SHIPPING.

PORT OP LYTTELTON. Arrived. Yestkkdat. Oenlurian, ship, from Middlesborongh. Wakatu, s.s. , from Boat Harbor. ; To-dat, Hawea, a.s., from Wellington. Sailed. Yesterday. Hero, cutter, for Wellington. Examiner, barque, for Greymouth. Wakatu, s,s., for Wellington. SHIPPING TELEGRAMS. AtjCKLiND, Yesterday. Arrived —Marmion, from Dunedin. - Weimngtok, Yesterday. Arrived—Manapouri, from Melbourne, via South; Hawea, from Nelson and’Pic ton ; Go-Ahead, from E tst Coast. _ Sailed—Mahinapua, for Westportj and Qreymouth; Manapouri, for Auckland, via the East Coast. ' "

MAIL NOTICES.

Mails close at the Ashburton Post Office as follows - For Christchurch and North at Gam, 10.30 a. m., and 5 p.m., daily. For Ohertsey Rakaia, &c., at 10.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. , For Dunedin, Tinwald, Winslow, Hmda, Coldstream, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, and Geraldine, at 10 a»m. daily. For Temnka, at 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., daily. For Timaru and South, at 6 a.m., 10 cm,, and 4.30 p.m., daily. _ ; , For Greenstreet, on Tuesdays and Fri days, at 10.30 a.m. . For Mount Somers, on Tuesdays arid Saturdays, at 6 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. For Mayfield, on Tuesdays and Satur days, at 6a. m. ' .i ■ For Ashton, Waterton and Longbeacn, at 4.30 p.m. daily. For Ilemington, on Mondays, Wednes days, and Fridays, at 4 30 p. in. • For Wakanui, Elgin, Seaview, Seafield, and Kyle, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, at 6.30 a.m. , For Newlanda, on Tuesdays and Fn ' days at 10.30 a. m. Mail* arrive at the Ashburton Post Office — From Christchurch and Rakaia at 10.15 cm., 4.35 p.m., and 7.20 p.m. From Chertsey, &c. at 10.15 a. m. and 4.35 p.m. daily. - From Dunedin and intermediate places at 5.30 p.m. daily. From Temnka and Timaru at 10.40 a. m. 5.80 p,m., and 8 p.m. daily. * From Greenstreet, Tuesdays and Fri days, at 3 p.m. From Mount Somers, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, at 10.5 a.m. and 8.15 p.m. - From Mayfield, on Tuesdays and Satur days, at 10.5 a.m. _ ■ ’ From Ashton, Waterton, and Lqng ‘ beach at 10 a. m. daily. . ’ From Flemington on Tuesdays, Thurs days, and Saturdays, at 10 a.m. , i From Elgin, Wakanui, Seafield, land Kyle, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sat urdays,. at 4 p.m. • . From 1 New lands, on Tuesdays and Fn days, at 9.30 a. ro. __

DAILY MEMORANDA.

AUCTION SALES | Tuesday, January 9. J. T. Ford & Co., at the Tinwald Yards —9OO Merino Ewes. Matson, Cox and Go., at the Tinwald Yards—Stock. MEETINGS, AMUSEMENTS, &o Monday, January 8. ; Meeting re formation of Lodge of Ancient _ Order •£ Druids—Ashburton Hotel, 8 - p.m. if , Wednesday, January 10. 1 *... County Council, at the County Council 1 , Chambers, at 11 o’clock. 5 , Friday, January 26. • ' Somerset Lodge, Monthly Meeting, in the Masonic Hall, Tancred street, 7.30. ‘ Saturday, February 3. : Wakanui Road Board—Monthly Meeting, Road Board Office, Moore street .

TRAVELLERS’ GUIDE.

Trains Leave Ashburton"'for Ohrist " ■ church and intermediate stations at 7.10 : i km., 10.65 a.m., and. (Express) 6:39 p.m. ! Trains Leave Ashburton for Timaki and South, at 6.50 a.m., 10.25 a. in. (Express),and 4.45 p.m.—thelatter pro ceeding no farther than Timaru, Trains Arrive at Ashburton from. Christchurch at 10 20'a.m. (Express), 4.35 p.m., and 7.20 p.m. Trains Arrive at Ashburton from Timaru and South at 10.46 a.m., 6.28 p.m. (Express), and 8 p.m.

[With an apology to Green's Shade.] CHEAP BOOTS AND SHOES.—The BIG SHOP in Bast Street, Ash burton, has just been opened with an entirely NEW STOCK of English, Foreign, and Colonial-made BOOTS and SHOES, which will be sold at my usual LOW PRICES, which have given such satisfaction in Tinwald and else where. —C. HAWKINS, “ Munster” Warehouse, Ashburton ; also at Tin wald.

THE SCOTTISH IMPERIAL IN SURANCE COMPANY.

Head Office: 151, West George street, Glasgow. Capital ... £1,000,000 FIRE RISKS taken at lowest current rates. Claims promptly settled here. W. R. BOYLE, n 7 Agent, Ashburton.

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1883.

Cricket. —A cricket match between the “ Bricklayers and Carpenters ” of Ash burton will be played on Saturday next, on the Domain ground.

