The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 1892. CURRENT TOPICS.

An idea has got abroad, indeed, some of our contemporaries have assisted m disseminating it, that the old Salic Law prevails m England, and that the Duke of Edinburgh is next to Prince George of Wales m succession to the British Throne.. As a matter of fact there are at present six good lives between the Duke of Edinburgh and the throne, and as one of the Prince of Wales' daughters is already married the num ber may increase yearly. The eldest, of these lives, next to the Prince of Wales, is 27, and it is not at all pro bable that the Duke of Edinburgh, who is m his 48th year, will survive five young lives, let alone those who may be born before these have disappeared. If Prince George were to die;his eldest sister, the Duchess of Fife, would be the heir or heiress-presumptive, and after her her children come. ■ The Duchess of Fife has only one child at present, but this child is nearer the throne than its aunts, the Prince of Wales' younger daughters, who, m their turn, are nearer than their uncle the Duke of Edinburgh. Thus the death of the Duke of Clarence can scarcely cause the Duke of Edinburgh to feel nearer to the throne than he was before the sad:event.

Another question of succession is exercisingthe minds of New Zealanders just now, namely, the appointment of a successor to the Earl of Onslow m the Governorship. The Government have asked that the name of the pro posed new Governor be submitted to them before the appointment is defi nitely made, and on this has been based a statement that the Govern ment claim to make the selection themselves. This statement, like many others that are made about the Minis try, is absurd. The New Zealand Government are asking no more than is conceded to foreign powers m the appointment of ambassadors; precau tions are taken to ascertain that the proposed appointee is not personally unacceptable to the power to which he is about to be accredited. About the time of the Queensland difficulty Sir H. Parkes, m the New South Wales House of Representatives, carried a resolution which expresses what is now desired. It was an ad dress to the Queen, expressing the opinion of the New South Wales Parliament " that the gentlemen who may m future be appointed as Gover nors of colonies should have experience m the conduct of public affairs, either m high political office or m the Imperial Parliament. And, further, that while disclaiming any wish to in terfere with the functions of the Queen's advisers at Aome, it is thought ad visible, reasonable, and m strict accord with the privileges conferred on Australasian subjects, that the Govern ment of the colony concerned should be informed who is the person selected before he is actually appointed." What the colony desires is to have a Governor of some calibre, who will be m sympathy with the colonists, and not be merely an embodiment of red tape.

Now that there is every prospect of the realisation of that rare combination of circumstances, a bountiful harvest and good prices for grain, it is heartily to be hoped that our farmers will do all that m them lies to turn it to the best account, and to realise for themselves the full benefit of the happy conjunc tion. Goodness knows that most of them need badly enough all the good luck that can befall them, the past five or six years with their droughts, their indifferent yields and low values, having been enough almost to dis hearten them ; and now that good times are once more returning, it will be fcheir own fault if they do not make the most of their opportunity. And first let them put forth all possible diligence for the safe garnering of the produce of their fields. In tne down pour of the last day or two and the frequent showers of the past two or three weeks, there has been warning enough of the probability of a "catchy" harvesting season, and m the face of this there should not only not be dilatoriness, or easy-going trustfulness m the climate, but every hour «f fine weather should be au hour of energetic work. Indeed, we do not see why the example set m some districts last year by here and there a careful farmor should not h& widely followed, we mean the carrying o» ftf harvesting operations continuously, enployjng a night shift of men as well 'as a day shift, and cutting the crop by moon light, or, it there be no moon, by the light of lamps .carried on the reapers. Certainly every hoiii" of 4q,ylight should be availed of, instead ot beginning work, as is m some instances the case, only at & o'clock. Then again the risky system of threshing out of the stook, which m ps«fc years has been only too common, should ##s season most certainly be abandoned-—nofc oijiiy because the weather is such *s to render it exceptionally risky, but .also because a very large bulk o£ t':je wh<»,at is certain this year fco be exported to London, and if the wheat ig to «»rry well and do us credit m the B.QK# jwarket \\ should be well ripened m

stack. Yet further, the slovenly planj of leaving the stacks unthatched, or thatched only on what is <;;iposed to bo the weather side, should have no followers—for it will certainly pay m the end to cover m all the grain well and thoroughly, and it is always " better to be sure than sorry." Year after year farmers are warned on this head, and year after year some of them persist m the old slovenly methods, often to their serious disadvantage. Let us hope that on this occasion there will be an entire absence of this s<^rt of thing, and that every pains will be taken m the ingathering of the best crop, take it all round, that lias been seen on the Plains for a good many years past.

They appear to have some very j sensible men on the Auckland Educa tion Board—to judge from the report of a discussion which they had the other day on the subject of he me lessons for school children. One of the members—Mr Buckhurst—protested that if eight hours was a fair day's work for a man, five hours (the period during which they are m school) is ample for a child, that home-lessons m addition thereto overtax the children's brains when they honestly do the work themselves, and demoralise the children when they get the work done by their parents and friends 3 and pass it off' as their ' own. Another member (Mr Cooper), advanced similar arguments, but dealt with the matter more fully. He said that he objected to home lessons because firstly, there was no necessity for them; secondly, they warped the moral views of the youth ful mind ; thirdly, they were unfair to all; fourthly, they actually did moral and mental harm to the children ; and, finally, they placed the children attend ing country schools at a disadvantage, as compared with those attending town schools. As to the point urged by Mr Buckhurst that some children were able to obtain assistance from their parents while others were not. Mr Cooper said : " The result of the home lesson system was frequently dishonest work. In many instances the lessons were really not done by the children at all; they were perhaps the written work of the children, but the mental work of those at home who assisted them. The consequence was to incul cate principles of dishonesty m the children's minds ; they learned to see nothing wrong m getting their friends to do work which they afterwards represented as their own. This was unfair—unfair to the children them selves, unfair to the teacher, and unfair to those other children who did not get the same assistance. A child who got no assistance and brought his own work to school often got punished for honestly doing liis best, while another brought work which was not his own, and got credit for it. TJnder such circumstances, too, it was impossible for a teacher to correctly gauge the mental capacities of his pupils. It was just the same as if a student at a University were given his examination papers 'to ■ take home, and informed that so long as the answers wei'e m his own handwriting when he sent them m, he would get good marks if they were correct." With all this we entirely concur, and the sooner the question is taken up by parents generally, and the existing system of home lessons put an end to, the better it will be for the health and happiness not only of the children but of their parents also, for these home lessons at present only too often make the entire household miserable.

