MAIL NOTICES.

Mails close for the following places as under, subject to the necessary alterations :— SATURDAY, Vebmary9s. For Northern Ports, per Penguin, at q,o>o p.m. ; late fee letters, guards van, express train, at 6.55 p.m. ■WKDNKSDAY, IV arch 1. For Australian Colonies, etc. (per express to connect with steamer at Port Chalmers), at 1J3.30 p.m.

ENGLISH MAILS.

HOMEWARD —DIRECT MAILS. Tongariro, sailed January 20,, due London February 28. , , Araa*, sailed February 2, due London March 15. , t j Aoraugi, sailed February 16, due London March 31. ■' ' ' z- HOMEWAUD—BAN FRANOISOo MAIJ.S. Alameda, sailed January 20, due London Vext'maif leaves February 25, due London March 29. OUTWABD—DIRECT MAILS. lonic, sailed January 22, due colony March 6. _ i , Ru-ihine, sailed February 5, due nolony March 20. - OUTWARD—SAN FRANCISCO MATLS. Next mail leaves London February 18, clue colony.

In Memoriam.

In loving rememberanoe of Thomas Hussey, who died at the Bealey, September 8, 1890, ia his 41sc year. He is gone, but not forgotten, Never shall his memory fade, tondest thoughts shall ever UnKer Round the spot where he is laid. Long days and nights he bore hw pain, To think of rest was all in vain, Until t&e Lord he thought it best, To ease his pain and give him rest. Inserted by his loving wife and son in affectionate remembrance.

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1893. CURRENT TOPICS.

There has been a good deal of talk in the North Island of the Govern ment having been called upon to take over one of the large Hawkes Bay estates under the Land and Income Assessment Act, atid would not do so, and some political capital was, of course, sought to be made out of the matter. The facts of the case have been published and a very different complexion put on it. The estate is that of Mr Purvis Russell, Woburn. The owner returned the value of the estate at tho last assess ment as £100,332. It was valued by the Land Tax valuers at £129,944. The owner objected to this value as too high and sought to have it reduced The Commissioner of Taxes objected to it as too low, and sought to have it raised to £137,000. Both these ob jections were heard before a Board of Review on May 19, 1892, when both were rejected, and the Board fixed the value at £129,944. The matter con tinued to receive the consideration of the Commissioner of Taxes and the Government, with the result that sub sequently the Commissioner gave notice to the representatives of the owner that he valued the estate at £143,270, and calied upon them to ajyree to this valuation, or the Governor would be advised to take the property over under the Land and Income Tax Act at the owner's valuation of £100,832, plus the described 10 per centum. The owner declined to agree to either lourae, and claimed the right which the law gave of referring to a Board of Review to nx a fair value. This Board met on October 5 last and adhered to the formerly-fixed value of £129,944 Ihe attempt of the Government to ac quire the estate at the value the owner put upon it was therefore successfully resisted, and their legal powers ceased, but the owner is taxed at £29,612 more tlian he sought to be rated at.

Mr James Francis Hogati, who is mentioned as having been elected as the Nationalist member for the Mid- Tipperary seat, was born in Ire^nd in I £55, and brought to Australia in his infancy by his papents, so that he may be looked upon as an Australian. "Australasian Biography" gives some particulars of hia career. Vv bile still very young and on the staff of the Victoiian Education Department, an article of his in the " Victorian Re view " on " The Coming Australian " was so notable as to secure hmi an en gagement on the " Keview" staff. Jn 1881 he joined the " Argus, for whuh he has done much valuable work, while at the same time acting as Melbourne literary correspondent to the Sydney " Paily Telegraph/ writing huaiorous sketches for " Melbourne Punch,'? and writing on Catholic subjects in the " Melbourne Advocate." He was the founder and the first president of the yictorianOathoHcYoungMen'sScciety, and has always taken an active part in Irish patriotic raoveraents. In 1886 came the first volume from \\k pen~a collection of fugitive tales previously published, entitled '■' An Australian Christmas Collection," Thus launched on the sea ot authorship, he went to London in 1887, and published his history of " The Irish in Australia," upon which he had long been working, and which met with instantaneous suc cess, and went through three editions. Next came "The Australian in London," followed by a romance, "The Lost tolorer," in 1890, which in its turn was followed by " The Convict King," a romance of real life, yhjt.ch met "with much success. Mr Hogan is! a frequent centributor to " Chambers' Journal," and his writings on colonial subjects fa the " Pall Mall Gazette," .the London .'.' Stay/ and the Dublin ' "Freeman's Journal,'^ have fte^n of great; vqAuo in spreading authentic knowledge sonoeprung Australasia.

While the irrigation question in this district has, apparently, dropped for the time being, our friends in North Canterbury have been wide awake, and on Monday a poll of the ratepayers in the Waiqjajfariri- Ashley district is to be taken on the quesiion of raising a special loan of £31,006 fop the purpose of bringing in a supply of water sufficient to irrigate the whole of the district. Though the proposal is not wifchoufc i£§ opponents, it is almost certain to recede jbh,e apppoyal ojf'jfctye' ratepayers, and Ashley wiU th.e# have outstripped Ashburton —the pioneer! county—in the rase for a comprehen siye system of irrigation. Yet, in this district no one gan be blind to the ad vantages of an ample water supply. As Mr Threlkeld points out to his fellow landowners p«p north-—" One of

j the best pleas in favor of the water ) supply is that given by the Commis sioners appointed by Government to inquire, into the water race system adopted in the Rakaisi-Ashburton dis trict. They report that the water races have increased the value of land by 30s or 40a per acre, and increased the sheep-carrying capacity by 30 per cent., that is to say, 130 sheep instead of 100. Can anyone believe that these 130 sheep with water would not pro duce 50 per cent, more wool and 50 per cent, more meat than the 100 would without water 1 Looking at these facts, it would be the height of folly for us to reject this really cheap and efficient proposal." Ashburton has progressed so far as to encourage neighboring counties to go further, and we trust this district will not longer halt in the race.

