POST-SESSIONAL SPEECHES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XX, Issue 5743, 13 October 1885, Page 2

POST-SESSIONAL SPEECHES.

As the past session has been a stoimy one, and the actions of members more or less erratic, there will be a very natural hangmg back on the part of many of those who, by their votes, have stopped the progress of the people colony for the time being. These good will hardly face their constituents being without actually driven to it, and we hope the electors of every constituency hampered by such short-sighted representatives will take the bull by the horns and call upon the blind followers of the enemies of progress to give an account of their stewardship, and if necessary their resignation of the trust they have not carried out. V\ hen a member cannot vote as the majority of.those who elected him wish he should, he ought to resign and allow the people to choo&e another person to represent them, whose ideas and actions will be more in accord with those of the electors than some of those who by courtesy are now said to represent certain constituencies. The members of the Government will address the country without delay, the order being first the Premier, next the Treasurer, and then the Native Minister. Mr Ballance will therefore address the electors of Wanganui, and through j them the rest of the colony, in about seven or eight weeks, before which time we shall have had both Mr Stout's and Sir Julius Vogel's speeches before us. When Mr Ballance's turn comes to give an account of his stewardship, we venture to predict that his constituents will accord their hearty and unanimous approval of the manner in which the member for Wanganui has performed his onerous duties to both his own constituents and the rest of the colony.

A special meeting of the Wanganui Jockey Club will be held at the Pier Hotel to-night at 7 o'clock.

It is considered probable that a tender for the Eabtown workshops extension will be aci epted in a few days, all the deposits not having been received. It is said that the lowest tenderar is Mr C. Bull, Messrs Alexander and McFarlane coming next.

Messrs Alexander and McFarlane, the contractors for contract No 18 on the Wei-

lington- Manawatu Railway, intend losiDgno time in the matter of getting to work. A start will probably be made this week if the papers can be signed in time. There is we understand a great deal of bridge work in the contract thoy have secured.

Should the Nelson Oddfellows proceed to Wellington to take part in the Friendly Societies demonstration as suggested, it is very probable that in the event of any considerable number proceeding across the Straits, that they will take with them their Dispensatio authorising the formation of the Loyal Nelson Lodge, and which Jfispensation is the oldest in the colony. This document being the authority for the estab ishment nf the first branch of any Friendly Society in 2s' ew Zealand, could not fail to prove of very great interest on such an oocasion, and it might well be placed in the iixhibition for inspection for a short time.

The Parliamentary Union met last evening when there was a good attendance. The whole evening was taken up in a debate on a motion for the adjournment of the House. This was brought on by the leader of the Oppositien after hearing the Ministerial statement by the Premier. In the latter it was stated that the Government had tendered their" resignations but these had not been accepted His Excellency deciding to grant a dissolution. It was argued by the Opposition that the Governor had no power to grant a dissolution and the (Speaker on being asked to rule stated it as his opinion that the Union was not bound by Parliamentary practice in this particular, but by the rules of the Union and the ruling of himself. This led to a somewhat acrimonious and profitless debate. The Government could not see their way to accept the ruling and proposed a committee consisting ot Messrs Dixon, Lundon, Powell, Sheriff, and Leslie, to search for precedents and briug up a report. This the House negatived by 24 to 15. The Premier then moved theaojournment of the House, and in doing so stated that he would communicate with the Governor informing him that it had been decided by the Speaker that he had no power to act according to conbtitutional precedent.

! There is a stirrup-iron at Wellington, found by Mr C. C, Armstrong, which has a romantic history. It was found on the branch of a tree, from which it is impossible now to remove it, whilst erecting a trig station on the heights of Ngatapu, the place made famous as being the site of the stronghold to which Te Kooti and his followers fled after the fearful deeds committed by them at the Poverty Fay massacre in November 186& The leather of this stirrup, probably stolen from a white man who had been recently murdered, must have been broken during the chase, and the Maori had stopped to repair it, hanging the stirrup-iron on the branch on which it is now seen. Ihe Maori must h<-..ve either been surprised in the work or shot — most lil ely the latter, as there were some human bones found near the tree from which this branch was cut. There were 800 killed on and about this hill, from which Te Kooti escaped ia spite of the efforts of the soldiers to capture him, > early 17 years have gone by since this stirrup v/as hung on the branch, which muse have been only a twig tlieii, but which has now grown until it is impossible to take the stirrup off. I

