THE CHERTSEY PEOPLE AND THE PROPERTY ASSESSMENT BILL.

W On Thursday afternoon a meeting was f held in-the Chertsey. school-room, to con sider the proposed property tax. There was only a moderate attendance, but those ;>resent were all residents. Mr. W. A. Brown was called to the ihaitv In introducing the subject he ex plained away the muall attendance by stating that some misapprehension regard in'' the hour of meeting had existed, some people believing the meeting was to have been held in the evening. After ex plaining the provisions of the Bill very exhaustively, he pointed out that a result of it would be that we should now be taxed some 355. or 40s. per head more than we were at present. He expressed sympathy with the Government in having to resort to such heavy taxation, but con sidered that to tax improvements and industry was most iniquitous and inquisi torial. A person striving to make his place homely and comfortable, or even decent, was called upon to be taxed for what might be considered only neces sary. He then quoted from “ Hansard” the reply of Mr. Reader Wood to Sir George Grey, to show tint the Land Tax was to be quadrupled, bes des extra taxa tion, even on beds, chairs, and the vpry household furniture. Mr. Brown claimed that the people ought not to quietly submit to be taxed, simply for the reason that they did not raise their voice against the measure. Such,_ in fact, was the argument used by Major Atkinson in sup port of the measure —viz., that the people had assented to it by not raisins' their voice against it. If no one else did, he felt sure that the people of the Chertsey district would make their voice heard. The people had great power in resisting undue and unfair taxation, and he referred to the success of the licensed .victuallers in opposing the Beer Tax of the late Go vernment. That measure would have la-ought in a large revenue, and the tax t*mid have: been well borne. Did Govern ment suppose that the people would tamely submit to any taxation, even to the taxing of machinery and everything that was necessary for the produce of the country. , Such a measure as that pro posed would retard local industry, and by it all toilers were to be taxed to the far thest extent, while buyers were exempt. Ho considered that the Land As sessment Tax and an Income Tax ■would amply meet the deficiency. Tlaere was no doubt the money must be raised, but it was imperative that it should he raised in the manner proposed. If such heavy taxation were necessary, an econo mical movement could be made in the direction of reducing the cost of maintain ing an Agent-General and his staff. They (did not represent, but misrepresented the fflolony by their extraordinary pro mises to intending immigrants. Mr. B, Edwards proposed—“ That this meeting strongly disapproves of the pro cess of th e Property Tax Assessment Bill now before the House, as it believes it is calculated to cripple the industry of the colony and retard the settlement of the country ; and that the measure is of too oppressive and inquisitorial a character. ” The resolution was carried unani mously. Mr. Fowler ;iaid he thought the tax would only effect the wealthy and not the poorer classes, and he considered they were the right persons to bear the tax. As the money must, he presumed, be raised lo save the credit of the colony,; vrould the Chairman lay before the meet ing some other more tangible scheme for rawing it. The Chairman said he was irot *n authority as to how finances of the ■country should be guided, but he fully agreed with the speaker that the money must be raised. In reply to Mr. Dollara ore, the Chodr man said the water race *was expected to he. remunerative. Mr. Ivess spoke at soma length in sup port of the resolution, and complimented the Chairman and the district on raising tHeir voice against such an 61 moxious mea sure.

Mr. Wilkinson, propose d—“ That a napy of the foregoing resell ition be sent ta the member for Coleridge,’ ’ end a vote of thanks having . been jpa ssod for the energy displayed by Sir Gee rge Grey in opposing the measure, in its . early stages in the House, it was resolved t hat a copy of both motions be forwarded to Sir 6. Grey.

A vote of thauks to the Chau ’man was passed and the meeting adjoumat b

ASHBURTON AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the General Conn nittee was held yesterday afternoo n at 8 bear man’s Hotel. Present—Mes irs. J. Cl irter (Chairman), J. Hunt, Jot ,n Bell, T. Taylor, J. S. Bruce, J. Clark , J. Chalnu -rs, H. J. Weeks,NielMaclean,J. Tucker ,a»id Geo. Jameson, Secretary. It was resolved that the following seal c be adopted for prizes at th« > late Show . ~ Ist j >rize. andpri/.e. i ■ ■ j ' £-i i, d. s. <l. Ssv top, Cattle, and Horses, 2 o o io Pigs ... ... ... r o' o io o Implements ... ... z o o io o Poult y and Dogs ... r o O io O Agricultural Produce... I o o io o ; Dairy; ?roduce ... T o o io o New Zealand Manufac tures—. ... i o o io o Leaping Match .... 2 o o io o Several acco’imts wihfl 3 passed for pay ment. • ; The disposal eff Mesa aR. Wilkin and Co’s, prize of ajU*er mwc lal and L2 2s to the largest prlztetkkwst the Show, was adjourned until tHe Stevra rds could decide who was entitlecfltb itt- On the motioTiof MP Jfej eph Clark, it was resolved to callibiSgun<s««a{ ; meeting of the Society on January/gift, to decide upon a_ date on which to'bfclH! t he reaper and binder,contest, and’t6 con* ider the ques tion' of alteringthb'dato , of the annual meeting.