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Divine Service will be conducted in the Seafield Schoolroom on Sunday next, at three o'clock by the Rev T. A. Hamilton, The secretary of the Christchureh Meat Company contradicts the statement that the Christen urch Meat Company has sold the Islington freezing works to Nelson Brothers. Christ's College annual swimming sports were held at Suinner baths yesterday. The weather was cold, and rain fell during the greater part of the day. The principal '< event—2oo yards championship—was won by H. Jacobs, E. A. Roper second, B. H. Neill third. It was a good race, and was won by three yards, with a foot between second and third. The meeting of the Queensland Relief Fund Committee called for Thursday even ing was adjourned to Monday evening, at seven o'clock, at the Borough Council Chambers. It is hoped there will be a full attendance, as it will then be decided how Ito dispose of the money in hand'l-whether it should be remitted in cash or in goods. The southern portion of the San Francisco mail was to leave Onehunga in the ivlahi a*pua at four o'clock yes'erday afterno n, and is expected to reach Wellington late to night. The South Island portion will pro bably be sent to Lyttelton by the steamer Omapere, leaving after transhipping the mails from the Mahinapua. Messrs Friedlander Bros, announce their readiness to ship wheat or oats for sale on farmers" account, consigned to their London house, and clients who have placed business of thia sort in the hands of the firm before have had no reason to complain of their interests being neglected. The favorable freight arrangements of the firm enable the friedlander Bros, to i ffer low rates to customers. Captain Jackson Barry, after being three months in the Auckland Hospital, is once more about, and his friends will be glad to hear that he ia. apparently as vigorous as ever. He has visiteJ the King Country, and having added coal to the list of his mineral discoveries there, is now in Wel lington to try and obtain a lease of a mining area from the Native Minister. "Home News" of January 6, contains the following:—" Adolfo ' Villareal, a wealthy ranchman at -Santa Rosa, Mexico, who was recently convicted of hiring a peon to assassinate an Englishman named M'Kellar, living near him, has been condemned (o tea years' imprisonment, with the confiscation of his estate." Mr M'Kellar was formerly a well-known New Zealand settler. In our report of Thursday night's prome nade concert something short ol' justice was done to some of the promoters. To Mr Rule and Mr Elston belongs the credit of working up the preliminaries, and Mr Rule's services as treasurer aud Mr Elston's in fitting up .up the Arcade cannot bo too highly appreci ai-ed. A word of recognition is also due to Mr R Wood, who came from Tiuuru speci ally co play in the orchestral pieces, A young man who lately went from Reefton to Victoria,, and who has just obtained employment in Ballarat, writes (says the " Reefton Guardian ') that things in that town are now looking up well, and he says there is not much difficulty in ob taining employment there. The vast army of unemployed in Melbourne must, however, supply all wants of the country labour market in Victoria for some time to come. Mr James Rowe, owner of the Windsor Park stud farm, near Cimstchurch, has ex ported durjng the past week a large number af pure-bred Berkshire and Yorkshire pigs to the order of breeders in Ballara-b, Gcelong, Bendigo, Melbourne, and other parts of Victoria, besides several sent to Hawke's Bay and New Plymouth, and he has sent others to Otago by rail. It is worthy of note that in all the above cases the pigs have been ordered by persons who have been former purchasers from Mr Rowe, thereby proving that the animals previously sent have given satisfaction. A meeting of the Elgin School Committee was held on Wednesday. All the members were present, only business before the meeting was the selection of candidates to till the iracancieson the Ifoard of Education. Messrs Hoatten and Cjlements voted for Messrs Peryman, Adams, and Mrs Wilson, the other five members voting fqr Messrs Peryman, Adams, and Meredith. The school was re-opened on Monday, the 20th, with an attendance of thirty-five, which hud in creased to forty-five on Wednesday. Nellie and Robert Forsyth gained Mr Kennedy's pr zes for the best attendance before the examination. Mr T. W. Kirk, of the Agricultural De partment, in the leaflet on the Bathurst burr (Xanthium sjrinos>im) describes ifc as "A shrubby annual from 9in to 3ft high j the stem and under side of the leaves are whitish j each joint olf the s^em is etudded with sharp spines arranged in' groups of three. The leaves are lance-shaped, three' cut, the central lobe being very much longer than the others. The flowers are in clusters ia the axils of the leaves. The seed is en cased in a very hard oval burr, which is thickly studded with hooked prickles. Be lieved to be a native of Chili, but cow found in most warm climates. A|t certain stages of growth the plant is $api to be poisonous to stock, but this is of tyttle consequence as it is very rarely eaten by them. (Great loss and annoyance are ? however, caused to the farmep by the bqrrs becoming entangled ia the wool of his sheep.. " Jc is stated on good authority that jn some parts of Australia, where the burrs are thick, the wool is de preciated 3d or more per lb. The destruc tive nature of this weed is at present little recognised in New Zealand, but the pest js unfortunately spreading, and it is therefore of the greatest importance that every plant observed should be destroyed. Where the burr has established it is best attacked while H flTsver as, if interfered with when in seed, moie htfrm tW good will result. The necessity for keepiiTg a sharp lo^k out for such plants as the burr, and wheij ntfticed their immediate eradication cannot be too strongly impressed «?°a settlers."

COMMERCIAL.

