SHIPPING.

PORT OP LYTTELTON. Arrived. YKSTKKDA7. Clematis, ketch, from Pe’onia Sound. s.s., from West Coast ports and Wellington. Mahinapua, a. a., from Eunedin, via Oamaru. Mawhera, as., from Dunedin, via Oamaru and Timaru. Sailed. Yesterday. Kawatiri, a.«., for Grey mouth. Grafton, s.s., for Oamaru and Dunedin. Waipa, s. a., for London. Restless, brig, for Sydney, via Mercury s.s., for Wellington and West Coast . , _ . Mawhera, s.s, for Wellington and West Coast

SHIPPING TELEGRAMS.

New Plymouth, Yesterday. Sailed —Rotorua for K elaon and South ern ports. Wellington, Yesterday. Arrived 'Hawea, from Picton and Nel son ; Penguin, from the South ; Kentish Lass, barque, from Whangaroa. Sailed— Stella, for the Northern light houses ; Arawa, for London ; Hawea, for the South ; Charles Edward, for Nelson and the West Coast. DuiBMN, Yesterday. Arrived— Wairaiapa, from Sydney, via the North, Sailed—Scotia, baique, for Lyttelton ; Wsihora, for Sydney, via the East Coast. Port Chalmers, Yesterday. Arrived—Wairairapa, from Dunedin.

COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian Office, Thursday afternoon. Messrs Matson, Cox and Co. report upon the live stock market for the Ashburton district for the week ending Janaury 2ist, as follows: On Tuesday we held our usual live stock sale at the County Saleyards, Ashburton, when an average entrj|was submitted|to competition. There was a fair attendance of fanners, butchers, dealers and others, and most of the lines submitted were cleared. Fat sheep : A fair supply both in merinos and crossbreds. The latter realised as high as 12s 9d, 13s 4d and 14s each ; fat merinos, fair quality wethers, made 7s 4d, 8s 6d to 9s 2d each. Store she-p, of which there was a fairly representa tive catalogue, sold about late rates. Fat cattle : A m:dium entry ; all bein' c’eared at a slight advance upon former quotations. Store cattle ; About 150 yarded, and all cleared at a very considerable • advance upon late rates. Our principal sales in sheep were 34 fat cross bred ewes and wethers, 14 s . 3® a t 125 9d» S® at 13s 6d, 64 merino ewes at 6s 2d, 159 merino wethers at 8s 6d, .246 store crossbred two-tooth ewes at 12s 46, 239 four, six and eight-tooth crossbred ewes at 12s id, 69 four tooth wethers at 12s lod, 189 mixed crossbred two-tooth at ns lod, 240 two-tooth mixed sexes at 13s and 59 merino e’ es at ss. etc. In cattle we sold 7at 16, 2at L 6 12s 6d, 10 at L 7 Ss, 4 at LS 15s, 3 at L 5 10, 6at Ls. In stores we sold 13 two-year-olds at L2 17s 6d, 9 steers, yearlings, at 32s 6d, 11 heifers at 325, 6d, 3 eighteen months at L2 7 s . 7 * wo years and a half at L 4 7 s ®d, 2at L 5 5 S > 3 a *- Li 7s; and cows from L2 15 to L 6 5 S > as per quality. During the week there has been considerable activity in the private sale depart ment. Crossbred two-tooth coming in for a good deal of attention. We have sold 587 two-tooth crossbred ewes at 12s, 440 ditto at 12s. 517 mixed two-tooths at lis 9d, 350 two-tooth ewes at 12546, 184 mixed at 12s id, 62b small mixed two-tooths a* 10s 3d, and we have also pending the sales of two or three large lines. In land the’e is nothing new to report We still have plenty of en quiries, but sellers cannot be got to agree to buyers values.

DAILY MEMORANDA.

AUCTION SALES. Saturday, January 24 Kr Tho«. Bullock, at the Arcade, Barnett Street—'String Binders Tuesday, January 27. Messrs Mats<n, Cox and Ox, at the Tinwald Saleyards—Stock MEETINGS AMUSEMENTS, Etc. Friday, January 23. Oddfellows’ Hall—Re many i Concert, at ft o’clock Monday, January 26. Meeting of Householders for Borough School Committee Election. Monday, February 2. £orough| Council, at Borough Council Chambers, at 7.30 Friday, February 6 tanburton County Council—At Council Chambers, 11a.m. Friday, March 6. Lonbgeaoh Road Board at Road Board Office. Saturday, March 7. /Takanui Road Board, at Road Board office, Moore street, at 10.30 a.m.

MAIL NOTICES.

Mails close at the Ashburton Post Office follows: — For Christchurch and North at 6 a.m. JO.BO *.m., and 5 p.m., dady. For Ohertsey Bakaia, &0., at 10.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. For Dunedin, Tinwald, Winslow, Hinds, Coldstream, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, and Geraldine, at 10 a.m. daily. fot Temuka, at 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., For Timaru and South, at 6 a.xn., 10 a.n., and 4.30 p.m., dady. . For Groenstreet and Ashburton Forks, Wednesdays and Saturdays, at 10.45 a.m. For Wakanui, Elgin, Seaview, Seafield, and Kyle, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, at 6.30 a.m. For ttount Somers, on Tuesdays and atnrdays, at 6 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. For Mayfield, on Tuesdays and Satur days, at 6 a.m. . For Ashtsn, Waterton and Longbeach, ■t 4-30 p.m. dady. For Memington, on Mondays, Wednes . days, and Fridays, at 4.30 p. m. For Newlanqa, on Tuesdays and Fri day at 10.30 am-

BIRTH.

Robertson —On January 2lat,_at her re* sidsnce, Moore street, the wife of J. G. Robertson, of a daughter.

The Ashburton Guardian. Manga Est Veritas et Prevalebit THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1885.