A'Vote of thanidfistfeptaihati ; d the meet ing'.' 1 ■’

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Friday, Dec. 12. | (Before Mr. JV Guinness, R.M.) DRUNKENNESS., George Murray, charged with the above offence, was fined 10s and costs. LARCENY OF A PIPE. George Sinclair, on remand, was charged with being illegally on the premises of Wm. Power, landlord of the Royal Hotel, also with tlie larceny of a pipe the property of George Martin. George Martin deposed to having seen prisoner at the Ashburton Hotel on Wednesday. Laid his pipe on the bar whilst he went outside to look at his horses. On his return, the pipe was missing. . . The prisoner denied taking the pipe _with any felonious inteution, and pleaded that he was too drunk at the time to know what he was doing. Constable Beaumont said—Ho arrested the prisoner on the charge of being illegally on premises and found the pipe in his possession. Prisoner said it had been given to him by a young man. The Magistrate gave Sinclair a month for stealing the pipe, and on the charge of being illegally on premises he was sent to gaol for three months, the sentences to run concurrently. CIVIL CASES. Saunders Bros. v. Sinclair—Judgment by consent for L3O 6s lOd, with costs, L2 ss.

Saunders Bros. v. Osborne. —No ap pearance of defendant, Judgment for L 47 16s lOd.

Bluett v. Ford—Mi-. O’Reilly for plain tiff, Mr. Branson for defendant. This case was adjourned, on the application of Mr. O’Reilly, till next day on payment of costs.

Orr and Co. v. Ford—Claim LSO, for dishonored acceptance. Judgment for plaintiff, with cost. Lancaster v. Quarterman. —Judgment summons. Defendant was ordered to execute a lien on his crop in favor of plaintiff to secure payment. Cookson v. Gardiner.—Claim L 4 16s. Mr. O’Reilly for defendant. E. Cookson stated that the amount was due for coach fares for men.

By Mr. O Reilly—Gardiner gave me instructions te employ men for him and charge him with their coach fares. James Gardiner stated that he gave no authority to men to pneur the coach fares on his account. The coachman had told him that two men had come up in the coach, but did not give their names. By plaintiff —Will swear I never told you to bring men up for me. Don’t think I have had a bill of particulars from you. The case was then adjourned till Mon day at 10 a.in., for the evidence of the coach-driver.

Sycamore v. Morrow. —Mr. Branson for plaintiff, Mr. O’Reilly for defendant. Claim L 9 16s. The sum of L 7 was paid into Court

Wm. Sycamore—A man in the employ of Mr. Morrow took a dray from my camp and used it on his farm. He also used a water tank for some eleven weeks. The hire of a dray is worth 5s a week. I had to send for the dray; it was broken in several places. By Mr. O’Reilly—The dray was taken without my permission. Had a dispute with the manager about chaff cutting, but it was not in consequence of this that I sued for the hire of the dray. James Hewitt, manager for Mr. Morrow, said that Sycamore had a contract for ploughing, and carting carrots. He said I could have the loan of a dray, and I sent a man for it to Sycamore’s camp. It was capsized in the river, and I offered to pay the damage, but refused to pay the hire. Sycamore asked me to send the dray home about six weeks after I took it. I did not hear of any charge to be made until the settlement.

His Worship considered that there had been a loan of the dray up to a certain time, and would give judgment for 255. for plaintiff with costs, LI 9s 6d. Saunders Bros. v. Trickett—claim, L 7, balance due for rent. Mr." Branson for defendant.

S. Saunders stated lie had not the lease, and could not say whether it was stamped sufficiently. Plaintiff was non-suited. T. Ireland v. Hun-ell. Mr. Crisp for plaintiff. Claim for bailiff’s fees. Plaintiff deposed to having served a number of summonses, to do which he had been employed by defendant. By defendant —The summonses were given to me in your presence. One sum mons was not served by me, and you took it from me some days afterwards. Defendant gave evidence that he had not employed plaintiff, and had instructed Mr. Branson not to give him any employ ment connected irith the Court as he was so untrustworthy. By Mr. Crisp—Sammonses from foreign Courts cbme addressed to the Clerk of the Court.

