Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 1895.

A remarkable state of affairs ia con nection with the Napier Cemetery is disclosed in a report A densely by Mr Humphreys, peopled commissionerof Crown god's ache. Lands, who was ap pointed by the Govern ment to hold an enquiry. The report says—"From death registers and cemetery records I find that as near as possible 3200 have been buried since 1857. The present sexton has held his position 17 years, during which period 2070 interments have taken place, yet strange to say, he can only point out 1554 known and suspected graves in the whole cemetery, and this includes a large number interred be fore his time, One thousand six hundred and fifty graves, being more than half the total number of the interments in the cemetery, are not to be found, and it can reasonably be assumed that at least 700 belong to the present sexton's term. The total area of the cemetery as fenced is 4 acres 1 rood 20 perches. * Of this, 1 acre 3 roods is taken up with path ways awd ground too steep for inter ment, leaving 2 acres 2 roods 20 perches as available ground, of which about one acre is absorbed in the purchase plots. As there is apparently about half an acre of undisturbed ground, the conclusion forced upon v? is that 3200 interments have been made in a litt'e over two acres."

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The race for the Model Yaoht championship will b3 sailed on Saturday afternoon in the Domain at half past two

Yes^erJay it was mantioned at a meet ing of the Dunedin Charitable Aii Board that it would be necessary to levy on the contributing bodies £1500 more than last year.

From the paragraph regarding the meeting of the Football Club Committee there was omitfed a line sta ing that Mr G. A.M. Buckley h*d given a donation of £2 2a to the Club's funds. Mr Rollitt's donation was £1 Is.

This seems to be a good season for pr'za bnef, if we are to judge from our adver tising cilumns. To-day Mr Stlcock advertises another steer, nearly lOOOlbs weight, which is on view quartered in his •hop.

Bill of -fare at a Dunedin sixpenny restaurant: l Giblet soup, fried fish, roist duck, roast fowl and ham, sweets in v<me'y, dessert, apples and tomatoes.' The proprietor with pardonable pride announces : ' I: would cost ten times the price wo charge to provi-le such a dinner at Home.'

By request, and as hi ready announced, the Rev L. M Isitt will ad/ress a public meeting at the Oddfellows' Hall tonight, when, as the rev. gentlemui leaves for England in a few days, and this will be the last opportunity Ashburton foiks will have of' hearing him for * long time, a bumper house may be »xpected.

A clergyman was converging one day with an Irish farm laborer on the subject < f temperance, telling him the difference between that and totai abstinence, aad pointing out that the Bible taught tem perance, but not toialabstinenoe. 'You're right there/ egid ho ; ' for when Sb Paul saw the <three tayesns, djdn't he thank God and take courage? (See A<> ls 28, i 5

Some of the utterances in the New Sonth Wale« Parli menfc on large ques tions aye li£e tfri?-~rA member asks a member to speak up, and a member retorts by calling on the Sergeant-at-Arms to fctfrn out that blackguard* Another member calif <■%*, ' Sit down you possum.' The first member then explains that the words of the second memb'-r w^re inaudi ble, whereupon No 1 replies by telling No 2to 'get hig ea»3 washed out.' One honorable M.J?. said that, if he could gave » penny by swindling the Government he would do it. 'Tb'tf's a grave <charge,' interjected a member, ' What- j?ot,' retorted the member for Monaco f • Why, don'fc we all do It V

RECESS SPEECH.

Captain Ilusipll at tli« OddfellOwa' Mall.

Captain W. R. Russell, M.II R., for Hawke's Bay, the present leader of the Opposition in the House, addressed a public meeting in the Oddfellows' H*U on Thursday evening. The hall was crowded to the door, with what Captain Rus^e'l privately said was the most o~derly w'ience io hid ever been his pleasure tv adore s.