A meeting of the Ifarly Closing Associa tion was held last evening, but the busi ness was merely of a routine character. Mr Charles Clark f-old by auction in Christchurch on Tuesday last, on account of Mt VV. Wilson, 30ft frontage on High street, occupied by the building of Messrs Hobbs and Co The property was sold, subject to an existing lease of 44 years unexpirod, ground rent LSOO per annum. The price obtained was JL7.750, equal to L 258 6s 8d per foot, the highest price yet piid in Christchurch for freehold land. We are given to understand that the Hub-Committee appointed by the Ashbur ton Racing Club to draft a programme for the Autumn race meeting have com pleted their task, and that their sugges tions will be considered at a meeting of the Committee to be held on Tuesday next. It is quite time the intentions of the Club were before the spotting public. The ship Hurunui sailed from Port Chalmers at noon to-day for London, with a cargo consisting of 4,000 bales of wool, 46 bales of sheep-skins, 35 bales of rabbit skins, 2 bales of basils, 260 casks tallow, and 167 packages, the total valued at L 84.555. A public trial of Samuelaon’s reaper and binder took place at Rakaia to-day. A banquet will be given at the Com mercial Hotel this evening to Mr S. S. Revans.

The Committee of the Ashburton Dis trict School held a very animated meeting last night. The Inspector’s report, and the master’s explanation were considered at length, and the Committee expressed themselves as satisfied with the latter. ’

We would-again remind our readers of the Eemenyi concert which will take place at the Oddfellows’ Hall to-morrdw evening commencing at 8 o’clock. Mr Frank Weston, the energetic business manager of the com pany, has sent us the following pro gramme of the performance ; —l. piano solo, Mr Isidore Lackstone; 2 aria, Miss Hattie B. Downing; 3. song, Mr Rudolph Himmer ; 4. violin solo, Herr Remenyi; 5 piano solo, Mr Isidore Luckstone; 6 ballad, Mias Hattie B. Downing ; 7. violin solo, Herr Remenyi; 8. song, Mr Rudolph Hemmer ; 9. violin solo, Herr Remenyi; 10. duetto, Miss Downing and Mr- Himmer. Daring the very prolonged sitting of the School Committee, held last evening, we h id an opportunity to inspect one of the class books, “ Modern Geography,” used in the school. This publication pur ports to have been issued in 1881, and might have been expected to contain a tolerably recent notice of the colony] in which we reside. However, it is respon sible for a number of statements, so im perfect and ant’quated, that we are astounded to find it in the hands of colo nial children, accredited as an authority on the geography of New Zealand. The Modern Geography states:—“ The popu lation of New Zealand is 258,663, of whom 55,000 are aborigines. . . . The colony is divided into nine provinces. . . ,

Kelson, on the west coast of the Middle Island, is a thriving manufacturing town , . . The population of Christchurch is 7,000.” A line and a half is devoted to a description of the Ohriatohuroh-Lyttelton railway gives the reader, as it was probably intended to, the impression that it is the only public work in the colony. We trust the scholars at our public schools attain a little later information on some other sub jects. We are pleased to learn that the diffi culty between the Ashburton Borough Council and the Ashburton Fire Brigade has been settled. The Brigade have handed to the Council the annual grant received from the Canterbury Fire Asso ciation, and the Mayor has undertaken to see the usual subsidy paid to the Btig.de Professor Lio Medo delivered his pro mised lecture at St Stephen’s schoolroom last evening. The audience was a very sihall one, but the subject chosen by the Professor was handled in a thoroughly able and interesting manner. We under stand that the Professor will lecture at Ashton to-morrow evening, when we trust our counUy friends will display more in terest in an important subjact than our fellow-townsmen have done.

Purify the blood, cleanse the stomach, and sweeten the breath with Hop Bitters. Read —[Advt.] I skinny Men.— “ Wells’ Health Renewer restores health and vigor, cutes dyspepsia, im potence, debility. The K.Z. Drug Co. General Agents. I “ German Syrup.”—No other medicine in the world was ever given such a test pf its curative qualities as Boschee’s German Syrup. In three years two million four hundred thou sand small bottles of this medicine were dis tributed Jree of charge by Druggists in the United States of America to those afflicted with Consumption, Asthma, Croup, severe Coughs, Pneumonia and other diseases of the -throat and lungs, giving the afflicted undeniable proof that German Svrup will cure them. The re sult has been that Druggists in every town and village in civilised countries are recommending it to their customers. Go to your Druggist and ask what they know about it. Sample Bottles 6d. Regular size 3s. 6d. Three doses will relieve any case.—fAlwr.] A Oliver unfortunate. —Again we must draw the attention of,our readers to the fact that a ,£2,424 stock of Clothing an’d General Dra pery, in the estate of Dennis O'Connell, tra ding in Lyttelton and Cristchurch, now bank, rupt, was purchased by 11. E. May & Co., of the Hall, High street, for .£954, or only a little over one-third of its value. H. E. M. and Co. are now selling it at half the marked price, which surely ought to secure a speedy clearance. Holloways Ointment and Pills.— Outward Infirmities.—Before the discovery of these remedies many case of sores, ulcers, &c,, were pronounced to be hopelessly incurable, because the treatment pursued tended to de stroy the strength it was incompetent to preserve, and to exasperate the symptoms it was inadequate to remove. Holloway’s Pills the most wholesome powers over the un healthy or skin, without debarring the patient from-fresh ah /ind exerejse, and thus the constitutional vigor is husbanded while the most malignant ulcers, abscesses, and skin diseases are in process of cure. Both Oint ment and Pills make the blood richer and puier, instead of permitting it to fall into that poor and watery stale so fatal to many 1 laboring under chronic ulcerations —[Advt. 1 :

ASHBURTON DISTRICT SCHOOL

A special meeting of the Committee of the Ashburton District School was hold in the Borough School last evening, to consider the Inspector’s report. Present— Messrs Sealy (chairman), Zouch, Craig head, Reid, A. Orr, and Dolman. The Chairman said that he had received from the Board of> Education the In spector’s report on the school, but he gathered from the letter which had accom panied it that it wou’d not be expedient to make the contents of the report public until the explanation from the Head Master, invited by the Board, had been considered.