C. B. M. Branson, bailiff of the Court ; said he had been cautioned by defendant not to give summonses to Ireland to serve. I gave plaintiff summonses to serve. I told Mr. Harrell I lord given them to plaintiff I have been bailiff of the Court since ApriL His Worship said that as Mr. Branson jhad been bailiff since April, and it was dear that he was responsible for any (barges for the service of summonses, plaintiff would be nonsuite A RAKAIA. — Thursday, December 11. ((Before Mr- P- Guinness, R.M.) ASSAULT. Philip Salaman v. George Mapple. De fendant who was not present, was fined ss. and costa 7k Win. Morrow v. Barn say. Case withdrawn. CIVIL CASES. H. M‘Lean v. Lake and Beard. Claim Ll 6 14s. Bd., balance of account for work done in loading and unloading railway material for defendants, who are con tractors for the construction of the Kabua and Ashburton Forks railway. Mr, Par nell for plaintiff, Mr. O’Reilly for de fendants. It was contended that plaintiff had received mare payment than he had given credit for, and also that there was an account of L 6 to be deducted for work done by defendants* mere His Worship decided to adjourn the case to next Court day for the production of defendants books and bookkeeper.

THE FARMER.

AGRICULTURAL PAPERS. “THE AGRICULTURALIST.” Part IV. THE CHIEF AND FORMIDABLE COMPETITORS AS AGAINST THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICUL TURALIST. The American may fairly be placed at fho li. a.d of the list of your competitors, and as (me destined to make almost im measurably increased productive power. At present he is your great rival, and he is indeed a formidable one. I find I shall take up too much of your time were I to do other than refer briefly to his position in general terms. The following are the export values from the United States for the years 1873 and 1877, of live stock, moat, and broadstuffs, as taken from the “ Chicago Farmers’ Review,” and are worthy of having a place in this paper. This statement is only one of the many potent facts which I wish to bring under your notice, to show' that you have too many lions in the way for you to be dor mant.

Export values of live stock, meat, and bread stuffs for the year 1878 and 1877 from the United States—

From the above itis clear thattheexports of the particular class of produce specified had increased in value in the year 1878 over that of 1877 by 72.2 per cent. A few re marks may be necessary to illustrate the ■nerease of her live stock, and dead meat trade with Great Britain since so recent a date as 1876. The entire quantity of meat imported into the United Kingdom in 1876 from the United States was 16,165,6321b5., the money value of which was L 389,395. In 1878 it had risen to 53,661,2161b5., with a money value of L 1,264,764, while from Europe the total money value of dead meat was only L 66,535. The value of imports of all classes of live stock into Great Britain from America and the Continent was L 7,454,482, and with dead meat added L 8,785,781. Of that sum nearly L 4,000,000 was from America. Every year, it has been pointed out, Europe can spare fewer cattle, and it is to America British consumers must look to make up the deficiency in the Home supply Sooner or later all these importations of meat must tell upon the consumers’ butchers’ bills ; but at present they remain, strange to say, as high as ever. To give you some idea of the prodigious resources of America, the following may be of interest to you.

THE LARGEST FARM IN THE WORLD. The largest cultivated wheat farm on the globe is said to be the Grondin Farm, not far from the town of Fargo, Dakota. It embi’aces some 40,000 acres, both Go vernment and railway land, and lies close to the Red river. Divided into four parts, it has dwellings, granaries, machine shops, elevators, stables" for 200 horses, and room for storing 1,000,000 bushels of grain. Besides the wheat farm there is a stock farm of 28,000 acres. In seeding time 70 to 80 men are employed, and during har vest 250 to 300 men. Seeding begins about April 9th and continues through the month, and is done very systematically. The machines follow one another around the field some four rods apart. Cutting begins about August Bth, and ends in the fore part of September, succeeded by the threshing with eight steam threshers. After threshing, the stubble ground is ploughed with great ploughs, drawn by three horses, and cutting two furrows, and this goes on until the weather is cold enough to freeze—usually about Novem ber Ist . There are many other farms in the territory, and in the same neighbor hood, and they are tilled in much the same way as the Grondin. The surface of the land generally is almost level, and the soil rich and black- The product of one field of 2,315 acres is 57,285 bushels, some 25 bushels to the acre. The average yield of the Dakota wheat farm is 20 to 25 bushels per acre, and the concurring testimony is that it is unequalled as a wheat region in the world. The estimated average wheat yield in the United States, from the highest agricultural authority, is put down at 13 bushels per acre. I cannot close with cousin Jonathan’s power of competition without bringing under your special notice the cheap rail way carriages he is favored with. FREIGHT CHARGES ON AMERICAN RAILWAYS. The cost of railway transport of goods varies very much on different parts of railway systems ; but not so much on the main line of different countries. For instance, the lowest cost of carrying freight yet reported in America is found in the report of the Northern Central Railway for 1878, which gives the cost per ton per mile on the Susquehanna division, 47 miles long, as 8.35 cent, or 0.175 d (say about one-sixth of a penny) per ton per mile. On the whole road, however, the average cost is about twice as much, and on one of its branches (a distance of only nine miles long) the cost is nearly ten times as much —3.246 cents, per ton per mile. It is not often the companies report separately the cost on different sections of the same road. If they did, perhaps some of them would show a lower cost than this. Freight has been carried between Chicago and New York within the past two years at $0.4 to $0.44 or 2d. to is. lOd. per ton per mile, equivalent to 20 cents., or about lOd. x le, ‘ lOOlbs. from Chicago to New York.