Sporting. —The distance to be run in the race between Steel Dust and Lady Helen on Wednesday next, will be 1J miles, and not miles as previously an nounced. Concert. —The annual concert in con nection with the distribution of prizes to the children attending the Flemington School came off in the school-room last night. Ther# was a capital attendance from the near neighborhood, and the large audience enjoyed the programme exceed ingly. The performers hailed chiefly from Ashburton, and, as will be seen from the following programme, included among their numbers several well-known voca lists :—Voluntary, Miss Gates ; song, Mr Gates ; song, “ Come back to Erin,” Mrs Craighead; duet, “Come o’er the Moonlit Sea,” the Misses Gates; song, “ Vicar of Bray,” Mr Craighead ; song, Vlra Manning; song, Mr Gates ; song, “Kerry Dance,” Miss - Sinclair ; song, Miss Gates ; song, “ Banks and Braes.” Mrs Dunn. Big Gooseberry Contest. —The entries for the big gooseberry contest closed yes terday, at Mr Cambridge’s shop, East street. The fruit shown was very fine, and, although only four growers competed, the samples were very superior to those shown last year. The following are the entries, the result, and the respective weights of the twenty berries exhibited :—lst, G. T. Smith, lib Joz 12gr ; 2nd, Charles Smith, Allenton, 15koz 1 drachm ; 3rd, G. H. St. Hill, 13Joz 40gr ; 4th, W. Smith, Lag rahor, 12£oz 30gr. It will thus be seen that Mr G. T. Smith was the successful competitor, his gooseberries being nearly an ounce heavier than the others. Mr W. Smith also exhibited a splendid lot of gooseberries from Lagmhor, which may now be seen in Mr Cambridge’s shop. The prize is an engraved pewter, which, on this occasion, as will be seen above, goes to the Smithfield nurseries.

Sooth Rakaia Road Bord. The usual monthly meeting of the above Hoard was held on Thursday last. Pre sent—Messrs 0. N. Mackie (chairman), Holmes, White, and Allan.—The Clerk reported on the works done during the month. The alterations to water race crossings and culverts were not yet com pleted.—Correspondence was read from Messrs J. L. Fountains, manager for Sir John Hall, and Alexander D. Mclb wraith, manager for S. Bealey, Esq., complaining of the manner in which the South Rakaia poundkeeper kept the books, and stating that in very few cases was a record kept of earmarks or brands. Several sheep owners on the north side of the river had found their sheep with the earmarks altered, and upon making enquiry they had been informed that the sheep had been purchased from the Rakaia Pound, but no record of the same could be found in the books. It was resolved that the letters be acknowledged. The pound keeper’s books were then inspected by the Board, and it was resolved that the poundkeeper be instructed to keep his books in strict accordance with the Act, and to keep all brands and earmarks strictly recorded; also to insert the names and addresses of all persons purchasing any stock from the pound. A'l sheep sold were to be distinctly marked with a brand, to be supplied by the Board. The Clerk was instructed to procure new books for the pound, and to inspect the same regularly.—A letter was read from Mr Silcock, asking to be allowed 5s extra on each f jrd in his contract, on account of his having to cart the gravel such long distances. It was resolved that the ap plication could not be entertained.—P. Clifford wrote, asking for an extension of time to complete his contract on Gar diner’s road, as he wished to go harvest ing. It was resolved that as Clifford had always given satisfaction in his contracts a two months’ extension be granted.—The Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote, stating that he had placed to the Board’s creditthe suinof Ll3lßs, being a portion of the proceeds of purchase money for cot tagis at Methven. Accounts to the amount of LlB5 12a lOd were passed for payment, and (he Board adjourned.

I.O.G.T.—The Star of the EaafrtMge, 1.0. G.T.,'meets to-nigh't.’ ? \ *(',’} 1 Withdrawn —The timber advertised fof sale at Tinwald, on Thuriiday Ms T, Bullock, has been withdrawn’.fi'ajjji sale/ Scratched. —Owing to having met with an accident, Wilberforce has been scratched for all engagements at the en suing Summer Meeting of the Wellington RacingjClub.

Fatal Accident. A mason’s laborer named Aitken, employed ’at the new High School buildings, Dunedin, yester day fell from a stone wall only 18in high, along which he was walking,- and broke-, his neck.

That Printer Again. —An amusing printer's blunder crept into an Oamaru paper on Thursday. In the account of the local sports satisfaction is expressed at the fact of there being an absence of “ protestant grumbling. ” Of course pro test and grumbling was meant. Caledonian Society.— A meeting of this Society was held last evening at Quill’s Hotel. The directors present were Messrs Anderson, Wilkie, McKenzie, Robinson and Mcßae. Letters were read from Messrs Ireland and J. McLean Dunn. Accounts amounting to L 36 6s Id were passed for payment, and other routine business transacted, when the meeting adjourned' sine die. Cheese and Bunter Factory.—A meeting of the Directors was held at the Company’s office yesterday afternoon. Present—Messrs J. Orr, S. Revans, J. Clark, Anderson, Wilkin, and Wheeler. Mr Orr was elected chairman of directors for the ensuing year, and Mr S. E. Poyntz secretary. A letter was read f; om the Wakanui Committee appointed by a public meeting of residents, in reference to the establishment of a branch factory at Wakanui, The Directors having con sidered the matter, it was resolved to communicate their decision to the ‘chair man of the Wakanui Committee. After some further business had been trans acted the meeting adjourned. The Australian Blondin. —H. L‘E strange, the Australian Blondin, made an attempt to cross a portion of the Middle Harbor at Sydney with a bicycle on a tight-rope on December 23. Although it was announced that the rope was to be 300 ft high, it was not more than 30ft above the water. Owing to the unsteadi ness of the rope, L’Estrango, ,had much difficulty in balancing himself on the bicycle, and he had scarcely gone a hun dred feet when he fell into the water. L’Estrange fell clear of the bicycle, and was promptly rescued by some boats with out havimg sustained any injury. He did not make another attempt, and shortly afterwards the steamers, with their dis appointed passengers, returned to town. The Joyce Massacre. — Apropos of this murder the following story is current in the West of Ireland Mrs Joyce, one of the murdered family, witnessed the sink ing in the lake of the bodies of Lord Ardi laun’s bailiffs ; but was so terrifi- l that for some time she did not venture to tell anyone what she had seen. One night, however, she could ho longer keep it to .herself, and described to her husband what she had seen certain men do.; This was overheard by their son, who shqrtly after, being bullied at school by another boy, cried out, “ I suppose you want !t'd murder me and throw me into the lake, as your father did the bailiffs.” The boy having repeated this to his father, the latter and his confederated determined upon their dreadful crime of massacring the whole family of the Joyces, in order to put out of the way such awkward wit nesses of their former guilt. The story seems too circumstantial to be untrtte ; nor is it easy to see why it should have been invented. At any rate, it offers a very sufficient explanation of the mas sacre,, the motive for which has never been very clearly made out.