Mr Craighead concurred with the chair man. He thought the consideration of the report' should at present be in com mittee, In justice to the Head Master, the report should not be made public until the master’s explanation could appear with it. At the request of Mr Orr, the following letter from the Board of Education to the Committee was read : “ Christchurch, Jan. 16, 1886. — T. Sealt, Esq., Chair man, Ashburton District School Com mittee —Sir, I have the honor to forward the Inspectors’ report on the Ashburton I School with standard lists attached. lam directed to call the attention of the Com mittee to the very unfavourable character of the report, and to request them to place it in the hands of the Head Master, desiring him to forward to the Board, through the Committee, any explanations or remarks he may wish to make not later than the 2nd of next month, so that they may be laid before the Board at its next meeting, when the matter will be farther considered. I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant, J.V. Oolborne- Vbel, Secretary.” Mr Orr contended that the report had reached the Committee in the ordinary way, and that it should therefore be made public in the ordinary way. The head master’s explanation, whatever it might be, would not altar the tenor of the re port. Mr Zouch thought tint in view of the approaching annual meeting it would be very unwise to delay the publication of the report. The public would, he feared, misconstrue their object. ' Mr Dolman said the report should at once be published, otherwise they would be charged with its suppression. Mr Reid considered that if the report could be demanded by the householders at the annual meeting it would be better to publish it at once. The Chairman understood from the Board’s letter that the report had been merely sent to the Committee for trans mission to the master, Mr Crr said if the report was in the position ascribed to it by the Chairman, he failed to see with what object the Com mittee had met He was satisfied that

the Board merely wished an ex planation from the master, with which the Committee had nothing what ever to do. He did not wish to pre judice the position of the headmaster or any of the staff, and thought the publica tion of the report was as much due to them as to the parents, children and Committee. After further discussion it was resolved

to read the Inspectors’ report and the master’s explanation in committee, and then determine whether they should or should not be published. On resuming, the Chairman proposed that the Inspectors’ report and the master’s explanation be published after they have been dealt with by the Board. The headmaster, addressing the Com mittee, said that he claimed the report as his property until 2nd February. Mr Zouch thought that the publication of the report would remove much misap prehension. There was not one of the Inspectors’ unfavorable allegations which had not been fully refuted by the master. The Inspectors on tha occasion of their last visit had complimented the members of the Committee present at the examina tion upon the improved discipline and order maintained in the school. The parents of the children were satisfied with the present management, and would re gard as a misfortune anything calculated to impair the confidence and good feeling at present existing. " The Chairman repeated that it would be a great injustice to the master, the school, and the Committee to publish the report without the explanation. The Board had considered the matter in com mittee, and he thought the Committee should do the same. The matter should be disposed of by the Board before the documents were published. Mr Keid thought the report was clearly the property of the Committee; but the master’s explanation was not a public document—it was merely following the ordinary course in passing through the the Committee to the Board. He thought it would be better to publish the report, and the Committee could, if they chose, express their approval with or disagree ment from the master’s explanation. It was resoived to publish the Inspec tors' report as follows : Ashburton District School—Examined Oct -30 and 31, 1884. Attendance. —Number on roll, 532; num ber present, 490; average last quarter, 351; average last week, 421; per centage of attend ance on roll number, 92. 1-’ esults of examination in standards ;—■ VI. V. IV. 111. 11. I. Tl.

cess in each Standard... 23 64.7 66.6~g6 go 76 Presented in Standards, 236 ; passed, 179 ; failed, 57; not presented to pass a higher Standard than that previously passed, 6; per centage passed, 76 ; per centage of roll num ber presented, 44 ; present below Standard 1., 248.

GENERAL REMARKS. The school premises and furniture .are gene rally clean and in good repair; maps and wall cards are in fair order ; the ou l houses are well looked after ; the boys’ closets are rather in conveniently situated. This is, perhaps, un avoidable on account of the diTculty of finding a suitable site close to the main building. We would recommend, in order to secure greater privacy, that trees shou'd be planted round these outbuildings. The water (or the use of the school is good and abundant. The staff is sufficiently large, and the plan followed in the distribution of the pupil teachers is, in the main, to be approved of. We fail, however, to see why the second master, presumably the better teacher, should take charge of Standard 11., and the third master should be entrusted with Standard Hi. Further, while we approve of the headmaster taking charge of Standards VI. and V., we would have liked to have seen definite provision made for the oversight or teaching of these classes during his temporary absence while engaged in the general super vision of the school. Under the present sys tem of management it appears to us that there is no thorough system of supervision. The headmaster does not appear to have anything like a good knowledge of the condition oi the classes, or of the state of the school generally. The results of the examination of the third and fourth standards fully bear out this statement, as also the small but significant fact that One teach r’s desk had been broken and carried outside, and that another was much injured, was not known by the headmaster, though w eks had elapsed since the breakage had taken place. To put the case in its mildest form, we can only say that the master is «ot an observant man. At first sight, the percentage obtained ap pears fairly large; but when we look closely, we find that when Standards I. and 11. are omitted from the calculation, oijly fio per cent of the number presented-pass ; or, if wo leave out Standard Ilf., only 54.5 per cent of the number presented pass in Standards VI., V., and IV., then a fair idea of the condition of the school is arrived at. Had we gone accord ing to the strict letter cf the regulations, the percentage gained would not have been so large. Thus in' Standard IV. we have not counted the arithmetic “ a class failure,” though we were fairly entitled to do so, {fwc