Mr Joseph Senly, Mayor of Ashburton, (ecu pied the chair, and, in introducing Captain Russell, said that they had been called there to hear something from Captain Russell about the political ques tions of the day. It had been the custom in Ash barton fiom the day 4 of its infancy to accord a patient hearing to any public speaker that came before them, and he trufited on this occasion that grand old principle would not be departed from. As they wera all aware, at the last general election what had been for many years in New Zealand an Opposition had been aim at entirely wiped out, and that had been done by the voice of the people. At the tame time he thought they would understand that a sound Opposition was as necessary an a good Government. (Applause). He had great pleasure in introducing Captain Russell, who was at the present moment leader ot the small Opposition that had at the last general election been elected. He would not waste any more of their time, but intro duce to them

Captain Russell, who was received with .loud and continued applause. He ssid he had been asked by some of the residents of Ash burton to coma and deliver <*n address to them. He was very pleased to do so, bat unfortunately for himself—he thought he might say unfor tunately for them—he had been compelled to ask the Mayor to flic thit night for his address, because his engagements in other parts prevented him staying long in Canterbury; and it was unfortunate' because last night he had the honor ot addressing a numerous gatharing in the largest hall in New Zealand—viz, the Garrison Hall, Dunedin—and the exerion of having to speak for two hours was consid' r<ible. Then his friends there, who were good enough to say that he had made aco nplete success, would not let him go to bed for some hours. Then he had to travel all the day to address them that night. Ihe consequence was that he did not feel as if he could do justice to himself nor deliver so good a spei eh. He would endeavor to put before them a few state ments of facts whioh were of great importance to the colony at the present time. THE OPPOSITION.

The Mayor, in introducing him, strm-k one of the key notes of the position He said, and they all seemed to agree wi> h him, that a good Opposition was as essential as a good Gjvernnnnt. He would tell them that in hts opinion an unlimited power had been put in the hands of one Minister—viz , the Prenver of this colony - who treats his colleagues more or le3s as cypher?. Mr Scd lon insists on doing exs.ct'y what he wants them to do, and he is ruling New Zealand exactly as he chooses. Ha would ask them was that dtsirable? Ho, it was not; and he was sure those present all thought so too. Ie should be government of the people, by the people, fnr (he people ; but had thy got that now ? No they h»d not. Thay had government of the people, by Mr Seddon, and for his personal friends and political parasites ; and the people would have that so long as they had no Opposition. As ari Opposition th?y lud wvuked their bast, !iut few of th se tint n'ght could conceive 'he amount of wok pub before them du;i iglast session. They had considered it Iheir dafy to analyte all tho Ac's, of Parliament laid before them, and they endeavored to do s\ bu*j they wculd realise what the Opposition had to do when he told them that 101 new Acts were passed, and they had rejected a »reat many more. They worked early and late ; bub he would tell them h nes ly it was impossible for ihe Opposition to even pretend to read through and under stand all the Actp. Ib wa3 unfair that r.here s l ould be an autocratic Premier, who 1.-aa *be right to insist that such Ac's shall be pa«sed ; and ifc was through the hurried legislation that they had the row going on in Auckland at the present moment over tha Shops and Shop Assistants Act, and it was considered such an important moasuro.

Had if; not been for the Legislative Council the Land for Settlements Pi'l would have baen inoperative. There were c'au-^ea in it that could not have be?n pub into operation, and there were no clausea for the classification of the land, Unf< rtunately the leader of the Opposition did not some before an audience on the same favorable terms as a minister, and far less than a premier. The duty of the Opposition is to criticise. Ie »eas said continually why does not tha Opposition propose some policy ? But he would ask what was the good, when they haxe no power to carry it out ? The function of Opposition was to criticise —that was all. They had no power. So he knew when he came before them that evening he w»s unfortunately unable to promise anything. That morning "when he gob to tho station at Dunedin the guard said —" Suppose you have a reserved carriage, sir, for your self V He had to >"cp Ty *' No, lam only leader of the Opposition I have to pay for my own travelling." (Loud laughter). Did they imagine for one moment that anything the Opposition promised would be half equal to what the Government would promise them ? As an illustration —suppose he promised to give them a slioe of the moon, Not Jung cpald b:s more extravagant, and yat they would hive a minister following him in a week or two, and saying the Opposition, with their usual parsimony are promising only a part of the moon. We will have the whole of her fetched 4town. It was therefore no good pronvsing anything they could not do. The Government have been breaking their promises and were be!nsj found out day by day, and would be fomd out more and more as the year passes round. Amongst other thing* promised when the present Government came into office was a