Prize List. —The following is the prize list of the Flemington School:—Class IV.: Alexander McQuiklin, Bertha Smith and Bella Anderson equal ; spelling, Bella Anderson and Bertha Smith equal; geo graphy, Bella Anderson ; grammar, Bella Anderson ; history, Elizabeth Anderson ; writing, Thomas Page 1, Margaret Lock hard 2, William Small 3 \ arithmetic, Ellen Sheehan and Elizabeth Anderson equal. Class Ilf.: Reading, Esther An derson ; arithmetic, John Holland ; spell ing, Robert Fleming ; geography, Robert Fleming; writing, Robert Fleming 1, John Fleming 2, William James Ander son 3. Class II.: General proficiency—lst section, Martha Fleming; arithmetic, Martha Fleming (special prize); 2nd sec tion, Stewart Huston 1, Lucy Anderson 2, James Holland 3. Class I.: General proficiency Wallace Smith 1, William Fleming 2, James Lockhead 3. All be low Standard I. received a present Of a book. Sewing : Isabella Anderson, Bertha Smith, Minnie Fleming, Liicy Anderson. The “ popularity ” prizes were awarded as follows: —Boys : John Holland. Girls: Bertha Smith and Nellie Fechney.

Steam Services. —The splendid fleet of the Peninsular and Oriental Company has been strengthened by the launch of a new vessel, designed for the Australian line, and having a tonnage of 4,752. This fine steamer, christenedthe Ballarat, has en gines of 4.501 horse power, and is a capital example of moat of,, the improve ments in marine engineering and archi tecture. There was a pleasant' inaugural lun- heon 00 board, and among those pre sent were Sir Saul Samuel, Sir A.' Blyth, and some other well-known and distin guished colonists. The equipment of the Ballarat reflects great credit indeed on the princely Company to which she belongs. It includes, infer alia, a very complete re frigerating plant ; and, as r,o the deco a tions, the “ music saloon ” is an example of what floating palaces some of our Australian liners have become in these days of luxurious voyages. By the way, how rapidly our mercantile marine is how growing. We find on referring to the latest and most authoritative figures on this head that the total value of our mercan tile marine is now in round numbers fully L12G,000,000. Of this stupendous sum L 00,000,000 represent steam vessels. This is not all ; our ships are believed to carry in these days fully five-sevenths of our total imports and exports, and these are roughly valued at L 500,000,000. — European Mail,

Norway’s Liquor Laws.— The liquor laws in Norway are somewhat restrictive, and sometimes give trouble to travellers who are not prepared for them. The license to sell wine and beer is distinct from the license to sell spirits. All (he hotels have the former, but very few of them have the latter, even in the large.! towns. The consequence is that the traveller has no difficulty in procuring beer or wine at any time, but if he should ask for cognac, he must wait till it is pro cvred for him from a house or shop which has the spirit license. No spirit is sold anywhere, not even in the licensed houses, between five o’clock on Saturday night and eight o’clock on Monday morning. This system leads to a great deal of dodg ing and trickery. Knowing the difficulty of procuring spirits at hotels, the traveller supplies himself at the larger towns, and carries brandy or whisky with him in his valbe. Should he, unfortunately, run short, he will have little difficulty in getting a bottle of cognac or Irish whisky from the landlord, and will find it entered in his bill as “old sherry.” The Lon don Times thus comments upon this system :—“ This is how over-strict laws defeat their object. They do not prevent drinking, and in the case of Norway they have not put down drunkenness, while they tempt honest men to risk their credit in devices which can hardly fail to have a demoralising effect. ” |

Libel — The Supreme Court ha 8 granted a rule nisi fop/a new trial in the libel case recently tried at Invercargill, Dr Lewis vl Southland Times Company. - .Suicide. — : A farm laborer named.. John .Wilson committed suicide at"- Watiganui; yesterday, by taking arsenic. It, is siijp pqsed that he was insane, caused; by dis appointment in love. ~ ' f V f >

Woman’s Rights. —At the Christchurch Police Court yesterday Catherine Duggan was charged with assaulting her husband. The “ lord and master ” testified that ha believed his wife was of unsound mind, and the case was remanded. . A Disgraceful Charge. — A the Tharfies Magistrate’s Court yesterday an old man named Noltoh was charged with incest. It was alleged that the accused was the father of a child by his own daughter, and both the wife and daughter of the accused gave evidence against him. The case was ’dismissed, the Bench not considering the evidence sufficient to warrant a committal.

