MARRIAGE.

Tho mfson—Bo.swell —On December 5, '■ ab the Manse, Timaru, by the Rev William Gillies, Andrew (N.Z. Rail ways), eldest son of Deiver Thompson, Ayr, Scotland, fco Hannah Milsom, second daughter of Benjamin and Mary Bosfwell, t f Ashburton. Home papers please copy.

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1891. LOCAL AND GENERAL

The next series of wool sales m Aslibui-ton will be held on Monday, January U. Particulars of the Christmas holiday ex cvwsions to the Southern Likes, which afford such a splendid change of air and scene to Canterbury people, are advertised by the Bail way Department. At the Hinds Schoolroom to-morrow even ing <'i ball and concert will be held m aid of the school prize fund. A good programme has been prepared for the concert and good music secured for the dance, and a pleasant evening will be enjoyed. ■ The census returns for South Australia show there are 321 persons m that colony over the age of 85, one woman being 103 years, two 1.00 years, two 99, one fl&, and 25 80 years old. Influenza, according to the. local cor respondent of the "Auckland tar" proved the most fatal disease ever experienced m Samoa. The natives have died by hundreds, principally through not knowing how to deal with the sickness. With scarcely a single exception the whole of the white popnlatton have been prostrated, but up to now only three deaths have occu cd. The disease appears to be now dyin'j; t. Both the men-of-war (German and" American) left port to try to avoid the influenza, but Siave now returned. ITUe love of fun is not unknown among the «erious looking Celestials who during the last few years have been collecting m some parts of ouv Australian colonies. A store keeper, wishing to advertise UU articles m the Chinese language, engaged a Cfcleufial to paint him a sign, expecting, of cowse, fchat it would bs n, very enticing one, It did j not answer his expectations, however, for the only effect it had on tlM* relations of the sun and moon, &« tlae Chinese term them selves, was to excite & jxrin of the hy^ds^t dimensions. At length tka storekeeper, by i a considerable bribe, obtained a. translation : m English of the atlvertiseii^ent, and found ; i 6 to be a,3 follows: —"l)<jij.'t buy anything, here ; storekeeper a rogue." ] A eurions case of a dog worrying shefcp was ' given lately m the " Law Journal." The dog was seen worrying lambs, and informa tion was immediately given to the owner, when the accused was found apparently jlsleep m a stable where it ha 4 been fastened up. There was, however, a brokeii window, .which bore traces of having been used, lv order to prove the guilt or innocence of the dog, an emetic was administered, with the .result that a quantity of raw lamb and .wool was disgorged, which was considered so .conclusive that the owner paid for the 4aniage clone by his dog. Another dog case -occurred lately at Doncaster, hi which the owner niuusiti himself for two hours by setting the dog after sheep on the common, .m tins case the slie*P--owner obtained a verdict of £.19 damages. The ravage of mice are ayfiy/^ablc lor *he outbreak of km m v private house at. 'I'd Aro on Monday, sa^ the Wellington "Pret's," which, if it had not been detected at an early stage, would have caussd ■ serious damage. I'ha little misdiiej-makers Siad carried wax maters into their nest, which was under the floor *>f jyi u.pstiiu'3! room, «4 the nibbling of the '^eadsi no dottbt ao£ the vestas ablaze. Ky t ; ve ; merest chance m feg.ppened that a member. of the household ctuwe i>?to the room muler -sueath gust as the lire bco^ through tlie ceiling'and wasa.ble to give a tinitlj/ alarm. Luckfly tthere was enough wa^er^at hajna^q. quench the flames before a.jiy great damage ' had been suffrred. Half.-eaton matches were found seaiteyed j'ouud the ijpst, sufficieufcly pccwntiiJig for the origin of th«s |ire. ' '

Australia has just lost its oldest inhabitant j in»Mr William Small, of Ryde, New South Wales, who, according to the Sydney "Daily Telegraph," at the time of his death was the oldest Australian m the colonies. The deceased, who succumbed to intlucazu. at the age of ninety-six years, was born m a farm hou-e at Ryde on December 14,1790—a,-few years after the arrival of the tirst fleet, his father having reached the colony with, the first batch of convicts as a gaol warder In i his youth he was taught boot-making, but his health being bad he was advised to sock some other occupation. He therefore entered the police force, and after ten years' service, daring which time he rose to the rank of in spector, he again changed his occupation and 'sought to earn a living as a tiller of the soil. Mr Small leaves many sons and grandsons, and m 1888 he had living no less than 268 lineal descendants. Mr Graham, the Victorian Minister of Agiicultnre, asked the Hon J. McKenzie to supply him with information as to the work ing of the one-man-one-vote system m this colony. The Minister of Lands m his reply writes :—" I represent a farming or agricul tural district, interspersed with small town ships, two of which are boroughs. I had to meet two opponents at the last election, one brought forward by the squatters, finance agents, and land speculators ; the other was called the working man's candidate. I sup ported by my vote m the House the ' one man-one-vote' principle, and I advocated the same on the public platform, and on the polling day I had a good majority over the joint votes of my two opponents, my return being undoubtedly due to the strong support I received from the bona fide farmers. The farmers m my constituency regard the small tradesmen and artizans m the townships and small towns as their friends, and they con sequently pull together. There is no fear existing of any injustice being done by the people m the small towns, as they have to depend upon the farmer for support m every way. In fact the genuine farmers agree that the liberal measures carried m New Zealand even m the interests of the farmers them selves, would never have passed without the assistance of the town members, who are generally on the liberal side. I think, there fore, it would be a great mistake m any of your colonies to set town against country or country against town." —"Otago Daily Times." The Russians have made a singular discovery m Central Asia (says a corres pondent of an Indian newspaper) In Turkestan, on the right bank of the Amou Darin., m a chain of rocky hills near the ISokharan town of Karki, are a number of large caves which, upon examination, were found to lead to an underground city, built apparently long befove the Christian era.. According to effigies, inscriptions, and designs npon the the gold and silver money unearthed from among the ruins, the existence of the town dates back to sonic two centuries before the birth of Christ. The underground Bokharan city is about two versts long, and is composed of an enormous labyrinth of corridors, streets, and squares surrounded by houses and other buildings two or three storeys high. The edifices contain all kinds of domestic utensils, pots, urns, vases, and so forth. In some of. the streets falls of earth and rock have obstructed the passages, but generally the visitor can walk about freely without so much a3 lowering his head. The high degree of civilisation attained by the inhabitants of the city is shown by the fact thfvt they built m several stories; by the symmetry of the stree'.s and squares ; and by the beauty of the baked clay and metal utensils and of the ornaments and coins which have been found. It is supposed that long centuries ago this city, so carefully concealed m the bowels of the earth, provided an entire population with a refuge from the incursions of nomadic savages and robbers.