The American lias been one of the foremost as an inventor of labor saving machines on the farm. He is one of those who have a natural inventive turn of mint!, it is very desirable to point out the forced necessity there is for the agri culturist to its** all such machines, as the farmer must now be on the constant watch for improvements to enable him to hold anything like his ground as a com petitor in the general altered condition of agricultural matters. INDIA. India has been referred to as likely to become one of your competitors. The shortening of the distance between India and the United Kingdom, since the open ing of the Suez Canal,;, has not only re duced the rate of freights, but found a market in England for the wheat produced in the former country. The climate of

India cannot as a rule he considered favorable or reliable for wheat growing, it bears no comparison to that of America. The following is some guage of what has been accomplished by one o f your new competitors already ; —The export of wheat from Calcutta during the past two or three years has reached as much as 1,149,667 maunds in some single months of the year. This is equal to 1,573,1-71 bushels. The freights are very favorable. By steamers to the United Kingdom, via the Suez Canal, LI 2s. 6d. per ton is about the ruling rate ; while by sailing vessels, via the Cape of Good Hope, 10s. per ton is the usual rate and as ruinously low as ss. per ton has only been paid occasionally during die period I have referred to. OTJR SISTER COLONIES —SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND VICTORIA. The former seems to hold her own, and goes on increasing her area of wheat growing, despite her low average yields, of 5 24.(i0tha bushels per acre in some^ of the worst seasons, notably that of 1876- The highest estimated average wheat yield in South Australia, if I remember correctly, was about 12 bushels. The yield in 1877 was reckoned at 7 4G-00ths bushels per acre, and that of last year at equal to 7 bushels per acre—the average in many places in 1878 ranging from 23 to 12 a bushels per acre. Considering these light yields, and the proportion of seed used i.e., about H bushels per acre, to produce a return of 9 bushels, which seems to be a g*od average vield, and to analyse this further, it is clear one-sixth portion of the gross production is wanted every year for seed purposes. Or to put this important mat ter more forcibly to you, it takes one acre to produce the seed needed for sowing six acres. It is therefore only reasonable to conclude that unless some different system of agriculture is followed, South Australia cannot be looked upon to make much further advancement in wheat growing, considering year by year she will have her increased population to provide for. Her estimated total yield last year is returned at 9,007,624 bushels. After providing fox seed requirements for the same acreage as last year, 1,929,204 bushels will be needed, and at least 1,300,000 bushels for home consumption. This gives her an estimated surplus for export of 5,778,220 bushels. To carry this a little further, in 1864, fifteen years back, South Australia ex poi’ted equal to 3,062,080 bushels of wheat, so that in fifteen years she has barely doubled her export of wheat and flour. It is true, the agriculturist of South Australia is fortunate in living in a coun try where a righteous policy of commerce is followed, by which he is enable to ob tain full value for the money he expends for his requirements. Under this natux-al state of trading he has thriven. With reference to the position of the Victorian agricultux-alist it can scarcely be said he has thriven, although he has been cultivating the soil under the flag of pro tection to native industry since its first agitation in 1865. As he is your nearest competitor, I feel satisfied that he has a more prosperous future in store, and with your indulgence I will make a few remarks respecting his position. He had by this policy in his favor a protection of Is duty on every lOOlbs of grain imported into Victoria. During all this time he has enjoyed the advantage of this duty over his inter-colonial competitors. The production there now is fully equal to her requirements, although the climate for wheat growing seems somewhat irregular. The area in wheat in 1870 was 288,514 acres, giving 5,697,056 bushels, or an average yield estimated at 19.8 bushels to the acre. In 1879 the wheat area was 691,622 acres, yielding only 6,060, <37 bushels, or an estimated yield of 8. t bushels to the acre. The general average wheat yield in Victoria extending over the past ten years may be put down at 13.2 bushels per acre. It is very striking that the increased area in wheat in 18 < 9 over 1870 was 403,108 acres ; yet the yield in 1879 only exceeded that of 1870 by 363,681 bushels, so that the 403,103 acres extra in wheat barely gives a return of • 1 bushel an acre upon the increased acres.