had been strict in our interpretation of the regulations, 47 children would have been failed out of 51 presented. If the sums set had been of supreme difficulty, or if the children had been unduly hurried, there would be found reasonable complaint against the examiners, and sufficient excuse for the children; but if the sums set were of ordinary difficulty, if every legitimate explanation was allowed, and if the children were granted more time than is usually allotted, then we submit that the blame rests on other than the examiners’ shoulders. Upon whom then does the blame lie, and on whom does the responsibility lie for the disgraceful condition of this Standard ? We answer that primarily the teacher is responsible, but further we assert that the headmaster mmt share the responsibility. The teacher of the class is responsible to the headmaster for its progress, while he, being responsible to his Com mittee for that, and every class, ought to take steps to ascertain at stated periods the exact state of advancement of each child. If he fails to do so, or doing so is unable to judge correctly, or carelessly allows the class to pro ceed to new work before mastering the old, then it rests very largely with others to decide on the merits of the case. We now come to the condition of the classes under the immediate teaching of the headmaster, viz, Standards VI. and V. In Standard VI, reading, writing, and spelling are the only good subjects ; arithmetic is a complete failure, and the grammar is bad indeed for the Standard; geography and his tory are moderate. In Standard V the read ing in many instances is of an inferior character, the writing in a number of cases is rather below the average. In arithmetic there are nine failures out of thirteen children presented ; in grammar there are 8 failures; in geography and history rather better work was handed in. The above is “ the hard logic of facts.” Hav ing drawn attention to the very unsatisfactory condition of three of the standards, we further state that Standard 111, though comparatively better than the others mentioned, is not well up in its work generally. We now leave con clusions to be drawn by others from the facts we have stated.

The infant school was very much over crowded at the time of our visit, and thus the children were somewhat restless. Very fair progress has been made by the children. In most of the classes reading, spelling and writ ing are very good. The arithmetic of the upper classes would have been creditable in Stan dard I.

Sewing was in many instances far above the common run of the work in other schools.

Drawing, singing and science are taught. Mr Orr said he thought the explanation framed by the master was a highly satis factory one, and would doubtless prove so to the Board.

Mr Craighead moved—“ That the Com mittee are of opinion that the tone of the report is somewhat stronger than the cir cumstances warrant, and that the Inspec-

tors have drawn conclusions which are not borne out by the facts of the case.” He said that he believed the Board would be prepared to take an impartial view of the matter, and it would be well that an expression of opinion in reference to the Inspectors’ report should be chronicled. From the records they had before them it was evident that the master had periodi cally examined and tested the different classes, and the results were recorded with precision and care. These resillts were almost identical with those revealed by the Inspectors’ examination. This fact was known to at least one of the Inspectors, and it was not a little strange that those gentlemen should now impugn the master’s powers of judgment. Mr Craighead referred at soma length to the present and preced ing report, to show that some Standards referred to unfavorably in the former had made unmistakeablo progress since last year, when they were either commended nr passed as fairly satisfactory. Mr Zouch seconded the motion, which, on being put, was carried unanimously. The Committee having agreed to a re port for presentation to the annual meet ing (Monday, 2Sth instant), thh proceed ings terminated.

SIR JULIUS VOGEL INTER VIEWED.

Auckland, Yesterday. A special Star reporter interviewed Sir Julius Yogol at Waiwera. In reply to a question, the Colonial Treasurer said the article that appeared recently in one of the Auckland papers and was tele graphed through the colony, purporting to give a complete and circumstantial his tory of the Cabinet meetings that had bean held respecting the annexation question-, together with copies of cable grams supposed to have passed between L >rd Derby and the Colonial Govern ment, was untruthful and unofficial. He suggested the probability of some one having hoaxed the paper in question. The time had not yet arrived for the despatch that had passed to be published. It was quite an error to suppose that Government had purposed sending the Hinemoa to Samoa for the purpose of annexing the islands. Her mission was merely to in vestigate the situation, that action being taken on the strength of the petition sent by the King to the Governor. The re porter asked if there was any intention of also making inquiries respecting some Guano islands. Sir Julias said that Mr Firth, of Auckland, suggested that Go vernment should annex the adjacent Guano Islands, but so far as he could learn, there were no islands of that des cription unannexed. The interview pro ceeded as follows; Reporter—Do you anticipa’e that any thing will result from the recent action of the New Zealand Government with respect to these islands ? Sir Julius—lt has forced the matter upon the English Government, and they are going to give it consideration. Reporter—What direction will their action probably take 1 Sir Julius—That I can’t tell you, as the English Government does not take the colonies into its confidence, and henoe the awkward position in which the colonies are placed. It has baen a per petual struggle to ascertain the facts. The conversation then drifted towards Lord Derby’s action regarding the annexation of New Guinea, Sir Julius remarking that Germany’s defence of its annexation of a portion of New Guinea might be that England had taken what she wanted, and how could she ob ject to Germany taking what was left. She could not play dog in-the-manger. Sir Julius personally attaches more import ance to the commercial than to the politi cal aspect of tho question. The flag will follow the trade. Last session the House threw out our Bill dealing with the South Sea Islands trade, the greatest opposition to the measure coming from Auckland Tht. was most suicidal. At present the trade between Sydney and the islands much exceed ours, though the physical conditions favour New Zealand. Had that company been formed probably Ger man interests would have bean glad to have made New Zealand the centre of action. There is no true disposition on the part of Germany to colonise. Sir Julius really believed the Islands candidly t> desire a s f able Government under which they may carry on business opera tions. It had been stated in the news papers, and there is no reason for ques tioning it, that the Germans have recog nised the native Government as a stable Government by making treaties with it. Sir Julius Vogel was then asked his opinion respecting the action of the Home Government concerning New Guinea, and he replied that the Australian groups be ing willing to guarantee the cost of an nexation there was no reason why the British Government should hare hesi tated in the matter. The North island trank line of railway was then touched on, Sir Julius remark ing that the Government hoped to be in a position to call for tenders for first con tracts next month. The work would pro need from three points, S.E. Te Awamutu, Martoh, gome interior point.