SOUTHLAND.

(ffROSf «(?» CORRESPONDENT.)

December 12, For this time of the year things never, looked better. During the whole of lasfc spring, while seed-sowing was going on, the weather was everything that could be desired. Thanks to the drain plough, thousands of acres have been brought under cultivation that lay waste before : indeed, I can venture to say that on some of the medium siaeel estates m the western district, only last year, hun dreds of acres of land gave a yield of from 66 to 100 bushels per acre, the same land being almost useless until operated upon with the drain plough. TijjQ coup of drain ing, exclusive of outfalls, does not exceed 2s 6d per acre, that is allowing the drains at half n phain apart. The grass paddocks never looked better, and stock of every description are rolling £$£> and owing to suefc. &v abundance ,of feed I ayg^V} not be surprised to see $ considerably area of rye grass set apart for §eed purposes. : Farmers ai'e now buw pitting m tur-, nips, and the extent put m will faj? exceed thafc of previous years. Two hundred* weight to the acre of manures is the rule, drilled m mostly with the Duncan or Reid and fJ ray drills. One shilling an acre is charged for the use of the drill with one man m charge, the hirer finding horses. If. the turnips are not good this year they oughi U} be, as the ground is m grand fettle.and the j^e^tjier exceedingly warm, and a good shower fit r^jn every other day or so. I am breaking f^sjsocfe Jr>,nd i^oyv which turns up as moist as if it was ' the middle of winter. Influenza con^r.ji.es to exercise its swiy -throughout Southland, aiid perhaps it wow'd not be far off the mirk to &asr tj^ere jfully jtw^nfcy per cent at present suffer- < ing froiw the Bealady, a very large propor tion o? whom are conftne<J. to their rooms, ►Shearing is m full swing. The #eece# re heavy and the wool of first rate quality. No trouble, that I know of, between shearers and their masters. .Should any of your readers happen to come (to Southland during the present | cheap fares i hopa £hey will nob take m! --! vercargill as ft sample of th^ part. If it is good land and good fences kept iji ' proper repair they want to see, let them follow up the New River to Win ton, and then across ta Drummond, Limestone Plains and VVaimatuk : not forgetting J Struthinore and Otautau, where they will I find old Mr Hnrdwiclc, late of Scafield, who is doing well. With reference to luvercargill 1 may say thafc, jud'-iinsi from its oi'apidated state, one would at once conclude bU&i, vynvy acre of it and for many miles out wax js.onopolised by absentees—fences every whevo o^t of re pair, fully one half of the land eavnved with goree, houses unoccupied and turabl i;;g .to .nieces—so that the nearer you get to our fyQlpopoiu the less you think of Southland. ' P.S.—Siueo writing the above we hav^ hnd two crty.-; and two nights very warai rs*ii; ( but as it cjuno down very slowly the rivcjf.H rfp but little affected. We hops Uio weather yyl c^ir up now and let tfs go on with piheaviri" awl turuipsow*

THE MAYORALTY.

ANNUAL MEETING of the BOROUGH COUNCIL.

THE INSTALLATION,

The annual statutory meeting of thn Borough Couucil was held yesterday. Present —His Worship the Mayor (Mr Hugo Fried lauder), and Councillors Jones, Orr, Scaly, Bird, Cuthbertson, Paul, and Flower. There wsre also present as invited guests—Messrs I). Willimson, T. Scaly, George Jameson, E. Friedlamler, G. M. Brooke. A. Harrison, H. Zander, G. VV. Andrews (Chairman of the .Hampatead Town Board), 0. W. Purnell (Borough Solicitor), J. Mac Lean Dunn, and Sergeant M oiler. Cake and wine were pro vided as usual m abundance by the Mayor. After the .minutes of the last annual meeting had been read by the Town Clerk (Mr C. E. Fooks), which minutes were snore than usually full, so as to supply a historical reference to future generations, The Mayor expressed his pleasure at seeing so many present on .that day. He w.is sorry that they had had to deprive themselves of a holiday, but-he accepted their self-sacrifice as a compliment to him self and to the borough. At the last annual meeting he had announced his intention of doing what he could to wipe out the over draft, and he was happy to say that the overdraft was now as low as it had ever been since the borough had been m existence. He trusted that before many such meetings of this nature had been held the overdraft would be fairly wiped out, and the bank account m credit. There were those who did not see eye to eye with him m this, but he looked upon it as the best thing that a public body could do to work within its means. The Mayor went on say that though they had been having a due eye to economy some useful work had been done, notably the formation of streets near the Hospital. He urged the obtaining of a sscond water-cart, pointing out that the new stand pipe would make the working of two carts not only possible but easy, and the borough profited by the water-cart m the improved condition of the streets on which it operated, the large stones not now coming to me surface as they used to do. He then touched on the improve ments at the Domain, and said the track would by and by be one of the best m the colony and the swimming bath that had been constructed would be a great boon to the community ; nor had the question of river protection been neglectad. There had been received during the year approximately £2214 and the expenditure up to date had been £1512, but the financial year did not end until March 31. During the next three months he anticipated there would be an expenditure of about £425, but there was still income of between £300 and £400 to come m, so that he expected for the year the overdraft would show a reduction of £400. After intimating that he had received many apologies fiom leading citizens for their absence, among whom were the Hon Major Steward, Mr K. G. Wright, M.H.R., Mr VV. C. Walker, Mr Willian Baxter, and Mr Mainwaring, he asked the last Mayor, Mr Donald Williamson, to formally install the Mayor elect. Mr Williamson having formally done ao, asked them to fill their glasses to the toast of " The Mayor," This was the fourth time that Mr Friedlander had been elected to the Mayoralty, and he congratulated the Borough on obtaining his services. He was one of the best financiers that could be obtained, and the attention he paid to this subject was bearing fruit m the reduction of the. over draft, of which they had just heard. While the overdraft was being reduced the ordinary work of the Borough was not neglected, and channelling was being pro ceeded with where necessary, but it was not always necessary to put down channelling where the land on either side comprised grazing sections only. H<j asked them to drink the health of " His Worship the Mayor and the Lady Mayoress, The toast was drunk with musical honors. His Worship, m acknowledging the toast, said he had always found the Couucil ready to assist him m his work, and the officers of the Council loyal to their trust and faithful m the discharge of their duties. To these facts he attributed the other fact that he had had t%n pleasant experience of giving satisfaction m the discharge of his duties to the leading ratepayers, of whom Mr Williamson was a representative. He thanked them for the honor they had done him and lus partner, and was pleased to have earned their good opinions. Mr fJ. W. Purnell proposed the toast of "the ex-Mayors and Borough Councillors of Ashbnrton." He said that m St. Paul's cathedral was an epitaph on the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren, " If you seek my work look around you." The same could be said of those whom he was then toasting, for the borough of Ashbnrton when he came to it fourteen years ago was a rough place indeed. Now, thanks to the work of the Mayors and. Councillors, there were few towns m the colony that could boast of either its beauties i or its comforts. There were municipal | bodies m the colony who had earned un-' pleasant names for themselves by discredit able scenes m the Council Chamber, but this reputation had never beon earned by the Ashburton Council. There had, of course, | been breezes—no public body of any grit ever got alqng without these, but they had always been kept wjithia fhe bounds of piyihty, Ho was pleaded fco see that new bloqd was being infused into the (Po^pqil, as it was only rjght that the burden of tl>e municipal work should not fall upon "the shoulders of a few men.