[PER PMB.SB ASSOCIATION.] (Received February 25, 11.15 a.m.) London, February 24. The t'<tal amount of reserve in ihe Bank.of England is £19,176,000. The proportion of reserve to liabilities is 5130. Three mon;hs' bills, two per cent., market firm. Consols 98f. New Zealand four per cenfc inscribed stocK, 106j-; three and a half, 96^. New Zealand long berried whear, ex warehouse, 31s 3d, market weaker. Ad3 laide wheat, ex warehouse, 33s 3d, fl»t. Victorian 33d. The estimated visible supply of Ameri can wheat is 105| n.tfl on i.ushels. Mutton — Canterbury, 4^i ; Welling ton, 4£d. CanLoi'lmry lamb, 6d ; beef, f uequarters, 3^<l ; hindquarters, 4d; New Zealand hemp, fair demand, market , ateady, 130 bales of Wellington sold for '—good £25 6s-; fair, £?4. Factory butter, ex Doric, realised 96s to 102-.; dairy, 86* to 945. Wool, merino, very depressed ani prices easier, but brisk business doing in crossbreds. Sugar, German leet 14s o|d ; Java, 16s 3d ; market quiet. No. I best Scotch pig iron, 4W, nominal, Maiket is flat ;no business is doing, owing to a corner in the trade. Shares in the Bank of Ireland have fallen to £6 2s.

CHRISTCHURCH WOOL SALES.

The last of this season's sales, of wool at Christchurch was completed early yesterday afternoon. 2200 bales were oflered, the bulk of which was disposed of at satisfactory prices. The wool was chiefly ordinary merino station clips, and some coarse lots of cross and halfbred, many of these being Chatham Island produce. Prices for ordinary merino ranged from 6d to 7d, and, in the case of one bright clip, from Mr H. Brcttargh's Worlingham flock, up to 7|d was obtained. Farmers' heavy short merinos brought 4£d to s|d ; locks, up to 3d. What little halfbred wool was offered bi ought from 6|d to B|d, the latter price being given for clean bright wool. Chatham Island halfbred wool brought 5Jd to 7d ; pieces, 2|d to 4Jd ; locks, lsd to 2d. Scoured first pieces brought up to Is l|d ; scoured pieces to Is o|d ; thirds to 9|d; scoured locks up to lOd. Altogether the sale compared favorably with the preceding one.

Grain and Produce.

The following h the Christchurch Corn Exchange report (per Mr F. Denham) for the week ending February 25 :—Nearly all crops are now secured. The quality is fairly good, and we trust soon to see New Zealand wheat quoted nearer California No, 1. Barley has sold well, and the pt ices good ; we repeat our previous statement that first class mailing barley will tonch 43, but that quality is not plentiful. OaTs—A brisk demand, and the steam is'manifests show they are moving on. Ryegrass — The demand has kept up longer rhan we antici pated, ami is still. Cocksfoot is very slow in coming forward. PhaS are wanted. Dairy Produce has dropped back. The following arc. prices paid to farmers f.0,b., packages extra, potatoes and millers goods excepted ;— Wheat, Hunters' 2s 6d ; Pearl, 2s 7d ; Tuscan, 2s Bd. Barley, first class, 4s ; second rate, 3sto 3s 7d: O.it 3, milling, 2s; stout feed, Is 10d. Peas, values, 3s Id. Beam wanted. Potatoes, kidney, 50s at stations. Batter-^-Best fresh factory, 10J ; farmers', 7d to Bd. Cheese, 3^d to 4u. Flour, roller, £9. //Bran, 50s. Sharps, 60s. Rye grass, farmers', 2s to 2s Qd j machined, 3s 3.1 to 3s 6d.

Rakaia Monthly Sale.

OPENINU OF THE NEW SALEYARDS,

NE\Y ZEALAND LOAN AND MERCANTILE AGENCY COMPANY, LIMITEO. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, in conjunction with Mr John G. Kestell (ptr Mr J. P. Bland, auctioneer), reports a» follows :—On 'Thursday, February 24, the h'cft sale held in the new yards erected by the RakaU Saleyarda Company was largely attended by the district fanners and others, and a very large entry cf sheep, cattle, horses, and pigs came forward—a total entry of about 6000 sheep, 10 head cattle, 50 pige, and 5 draught horses. The yards, though only tem porary, worked to some extent well, aiid gave satisfaction to those using them, and it was found a great convenience to hold all the sales together. After the various auctioneers had wished the Saleyards Company every success, the sale proceeded, The bidding for sheep was very dull, and only one or two lines were sold at auction, but several lines were placed privately after the sale. Pigs and cattle sold well. Out of the entry cur portion consisted of 25G0 sheep, 7 head of cattle, 40 pigs, and 5 horses, of which we sold the following lines :—375 merino ewes, 5s 3d ; 205 tat lambs, 12s 2d; 200 merino wethers, 3s 3d ; 100 merino ewes (old) 2s lOd ; 1 cow, £6 17a 6d ; 1 cow, £5 ; I store cow, £3 Is ; 19 pigs, 47s to 65s ; 20 pigs, 8s to 13s 6d. We also offered a large quantity of sundries and furniture at our stores on account of Mr N L. Buchanan, which sold well as follows: —Whitechapel cart, * £20; harness, 55s ; harrows, £2 17s 6d ; fowls, 4s to 6s per pair; and a large variety of sundries at full market rates. »JB JJAVID THOMAS. On Thursday, Ifebruary 23. the opening sale at Rakaia tpok place, when some 6000 sheep came forward fop the day's market. Fat merino ewes sold from 6s 9d to 9s Id, freezing lambs from Us to 12s, and a few lines of merino ewes were passed out, not reaching the owners' reserve. I sold a line of two-tooth crossbred ewes. 13s 6d. The attendance was good, and there can be no doubt that if the supporters of these yards keep their shoulders at the wheel, they will be gratified by seeing the Bakaia saleyarde one of the most prominent in the county. Mr I>avid Thomas reports on the live stock market in the' !Ashb<irtdn district for the week ending Tuesday, "February 21 :— On Tuesday at the Tinwald yards the usual weekly sale of live stock was held, when a large entry came forward for the day's market, consisting of 12,990 sheep, 47 head of cattle and 4 pigs, of which my entry com prised 5727 sheep, 36 head of cattle and 4 pigs. Prices were a trifle -a^pr this week on account of the market 'being ' rtrer than the demand,' but lijlearcd al*. my entry with the exception of about 400 sheep at satisfac tory prices. I sold fat merino ewes, 6,3 6d to 8s; fat merino wethers, 7s to 9s; fa* crossbred ewes and wethers, lQa to 12 ; store merino ewes, §s to 7s 3,d ; store cross bred ewes and withers, I'j.s to I^3 9d; and crossbred lambs, JOa to 12s. jn cattle, I sold steers, £4 IQ3 to £8, IQ3; fat heifers, £5 Gsjto £7 8s 6d } springers, £6 ss. In pics, porker j, £1 16.'. I have sold privately during the week 1260 crossbred two-tooths, 16s; 1130 cross bred ewes and wethers, 12 9d ; 100 lambs, 12s; 320 lambs, 12s 3d; 340 ewes and lambs, 14s Id; 150 lambs, 12s; 800 merino ewes, 7s 6tl; 45 Shropshire Down rams, *4 4s ; f- English. ■ yams, £§ 6s ; S English Leicester rams, f 7 7s, etc, ' " '. i eiiKABING SALE. On Thursday, February 23, I held a very successful clearing sale of furniture' and sundries at the residence of tyt G. P; Mil son, who is leaving New Zealand for Tas mania. A large attendance of buyers arid others we^e orr the sjiot at ttfe aavettufed time, and all lots" put' up met with'brifljt bidding. The s^les ejected were yiry satis factory to th^ y^noj^r. '"' - • ;''