Divorce. —At the Supreme Court (in Chambers) at Auckland yesterday, in the matter of 0. O. Montrose (the well-known Press man) v Montrose and .William Baker, an application in which 'petitioner seeks to be divorced from his wife on the ground of her adultery, there was no ap pearance on the part of either respondent or co-respondent. The final hearing was fixed for the ensuing civil sittings. Bush Fires. —At Carterton (saysa Wel lington telegram) several bush fires are raging, and the place is full of smoke. There is a large fire on the north side of Belvedere road, near the railway line. Several houses are in immediate danger, and all the neighbors are working with buckets and fire-engines. The wind is high, and as timber and rubbish is plenti ful and dry there will be an exciting time during the next few days to save housek.

The Harvest. —Cutting the oat crops is now pretty general throughout the country. Already a good area has been cut and stocked, and given fine weather the wheat crops also will be very soon ready for the reaper and binder. Har vesting operations have been commenced in South Canterbury, and the crops promise a splendid yield. Our neighbors across the Rangitata,- in common with those of other agricultural districts, are complaining of a dearth of hands.

“Lambing Down.”— The alleged case of “lambing down”(previously noticed in our telegrams) will engage the attention of the Resident Magistrate at Wellington on Monday, when Mr Hardcastle will be called upon to decile a claim of L3O ma'de by a man “from the country” against the proprietor of a well-known hosterly in the city. The circumstances of the case, as detailed by the plaintiff, are somewhat peculiar. He states, that shortly before Christmas he came down from a station for the purpose of spend ing hia holidays in the town, and took up his lodging for the time being at the hotel kept by defendant. At that time he had in his possession an order for L3O on a firm of merchants here, and. about Ll2 in notes and gold. Both the money and order were placed in possession of the wife of the publican for safe keeping, and he then started on a drinking bout. At the end of three days the landlady in formed him that he had spent, over L 42 in various ways, and intimated that his room would be better than his company, whereupon the man went to the police station, and asked that proceedings might be taken against his hostess. This the police authorities found themselves unable to do, but the man was recommended to see a solicitor on the subject, which he did; with the result that a summons was taken out for the recovery of the amount of the order, plaintiff having ascertained that the defendant had cashed it at the warehouse of the firm on whom it was drawn. Holloways Ointment and Pills.; — Notable Facts.—lntense heat augments the annoyances of skin disease and encourages the development of febrile disorders; therefore they should, as they can, be remove by these detergent and purifying preparations. In stomach complaints, liver affections, pains, and spasms of the bowels, Holloway’s ungent well rubbed over the affected part immediately gives the greatest ease, prevents congestion and in flammation, checks the threatening diarrhoea and averts incipient cholera. The poorer inhabitants in large cities will find these remedies to be their best friends when any pestilence rages, or when from unknown causes eruptions, boils, abscesses, or ulcerations point out the presence of taints or impurities within the system, and call for instant and effective curative medicines.— [Advt.]

JOTTINGS BY THE MAIL.

A fire has destroyed the greater part of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The loss is 300,000 dols. The German Government has bought the greater portion of the Duke of Hamil ton’s valuable collection of old manu scripts for the Bibliotheca at Berlin. Mr Boucicault has a new Irish drama just finished, entitled “ Boyne Water,” which he intends to bring out in New York before Christmas ; and if in suc ceeds there he will introduce it to London in the spring. A loaded coal-car on an inclined plane leading from the colliery near Williams port, Pennsylvania, recently broke loose and rushed down hi 1. Three men were killed and two fatally injured. The car demolished the buildings at the foot of the plane. German explorers have discovered some pre-Christian sculptures of -a moat inter esting character in the Euphrates Valley, near the Ante-Taurus Mountains.

It is reported from Tripoli that the Be douins there are offering for sale large quantities of firearms and other property. It is believed that these are proceeds of the looting at Alexandria. The Ijug Witzel, while racing with an other tug near Racine, Wisconsin, ex ploded. The owner and two engineers were killed, and the vessel was demo lished.

Dairvon Kun, the leader of the Corean insurrection, has been condemned to per petual exile to the province of Chih-li by the Chinese Government.

The French police are making efforts to discover the perpetrators of a very clever robbery, by which registered lotte's to the value of about L 24.000 were rocen.ly ab stracted from the van of the express mail between Paris and Bordeaux. Immigration to the United States is de creasing; 158,021 immigrants arrived in the country last quarter, against 171,805 in the same time last year. It is expected that the entire commu nity of Quakers will object to pay the income tax which is about to be levied: as a war tax. In years gone by the Quakers always refused to pay war taxes, and the collectors had frequently to distrain upon their property to recover the money. Whether they will have to do so when the new lax comes to be collected reran ins to be seen.

Active preparations have been already commenced for the removal of the statue of the Iron Duke opposite to Apsley House. The lino of the new road has been marked out. The roadw yis likely to be completed before the height of the next season.

The French newspapers announce that counterfeit Bank of England notes for large amounts have been successfully dis posed of by two Englishmen in Paris. They succeeded in defrauding one groat banking establishment alone of L 16,000, and the total nominal value of the worth less notes which they got rid of is, so far as is ascertained up to the present time, no less than two millions of francs, or LBO.OOO. ' Here is a bluejacket yarn from Alex

andrift. "An officer of the commissariat, entered one of the'stores to take a survey of its contents, when he was run against and almost knocked down by what he took at first to be a small i haystack, but Which, upon investigation proved to be a British jailor in scant undress struggling under two or three trusses of hay, which he had been sent for to convey to his ship. “ Who are you ? and what are you doing, here V’ was the officer’s challenge to his rough assailant. “ Well, I don’t know what I am just now,” replied Jack ; “I was A man-o’-war’s man once, but now I’m doing duty as a commissariat mule.”

