West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1878.

West Coast Times, Issue 2856, 29 May 1878, Page 2

West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1878.

Really now-a-days . a seat in Parliament, the honor of being a unit in our chief legislative body, is not counted of much value. It is by no means sought for with that energy and keen desire which mark the Parliamentary aspirant in other Colonies. This apathy may be caused to some extent by the number of resignations which the Speaker has received since the end of last session. Scarcely a week passes but we : hear of a fresh election in some quarter of New Zealand. It often happens that the electors, instead of being embarassed by the presence of too many eligible candidates, are confounded at the miserable field which comes to the starting po9t, and reduced to the proverbial choice known as Hobsdn's. Many gentlemen who have, within the last few months, discovered that a seat in Parliament is all vanity and vexation of spirit, have yielded up the legislative gho^t and retired to more peaceful scenes. Thus men" who would perhaps essay to fill a gap in the ranks of the House, become alarmed at the number of deserters, and, like Sir Charles Coldstream, without his experience, they declare that " there is nothing in it." And why, it may well be asked, do so manygood men resign ? for, unfortunately, many of them cannot easily be spared or their places fairly filled. By^the defection of Mr Stafford, the Colony suffered a great loss, and it would be easy, by running over the list, to point to many others, who in a minor degree, were useful, but have now given place to inferior men. The advocates of the system of payment of members, will, no doubt, use the argument that men of leisure and ability are so scarce in the Colony, that they cannot afford to stay at Wellington, nearly half a year, for such a pittance as £200. Therefore the honorarium must be increased, and the usefulness and calibre of the House will increase and improve. Perhaps to some degree this argument may be fairly urged. Its value must, however, be lessening daily, as the Colony becomes richer and more settled. In a few isolated instances the calls of private business have been so urgent as to forec men to leave Parliament, even perhaps unwittingly. Such cases happen occasionally everywhere, but We do not think the honorarium difficulty is a full answer to the query we have put. Perhaps one great impulse is to be found in tho deterioration of the tone of Parliament itself during the past few

sessions. Continued personal squabbling; unfounded charges brought by one member against another; overweening desire for office at the cost, even of political dishonesty or trickery ; these are items which may have disgusted hpuest and straightforward politicians, who go to Parliament to do Ihe best they can for the country and their constituents, and find that they are comparatively powerless in the face of the new and bad order of things, and so becoming disgusted, resign their seats to other and less capable men. The party to which a representative belongs should not be considered of more importance iv the eyes of a constituency than the qualities of the representative himself. If he is identified in his interests with the persons he seeks to represent, is conscientious and of fair ability, he is not likely to err to any very great extent, and if he does commit an error it is sure to be a venial one. Butifarepresentativeistobechosen for blind adherence to any particular party, irrespective of other necessary conditions, it naturally follows that the best men, those who are never afraid to express their honest individual views, must be at a disadvantage in a contest with a mere carpet-bagger, who is content to say anything and be anything, to get a seat, and with luck and persistence of wooing, in course of time, a billet. It is easy to distinguish between the two castes. If iv the approaching election for a member for this district, to occupy the place of Mr Button, whose resignation must be regretted, we succeed in getting a fairly representative man we shall be lucky. The writ for the election must soon arrive, but as yet there is absolutely not a single candidate. It will be lucky if we are not compelled to follow the example of Totara, and seek abroad for what we apparently fail to find at home, a suitable representative for the district.

The Union Bank of Australia shipped per Tararua for Melbourne, last night, 24560z

9dwt 12grs the produce of this district.

A meeting of the Directors of the Hokitika Quartz Company (Limited), was held last evening at Cooke's Pioneer Hotel. There were present. Messrs Chesuey (chair), Bonar,)H. L. Robinson, Holmes, Craig, Cooke, Hansen, and Rae (Hon. Sec.) Applications for shares were handed in, to the number of 10,336, not including applications for 1000 shares expected to reach town from Christchurch by coach thia evening. A number of the applications were made informally, and under these circumstances it was decided not to allot the shares until Friday evening next, at 8 p.m. No fresh applications can, in the meantime be received. Mr Bonar moved that a notice be inserted iv the paper intimating to those persons who have given in their names for a certain number of shares in the company, but who have not yet signed the proper forms of application, that, in order to entitle their applications to be dealt with in the allotment of shares, they must lodge the formal application with Mr Cooke, Pioneer Hotel, Mr Holmes, Revell street, or the hon. secretary, Mr Rae, on or before Friday, the 31at May, at 4 p.m. This was seconded by Mr Chesney acd carried. The allotment of shares was therefore postponed till that evening by formal resolution. A call (the first) of 2d per share was made due and payable on the 20th June. Messrs Holmes and Craig were appointed to take the best means and employ the best skill available to ascertain the place where a tunnel could be most advantageously driven, and to fix on the most suitable machine site. It was resolved to call for tenders for driving this tunnel, specifications for which can be seen on and after Wednesday, the sth June, at Mr Cooke's Hotel, the tenders to close on Monday, 10th June. The distance to be driven will probably be 200 ft, more or less. It was reported that some experienced and practical quartz miners had recently visited the reef and had expressed a very conGdent opiuion as to great future results from it. The company being now floated, Mr Rae, in accordance witli the intention he expressed at; the commencement of the venture, resigned his office as hon. Secretary, but was requested to act for afew days longer. Mr Chesuey said that Mr D. W. Virtue had been so well pleased with the manner in which the project had been undertaken and carried out, that he had offered to assist the company by finding the necessary clerical assistance, and undertaking to cany on the duties of secretary to the company without cost to it. The offor was regarded as a very generous and considerate one, and was accepted with thanks. The meeting then adjonrned till Friday evening next.

