The Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1890. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Her Majesty the Queen completes the 71st year of her ags to-day.

General Caprivi, the new German Chan cello'r, is a confirmed old bachelor.

The " Post" says that on Monday evening 19th inst the Wainui River rose between five and six feet, owing to the heavyrains.

Some Sydney policemen recently locked up a, blind beggar, who when searched, was found to be worth £911 103.

-The value of the meat product of, the United States is. now' £150;000,0p0 sterling, of' which '£13,000,000 worth is: annually ex ported. . :' . ■" ■

"Enquirer ", wishes'to know what is tho age of our new Bishop. Bishop' Julius is 43 years of age. ''_ .

The, Rev, P. R. Riddel .is announced to f preach in the Presbyterian Church, Ashbur ton, to-inorro^, morning and evening. ,■ Snakes in-India last .year the death of 1165 persons and -81 head- 6.E;cattle, and wild animals; killed 65 hutn&n'." beings! and 2552 cattle. -  , .'''•'■','<■,. •', ,.'l| \ , At the Convention of Christian workers in Sydney it .was stated _ that, fully' 200,000 of i.the, people of (Sydney and suburbs rarely or never go to church.'., ,  ,', .r. •-. : , Mr Charles R. Chapman, of Dunedin, lias announced, - through - the— columns- of - the '' Bruce Herald ? his intention of contesting the Bruce seat at thegeneral election. ■

It; is currently rumored in Dunedin that Captain Baldwin has purchased the " New Zealand Times, " and.intends to completely reorganise the staff. ■ :

It is stated that the loss on cattle exported from the United States to England auring the early part of last /winter,,amounted to £2 or £3 a head to the shippers. ',

In the year 1700 there, wag but,one:news paper in the United States. ' In 1870 there were 5,871; this year there" are 16,310, the total for the United States and Canada being 17,107.

The Christchnrch: •?' Telegraph '•' speaks of Napier as "that little town." '.'Little town", is good for a port which last quarter exported more than either Auckland or Dunedin.—("Napier Telegraph.")

A private letter from New-Plymouth states that at present good butter is only fetching 4dtosdper lb there, and that last season one dealer lost over £2000 on his shipments Home.

The "Post" says that steps are being taken by. a number of Wellington gentlemen to get up a petition to Parliament, praying that no more Crown lands should be sold until the new House has had the opportunity of discussing the question of the single tax.

1 The size of the great ocean steamships "is increasing day by day. The 'Norminia, for the Hamburg-American Company, launched from the Garfield yards, is of 8500 tons and 500 ft long, to carry 1300 passengers. She rivals the City of Paris.

We ("Nelson Mail") understand that Mr Richmond Hursthouse intends being a candi date at the forthcoming general election for the Buller electorate. It is also stated that Mr Phillips juttr., of the Tadinor, will come forward for the Waimea-Picton electorate.

Mr Moody has opened a now evangelis tic institute in Chicago. Its object is to train aggressive men for work in the dens and saloons in Chicngo. Accommodation has been provided for 100 students. The building cost £25,000, which was provided by the business men of Chicago,

With reference to the challenge recently given "by Mr E. Price to Professor Hickton fora horse-training contest, and -which the latter accepted, we are desired to state that Professor Hickton is willing to put, £100 clown to Mr Price's £50, if he is game to come to the scratch.

Yesterday while Mr Hugo Friedl antler's trap was ■'■ .Vv-r r *" "• the door of his house in E ,■: ■ , up to a post, a passing buggy frightened the horse, which played up somewhat and smashed a fair portion of the machine behind him. Friends haudy, however, prevented any serious mis chief from being done.

A Panorama comprising views of the Paris Exhibition, the Eiffel Tower, the Australian Bushrangers (Kelly's gang),-'etc., diversified by a display of conjuring tricks, will be ojien this evening at eight o'clock at the Templar Hall, under the management of Mr De Loree. The prices of admission arc one shilling for .adults and sixpence for children.

On dlt that on Monday next there will be an oxtraordinary state of things in Aalibur ton, in that every one of the local solicitors, all the police, and the clerk andbaliff of the R.M. Court will all be absent their attend-; ancc being required in connection with the; local cases -in the Supreme! Court, arid as nobody knows as yet what position these may occupy on the calendar, it would seem possible that we may require to depend upon outside assistance for all our law and its en forcement for perhaps'the best part of a week.

The Borough's men ar« now busy lifting the line of iron pipes, that runs along West street, past the Stationnfaster's house. The pipes hay 3 now been down for a number of years, and the. soil has settled very closely round them, making the work of lifting them very hard indeed. This line of pipes was thrown out of use by the recent intro duction of the new system that increased the supply for the town when the steam fire engine was introduced, and when a line of fifteen inch glazed pipes was taken from the Domain to the new distributing sump at the junction of West street and Cameron street West,, "...,-.. - .

A New York correspondent writes: — " The alleged manufacture of artificial eggs has ofteu been treated as a joke, but Uib other day a man named Onderdonk, of Rockland County, New York, was fined 50 dollars and costs for selling to dealers a number of " fresh " eggs at a very low price. On examination these eggs were found to be artificial, and to have been manufactured by a firm in New Jersey. Theshells were made of a composition containing lime and chalk, the whites of some albuminous substance, and the yolks of ground carrot and saffron. The imposition was easily detected on boiling the eggs, as the yolk and white did not har deii separately.