SEp-RE^NT KOK BORROWING POLICY. They were promised that prosperity, which it was alleged had $kI from New Zbaland under the adnaiaistratiot» of their predecpsaors, should once more return to New Zealand, thut everybody should be smiling and happy» a°d that p osperity s^mld be found in every rank of life. They were now jn the fifth year of the regime introduced b.y Sir Baliance. Had his successors in office adhered to a self reliant, non-1,0.-rowing p Hey % Had they restored prosperity i The manufacturers and the Jmpojrtsrs were nervous, the financial cQinp&nJes were also nervous, the farmers were frjgh eaed, the a tisang wete going abciife seeking work but they found it not. »nd thg Natives were su%ing and indignant at the indignities placed on them by the p-esent Government. The whole country was in % state of doubt, almost cf despair, and men went about with their hearts fiiling them for fear. \sfhere, then, was the prosperity 1 He s?i(4 it fyad been driven from the country. But he would nnfc say that tfte Government were responsible for the low price c£ prjduce. He realised there was a wave of dtpresslon passing over the world at present, but he did maintain that the conduct of the present Government hid been such thai; capital, without which labor couH not exi6fc, had been driven ftom the country, and that enterprise had been checked' in, every direction,, Until ctmWflßSi wm quo? mw rtator«d ie

New Zealand, and the end<* vor to sob class agunst class ceased, there would never be ].ro3peiity or plentiful employment for the paople.--(\ppUuse.) And that would be on 3of the first duties

the Opposition will have to take in hand when they get into power. He realised that prejudices of tho past must ba put awny altogether. The notion was absurd ot calling men in this new coun'.ry Con servatives and Tories. Th re ifai do such thing. It was a meaningless phrase. What they, the Opposition, boasted of was that they were anti humbugs—that fiey would not. sacrifice principles for the purpose of ca'chinu; Votes, That was not Conserva'hm. They were anxious for the advancement of the whole colony. The destruction of confidence was what was causing the depression in the colony.

Not for one moment would he ask them

to believe that the Ministry were re sponsible for the low prices of produce — that they could not help ; but they had Intensified the depression by driving away c-pital frun this colony. (Hear, hear.) There was no confilence. Fe himself had hid young men, some of them from the old country, come to him with letters of introduction. But they got so fright ened at the land legislation, and the con-

tinual threat of what was to be done,

that they said they would not Invest their money in the land of New Zealand. TAXATION. Another great cause of the distress in his colony was the enormous taxation they were suffering under. Many sup posed that if you imposed taxation on capital you were merely hurting capital, and doing nothing to injure the worker. 1/ is an axiom with all political econo mists that, impose taxation as you may, it falls upon the weakest, and diminishes the spending: power of all throughout the colny. In all probability the audience he was addressing had, on account of the particular part of the colony they were living in, more necessity, or as much, as any other portion of New Zealand for having good government of the colony. They should insist by every means in their power that there shall be a prudent Government, and that they shall not be further taxed, The men and women of \ New Zealand have not realised what their i political power is. They are the go vernors of the countiy, wheiher they liked it or not. They elected their mem bers, and up in Parliament it was con sidered that as the member is so in the 3onstituency. (Loui .and prolonged laughter and applause.) There were a number of shrewd headed men up at Parliament, ai.d they gauged the con stituency very ranch by the kind of mem ber they rent up. (Renewed and long continued laughter, Gap'ain Russell cvi dently not seeing the ptiit he had made and looking rather perplexed at the continuous merriment.) The members proceeded to elect a Government, and as the members were, so was tho Government; and so the Ministers and the Premier. There fore they had it in their own hands to say whether their Government shall be honest and patriotic, or the reverse, acting under the motto of the spoils to the victors Had they realised how they were taxed ? Had th3y realised that they were the most heavily taxed people in the Australasian colonies, and he believed the mojt heavily taxed people in the whole world 1 Did they know their debt waa piling up 1 Did they also recognise that if they borrowed they had to pay interest, even if thf-y did tit pay the principle? For eveiy million of money squandered they had to pay £40,000 a year interest, which is sent out of the colony. Did dn-y realise all tha' ? None of (hem