Ex-Mayors Williamson, R. Friedlander, Thomas, Scaly, and A. Harrison acknow ledged the toast, Mr Scaly pointing out that at one time the municipal debt had been over £2000, and the reduction of it to an almost nominal sum was good work indeed. The senior and junior councillors present also acknowledged the toast, Councillor Bird delivering a racy speech, m which he gave some good advice to the young members, to whom the public always came wjj;h the;r. grumbles. The ' Mayor. m-ojjQSod f,he !< legislative Council and House of representatives. There had been an agitation 1 some years ago to abolish the Upper House altogether, and he had been m favor of the movement. Since then, however, he had had occasion to chifiige iiia mind, and he now pointed out jfclia.t the lij&anks <yf the poiintry were due to ,the Upper House for itf eondupt during the la*fc session I l} throwing bjtjt bills |;hafc would have been a. <Wse to tlip colony^ T-hey rttc|. not want legislation thafc would set class against class but legislation that would be of genuine benefit to the colony. Of the House of Representatives he feared the less said the better. He trusted they would improve their ways m the future. He had invited several members to come to their meeting that day. They had not come, and lie was sorry, because he would liked to have talked to them about the behaviour of the Hqij^. Jn their absence he would ask Mr ifurneil to veply, Mr Purnell said he had y/at^Hsd the Legislative Council for many yearis, and'be j had come to the conclusion that that House j was far and away the most intellectual of th.6 two legislative bodies. In that House all measures s^ei's dealt with on their merits, and 'some of the 'ablest minds of the colony were .turned upon them. rphe House of itepjresontftUyjsV was, £he wojst 'Ujafpil f>y, ej," been returned, and the' legislation of U>e past session was calculated to do great harm to the country. Cr Orr proposed the " County Council" m a complimentary speech, and would only be | too glad to learn that the House of Repre- ■ sentafcives was as well up to its work as that iwdy- The AJayai?, wijo js ajso a ij.j ember of the County Council, aoknowledged the toast, and said it wtis Impossible for anyone not actually attending the couuty meetings to know the extent of the woi'k the Council had to do. The work had increased so much of late that an extra monthly meeting had been instituted to deal with applications for water supply. The ordinary meetings began at eleven o'ulo-jk, and it was seldom that an adjournment cculd be made before five m the afternoon. They had m view the institution of an irrigation scheme m it,cUi}tjj7ji to the water nice system now running, and if" they were able to introduce tlu's irrigation scheme, cue qI the greatest blessings ever enjoyed by the county would be conferred. Cr Bird proposed the toast of the " Hamp i stead "tend TinwaM T Wn "Boards," which 1 "was acknowledged by Sjfc G, W- Andrews, and the other toasts were "The Agricul tural arid pastoral Interests," proposed by Mr George Jameson, which Messrs D. WiHiamsoo »ud* !•'• Scaly acknowledged,

protesting against the recent taxation f J legislation which bore unjustly upon the fanners, and trusting that soon the system wotild be departed from; "The Borough Solicitor and the Borough's Banker," pro posed by Cr Cuthbertson, and acknowledged by Mr Purnell; " The Council's Officers aud Employees," proposed by Cr Paul anil acknowledged by the Town Clerk; "The Police," by Mr A. Harrison, J.P., acknow ledged by Sergeant Moller ; " The Press," proposed by Mr kriedlander, and acknow ledged by the representatives present. The boast of "Our Host" having been given and acknowledged m suitable manner, "Auld Langsyne" was sung, and the meeting closed with the sins/ing of the National Authem.

CRICKET.

