Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER, "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1879.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXI, Issue 3368, 17 February 1879, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER, "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1879.

_ English Mail. The Frisco mail ar« rived per Wallabi from Onehunga on Saturday. The letters will be delivered at the Post Office window at 9 o'clock this morning. Aquatic— The contest for the handsome prize presented by Mr S. H. Drew came off on Saturday afternoon, and was watched with no little interest by a large number of the townsfolk, who assembled in animated groups along the river bank or speculated upon the result on the deck of the Irishman, which p ied up and down the river while the contest proceeded. The race was run in three heats, the start being effected at 3 p.m., The crews were Messrs Nation, Duncan, We on, and Barnes, in the Bed Camelia, and Messrs Wheelei, Marshall, Allison, and Fearon in the White Camelia. Montgomery was taken ill, and Wheeler took his place at the last moment. On the boats geiting level at the railway bridge. Mr Fitzherbert, the Captain of the Club gave the word to start, and Wheeler got off with a slight lead, which gradually increased, to the ; bend, then Nation began to pick up, but came in at the finish half a length beI hind. The bow in Wheeler's boat caught a crab within ten • yards o£ the winning post, lost his oar and almost lost the race to his boat, but Marshall, No 3, pulled Bplendidly, and succeeded in keeping the boat square to the finish. Messrs Duncan, No 3 in Nations boat and Marshall in Wheeler's are to be greatly complimented on their pluck and endurance in this heat. Messrs Miller Cummins, Hanna, and Sted in the Ked, and Messrs Powell, Lockett, Jackson and Anson in the White started for the next heat. Anson, bow of Powell's boat was picked up just at the last moment, O'Grady, not having put in an appearance. Miller led off at the start, and gradually increased his lead lo the finish, winning by about two lengths. Over half a dozen crabs were caught in Powell's boat, the water being very lumpy. The final heat starated at 5 o'clock. Miller's crew in the Red Camelia, and Wheeler's in the White. From the bridge for the first mile the race was very even ; ai the bend a slight foul occured, and Wheeler got a cad about a length, and kept his lead to the .finish. Both orews were loudly cheered the pulling being excellent. In the evening the crews were treated to a rtpast at the StamPaokrt Hotel.;

The McKenzie Family.— We have to teknowledge 10d frum t\ W., for this » v nd Fire.— \ house near Halcombe beonging to Mr G. Wheeler whs burnt down on Saturday. Mr Wheeler was in town at the time. County Councils v Road Boards. —After the lollgate question had been Jisoussed at the meeting at Waitotara on Friday night, the question of the desirability or otherwise of merging the Road Boards with the County was freely discuaed, when it waa unanimously agreed that to do so under the present Council would have the effect of throwing the district behind for years to come. Phbbnologt.— he residents of Waitotara will be afforded the opportunity of studying this interesting science on tke evenings of Tuesday and Thursday next, on which occasion Professor Fraserwill lecture on the subject. The first lecture will be delivered in the Town Hall, Maxwell, and the second in the sch^olhouse, Waitotara. Public examinations will follow the conclusion of each lecture. Odd Fellows' Hall. The patronage deservedly accorded to Mr and Mrs Hart on the occasion of their last visit, combined with the pleasant and entertaining nature of the programme provided by them, justify us in expecting that they will be well supported this evening. The small but talented company being on their way to Auckland, can afford but two evenings in Wanganni. W e hope that on both occasions full houses will await them. Auckland. — An Auckland corresponI dent sends the following :— " The electors of City West are greaily exercised over ) the approaching contest for the seat rendered vacant by the election of its late representative to the Upper House. 0 * ing to the action ot a section of the electors everything has been subordinated to the question of education, and the triumph of that party which desires to see sectarianism subsidised with State funds. City Weat has been of late years as well represented as it deserves to be, for when a constituency has so far lost its self-respect as to bo made a " warming pan" to subserve the exigencies of political party, warfare it can scarcely complain of the result. It will beremebered that when the Premier elected to jockey City West and sit for the Thames in order to exclude a Centralist candidate, the seat was contemptuously thrown to a follower, while the electorate with becoming meekness, kisaed Jie rod. No one complains of the elevation of Mr Dignan to the Lords, if property has to be represented, but the attempt to make Mr Peter Dignan, junr, his successor, and thus keep the seat ' in the family,' is the last straw that has broken the camel's back. The>-e are various symptoms th*t a re-action has set in from the passionate and unreasoning adulation of years past, and that the constituency mean this time to have some say in the choice of their representative without consulting the once omnipotent Chairman of the Central Committee. Mr David Goldie, at present in Christchurch, has definitely accepted the candidature of City West, and matters have been arranged to prevent any splitting of votes on the education question. That gentleman is in the City Council, of which he has been a useful member, is a moderate Greyite, and will carry the block vote of the Secularist, (.'range and Good Templar parties. The 'Central Committee' are, I learn, in secret session in the interest of Mr Peter Dignan. It is to be feared that a host of sectarian and national prejudices and bitternesses will be aroused during the contest, in which the merits and demerits of the respective candidates will be completely lost. That state ot thiugs may be i bfSt illustrated in the graphic illustration of a Hibernian City West elector during the contest for City West between Mr Gillies and the late Mr John Williamson :— ' We would vote for a dog, if only the end of its tail was Irish." '