realised it. On aU imports which came into New Zealan 1 tha average duty ><in unted to tweniy-five' per cent. Victoria, which was always held up to the public aa aa exunple of all that was bad in fiscal arrangement*, was taxed to the tune of 13| per c^nt, only ha'f of what we were taxed in New Zealand ; New South Wales was only tax^d 12-f per cent, and youth Australia 8| per cent Therefore persons were liable to leave this colony to go to others where they could buy so much cheaper thin in th's colony, and thab was another reason why we were suffering so much in "New Zealand. If they wishid New Z aland to be put on a proper foundation they must endeavor to check the pr( fl gAto expendi ture, and say they refuse to havo any more taxation, if possible to avoid it This wag the thing they rr ust all think about Everything they wore was taxed, the coats. they put on, the tobacco they snv ked—all was laxud, and it m ;de them poorer. The first thing tha Liberal party in the Old Country or any other country prac ice is economy ; and it was entirely th< ir own faults if they did not put their hands to the wheel and say they would have a decent Gjvernmarb. At the present time they practically had no Trea urer. He was in Europe. He might be ching some good there for all he knew. He knew that the Treasurer h*l gone to Paris, primarily, he supposed, to enjoy himself, and subsequently, per haps, to negotiate, aa he had done in South Australia, a reciprocal treaty between New Zea'and and France, under which Canterbury mutton and Southland

oats might be exchanged for French novelties and Parisian nick-nick*. (Ap plause and jlaughter). There was an Agent-general for the colony at Home, a-d ona mighb have imagined that that official would have been able to do any-

thing liki that. In that morning's paper he had seen that Mr Ward had said that the whole of New Zealand's legislation had been devoted to k?ep:ng the finances of the colony in a healthy condition He will find at Home a preqious lot of ehrpwd people who know New Zealand, and they will wink their eye, and siy— *' We can't s L.and any nonsense like that. We know your finances are in a very bad condition," BOKROWJNQ. Captain Russell spoke at somo length on the borrowing prpposala of the Government. In these they had pledged the credit of the colony to the extant of £2,000 000 to the Bank of New Zealand to bolster up the shareholders and deposi tors, many of whom were not re idenb in Hie colony j for l*nd settlement, £250.000 ; for the purchaseof Native lands £ 50,000; for reading lands, £250,000; for loans to settlers, three millions r consols, one million ,* to assist the Midland Railway Company, £618,250. If they had not been prevented the Government; would have pl«dg?d the credit of the colony fco the amount of £7,368,2^0. What would similar borrowing pVop6sals mean in the old mother c mnrry ? We had in ronnd numbers a population of 672,000, and a debt of £^000 003. This proposal wooM have ad Jed another £11 per head to the deb 1:. What would such a pro-, posal inyolye in the mother country? There was a population of 39,0Q0,()QQ; and there was a national! debt of £6#4.000,C00, and if they went in for such a borrowing pro, po**l as ( ux Govern ment proposed, in this country last year it would increase the national qbbb of Eng land by no less a sui» thaj> £429 000,000. laughter}. And yeb, when the Government in England proposed some time aeo to spend #10, Cso 00Q on the British Navy, the first line of defence, it was with very gre^t difficulty that this money, to be spent over a certain number oE years, was passed by the House of Commons. They would say, " What a horrible psssimjab this man is 1 What a gloomy view he takas!" He did not take a gloomy view, bat he always endeavored to look facts fair in the face, and now he wished to try and explain that the public were being humbugged and hoodwinked when they were told there was a large surplus for distribution , at the en 4of each financial yew* They j

should remember that this was a con tinuous surplu.— hat tie surplus of the preceding year was worked into the Budge; ; and they were told what was

cJied a gross surplus cxi teJ of so muty liuudredd of thousands of pounds ; but in reality that had bun ah>wn ov»rand over again. 14,» w »ij'd oiv •th ro w> instance Iv the y-at 1893 94 tho eat mated revenue was £4 540,700 T c vctu&l revenue was £4,653,000 So it* wuld be seen that tho Government comtn<'nced by und»r estimating their revenue by £106,300 and though xt first siijht s> me might be incUned to tay it wa« a wi*e thing to voder-estimate the revenue, h« said it was no such thing. Is proved that the Trea urer was either ien*>runt of the ciuo po-ition "f the colony, or was imposing unnecessary taxiti^n upon people whu ware not able to bnir it. Now, coming to the txpaiidituro. tho ps imjited expendi ture for the y^ar 1893 94 was £4.460,000, but the actual expenditure was £4,386,000. In reality they did not expend some of the votes at all, They allowed members to expect tha'j they were going to have this and that for iheir district, but rhey di \ not expend the money, as they wanted to create a surplus by under-estimating