ASHBURTON C.C. F. TIMARU CO

A match between the Ashburton and Tiniaru Cricket Clubs was played yester oay at the Domain. The weather was perfect, but the wickt?t was very hard. The local players were completely over matched m every department of the game, the only performanc as on their side worthy of favorable mention being A. Buchanan's bowling-—six wickets for 26 runs—and Todd's batting—l 3 m the first innings and 14 (not out) m the second innings. On the part of Tirharu, Smith, the two Perrys, Jefferson, Malcolmson, and Jones showed good form with the bat, though all of them did not score largely. In the first innings, Postlethwaite (6 for 9), add Smith (4 for 1.3;, and m the second innings C. Perry (2 for 5), J. Perry (3 for 23), Malcolmson (3 for 9), and Postle thwaite (1 for 0) were the bowlers. Timaru won by an innings and 49 runs, as will be seen by the appended scores :- i- Timaru.—lst Innings. C. Perry, c Moore bA. Buchanan ... 18 Smith, bA. Buchanan ... 34 Jefferson, c Denshire bA. Buchanan ... 5 A. Perry, run out... 6 Postlethwaite, c Black b Moore 0 Malcolmson, b Dixon 15 Raymond, b A. Buchanan 0 Orr, b Moore 3 Jones, c Denshire bA. Buchanan ... 15 Andrewes, not out 9 Cuthbertson, b A. Buchanan 3 Extras ... ... 3 Total ... HI ASHBUKTON. Ist Innings. 2nd Innings. Dixon, b Postlethwaite 1 bC. Perry ... 1 A. Buchanan, b Postle thwaite 6 bJ. Perry... 9 Todd, b Postlethwaite 13 not out ... 14 Moore, c Andrewes b c Ctithbertsou Smith ... ... ObC. Perry... 0 Black, b Postlethwaite 0 bJ. Perry ... 0 Denshire, c J. Perry b Postlethwaite ... 0 b Malcolmson 3 E. Buchanan, c Jeffer- c Jones b Mal son b Smith ... 0 colmaon ... 7 J. Sawle, c Andrewes b Postlefchwaite ... 0 b Malcolmson 0 Eollitt, cJ. Perry b c Raymond b Smith ... ... 0 Malcolmson ... 2 Cromie, not out .... 2b J. Perry ... 0 Still well, c Malcolm- c 'Jefferson b son b Smith ... 0 Postlethwaite 1 Extra 1 Extras ... 2 Total ... 23 Total ... 39

RIFLE MATCH.

Yesterday ten members of the Christ church Irish Rifles and ten of the Sydenham Rifles visited Ashburton to fire a friendly match with: ten of the Ashburcon Rifle Club. Three of our local team's best shots were urahle to take part m the match, which rather weakened the team. Nevertheless, the contest proved a very close and exciting one betwtm the Ashburton Rifle Club and the Irish Rifles, At the finish of the 200 yds range Ashburton was 38 points ahead of Sydenham and 19 behind the" Irish Rifles. When the 300 yds was finished, Ashburton had wiped off 5 points of the Irish Rifles' lead, being 14 behind, and had drawn 9 ahead of Sydenham, making 47 of a lead from that corps. At the last range the match became very interesting. The Ashburtonians, with their first three men. came on level terms with the Irish Rifles, and up to the last two men the difference between them varied from level to three or four points, until with two men to fire the scores of Ashbuiton and the Irish Rifles were equal; but the last two men fell away sadly, and their opponents won the match j by thirteen points. Sydenham fell oft further, being 89 points behind Ashbur ton and 102 points behind the Irish Rifles. For the winning toam Corporal Keating made top score with 56 ; for the Ash burton Rifle Club S. Salek was highest with 5;5 ; Private Parker being top scorer ifor the Sydenham Rifles with 47. /Luncheon was provided on the grounjl for the teams,' the visitors expressing themselves as highly pjense4 with their reception and tlje day's? sjiqqting. A return match is tQ be arranged, when tho Ashburtp,^ CJub, -fj}l gq fcq Cjjristchurch to fire against the same companies, The ranges were 200, 300, and oOOjcls—seven shots at the first, and five shots at the | second and third. Appended are the scores :— CHRISTCBURCH IRISH RIFLES. 200 300 500 Total. Corpl Keating ... 22 13 21 56 Pte Wright ... 27 13 13 53 Pte Jackson ... 21 12 17 50 Corpl Treblecock 28 1111 50 Corpl Nichols ... 31 7 12 50 Pte Harris ... 25 12 11 48 Corpl Chapman... 25 8 13 46 Ff;e papier ... 82 }3 6 41 Sereb Morrison... Sj| 6 t 34 Sergt Miller'"... 24 4 5 33 461 ASHBURTON RIFLE CLUB. 200 300 500 Total. S.Salek... ... 24 15 16 55 R. Dorm 25 18 9 52 .T: Baker. 1,; ';;; 2f 5 18 50 B. Baker... ;;; 22 12 15 49 D. Leitch ... 21 1111 49 G. Morripon ... 29 12 7 48 G. Buckley ... 24 10 12 46 „ J.Donn 24 6 9 39 C. Chapman ... 10 6 14 30 W. H. Collier ... 18 6 6 30 448 SYDENHAM RIFLES. 200 300 500 Total. fjteJ?aris.er ... 23 10 14 47 PteßoAlot ..'; 22 g 12, 43 PieOsborne .v. 26 10 !T 43 Sergt Hunt ... 29 6 6 41 Capt Anderson... 22 9 8 39 PteCurrie ... 15 15 4 34 PteSl^lton ... 15 11 7 33 lite fright ... '22 4 2 28 derail fc'isje ./. Jft 8 if 3fi Pfce Cotter , p 10 7 86 359"

The "Catholic Times" Lible Case.

I'BB KRfi&S AHSOGUTOOif,

Wellington, December 16. Thornton and Heinrichs, the two defen dants, gave evidence and corroborated Rigors' evidence. They denied the interpretations put upon the letter by plaintiff, and said ifc mattered little to them by whom the system was concealed from the Archbishop, and m fact they did not know. They had no desire to get Evison out of his position. R.C.Harding, publisher of ''Typo," said, that if the second letter contained a charge against anyone, he la<*k ifc tft ]•$ against the Archbishop for allowing 1 'the sweating system to bs carried on m "his Qfljfip. ;. '"'''. Finnjcane, a compositor who took a job ! at the Cl CJatholic Times !' at 32s 6d perl week, fsaid he did no because of his vircuiKstauceH, there being illness m hjs

family. He was glad to get a job. This was all the evidence. The jury, after a short deliberation, returned with a verdict for plaintiff for £50 damages, costs according to scale being allowed. Mr Jellicoe, for defen dants, asked that execution be delayed, as it was probable he would apply for a new trill. The request was grunted.

THE KING COUNTRY.