The Sultan has just appointed three commissions of reform—one to investi gate financial affairs, another for judicial procedure, and a third for public works. The financial commission, which includes two German functionaries, is an especially

strong one.

Mr John Fawcett, one of the oldest Freemasons in England, died on October 28. As Senior Provincial Grand Master he performed the ceremony of installing the Prince of Wales. He was a of Northumberland and Durham, and a large landed proprietor in both colonies.

Sarah Bernhardt has been engaged for five months for South Amedca. She’will not leave her husband behind ; a fabulous sum is spoken of ; sometimes three figures appear in the contract. L 660 a night for fifty nights is not bad pay. < • : A telegram from New York says that the vessel which was recently lost off the Straits of‘Juan de Fuca, and whioh'was at first supposed to be the Wamba, now proves to have been the barque Melville, bound from Shanghai for Victoria. All on board perished. The excess of imports of merchandise into the United States over the exports amounted during the month of Septem ber to 681,961 dols. During the same period the imports ef gold and rsilvftc ex ceeded the exports by 230,626 dols. A request has been made by the Perfect of Police in Paris that 300 men may be added to the force, or that the sergehts de ville now employed on cab-ranks, etc., be replaced by other man, and be thus placed at his disposal. , Galignani says that M. Cameocasso has probably asked as much as he expects to get, but a .mere increase of 300 agents will far from answer to the requirements of the public safety. There i's quite a crush every day from ten to eleven at the Box-office of the Lyceum Theatre to see them take |tho money. A barricade is erected nearly across the hall up to the office of the money-taker, and there is always a cluster of from sixty to a hundred people filing up to the financial gentleman and taking tickets for “ Much Ado About Nothing " for ever so many nights, or, perhaps, months ahead. Certain it is that Mr Irving will need no pantomime this Christmas to attract customers to his theatre till the season is over.

It is announced from Copenhagen that Edtnund Lobedanz, the popular Danish poet, has committed suicide. His body was found hanging from a tree in the Zoological Gardens of Copenhagen, The motive: for this deed is unknown. jM. Lobedanz, besides hia own .poems pub lished a number of translations" into Ger man,of Danish and Norwegian authors, Mr Pinero’s new comedy, “Girls and Boys,” was produced at Toole’s Theatre on October 30, and achieved a success tiue rather to the popularity and effective' acting of Mr Toole than to the merits of the .play itself, which is-not of a very attractive nature. The audience, never theless, received it very good-naturedly, and at the. termination there was some slight applause, to which the author came forward and bowed his thanks. : : It is rumored that the distinction of Grand Cross of the Bath is to be con ferred on Mr Childers, the Secretary of War, and on Lord Northbrook, First Lord of, the Admiralty. It is now rumored in military circles that the medical officers of the army de sire that the rule should be cancelled which prevents nursing sisters of the Army Medical Department from receiving medals for campaigns. It is urged that while the Queen and the Royal Princesses set the example of wearing decorations, why should not the devoted nurses receive and wear the badges they have fairly earned 1 ' : > ’ The Prince of Wales has consented to lay the memorial stone Of the Indian In stitute at Oxford early in next year, but the date is not yet fixed. The subscrip tions-now amount to more than L22j000. The building will contain several lecture rooms, a fire-proof library with five oriel windows looking down Broad street, a small typical Indian museum, and every appliance for promoting systematic and combined action in the prosecution of In dian studies.

Certain high persons having been specu lating on the prospect of an opposition by the Northern Empires to England’s pro ject of re-organisation in Egypt, the Ger man Consul at Cairo has been authorised to give a categorical contradiction to such surmises. Prince Bismarck, relying on the assurances of England’s disinterested policy, is confident that she is only in terested in the lasting pacification of the country.

The World, in speaking of the welcome given to the troops on their return from Egypt, says that doubtless the men are well pleased with the reception accorded to them on their return from Egypt, but the wounded men were not likely to 'go in to raptures over the arrangements made for their transference : to Netley Hospi, tal. In the first place, as if to give full swing to a system of blundering, the men were landed at Portsmouth, where they were lodged for the night in the most makeshift manner, taken by rail next morning as far as Biahopstoke, where they were obliged to change and wait some time in order to be bumped and jolted in another train going to Netley. There was no occasion whatever for taking the wounded men to Portsmouth, as they could have been easily put ashore at the landing-place in front of the hospital itself.

A serious accident has befallen the young Prince of Hohenzollern by his horse falling with him at the Royal boar hunt at Grunewa’d.

On Nov. 6 the mail train containing passengers from London, when starting from Calais, met with a collision at VVimil lie station. A goods train from Boulogne, which had been shunted on to the main up-line instead of on a siding, was getting on to another line of rails, when the mail dashed into the two rear trucks of the goods train, carrying one along over 100 yards, ploughing up the line between the rails in its course, it was ultimately shopped by the axle and wheels of the truck getting jammed between those of the locomotive. Before the collision, a man bearing the danger signal met the mail, and the driver applied the vacuum brake, lessening the shock, or else the consequences might have proved more dis astrous. The train was going at high speed down an incline. Fortunately, there was no loss of life.