their revenue and over-estimating their expeoditure, awd to sty th*t they had a surplus of £180,300. The creation of this surplus, however, was by a system of juggling in the way they kept their books.—(Applause). Coming now to the last Budget of 1894-95, the estimated revenue was £4,235,000, ard the esti mated expenditure £4,301,098, by which it would be seen that the estimated re venue was £66 098 less than the estimated < expenditure. But of course that would nob do ab all, and so a 6um of £117,800, the amount cf debentures to be issued under the Consolidated Stock Act, was passed Into the consolidated fund, wth the result thab instead of thare being a deficit, a surplus of £51,702 was shown He would now refer his hearers to table II of the last budget, where it showed a surplus of £290,238. He wished them to remember that the surplus was a con tinuous surplus, carried on from year to year j and he wished them to bear in mind that when the Ballanoe Government took office Mr BaUarci adm'fc.fd in his first Financial Statement that he had a surplus in hand from his predecessors of £144 000 Now here was the way the annual surplus w«s male up The amount carried for ward from the preceding year was £283 779. The excass of receipts over expenditure for 1893 94 was £266 679, making what was called a gross surplus of £650,458. But there was no such surplus ab all. That amount had to be dealt with in this way. There was a sum of £250,000 passed into the public works account, and there was a sum of £10,220 paid out of the consolidated fund to the Cheviot estate, making a sum of £260.220 to deduct"from the gross surplus of £550.458 That brought rhe actual surplus for 1893 ---94 down to £290,238. But when they remembered that £250^000 was borrowed for the purchase of Cheviot; that the Go vernment had £144,500 in hand when they came into office ; and that the surplus was a continuous one, ib would bo evident to them that during the four and a-half yews thab the Goverament had been in office their finance Jiad gone to the bad to the tune of £100,000, and that the surplus had not been genuine at all —(Applause.) l: Bub." Said the Government, " whatever you may siy against our finance, we have carried on public works out of revenue— we hive been a seJf reliant, non-borrowing Government." TH^ PUBLTC DTCBT

of the colony had really increased during the time the pr s;nfc Government had been in office by the exact sum of £1 530.568. The net deht in 1891 was £37,343.923, ar.d 5n 1894 it had rhen to £38 874 491; and what ho wani.-d his hearorsto reaise was that th's increase of tha debt was an annual increase The fi 'Hh year that the Government we c in f.ffhfl thy were in the -h\nda of Mr Balance, and the amount cf the increase in the debt that year wason'y £33L,00'J. But next year they beg-m to borrow more largely, and in 18*3 the debt increased by £468,864 The next year, when un fortunately th ir leader hid departed from them, and another man not so abls and not", understanding finance began to rul9 with an iron hand this colony, thoy borrowed £730,421. And this was a self reliant, non-borrowin? Government! But said the Government, " You don't know wh^t your are talking about. The debt is only apparentj it is not a real debt We have a good explanation why it i*> increased. It is only increased on account of the conversion of our loans at a high rate to a low rate of interest, and there is a considerable rrduction in the amount of interest, and by that amount the colony is a gainer." He (the speaker) had, how ever, taken the trouble to work out the increase of debt for last year, 1894, and found thao the increase from new loans was £619.746, increase from conversions £1,038180, and sinking fund set free £161,846,1 making a total of £1,819,772. From that they had to deduct decrease pf loans paid off £187,151, ana" loacs con verted £90,2 2QO, which left a net increase

0f£730,42L If they deducted the Ipans converted, £902 200, from the increase of conversion, £1,038,180, there was an inceeaseof £135,980. whichleft a totaltbat was a little under £f>oo.ooo of new loans. It was right he should say something upon the question of the LA.ND FOR SETTLEMEWC.