The matter of the finances of the colony having been introduced,. Sir Julius Vogel mentioned a fact which is perfectly new, and is another evidence of the reputation enjoyed by the colony in the London money ra irket. A large quantity of scrip, about half a million pounds worth, re mained in the Bank under pledge that it would not be placed until after the float ing of the third million 'oan. Nearly all has been successfully placed during the past few days, viz., since this floating of the loan.

A LIBEL CASE.

Wellington, Yesterday. In the Supreme Court to-day the libel case Holmes and others v Messrs Furness and Bbundy, the proprietors of the Marlborough Express , was heard. This action was brought to recover L 2,000 damages. The statement of claim set forth that the plaintiffs wore promoters and four of the Directors of the Marl borough Freezing Company, Limited. In the issues of the Marlborough Express of the 9th and 12th April, 1884, de fendants published defamatory articles concerning the conduct of the plaintiffs as promoters and directors of the Company alluded to. ' The plaintiffs submitted that the article in question accused them of having promoted a Freezing Company for their own benefit, and not that of the shareholders, and that the Company had long been carrying on for the advantage of the plaintiffs to the detriment of the shareholders, who had been deluded and wheedled by the plaintiffs, and that the plaintiffs, while professing to be actuated by good intentions, with the view of pro moting the successful export of treat for the good of the shareholders, were in fact only deceiving and defrauding share holders in order to benefit themselves. The statement of defendants denied all the material allegations, and contended that the matter complained of was of public interest, and the publication was fair and bond fide, and without sinister or malicious motive, and made in a bond fide belief in the truth thereof. After evidence taken, the jury found a verdict for the plaintiffs for L 5 each with costs, to be assessed on the lower scale. Leave was given for the defendants to move at the next sitting after the vacation to enter a nonsuit, on the ground of wrong joinder.

THE PREMIER AT DUNEDIN.

Dunedin, Yesterday. The Hon R. Stout addressed his con stituents of Dunedin East at Dunedin this evening. The Premier having referred at some length to the consistent opposi tion he had. received from the press of Dunedin, which he did not consider alto gether a misfortune, said ha would refer in a very cursory way to a review of the session. When the House met they found there were four patties. 'There was a compact body who recognised Major Atkinson as a leader, another compact body who recognised Sir J. Yogel as a leader, another party who followed Sir G. Grey, and a fourth who looked to Messrs Macandrew and Montgomery. Amongst the followers of Major Atkinson were Liberals and Conservatives. So it was with the followers of Sir J. Yogel. Those who followed Sir G. Grey were all Liberals, and those who followed Messrs Montgomery and Macandrew were alsr almost entirely Liberals. The Premier then detailed the circumstances which re suited in the formation of the presentGabi net. Messrs Macandrew, Montgomery, and Whitmore, »11 agreed to stand out, anc he had to say that he exceedingly re gretted Mr Macandrew was not a Minister. He knew that gentleman was accused oi having an eye solely to Qtago interests, but he asserted that there was no fairei minded man in the House, in a Cabinet or out of it. His sole desire was to push the oniony ahead, entirely apart from the petty provincial jealousies of which he was accused, and as for Mr Montgomery, it was only when at close quarters with him that his sterling worth could be thoroughly discovered. He recognised that the Liberal party in the House had acted towards him in the most generous spirit. Many of them had fought loyally whilst he was out of the House, and they had claims to office he certainly did not possess, but it was at their request that h< accepted office, and so the Ministry wai formed. While criticising the actsof thelasl administration, he referred to what hap pened during the term of office of tbt shortlived Atkiuson Ministry. In remit ting money Home to England that Go vernments had caused a loss to the colony of L 2.00 0; so that by the first Stout- Vogel Government being put out of office the colony lost L 2,000. People had been told that things were so bad' that they had lost confidence, and it became their duty to set about the restoration of confidence. They found that of the million loan to ba raised in January this year there was actually available, so far back as August, 1884, only the sum of L 439,414. It had been explained by Major Atkinson that this was owing to the large expenditure on oped lines of railway, but that was no excuse for it. It should have been the duty of'the Government to tell the House the state of affairs in order that to enable it to make the necessary arrangements. His Government found they had to pro vide money to carry on the public works of the colony. He referred to the Bills passed during the session on measures of social reform, including the Married Women’s Property Bill, the Workmen’s Lien Act and others. The Government found that Mr Polleston had prepared an amended Land Act. Most of that Act be ((he speaker) cordially approved of, and he had to say about Mr Rolleston that though he was unpopular in some quar ters, he was sincerely desirous to do his best' for the settlement of the people npon the land, and for the liberalising of their land laws. He want on to refer to the clauses he had had inserted in the Act with the view of preventing any single person becoming the licensee of more than one run, and'contended that these were calculated to secure the very largest area possible to bo occu pied by a good class of grazing farmers. There were several blocks of land which had been set aside, especially in the North Island, which could only ba taken up by small farming associations, with no man holding nv>re i han 150 acres, and it was provided that each such holder should settle on at least one half of his holding, and if he could not do so he must find a suhs'itute who would. By this means effectual settlement would be provided, and of i far more satisfactory nature than under the p esent deferred payment sys tem. His views with respect to the Legislative Council had not altered or changed one whit. He had long held that two Chambers were unnecessary. At the same time we had two Chambers, and the colony was not ripe for oqly one. There fore it was desirable that the Legislative Council should be made more efficient, and he believed one way to make it more efficient would be to elect the members for five or seven years instead of appoint ing them for life. If that were done new blood would be got into the Chamber, and he hoped better legislators. He referred to the appointment in connection with the Railway Department of a Board of Supervisors, to whom the men might appeal if wrongfully dismissed. A Board of this kind had been appointed in Christohurchj and in two or three weeks he hoped that there would be similar Boards in Dunedin, and the various parts of the colony. These would be benefiting to the Government as well as to the men' A guarantee would ba afforded that good man and good workmen would not be dis missed except for ato >d cause. The Go vernment encouraged the manufacture in the colony of all the work which