Giants.

Turner, the naturalist, declared thav he once saw upon the cr ast of Brazil, a race of gigantic (savages, one of whom was twelve feel in height. M. Thevet, of France, in his description of America,, published at Paris in 1575, asserted thai he saw and measured the sxeieton of a South American which was eleven feet live inches in length. The Chinese are said to claim tint in the- last centmy there were men in theii country who measured fitteeu feet in height. Jose phus mentioned the c if c of a Jew who was ten feet two inches in height. Pliny telis of an Arabian knight, G'abara, nine feet nine inches, the tallest man in the days of Claudius. John Middleton born at Hale, in Lancashire in the time of James I, was nine feet three inches in height; his hand ' was seventeen inches long and eight and a half inches broad, say* Dr Plott in his 'Hiscory of Staffordshire. 1 The Irish fjianfc Murphy, contemporary with O'Brien, was eight feet ten inches. A skeleton in the Museum <f Trinity College, Dublin, is eight feet six inches in height, and that of Charier* Bryne, in the Museum of the CoUege of Surgeons, London, is eight feet f> ur inches. The tallest living man is Chting-tu-tiing, the Chinese giant. His height is eight feet three inches.

Alleged Grain Buyers' Ring.

Tfc has, for some time past (says the *' Onmaru " Mail") been suspected that some thine was in the wind which was somewhat fluttering the dovecots of the millers of' this part of the colony. There have been several mysterious visits to Tiinaru, the only bigns of which were empty bottles, poultry bones, beef ribs, and, perhaps, bad heads. It was sa<d that the millers went" to the sister town to eat and drink and sing and make merry Generally. We knew that they ware jolly and that the Rev Mr Ryley was given to such junketings, but we could not under stand why he should go all tne way to Timaru from Dunedin to have his fling. : having investigated the phenomenon, we were driven to the conclusion that the "beer and skittles," were only the ac companiments—the garnishinga— of some thing more substantial, and that a quiet i study of the *'silver question" was the motive that underlay the mysterious wan derings to and fro of the jovial crew. This appears'to have been a legitimate conclusion. The egg that Messrs Ryley and Co were keeping warm was to develop a i great grain-buying and flour-milling rina, | of which we learn the prospectus has al ready appeared j Owr readers n ill be good 1 enough not to say anything about it, for | the project is as yet a dead secret We, j however, who are not supposed to keep secrets, may say that the capital of the ring, or syndicate, or company, is to be a quarter of a million, and that already a miller—not, however, an Oamsru one— openly states that lie is bound not to give more than a certain price for' wheat, in consequence of the understanding which has been arrived at. This is taken to indicate that the conspiracy has already assumed a definite and pratical form, so that the ptesent grain season may uot be lost to the conspirators. Our readers will please keep it dark, but his understood that the main objects of the scheme are, as we said in a previous article, to enable millers £o secure,wheat at their own prices and to sell flour at their own prices. What a lively outlook there would be fer the farmers if this object could be accom plished, and there were no such appeal 10 Osesar %s an English market affords. Bu t " The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft a-gley," It appears that the millers are not quite unanimous over this philanthropic "com bine," as our Americau cousins would call it. Thero ia one great miller at Christ ehurch, for instance, who (it is said) being independent of monetary institutions, is able to ignore the conspirators. He is a great miller indeed. There is not, it ap pears, that unanimity amongst the milk re uf the colony that would be necessary to enable the idea to be carried out sucjess fully, and toere is serious danger that out siders might split up the whole plot and the plotters. We of course, do not know what is tho condition of the business of milling and the financial position of the millers, but we conclude that if millers have no other alternative than to embark ' in this combination to keep wheat down and flour up their situation must be desperate. We note that the discussion on the question was attended by a Danquet, but even men who banquet, and that freely, do not ordinarily quite lose all rational power. We are, therefore, surprised that a scheme which has so. many weak places in ie should have been thought of. A high legal authority has stated that thp project is illegal, and that ! he could, and perhaps would, bmst it up; but whether this be so or not, it may be depended upon that the people of New Zealand would not permit such a vicious system of robbery under arms to take root amongst them. One singular feature of the affair \s that those who are said to be parties to it have loudly pro claimed that freedom of contract is their god.

MAGISTERIAL.

ASHBU3TON-SATURDAY.

