West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1878.

West Coast Times, Issue 2887, 5 July 1878, Page 2

West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1878.

It ie now understood, or rather the Government desire it to be understood, that the charge of charitable aid has devolved upon local governing bodies. The Government seek to divest themselves of ajl responsibility of taking care of the destitute- sick. They rely upon contributions from local bodies and private charity. In many in-sta,u,ces,-»-notably in Canterbury — local bodies have flatly refused to bear the burden sought to be imposed on them, and their example will most likely be largely followed. Under such circumstances the Legislature must perforce deal with the matter, or, and this alternative can hardly be taken into consideration, the sick and destitute will have no relief provided for them. When we find to,at comparatively wealthy communities, such as there lire in Canterbury, insist upon charitable aid being made a Colonial charge, it. is not ati all extraordinary that our local bodies, should hesitate to assume the- expense of maintaining hospitals and benevolent asylums. Locally speaking, it is quite evident that private charity and the subsidies which Borough and County Councils cau afford to give, are not sufficient to maintain our charitable institutions in their present efficient condition. The management must perforce drift again into debt, without, a prospect of getting a second time welcome and almost unexpected relief from their difficulties. The general question will be forced upon the consideration of Parliament during next cession, when some action will have to be taken, to terminate the present unsatisfactory position of affairs. la a long article) on this subject the Nelsou Colonist points to the probability that* the imposition of a poor rate is contemplated by the Government. Our contemporary concludes thus: — ''There is a growing belief in England that justice demands, that the provision for the destitute should no longer be a looal, but rather a national charge; and' in face of this, it is sought to import all the evils of the parish system into a new colony. There is a. certain cleverness in mixing up the English hospitals and tb,ejr subscriptions and endowments with the. necessary, provision: for the treatment of the: sick poor, whecewith they are very indirectly connected. To the majority of these institutions admission is gained by the recommendation of subscribers, and) the inmates are though not well able to pay for medical attendance, very rarely to be. called, destitute. This class has at all times a right to the services of the parish doctor, or may be removed in extreme cases to the hospital attached to the workhouse, which is entirely supported by the rates. In the, same way, English, orphanages are confounded with those in New Zealand, which, as a rule, are solely used for children who would at Home be cared for by the parish. Humanity imperatively requires that no person shall be suffered to perish of hunger or, disease because " the springs of charity" do not happen to be flowing "where he may have the misfortune to live; and when any

government talks of risking life in such a way, the meaning is that the general revenue shall be eased at the expence of localities. !No one can be so hard-hearted as to rely eutirely on chance donations for providing relief, and when such utter nonsense is talked, common sense translates the highflown phrases into a preparation for the imposition of a Poor Rate."

As the judicial department is likely to be under consideration of Parliament during the forthcoming session, and as the Government are establishing additional District Courts in several parts of the Colony, it would be opportune for the Government to consider, with other matters under this head, whether or not it would be advisable to extend, the jurisdiction of District Courts in civil cases. Judge Weston, at a recent sitting of the Court here, remarked on the anomaly presented in restricting the jurisdiction of District Courts to £200 in recovering debts, whilst they had unlimited jurisdiction in mining cases where thousands of pounds were involved, and in their criminal jurisdiction they could inflict sentences of seven years. As his Honor pointed out at the time, and we suppose he spoke from his own experience, the present circumscribed jurisdiction frequently occasions actual injustice, as suitors repeatedly put up with serious loss, rather than risk litigation in the Supreme Court, where costs are so heavy. To the West Coast, these remarks by the Judge are particularly applicable, as the sittings of the higher court are held at such wide intervals, that persons frequently cannot wait, and rather than seek recourse to the law, are disposed to settle claims which, under other circumstances, they would resist. There are not, it is true, any great number of cases brought before the Supreme Court here where the amounts exceed £200, but this may be uccounted for to some extent from the reason named, and from the fact that auy proceedings taken in the higher court are much more costly than in the lower. There can be no doubt one of the great evils so frequently complained of in this Colony is the dearness of the law. From the fees imposed in the Warden's and Resident Magistrate's Courts, up to those of the highest tribunals the scale throughout is excessive and burdensome to the general public. A revision of the whole question during the present session would be heartily welcomed by the entire Colony. And in dealing with this matter it would be well to consider whether the jurisdiction of the District Courts could not with advantage be extended to double the present amount in cases of actions for the recovery of debts.

Just before 1 a.m. we received the first three slips of the summary by the San Francisco mail, which arrived yesterday at Auckland. Consequently, we are compelled to hold the news over until to-morrow.