The illuminated address to Mr T. Arthur, late Statiomnaster, Ashburton, that was put in hand with our local illuminator, Mr J. L. lliggs, has just been finished, and the artist, must be ■."■r —-'■-'V.+'H -ipon the excellent result o :-. ■ : '. "I ■ address,

the text of which we have already published, has been neatly written in Elizabethean text, and encircled with a graceful floral wreath. 7?1>8 address was signed by the Mayor, for the p«9plp of Ashburton, and the Hon Secretary a«d Treasurer of the Fund, Mr James Tasker, 'to whose energy, more than anything else, may be ascribed the success of the movement to notice rMr Arthur's departure for Dunedin. The address will t>e on view in Mr, Andrew Orr's window for the next few days, after which it will be sent on to Mr Arthur. ;. .-• :

Mr E. Stone Wiggins, the well-known , .-■:."■ .' 1.: '■_■.' *-; -*--.--.- Ottawa .■! \:.■■■;;■ i ■ , .! <■' ■■ '■ iccessful prediction of the ree-'™ 4' r"""if of™-™. Vfe based his calculations ■,■ i-.'■ i ■■' ■"■ of certain planets to the earth. Mr Wiggins has received many letters from shipowners thanking him for his timely warning. In point of fact he was' two or. three .days'-too soon in his reckoning, but ho did certainly, predict an umisual atmospheric disturbance. The "Australasian" has the following:— "•It ia a noteworthy coincMence that at-the very tjme the grandest .features of European scenery —its-mountains, lakes, caverns,; and cataracts—are becoming trite and familiar; j wew wonders and previously undiscovered beauties are being revealed in the group of I islands so inappropriately gained New Zea; land. Anything more unlike the flat and marshy archipelago, formed by the numerous I mouth's of tlio .Scheldt, than the magnifi cently diversified land of the Maoris it ] I would be difficult to imagine, and n move 1 ovprcfeiiivy niiinc i-i ceritvuilv v.b ufgc:ii vvam,

The Markets.

[per press association.]

London, May 22,

Mutton is unchanged. Lamb s|d, beef 4d. The market is glutted with American beef.

TELEGRAPHIC.

HOME AND FOREIGN.

[per press association.]

London, May 22 and 23.

A Committee has been appointed to enquire into the affairs of the New Zealand Antimony Company. '

 General Sir J. L. A. ;Simmpns and Sir F. P. Haines have been promoted .to the rank of Field Marshals,

' The public are invited to contribute a fresh outfit for the emigrants Who lost their goods on the wreck of the 'Dacca. ' ' '• '■ : ' l "• - The " Telegraph " states that Eng land, America, and possibly Russia iwill appoint a.commission of experts to settle the question of the Alaska i fisheries: ■<)/. fr.-;.,>] ,! -if V.:,-.'■■,: ' .;)' ■'

- Mr Gladstone considers the granting of compensation will add fifty millions to the value of publicans' licenses, and pronounces it the greatest blow ever struck at the cause of temperance.

The "P,allMaEsGazette," condemns the overlooking^;of . Mr. ,T."- Archer, C.M.Gi, in the distribution of birthday honors, and ascribes it to the action of Queensland (which colony ; he represents as Agent-General) in refusing to accept Sir H. Blake as Governor.

Brussels, May 23,

The Conference of Miners is unani-: mous in supporting the eight hours

system.

AUSTRALIAN.

[per press association.]

Sydney, May 23. ' Teksum is scratched for the Royal Stakes.

The Kemp party refuse to make a match with O'Connor before ...the champion meets Stansbury for less than £500 a-side. After that it is pro bable the meeting may be arranged for a reduced stake.  ; . ...,.■,

The Settlement of Africa.

SATEMENT BY LORD SALISBURY.

[per press' association.]

London, May 23.

Lord Salisbury again denies that English rights in Africa have been in any way surrendered to Germany. Nothing had been determined on, and possibly no settlement would be arrived at. A strong Committee had been appointed for the defence of British territory, but, in view of the difficul ties surrounding the question, it would not act without the approval of Parlia ment. The Premier considers that African questions once settled the outlook for peace was never more pro mising.

The " Times " urges the neutraliza tion of Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria Nyanza.

The Premier, speaking at the Mer chant Taylors' Banquet, deprecated boundless annexation in. the centre of Africa. The defence of the seaboard was easy, but that of the interior iinpos-

sible,

The Postal Conference.

PACIFIC MAIL SERVICE.

PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.

Adelaide, May 23,

The Postal Conference unanimously adopted a resolution fixing the federal

postal rate at 2|d.' -< -- i '-.- - . Mr O'Connor, of New South. "Wales, in.moving a resolution regarding-the Pacific;mail services,;said,th'e time'hadj arrived when New ■ Zealand, should contract for herself. :*" ": ■,:.'..'•

Mr Derham (Victoria) thought the motion would force the band of the United States,' which placed the colonies in an unfair position. - ■ •

Mr Bird (Tasmania) 'suggested- that the resolution should be amended in order to provide for any arrangement that might; be: made on the visit of the Canadian' representatives! The Svo'rds "be arranged .for. ,by- 'New Zealand" were substituted for "bereft to," and the motion as amended was carried. .

Parliament Out of Session.

[per press association J

Auckland, May 23,

MrT. Thompson, M.H.R. for Auck land North, addressed his constituents to night, and received a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence. He strongly op posed the Property Tax, which lie said would be a burning question at the next elections, and urged the necessity for greater retrenchment in the public service, He said that any deficit in the revenue after the abolition of the Property tax could be met by this means, and by a Land tax,

Expensive Venison.

[per press association.]

Dunedin, May 23

Ab the Kaitangata Resident Magis trate's Court, William M'Alister, Alexander M'Millan and Thomas John sbon were charged .with breaches of the Animals Protection Act, the first-named being charged with shooting a doe, and the other two with having portions of the doe in their possession. . M'Alister's de fence was that he was shooting at a buck, and when he found he had shot .a doe he saw no harm in taking it, and giving some tp the other defendants. Mr M'Culloch, R.M., fined the defendants £10 each and costs, half the penalty in each case to go to the ranger.

CORRESPONDENCE.

[We do not hold ourselves responsible for ;  the, opinions i expressed by our corres pondents.]

TgE LIQUOR TRAFFIC,

TO,,THE EMTOH..

Sib, —Mr Walker in his address last .night omitted to make,known his.Views and intentions to support;, or vote against the direct veto or Local Option Amend ment Act, intended to be introduced by Sir Harry Atkinson at the forthcoming session. This' being a very .■ important question it is as well to know what are Mr Walker's views on this . particular point. Perhaps he will let us know somoi.hing silxjufc It through the medium of llui Press, or by some other means equally public.—l am, etc.,

PARLIAMENT OUT OF SESSION.