(Before Major Steward and Mr J. W. Sawle, J.P's.) Drunkenness.-Patrick Ryan for this offance (third conviction within six months} whs sentenced to fourteen dajs' hard laKor ; and oh a' further charge of vagrancy, to an additional month!— Henry Gregorson (third conviction within cix months) fourteen days' hard labor.— Thomas Naughton, for drunkenness, 2Qs or forty-eight hcurs ; and for an assault upon another prisoner in tfte lock-up, one months' hard labor.—A first offender was fined fys with the usual alternative. (Before Major Steward and \fr Poberfc Alcorn, Justices of the Peace.) Patrick Ryan who had been before the Court at an earlier period of the day on overcharges, was now brought qp charged with the larceny of a pocket-^nife value Is Gd the properly of one Walsh. It ap r peartd that prosecutor seeing the accused being lakeu away from the Court in cus tidy, remembered that a day oir two ago Ryan was present while he, prosecutor, was working at the Central Hotel. He, prosecutor, had missed a pocket knife on the day in question, having put it down whi]e prisoner was present. Had then asked Byan if he had seen it. Prisoner said he hsd not, and produced from his pocket another knife which he said' was the dnly one he had. Had heard aiter -1 wards that prisoner had offered to sell a pockeSkr ife for sixpence,' 1 and spoke to hi*ft: j&boijfe' ;t, Ho, orisone I*,1*, said* the knife jie had offered was Hhv (prisoner's) own. ! Saw prisoner'si knife"wheti he 'took it 5 out of his pocket at the Central. It jras not tfiQ knjfe produced, v The knife produced was" his (prosecutor's) b^ing the one he had missed.' Identified it by. oer : tain marks and peculiarities, d<j:rib<4.— Sergeant Miller 4sppsied that on rppeiy|ng prosecutor's oomplaint he searphed the prisoner and found tbo knife claimed by prosecutor in one of his pockets. Sen tensed to one month's hard labor, in ad dition to the previous sentences. AfhAULTiNft 4 B4ILICT, etc.—James Dohottywas: charged-with assaulting A. M. Pearson, bailiff of the ICM. Court, while in the exeoiitioti of his duty, and als6 with wshis abusive calcu lated ta provoke a'breach, of'the peace. He pleadM nb(? guilty. A. M. Pearson deposed tl\at as bailiff of the Court he had that morning levied on certain horses in

i he Arcade, the property of accused, unde a warrant of distraint issued at the suit of Vlr George Jameson. Accused endea vored to throw hi,n down and threatened to strike him with a whip using abusive language. (Lawru&ge complained of (stated.) Took the whip ojfc of accused's hand and sent for the police. To defen dant : You showed me certain documents. ! could not m*ke head or tail of them. At thus stage the dee was adjourned till Monday, at 11 a.m., to admit of the at tendance of a witness, accused being ad mitted to bail on hi* own recognisance of £IC.

SUPREME COURT.

VBR k-ltEHs ASSOCIATION. ~—-.— - <9 > ap'Xh, February 24. The cr , '-vl business of the Supreme Court waw concluded to-day. James Keardon, charged with unlawfully « ound ing at Danevirke, was acquitted. Ben jamin Goodman, charged with larceny as a bailee, also got off. A peculiar point was partly argued to day. Yesterday a man whs charged with stealing a cheque for £20. When he stole it he bought some boots at Hannah's, getting the balance io cash. He then went to the office of Mr Waetney. solicitor. He was out, but the nun told the clerk that he would be arrested for stealing the cheque, and deposited £10 for his defence, leaving instructions for Mr Wastney to see him in gaol if he weie arrested. Mr Wastney thought he had - better not appear under the circumstances, and another solicitor was engage i in the Resident Magistrate's Court. The Justice* admitted the evidence oi Mr Wastney's clerk, despite a legal protest that the communication was privileged. In the Supreme Court the prosecution again tendered this evidence, and the Chief Justice ruled that it was not privileged, and decided to admit it. The prisoner thereupon pleaded guilty. To-day Mr Saiosbury, on behalf of Alexander Grant, drawer of the cheque, and from whom it was stolen, applied that the £10 in Mr Wastney's hands and the balance of cash found on the prisoner should be handed over to Grant. Hw Honor said that if the cheque had not been cashed he would have made an order, but it was now questionable .as to whom the money properly belonged, and the application was adjourned.

NOTES.

The success which rewarded the I efforts of the Committee of the | Horticultural Society in the very creditable Show, held on Saturday in the Arcade, once more points the moral that difficulties are seldom insuperable. Owing to the backward ness of the season the date fixed for the exhibition proved to be quite a fortnight too early to enable the capabilities of the district to be evidenced at their best in many, if not most, classes. This is especially true of fruits and vegetables, particularly as regards peaches, plums, apples, potatoes, and tomatoes. This waa, indeed, foreseen as the date of the Show approached, but the Committee found themselves unable to obtain the Arcade for a later date, \ and had either to let the Show go on or arrange to hold it at another place. They decided, wisely we think, in favor" of the former alternative, thece being no question whatever that the Aacade proved itself to be far and away the best place in Ashburton for an exhibi tion of the kind—indeed there is no more suitable building in any town ia the Colony. Then the weather fought against the success of the exhibition, the intensely hot dry days of a fort* night previous, together with the tremendous southerly buster which blew with hurricane force five days before the Show-, utterly destroying the hopes of scores of intending exhi bitors, by wrecking almost everything I they had expected to be able to exhibit. Yet, despite all this, the Committee pushed on their enterprise with courage and energy, and the result was admitted on all hands to be a very creditable Show in view of the circumstances we have referred to.

But there are two matters for regret— one that there were at least a few owners of gardens and orchards in the town and district who sent nothing whatever, to the Show, although they could have added to its attractiveness considerably had they each and, all sent of the best they had;"the. othe,r that the number of subscribjqg members of the Society is this year, only sonic sixty^ as against a hundred, and twenty last year, As, to the flrsfc shortcoming, it is too late to make it up now, but we hope that those who can show, but didn't show this year, will t make up their minds to do so ! next; but as regards the second it is still possible to remedy the short coming by sending a subscription to the hon. secretary, Mr Lechner We hope that come of our readers who can afford to do this will do so even yet, as in orcjer to' discharge* ;afl liabilities the Society will haye tq trench upon the credit balance carried' over from last Show. The Sjociety is one which deserves encouragement and support, and we hppe {o see jtg membership largely extended.