Nominations for the Spring Meeting of the W.J.G. oloße to-night at the Pier Hotel, The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council will be held this evening at 7 o'clock. Prior to that, a special meeting will be held to confirm the water bye-laws. The following telegram waa sent by Hia Worship the Mayor yesterday afternoon : — To George Fisher, Esq , Mayor of Wellington. — Many thanks for hospitality shown to band and courteous remarks at performance, which are fully appreciated by numerous patrons of band in Wauganui. — F. M. Sfobule, Mayor. " Jacob Paithfull " has lost no time in forwarding the results of his drawing on the flawkes Bay Spring Handicap. The first prize £700 went to two carpenters in Napier, the second £300 to a sheep-farmer at Kissington, Hawkes Bay, and the third to a coach driver at Taradale Hawkes Bay. It says something for the connexion which " Jacob " has worked ub that although this sweep was only open three weeks 4714 tickets were sold. This popular consultationisfc has now under way a " monster consultation on the Meldourne and New Zealand Cups. The result of the Band Competition in Wellington was received with disappoint, ment in Wanganui last evening. W e hail reason to believe and hope that the local baud would secure a prize, more especially as during the day news was received of the manner in which they had been received in Wellington by the public, and criticised by the press. It would ill become us however to follow the action of a band in the South and say that they have not been fairly treated. We must endeavor to look at the bright side of the picture and to recognise that the position they attained in the competition was far from being dishonorable and that our Wanganui baud deserves credit for having beaten the bands from such centres as Wellington, Dunedin, and Nelson. At last the commercial men of Wellington are beginning to recognise the importauce of inanufac-uries lead the means to be taken for stimulating trade by fostering local industries, For years past the mercantile interests represented by the merchant and importers who, uniting for their own advantage under the title of "Chamber of Commerce," have strenuously opposed the slightest encouragement on the part of manufacturers, and their action was to, at least, abstinct, if not to smother the local manufacturer and drive him out of the market. But like sensible men we now find them supporting the local trade, when they find that the tables are likely to be turned upon them and the positions reversed, and not only do they support the trade but they are endeavoring to take a leading part in it, for we find that on Friday next they are to consider the subject with the view to place it upon their constitution, and although we cau scarcely be expected to forgive them for their past opposition, yet we may congratulate them upon their conversion to the true principle of commercial success, and we sincerly hope that they will remain steadfast in those principles. The following are the motions to be discussed: That the designation of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce be altered to the following :— "JL he Wellington Board of Trade, Manufacture and Commerce ;" that in order to extend the Board's sphere of usefulness, and to popularise the institution, one of its additional functions be to endeavour to foster and encourage local industries, and to advise and deliberate on matters appertaining to the same; to admit as Honorary members every chairman of all existing New Zealand Chambers of Commerce, Harbour Boards, and Trades Unions, and also the chairman of any associated body of manufacturers. The monthly meeting of the Benevolent Society was held yesterday in the Rutland Chambers, when there were present the President, in the chair, Revs Kirk and Treadwell, Messrs Drew, Liffiton, Sharpe, and J. Ii Stevenson. The minutes of the previous meeting were read aud confirmed. Ihe President reported that Mesdames Worm and Tudor had handed in the sum of £12 9s 2d, and Mrs Russell £1. The Treasurer reported that the funds stood at £72 6s 3d credit, less some small amounts to be paid away It was reported by the Preta dent that Duukerton had found a home at Mrs Piper's, and that the eldest girl had been applied for by xMrs McNeill, of Feilding, and Mrs Neilsen also wanted one. home discussion here took place as to the workiug of the new act, and its provisions affecting the Benevolent Society. The main question to be considered was whether it was advisable to incorporate the Society, or whether it would be better to work under the District Board. Ihe discussion on this matter was dropped for a time, while the ordinary business was transacted. The President reported that there was a new case on the books of a family named Orton, from Turakina. Kelief was ordered to be given to the family Burns, though Mr Liffiton was in favour of proceeding against the man as a vagrant. It was reaolved that relief should be continued to Gaetano and O'Hanlon. A motion of Mr Liffiton's that Burns be proceeded against for not supporting hi 3 wife and famiiy was seconded by the Rev. Mr Treadwell. The Rev. Father Kirk, with Mr Drew, was inclined to think that as the Society was not likely to exist for any length of time, it would be difficult to see the matter through. Mr Stevenson was inclined to think that they should take the step if it waß thought that good would result The President also supported it. The motion was carried. The debate on the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act was then resumed. The Rev. Mr Treadwell gave notice of the following resolution, to be considered at a special meeting of the Society to be held that day three weeks :— That, seeing that an act entitled the Hos* pitals and Charitable Inptitutions Act has been passed, and came into force on the Ist of this month, by which all matters of chanty will fall to be managed by a body constituted under the Act, the committee determine, so soon as the body referred to shall come into office, to hand over &11 the matters that have- been in the hands of the Wanganui Benevolent Society to that body. A most successful meeting of the Rangitikei and Manawatu branch of the Teacher's Association was held in the Central School, Palmerston, on Saturday last. The President, Mr S. L, Brown, in the chair. From correspondence received from Mr Fenn, it was inferred that the Wanganui branch was in a most unsatisfactory condition, and after some discussion it was moved by Mr Brown, and seconded by Mr Patkes, That the whole question of the unsatisfactory working of the Institute and its branches be recommended to the earnest atter tion of the annual meeting. Ihe recommendation of the Inspector to the Board re re-organisation of teaching staff, w<is duly considered, and on the motion of Mr Parkes, seconded by Mr Guthrie. it was resolved, That the Association express a general approval of the Inspector's proposal to the Board re teaching staff. Mr Brown then read an extract from Inspector Riudon's annual report relative to the advisability of forming a teachers' Library, aud proposed, That it is desirable that a teachers' Library be formed for the educational district of Wanganui, and that a committee, consisting of Messrs Parkes, Patkinson, and the mover be formed to draw up rules to be be submitted for approval at the annual meeting. It was announced that Mr Bmdon had offered to subscribe two guineas towards forwarding the movement. Fxcellent papers were then read by Mr Guthrie on " Ural Teaching," by Miss Brown on •'Discipline, ' and by Mr Parkes on the " Calif ornian School System." Before concluding the business Mr Guylee suggested that instead of devoting so much time to the reading of papers, that it would be more useful to discuss standard and elaas subjects. The suggestion met with general appreciation, Mr Brown offering to give the first oral lesson on a class subject at a future meeting. The meeting was then adjourned to the first (Saturday before the Christmas holidays. Half Aslbv-p — " I never," wrote a young lady to a friend, "go to church or lecture but I am half asleep, and I never know afterwards what the sermon"* of lecture waa about." It was a plain case of nervous lethargy, produced by want of action of the liver and digestive organs.' fohe was per- I suaded to try American Hop Bitters, and now she writes: — "How intelligent and bright are sermons and lectures now, and how glorious the world we live in is ! Dr J-oule's Hop Bitters are indeed a blessing to me." Notice