More or less through the whole Parlia ment, but notably tliroughput last session, this want was the difficulty underlying - the situation, and Sir John Hall and other Ministerialist speakers, '< who bewail the slow cpurse pf business and the scanty legislation'of last "session, bewail a state : of things for which Government, and Government only, were to blame. Under such circumstances, and from this cause, not only was obstruction more demoraliz-, ing than it ought to have been, but- Government submitted their measures in: a half-hearted sort of way to the House—; were afraid alike of the goodnature of the! Pppositjon and'pf the indifference of their, own friends'—and many of their Bills; 1 either died stillborn or wore smothered in;J their cradles by their unnatural parent's. •] The Representation Bill wi« tbe o^lv PJill ' of any. importance.that vi ; in; >':v.i ; ■ partly "because it was \ r<>;;'A \'•,:<• v should become law, but. rather- because it' had. a large, j^ajority to isrry';ifc through. But I will "presently, <}<ja.J"with' 'it and the other principal' Government measures 1 more at, iengtfr, when what I .urge will. be clearly seen-^-how unable Gpveriinient was t6 lead the business of the House.' " I do n°t know whether the country' realised this ministerial incapacity or not; " but it became very; evident to the. House' itself at the session wore bri—so much so that it .was felt that pnly pne remedy was applicable, and that was a' dissolution, The only, ftrgunioii^ the Government had ) against, ib was that it was proposed by ! the leader of the Opposition: bub the ! propriety under the circumstances of'the

Mr W. €. WALKER

. AT THE ODDFELLOWS' HALL

I Last night;, Mr W. 0. .Walker addressed his constituents in the Oddfellows' Hall. There was not a large attendance, less than one hundred . being present. Mr David Thomas, Mayor of Ashburton, presided; - and Major Stewatd; MtH.R-, was also on the platform. •''.;- :. - The: Chairman, in \. introducing Mr Walker, said that gentleman. had, come that' night to give his constituents an account of his stewardship, and likewise to lay before them his views as to what was likely to occur in the future. He would not occupy "the time of-the meeting in introducing their member to them that night as they knew Mr Walker .better than they knew him. (Applause.) , Mr Walker^ who' was received with applause, said—l-regret that>we have not been able; to s get a larger attendance to night, as, .the .size of the audience.has a ) good deal to do with both the comfort; of the speaker and of those who listen to him. I will, however, 1 ddithefbesfr'l can to put before you .what has been >.«loriei during ithe/ paafc Ejession,. and/.arsew/,of my ideas as to the future. ; "* On the eve of the "assembling of the last session of t^is Parliament, the question naturally presents itself on an occasion like this-f— when a representative appears before His constituents to give an account of His stewardship—what real work has been done by Parliament since ibelast general election, nearly three years'ago ? At the last general election, the affairs of the colony were admitted to be approaching a crisis, and a heavy responsibility was placed on those who were returned to the House. The natural term of life of the HoUse then elected has all but expired, and in a few weeks the last session of the Parliament then elected will have com menced its deliberations. Judged by the bulk of the Statute Books for 1887, 1888, and 1889, the Parliamentary tale of work cannot be said ito be large. Financial questions in the first two sessions demanded attention; and inasmuch as the basis' of. this Parlia ment's finance is largely similar to what was proposed to the, previous. Parliament by the previous Government, and re jected ; and inasmuch as both sides of the House assisted to carry it through, both sides may claim credit for having accomplished what was not only necessary to restore the equilibrium of bur finances, but what was also intended to foster and - assist our growing r industries. Still most public men, writing or speaking about the doings of this Parliament, and especially about the doings of last session, describe the session as one twhich was barren and unprofitable. Government supporters nearly all complain on this head;- We have not,yet heard Minis terial "opinions on the subject, but Sir John Hall, who occupies a most confi dential relation to the Ministry, has lately given his history of the session, and most emphatically regretted that ;ib had been barren and unsatisfactory. He ■ is so well versed in Parliamentary practice j that one would have expected that he i would have been able to indicate clearly 'what was the reason for this state of I things. I To my mind he attributes it to what'is j itself much more an effect than a cause— | viz., to the growth of obstruction and its toleration by the House ; and he hoped Government will do as they proposed and introduce such changes in the s Landing orders of the House as will prevent such occurrences in the future. STONEWALLING. While I do not wish to stand up and i say one word in defence of stonewalling— ' no one could, who has had to endure its j patience-trying torments, trying alike to .! the sternest body and mind, —still, it is 1 well to remember that it is after all, only an occasional method by which a pro testing minority "seek to emphasize their dissent and draw attention to their views; And if by alteration of the standing orders, this particular method of protest be suppressed, in a free Parliament an earnest and determined minority will devise other, and .perhaps more emphatic methods to stay legislation to which they Object, and" to draw attention to what they desire to'place .before the country. ■ The stonewall of last session on the Representation Bill, no doubt, was a grievous -waste of time; but was it the only cause which inter fered with the course v of _ legislation ? 1 Government'met the'-Houjse' with a larger ■: crop, of Bills.than usmUi.uSVhy did so few of them pass ? They were none of them stonewalled except the Representation :Bill, and that did become law. It could not be the fault of the Opposition, who had not the numbers requisite to control 1 business in 'such: an effective manner, though, they did. elect a leader, and were - not afraid'to'express their views as to -Government measures. It must have , been some reason more generally active than' obstruction ; something which,' more or less throughout We < whole session, 1 paralysed the action- of the House and ■rendered it comparatively impotent so far as results were concerned. THE PARLIAStENTATIY MACHINE. I would ask you to consider" the nature of a Parliamentary body and the manner of its doing its-work.- "Parliamentary Government may be described as a very complicated • machine, elaborated and fitted to the completeness of the English model by the experience of generations. Bach' part has been evolved by circum , stances as they occurred and the nicety of the adjustment of the different parts de pends upon all the conditions under which the machine has been elaborated being in ' working order. Were all the usual and requisite conditions of working the Parlia mentary machine present last session 1 ' Was the first and principal requisite present, viz., Ministerial responsibility ' and capacity % Every one will admit that Ministerial responsibility is the first re quisite, and without a Ministry capable and sagacious, a House of Representatives proceeding on the modern English Parlia mentary model finds itself deprived of. the source of life, action, and relf-regula tion.