Subscribers to the Taipo Prospecting Association are requested to meet at the Empire Hotel this evening, at 8 o'clock.

Mr E. M. Hogg, late agent of the Bank of New South Wales, at Kuinara, was released from custody yesterday on the warrant of the Government. The petition recently forwarded on his behalf wa3 the means of shortening his sentence by about six weeks.

A meeting of the Harbor Board will be held at the Board room at eight o'clock this evening.

The polling for an election of a member of the Harbor Board will take place tomorrow.

The nominations of candidates to fill the vacant seat for the Arahura Biding takes place at Stafford at noon to-day.

The first meeting of the Philharmonic Society will take place to-morrow evening at the State School, commencing at 8 o'clock.

Mr Hill, of Christchnrch, has been appointed Inspector of Schools at Hawke's Bay. Mr Dixon head teacher of the Hokitika School, was fortunate enough to be second but of 15 applications.

A gliqipse of life in North Revell street, was afforded to the public yesterday, through the medium of a case in which a heathen Chinee charged a European patron of the little game of fan tan, with obtaining the sum of £2 from him by false pretences. The Chinaman appears to have come off worst, seeing that he is £2 103 out of pocket. Probably our heathen friends will confine this game to themselves in future after this sad experience. The magistrate who adjudicated on the case was too old » bird to

be caught with Chinese chaff, as although Ah Chew and company swore that they had never even heard of fan tan, ho remained incredulous, asserting even that every Chinaman on the coast knew it uncommonly well.

The following are the tenders received by the Harbor Board for the training wall and breakwater contract:— W. Smith, Kanieri, £27,593 12s 2d, accepted; James Reynolds, Hokitika, £28,439 19s 3d ; Thomas Daly, Hokitika, £30,388 4s Id; Kerr and Stenhouse, Hokitika, £31,827 19s 6d; Taylor arad Denaher, Auckland, £34,851; John Maher, Hokicika, £35,866 15s; John B. Blair, Mosgiel, £39,610.

We draw the attention of the trade to the extensive sale by auction of ironmonger crockeryware, drapery, fancy goods, &c, by Messrs Learmonth and Co., to take place to-day at Manson's corner, commencing at 1 1 o'clock sharp.

Mr John Augustus Hutton is gazetted chief clerk in the General Post Office' Wellington.

Scarlet and typhoid fever is prevalent in Christchurch. An advertisement in the Press calls for aid for a family which is in destitute circumstances, the father, mother, and four children being all laid up with scarlet fever.

The use of bad language is somewhat severely dealt with by Mr Kenrick, the R.M. at Poverty Bay. A few days ago an old offender, was charged before him with two offences of this kind, and in each case a fine of £10 and costs was inflicted.

The Thames Evening Star says that Mr Jerome Cadman, of that district, is the holder of the first miner's right issued in New Zealand. It is date:! as far back as 1852, and was issued under the hands of Governor Wynyard. Mr Cadman is also the possessor of the first bit of gold found in the colony. It is in the shape of a nugget, and was found in the Eapanga, Coromandel. The gold and the miner's right may be regarded as historical relics.

The mineral resources of the Coll ing wood district appear to be enormous. Judge Ward, who recently visited it, was not looking after either the golden ores of the Phoenix Mine, the coal of the Para Para, or the eilyer mines of Richmond Hill. His mission had reference to iron, for with others he is interested in the conversion, by a patent process, of tho Hematite ore, which abounds at Para Para, into paint. For this Hematite paint there is a great demand, and the manufacture is to be carried out on a large scale.

The editor of the Timai v Herald tells a correspondent in a foot note that " It is still a moot question whether ie is the highest duty of the Press to lead or to follow public opinion, and that the best citizen is he who reads a good newspaper regularly, pays for it punctually, and implicitly believes whatever it tells him."