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Ashburton and Hampstead Schools re-open on Monday next. Arrangements for the schools' excursion to to Spriugbum next Friday will be found m our advertising columns. The annual meeting of the Ashburton Hifle Volunteers is called for Tuesday even ing after theGovernment inspection. Western Australia comprises a territory equal extent to eighteen times that of England. It has a population equal to that of Dover. Kerr, the Australian amateur champion cyclist, has sailed from Sydney for New Zealand, with the intention of competing at the championship athletic meeting m Christ church. The Somerset Hotel has changed pro prietorship, Mrs Shearman having sold the property and good-will to Mr W. Lane, who has long been well-known as the proprietor of the Canterbury Hotel, Lyttelton. Mr Tiane enters into possession at an early date. The man mentioned m a New Plymouth telegram, dated January 15, as having been killed while bush falling at Inglewood, was not William Jordan, as stated, but Harry Jordan, son of Mr William Jordan, well known m Canterbury. During the first week m January no less than nine suicides were committed m Mel bourne. The list includes an auctioneer, a lady help, an importer, a bricklayer, a young married woman, three drunkards, and a commercial speculator. The "North Otago Times " states that the valuation of the borough of Oamaru this year is about £3000 less than last year. This reduction is the sequence to the appeals of last year. The amount of £3000 will also have to be still further reduced by deductions allowed by law, and following all this cqme the appeals. The monument to the memory of the Duke of Hamilton, erected m the grounds of Hamilton Palace, cost £180,000, It is a model of the Castle of San Angelo at Rome ; the gates are a copy of the Cjhiberti gates at ' Elorencs, and the cofQn o.f the duke is en closed m a sarcophagus of black marble which was brought from Alexandria. The Prince of Wales is the only heir ap parent to the English throne, save one, who has kept his jubilee. Hia uncle, George IV, attained his fiftieth birthday before George 111 was gathered to his fathers, but all other Princes of Wales have either passed over to ' the majority or become king before the jubfte^ pyele of years was complete. The " JNjLunaw'atty Times" says that the stook owners m that district complain of the disappearance of portions of their gocks and herds m a mysterious manner. So serious has been the loss m some instances as to necessitate action being taken to discover the cause. Some owners have lost over £150 wtyriif. (jf sfcock, and others from £50 to £80, the total sfyojftygß thjs year being estimated at over £2000. %n %ent hs,s been employed to attend eyery stock sale jtai" tj/e dpfcj|ct, and also make periodical yisits to the freezing works. We might have known it if we had but gi«/(3ti the matter a thought. The weather of late year? is due to the carrying-on of that hussy •Veuvs v/ith Jupiter. So on a recent Sunday declared {^r Robert Ball, astronomer-royal for Ireland, According; to this expert observer, we are still passing j through an ice age. This return of a ; g'ac^al £poeh results from the gallivantings \ of .fupijfcer %ud Venus,'which we are told \ are ."'disturbed," .especially Veuus. Not! contend with all the other isis.ehisf' she has | 4ftne, not satisfied with making fools of nj£*i, i Venus £s IW& engaged m tti.e no doubi .enjoyable task of. drawing the earth out of its (PrJjit into the regious where the tog and

Very little rain has fallen m the Northern districts this week. At a meeting of irillcis held at Timiiru on Thursday it was decided to lower the price of flour £1 per ton. The Ashburton High school will be re opened on Monday week, February 1. The Middle Island Dairy Association are sending Home 74 tons of cheeae by thn Forfarshire and 150 tons by the Otavama m addition to a quantity of butter. Abou<-, trie same quantity will be shipped next month. At the Pahiatua inquest the jury brought m the following verdict:—" We are satisfied from the evidence that the deceased Peter Dickson was poisoned by arsenic, bitt how the poison was administered or by whom there is no evidence to show. When the Parkes Ministry resigned m New South Wales, the London ''Times" nnnounced the information under the head :i; m large letters, "Resignation of the Melbourne Government."