C4Ef^owv pears are heing sold i« Covent Garden market, says a cable-: grain, at 3s 6d—not 3s 6d per doaen, or per lb, but 3s 6d a piece! Of pourfce at Home, at the end of February, there are precious few Home grown pears to be had at any price, and those only of a few " keeping" sorts, usually net the most luscious varieties ; but 8s 6d each ! ought to tempt some of our New Zealand growers to endeavour to divert some of the siller of the London bon-vivants this way. Surely we could manage td: send them early pears—say from Auckland, so as to reach London %i this season; anyhow we could seriti thfem plenty from Canterbury to arrive at the end of Anarch or beginning of April, when prices should. b8 quite as high; as theY are iiorw. • £rue; if jarge quantities bf fruit were poured in by New Zealand the price* wdjjl'd' a§ a'inatter qf qoupsq qom,e r dctwn, bift'^ very big fajl frqm Qd couW l» sustained wjth equanimity, and even 3|4 a-piepe would pay and pay well. Ihe fact is we are but at the beginning of the fruit export trade, and there are difficulties to be met with and over come. ; But so also there were in connection with the meat export and dai«?y produce trade, but as in those instances 'the difficulties disappeared before' the energy and wit' of 'our exporters, so also wi{l they in connec tion with fruit, which lis boun4 oue day to figure largely in the ii*i of our resource* ■■•«-." ■ '-

*HE AfliTTtnilTOy aTTAIti)IANi BATtTnPAY, F^fttTAKY 25, 1891



Wan cd. nmK^oipeTorthe Grace of God will X be preached at the Orange Hall on Lords' Day evening, half past mx^^lXV^ FRESH Oysters, Crayfish etc. To- Iffiffht. Deep Se» Fiahmg Com pany, opposite Mail Office^ :.„!_- L~~o*iir*"Gonii eiuiiii'a silk c^V 0 ™1 hetwoen <-ourt Housa ana Mr Milsom'e. Finder regarded £ !*<> VffrANTEDTa useful boy for *<aide» ▼▼ and horse, with home. — tl. J*. Weeks, High Street, Chistchu^h. 2 140 APTiST Church, Peter stie^t.— Rkv J. T. Hinton, of Dunedin, will preach to-morrow. Morning, 11 ; evening, 6.30, 2 141 ESLEYaN Church, Baring Square. Preaoher for To-morrow, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., Rev S. %awrt. Special collections for QueensU^ltohenTuncL tSrIMITIVE Churcn Services to- X morrow. Preachers : morning Mr Watkins; evening, Rev J. Cocker. Sub iecb- "Feeding of the five thousand. Special collections for the Queensland R^Fund^^^ - 2 142 TO L&T-The New Shops next Bai-k of New Zealand, now occupied by Mr Collier ; rent 30d ; possession March 1 Apply George Coieman, Henrys Hotel. '_. 2 ifP lANOFORTE and Organ Show Rooms. Best cash value obtain able. Extended terms ; reduced sca'e; Chrktchurch prices.—H. M. Jones. WANTED Known—lee Creams, Ice Creams, for the hot; weather, always ready »t H. G. Flower's, Confec tioner, East Street. SOMERSET Meat Mirb. The uldest the largest, tin b-ist, and the choap ast. Small 'Toods a specialty. Ful weights guaranteed. A trial soluatcxl. —"V. J. SlLno<:K. 4tlßi \\/-ANTRD, at once, «, Doy haylia; W passed HtandArd V. or VC, a-j »pprantioa to thf printing trade. Apply May. Office. f\ HE Good Samaritan, tor ihe iinme ' diate relief of pain,—Lights Cash Store^ 2 33 rrOMKOPaiTHIC Medicines, price LX Is. Solo agent for district Light's Cash Store. 2 34 BICYCLES, O-ilinary and Safety Cycles, Star Hurnber Roadster, R. icera _Star Diamond Frame, Star Cross Frame (Adatua, Ourties and Go's Ma chinos.) Uash or Terms. Chrisfcchurch Prices.—H. M. .iosUs. 2 84'



WANTED Known—xlndrew Orr has Removed to the Old Town Hal! for ono month, during tho ro-building of his premises. Drapery, Clothing, and Boots greatly red uced.—Andrbw Orr. 2§ 104 GHKiP Fruit—Having bought Mi Mayo's orchard, I .cm bell Fruit cheaper than any one in town. Orders may be left at East Street Shop.—Mß3 JaME3. 2]^ (^HEAP Firewood—Short Dry Gum * Firewood, ac 26i per cord ; branches 3s per load at Mayo's, Trevor ton.-Apply, Mrs James Fruit Shop. WANTED the Public to know that S. W. Alcors and Co "a Summer Sale ia now on. Groat Bargains in Millinery, Uuderolothing utc. WANTED Known thab S. Salek, W:itcUraakVf and .few^ler, has removwd to now shop near N*)W Zaaiand Clcthiusr Fnctory 10 213 j Y\TANTED Known.—Come and sac * our dief-s linos «t iljd and 61, leather shirting 6^', thrse-quarter cloakß 12s 6.1. —H. 0. SEOEtta, MaUord Ilouse. _ * \\ '" AN i.!>.■• ivuowu — L»r ftco'it's ceie* ' * b.rti.«<J ■^leetric Curseis can only .),!■« t 'ii A»t!l>0l'1.*'l! At VV. li, COIUBR . ' J'Jm Corn**'*."