Owing to the fact that nearly all the land suitable for settlement—that is to say, settlement m small or moderate sized . holdings—in this Island has already passed out of the hands of the Crown, and, unfortunately, m too many instances into the hands of companies and other big land monopo lists, the attention of those who are j seeking to establish tihoir; homes upon the land is being increasingly directed to the North Island. Indeed, within the past year or two a very considerable exodus of farmers' sons, thrifty shep herds, aud others possessed of a capital of a few hundreds, has set m, from Canterbury especially, our emigris going to swell the population and increase the prosperity of Wellington and Taranaki— chiefly the former. At the rate at which land has been and is being taken up, all the Crown land m that Provincial district—at ; anyrate all within reach of railway or ' road—will soonhave been acquired, and it is therefore a matter of national concern that the immense area of native land should be as speedily as possible opened up for European occupation. The present Government have not lost sight of this, and the Native Minister —Mr Cadman-—is at the present moment meeting the Natives m their own territory with a view to coming to a satisfactory understanding with regard to this important question. The Minister (says the correspondent of the Auckland " Herald") " proposes to meet the Waikato natives at Otoro hanga on the 16th of tin's months to talk over their intentions as to the lands lying alongside the Trunk Railway. The question put to the natives is to be whether they intend to keep their lands locked up, or whether they will sell to the Government certain blocks for settlement purposes. There is to be further legislation next session affecting native land, and its scope and object will probably be affected by the result of the Minister's interview with the Waikato natives. The Minister will probably be m a position to tell the natives that if they decline to sell, to the Government they may lose a favourable opportunity of securing great prospective advantages, and the fullest value to be derived frotn the position of their native lands. The Government, I learn, are prepared to relax some of the restrictions upon sales of native lands if the natives are prepared to meet the Minister m an equitable spirit. In no case will the Government allow the sale of large blocks to speculators. The natives, I understand, have coimter-propositions to make. The terms they propose are agreed to by a large and powerful section of natives resident m the King Country. They are not as yet unani mous, but these counter-propositions will be submitted to the native meeting to be held on the 16th instant, eveu though all the natives should not be found to support them. The resolutions containing the proposals of the leading natives are, I am told, already drafted. They are m effect as follows:—(1) That the Government shall be allowed to purchase land m the King Country at a reasonable price, the balance of land not purchased by the Government to be handed over to the control of native owners; (2) That the land handed over to them should be alien able, and on being put under the Land Transfer Act the certificate should disclose whether the" land is first or second quality; (3) Every European to make a declaration un.der the Land Acti? that he dqes nqt hojd more than, 640 acres of or 200Q acres, of second-class land j (4) No individual qr oqmpany $Q purchase more than that quantity. I learn also from the same source that the natives have a different notion from the Government as to what is a reasonable price. They are acting under legal advice. They say that to buy land from, the natives at a shilling an acre is no longer prac tical, and that a • reasonable' price! must have reference to actual and pro spective value." This is satisfactory news, as showing that the natives are I beginning to recognise the benefits which must accrue to themselves from, tl|§ occupation, qf their lands by Euro peans, and are prepared to abandon the policy of isolation which they have so long adhered to under the counsels of Te Whiti and others of their prophets and leaders. There is now therefore reason to hope that ere long the vast territory now held by them, turned to lfttlp or? no account, w|Jl become the scene of settien^emj and enterprise. At the same time it is clear that they are well aware that their land is a valuable property, and it is quite right that they should look for and receive a fair consideration for it. Mr Eallance is, we see, likely to accompany Mr Cad man to the Otoro hanga meeting, and the results of the negotiations which are to take place thereat between thsm and the heaclsj pf trie native people, 'wfft'jje a Waited with' great interest.

ANNIVERSARY DAY.

| 3?he pilw&y excursion to. thehil|svjraseQm' j pletely successful. The two heivy engines comfortably drew tlie crowded' train to Mount Soiners Station where a few of the 1 excursionists left for the caves. They were conveyed there by the tram. The great bulk of the passengers, however, finished the journey at §n|ingbHm, yfavp tjfcjf |ouu4 ni|mber <if five-horse waggons, provided by Messrs Sharplin, Vinoent, and Go,, and an assortment of traps, drays, and other country vehicles, which were quickly crowded and on the road for the bush. Picnic parties wore *Qon arranged, ft larger number, however, taking advantage of the good lunch pro vided at the saw mill* by the proprietors, who were indefatigable m attending to the wants of their numerous visitors. Soon after four o'clock the teams started on the return journey, and aH safely got aboard the train, which made good time on the homeward trip, arriving m Ashburfcpn soon »ite« seven oiclock' "' ••'••' l-> A number o| mwksmen and othera went to *ihe rango to see the rifle match between the Christchurch Irish Rifles, Sydenham Rifles, and Ashburton Rifle Ulub, which was won by the firt-t-named corps, yuljacorej *ppew elscwl^tw,

MELBOURNE NOTES

[from our Cobrkspondbnt. ]

Melbourne, December 8. Six days only remain of the session, and as far as can be judged, the Government can now see its way safely into the recess. The du'il voters are said to intend to mako a fight to-night (Tiuwday), when the Electoral Reform Bill will come on for consideration, but. the Mini&lry do not fear'the result. The only form of dual vote which had the faintest chance of ac ceptance was that proposed by Dr L L. Smith anal rejected; The forms of the house will preclude its revival, and unless the unexpected happens the Council's amendments will be disagreed with, and the Bill ainiply returned for the Upper House to reject or accept it as it pieces. The Ministry, if they carry out this line of action successfully, as they believe they will, have nothing to fear until after tie general election. I have all along told you even when the Opposition seemed strongest, that the Munro Cabinet was pretty safe, and so far I hare not changed my opinion. No* is there much chance Of a Conser vative reaction at the general election. On the contrary, the shameless manner m which the Conservative party, through its | organs m the press, hfw tried to induce the j Legislative Council to usurp powers it has ! never pretended to possess has disgusted a very large proportion of the public. To do the Council justice it has declined to be led into any unconstitutional proceed ings, but the mere fact that excessive powers have been claimed on its behalf has awakened a great deal of popular feeling. The reappearance of SirGrahamßerry m ' the political field will be a disturbing in fluence. It is not really known which side he will take. There are some per sons who believe that he will turn Con servative as Sir James McCulloch did be fore him, and with Pattersen, G. D. Carter and others, who affect the highly superior line, attempt to lead a new re action. In that case the most he could hope for would be a new coalition, with himself as th«j head of the Conservative department, and probably Deakin as chief of the Radicals. But the prevailing opinion is that he will still seek the support of the Radical party, and m that case, if he can convince them of his sincerity, the next session may see him m alliance with the present Government as a coadjutor of Mr Munro, or m power himself with Mr Deakin as his ally. In short che prevailing opinion is that Mr Deakin will take a place m the Cabinet after the coming election under any circumstances whatever. ~

Public opinion is very much exercised over the severe condemnation pronounced by Judge Hamilton upon Mr Bowman, M.L.A., and Mr Gore, M.L.C., for their conduct m reference to a mine which they foisted on their own friends at a price of £8000 after vainly trying to sell it; to some Broken Hill magnates at that figure plus commission. These legislators had re ceived and divided a rebate cf £2000. In other words when they said they had paid £8000 they had only paid £6000, and the Judge not only refused them any redress against each other, but accused them of conspiracy to defraud the public. Mr Munro refused to take action. He re gards these arrangements with much levity, knowing that he is too sharp to be taken m himself; but the attention of the House will be called to the matter to* night and Mr Bowman will have a hot time of it.