course proposed was shown by the fact J that it was only lost by 5 votes. In the ' first place, a-dissolution at that particular' time was the constitutional outcome of the situation. If not laid down as doc trine, it is at all events the practice that whenever Parliament alters representa tion, either as regards qualification of electors or distribution of seats, it is as sumed as a matter of constitutional pro priety that a dissolution shall immedia tely follow: and for this reason—the House, by altering representation .to what'is presumedly better and more per fect, thereby admits the defects of the basis on which itself has been elected, and therefore the .constituencies should im mediately have the right of electing a fresh House on the enlarged and improved basis of representation. In" the next place, apart from the generalprinciples, bhe special conditions of the House ren dered an appeal to the.country the,most" satisfactory solution of the existing -state of things. A Ministry ' with.a 'nomirial majority -. whom they "were afraid to call upon for , loyal support —unable to lead the House—unable to control it—unablei to decide the fate of their own measures' —obliged tortemporise and to dLrift-^'they had shown • themselves ,to .►'Be .unequal to the task.their seats' ohrthe Government benches imposed dn"them ; and bei&g such as they*w«r.e,-wh.at ; ehange i -was likely $ to comejby,er them', and•. over,/the render- it probable' that; thiftg^wouldfgo, more ] smpothly,"" if tjiey met the House again? It is true, Sir .'H.jAtkinsooivhas taken a-new 7colleague, whom- all admit to: be an honest/capable man, 'but lie is 'in-1! experienced i" tho arts requisite to.make: a Minister a success, when his chief, is un fortunately . .through" ill; health (which,: every one must join in}.deploririg) absent j from the..benches. Even, with this acces- j sion of even blood,:it is "to be feare"d that the, bid condition of .things will re main. But lastly, to save the country the cost of what most probably will result— two sessions this year—it would have been more satisfactory to have had the dissolutioo as soon after last prorogation as possible, so that a new-Parliament might have been able to have set to work at the usual period of the financial year, and to form a Ministry assured of the support of the country, and supported by a dependable majority. For all these reasons it is, I think, a matter for regret that the House would not take the advice of the Opposition and force Ministers to do what, for so many reasons, was demanded in the situation in which Parliamentary business was placed last session, ■ which apparently all, but;; chiefly Government supporters, deplore, and which probably will continue this approaching session. ■. ''■ GOVERNMENT MEASURES. To take up in detail the measures intro duced by Government during the session is perhaps more interesting than usual, as few of them passed, and consequently whatever questions of importance were dealt with in them stand ever for future treatment. The Governor's Speech pro mised that Bills dealing with the following subjects should be submitted.—Legis lative Council Reform—Representation on Hare system—Obher Bills of Electoral Reform—Classification of Civil Service— Hospitals and Charitable Aid—Property Tax A ssessment—Copyright—Patents and Trade Marks—Medical Council—Transfer of Personal Property—Bankruptcy. Of these only the Patents and Trade Marks, and the 'iransfer of Personal Property Bills passed, the first being taken from an English Act, and merely a matter- of scissors and paste, and the second being taken in charge by a committee of lawyers, without whose aid the Bill would probably not htwe become law. There j were 36 Public Acts passed, mostly shorb and formal ; 3 of these were the work of private members, and 6 dealing with the necessary sessional finance, imprest, appropriation, etc. Of the above list contained in "the official programme for | the session, I. will take the Electoral Bills I first. Corrupt Practices and Registra j tion of Electors Bills were introduced, but not-meeting__wibh_ik_favorable_receEtion were pressed no further. The former was Draconian in its- severity ; the latter, containing some objectionable features, endeavored to deal with a subject which requires amendment and simplification. Immediately after the early delivery of the Financial Statement, Representation Bill No. 1 was brought down, proposing proportional representation, commonly known as the Hare System. The Premier admitted that it was introduced in order that the principle might be venti lated, and, he hoped, better understood, I and in future years adopted; but as a piece of sessional tactics it had'disastrous effects. The knowledge in the first place, that it was not seriously meant, tried members' tempers, all but those who supported the Bill with the enthusiasm of missionaries. Men's minds on an issue ;much'more I'ticaT," and: they resented anything-' which 'intercepted real business. From 1882 to 1887 an allowance of 25 per cent had been. I given to country districts" as against town constituencies. In 1887,. Sir Robert Stout reduced the allowance to 18 per cent, and especially after the reduc r ; tion of members agreed upon in the 2nd session of the same year, country mem' bers desired to have at least the old pro-* portion restored as approximately fair, and based on well recognised principles of representation, as well s at ; . Home as. elsewhere:.*-The Premier waW aware of this determination, in fact was in com^ munication with the members who were working for .this end. : After a: few days' pretence at carrying on a debate, Bill No. 1, was withdrawn, and Bill No.. 2 .sub stituted, in which' 25 '■ per "cent -was inserted as the proportional allowance, and on this the stonewall took place. The Government was attempting to take the place of a mediator between;the two parties, the country urging that 25 per cent was not. sufficient, and the towns objecting tq any increase at all. After, a weary fortnight it ended in 28 per cent being the final settlement. But a notable,; amendment to the law of Representation wag inserted by Sir G. Grey—viz,, that at a-general election no man cah; exercise more than one vote; thus taking from property the privilege hitherto enjoyed, and preventing in the future anything approaching to the manufacture of faggot votes, though practically when New Zealand enacted that all elections should take place on one day the privilege was reduced to a small one, The notable fact about the fight in' tins Bill was that no principle was involved. An allowance wag admitted to be reasonable, it was simply a question of amount, -, \ oharitablß Aid. Before the . Representation Bill, the Hospital and Charitable -Aid Bill had been introduced in an unusual way, as if to draw attention to its importance. Usually no speech or debate occurs oil a bill till its second reading. On this occa sion the Colonial Secretary made a speech on the introduction, giving a general ex planation of the proposed new law. But the 841 no yer came up again for discussion, p'ri.?*-fer for regfefc, J thjnk, as tluj opppif lii 1! :y was never afforded, which was.-re. ■ ji:':«■■.l, of considering this important sub ject. The Bill was severely criticised by. the Press and local bodies, and Govern* merit appear to have come to the, conclu-, sJ9 n at "* *ne ?ac6 of-such adverse criti cism it was useless tcTpress it further. 'It failed to 'be accepted—(l) Because it aimed too high ; it was not an amendment of the present law ? it was a complete new system and it would probably have been wiser on the part of its fraraer to have been contented with remedying the de fects of the present law instead of bring? ing down a Bill containing a system on a now principle. (2) It had evidently been drafted by somo one who did not under stand local Government and in conse quence such local opposition to the BUI

arpb that Government as I have said pro ceeded no further. Something must be' done with this question and therefore it. is matter for regret that the opportunity, was lost of a full discussion of this question on a' broad basis. It would have educated the Ministry, the House, and the country on the subject, .and the Ministry this year will have learnt little more of it than they knew last year.' . - PROPERTY TAX.