No person was more anxious than himseif to sea people settled upon the land. He thought that was of vital importance to them all, and farmers would welcome every man who assisted his brother farmer —he might be described as a brother in misfortune. (Hear hear). He believed in the freehold tenure ; there was nothing like it. (Applause) Unless man hsvi freehold tenure they never felt s *fe, never cared to beautify the place as they would if they hai freehold tenura. He had com menced by saying he was anxious to pat people on the land, but he did not beli-ve the time hid come when it was desirablo that the Government should take land from anyone. (A.voica —Yes). Take up any newspaper and look at the advertise ments, and it would be found there Is land for sale all o or the colony. So long as thsre ware millions of acres in tin hands of the natives, aod hundreds ot. thoimnf's of acres in the open market for Govemm nt to a» aid buy, there was no mcasbitv to <ake tbe land away from ary re. Take hi.nsolf for instance lie hvl bi>e'i thirty ye *rs a farmer in tho colony. He took up a pipoo of rough country, land that ihe yoiino men present that night would not dare to >ake up ; and yet it had heen said —V Oh you have no right to tin land,"and It shOi/jd b taken away." if thejr had to do rw**t he and' th<* early ; settlers had to do ftey would know what huriahip was, Ke had spent thirty years of nia life in im proving th*t property, and then heshotfil be told he woull ba compensated by a certain number' of sovereigns These' ware no compensation for him. He had ljlved there all his life,'seen"his family grow up; plant ad with his own lands the; trees that had grown ,up, and the hedges tfiitprbtesifcei him jxqm'wind and'storm. He had done this in his early <T*ys, "and he had not to do it now. To the Govern ment) perhaps this was only so much shelter provided, but to him it repre sented the labor of a lifetime, and round it centrpi alj the loving associations of his family- (applauae)—&rid'sH it to every farmer who had so sp?nfc his life. (Jjoud applause). Why dispossess these men when it was known others were anxious to sell who had land|? Why should a man who wants to hold the land have it taken *w»r from him?

CHEVIOT. Htd they realised what it cost to pub t-eople on thy Jiiii.i, and that tluy were liable for the coso If aoythii g went wrong? He would take Cheviot for eximp'e, which was always quoted »a a saceesj-fui small settlement. There were 317 persons put on Cheviot. (4. voice, " Or»e of the settlers is In > shhurton now I:) Well, he hoped ihit he was lure that night. Of ■ that number 45 were the o cupiers of qa*rter-aere cue ious in townships, and 2~> nmall buburlan allo m-nts, and »he?e 72 oui-. "f t h 317 ccjupatita «f the laud left 245 people settled on Cheviot. 'Jhe sum of £260,03J was given for the land, irrespee iyo of fBO 000 spent on roads and bridges, which would bring the cost of settling each person on the land to £10614i5|i. He was anxious to settle every man he could on the land/but did they think . hat £1061 4a of i, should be spent in patting one man on Cheviot t£e did not thi ik it w^ fair that the whole credit of the colony shouid be pledged to tha*: extent for such a «mall re sult. Then it might be said, after all, that it was a complete success, but he re gretted to say ie was not. When he was in Christchurch the other day he saw a letter from a Cheviot settfer—a man who went there with capital and expended the whole of his capital in itnpioving his property, with the result that he had written to the Government to say that if they pressed him for his rent he oould not pay It, and the only alternative was for the Government to resuma his land, and though the public might be sorry for'the men they must* be sorry for tbemaelven also, for if the men could not pay their rent the colony mast bear the loss—and he said this, that if these men could not pay the rent it was not a fair thing thac the taxpayer should be made to do bo.

POJIAHAKA. He did not purpose speaking at any length about the Pomahaka purchase, bub he would point out this: that the only land which had been bought and dtalfc with since this policy of compulsory land acquisition had come into force had been land sold in the open market. Was that not significant ? He maintained that the price paid for the Pomahaka estate was utterly improper, and that this had been fully proved by the proceedings in the Assessmtnb Court in which the valuation had been raviewed. Although the settlers were charged by the Government at the rate of £4 par acre for that land the valuation was 1 educed by a competent local authority to £2 10a, and the speaker asked in the name of common honesty whether it was not the duty of the Government to remit co those settlers the awful rent they had been called on to pay, pg that they might be able to make a living. Let his hearers bear in mind that

this was part of the Government land scheme, and that the people of the coloay would have to make good any rental which was short because the Government hid paid an exorbitant price for tho land. BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.