TELEGRAPHIC.

HOME AND FOREIGN

ft'EK- T'RESW ASSOCIATION*

ESCAPEES FROM KHARTOUM.

Cairo, December 14. An Austrian monk and two nuns who had been held prisoners by the Mahdists since the defeat of Hicks Pasha m. 1883, have escaped from Khartoum aud arrived at Korosko, on the Nile.

THE EXPEDITION TO PAMIR.

Calcutta, December 14. Desultory fighting is reported at Qilgit. It is feared that the snow will block the passes and isolate the expedi tion, whose^object is to forestall the RussisHiHir Pamir.

THE INFLUENZA.

St. PETEKSfImsa, December 14. In.Qu.en3a is raging m this city, bringing typhoid fever and madness m its wake. Ninety thousand cases of influenza are reported at Odessa. New York, December 15. A thousand cases of influenza are reported at Norfolk, Virginia. Major McKinley is one of the sufferers. i London, December 14. j In Scotland many deaths resulted I from attacks of influenza. Influenza is spreading n Belfast \\'\t\\ alarming mortality, WB^CIC OP THE ENTERKIN. Th« Enterkin, bound to Brisbane, with a cargo of iron, was wrecked off Bamsgate on Saturday night. An apprentice who was lashed to the rig ging, was the only one rescued, all the rest on board, thirty m number, being drowned. ko^CVtf, Timber 15. T^e. s|hip Enter.kiri struck the Gal laper sands. The lifeboat was stove m and drowned most of the cretr. Those left on board, consisting of four hands, were washed overboard, the apprentice alone regaining the ship and taking to the rigging. He was five hours m his perilous position before he was rescued by a passing smack. Capt. Sinclair, who was to have taken, command of the ship, was; a^i%e,d with a.n ?^ta_eJE of. influenza prior to her departure, 1 and was succeeded by Capt. Stephenson. NEW ZEALAND TAXATION. The " Financial News " declares that it is obvious that the people qf Nqw ca^nqt b^ar- the strain of ex cessive taxation muoh longer. SUICID.E OF AN INVENTOR. Morris, the inveutbr of the well known tube used m rifles, which \§ known as the " Morris tu^e," hs*s com mitted smicMe, IRISH AFFAIRS. Fieroe riots have taken place m Ennis, county Clare, provoked by the followers of the late M.r far-nell, Many persons \y§vq injured by sticks and stones, and Mr J. Dillon was struck across the face. The priests vrere openly defied and hooted, but eventually the polio© were successful m dispersing the mob. Rome, December 15j His Holiness the Pope has conferjfe^ distinction on the Bishop qf fqr rfissl^lflg °,p^#lftg W Ire Und,

THE RUSSIAN FAMINE.

— t transport of corn. M. innenkoff wiH probably be appointed U the onice. The Nihilists have issieflaniAnifesto that Parliamint should take fami'f!es *° assist the peasants m the ceeded fi«cken districts, and have sue-: "•nding a copy to the Czar. |

St. Pkteksburg. November 15. Privy Councillor Yon Hubbet^ Minister of Public Wqrk^ *i\<i Rail ways, resigns position, as the Czar inc«Qßtd at the difficulty m the

UNKNOWN

The entire Chilian December 15. the action o! Mr P>?s* condemn States Minister, which isQ» Pn^4 have been the cause of tii£gc<* difficulty. President Harrisoii^ 61^ blamed m the matter, and the Chfft^ President, General Moiitt, is tiow ii communication With Mr J. Blame, the United States Secretary of State.

THE TARIFFS.

Brussels, December 15. The" Independence Beige "announces that the Argentine Republic proposes to negotiate for a tariff' coalition with the European Governments recently allied m oommer«e. Lisbon, December 15. A protection tariff" has been intro duced into the Portuguese Chamber of Deputies.

THE CRISIS IN BRAZIL.

Rio he Janeiro, December 15. A revolution has broken out m Ban- Paulo, a province about 22deg W.S.W. of here. The local officials have been deposed, but the Governor's troops are opposing the insurgents.

AUSTRALIAN.

NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS,

Sti»nkv., December 16. At a meeting of the Labor party to day seventeen members were present. Mr McGowan was the only nrember of the Executive of the original party present. The meeting appointed a new Secretary, and requested Mr Houghton, the late Secretary, to hand over all papers. At a meeting of thirty-three mem bers of the House, including the balance of the Labor party, who are regarded as deserters, and a number of Govern ment supporters who hold with the planks of the' labor policy, it was de cided to form a democratic party. THE WEATHER. The weather throughout the colony is exceedingly hot, and m Sydney to day the thermometer registered 100 m the shade. NATIONAL MUTUAL LIFE ASSO CIATION 7 OF AUSTRALASIA. Mklbouenk, December 16. At the annual meeting of the National Mutual Life Association of Australasia the report showed a satis factory decrease m death claims and an. increase of funds to the extent of £132,000.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