From tlie position of the Victorian agri culturalist, he now finds to his cost that the imposition of the protection duty put on to benefit him has had the very opposite effect. He frankly admits that while, on the one hand, he had the benefit of the Is duty on every lOOlbs of his grain grown, on the other he* has been so handicapped in having to pay, through the imposition of other protective duties, to such an out rageous extent for almost every implement and all other accessories essential for carrying on his calling, that he now finds he has not made the same progress as ho might have done had he been free to purchase his requirements at the cheapest rate. He instances now very potently the farmers’ real friend—the reaper and binder. This costs him L2O more in Victoria than it does his neighbor _ and follow agriculturalist who lives in a comparatively free commercial country. His voice is now loudly heard from one end of Victoria to the other in endeavor ing to do away with protective duties altogether. In fact, as a rule, all the members of the numerous Agricultural Societies there have turned Unionists, and seem strongly bent upon making a com pact to drive the noted leader of the late Embassy from power, if he does not re peal the iniquitous protection law, and fol low a policy of righteousness. This leader is the present Premier. The determined action taken by the Victorian agriculturist has already had a cleansing effect. He also states with truth and frankness that although he has produced under the sweets of protection, he fails to obtain more for his products in the 'world s market than those who produce without being fostered, and who can grow for less than ho can. In one respect he has a great advantage over the New Zealand farmer. He has no export wharfage rates to pay. He has only to pay the minimum railway charges of Id. per ton per mile, with an additional terminal charge of Is. per ton. There is one only one more matter to which I should wish to refer. That is the Victorian consumer of agricultural pro duce during the past ten years. The Vic torian consumers have had to pay for the wheat and oats they used, since the time I refer, to the enormous sum of L 2,046,707 more than they would have had to do if a natural course of commercial relationship had existed with other countries. It is clear and beyond doubt that the price for wheat and oats has been ruled by the Vic torian producers to the extent of the duty added to the price of it would have coatto import, because the natural law of fre >

j niipt.ly ;m«l unrestricted commercial ex ‘ cnimumlitie-? did not exist oxp-'”ie v si i o c-t» ’ 1-0! il(;r OWn !!!’ ff ]>V:W

oiu'iige (;l Once she 1> not longer

and having ou-o reached the 1 o er i> - Linn, > ,MXto;i .til w.ie.t and «>.u» ffo id leitnei' enetit the producers nor would it ■pi-ress die consumers. During these ten years the agriculturists in Victoria have had the direct benefit of L 204,670 a year. So much for production. No wonder that many of the Victorian consumers are at the present time in a state of extremely straitened circumstances. To bring this matter dearer h me to you as New Zealand agriculturalists. In your present position, a protective policy here could not possibly ass:st you, as you are an exporting country of corn and other agricultural produce. Melbourne, the great port in Victoria, has been one of the best markets for the sale of your oats. After supplying your own local markets, you have shipped your surplus there, despite this duty of Is per lOOlbs., and you have been satisfied that the results gave you as good a return as you could realise from any of your other customers. The fact of the imposition of this Is. tax has compelled the Victorian consumer to pav this tax over and above the price this particular line of food would have cast him had free trade existed. The present foster ing protection policy in Victoria clearly punishes its consumers; but it certainly does not affect you in any way. One of your recent political aspirants has put forth the following view, and no doubt he thinks in his particular light it would help you as New Zealand agricul turists. it is;—“That he would he in favor of say a tax of 3d. per bushel on grain, by way of rendering the farmer assistance in bad times.” Considering New Zealand is a large exporting grain country, and is certain to go on increasing, such views as these expressed, to my mind, are those that can only be compared to romances coming from the mouth of a fanatic, who makes a ridiculous exhibition of himself, in taking upon himself sub jects he cannot fathom. [TO RE CONTINUED. ]

The Nihilists and the Czar.