Lord Ronald Charles Levesou-Gower, youngest son of his . Grace the Duke of Sutherland, was a passenger by the mail steamer from San Francisco, on a tour through the colonies. He sailed from Auckland with the Governor in the Hinemoa, and' will go from Wellington in a few days to Melbourne.

Last week, as Mr Clelland, agent for the Bunk of New Zealand at Featherßton, and his assistant, Mr Luxf ord, -were driving towards Featherston, the horse bolted, and the buggy enpsized. Mr Clelland is dangerously injured, and is not expected to recover. Mr Luxford escaped uninjured.

A little boy of about nine years of age, says the Thames Advertiser, was severely burned by molten iron the other day. It appears that the little fellow was in the moulding department of Price Brothers' foundry, watching the workmen running the molten iron from copula to the buckets, which is then poured into the moulds, when some of it spattered out on to the heel of his boot. The red hot iron of course burned throngh his boot, and then eat its way into the flesh to a depth of about an inch, turning the flesh perfectly black, and causing greut pain. The moulders immediately pulled off the boot and sock, and wrapped cotton waste saturated with linseed oil and kerosene around the heel, after which the little fellow was conveyed to his home.

A fracas took place last week in Rattraystreet, Dunedin, between Mr Denniston, the well known solicitor, and Mr David Millar, of Old Town Board celebrity. It appears that a dispute arose between them in regard to some case, and angry words were used. This led to blows, and the combatants fell in the middle of the street, opposite the Shamrock Hotel. We understand that the rules of the prize ring were not observed, and that one of the parties did not hesitate to hit his opponent when down. During the struggle a policeman appeared on the scene and arrested Mr Millar, and asked Mr Denniston to go to the Police Station and sign the charge sheet. This was done, but shortly after Inspector Mallard arrived at the Station, and being of opinion that both disturbers of the peace should have been arrested, ordered Mr Millar's release. The matter will probably come before the Police Court.

We hear (says the New Zealander) that Mr Buchanan, M.L.S., of the Museum, is proceeding rapidly with his work on the Grasses of New Zealand. It will be remem bered that this work was ordered by the House of Representatives some time ago. Already several of tho plates have been lithographed, and much of the letterpress is in type. When issued the book promises to rank withDr Buller's Birds of New Zealand. At the special request of Sir George Grey a complete set of the plates, printed on white instead of tinted paper, will be issued to each of the Board schools, and will form a useful basis for the elementary scientific instruction of the children.

Mr Vesey Stewart's pamphlet on New Zealand as a field for emigration is favorably noticed by the Londonderry Standard, while it deplores the necessity which presses upon so many of the people of Ireland to leave their homes for the colonies or for foreign countries. The Standard goes on to say :—: — • ( But we cannot alter or ignore facts. So. long as our people grow in enterprise and intelligence it will he quite impossible to prevent them froai seeking on the other side of the seas, or on the other side of the globe a field for prosperity which they have failed to secure in their native country. Unhappily the land laws

are still in an unsettled state in Ireland. If there is one thing which an Irish farmer prizes above another it is the feeling that he has a secure tenure of his holding and hotne. Let him be able to call his house and land his own and he will not grudge any amount of toil."

Two fashionable weddings took place at Nelson last week. The Colonist says:—" A very large assemblage was attracted to Christ Church on the occasion of a dual marriage, the happy couples being Francis Hayter, commander, R. N, and Miss Eugenic Elizabeth Huddleston, and Mr C. E. Bunny, solicitor, and Captaia of the City Rifle Corps, and Miss Louise Alice Croft Huddleston. Sometime prior to the commencement of the service the Church was s.o crowded that even the space allotted the guests was considerably encroached upon. The brick-s, who looked most charming, were al tired in white silk Princess robes trimmed frith lace and each wore a long veil with trails of orange blossom. They were attended eaih by four bridesmaids, those of the first mentioned lady wearing blue dresses with long trains, and those of the latter pink dresses, and each wore helmet caps. The cermony was performed by the Ten. Archdeacon Thorpe, and was a full choral one.

Messrs G. S. Paul and Co. are the contractors for the erection of the Steam Rope Factory at South Dunedin.

The Westporfc Times informs us that the running of trains through to the Ngakawau is to be discontinued, the traffic past Waimangaroa being insufficient to pay working expenses (£750 per annum in wages only).

The Rev. Johnstone Walker, M. A., has been added to the list of officiating clergymen of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand.

The method of making money is now ascertained to be on mathematical principles. The moneyed men of the present day have for t'ae most part succeeded by producing really valuable articles, and adding to industry honesty. These principles hold good all over the world, and the success attending the introduction of those invaluable medicines, " Ghollah's Great Indian Cores," into New Zealand is another instance of proof of the assertion. The public have recognised the worth of these Indian Medicines, and the cure effected by their use are extraordinary. Get testimonials and the medicines of the Chemists.