ArcKLAXi*. December 16. A deputation representing the Kauri Timber Company interviewed ihe Premier, and complained of the injjsticeof com pelling them to pay a graduated tax on their .standing timber, since the large areas of bind they owned could not be utilised for settlement. Mr Ballance promised fco consider the case before next session. A fancy goods dealer, T, Jones, at whose premises a fire occurred this, morning, has been. arrested on a char^o of setting fire to the plice, wfth intent to defraud the Royal Insurance Company, with whom the building was insured for £300, and the stock for £300. Some of his goods were found m a house at the North Shore. Gisborne, November 16. Alfred William Croft, lafce Deputy Official Assignee at Gisborue, appeared at the Police Court to-day on eight charges of embezzlement of moneys, totalling £132. Four charges were heard, accused being committed for trial on each, and remanded m four others until Monday next. Alfred Ashly, a. hush fatter, has been dro.wnedin the Pakaraenvor. He belongs \o Qhris.tchu.rch. Napier, December 1.6. A representative meeting of business men met Mr Seddon to-night by invita tion, to discuss the representation of the colony of New Zealand at the Chicago Exhibition. After hearing Mr SedJon's. explanation, the meeting passed a resolu tion favoring the thorough representation of the colony at th,e t Exhibition, and a Committee w,as formed to secure local exhibits. The Borough Council to-night accepted a tender for a road from the Marine Parade to the breakwater, The Rev. J, Benson., the popular Minister of St. Augustine's Anglican Church., flied to-nighfc. WelUngton, December 16. The Marine Department has received a communication 1 from the Governor, m reply to a request made by Captain Holm that a man-of-war should be allowed to search among the Solomon and neigh boring Islands for possible survivors of the New Zealand barque Kentish Lass, remains of which, [were washed up among the So\<!>\^qn, Islands m March last. His Excellency says that he has communicated wj;t:h the Admiral on the subject, and has received a reply to the effect that all vessels of war have been withdrawn from those Islands for the hurricane season. After that season is over, however, the raacter would be attended to. The hurricane season extends up to March. Upwards of 1200 names have been added to the Wellington electoral roll during the last few days, The total number on the to\l fto.w is about 10,000. li^\:ti>OAHGiLL. December 16. A criminal prosecution of considerable importance commenced this morning, when James Roberts, G. Roxby Waddel, and Charles Bradshaw, promiaent in,QTi chants of the Bluff, were charged with feloniously aiding, abbect^ng, counselling, and procuring qua Andrew |Newton to commit fojouy, that is to say, feloniously steal, take and carry away 287 sealskins, the property of. .Joseph Hatch, of t&© vxilue ot £1000. Messrs Wad©. *»d Hall of Invercargill appeared, fw the prosecu tion, Mr Solomon, oi Dunedin,. wid. Mf MacAl^fcey., of luveroargill, for the defence. I t^he utmost interest was taken m the pro-. \ oeedings, the defendants being weUJ^nawn The case will probably la&fe t^ee days, there being over thjr^v/ witnesses. The defence so fax 4festased is that whether the Bkjn,&. were stolen from Hatch or not, the proceedings of defendants were boiia fide, and they purchased them m the ordinary way of huauiess.

MAGISTERIAL

ASHBURTON-THURSD AY.

Mr C. A. Wray, R.M.) Dmtskennkss.—Michael O'Connor was tmfed 10a and costs for drunkenness. He bad been before the Court on a previous occasion. Oivn, Casks.—Hishstead v P. Connolly, £20, v*lue of a horns, lututea, wuLwinkers bought by plaintiff from defendant, and afterwards (seized by defendant ; also for damage sustained from loss of con tract work m consequence of defendant's action. Plaintiff claimed that the horse had been paid for partly m cash and wrtly m labor, and put m as evidence of ']§ fact a promissory note nud a receipt hV c >-iymei.fc of the amount- The horse I' nl ..«n.scheduled m a bill of salt* given of ffiiffto V**et, Llaokhmith, which bill to TWell 'übsequenily been transferred wUUeTn the>< ]"™hi bS Sefe a c subject to a specal lfemmt thrt the hone was not to bo Hn*, d or nt into any bill of sale. '"",-; flafc i y denied by the plaintiff, arid ti. Magistrate pointed out that m none of the laments put m was there any mention of a n>B cial arrangement. The evidence gi*eiK vsig . some what lengthy, and very contradictory, His Worship said defendant's action iiu seixina; the horse was contrary to law, and judgment wa» (given for the value of the horse, £18, and. £1 damages, with costs. Mr Cuthbertson for plaintiff, Mr Moore for defendant. P. Begloy v John Devery, £610s, balance of wages due for work done on a shingle contract.. Mr Moore for plaintiff,. Mr Crisp for defendant. After plaintiff had given evidence, m the course of lib;, cross-examination on which ! he owned up to cash payments made to him, liabilities he was under, and would not deny that the number of yards he had shifted was 513 instead of 602, de fendant give evidence as to the stafca of accounts between the parties, and showed that there was nothing owitig to plaintiff, but rather that he had been overpaid. Plaintiff had left the work without warn ing. His Worship afieran examination of the accounts found that plaintiff had been overpaid £9 10s and Mr Moore took a nonsuit. ' I ■ ' This was all the business.

LATEST CABLE NEWS.

HOME AND FOREIGN.

(fbr.prks* assoglvtiox.)

AFFAIRS IN CHILI.

(Received December, 17, 10.30 a.t*)

"Valparaiso. December Is. The excitement m Chili is reviving owing to Egan's aggressive Attitude, .'

THE CRISIS IN BRAZIL.

Kio ok Jansiro, Decembeirl6. The Governor of Sun Paulo has re signed. . ". , ' '

THE YELLOW FEVER.

Steamers from the district- arc for bidden to enter the harbor dri account of yellow fever having, broken out at Santos.- • . ■• . : -r wf- -•. - -

THE PAPACY.

rpi r> R° J >?'' Dr-<*mb« 16: The Pope has addressed an allocu tion to the College of Cardinals/de clanng that hfc enemies are seeking; to inflict a death blow on the papacy and that ihe difficulty of tfo situation is daily increasing. H© urges that it is to the interest of Heads of States.to uphold the Roman Catholic '■ Church, which is the greatest moral power" m the world.

FRANCE AND BULGARIA.

mi n , «I **XlS > December 16. The French Press attack M. Stani bouloff, Premier of Bulgaria, for re fusing to permit French journalists to return, accusing him of violating the comity of nations, and threatening -to force an appeal to the Porte.

ROYAL PRESENT.

_, „ , London, December 16. Ihe Royal families o| England Russia and Greece, jointly present the King and Queen oi Denmark, with a splendid group ot sculpture for the public square m Copenhagen.

THE COMMERCIAL TREATIES.

Bkigkam, November 16. Servia joins the Central Commercial League.

THREATENED DYNAMITE OUTRAGE.

Bkrun, December Mi A man has been arrested at Berlin for demanding £500 from a banker,, and threatening m case of refusal" to dynamite his bank. Dynamite was found m his pockets when arrested.

THR GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF CANADA.

(Received December 17, 10.35 ajn.)