Commenting on what it describes as “the partnership between concubinage and comedy ” which disgraces a section of the London stage, the Birmingham Mail calls upon the public to set its face reso lutely “against performers whose charac ters are smirched.” The Mail says:— It is idle to blink the truth that in cer tain London theatres immorality is ram pant ; actresses form improper connec tions which they have not the discretion even to keep in the background; diamonds glitter on their necks and on their wrists, which a’l the world knows to be the wages of an unchaste life ; the whole atmosphere, reeks of dishonor, profligacy, and extrava gance. This is prejudicial not only to art but to public morality. There is perhaps no more melancholy sign of the times than

Ithat, women whose lives are -flagrantly im moral should be suffered to-flaunt, with all the ostentation which. a public stage affords, the material evidences of their splendid infamy, and that audiences should be found to applaud cheir appear ance without regard to their character. In the Probate and Divorce Division of the High Court of Justice oh Nov. 8, the suit of Ponsonby v. Ponsonby came before Sir J. Hannen. It was a petition presented by the wife, Elizabeth Ponson by, for the dissolution of her marriage with Lieut. Ponsonby, an officer on the Retired List of the Royal Navy,-on the ground of cruelty and adultery by Mr Middleton. The learned counsel in open ing the case said the parties werre married in the year 1873, in. Devonshire, and for some time they lived in that county. In October, 1873, Lieut. Ponso,nby ; was ordered away on foreign service, and he was away from home until the'-yiear 1874, but he did not return to his home until i the year;lß7s Some time after that he packed up his clothes and told his wife he was going to visit his mother’s grave, left this house, and f romthat'titne the petitioner had never,seen him. the year 1881, however, she received from him,, asking her Jo see time, but she refused. In - December of that, year, tjie. petitioner read an account in the newspapers of ah inquest that was held on the body of a girl napu-d Eliza Gumming, formerly a barihaid at the Criterion, who had committed suicide in consequence, as it. was stated at the time) of her being deserted by a Lieut Ponson by. The petitioner feeling certain that the.person in question was her husband, at once took steps for the dissolution of her marriage, and after Lieut, Ponsonby had given evidence at the adjourned in quest he was served with the oitaukm in the present case. He believed, that since that inquiry respondent had lived abroad, and Mrs Ponsonby now asked the Court for a dissolution of her ' marriage. A number of witnesses were examined, and ultimately his lordship made a decree nisi for the dissolution of,the marriage. |

DISAPPEARANCE OF THE AZTECS.

If never seems to have occurred to anyone that there was anything strange about the to‘al disappearance of the Aztec civilization in Mexico. When ""Cortez landed in Mexico he found a nation o highly-civilized people living in magnificent cities and having more gold in theirhouees than they could well use, in spits, gjP the fact that their frying-pans and pie-plates and ooffee-po'a were made of the precious metal. The Aztecs had a religion that, much as the Spaniards abhorred; it,> was undoubtedly ingenious and elaborate] They had a literature that was purely American, and they were addicted* to sculpture, aesthetic crockery, and the other arts. The City of Mexico was, on_ the whole, much more magnificent than- any European city. It covered a vast 5 extent of ground, and was a sort of combined Venice and i As for tha Aztecs' 1 themselves, they were numer ous, “brave when they 5 bought it worthwhile to fighti gentle, when they were peaceful, and possesaed'of nearly all the virtues except thatofburning heretics. The Aztecs and thrfr civilization have totally disappeared. The disappearance does, not seem to have; been ttmpslow work of centuries, though, to he few centuries have, elapsed- since the landing of Cortez. So far as can be learned, the disappearance of the Aztecs took place the day after Cortez’ conquered their empire for all subsequent Spaniards were unable to find them. Nqtj only did the Aztecs vanish, giving place to savage and degraded Indians, but'they took their cities with them. Not a trace of the splendid buildings which Cprtez found in every Mexican city reniained to bear witness to the departed grander of the Aztecs. At the present day there is a collection of crumbling mounds and ruined masonry in Yucatan and bentral America, but it is universally that these are the remains of a civilization which preceded that of the Aztecs* The disappearance of Aztec literature may be due to the fact that the Spaniards burned all the hooks that they could find, lest cheap reprints of them should destroy, the Spanish, book trade, but we can * only explain the disappearance of x4*teo art by the supposition that the Aztecs when they disappeared, took their statues, paintings, and aesthetic crotfeery With them. But now comes an intelligent, scientific person, who has studied'the ruins of Yucatan, and has learned all about the Aztecs that any man can and who utterly denies that they, everfwere civilized. He maintains that in the time of Cortez, were pceoiaejy like the Pueblo Indiana of modern day 3.,) jthafc their cities were nothing more than vast communal houses, like those in whtch the Pueblos live, and that all the stories of their magnificence and of the wealth' Vnd civilization of the Aztec Empire ware in vented by the Spaniards. According to this scientific person, neither the Alfteca nor their civilization ever disappeared. On the contrary, they adopted (I the methods of building employed by tha Spaniards, suffered their oil communal houses made of sun-dried bricky to crumble into shapeless mounds,', rjand learned the art of revolution and ag* be came the Mexicans of modern times. This theory is certainly a very plausible one. Nothing is more probable than’-jthat the Spaniards told lies about tha Asgecs, and nothing is more improbable than the theory that Aztecs mysteriously dis appeared. When, however, we make up our minds that the Aztecs were dirty, ignorant savages, like the Pueblos, all the romance of the Spanish conquest vanishes.

A STRANGE ILLUSION.