Tae only other Bill which was sub mitted to the House in accordance, with, the promise of the Governor's speech was the Property Tax Amendment Bill. It j proposed to make certain remissions in the • case of machinery and on this' Biil'tyas I moved by Mr Moss the., following amend- v ment, *AThat the Property-tax is unfair in its iricidencej harassing in its effect, and an obstacle to the progress and settle ment of the Colony." That amendment was supported not only by those who Would do awißty ynLth the Tax at once :ahd 'afrany'cosib iafeyor^of a Land and Income Tax, but also by^those. who-were not satis fied with the extent of thevproposed re- 1 missions. Government' madejt^a want pf confidence, question, "and suQQeeded'in carrying the^i ..second reading by fOut votes. jßtft thS Bill never came on again, i anil the-Treasurer this year has received taxation to the amount of £4000 which he adriutted to be uirfair:.and impolitic, 'and ;,whiclkhe hadjanrang^d\o"^o J wi'tfio<|fc'. The list :of^ BtUsCi^iicto go^i $*&y^a Aeriain disfcanb^.is completed, by telling^ me fate of \ the Council.-Reform Bill, i -which wtfs not able Id get' through jthe Council, where it^was introduced;;,'; ; •''•"■'•y '\-_ OTAGO OBNT«A|i'B.mwi:t.'; • .Butrbesides the aTjove referred' to. one important; measure was introduced^ important in its bearing .on the Finance of the Colony, the Otago Central Railway Bill. If was announced in the Financial- Statement that this railway-' ;c6uld be con tinued " without infraction of the policy we are all agreed oh —that is without : re course to a new loan." That is .the main point on, which the proposals of Govern ment should be judged, and becausa they were morally,.,.if not .technically, an fraction of the policy so alluded to, the Bill was defeated. The Bill proposed to continue the railway by. means of an ad vance from the Trust Funds, which was to be secured on the pastoral rents accruing in the Otago Central Railway district,; to the amount of £15,000 per annum. Now 'it must be remembered that the Colony pledged itself at the time when the last loan was raised not to go on the London money market tip 1891; and though the pledge was given\to,rand for the satisfac tion ,6f, .the moneyUenders at Home^ it was also given to, and accepted by, the people of the Colony^ as\ against borrdw ing for that period. Was the proposal of the Government equivalent to borrowing ? If it is not covered by the pledge given to the English money lender, it is at all events covered by that given to the Colony, and inasmuch as this £15,000 a year was to come out of the pastoral rents, which now form part of the Consolidated Fund,;it made little difference to the revenue whether the amount was to be so paid annually, for the construction of the rail way, -or-whether- a sum of money was borrowed and theinterest paid out of the same fund. Besides, it was felt that,it was only the begining of a new attack on the public purse. ISorth and South, wherever an unfinished railway was to be found, it was not long before all began to urge their claims to similar treatment If one was to be .singled out, why the Otago -Central? So, between the time when the Bill was introduced and when it finally was disposed of, two or three kindred proposals wei'e; either ■on the Order Paper or aa good as. promised by Government. But .that instalment was not sufficient to meet, the' claims of all. ; And this was another reason for the rejection of the Bill, that it was only the beginning of a large expenditure of public money which would have. to 'be provided out of loan eventually.... Then there was the greatest,uncertainty.and doubt as to the real value of the line. Trua, a large ainogmt of moixoyL.TiarL'-beeri." spent and it had not been' carried to a paying point; What if that 'point never could' be reached ?. Expert evidence was 1 not conclusive. Some, during the course, of yeajrs, had-.,given, - varying evidence. Dunedin, and Otago generally were, not. apparently very certain of the propriety of the "line."' -Whatever reason there might be to make a push to complete an un finished work, or-however great the desire of certain politicians to get settled a difficult and oft-recurring subj ectj however; plausible the' proposal to "construct thSe: line out of the land revenue accruing nY the neighboring district, when the time came for decision on the proposal, : the difficulties and doubts attending were top many for the Bill, and it was rejected by a majority of 16. As the propriety of this Bill to a certain extent .dope.ndecfc/o& whether the Colony; cbula -aifor|^4*§&? present- time -td devote 1 J£15;000 v out Aof revenue to a work of the kind, I would ask you to consider what the real position of the Colony is in matters financial, and hferj relalaQns'.;to\thb;-iKurdens which our loan policy and public works] have placed on our shoulders, • V