London, December 16. "Truth" states that it is probable Lord Wolseley will succeedLordStanlejr of Preston as Governor-General of Canada.

THE MELBOURNE FAILURES.

Trust companies hold one-fourth of the London shares of the Standard Bank. The manager believes all will be readily paid.

BRITISH AMBASSADORS.

The "Standard," says that Sir Robert Morier, British Ambassador to> Russia* will succeed Lord Bnffctin at Rome, and Sir F. C. Ford* Ambassador m Spain, will take Sir R. MorieKf place at St. Peteysiwwrg..

MARIETTA AND CO.

A Securities Reaction Compan* v i s being formed W tnfce over-'A]> i rs Murietta and €o.*s, assets. MALABMINISTRATION IN; THE VATICAN, ™ „• v « RoME ' -]P«wnßet 16. Tiw High Court of the Vatican . has suspended Manager. Tolehi, D» ector of the Papal Treasury, for malad mini stration which has. resulted m th«a loss of five nrilHon* lire (£IOO,OOO sterling )

AUSTRALIAN.

STORMS IN TASMANIA.

(Received December 17. 11 «.ra.V

Hora.rt» Btecemlier 16. H«avy storms m; the Midland dis tricts have beaten down the wheat crops And inflicted mucfc injury on them. . '. THE ZEEHAN MINES. The first discovery «f native silrer at Zeehan has been made m the Sylvester uwae m oopjunction with chlorides.

FEDERATION.

A delator, Dsceinber 17. The Illative Cquuqil have di^

THE ASffBURTON GUARDIAN : THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1?, Iftfll



Holloway's Oixtmen*t. — Mwejcs ai*i Workers on the Goldtields,—Ttys piva^uabie and renowned ointment i% e^teAsijvely used and patronised hy, 3U;ch, peojale to their very great advai^ge,'feeing easy of application ai^d ppfta^bje. m, simpM compass. When used U\ cciijivvctjon with Holloway's Pills m acconlance with the clear and concise d.iroo< tiona for use which accoropay each pot and box, there are but few of the diseases which afflict mankind which m\\ not yield to the ■sanative powers o| the combined remedies. Hollowfvy'a Continent and Pills do not dete liorata hy keeping nor by change of climate, and ai they contain no deleterious uuneraj drug, they can be used with the, «ysst perfect safety under the niosfc R.dye^.cMjnatiij sanitary-conitions.^



Certainly the Most Effective MEDICINE m the world is SANDER and SONS EUCALYPTI EXTRACT. Test its eminent powerful effects m Coughs, Colds, Influenza, etc, ; the relief is instantaneous. Thousands gave the most gratifying testimony. Read this certificate:— f< 24th Aprjl, 1885 — Messrs Sander and Sons, —It is with the greatest of pleasure that I testify to the excellence of your Eucalypti Extract. Having had inflammation of the bone of the eg, which came on afteria severe attack of ow fever, I was attended by l)r J. Boyd, who had made strenuous \ efforts to save my leg, but without success. He found it necessary to amputate my limb. Having heard m the meantime of the wonderful cures worked by the Eucalypti Extract, I obtained a bottle, and the extract had not been applied more than an hour when I began to feel greatly relieved. After applying the exit/act every four hours for nine or ten days it was out t.f all danger. I would persiu.de al who may be effected with any such disease to give the Eucalypti Extract a trial, and I am convinced that they *vill find it the most wonderful of medicines.—Yours, etc., E. J, Ohnow, Wattle street, Sand hurst.—(Ad vt f>



MONEY TO LEND, upon Freehold security, m sums to suit bor rowers. Small amounts can be repaid by instalments, if so desired. Apply to Mr C, VV. Pt'ENKLi,. Solicitor, Mont gomery's Buildings. 9 130



WANTED Known—That you will make no mistake for quality and variety m English, Colonial, and his highly reputed "make by calling at J. Moison. During coming holidays dis count for Cash. Repairs done at once. A staff of men always kept and best material and workmanship guaranteed. WANTED Known.--H. Baikhtow has opened those premises m East street next J. Orr and Co., as a Furnituro Warehouse. Latest designs m Vienna Chairs, and Iron Bedsteads on. vbw. Having a good stock of well seasoned figured Rinm and Kauri, lie is prepared to take orders for Furniture to any design. Inspection incited. 8^



WANT HID Known. —I have a large stock of Tin and Ironware Goods to select from. Register Grates, Stoves, Portable Boilers, Spouting and Ridging kept m stock.—J. W. Haudlby, East • treefc. . 6J2Q2 TO Meet the Times.-—I. am aupplying Galvanised Iron Tanks from 30a upwards, warranted for twenty years, Force pumps, deep well cylinders of all descriptions. Inspection invited. — J. W. Hardlby, Eus street. 6J201



WANTED Known. —At "Tho Corner' now selling Ladies' French Shops. 5s lid. See them.—W. 11. Oolubb. ~X\T ANTED Known —A Beautiful Line t of French Dress Goods, double width. Is 10|-d ; original value, 4s. —H. C>j Seoeks, Melford House. \



ALL Wool Colonial Tweed Suits to measure; fit and workmanship guaranteed ; from 50s cash. Robert Alcorn, Ashburton Clothing Mart, Saunders' Buildings. WANTED Known.—For first-class Drapary and Millinery go to Melford House ; cheapest shop m town. ( See windows.) Beautiful Xmas present s being given away.—H. C- Segers. BHEF/P SHEARS. Having secuvod a Stock of the celebrated 8.8.A., and as there are very few m the Colony, Shearers ar«? requested to call early.— Robert Aloorn, SauncJe™' Buildings.



WANTED KNOWN, a special lot of Hearth Rugs ab Is lid, 2s 6d and 2s lid ; worth about double. W. It. Collier.



Wanted. CASH Advertisement under ch;s heading not excdddmg SIXTEEN WORDS 1/-. Addresses may be h»ffc ab this Office. A SALE of Work m tho Primitive ' Methodist Church To-Morrow. Song Service at 7.30. Come m crowds. 12 113 TVTOTHING will Cool you so quickly and J3! invigorate the system so much as Ice Cream —H. G. Flower, Confectioner, East (Street. WAITED KiiDwW— Oreat Bargains m Ladies' Cashmere Hose, Under clothing, Pinafores, &c. Come and see them. Handsome Xmas presents now giving away.—H. C Segkks, Melford House. ___