The death is announced of William Ander son, a well-known northern half-caste, who was a member of the Maori Football Team which visited England three years ago, and also rowed m the crew which won the whale boat championship at the last Auckland Regetta. At the next Metropolitan Show an experi ment is to be made by the Canterbury i Agricultural and Pastoral Association m the provision of seating accoino dation. For this purpose the sum of £100 has been allocated and tenders are called for the greatest number of seats for the money, the material used to be the property of the successful contractor. It is understood that the result of the experiment will guide the Association m arriving at a decision respecting the erection of a per manent grand stand. At the close of the meeting of the; Land Board last Thursday, Mr Meredith referred to the sale of leases of the small grazing runs at Greta Peaks on Wednesday^ January 13. He said he had attended the sale to watch the proceedings. The attendance of the public was large, the bidding spirited, the competition keen, and the values obtained were far m advance of the Board's valuations. A pleasing feature of the sale was that each lot fell to the bid of bonafide settlers, mostly young men. He had to congratulate the B(xvrd on the success of the sale, and to com pliment Mr Marchant, the Chief Commission er, on the highly satisfactory way m which he had acquitted himself as auctioneer.—• This does not look like people being afraid of investing money m lands. Nor does it appear as if it would] support the theory that capital is flying out of the country. In reference to the Duke of Clarence and Avondale's death, it is worthy of mention, if ouly as a curious coincidence, that a re markable prophecy regarding him appeared m Zadkiel's Almanac for 1891. In the paragraph, " the Voice of the Stars for i January," appears the following:—"The Bth is an evil birthday anniversary for persons born m either 1855, 1858, 1861, or 1870. . . H.R.H. the Duke of Clarence and Avondale has the Moon at his birthday anniversary m the place of Mars at his birth, and is therefore warned to avoid dangerous places or he may meet with an accident." The Bth January was the Duke's birthday, although he was not born m any of the years mentioned. He died within a week, but not from the causes indicated by Zadkiel. It appears more than probable that the question of jurisdiction raised m the Melba divorce suit will prevent the case being tried m London, even if it does not quash it alto gether. The Duke of Orleans contends that neither he nor Captain Armstrong are British subjects. The latter was born m Ireland, emigrated, and married m Mel bourne. His Royal Highness's lawyers intend to press this jurisdiction point, and to allege that Armstrong can only proceed against his wife m the Dublin law courts, and m the manner prescribed m crim. con. suits. Even the judges are m doubt whether they have jurisdiction. Mr Robert Kennedy, son of the brilliant Scottish singer, is announced to appear afc the Oddfellows' Hall on Tuesday next m his popular entertainment entitled " Twa oors at Haine." Mr Kennedy possesses an excel lent voice, which he uses m a manner that reminds old Scotchmen of his gifted father, and the mantle of the sire as a teller of old Scotch stories seems to have fallen on the son. He sings well, is a splendid actor, has a fine presence, and being to the manner born his Scotch is faultless. As he goes along he refers to the authors of the songs he sings and relates the stories on which they are founded, and so renders his enter tainment exceedingly interesting. To Scotch people the entertainment should be specially attractive, but those who are not of the "land of brown heath and shaggy wood" will be well repaid by a visit to Mr Robert Kennedy.

Dog law, as a learned judge recently ob served, is m a very curious condition. The judges themselves cannot quite agree about it, and are constantly engaged m the merry game of upsetting one another. The Croydon County Court judge lately decided that when a dog took two bites within half an hour there was not sufficient evidence that his owner (who was with him) had notice that the dog was dangerous. Every dog Which bites is dangerous ; and when the appeal from the County Court went to the Queen's Bench Division Lord Coleridge and Mr Justice Wright set aside the decision below. And to the layman their lordships appear to be quite right. When you take your dog out and he bites somebody, it is your business to take him home and put him under restraint at once. If you wait for him to bite somebody else, you can only expect to get into trouble. In the course of his address to the electors of Lawrenoe, the Minister for lands stated I that 47 people owned 3,000,000 acres of the finest agricultural land m the colony. Dur ing the year previous to his coming into office 20,219 acres were offered for sale m Canterbury, and were disposed of to 31 j persons. Within a few months of this time ' this land had been transferred down to nine persons 6*r companies, and all these com panies were already holding large areas. At the time the land was sold the average holding was 361 acres per individual pur chaser, and now the average was 2246 acres to each individual person or company, and m every instance this area was added to previously existing large estates, Before these lands were sold each one of the 31 persons made a declaration equal to an oath that the land, would be applied to their own special use and benefit, yet within three months they found it necessary to transfer it to banks and companies. He put it to the meeting whether he would be doing his duty as Minister for Lands, if he did not try to put a stop to a system which allowed that — Earl Russell, whose matrimonial difficulties are the topic of the momeut, went round the world before he was married, which, perhaps; accounts tor so many Anglo colonists knowing him. His father, Lord Amberley, was a. crank, and provided m his will for his son being educated by free thinkers. The Court of Chancery, however, set this clause aside. Nevertheless, when Lord Biussell appeared at Oxford, it was as a Buddhist and vegetarian. During his 'varsity career he earned the reputation of being " mad as a hatter," and when Miss "Babs" Scott married him she must have known he was eccentric. "Babs" herself used to be one of the aquatic nqtabilities of the upper reaches of the Thames m her virgin days, and with sister "Giddy" piloted a Cana dian canoe round and about to everybody's admiration. She was then as strong and healthy a girl as one would wish to see. No I cloubt both Misses Scott were very extrava j ganf. Sigter " Giddy-3 " trqubles with the rascal Sebtight arQse ? if one remembers aright, from getting into 'debt.— << Duriecjin i "Star" correspondent, This Best Bemjsdy for Indigestion — Norton's Camomile Pills are confidenty recommended as a simple remedy for Indigestion, which is the cause of nearly all the diseases to which we are subjects Noetqk'.s Pitas, with justice called the ; Natural Str^gtUener of the Human Stomach," act Tils a jjotyepf.ul tcjuie and gentle perient, are mild vi their operation, and safe under any circumstances. Sold m bottles, at Is l|d, 2s 9d, Us, by all medicine vendors throughout the world*

TELEGRAPHIC.

HOME AND FOREIGN

PER PRESS ASSOCIATION,

CARDINAL MANNINGS FUNERAL.