boots, poors. SHOES. SHOES. THE NEW ZEALAND Clothing Fictory ANl> BOOT AND SfiOE WAREHOirSE. . '"PflE Public would Jo well to inspect i our Large and WeU-a^rted Stock before purchasing elsewherfii, : A.Sinole Pair of Boots at tK"6 Wholesale Price. All new goods. 200 Pairs of Boys' and Girls' Strong School Boots and Shoes fiotn 2.1 9d. LADIES. Buy your Boots and Shoes at the Factory you will save 3s in the pound. THE AUGITE STOVE MAT. Only a fnw left; just the thing for pre serve making; only 2s. A Wonderful Line of iIBN'S ALL-WOOL COLONIAL TWEED TROUSERS *or 9s 6d. YEW ZEALAND Clothing Factory. ALEX. HENDRY, Manager, The nest Ten IN CANTERBURY for tho money, and fiee from any excess of as tringency. COUNTESS 2^^ ASK YOUR GROCERS. ' j



"TiHk Misses Adams' i.ew Refreshment J- Room* now op an. Tea, Coffee, Cocoa, Lsimou fcsqua*h, ricda and Milk and all the new summer drinks ready at all times. Coletnan's Build,in'j;d r Kast Street . _ WAXTK2J everyunt*. to come and see tlio beautiful presents we are giving away for evtry 5a and upwards upwnt —H. C, Segeks, MolforJ House. TTTANTKD Kaown.—A jrreat variety » » of high class dress goods te> vhoo.se~ from new oeliiut; under regular wholesale prioes.—H. C. Seoeus, Melford House. WANTED— Purchasfrs ior Bargains in Summer Dresses, Prints, and Deputies, Sunshades, &c. at S. W. Alcobx and Co'a Sale. WANTED Known—New Flannelettes at extraordinary prices; 3s lid vnd 4s lid dos. Thirty per cent under price.—W. H. Coliikb. DON'T 1*!et the rain water destroy your buildings. Get Spouting fixed at 4d per foot and buy a tank, complete with Up, tested before leaving workshop, for 30s, at J. W. Hardlby's. ; C WHY not Bake your own Bread when you can gee 50ibs of the Best RjiJ«r Flour fur five shillingd cash or five shillings and sixpence booked ac 1&9BCBT aloorn s, launders' Buildings. 11 31



"fIIHE Missing Word I*. Books on A Sheep and Dairy Farming, The Horse, The Dog, Poultry, Gardening, Athletica and Training. Back Numbers of Graphic, The Queen, Sporting and Dramatic News and other illustrated papers at half prh<\ afc L. P. Ahdkewes & Co., Stationers' Hall. DON'T Forget che Borough Bye-Lawa re Carr age Lamps, and that Uakdlb . as large Stock "n hand, also a large assortment of Tinware and Iron mongery, Scythes, Reaping Hooks, Hay , Knives, Forks, etc., of best quality, and ikll at lowest possible prices. J. W. Hardl/EY, East Street, Ashburton, BEAR in mind that J. W. Hardley, Plumber and Gasfitter, East Street, has the largest Stock in town of Pumps. Pipes, and Fittiiius, and that he is selling theui cheaper tli*u ever at prices hitherto unheard of in A>hburton. Now it tie hance for a chea{3 Pump ; improved No. 4 Price, 16s. Larger sizes in proportion. /TtHRISTiKAS ftuirs. Boys, three \J gatment long 'IVouser Suits at lob, Boy*. Colonial-made Knickor Suits from 10s. \i»n'.s tiieoly made vJokmial Tweed Suits 'id-. Colonial Tweed Suits io measure from 50s. — Ashburtoji Clothing Mart, Saunders' Buildings. Hdbkkt &XCOR2T. t ITaNTRD Known—Tint J. Moison VV keeps tho best stock of Boots in Ashburton, for this voason that, he pays cash and is not undet or bound to any one firm like many in the trade, which enables him to procure and supply the public with the Best Colonial and.English makes ; and his well-known make needs ao recocamendad^n. Always on haul Beat Sole Leather, used fur n-paira and done at onee.— J, Moison, Impermeable Bootmaker, Town H*l), East Street, nex>, Court House



: A FACT. A speaker was holding forth on. woman and he made out that she was j list a little angel on earth. In glowing words he pictured how patient she was in suffering how courage )us in trouble, and how alto gether gentle, loving, and good she was undor all circumstances, and closed his peroration by declaring that any man who laid his hand on a woman, save in the act of kindness, was a monster. After the lecture, a pale, haggard, woebegone looking man shuffled up to the speaker and said, " Look here, mister ; I've heard what you've beeia saying about woman ; all about how nice and sweet she is, why, one would imagine that you believed all women were just blushing full blown roees j I guess you don'fc know my wife. Wefl ■he haint no blooming rose. She's a daisy, a reg'lar daisy, why misfcer niy wife a agger, and there is'nt an hour, when she's awake, but thU she's nagging .someone. If it is'nt me, its the children, if it fe'nfc the children, ife& the cat. There is nothing diafc escapes her nagging tongue, and the only time any of us gets any rest is when she has nagged herself o sleep." How like the nerves of a man who drinks; thvy just nag, nag all the time, giving no rest until enough liquor has been taken to daaden all nervous sensibility, and the poor fellow goes off n that sodden, snoring, miserable state that is but the rattling skeleton of a, healthy sleep. R. T. Booth's Golden Remedy No 1 puts an end to all this nagging of the iiervus by destroying all desire for iquor R. T. Booth's Golden Remedy No 2 is ihe besi Brain and Nerve Tonic on this earth. Ail cheuusU.