FINANCIAL

, Last vear,\ending\March 31sfc, 1889, the Treasurer claimed ifco have a surplus of £77,769, reducable by the Primage DutyJ j L 46.832, leaving an actual surplus of .L 51,637. Toxl^im-whafcgs paid off by the Primage JDuty as surplus, appears an abuse of language, as that duty was specially imposed to meet the L 128,000 Deficiency, Bills of 188,7f-88, which part of the deficit of that year was not covered' by the L 400,000 Deficiency Bills issued in March,'lßßß. :Aiid^tnis surplus, be it remembered, was effected by the imposi tion of fresh taxation to the amount of nearly £250,000. This year ending March 31st, '1890, we are informed the Treasurer can claim a. surplus of LU5,17.4,- but reducible, \a tfee. same way by the amount of the Primage Duty ; or,, if thp balance of the unfunded debt, L78,605f be deducted, a nett surplus will be arrived at of L36,s6B—the result of. last year's transactions. The Customs: appear to have produced L 50 s OOO under the Estimates; the Railways as much over. Were it not for windfalls, such as] large succession duties, &c., which have' chanced to come in within the year, the surplusmight have disappeared altogether; i so that our ( finance does not yet appear to be very elastic, or offer much margin for relief 'in the way pf reduced taxation. From another point of view:o\ir Colonial Debt stands at L 38 5 575,050; Sinking Fund accrued, Li,395,389 • net debt, L 36,979,661 —on which the annual jn» | terest is £1,833,494, while pur total revenue is £4,lßs,Boo—leaving; for our own purposes, only £2,354,308. Be|prje, therefore, with a light heart we take stdcjk each year of our affairs, and hear talk of further loans immediately required, and the desirability of completing unfinished railways—without croaking, without des pondency, surely it is our duty as pru dent men, well to consider the weight of spur liabilities before : w§ incur \ further ones/and^eo what p^pspgct there $ v of lessening our burden, how averaging.' £63 per head of every man, woman, * and child withiu tfye 9°l° nyr What; prospect haye we of .reducing taxatiqn, : ,whwh should be theobjectsjirelypf our statesmen? What is the use of crying out for more popula fc{on ? What thi hone 'pf qxpijQtjng fir* rivals of men "with their families "with anythiiig to lose, when the uninviting fact stares them in the face that the moment,they cast* in their lot among us they, stand to share burdens such as the above figuresjshow.

THE PROSPECT,

[n spite of all our natural' advantages of climate and soil; in spite of the wonder ful i;ile of production which our exports, toll: I four too many of the best and most industrious are still leaving our shores

Surely everything points to prudence and caution. 'That we can insist on, and the voice of the Colony can make itself un- '.' derstood so plainly that at all events rash paths will be avoided and such further dim- - culties as will add to our burdenß evaded. But this perilously close balance between . expenditureandrevenue, afterthe taxation -. laid on our shoulders, renders any change . in our system of finance almost impos- . sible. For instance, many in the Colony ;: call out for the abolition of the Property .Tax, and the substitutionof a Lajd and.ln come Tax.-* Last year the Property Tax yielded £373,830., jWhat treasurer can lightly abandon so profitable an assistance j( uv-his necessity?: -JjkMi*^3a&mts Sir Julius YogeT.and Sir Robert. Stout were \ both opposed to the. Property Tax. Bub Sir Julius Yogel dared not propose a change. And whatever be,tfce.oßjecliona ; to the Tax, and they .are jnany, he would ;. be a bold Treasurer to attempt it just .: jiow. SirHarry rAtkirisonpr6paj|&^year to.amend the Tax by. relieving jfcertain classes of machinery. TluV migtyjhe «*" tended to improvements -within iascertain limit,, and. this wouM mow i^inW| the incidence of a Land;;and foopmsfTax, although, certain persons whoseiilMJDmes are either.,professional, or d#ri*edglrom ; sources oth;er,than y cftpit*l,pwfct»^ them- ';.; selves,,would temainruntaxe4<;WjlM».e»sy { j ito ifcay. the) Tax has faults and let «s , change-it -for -something -better.-- The-" ]._.} question is, dare we try any financial ex- _r, periments at present. But if a change/. is iriadyisable at present in this. Tax, we . can "press 'in a otner ways on Govern-* went the -absolute, .necessity-v of certain reforms wKicK,wiir,Wnd^ to 1 lighten taxa tion by rendering th re fcolony, better able.. , to, bear it. _ We can st^l further, press -, "economies. We: ;can r 'lnjaist':i)ha'^ h'u thai; v House has'agreed rtba"red3ction of 20 in its number, so Ministers must also be reduced. ( ._"'. 'Public Works"^and'/Natire, affairs were' both declared suplrfluousand . expensive portfolios. ...We 1 Waffl Seep on ; urging tliat they must' be dispensed with; .. So far as the economies,of the present Go- -^ vernment are' concerned, although they ; > have claimed reductions' in annual votes for services, by shifting charges from loan to Consolidated fund, they .have, not de' creased the annual liabilities, $or lessened the : expenditure always' chairgid' £on re venue. Without/extrayagent. assertion, much may still be done ' towards economy ,by putting the Civil. Service on T a, busi ness-like footing^ as; Ministers themselves allow, without interfering with public con venience. ..■"'■*'. • : "','. But can nothing,.be. done .oLa_pdßitive nature % Surely ; spmethiag,j if omly, the mind tHat|can originate^wefra inthe frpnt. Surely more might be done to help land settlement, for instance. '; Ministers hare • their 'say at present and'sales.of publid ~ ' land are quoted to show how, it is extend ing. If so, why is there so much dissatis faction in the parts of the colony where ' good land is;available, I believe a great deal more, can be done in this direction, and ititwere attended to, in a . iew.years we*should have notpnly, more genuine'settlers on "the land,^.but a still greater surplus of expprts, ; thiui at pre sent. .. That the difl^culties J,st»ring us in tHe face in", respect^'.oi] Wese points are universally felt, one has only to read, whatr public :men. say.  Sir John- Hall admits that the Property Tax deters . foreign investors.' .He.,suggests imaking the amount of tax fixed..- Another Minis-; terial supporter is so impressed by the i situation, that he is suggesting, legislation to restrict or prevent the. holding of land . by companies. . ~ Another recommends the sale of our railways. ;:. - r ,Vt ■ SOCIAL. -' - . ' Meanwhile another class of Subjects offer themselves, but with, this difference / —that legislators can do" less to meddle with them than the others-I have been" 'mentioning 1. I mean the social questions ' surrounding labor. These questions' 'are ' ; alive all over the world, and we have this peculiar advantage here^' thatl- to a" large' - extent we can deal with them in advance, -so to speak, before the crushing-.misery, and suffering which attend - ati_ i&^n!* lectTiave cumo upoir-usr 1 — ilhea result is -± certain-^—a revolution" which*' will, .raise -, labor to a distinct position and van&ge ground, which will set *it free to' treat as an equal with capital,; "and, being free and , equal;; bothy can i treat on.^ terms which lmust,reaidtin^ndrabJ[ißagiwment.* One of the latest' writers on these 'subjects, treating of the colonies, has noted that whenever labor gajns.j^ie;day; and is able ' to treat on suchlierms as these, wages are higher • and; the, productivj^j result *is ( sniperipr. Such an opmiqn accompanied by the most Jsa^gi^e.^rophecies! las;.Aojtibe industrial fja<»n^o^!bqth capital and la^bor, ,ia most sati^actoryf' and.,, will falsify t :the old freetrade" motion, ; .;th»t rT cheap cl&hor and cheap,, prices mean commercialrand national progress.' S:*'? i>.<-i^ t sl vAs regards.jthe coming sessipn^nb^otie can say how it will eventuate, and tide speech.jdeUye^edQ-by^ Mr-tF.^gns among the mountains of Otago tnrawii yjegey little light upon theia^jejjfc^-^^r Walker here proceeded to crijjacisV some portions of Mr Fergus^speech^apd* in conclusion said—l regrettd say that this is,th? lart jtinej^hall have the honor of addressing you'as con stituents rcof/ jAahburtpir ? electorate. The ComimsßKmers^ave^very materially altered the b^TOdarie^.of^e district, and while\thej ha^e)^left^oiit. a^nu|Qbnr of : friends on the "north they compel me to :Wpo the votes of inew:Wendßj;sputhward. If j' however, I' should' be fortunate .enough to .obtain the,suffrages rpf.the new Ashburtdn district I wiU -do ■myVbest.jbo prove to my constituents, tHa^ their' con- - fidence has not been misplace. When the time comes for achoice/I trust the newdis* . trictwill giveme theirconfidence asthe old one has done, .in whose; service I can only say that I have done my besfc to represent , their wishes and have to acknowledge t , throughout that I have received ttioSmP^ considerate and generous treatment 4t their hands, : (Loud Applause,) '^QUSSTIONS.- In answer to Mr "Elston, Mr/Walker said' it wpuld; not be wise to,,sell the . railways. If there was to be a monopoly it wouldv'lte -better for't^ejJtwpft to keep it.ioJihemselveß.'.; ■ '-;■.■ r,.^^,"/? sin answer to, Mr,^o%r4>fMrj]iyalker said the Goyer^ent; h^ r projn^ed;to bring down a'measiure^ to- rtfbrmAhe Upper House. -'It; waa a House that wanted to be looked to, jand he trusted .a measure toreformit WQuld bep^ss^d. ?, It was monstrous- th^- such "a "measttw Las that brought in Hay: .Major Stewj«d . for reform ■ on . eduoationaj; matters Bhould ''< >bel rejected year/-»ft«r*-lJy the Upper; Hjousjj, itheimore: especially ; that the people seemed to have set 'their ; hearts uppntlxejprinoipl^Ttff reform in . School Committee elections which it con tained. xAp^use) : rfrn>iiv. A vote of tjkoksbo.Mr Walker, and of confidence in himas the^ r W)rese^atije was moved :Vy/-MT;.:A^fijed' ißuiwJwta 'Mia unanmioWsiyWried/and^afWr^^vpte of thanks to the Majrpr, proposed.by.Mr - Walker, and^W^wAh^vwunammitj: the "meeting closed,, .... '. ; %«■ *^-^