Russia, for a civilised country, is per haps the most unfortunate in the world, and believers in the Nemesis that follows crime and those, even to the third and fourthgeneration, who aieguilty of it, will be inclined to believe that the terrible Nihilism, now haunting the Czar like a vampire for his life, is a visitation of the Almighty upon the House of Romanoff, of which the Emperor Alexander is the representative. There are few roval families who have their history so taiutr.i as has that of the Czar of Russia, for, from the time of Ivan the Terrible, in 1570, who murdered his eldest sou with a blow on the head from an iron staff, and was the cowardly instigator of the Novgorod mas sacre, up to the time of Nicholas, the last Czar whose Polish crimes are familiar to all men of historical reading, the whole line of Russia’s sovereigns-has been marked with ignomony, and outrages of a kind that shock all the feelings of civilised men have characterised their reign. In a future article we may, perhaps, substan tiate our statements by a few passages from the lives of the House of Romanoff, but meanwhile we have, said enough to apologise for any man kjelicvintg in a Nemesis of Russian royalty. In a recent article we summarised the doing of the Nihilists, andgavea faint out line of the ter rible state of the country, and the terror the new order has inspired. No one can sympathise with the Nihilists in their mode of achieving their aims—to rid the country of a system of Government which has become intolerable, and to make their fellow countrymen acquainted with a freedom to which they have ever been strangers. Patriotism is at all times to be admired and respected, but patriotism that has its outcome in assassination by an unknown and concealed hand is ever to be condemned. But few people will ac cord to Russian Imperialism that sym pathy in its trials that a more generous and humane ruling power would merit and receive in like difficulties. So that when the news reaches us, —as it has too frequently of late—that another attempt has been made upon the life of the Czar, the execration that naturally arises is neither so loud nor so deep, were the subject of the outrages any other than the descendant of the Romanoffs and the representative of Russian tyranny. Our cablegrams gives an instance of how steadily the Czar’s life is being sought by the new order of men who seek to re generate the country. It is only one more example of their determination to uproot the last vestige of the Romanoffs’ power, and we are inclined to believe, from the course Nihilism follows to extend its influence and power that, despite the efforts of Imperialism to crush it, it wil eat its way like a cancer into the very soul of the Czar’s dynasty, and in time work its ruin. The Czar may vow the extermination of Nihilism and work his best, hut he knows not its extent, and he cannot touch its hidden power—for it works by an influence ho cannot control, because it is beyond his power before he knows of its existence. Steadily it proceeds, slowly and silently but not the less surely ; and though its final triumph may not be an event of to-morrow nor perhaps of this generation, we feel that it is the agency that is to drive from power in Russia the last Romanoff who will ever reign. Whether a better order of things will succeed can only be surmised on when the purposes and character of Nihilism are better and mors fully known.

UNKNOWN

ji ns.'l a 1 -u si, 5 r .•-.: •~0 ' .effete, out it seems impolitic to teach j him that his sun is set, and so, groping in Ui3 dark • ess of desperation, lie fires his bolts wildly and aimlessly in the hope some lucky one, shot at a venture, will tell upon his otherwise unassailable oppo nents. Until the Hall Government show t hemselves less capable than the failures they 3 '.ie planted their seats in office are secure , and this the wily knight knows full well But he loses no opportunity to make litth- irritating attacks, and nasty carping speeches, resonant as usual with the bombast of which he is a recognised master.

The Li 1 ■•■•)■■ l party left an inheritance of financial o'o..•plications to be righted by their sue e..;; m- complications which, unmffified, • sure to place the colony in bad odor with the public creditor—and when the Hall Government took office, they at once set themselves the duty of squaring accounts. Theirs was no plea sant task. The exchequer had run very low, and the expenditure had overlapped considerably the public income. To bring the latter abreast of the former and to do that meant the exercise of much tact and not a little courage—was the work that lay before them. But no one can road the financial proposals of the Colonial Treasurer and say that he has shown him self destitute either of courage or of tact. To unravel the tangled skeins left by their predecessors, and to take up the heavy balance of promises of Liberal legislation the Grey Government had made, were the undertakings essayed by the Hon. J. Hall and his party. With every promise of successfullyrestoringthe colony’s finance to a m ore stable foundation, and th us saving her oredit, imperilled by. the pseudo-Liberals ; and with the House’s hands still full of Liberal measures, in fulfilment of the pro mises made to the country by Government when they went to the constituencies on Sir George’s appeal; the country has every reason to bo satisfied with Govern ment’s doings, and to entertain brighter hopes of the future. Sir George and his followers know this, for they see it before their eyes. But the} 7 don’t like it ;• and like wayward children they throw the most frivolous obstacles in the way of progress. While Government struggling with the difficult question of finance—and the last Government, after their gross failure ought to know how difficult that question is—the great pro-consul, with his head full of human race, &c., chimeras, must needs in trod ice a Redistribution of Sea ts Bill. It was ho matter to him that Government stood pledged to that question as well as to a dozen others ; it was no matter to him whether the financial fabric of the colony stood or fell; no matter if the colony went bankrupt, and her ruin were accom plished to- m< arrow— that Bill must be passed, and if itbe notpassedand everthingelselaid aside that it be undertaken, why, then, all men not in opposition are men in whom the truth is not, and who love not the country they are bound to serve. Sir Gcr-ge will “ sit till Christmas to pass this measure ” Enthusiastic Sir George ! Patriotic Sir George ! But does it not strike the old but still gushing patriotic that there are more pressing measures de manding his attention and that of the House Rian this Bill of his. Of course it does. :>ut then to aid these measures would 0e iii aid the Government in power and his mission is to obstruct them—to turn them out of office if he can, failing that, t > annoy by paltry tactics—not to help in Liberal legislation. His sole aim seems cu be to annoy his unassailable op ponents with trifles ; to kill valuable time, and hinder business ; and his conduct in Opposition, ever since he tendered his un gracious resignation, has been snob as would characterise a man who being dis appointed in his desire for the reins of the country feels that for him the country may ‘‘ go hang. ” Fortunately for New Zealand in her time of trial Sir George’s wings are clipped.

