can alter the minority of the Upper House into a majority by a Gazette notice, the power itself will probably never require to be used ; the Lords will coniine themselves to the exercise of their invaluable function of rejecting such measures as are not backed by the opinion of the country, but have been engineered through the Lower House by the logrullers ; and will allow its will fiee and absolute scope where once it has been clearly expressed. It is thus the Wanganui Herald writes of two of the probable candidates for the representation of this district:—“Mr Pharazyn is as line a specimen of thehand-sliark as one might wish tomeetwith, having no sympathy with man or thing outside himself and his “environments,” as the philosophers say. He hates Sir George Grey and his party as strongly ns Mr Valter Johnston does, and pretends to think all would be well if the party had some other leader ; meaning, like those who use the same cry, that it is possible that the party might be induced to do as all the other parties have done, abandon its principles. In fact he wants a “ Middle Party” with Mr Rollestom for its leader. Mr Pharazyn is very earnest in one thing, that is in getting into the House, "and he is not very particular how. Then there is a Mr Barton, who is said to be popular personally, to be inclined to favor the big fish, and to swear in the gentlest of accents that he has neither principles nor party, but is “ all for the State.” No one knows whether he will run, but if he does everyone says it will take the devil to catch him.

A meeting of the House Committee of the Wairarapa Hospital was held on Tuesday last. Present: The Rev. A. Knell (chairman) F. H. Wood (secretary) S. Maxton, Rev. J. B. Richardson, W. C. Cuff, and J. Payton. The treasurer reported that the balance at Bank to the credit of the Hospital with cash m hand was £ls 15s, which was insufficient to meet current liabilities. Few subscriptions fer the present year have as yet been received. The secretary was requested to bring forward at next meeting a list of all subscribers in arrear. Notice of rates having been received from the Local and Conservative Board, it was decided that a requisition for the Hospital property to be exempted from rates should be sent in. A letter was read from Mr L. St. George, declining to act as a member of the Hospital Committee.

According to the Northern Advocate the first question put hy an employer at Wairoa to a man in quest of work is “ are you married?” Mr Spencer, manager for Messrs Brown and Campbell, will not engage a single man if he can avoid it, Mr Dargaville will not let one of his cottages to a single man and “no single man allowed on the premises” is his unalterable rale. Mr Walker, manager of the Te Kopuru mill, takes the same view. The Advocate quotes the following from a letter sent to a Servants Registry Office in Auckland Send me up the ugliest, toughest female on hand in the general servant line. Good wages to a really ugly and extra tough old party who’ll stay. Have had four servants in six months—all spliced.” Result—Tough and ugly arrived first steamer, but got married in a fortnight, but now the whilom proprietor of that “ slavey” may be seen daily engaged in helping hie better half in household duties of a multifarious nature, for she says she’ll have no more female helps if she knows herself intimately, and he is getting tired of paying Messrs Casey & Son for passages. The Argus says in connection with sporting matters and the recent races, we may mention that Mr Bolton has sold his horse Lara, the winner ef the Wellington Cup, with engagements, to Mr Stevens, of the Wanganui district, for f 450. It is known of course that a commission came from Mr Redwood’s stable to back Orange Lightning for the Dunedin Cup to win £OOOO. Bets in tnis respect have been laid as follows: £2OOO to £6O, £SOO to £lO, £IOOO to £2O, £SOO to £2o,£ 2CO to £lO, £IOOO to £lO, £SOO to £5, £3OO to £l2, £2OO to £B. For the Dunedin Races the following doubles have been laid taking Trump Card for the Derby, and Orange Lightning for the Cup, £SOO to 4. £2OO to 8 £3OO to £6, £IOOO to £lO. Pungawerewere is backed in the Cup to win £4OOO.

Tenders are invited by the Taratahi-Car-terton Highway Board for the lease of the Waiohine toll gate, for a period of 12 months. Sir George Grey will arrive at Greytown either on Friday afternoon or on Saturday morning. Newly furnished rooms have been provided for him at Papawai. We are informed that the settlers of Carterton are also anxiously expecting him, and be will be enthusiastically received.

The Hon. W. B. Rhodes is dead. His funeral is expected to take place to-day. His age is stated to be 70, but we feel morally certain that he must be several years older. The property he has left must be immense ; certainly not less than half a million. He has left one child—a half-caste—who it is expected will come in for the bulk of the property. The Itangitikei Advocate says—“ The effect of the thunderstorm in Turakina on Wednesday last, was sucli as to cause considerable alarm to the local telegraphist. At 1 p.m. when standing by the instrument, a blinding flash, followed by a deafening report from his lightning guards, caused him to start back half-stupe ik'd, fully under the impression that some one had fired a shot shot through the window. Tke wall was blackened, and several brass bolts used as terminals to the wires were malted as if in a furnace.

The names of the winners in North and Ames’ sweep on the Wellington Cup are as follows : —No 1 sweep : Ist prize, £.500 (Lara) Pell and Kennedy, Wellington; 2nd prize, £2OO (Trump Card) Yeomans, Wellington ; 3rd prize, £IOO (Otupai) Gay, Masterton. No 2 sweep.- Ist prize, £SOO (Lara)%orth and Marshall, Wellington; 2nd prize, £2OO (Trump Card; Rally, Auckland; 3rd prize, £IOO (Otupai) Croker, Masterton. It is a noteworthy fact that the winners were all men who had only one or two tickets in the sweep, while those who invested largely either got blanks or non-starters The prizes will he handed over to the winners on Monday evening next.

During a recent charitable performance at a theatre in Portsmouth, one of the performers a gallant major belonging to the garrison, having been considerably chaffed by one of the gallery, finally lost all patience, stopped suddenly in his part, and challenged his tormenter to come down and try the part himself, and see if he could do it better. During the same entertainment another gallant major, who volunteered to amuse the audience during the parts with some conjuring tricks, asked for a lady’s watch. A valuable gold one, said to be worth fifty guineas, was handed to him. The trick was to pound up a counterfeit in a mortar, and hand the real one back uninjured. Being a novice, however, the gallant major, it is said, pounded the real one up, and handed the counterfeit back. Fancy the lady’s feelings. The performance was scarcely a success. According to the Canterbury Times, the Oovei nmeut of New South Wales announced in their Government Gazette of Jan 29 that the prohibition on the importation of stock from New Zealand to New South Wales is removed. This is the most important news which New Zealand traders have received from a a neighboring Colony for a long time. Importation of stock to this colony from Great Britain was put a stop to, it will be remembered, in the session of 1876, the month in April in 1877 being then assigned as the limit for winding up all transactions. Our contemporary further observes : —The result to those of our breeders who have choice stock to sell will be extremely beneficial. The price of this stock is sure to advance considerably. This will scarcely be appreciated by the local ow ler who wants to improve his breed, for he does not see the necessity for paying fancy prices. If it had been proved to any one’s satisfaction that importation from Europe was dangerous, then all who have to buy to improve their breed would be satisfied. But nothing was done to prove anything of the kind. The whole thing was a barefaced attempt to enrich the owners of choice stock. The action of the Sydney Government is a proof that the attempt has been more successful than was originally expected.

Waimraps visitors to Wellington can read the Standard at “The Union Hotel,” “The Clarendon Hotel,” "The National Hotel,” Barrett’s Hotel,’ * The Post OlHce Hotel ” “ New Zealander Hotel”* Ac.

“ What black eyes that beautiful lady Las ?” exclaimed a gentleman. “ Yes,” responded a friend, “ they are in mourning for the murders they have committed.” Why is true love like a Scotch plaid? Because it is good stuff to wear, though it is often crossed.