FEDERATION.

; At tbe annual meeting^ 6f the 'F«cte* ration a isolation* wW.paaaeil . . approving r of the. Ooimcil^; radtiie^to Jthe effect jhat it '" w^ inojpj^irtuii^ to' ;-: [a^c. th« r.Gtpyienunwt jtio"r, cobvejiae^«^ . ; ['Imperial''Cfo^rerice whUe. AafltriJi» [,■ was absorbed in~4he question _of' Colonial Federation,- ; The Roseberypresidedj yHe'^aad £2ngl«ft4 woiild'inatritfiin.lier supremacy despite . the 'growth 1-ot population elsewhere. - An Australian Federation blqelwofc has been wsued, . [

*M 8 ASMBTTRTON GUARDIAN, SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1890.



Public Notices. \ THE MIRROR/ / A HIGH-CLASS Weekly, Social ' Political, Literary, and Dramatic paper, to be published every FRIDAY, price 3d, by the Centennial Printing and Publishing Company, Limited, Melbourne Place, Russell Slreet, Melbourne LOW VIULITY. DR CHURCHILL'S Syrup of Hypophosphite of Lime prescribed by the faculty for the cure of Consumption, Chronic Cough and General Debility. "T~t contains two of the principal ingre- I clients necessary for building up the Human Frame, and which are considered deficient in the above complaints, viz., J-hosphoius and Lime. It cannot be too -ighly recommended for Delicat Childre Dr Churchill's Compound Syrup b HYPOPHOSPHITES Is Teal Brain Food, and in cases of Muscular and Nervous Exhaustion has acquired a world-wide, reputation. Each bottle bears Dr Churchill's signature Price, 4fr. ' Prepared only by SWANN nHEMIST; WANN VHEMIST, ,: Bue Castiglione, Paris. \MTHQUTTEETH WJTM-T.EBTJU THE CHRISTCHURCH DENTAL SURGERY, Corner of Cashel and High atreeta. Q M YERS AND O o' SURGEON DENTISTS. And at Dunedin and Westport. TTTE have gained the FIRST AWARD W at the Dunedin Exhibition for Artificial Dentures and Mechanical Appli ances for the Mouth, and it is with the greatest confidence that we guarantee the highest class work and perfect fit at the most moderate cost. A Single Artificial Tooth, 10s. Complete Set —.Upper and Lower temporary and permanent, £10 10s. Natural, Durable, Comfortable Artificial Teeth Replaced Temporarily al most immediately after the extraction of decayed teeth or stumps without extra fee or charge. Arrangements can be made for part or monthly payments. ADMINISTERING NITROUS OXIDE GAS several times daily for the past ten years, we fearlessly assert that extraction o teeth under its influence is perfectly painless and positively safe Fee for Administration, ss. Extraction, 2s 6d. Artificial Teeth and Dentures made by other dentists repaired or remodelled at small cost. w ours of attendance —9 a.m. to 6 p.m. WM. SPARROW TAILOR AND MEN'S MERCER , ■ bAST STREET