Log-Rolling Railways.

At every election, and not seldom in the House itself, log-rolling has been made the text of very declamatory speeches. More especially has the denuncia tory power been directed against log-roll ing as connected with railways It has been said, and not without good founda tion, that members have often come to an understanding with each other, and as an outcome of such understanding there have been railways laid down in various parts of the colony, which, though greatly bene fiting the particular districts they run through, have been notoriously barren of returns to the “public exchequer. The Minister for Public Works, in his state ment delivered last Tuesday, made a threat that ought to exercise a very whole some influence, if given effect to, in stop ping log-rolling in the future. He hinted al levying a tax upon the districts enjoying those unproductive railways, with a view to remunerating the public funds for the outlay those lines have caused. In fact, his threat would have the effect, in other words, of making certain districts pay out of their own pockets, by direct taxation the difference between their railways’ re turn, and the amount Government may consider a fair return for the money ex pended. There are railways working in the colony at this moment that are only beneficial to a very limited area of land, and they have not conduced in any way to more extensive settlement, for the simple reason that in the districts they pierce there is no land of any use for settle ment by agriculturalists. Ou the other hand, there are extensive tracts of land in other parts of the colony that woulc' afford large areas of settlement, but no railways are near them, and the finance of the colony is not in a position to find railways for them. The whole country has thus to pay for the benefit given to those districts whoso railways are unremunerative, while the advantages of railway communication are not enjoyed by all alike. The Govern ment seem to have determined, as far «ts thej T can, to stop this sort of thing in the futiirCj by only consenting to the construc tion oi such lines as will assured'y give a good return, both by the extension of settlement, and in hard cash as profit on their working ; and it is with much plea sure that we remark the whole tone of the Statement in relation to railways, which evinces a wide-awakeness to the state of affairs we can only regret has not been shown in the past, for warnings have not been wanting that “white elephants” were *here and there being fed. The following

;r.t',i L 'U"ro:n (he siaVniyut is inifii .t;. ,-juv !-.-'-.arks . * ( 7 < * 1 ’ - * • ■ J. !*(>**•' n. ■ ~ aat ua or T'T/ ill ways >■., ,1. •' >r •• ibu'ibu towards 'he : . akiUiil and economical management, and of submitting all future proposals for new railways to the same rigid scrutiny as private investors •would make, and firmly rejecting them unless a strong probability can be shown that they will prove remunerative. It must not, however, be forgotten that the demands of the public have forced on the Govern ment the adoption of a more expen sive mode" of constructing railways, and greater speed in transit than was at first intended, thus necessarily interfering with the paying character of these undertakings. No doubt great collateral advantages are gained by the construction of railways, but after all the practical test of useful ness is their being or not being used.. If, therefore, it is found that the traffic on any railway is so small that great loss results from its working, it may, I think, be assumed that either it is badly managed, or that, being useful only to a few, it ought not to have been constructed.”

SUEZ MAIL NEWS.

The following additional items of Suez mail news, per the Rotorua, reached us by telegraph : London, Oct. 22. Russia has greatly reduced her Black Sea fleet. The Pacific squadron ha? gone to Yokohama, and is stationed there to explore the Pacific coast from Saghalien, •and to protect the Russian fishing boats. The squadron consists of a frigate and several cruisers. The French Minister of the Interior has issued a circular to public prosecutors to take proceedings against any address, writing, ot other act in violation of the last circular aimed at the Radical Com? monistic agitation, which tends to reach a dangerous height. The French Liberals divided on - fbe question. ; of a plenary amnesty. A large section : advocated the measure,. but, it is , understood that if the measure is voted the Cabinet will resign. • The Hon. Mr. Childers, in reply to the Marqflis of Salisbury, .said the policy of the Liberals would be to ensure friendly relations with' the Great Powers and to maintain the naval supremacy of England on the route to India. Referring to Irish affairs, he thought a form of local govern ment might be made to meet the reason able demands of the Irish people, although the Liberal party could not accept Home Rule ns such. Mr. A, Macdonald, M.P., strongly ad vacates .joint organised action by the miners to restrict the output of coal in order to increase the wages. The Spanish Government is opposed in its desire .to emancipate the negroes in Cuba by so strong a party of merchants and planters that the resignation of the present Ministry is believed to be im minent. Gordon Pasha’s mission has been ..suc cessful in establishing satisfactory relations between Egypt and the King of Abys sinia. King John renounces his claim to Massowah, but is allowed to choose terri tory to the south of it. The Marquis of Salisbury, in alluding to the Austro-German defensive treaty, in a speech at Manchester, said he was not aware whether the rumor was true, but if so, it would be glad tidings of great joy for the people of Europe and inde pendent nations.