His Honor Judge Weston returned from hi 3 northern circuit on Wednesday evening, and holds a sitting of the District Court here this day at 11 o'clock.

The Chriatchurch coach arrived at five o'clock yesterday afternoon, having been detained by the bad state of the roads. The Yen. Archdeacon Harper was a passenger, and was welcomed by a large number of friends.

The Secretary to the Hospital requests us to acknowledge with thanks, the receipt of £40 from tho Goldsborougli Committee.

We understand that the Harbor Board, having received a satisfactory reply from the Government as to " ways and means," have resolved upon proceeding with the engiueering survey of the Mahinapua Lake and Hospital Creeks, as requested by Sir John Coode.

There is a deep slough of mud in TancredBtreet, immediately opposite the Wesleyan Church Reserve, which is a most unpleasant trap for pedestrians on dark nights. The attention of the Public Workß Committee of the Borough Council is urgently needed to make the roadway passable in this locality.

Messrs P. A. Learmonth and Co . report a very satisfactory sale at Waimeo- yesterday, at Mr Mulligan's clearing out sale of drapery and properties, considering the paucity of attendance. The Commercial Hotel building was sold right out, and the shop has since been placed under offer privately, and no doubt will be dipoaed of in a day or so, as Mr Mulligan is closing the whole of his establishments on the Coast. The same auctioneers will hold a clearing out sale on Saturday next of his Kumara business, commencing at 11 o'clock.

The usual monthly meeting of the Building Society will take place to-morrow evening, at the Society's office, Wharfstreet.

It is rumored that yet another Opposition member is. about to resign. Capt:iin Kelly the member for Ficton, is said to be on the eve of retiring, in which case Mr Henderson will come forward in the Ministerial interest.

Mr J. E. Cuddeford, notifies in another column that he has removed to the premises formerly occupied by Mr W. Evans, at the corner of Camp and Wharf-streets.

A call of 3d per share has been made by the Wealth of Nations Quartz Mining Company, payable on the lOtb^ inst.

We. are requested to state that the sale of Card's Pioneer Hotel and ottier first-class properties, anuounced for public competition by Messrs Gird-wood, Lahtnan,, and Co., auctioneers, Greymoutb, to take place on the 12th instant,, is postponed till, further notice.

An Australian telegram published in the Imnedih Herald states that Calarnia is favorite for the Sydney Metropolitan and the Melbourne Cup, being backed at 100 to 5 for the latter..

Mr Stephen Lynch, one of the crack rifle shots of Australia, died at Sydney on the 16th inst.

Judge Bathgate has, been appointed to the Council of the Otago. University vice the Hon. Mr Maoandcew,. resigned;

About 400 native names have been added this year tothe electoral roll of Napier town. It is easy to foretell what will be the effect' on a future election.

The Oaniaru Mail concludes an article on the relative merits of the Dunedin and Oamaru harbor as follows:—" We are not a bit jealous of the Dunedin harbor, because, in our opinion, there is nothing to be jealous about. There is plenty of trade for the ports of Oamaru and Dunedin, without iudulging in anything more than fair rivalry. We, therefore, offer the Dunedin Harbor Board the following suggestion:— Cut a channel from the Ocean Beach, across the flat, into Dunedin Harbor. If we mistake not, this scheme was proponnded some years ago by a Dunedin architect, and although it seems somewhat chimerical, there appears to be no other way out of the dilemma into which the Dunedin Harbor Board have drifted."

The Hawke's Bay Herald says:— •" We regret to have to record the death of one of the oldest settlers in Napier, Mr Henry Groom, who expired after a lengthened illness. Iv his younger days he served in the Spanish legion, under command of General De Lacy Evans, and held in that corps the rank of quarter-master serjeant. Although of the advanced age of 77, he was in comparatively robust health till within a year or two ago."

The following story, told by the Bruce Herald's' Dunedin correspondent, is too good to be lost :— « A young man, who got drunk and behaved himself in an indecent manner at Port Chalmers a week or two ago, « had ' the sub editor of one of the morning journals very nicely. After he had been fined 40s by the Bench, he thought it would be as well to keep his name out of the papers if it could be managed. He therefore sought out the sub-editor referred to, and unfolded the following tale. He said that a young newchum — a fellow in whom he took considerable interest — had made a fool of himself afc the Port, and had fallen into the hands of the police. When arrested he was speechlessly drunk, and not being able to give his name, the police entered on the charge sheet a name they found on an envelope in the prisoner's pocket. The name, unfortunately, was not the prisoner's, but that of the gentleman who so kindly placed the facts before the newspaper man, the prisoner having a letter of introduction to him. The case seemed rather a hard one, and as the owner of the name that had been improperly entered on the charge sheet did not want to disclose the real name of the prisoner for fear of injuring his prospect in a now country, no mention of the case was made in the newspaper referred to. When the sub-editor heard that the plausible gentleman who interviewed him was the actual offender he was of course dejj^TTied."