could be done at anything like a reason* able figure. In thia respect the present Government had done m're during their short term of office in the manufacture of iron work than had been done for five ' years previously. Then as to Mr Bal ance's department, Native Land. Armed Constabulary or Defence, and Immigra tion, there would be shown a saving next session of something like 'l-60,000 to LBO,OOO. Of course in effecting a de partmental saving of that; kind Govern ment might be said' to hsVe~*'acted harshly towards certain individuals, bnt unless something untoward happened before the end of the year a departmental saving of LBO.OOO would be shown. = The Government had treated the natives humanely, but with strict justice, and in the same manner as they would have treated Europeans, and at the end of the session it was found that no Special Peace Preservation Act had been necessary. Thia was the first session since 1879 that no such measure had been necessary. At the same time the natives had been found to be friendly, and Mr Ballance when ne visited Wanganui was well received. Never daring his administration had he signed any document with greater plea sure than that which prohibited drink being sold to Maoris over the greater portion of the North Island,. unless by special Act of Parliament. By this means of entirely prohibiting the .natives from obtaining any alcoholic liqnofs, they were doing something to preserve, and were showing something more than senti mental love for their brown brothers in trying to save them and their children from the curse that had cursed them, and was curang the Europeans also. On the question of education he said those who talked loudest about education had done nothing whatever in teaching morality or religion in the schools, and he would like to know how many members of the Bible in Schools ■ ssociatien spent their Sundays as he did in teaching chil dren morality. He wished to get our I syllabus altered, and the first step in this direction would be the introducing of technical education in the primary and secondary schools. The reason only one million of the loan had been floated was that Major Atkinson had pledged the colony only to borrow that sum at pre sent. . With reference to confederation, he must admit that he had modified his views since he had met them on this platform. He had then looked forward to New Zealand being confederated with the neighboring colonies, and even in time with England and the United States, but he now thought that this idea of Australasian federation was premature. As to Samoa and Tonga, the. present Go vernment felt that they should be under British rule, and it was desirable that New Guinea should be so also. It might he a«ked, What was the objection to German or French colonisation in the Pacific 1 He would take up this position, that it meant that if England were en tangled iu war the seat of war would be changed to the Pacific. They all knew that when there was fear of war with Russia, men-of-war belonging to that nation were found in Japanese, Chinese, and nearer waters, and if they allowed such colonisations to spring np the result would be that these colonies would experience all the horrors of War. It was with tfce Government no question of lust for territory, nor did they object to German colonists. They had paid the passage here of German colonists, and assisted them in every way to settle : dOwn hero. They had never raised the question of the nationality of any colonist who ciine to there shores, but if they provided coaling ports and naval stores for foreign nations, they would be inviting something against themselves which would necessi tate the presence of a large fleet in the Pacific. The duty of the colony liras to have done everything to prevent such a state of things. A good deal had been said about the New Zealand Government sending a steamer to annex Samoa, but all they really did was to arrange to send the Hinemoa to ascertain the state of feeling in Samoa. They did not disclose what they were doing until they received from Lord Derby on answer to a message which they had sent him Stating the posi tion of affairs. His reply was that seeing that Samoa was :an independent State New Zealand could not interfere; but Lord Derby did more than this, though it had not been made public till now. He had sent H.M.S. Miranda from Sydney to Samoa. The English Government ought to have long ago annexed Samoa and Tonga, as they did' the Fiji Islands, and It was to be regretted that English statesmen 'had not looked far enough ahead. It would have been for the ad vantage of the whole Pacific if those islands had been welded in one confedera tion which should ultimately include Eng land and America. Though the : New Zealand Parliament objected to federation at present, he considered it was not their duty to stand aloof . from the rest of the colonies, but to unite with Australia 'in a sort of legalised which would enable the colonies to unite on things on which they needed union. The problem of Lootl Government was just as great a difficulty in England and elsewhere as they found it themselves. What be proposed was not to do away with existing institutions, but to tskd them and utilise them as necessary. He would not do away with ridings, boroughs and counties, and ha would not have all institutions throughout the colony moulded on one pattern'. The present system could not possibly continue, and, as an instance, out of the last ban 6? L 1,600,000 they found that L 700.000 only was devoted to railways, while up-‘ wards of L 620.000 was devoted to roads, bridges, etc Many of the things he had spoken about they might deem radical/ bat he would warn them ef the rising that was taking place all over the world, the democratic tide which was rising every where, and he would oaution them that if they wished their individualism preserved intact they must carry out their necessary reforms quietly and calmly. No questions were asked, and it waa unanimously resolved — ,r That thia meet ing pass a hearty vote of thanks to the Hod. the Premier for his able address, and that the electors of Dunedin East continue to entertain the fullest confi dence iu him as their representative."