PUBLIC WORKS APPROPRIATION.

The following are some of the Canter bury appropriations as they appear in the Public Works Schedule Interior main line ... , ... L 42,600 Road to Upper Ashley, to open up 30,000 acres (the whole of which has been already Ex pended) 4,975 Drainage of Lake Ellesmere, to lay bare 20,000 acres ... ... 400 Ashley bridge approaches ... 500 Upper Waitaki bridge 5,000 Public buildings— Christchurch ... ... ... 5,000 Lyttelton ... ... ... 1,000 Addington ... 1,000 Akaroa ... ... 750 : Ashburton ... ... ... 800 Waimate 4,000 Gaols— Addington ... ... ... 2,000 Lyttelton ... ... ... 4,000 Timaru 720 Burnham Industrial School ... 3,842 Telegraph line to Albury ... 1,200 Main line to Upper Ashburton... 20,000 Little River and Akaroa line ... 20,500 Washdyke to Opawa, via Fairlie Creek and Burke’s Pass ... 25,000 The following items also ap pear : Railways— Picton to Hurunui (of which L 12,187 has already been ex pended)... ... - ... ... 37,500 Surveys, Middle Island ... ... 14,908 Christchurch and Hokitika road 12,000 Public buildings—Kaikoura ... 250 Additional telegaaph wire Christchurch to Blenheim ... 7,000

4

THE ASHBURTON GUARDIAN.

[Saturday, December 13. 1879,



1S7S 1877 Increase £■ £. £■ Live stock, meat and breadstuff's, not inclu- dine; flour 15,266,816 9.759.448 5.507,36s Wheat ... 19.7S4.300 10,000,336 9,753,964 35,021.116 19.750.784 15,261,333



‘'. Mooklitk, TUee nwtc rangeiy M<*' >nlite, it ajTpeanj, i a resident in Hawke’ki.Blny, one time employed im the oißee., : He subsequently-joined ■ end was aftenrm ;■itltidcty:*., Wair.»,wli himself as a fciwif *. Haphaua- i; When oh the <• He a-steady well-conducted rious bush .vas formerly and waa at “ Herald ” the Armed •ds sent on ere he dis qainat the raidho ig man.



Good Gracjoiw !—An old Swan River settler has asked (or a sum of money to be placed on the Western Australian esli matesforthe importation of monkeys of all kinds into the forests of that Colony. Applicant undertook their management and settlement until thoroughly acclima tised.



Flouk Experiment.— A French ohem ist last year exposed a quantity of flour to a hydraulic pressure of 300 tons, which reduced it to one fourth of its original hulk without impairing the quality. After the lapse of a year the unpressed flour has become spoiled, while the pressed remained sweet, and was excellent when baked. The use of the bridal veil has been traced bade by some wise men to the Anglo-Saxon custom of performing the nuptial ceremony under a square piece of cloth, held over the bridegroom and bride, to conceal her virgin blushes ; in the case of a widow, however, wo are told the veil was dispensed with. Orange blossoms, ever an inseparable part of bridal gear, are said to have been derived from the Saracens, or at least, from the East, and are supposed to have been thus employed as emblems of fecundity. The wedding ring is thought to be of heathen origin, which circumstance nearly caused its abolition doping the Commonwealth.



Father Chimtquv.— The Orangemen in New Zealand are likely to take Father Chiniquy under their protection. The rev. gentleman leaves Sydney for Auck land on December 23, and will probably deliver lectures in all the important towns in New Zealand. A Prolonged Silence. —An ex-mayor of St. Louis asked his wife to sign a con veyance of some property which he wished to sell, and, to his surprise and she refused. JJe swore that unless she com plied he would never speak to her again ; but she still remained obdurate. This occurred sixteen years ago ; and although they had being a loving couple, and have ever since lived in the same house, they have never, from the moment of the dispute, direetty exchanged a word. When circumstances make communication between them absolutely necessary, they have hitherto respectively addressed their daughter, and she spoke for both. Their questions so put were always framed in the third person. The daughter unfor tunately died at the beginning of Septem ber ; but the ex-mayor and his wife, although feeling her loss acutely, still decline to open their mouths for purposes of mutual consolation or interchange of thought; and it seems probable that this strange state of affairs will continue until one or both of them can speak no more.—- “Pall Mall Gazette.”