Mr r Carlisle, the editor of the Hawke's Bay Herald, has sold out his share and interest in the business for over £4000.

A gentleman iv Melbourne, who is worth about £250,000, has just married a barmaid.

A high school is to be established at Timaru in connection with the public schools.

Dr W. Brown, of Dunedin, lias been appointed Lecturer on Surgery to the Otago Uuivevsifcy.

At the Otago Waste Lands Board meeting. Mr Bastings, M.H.R'.^tated that thousands of pounds could be put in the Government chest by setting aside land for township sites.

The leases in the Crawford street block, Dunedin, sold at prices which will give an annual revenue of £3500.

The funeral of the late Councillor James Morton, of Auckland, was largely attended on June 19.— Mr John Garvey Taylor, an Auckland settler of thirty-three years standing, has. died at the age of 78 years.

L'Estrange, the Victorian rope-walker, is matched against Perkins, the American, to perform aerial feats over Mosstnan's Bay, near Sydney.

The Chinese in Java increased in number from 95,000 in 1837 to 195,384 in 1875. The average Chinese immigration into Java is 1715 persons yearly.

A terrible accident has. occurred at Gulgong (New South Wales). The horses in the mail coach bolted. Miss M'Guire, teacher of a public school, jumped out and broke her neck. Another lady also jumped out, but was only slightly bruised.

Mr James M'ladoe, a well known politician in the South, has written a pamphlet on Otago, and has very appropriately dedicated it to the Hon. James Macandrew, now Minister for Lands, &c, and " the last Superintendent of the province of Otago ."

A strange Discovery has been made at Roxburgh, Otago. A Mr Stringer bought an unoccupied building which was known as the Perry Hotel, and while Mrs Stringer was engaged in clearing it out, she discovered a parcel of about two pounds of gunpowder wrapped in paper and placed under some old ashes in one of the fireplaces. The building is not insured.

A man named Robert Can?, a poulterer, was brought up at the Melbourne District Court recently by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, upon a charge of exposing, for sale in a cart, on the loth, ult., a number o£ fowls with their legs tied so tightly together as to cause them great suffering-. The case was clearly proved and the Bench inflicted a fine of 2s 6d'., with 123 6d costs.

On the death of the widow of the Rev. Mr Schonfield, who died at Sydney in the early part of last month, the Wealeyan Church in New South Wales will receive a gift of £40,000.

A London company, called the AntiPneumatic Company, have invented a lamp which makes its own gas, and burns at less than one farthing per hour. It gives a light equal to twenty candles. Such lamps would be very useful in the Colonies, and some of our ironmongers might introduce some of them.

A Chinaman has made his appearance before a Victorian audience as a lecturer. On the 19th instant, at Brighton, Mr Cheok Hong Cheong delivered a lecture on China, and gave a description of the country and itß vast resources, assisting his remarks by reference to a large' map. The population he estimated at 450,000,000, and he described the three religious systems of China as Confuciusism, Tawistn, and Buddhism. The former he, however,; said was a system of moral philosophy that formed the beau ideal of Chinese character. Buddhism was more idealistic, and found favor with the recluse

and ascetic. He pointed out that the four provinces where the famine principally prevailed contained a population of 75,000,000, whose food crops had entirely failed, every vestige of herbage having disappeared, even to the leaves of the trees, and they were entirely upon the small dole the Government could give them. Their compatriots had no want of sympathy for them, but had nothing to give them. He concluded with a powerful appeal for aid.

Writing of an inquest in Sydney, the " Vagabond " relates that some amusing evidence was given. One witness described the barman at the hotel as a " cross between a wood-chopper and an empty bottle." The Coroner, astonished, as well he might be, deinnnded au explanation. " Well, you see sir," said Scottie, "he passes his time between bringing out empty bottles and chopping firewood." Another witness, a girl, made unconsciously a first-class pun. She was very reticent or shy, as females in such case 3 are apt to be, and Mr Want was rather searching in his questions. She giggled and blushed so that the Coroner jocosely said, " What is the matter ? Mr Want is not winking at you, is he ?" " Oh, no, sir, its worse than that; he's pressing me so." I call that very good for Mary .