London, January 2J, There were 10,000 people present ab the requiem service over the remains of Cardinal Manning, which took place to-day at the Oratory. Amongst the more notable people were the Duke of Norfolk, the Marquis of Ripon, Baroness Burdett Ooutts, Messrs Justin McCarthy, O'Brien and Dillon, and Archbishops Walsh and Croke. The Queen and the Princess of Wales were represented. The Bishop of , Clifton conducted the service, and the Bishop of Newport preached the funeral sermon. The procession which escorted the remains to Kensal Green numbered three hundred carriages, containing bishops and clergy, the members of s the Irish party, and the representatives of the Labor Unions. The "Pall Mall Gazette" says Cardinal Moran will possibly succeed Cardinal Manning. THE EMPIRE TRADE LEAGUE. Mr Howard Vincent and Mr Lowther, M.P.'s, are touring the in dustrial centres of the Dominion m the interests of the Empire Trade ! League. A DEFAULTING DIRECTOR. Smithers, a Director of the English Bank of the River Plate, who has been before the Court for some time on a charge of embezzling moneys belonging to the institution, has been convicted, but sentenced is deferred. IRISH AFFAIRS. The Irish Press assert that it is pro bable that the Irish parties will amalgamate, and express a wish for Mr Gladstone to mediate. TASMANIAN FINANCE. The Tasmanian Government will very shortly offer Treasury bills m the London market. The amount is be lieved to be half a million four per cents, with a minimum of 99. THE NEW GOVERNOR, It is believed Lord Knutsford will submit the name of the Governor Designate of New Zealand to Lord Onslow, who will sound the Govern ment of the colony on the subject. MR GOSOHEN'S SCHEME. '. London, January 22. The London Chamber of Commerce declined to accept Mr Goschen's scheme for the formation of a gold reserve until the fullest enquiry has been made into it. YELLOW FEVER ON THE ARAWA. The Arawa, which has arrived at Plymouth, reports that two of the crew died from yellow fever. The 1 passengers and mails will be fumi gated. THE WALSALL ANARCHISTS. A collection is being made to defray the costs of defending the Walsall anarchists. One of the Walsall anarchists has confessed and implicated others.

FRANCE AND THE CLERICS.

Paris, January 21. The Archbishop of Paris has issued a manifesto, signed by the Cardinals, giving the submission of the Church to the Republic, but complains of embar goes. " Figaro " questions its sincerity DUELLING DEPUTIES. A number of duels have been arranged m connection with the Laur incident. Paris, January 22. Notwithstanding the advice of his friends, M. Laur persisted m sending a challenge to M. Constans, but the latter declined to accept it.

PORTUGUESE POLITICS.

Lisbon, January 21. Ssnhor Ferriera, the new Premier, asserts that the decadence of national industry is due to the absence of pro tection.

THE UNITED STATES AND CHILI.

Washington, January 21. President Harrison and Secretary Elaine have quarrelled over the Chilian dispute, and the former absented him self from the Cabinet for some time. THE WINTER IN AMERICA, Severe weather has been experienced throughout America. It is the coldest on record,

PETROLEUM TRAINS IN COL LISION.

Tiflis, January 21. Two trains laden with petroleum, came into collision at Tiflis, and m the fire which ensued six persona were burned to death.

SILVER CURRENCY.

The Coinage Committee of the House of Representatives, by 8 to 5, have decided to report favorably on the Free Silver Coinage Bill. The proposal for an International Monetary Con ference was defeated. QUARREL BETWEEN DE PUTIES. Rome, January 21. Signor Crispi and the Marquis Rudini quarrelled m the Chamber of Deputies, owing to a letter written by the former accusing the Marquis Rudini of placating France m connec tion with the pilgrimage.

AUSTRALIAN.

THE N.S.W. HARVEST. Sydney, January 22. The preliminary report of the Government statistician on the wheat harvest is to the effect that it is, gener ally speaking, disappointing. The yield is estimated at 3,900,000 bushels, giving an average 12-12 bushels per acre. The crops almost everywhere are reported to be patchy, but the ( quality generally is good. Prices range from 3s 9d to is 7d, but the average obtained by farmers is 4s 2d, delivered. It is estimated the ccjlony will have to import 8f to i million busfyelsj. THE YACHT ABSCQNBERS. Advices have been received to the effect that the Hong Kong police are pursuing Bell and Davis, who were re ported from Honolulu to have sailed for the China seas. . the lattnoepq^ 1 ! exhibition: Launcesto^, January 22. The attendance at the Exhibition up to date is 125,00 Q. There is at present a sutjstautiaj credit balance.

THE CHARGE OF WRECKING. . Brisbane, January 22. Capt. Carpenter, of the Costa Rica, who was arrested by the Dutch authorities on a charge of wrecking, has arrived here. He alleges that m 1887 he picked up a derelict prah on the high seas, and a small amount of salvage was taken out of her. When he arrived at Ternate he. was arrested and held prisoner for two months, and then released without any explanation. The present whereabouts ofthe Costa Rica are unknown to Capt. Carpenter. He proceeds to Bj'dney this week to seek redress.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