[“home news.”] Australia appears to have been un conscious of the fact that it has recently harboured a dangerous murderer. The desperate acts of Mr Timothy de.Vm® were known only to himself. This olale factor came Home a few days agd in the Manora from Brisbane, and on- ! the

voyage confessed to his Crimea ‘ r ’’He had done for the second of the Gulf of Finland steamship \yjien lying in Sandridge harbor,, near Mel bourne. He also admitted that helhad murdered Captain Blunt, , of f *he Diomed. Color was given to 1 -the statement by his strange dtfmeanof on board the Manora, where he had threat ened to murder several of the crew. He was put ,in irons in consequence, and came Home a prisoner. Onsthe arrival of the Manora Mr de Vine had an interview with the sitting magistrate at West Ham, and was charged with murder upon his own confession. Closer inquiry, however, elicited the fact that his state ments varied considerably. He stuck to one confession and denied the other. One witness, however, came fqnyard who swore that, although there* had been a quarrel between De Vine 'and Mr Gray, the latter had received no worse injury than a black eye; while a second declared that Mr Gray, had come Home in the very ship Mantra, and was at that moment alive and ,well. Medical evidence was accordingly called in to speak to the prisoner’s : mental condition, and it appeared that he -iras only a lunatic, with a bent towtftds homicide. Fortunately he has, ; rto^yet

THE ASHBTJBTON GUARDIAN, SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1883.



-r-* m N Gr jjl U N _ ] Herr Otto Schweers The Celebrated PIANOFORTE TUNER, Has Arrived, and will wait on CUSTOMERS ONLY Rakaia and Ohertsey on Friday and Saturday. PJ Mount Somers on Tuesday. ORDERS sent to the Music Dep6t, Tancred street, will be attended to. H. J. WEEKS, 12 Agent for 0. Begg & Co.



YOU WANT GOOD AND STRONG FURNITURE, GO TO Io;«TKT7'- DAVIS’S CHEAPO FURNITURE AND BED DING MANUFACTORY, EAST STREET SOUTH, ASHBURTON. r * J7JYERY article Sold at Christchurch y JC i Pbxoxs and guaranteed best of j pflnterial and workmanship. <-■1 FUNERALS OHSAPLy & COMPLETELY FtFEKIBHEDj t _ slo~



Wanted WANTED A Strong BOY for Blacksmith’s shop. Apply, W. Cookie, Wakanui, or Office of this Paper. 33 WANTED BOARD and LODG INGS by two gentlemen, together. Apply to “ X.Y.Z.,” Office of this Paper. WANTED— TENDERS for about seven chains Fencing and two Gates ; labor and material. Specifica tions can be seen on application to the undersigned, at the Borough Council Office. Tenders to be in by TUESDAY, the 9th January. 38 JOHN DAVISON. VT/ANTED KNOWN—That Robert Elston, Burnett street, Ashbur ton, having procured the newest appara tus, is prepared to Sweep Chimneys at very low rates. Any orders left at the Town Hall will receive prompt attention. A N T E D K N O W N. ; ; That BONEDUST, specially prepared for drilling with carrots, mangolds, etc., can be obtained from the undersigned. F. MAYO, Hampstead Bone Mills. WANTED KNOWN—It is Mr Lan caster’s intention to extend his Bread Business, and he wishes his cus tomers to know he has secured Mr Thomas Hicks to manage that branch. A Cart will he run with Broad alone, independent of the other Two Carts, which will con tinue to run as before. The name of Mr Hicks will be a sufficient guarantee that, under his management, Bread of unex ceptionable quality will be tiurned out of the FREETRADE BAKERY, East street.—R. Lancaster, Proprietor. 240



Special Advertisements,



QOA L. COAL. COAL. We have now IN STOCK, ex Con ference, a large supply of the Old Lambton Coal. This is the BEST HOUSE COAL imported. 18n TUCKER, RESTELL & CO.



'VTOTICE TO BLACKSMITHS, iM BREWERS, AND OTHERS. Just landed, ex Mary Campbell, from Greymouth, a supply of the CELEBRATED Brunner Coal, The best procurable for blacksmith and steam purposes. n 27 TUCKER, RESTELL & 00,



SAMUEL SON’S PRIZE SHEAF TWINE BINDER & HARVESTER THE NEW ZEALAND GRAIN AGENCY AND MERCANTILE COM * PANY, LIMITED, Have landing, ex Marlborough, their first shipment of the bamuelson PRIZE TWINE BINDER AND HARVESTER. The Machines, which are now being fast sold, have many material improve ments on the one exhibited by Messrs Samuelson last season. Among others we may mention especially the NEW AND STRONG MAIN GEAR FRAME CHAIN LIFTING GEAR ON TRA VELLING WHEEL RAISING AND LOWERING GEAR FOR GRAIN WHEEL PATENT OILING ARRANGE MENTS FOR DRIVING-WH EEL IMPROVED SHIFTING REEL.



Those, combined with the lightness of draught, lowness of cut, simplicity of con struction, and strength of material, render the machine the most complete offered this season. The Binder is simple and easy to oper ate and automatic, making sheaves regular in size and with perfect separation and good shape, with secure knot. Messrs Samuelson, in perfecting this machine, have avoided complication, and have carefully studied extreme simplicity and facility of adjustm nt. An expert from Messrs Samuelson’s Factory is now on the way out, and will arrive in New Zealand early in December, so as co be present to render his services during next harvest. Early application is necessary to avoid disappointment in securing a machine. G. G. STEAD, Managing Director. P. CUNNINGHAM, Consulting Director. W. HORNE, 12au Agent, Ashburton.



John Meech, Burnett street, • Ashburton, CABINETMAKER & UPHOLSTERER. The above advertiser begs to intimate to hia numerous friends and customers that as he has EXTENDED HIS PREMISES He is now in a position to execute all kinds of FURNITURE at prices to meet THE TIMES. Second-hand Furniture bought and sold. , First Prize awarded at the late A. and P. Show. Showrooms—Next Bullock’s Arcade, i Workshop—Next Mail Jffice, LICENSING ACT, 1881, on Sab at Office of this Paper.