THE

ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1885,



Presented ... 2 13 Si 60 55 55 236 Passed 0 3 33 40 53 50 179 Average age 14.1 12.9 11. .5 10. 2 9.6 Percent of sue-



Wanted. WANTED —A strong Girl for general house work (country). Apply office of this paper. 1 125 WANTED —A Man to make himself generally useful. Apply, But ler’s Family Hotel. 1 123 TITANTED Known That persons wish » » ing to purchase Cheap Groceries would do well to look at J. McGregor’s advertismeut in another column. WANTED Tenders—For Harvesting 20 acres Oats and Wheat, Win ter’s Head, Allenton. To be in bv noon Saturday, January 24th; Particulars can be seen at Messrs Fooks and Son’s Office. 1111 WANTED Known—That B. Lakoas ter starts the new year entirely on his own account with a very light handi cap, which will enable him to sell meat cheaper than ever. With qdality, clean liness and civility combined—defies com petition. So rally round to the Beady- Money Meat Mart, Bullock’s Arcade. 1 2 WANTED Known—Fresh Flounder* are daily despatched direct from our own boat, now fishing at take Elles mere. Delivery guaranteed within eight hours from time of catching.. .."All orders received at my shop will be immediately executed on arrival of the train. W, O. Page, East street, Ashburton. . 11 2151 'TTTANTKh Known—Boots 1 Boots 1 VV That Haves and Co. are Clearing a few desperate lines of Boots, to wit. Ladies’ Leather, 4s Cd; Mei.V Shooters, Pegged, 10s; Men’s Elastic sides, 9s, and a lot of odd lines that must be cleared at once. 7 1278 WANTED * Known Bemoved. — Jones and Bradshaw, Corn and Chaff Deal* rs, have removed to the largo premises in Havelock street nearly oppo ■ site Mr A. Harrison’s auction rooms (lately occupied by Messrs Bobinson and : Townsend), where they will be better ab:e 1 to comply with the demands of their trade. Joses and Tradshaw. WANTED Known.—We are not to be beaten 1 Good straw hats, 4£d, 6d, 1 9a ; black Cashmere, double width, is 3d; print costumes, 2s 9d ; white calico, 2s 6d per doz; a lot of jmfants’ white and colored satin and merino hats and hood?, Is to 3s 6d— usual price, 4» 6d to 12s 6d. H. 0. fcEGERS, ealys’ Buildings, East street.



WANTED KNOWN— Robert Elston, Bill Poster, Theatrical Agent, etc., Town Hall, Ashburton. Theatrical companies and others visiting Ashburton should communicate' with the above. Orders by post or telegram promptly attended to. ■ 760 SOMETHING worth knowing.—F. F. CLAYTON, Practical Tailor, pro fessed Goat and Habit Maker, is next Jones and Bradshaw’s, East street. F. F. C. is too well known as a master of his profession to need further comment. One trial will prove it Gentlemen’s own ma terial made up ; repairs and alterations carefully attended to. 10 1952 WANTED Known—o. Hawkin’s, of Tinwald, having decided to com pete with either Christchurch or Ashbur ton, in price and quality of Boots, will, Ist January, 1885, 1 bell-for Cash Only, ai ihe following reduced rates : —Men’s Harvest Bluchers, tips and nailed, 6s 9d ; Shooter Boots,-10a 3i ; Women’s Strong Lace Boots, 8s 6d ; Leather Elastic, 9s 6d; Children’s all reduced from la per pair. Motto—“ Small Pro fits and Quick ileturns. ” O, Haw . in’s, lioot and Shoemaker. 12 2393 WANTED Known—J. Mbeoh & Co., are still Selling On and not Selling Off at saleroom prices. J. M. and Go’s Furniture is made for use as well as ornament and not for auction sales. The best materials are used, being specially selected, and combined with good workmanship, all goods are guaran teed of the best quality, and at the very lowest prices. East aud Burnett street, Ashburton. 12 23<2 WANTED Known—The undersigned beg to notify to their customers and the public generally that they have Removed into the premises adjoining Mr Taylor, Baker, East street. By strict attention to business and making a good article, they hope to merit the continu ance of public patronage. Fowkb and MoEwbn, Bootmakers, East street, Ash burton. 10 1973



Special Advertisements. Dimant and Coe, ARE authorised LOCAL AGENTS for Singer’s SEWING M A OHINES, and are prepared to receive PAYMENTS and afford all information in connection therewith.. Treadle and Hand Machines on Time Payments. A supply cf Machine extras on hand. CORNER EAST AND TANORED STREETS. ASHBURTON. 11 2181



Comsacks. BALES of CORN SACKS to arrive ex ship Atlantigue (now due), size 48 x 26£, 2|. Apply, at once, to HAYES & 00., 1 1 Arcade, Ashburton. OP ANNUALS Boys’ and Girls’ Own Annuals,' Chatterbox, Sunday, Quiver, Child’s Companion, Little Folks, Child’s Own Magazine, British Workwomen, British Workmen, Cottager and Artisan, etc. CHRISTMAS CARDS In great Variety and Newest Designs. PRIZE BOOKS ! An immense Stock of FSIZf£ BOOKS ( School Prizes , Always on hand. School Oommittecewill do well to play a visit and inspect for themselves; LIBERAL DISCOUNT ALLOWED Wall Schools by .Farley, BOOKSELLER, STATIONER, AND PRINTER, PdTOV** 8 ’ BviwiNQa, Abhotuxos.



QHBISTMAS & NEW YEAR CARDS AT HALF PRICE TOYS & FANCY GOODS GREATLY REDUCED IN PRICE. Andrewes Bros., Booksellers, Stationers, &0., EAST STREET, SOUTH, Ashburton.



FANCY BAZAAR Continued a few days to clear out surplus stock. GREAT BARGAINS, SIXPENNY & SHILLING TABLES, Also, a TABLE of VARIETIES from ONE PENNY to FOURPENCE. Please observe,—ln the ROOM NEXT to my PRESENT SHOP, specially taken for the Christmas Season. K. Bevan, SAUNDERS’ BUILDINGS, (Next ShoW to Quill’s Hotel.)



• Special Advertisements- NOTICE TO CONSUMERS OF COAL. THE undersigned are now landing, ex s.s Hauroto, the Best Newcastle Goal Imported for the season 1 A TRIAL SOLICITED They have also added to their stocks of Building Materials the following lines, viz, V.D.L Timber and Palings Kauri Timber, Flooring and Lining Roofing Iron, Doors and Sashes Lime, Cement, Fencing Materials, &c , And every requisite for the trade. MACPHERSON, FILMER AND CO. (late A. Hayes), SAWMILLERS, TIMBER, COAL, AND FIREWOOD MERCHANTS. East street, Ashburton.