A UCKLANJ), January 22. j A F. Etheridge has been committed for trial for the alleged embezzlement of £486, as well as on tAVO other charges, one of having forged a receipt for £1 14s. It is said that more churges are pending against him. Wellington, January 22. Theßail way Commissioners have written to the Public Works Department, point ing out that under their Act they con sider themselves the authority to decide on the arrangement of the Te Aro ex tension, asking that the plans might be withdrawn m order that others prepared by them might be substituted therefor. They think a level tramway ought to be substituted for the railway, and take strong objection to some of tha details, especially to the lons* siding asked for by the Harbor Board. The Health Officer boarded the In verurie on her arrival from Napier this morning, and found there had been no illness since the end of November. She will be quarantined and admitted to pratique as soon as she is thoroughly fumigated. The Standing Committee of the Dio cesan Synod have had under considera tion the nomination of Archdeacon Mules to the bishopric of 15 elson. In view of the meeting of the General Synod early next month, it was decided fehat m their opinion the question should be referred to it. Under the canon the loc.»l committee were obliged to consider the nomination, it having been duly referred to them ac cording to regulations. The Harbor Board's accounts for the year show a falling off m receipts of £7409, about the amount estimated when the charges werereduced. The trade of the port shows a steady increase except m fiax. The Board has determined to raise £39,000 ondebentures,atnot more than five per cent, for the extension of the wharfage. Kelson, January 23. A lad named Arthur Hollyman died suddenly last night. At the inquest a verdict was returned "That death resulted from failure of the heart's action." Sir Geo. Grey is unable to attend the Jubilee celebrationh owing to ill health, and a resolution expressing regret thereat was carried to-night. Oamaru, January 22. A sad fatality occurred on the wharf to-day. A. meat truck tendering the ship Lutfcerworth, was caught by a rope from the vessel and hauled off the rails on to the ship's side. Five sailors was sent aloft to the main yard to prepare a blo^k ond tackle to lift the truck, and while so engaged the truss of the main yard broke,, and the yard fell to the deck. A seaman named Frank Reid was pitched head first into the hold and killed instantaneously. The second mate was bruised and his ankle injured; the other three men escaped. DrNBDiN, January 22. Thomas Healy, a settler at Kyeburn, has V»een committed for triil on a charge of stealing sheep, the property of Alex. Anthony and Ronald McMapters, of the (Ami;)I'll di..i:i':t. A deputation from the unemployed was introduced to Ministers by the city mem bers, and a discussion took place on the alleged scarcity of labor m ~%he country districts. It was stated that those who complained of being unable to obtain men usually stated when men were sent to them that they were not the class desired. Ministers promised to look into the matter to ascertain what could be done for the men. The Minister of Lands states that there are two obstacles m the way ©f granting further applications for special settlements until the new financial year. The first is want of land, and the second is a doubt whether the Minister can legally grant applications for an aggregate over 150,000 acres per year. The latter ques tion has been referred to the law officers.

THE MARKETS

(PER VRBSS ASSOCIATION.) Sydney, January 22. The total amount of reserve m the Bank of England is £14,788,000. The proportion of reserve to liabilities is 39.76. Consols 95f. Three months bills, 1$ per cent. New Zealand four per cent inscribed stock, 103; |,three and a half per cent ditto, 93J. New Zealand long berried wheat, 44s ; market flat. Adelaide wheat, 44s 6d ,\ market quiet. Yiotorian ditto, '44s ; I business restricted. Wellington mutton, 3|d. > Beef, hindquarters, 41, forequarters '3fd. No 1 best Scotch pig iron, f.0.b., m Clyde 475; flat. Factory butter, £6 ; prime dairy, £5 6s, market full. Complaints are general j 'about bad packing and irregular weigh ing. (Received January 2.3, 10.30 a.m.) Antwerp, January 22. At the wool sales 3500 bales from the River Plate and 1200 bales from Aus tralia were among chose catalogued. About 1200 bales from the River Plate sold at a decline of a farthing on the prices realisfd at the last series. Com petition was fairly spirited. London, January 22. Arrivals for the next wool sales are small, and it is expected that November prices wjll be maintained,

Grain and Produce.

The following is the Christchurch Corn Exchange Report for the week ending January 22 : —The harvest is now m full swing, and owing to the broken weather farmers are especially busy. The threshing machines have scarcely commenced opera tions on the cereals^ but there is plenty of grass seed offering, which, however, is very sparingly taken up. Old Wheat is offering plentifully, but buyers are not anxious. No new samples are yet m the market. Oats are dull of sale, owing to the large quantities that are on hand. Bailey—Maltsters are waiting patiently foil the new crop, and decline, to operate with old samples. The Cocksfoot harvest promises to, be/an. excep tionally good yield, and the quality should be first-class, but prices o-s yet are not deter mined. Dairy Produce is brisk at quota tions. The following are the prices for the week :—Wheat—Prime milling Tuscan, 4s 3d to 4s 4d ; Hunter's (chiefly restricted to millers), 4s Id j fowl, 3s 6d to 3s 9d. Oats (old)— Milling, Is IQd to is lid ; short feed, Is 9d; long and Inferior, Is Bd. Barley, Beans, and Peas—No business doing. Grass Seed—Rye, farmers' lines, 2s 6d to 3s; cocks foot none offering. Dairy Produce—Butter, prime factory make, 7d to 8d ; farmers' keg, 7d. Cheese, ordinary sizes, 3^d to 4c|; loaf shape, 3d. The above prioess are those paid to farmers for delivery f.o.b. at Lyttelton. Sacks extra. ! •' '

Ashburton Markets.

MESSRS MILKS AND CO.. Umjfi Miles and #>, ;(per J^v Cteojrge

Jameson) report on the live .gtQpk m&rfccb for the week muling Tuesday, Jahrary M): I Livjs Stock —At the Ti^wald. Yards * there was a small entry ot she^p and cattle. ! The demand for all classes of sheep whb very brisk, and will no doubt insrease as the farmers get their paddock 3 clear of grain. We sold the following line^:—Fat cro3sbred ewes at 10s 41 up to lls 4;l ; forward crnps- Lrod two-tooths at lie ; lambs, 9s to 10s. Cattle—Store cows at 23s to £3 Is | Skin Sale —On Monday, January 18, we , held our regular skin sale at the Stores, ■ West, street. There was a very large enf.ry ! of skins, hides, and fat, and a fair attend- j ance of buyers, and all lots sold at s&tisfac- | tory prices? as follows:—Butchers' cross bred*, 2s 6d, 3 ', 4s, 53 1d ; butchers' merinos, j 2s, 23 6J, 3s, 4?, 4s 61; butchers' crossbreds pelts, le, Is 31, Is 7d ; butchers' inerino peUs, sc], 7<"l, 9rl, Is; farmers' crossbred skins, 2s, 2s 6il, 3s, 4s; fanners' merino, Is 4d to 4s Id. Hides and frit at scale rates.