Special Advertisements. O T I O B. We have now IN STOCK and for sale, ex vessels from Kaipara, a large assort ment of DRESSED AND UNDRESSED Kauri Timber, including sizes to suit all requirements of the Building Trade. WELL - SEASONED TIMBER for Joiners and Cabinetmakers. Also, from Foxton, ex Awaroa and Forest Queen, Totaral Black Pine, of the best quality to be obtained. 021 TUCKER, RESTELL & CO. JEL M. Jones’ DESIRES to call special attention to the following i*ems, which have been carefully selected for the coming Festive Season : BOOKS ! BOOKS !! REWARD, PKE3ENTATION, and PRIZE BOOKS. NEW VOLUMES— Boys’ Own Annual Girls’ Own Annual Chatterbox Child's Companion Infants’ Magazine, &c., &o. POETS— Authors ; Sir Walter Scott’s Works, new edition, complete. TOYS ! TOYS !! TOYS !!! GREAT VARIETY—in Wood, Tin, China, and Indiarubber. DOLLS ! DOLLS !! DOLLS !!! ATT. SlZ'ilS —From one inch to two feet—in Wood, Rag, China, Composition, etc.



FANCY GOODS ! FANCY GOODS ! A NICE SELECTION of the above, suitable for Christmas Presents and New Year Gifts. ALL the above Goods are offered at the LOWEST Possible Prices for CASH. A LIBERAL DISCOUNT allowed to schools on parcels of Toys, Books, etc. PIANOS, ORGANS, BRASS, and STRINGED INSTRUMENTS DEFERRED PAYMENTS. H. M. JONES, BURNETT ST, & BARING SQUARE. EWEST BOOKS at R. BEY AN’S, Saundbbs’ Buildings. Cassell’s Popular Educator, Chambers’ Journal of Popular Literature, Mayhew’s Illustrated Horse Management, the Leisure Hour, Every Boy’s Annual, Little Wide-Awake, Chatterbox, Children's Friend, Child’s Companion, Infant’s Magazine, Band of Hope Review, Morning Dewdrops (by Mrs C. L. Balfour), Captain Cook’s Voyages, and others. A large stock of second-hand beoks—all offered at the lowest possible price for cash. 32 ON



gA YE YOUR GRAIN AND PURCHASE Walter A. Wood’s TWINE REAPER AND BINDER, Which obtained the FIRST PRIZE and GOLD MEDAL against all comers at the-TRIAL held last season in Christ church, u dot the auspices of tha Janter bury A. and P. Association. This Machine combines Lightness of Draught, Simplicity of Construction, Ease op Management, Durability, and with Quantity and Quality op Work. Ealing, 21st December, —To Messrs Poyntz and Co,—Gentlemen. —In an swer to your enquiry 1 might state that the Wood’s Twine Binder, works to my entire satisfaction,and may mention that during last season, 1 cut 154 acres of wheat during a strong wind with perfect ease, and produced good work, Fours truly, Henry Herne, manager for J. E. Ruddenkiau. Newlands, 22nd December, —Messrs Poyntz and Co., Ashburton. —I have this day completed cutting 25 acres of rye grass on my farm at Newlands, with a W. A. Wood’s Twine Binder, purchased from you last y ar, to my entire satisfaction. The crop is now lying on the ground, and speaks for itself. Anyone wishing to see the crop cm do so on visiting my farm. Yours faithfully, Martin Grifpin,



FOR SALE— Second-hand GRASS-STRIPPER. FOR SALE- Second-hand McCormick REAPERS and BINDERS, FOR SALE— Pour-horse DRAY. FOR SALE— A WAGONETTE, in capital order. FOR SALE— An Eight-horse-power ENGINE, by Clayton and Shiittleworth, in good order. FOR SALE COMBINE, by Marshall. ON SALE BINDER TWINE, WIRE, and OIL, at current rates. Poyntz & Co,, AGENTS 21d mHE GUARDIAN is on every Tea «- Table in Ashburton.



Special Advertisements. I' 'HE BEST VALUE FOR READY MON'EY IS THS MEN’S AND BOYS’ CLOT H I N G Manufactured BY TUB NEW ZEALAND Clothing Factory, Which can be purchased at their Retail Branches all over New Zealand. A SINGLE GARMENT AT THE WHOLESALE PRICE. Thousands of discerning customers teslify that the New Zealand Clothing Factory’s Garments are the very best for READY MONEY. Ashburton Branch: EAST STRE ET. W. SPARROW, Managbe. a!9



£jHR!STMAS PRESENTS. JUST OPENED UP, A Large and Choice Selection of FANCY GOODS TOYS PRIZE BOOKS. &c., &0., &c. Andrewes Bros., BOOKSELLERS, STATIONERY, &o. East street sottxh, Ashburton. n!5



Thomas Taylor, gAKER AND CONFECTIONER, East street. WED DING CAKES To Order. Manufacturer of CIDER AND OTHER CORDIALS,



NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS.



Advertisements for The Ashburton Guardian must bo sent in not later than 3 p.m , with the number of insertions written plainly on the copy, otherwise they will be inserted until counter manded, and charged accordingly. Re place Advertisements must be supplied the day previous to that on which they are to be inserted. Special notices can be received up to 3.30 p.m., but will be charged double rates. All notices of Births, Marriages, or Deaths must be accompanied by the sig nature of the sender, as a guarantee of good faith. All advertisements and business letters to be addressed The Manager ; literary communications should be addressed to The Editor.