IMPORTANT -\TOTIC E Important X> otice MESSRS HALLENSIEIN BROS & CO, Proprietors of the NEW ZEALAND CLOTHING FACTORY AT ASHBTJRTON Invercargill, Gore, Milton, Oamaru, Timaru, Dunedin, Christchurch, Hoki tika, Greymouth, Reefton, Westporf, Nelson, Wellington, Napier, Hastings, Waipawa, Gisborne, Palmerston North, Wanganui, Hawera, Now Plymouth, Thames and Auckland, Have arranged to FLOAT THEIR BUSINESS INTO A COMPANY, be registered uncW " The Companies Act 1882. It is a part of the arrangement that TOCKS shall bs REDUCED by £50,000 .before the 15th of June next To effect thin the Managers of the van-* ous Branches throughout the colony have been instructed, in addition to marking out the Goods at Low Prices, to allow 5 per. cent on all cash sales amounting to 1 and upwards. This excellent opportunity of buying ds should not be overlooked, especi ly as it is a well-known fact that the Manufactures of the New Zealand Cloth ing Factory are Superior to Anything in the Market. Thu sale at the Ashburton Br.inch is nder the management of Mil W. H, £BB£R.



Wanted. f , ■ "■ — —■! ■-■■ " ■- - ' ■" ■..— ■■■ Cask Advertisements under this heading, not ■ i exceeding 16 words, ONE SHILLING Addresses may he left at this Office INB BRANCHES (for firewood) 5s a load on the ground or 7s 6d delivered. —H. C. Segers. . i ANTED [Known.—A special pur * V chase of choice Ladies' Hats at a desperate price.—W. H. Collier. 4+130 WANTED, —Two Boarders in private family. Terms, 15s per week. Apply "A. C.," Mail" Office. ( QTOP THAT COUGH! By using 0 Flower's Cough Drops. Guarantee j efficacious. Can only be obtained at H G. Flower's, Confectioner, East Street. - __. 3 191 j WANTED every man in the County to have a suit of the Ashburton Tweeds.—Robert- Alco'rn, Ashburton , Clothing Mart, Saunder's Buildings? -^ ANTED KNOWN—The "Strong. s"> Wear " Boot is the best for Men, ; Ladies, and Children.—W. H. Collier, 'The Corner." ■ \X / ANTED KNOWN.—The Cheapest YV House in Ashburton. to buy Drapery, Millinery, Clothing, Boots, etc., is.H. C. Seqers, Melford House. • . ';  WANTED Known —One hundred I , and fifty Ladies' and Ulsters bought a great bargain (good qualities), how selling very cheap—H. C. Segers. Melford House. j '■ pHE Patent Candle Extinguisher can. _L beSet.to Extinguish at any time required ; it will save insurance premiums your house and your life,' r price Is,- Sole Agent for Ashburton. —R. Adcorn, Saunders' Buildings ;__ WANTED Known—-The Cheapest Shop to buy .Tinware and Gal vanised Iron goods in Ashburton, is ;at W. F. Hannaford's, Burnett Street. A large stock kept on hand. Tin and Iron ware goods made and repaired with dcs patch •• Public Notices. STRAYED from Valetta, s. Bay Trap Gelding, ' good stamp, had a new cover on. Expenses will be paid and a suitable rewarc^given on'delivery to BARNES & SMITH 5 Builders, Ashburton. ASHBURTON HIGH SCHOOL. Established 1881. ~P)UPIL of both sexes are taugh the \ elements of a liberal educttion. Special subjects of study may be pur sued where circumstances require a de parture from the ordinary school course. Head Master : Mr J. E. Buchanan.; Ist 8.A., (London), per term Fee for pupils over 12 years "*" - of age ... £3 3-0 Fee for pupils under 12 years \ of age 2 9.0 Music (extra) 1 10 The School year is divided into three terms. All fees are payable in advance. AHARLES T3 RADDELL Licensed Landbroker and Valuator nder "The Land Transfer Act, 1885. ESTATE, HOUSE, LAND, AND GENERAL COMMISSION AGENT. Office—Burnett Street, Next to "Mail 1 Office. NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS. OWING to the earlier hour at which it is now necessary to go to press, Advertisements to be in time for the FIRST EDITION of the -'Guardian," must be delivered at the Office not later than 2 p.m. REPLACE Advertisements cannot be guaranteed insertion, unless sent in on the day previous to that on which they are intended to appear. SEEDS, PLANTS, &c TEEES. . TBEEB. TEEES. T Again tender my best thanks to my numerous Customers and Correspon dents for the support I have received from them, and assure them that I shall still conduct my Business in the future as I have in the past, and all orders by post or otherwise will receive my prompt atten tion. My Apple Trees are all worked on' the blight proof stock, and are clean and well grown ; also Pears, Plums, Cherries, Apricots, and all kinds of small Fruits. 1 have one of the largest stock of Forest Trees in Canterbury, about 40,000 Larch, two years old, 40,000 do. one year old, and 100,000 Pinus Insignis, one and two years old. Cupressus,. Macrocarpa,' I have a grand line. I make this a speciality.' All my seedlings have been transplanted, | being equal to-those.in boxes. I hay about 100,000 one and two years old, also Roses and Fancy Shrubs in great variety. All trees supplied and planted by me will be guaranteed'for 12 months. Cata logue sent post free on application. • tames tdorter James jTorter, NURSERYMAN and SEEDSMAN, . ASHBURTON



MITCHELT U_ rpURNET> .ITCHELXJ 06 JLUBNEXi DRi PEUS CLOTHI ER\ ETC., ETC. TTAVE very great pleasure in dir- XZL ecting the attention of their numerous friends and customer.", to their very fine Sto;k of Winter Drapery, now fully opened out. BLANKETS FLANNELS WINTER DRESSES HOSIERY and GLOVES MEN'S and BOYS' ■■ OVEItCOATS • I TWEEDS SUITS SHIRTS : PANTS and SOX ; • - 'J ' / lii endless variety." PRICES will bear comparison with any quota- . tion, and as for QUALITY [ :it is an undisputed 'fact ■■' that M. &T. keep , '  a first-class article. ' •> MITCHELT. fa mURNE J> ITCHELjj Oil X URNE IV KAIAPOI HOU S E, TANCRED T EET. i ASHBURTON, '