POLITICAL.

THE PREMIER AT ARAMOHO. [per pbbss association. Wanganui, January 21. Mr Ballance addressed a portion of his constituents at Aramoho to-night. He spoke for an hour and a half before a crowded meeting. He dealt mainly with the matters gone info m his late speech j at Wanganui, though touching on points which have arisen since. He pointed out that the outflow of population had ceased and that the people were pouring m again, j for which he considered the Government partly answerable. Referring to the Wellington election, h^ said thai the Liberals had gained a great victory against j long odds, and had they lost the contest it would have been a rebuff to the Govern ment. He spoke at> length about the j Legislative Council, which at present, he said was a hard and fast Tory party, and it was obviously unfair that the Liberal interest should nob there be represented. No Government could stand by year after year and see their best and favourite measures rejected. He said that a change would have to be made shortly. A Bill to strictly enforce the "one-mah-one vote " principle at by-elections would be introduced next session, when, with a little new blood m the Upper Chamber* it would have some chance of passing. He said that the Liberals had been much hampered at the Wellington election by the other party bringing m outsiders to vote who had long since ceased to ; be residents, and that such a thing ought to be made impossible. The meeting concluded with a vote of confidence. Dunedin, January 22. The Minister of Lands attends the Nelson Jubilee Celebration. Probably Mr Ward will represent the Ministry at the Governor's banquet at Dunedin, Mr Reeves at Christchurch, and the Premier at Wellington.

MAGISTERIAL.

ASHBURTON—SATURDAY.

(Before Mr D. Thomas, J.P.) Michael Shea, charged with drenken ness at Butler's Family Hotel, was con victed and fined lCs and costs oc forty eight hours' imprisonment. On a further charge of resisting the police he was sentenced to a further term of forty-eight hours. A charge of obscene language was dismissed, and for vagrancy he was convicted and discharged. J, Clarkson for disorderly conduct while drunk m a public place, viz., the Court House, was convicted and sentenced to 96 hours' imprisonment, On his removal from the Court he indulged m very obsence language to the police m the street, was brought back, and sentenced to a weeks' imprisonment, this lo run concurrent with the previous sentence.

LATEST CABLE NEWS.

HOME AND FOREIGN.

(PER PItESS ASSOCIATION,)

(Received January 23, 10.20 a.m.)

THE YELLOW FEVER.

London, January 22. The Arawa will be quarantined at Spitbead for one day. The crew have recovered. None of the passengers were affected. One fireman and a steward died.

OBITUARY.

The death ia announced of Professor Adams, astronomer, m his 73 rd year.

WOOL SHIPS.

Consignees fear that many of the colonial wool ships will be detained by head winds and miss the market.

THE INFLUENZA.

The " Standard " urges the appoint* ment of a Royal Commission to enquire into the causes of influenza. At Capetown the disease is of a viru lent type. In Paris deaths have in creased by 800 weekly. The influenza is also increasing m severity m Eng land. Vienna, January 22. Archduke Ferdinand is suffering from influenza.

THE U.S. WOOL DUTIES.

Washington, January 22. Mr Springer has introduced his Bill providing for the repeal of the wool duties from January next.

NIHILISM IN RUSSIA.

St. Petersburg, January 22. A number of railway officials ■ have been arrested m Mosqqw oil .a. charge of assisting l^ihiljsts to lay a mine under the railway lin,e over which the Czar passed on his recent journey.

THE CROPS.

The &fli burton Forks district has always maintained a good reputation for large yields of grain at. harvest, and will this year probably excel any previous re cord m chat way. Fine paddocks of gr.im —some m stook, .some cut, but the major portion still standing and rapidly nearing the leaping time—are to be seen as soon as the town and suburban districts are passed ; and when the river is crossed the wine trLul sii^lit is visible along the road t«jr Greenstreet. '■*•] the farms of Messis Williamson, "Harrison, Mo In tyro, Dijrby, Corbitt, J. Knox, and are to be seen pad docks that will probably run from 60 to 70 bushels whn.it and oatH per acre all round, if the season allows successful and profitable harvesting. But some cnts have been cut r.nd stooked near Ashbur ton over a m »nth and are no»f no nearer stacking than they were weeks ago. At Greenstreet there are some famous wheat-growing fields, and this year they will probably top any pievious average for the district. Messrs Henry Hunt, A. Buckley, P. YVeldon, J. Hyde, "W. Green and D. McKendry (the latter on the old Greenstreet homestead) have some splen did looking paddocks of grain, and from , the road perhaps Mr Weldon's appears equal toany m the district. This farm, how ever, has always borne a reputation for good cultivation and therefore heavy crops. The Greenstreet district proper ends with the farms of Messrs E. Church and J. G. Good, who both have some fine paddocks of grain. The latter has some Hunter's white wheat that will probably return fully 45 bushels per acre. From this part ot the country to the Alford Estate .the land is very variable, and m some places little better than a shingle bed, but a protion of the Alford Estate recently offered for sale has been taken up by local farmers, Messrs Good Stokes, Fechney andA.McCormick having each bought blocks, showing that m their opinion the reserves pub on this land were not m excess of the present value. On the A lford E»t»to there are some very fine turnips, but a large area twice sown with this useful root has failed to produce a crop, though heavily manured with superphosphates,—the ravages of the turnip fly having caused this heavy loss. Heavy crops of oats are promised on this i estate and alsoonßuccleucb and Roxburgh, where the land is found very suitable for this crop. The grass crop on Alford and Buccleuch this year has been very heavy, and turnips on the latter place are also promising well. At Mount Somers nearly all the crop grown this year is oats, some very early and ready to cut, other paddocka late and still green and growing fast. In this dis trict the good effect of lime as a fertiliser will be shown when the harvest is com pleted. Around Springburn and Alford Forest ! there are numerous small fields of oats showing well for a heavy crop, Messrs A. McFarlane, William T. Smith, and Ben. Ede having some very promis ing paddocks. Between the Forest and North Ashburton river most of the land is under grass ; but over the river there are fine farms, and Messrs Morgan, Power, and other owners have the machines at work m crops that will well repay the growers this ysar. - Some of the 5000 acres of the Springfield wheat crop is m this locality, and is. rapidly getting fit for the reapers. Though not so heavy aa that farther down, \t is. still a picture of plenty, and fehe undergrowth will give splendid fetd fw stock, as soon as the stacks are built. About Yfinchmore there aro some heavy yields^ and two small blocks of Hunter's wheat on Mr ,J, S. Bland's farm are worth looking at now. They arc pretty safe to go from 40 to 50 bushels per acre. Messrs McCormick Bros.* Capon. Bros., and R. Miller all have extra good promise m their paddocks, and the Winchmore estate crop this year is an extensive one, both m acres and bushels. Soma of this was very early sown, and the benefit of the early sowing is marked m the results. There are a number of small farmsbetween Winchmoreand Ashburcon % and they all carry very good gram crops, both wheat and oats. None \ O ok better than those on Mr Octavius Digby's farm, near the, bridge, though per haps some others may return quite as good an average m the same locality.