'i HK FIRST CIJBiKINr SALE BY ', HIS beine our first Clearing sJTsi7fe~we commenced business to jstaUish ? . repuUuou we ,re offering thcwhoe of outjjook «1^ J Being only in business four months every h,ng "J^^"^ Rn d then efaarftiiut BEFORE KNOWN IN ASHBORTON. Ladies' Covseiß 4>s 6d, now 2s Bd. , Dr Warner's Well known Corsets 10* 6d, now 6s 6d. Double wid'.h Sheetinjr, whire twill, lOjd Good washing Muslins, 3s lid dozen White Muslins, sftl-in-stripe, 7%d now 4fn . value at 6id CLOTHING. CLOTHING, Men's Tweed Suits, 19s 6d Boys' Tweed Suits, 4s lid Men s Colonial Tweed Trousers, 8s lid A large stock of Men'a, J^-g^ «Sf BOOTS. BOOTS. BOOTB. Men's Colonial made Bluchers, 5s ■ Men's Cookham Boots, worth 25s for 149 6d W W oS^Wofff ™ GM K S , „ BOYS' 4 «** Women's strong Leather Shoes, 4s lid Ladies' Olove Kid Boots 8s 9d, reduced to 6s lid rhiHran's Patent Leather Slippers in endless variety pnce TERBIS CASH. -KEMEMBER THR ADDRESS ii. J. and CO., FRIEDLANDER'S BUILDINGS- 8. .SALE X, Watchmaker & Jeweller, Z^^^^*^*V^^X*^ ISST WITH SOUND WO.iK- M«.NSHIP. ' J___ NOTIO B tlAll Watches and Jewellery left for Repair with ANDREW BLACK, Watch maker, have be<*n transferred co Hi" S A L H X, WATCHMAKER & JEWJELLKB, from whom they can be obtained ; —„,



THEHARYESriSPLOTEOUS. A T any rate it is up to the average— ■ \ and the laborers are—well, a good de*l more than plenteous. I have never before seen so many men in Hie country on the outlook for harvest work. For a time the town was "stiff wid 'em," as Pat said about the river and the fish, but a good many have absorbed since the ♦reathei 1 became harvest weather, and allowed the machines* to go rattlina along, CUTTING IXjWI* the wealth of Ceres' golden reign. I trust the farmers will get something like a favorable return for their year * toil, and that when they come into town with their little CALICO-(2s lid a dozen)— bags of samples of grain, representing th crop, on the growing and in-gathering o which they have been concentrating al their energies since last harvest, they wil be able to receive from the grain merchants FBICBS that will enable them to liye themselves mci JL.ET OTHBUS LIVE. Thb farmers are the men who feed uc all, who grow our grain, our meat, our dairy produce, and the wool to make our CLOTHLIIVCA-Hlauits at 355). They are the men who, with their wives and families, the tradesmen must depend upon to make their living, and we have the most solid reasons possible for re joicing when the farmers are prospering. So thinks HARRY HARDLEY, Manager for ' HIKI>Li:Y BROS. Who are -selling goods verj- cheap. Beautiful dress tweed 4s 9d a dress; striped ginarhams 7^d. BOOTS IN ENDLESS VARIETY. Men's Colonial made shooters 9s 6d; slippers 3s 3d. COME AND GIVE US A TRIAL.



Hampton's FURNITURE VlT AItEHOi[JSE > TANCaBD STREEr, Jjs Opposite Mitchell and Turner's. TRY HAMPTON'S FOB. Perambulators from 22s 6d Perambulator? Reversible Hoods from 355, Patent Rubber Tires Basket Ware Chest Drawers Chairs and Tables Bedsteads Cheap Furniture All Repairs Colonial CoMches Wire Spring Mattrasses BRANCH BUSINESS, K*BT STREET, Below Patching's. GREAT ASSORTMENT CBOCKRRY, AND FANCT GOODS.— 2135 CHEM*. Money. r =OAOOO of '■•'rust Moneys to lend dwOV/v/V/ upon Freehold seeuru lies, in suns of not less than £1000 Apply to Mr C W. PURNELL, Solicitor, % 38 Mf>n<gomny!* Bu ldinga.



The hest medicine known is SANDER, and SO^S' EUCALYPTI EXTRACT. It is of-eminently' powesiul effect in coughs, colds, influenza, etc.—tlie KfUef is instantaneous Thousands give the WQ&b gratifying testi mony W Majesty th> King of IttUy, and medical sylidicaties all qver jth\e glqbe, are its pafews. Bead the «%ial reports whjch accompany <?&on bottle, We haye no occa sion to offer rewards in proof of the genuine ness of our references. The offieiaF reports of medical clinics and universities, the official communication ol the Consul-General for Italy at Melbourne; the diploma awarded International Exhibition, Amsterdam-all these are authentic documents, and, as such> not open to douh, t. We add here epitome oi one of the various aaitat '#&&$> by Siegel MD Professor, etc Burning^ of tiipftghi hand'through the explosion of a small oil stioVe. The epidermis oh tae vojar and najmer si^e of tlie hand of the ihirtjf-year qld '"wti-fipii v/as completely separated and lifted up as % as \ m whit of ,tjie hatt'd The likewise lifted uaitowwe hai^gtog lo6§e ! and half of the phalanx of the nail of the middle finger was coaled. The wounds thus contracted -healed in three weeks under daily applications of Eucalypti Extract dossing. The patient has retained the full use Qf Uw b*»d.-r-(A4yt) }



HoiyLQWAy's J*iLLSj—Weak S^omaoh. The wisest cannot enumerate one quarter of the distressing symptoms arising from im perfect or disordered digestion, all of which can be relieved by these admirable pills. They remove cankery taste from the mouth, flatulency, and constipation Holloway's Pills rouses the stomach, liver, ani every other organ, bringing digestion to that healthy tone *%ib'h ' iti)ly enables it to convert all we eat atid drink to the nourish ment of our bodies. Hence these pills a*e the surest strehgtheners and the safest restoratives in 'faervousriess, wasting, and tihrgnig (Jebility. ' Hollovay's Pills'are infal lible re-nedies lev impaired•apgetite v; erubta tions, and a multitude of other disagreeable symptoms which render the lives of thou sands miserable indeed. The pills are ap approved by all classes, I