By the last inward Home mail the death is announced of one of the oldest clergymen in Eugland, the Rev. Benjamin Symons, D.D., of Wadham College, Oxford, in the ninety-third year of his age. The deceased gentleman was warden of his college from 1831 to 1871, when he resigned.

A singular difference of opinion, says the Melbourne Argus of the 11th inst., exists as to the identity of the man whose dead body was found last Saturday on the beach at St. Kildft. One gentleman affirms that the body is that of a man named Woods, a recent arrival from Tasmania, who had been residing at the Royal Arcade Hotel, Little Collins-street. Another says positively it is that of a publican named Rentiers, of Hamilton. And Mr Prosser, bootmaker, of Brunswick-street, asserts that the remains are those of his traveller, George Lake, who lived in Little Charles -street, Collingwood. The gentleman who identifies the deceased as the Hamilton publican is a brother-ia-law of the person he refers to, and is so confident about his identification that he has ordered a uoffln to be supplied, and has made trrangomeutd for the funeral. The only article found on the body that may certify to ideuiifioation is a silver lever watch, No. 19,264, with a small piece of string tied rouud the riug, maker « Balski, Melbourne,' aud appendages. Amongst the latter is a Key with a stamp bearing the makers' name, ' liastree aud Co., Hamilton and Melbourne,' a'ld from this it would appear probable that the doccised may be the Hamilton man." The hody has since heen proved to be that of a Mr Mountier.

A. remarkable earthquake at Tanna, New Hebrides, is thus described in a letter addressed to the Itev Dr Steel by the Rev. Thomas Neilson, resident missionary at l J ort Resolution, and published 1 in the Sydney Morning Herald:— •« Oa the 10th January, at 7 o'clock a.m., we had the most severe earthquake that I ever experienced. A. large piece of laud from the high bluff on the west aide of the entrauce to the harbor was thrown forward in the sea. This caused a surge that was thrown over the point on this side of the liarbot to a perpendicular height of about 40ft.* and which swept everjbluu;* before it, and brought a considerable quantity of fish high and dry upon the laud. Nearly all the candes in the harbor belonging to the natives were destroyed. About two minutes after the earthquake a rise of the land along the whole west side of the harbor took place to the extent of about 20ft. This has narrowed considerably the effective anchorage in the harbor. On the 14th February, at half-past twelve noon, another earthquake of scarcely so much violence occurred, and was followed by another rise: of the land on the western side of harbor to the extent of about 12ft. Some rocks over which there used to be seven or eight fathoms o f water have been thrown above high, water mark. Mr Peterson, a trader who has been living hers, has been taking souudings, and says that the entrauce is still clear, but vessels coming here will need to be careful, as the harbor is much narrowecf."

A lady passing along the street in Melbourne the other day threw a sixpence to a blind maa that was being led along by a. dog. The coin fell oa the ground, and was immediately pounced upon by some boys-. The blind man put his foot upon the sixpence and raising; his hand in a menacing manner exclaimed, "You d— m young rat3, l was too quick for you, I had my eye on you."

The Bendigo Advertiser has shown a letter written by Lord Byron to the editor of Galiguani's Messenger Paris, and' dated « Venice, 27th April 1819." The letter was written to contradict a- statement that he was the author of a work which* had just been published called "The Vampire," and is referred to in Moore's "Life of Lord Byron." There, can be doubt, says the Advertiser, that the letter is genuine, and that it is a valuable curiosity, which would be highly prised in London.

.Foremost in the ranks of fame stand those extraordinary and successful medicines known as "Ghollah's Great Indian- Cures." The, numbers of sick people that have been restored to health by theijc use are> almost incredible. Some of the severe cases treated successively by these Indian Medicines seemed to have baffled all the available and ordinary remedies previous to their introduction. Severe cases of 16 and 20 years' duration have been cured by their use. " Ghollah's Great Indian Cures " are sold by G, Mcc, Revell- street, where you can see testimonials.

For miraculous cures by the use of Eucalypti Extract, read fourth page — [Advt.l

Since the loss of the Eurydice it has been stated as a fact that not more than fifteen per cent of the English- sailors can swim at all, and even many of thoae are very poor swimmers. In France, condemned crimnals never know the time fixed for their execution until the moment arrives.

The Pope is the youngest of£ four brothers, the eldest of whom is 86. The second: has four sons, two of them Volunteers in the Italian army. The Pope has also two married sisters.