MELBOURNE NOTES.

[from our correspondent I

Melbourne, January 12. Money is ac th« root of three-fourths of our present political complications. If it were not highly desirable m the interest of the two banks m which Mr Munro is deeply concerned, ro sell a goodly portion of the authorised but unsubscribed capital of those institutions, which m all amounts to £2,700,000, he would not go to England, even as. Agent-General with £3000 per annum, and the prospect of knighthood.. Indeed he could do better here were a land boom about. But tha truth is that his banks like all other* without exception, feel the tightness of the times and must get money. They are solvent enough. No doubt they are worth from 25s fco 40s for every pound of their liabilities. But what is the use of money when you Qannot get at it or do not possess it m an available form. A man with nothing but a thousand pound note cannot buy a penny paper, a six penny drink, or a. shilling cigar. Very few people he meets will be able to change it for him. I myself never carry enough money with me to complete such, a transaction. That which is true of Munro m. one way is true of Berry m another. Munro is of the sort of men who get rich and Berry is not, but they are both moved toy the same impulse. Munro is always making money and Berry never has any, yet the same motive is afc the bottom m both cases. Nine years ago when Berry made t-Ke coalition with Servioe some of his ultra radical friends deplored the compromise. He said—"lt is essential that I should take office or I should have to give up my house." It was not a wonderful estab lishment but the statement was quite true. For a short space he was worth £30,000 for his friends allotted him shares at the opening prices m good mines m Ballarat and Reedy Creek—notably m the Madam Berry, which allotted at Bs. rose to £23. But he sold out, and feeling convinced that his own gen^s had given him the good luck tr^ed his own hand as a specu lator with ruinous results. So now at 70 years of age he re-enters the political arena, greatly to the disgust of his old colleagues, Wh.eth.er tho hard times are to blame I cannot tell, but the truth is that Mel bourne is becoming a very dan»oroa.s city to walk about m. Putso snatching and pocketpickingalwj\ysgQoneverywhere,and no prudent man enters to on dark nights. Rut latterly daylight robbery and outrage are by n«> means un common. It was only a juonth or two back that some scoundrels were heavily punished with flogging and long terms of "imprisonment for assaulting and robbing an old man m the middl© of Bourke street, afc three the f afternooiv but the sen tence has not deterred other ruffians from pursuing the same course. Complaints of this kind of outrage are brought to tha police daily, but few of ...them meet the public eye. Only now and then some one who knows how to mako himself heard is attacked, and such a ciss happened on Saturday oxx the ncrth-east corner of Bourke and Swanston streets, when an old resident.was openly robbed of watch, chain, and money to the tune of £30, Bourke Street itself is the most important of our, tUoroughiaye.s.. It'con»

THE ASHBURTON GUARDIAN: SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, J892.



Don't be Deceived !-—lf you want the best Medicine the ivorld has ever pro uced, try Colemane and Sons Eucalypti Extract. For all affections of the chest and lungs, consumption, asthma, coughs, colds, gravel, and kidney complaints. For influenza it has no equal. Under the distinguished patronage of Earl Jersey, Governor of New South Wales, Lord Carrington, and tho JDmperor of Germany. Awarded medals at Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, beating all competitors; and is the only pure Extract m the world. See that the label bears our trade mark (tree of life and signature Golemane and Sons, Cootamundra, New South Wales), without this it is a fraud. Price, Is 6d and 2s 6d, Wholesale Depot tor New Zealand: Lichfield street, Christchurch Sole Agents for Ashbu.rtion j The Ash burton Drug Company.—Advt. Hollo-way's Ointment axb Pills.—A requcnt cause of gout and rheumatism is the inflammatory state of the blood, attended with bad digestion and general debility. A few doses of the pills taken m time are an effectual preventive against gout and rheumatism. Anyonewho hrn an attack of either sho,uld use Hallo.wayVi Ointment also, the powerful action of which combined with the operation ot the pills, nmst infallibly effect a cure. These pills act directly on the blood, which they purify and improve, Having once subdued the severity of these discuses, perseverance with the ointment, af ier fomenting the affected joints with warm, brine, will speedily relax all stiffness and prevent any permanent contraction



Ask for N^ni^n Hyslop, and Co. s Imperial new seasons Pure Ceylon and jndjan Teas. %eci^l yrjfi69.-r(44vt»)



MAIL NOTICE, Mails close for the following places as under, subject to the necessary alterations : WEDNESDAY, January 27. For. the United Kingdom, Continent of Europe and America, and West Indies (via San Francisco), Sandwich Islands, etc., and also for Northern Ports of New Zealand, pcrTakapuna, as follows :— Ordinary letters, books, and newspapers, at 0.1£5 p.in ; registered letters, 5 p.m. ; money orders, 3 p.m. This mail will be clue m London on March 2. """ PUBLIC NOTICK THE Office of the Ashburton Publishing Company, Limited, WILL BE CLOSED daily from 12.30 to 1.30 p.m. for dinner hour, m compliance with the Factories Act. ASHBURTON PUBLISHING CO. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. A SmwcßißEß.— In England every will of personal property must be de posited m the Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty division of the High Court of Justice.