25 Branches Now Open 25 THE NEW” ZEALAND do thing Factory Are now Showing NEWEST STYLES in SPRING & SUMMER CLOTHING, Manufactured from the renowned Wear Resisting MOSGIEL TWEEDS The fit and workmanship of every gar ment is undoubtedly unsurpassed, while the large production and increased • busi ness enables the proprietors to offer special advantages as to price. Men’s, Boys’ and Children’s Clothing in every variety at Wholesale Prices. Shirts, Hats, Hosiery, Blankets, Rugs, Portmanteaux, and every requisite at WHOLESALE PRICES. Note the address— NEW ZEALAND CLOTHING FACTORY, EAST STREET, Ashburton 25 Branches Now Open 25



Davis’s gURPLUS STOCK OF FURNITURE Now selling off at HALF-PRICE. Mast be sold to make room for NEW STOCK. Parties about to Furnish will SAVE 50 Pbic Cent. BY PUG Ha SING AT W. DAVIS’S FUHNITURB WAREHOUSE, EAST STREET SOUTH, Ashburton 9 1729.



TiE DENIS IS O’CONNELL, ■II BANKRUPT, Of Manchester street, Christ church, and Lyttelton, CLOTHIER AND DRAPER. Marked price of Stock, £2,424 Actual Coat, £l,BlB Sold for £954. NOTJCE OP BANKRUPTCY. In Bankruptcy. In the Estate of Dennis O’Con nell, of Christchurch and Lyttel ton, Draper. Tenders are invited for the pur chase, either separately or other wise, of the stock, fittings, and book debts of the business in Manchester street, Christchurch, and also in Lyttelton. The stock consists of clothing and general drapery, and is mostly new, the business having been carried on only since May last. It will be on view on and after Monday next, and the stock sheets can be inspected on the premises, Manchester street. Tenders will be received by the undersigned until 10 a.m, on Monday, Ist December. Ifi, 0. LATTER, Official Assignee. Christchurch, 21st Nov., 1884. ACCEPTANCE OF TENDER. Official Assignee’s Office, December, 1884. Messrs H. B. May and Co., Gentlemen, —I have the plea sure to inform you that your tenders for the purchase of stocks in Christchurch and Lyttelton have been accepted, viz— Christchurch ... £1502 18 0 Lyttelton ... £315 7 0 £lBlB 6 0 At 10/6d in the £, being £954 9s. Yours faithfully, E. O, LATTER. Official Assignee. Mr White will deliver the stocks. Notice op Sale to the Public, This stock, which really repre sents a retail value of £2,424, was bought by iis of the Official Assignee for £954, so that if we get one half O’Connell's price it will pay us handsomely, and that is all we want. We think you are convinced that out sales are thoroughly genuine, and always worth a visit, especially if saving money is an object SALE COMMENCES SATURDAY, January 10. Terms Cash—No discounts or abatements of any kind. H. E. May & Co



Victoria House. (EASON SALE COMMENCING ON JANUARY J6ih, & CONTINUING ) for five weeks only. REMARKABLE REALITIES 1 GLARING REDUCTIONS 11 jsgr-For Convincing proof and Special Prices See Windows'S^ Dimant and Coe, READYMONEY DRAPERS, CLOTHIERS, &c., In premises lately occupied by Orr and Co., Corn East and Tancred streets, ASHBURTON.



Special Advertisements. Groceries CHEAPER THAN EVER AT JAMES McGREGOR’S, Tancred Street. Sugars—English Cut Loaf, 5d per lb Best White Crystal, 3£d per lb Best Snowdrop, 4d per lb (Reductions by the mat) Teas, la 3d, Is 6d, 2s, 2s 6d, and 2s 9d Box Tea from 12s 6d per box Canterbury Cakes, 10d each. Rice, 31 Mixed Biscuits, 6i Lunch Biscuits, 3d Currants, s£d Raisins, G£d New Figs, Is per box Best Sago, 3d New Muscatels, Is 6d Oysters, 6d Cairn’s Marmalade, 8d Peacock’s Jams, 6Jd Herrings, 7d Keiller’s Marmalade, 9d Salmon, 8d Cheese, 6d per lb English PiokUs, 8d Other articles equally cheap. JAMES McGREGOR, Tancred Street 12 2342



Indigestion and Liver Complaints.—For these complaints Baxter’s Compound Quinine Pills have proved a specific, acting powerfully on the liver and mildly on the stomach. Sold everywhere, or post free from J. : Baxter, Chemist, Christchurch, for 19 or 44 stamps. T«e Bad ahjp Worthless are never imitated or counterfeited. This is es-, pecially true of a family medicine, and it .is positive proof that the remedy imitated is of the highest value. As soon as it has been tested and proved by the whole world that Hop Bitters was the purest, best, and most valuable family medicine on earth, many imitations' sprung up and began to steal the notices in which the press and the people of the country had expressed the merits of H. 8., and id every way trying to induce suflering invalids to use. their stuff instead, expecting to. make money on the credit and good name of H. B, Many others started nostrums put up fix simi lar style to H. 8., with variously devised names in which the word “ Hop ” or “Hops ” were used in a way to induce people to believe . they were the same as Hop Bitters. All such ' pretended remedies or cures, no matter what 1 their style or name is, and especially those witlx the word “ Hop ” or “ Hops ” tn -their name or in any way connected with them or their name, are imitations or counterfeits. Beware of them. Touch none of them. Use nothing but genuine American Hop Bitters, with a bunch or cluster of green Hops on the white label, and Dr Soule’s name blown in the glass. Trust nothing else. Druggists and chemists are warned against dealing IS units rionscounterfeit?, »