STOCK TAKING. BEDTJCTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE IX ALL DEPARTMENTS. Inspection Invited. NEW ZEALAND Clothing Factory* IW. H. WEBBER, Manager. i _i . i_!__i . LL-JIL-J-UJMBLJ I Ninian Hyskn and Co.'a "Impeari*!" Ceylon and Indian Teas are direct frose thfc Tea Phntat uo».—(A4vM



rpO Meet the Times. -I am supplying X Galvanised Iron Tanks from 30s upwards, warranted for twenty years, Force pumps, deep well cylinders of all dessriptiona. Inspection invited.— J. W. Hardlky, Eas street. 6J201 WANTED Known.- -H. Baikstow has opened those premises m East street nexfcJ. Orr and Co., as a Furniture Warehouse. Latest designs m Vienna Chairs, and Iron Bedsteads on visw. Having a good stock of well seasoned figured Rimu and Kauri, he is prepared to take orders for Furniture to ny design. Inspection invited. Ilt6l



WAN TED Known. —At "The Corner' now selling Ladies' French Shof s. 5s lid. See them".—W. H. Collikr. WANTED Known.—l have a large stock of Tin and Ironware Goods So eel«ct from. Register Grates, Stoves, Portable Boilers, Spouting and Ridging kept m stock.—J. W. Hardley, East ■ treet. _________ __?? WANTED Known—That you -will j make no mistake for quality and variety m English and Colonial Boots, and his highly reputed make by calling at J. Moison's. During coming holidays dis count for Cash. Repairs done at once. A staff of men always kept and best material and workmanship guaranteed. SHEEP SHEARS. Having secured a Stock of the celebrated 8.8.A., and as there are very few m the Colony, Shearers are requested to call early. — Robert Alcorn, Saunders' Buildings. BOOTS, Boots.—lnfants Boots 9d, six Dozen Ladies' Elastic Side Boots, 5s 9d, Gents' Boots 8s 6d, Mens' Blucher Boots 5s 6d, Stanley Shoes Is lld.-- A»»rkw Orr's Sale. 1 10 ALL Wool Colonial Tweed Suits to measure; fit and workmanship guaranteed; from 60s cash. Roubri Alcorn, Ashburton Clothing Marl', 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. Skgers.



*T TT ANTED Known.—Our Tuner will W be m Ashburton on MoNUAYnext. Orders promptly attended to.—H. M. Jonbs. ' ■ i' , . ; JLTEW lines m Ornaments and fancy JIN goods. Opening up Stationery, Piano* and Organs.—-H. M. Jokes. "TiTT A.NIED Known.—Great Bargains VV now on at Melford House. Beautiful Cashmeres at Is 6d ; usual price 4s. —H. Q. Segers -TTTANTED a well-educated Boy to w» carry out parcels and learn the trade.— H. C. Segers, Melford House. 1 139 WANTED Immediately—Cottage of four or five rooms. Send particu • Jars to " T.H.," " Mail" office. 1 135 fTIHIRTY Pieces Dress Goods at 6d ; 60 A Pieces French Cashmere at Is 6d, worth 3s 6d ; 1000 Yards French Tweed, doubfe width* at Is 9d, worth 3s 9d. All Dress Goods greatly reduced.—Andrew Orr's Cheap Sale. 1 H» j NOTHING will Cool y»u so quickly and invigorate the system so much as Ice Cream —H.G. Fio^afti Confectioner, Ifoat Street. WANTED Known.—Great Bargains m Ladies' Ca3hmere Hose, Untler clo'hing, Pinafores, <fee Come and see them. Handsome Xmas presents now giving away.—H. C % Seobrs, Melford House." _ w  ■ .  • ■ . WANTED KNOWN, a special lot of Hearth Rugs at Is lid, 2s 6d and 2slid; worth about doable. W. H. Ooijjerv' ■■'" ■■; -; :. '■ - ■■'■' ■'■■ ■- TOWELS 6d, Gloves 6d v Umbrellas Is lid, Jackets 4s lid, Hats 4d, Stays Is lid, Norfolk Bodices Is 6d, Trimmed Hats la lid. English samples of Ladies and Childrens' Underclothing Half-price. Andrew Orr's Sale. 1 I°<



Wanted. CASH Advertisement under tlvs heading not exeddding SIXTEEIN WORDS 1/-. Addresses may be Mtat this Office. : WANTED to Sell, Dwelling House for Removal. Apply J. £. DtNCAK, Arcade. I**sU WANTED, a Governess. English and Music ; young children; mornings only. Apply Mrs Max Fribolander, Kolmar, Ashburton. Itl4o PRIMITIVE Methodist Church Ser vices, To-Morrow. Preachers, Morning, Mr Chapman ; Evening, Rev. Cookbr. Subject. -A Family limfc"tlon -1 15a /""IAMERON Street Wesleyan Chuich, V_>> Sunday, January 24. Morning Preacher Rev.!. H. Gray ; Evening Ret S. Lawry.. Subject—Gambling, What is it 1 and what omes ol it ?