They would remember that on a certain day the Government came to Parliament, and without any previous notice they were told ih?y had to pasa that day be fore they rose a Bill guaranteeing to the Bank of New Zealand a sum of two millions of money, with interest liable at the rate of four per cent per annum. He was afraid that the public had not under stood whit was done, and that the colony Had not heard the last of that Bil), Not only did we guarantee £2,000.000 with the responsibility for £80,000 a year interest if anything went wrong, bub we had taken on onr shoulders the whole responsibi i'y of the Bank of New Zea land. Ie was a most serious position, aid how it c-ma about waa this: One day about 1.30 p.m. the Premier sent hint a message asking him to go and ate him in the Cabinet room. He went up, and there met Sir Robert Stout and Mr Mitchehon. The Government said they took thrm into confidence about ihe Bink of New Zea land, but he told that meeting that they did no such thing. (Applause;, The Premier told tbem that a great catastrophe was mrainen*-, and that unless »h<s colony came to the rescue of the bank ihat insti tution would in all probability be unable to carry on its business and a very dire catastrophe would envelop New Zealand

from one end to another. But that was

not taking them into confidence. The Government did not tell them even the amount the colony vtas a^ked to guarantee. w hafc could the Opposition do ? Thty had no information, and they were unable to gain any. They pleaded for time, they pleaded fcr a committee, and they pleaded for information, but barriug a bald narra tive from the Treasurer they got no information. All the burdens of the bank were now transferred to the broad shoulders of the taxpayers of New Zea land, and so long as everything went well they would know nothing about it, but if anything went wrong—they would have to face the question. It seemed to him like endorsing a promissory note, and they all knew when you endorsed a promissory note for anyone you realise there is a very good change of having to meet it. (Laughter). And that was their position. They had endorsed a promissory note and they might be called upon sqme day or another to meet it, and their responsibilities did not end there. Ifc seemed to him that the purchase of lan 4 might be intimately associated with the Bank of New Zealand, and be wanted the public ro keep their $yes sharply on all purchases so they might come to the con* elusion whether they were made In the interests of settlement or in the interests of the Bank of New Zealand (Applause). He wanted tham to watch oarefully and see whether lands were being sold to the Government—he would not say under the influence of the bank, bat h« asked to watch —which would not be sold to any bo-I y else, Re pointed out that in the Speech from the Thrt na on the 22nd of June the .Go vernor was maJe by his 4dvisers to say that the position of New Zealand aff jrded cause for real satisfaction, and yet just: one waek afterward 3 this Bank of New Zealand Bill va* brought down, and the Housa was told that unless they pissed the Bill in all its sUsfea a dire catastro phe would come upon New Z'aland. When ths speaker criticised the Bill he asked what right had the Government; to toll the colony that the position of New Zealand was mort satisfactory when they must have known that an appalling <vuas*rr>phfl was lo >ming over the colony. Tho Premier repliel ila* Me? did not k-vw ifc at the. tim<\ T'S'emvl io him (Oaptai i Russ°i') hat i' li*t s;i em-nt w s 'rue, Miah tharo must h.-iv-> lo.in culp<\hl<4 n^ligfnnf om-?h<* i ?.rt of 'hft- Colonel T.re<»sur r jp knovinar s^li'^e of. the condition oj "a bvifc w"h>-h held a 1-irge sm^unt of the p'i>>'ie funds, or, if it was not true, it sowed that Parliament was beiaor kept in. blissful ignorance so that no opportunity might be alven of inquiry into l§. The matter had hee.n further Complicated because the Premier, speaking a'V W.anganal, sajd it wag not o»Hl three, weeks after his E^ellency'u ?^-)]] *; nafc the Government knew any -^Jfljf'-abo^t the l^ank catastrophe, and Muleeves, too, speskinor at a later «tt(ge t sad t^e Government had only a few d»ys* n>tlae, while Mr John McKerzjie, spe»k '"}%%■ P,unedin, told his audience that ti^a . Gro^Vament had knosjn te^ months be^ foreih'af'the BUnk of N^w Zealand W in dfctauUies, and' he took credit co tha Gov^hmiant fpr the 'clever way [n w^ich it hd kept trie 'secret unti,! tlp,e VK^b moii^nt. They could believe the^ all If fheyikud. He'Sid not n«je li^ow they couldf but he no doubt negotiations h^ Wen going on ka> some months. I* \sras asfed why the Opposition went on raltering the same charees ; and the an!jwe^V A B,_-. Rg long as Ministers per- Bisted.in putting their venion of the 6toryj6efore the country, ftbta po |oi)|

THE ASHBUBTON GUABDIAN: FBfDAX, APRIL 19, 1896.



KL'Siness Notices ' N Ef.W GOODS. G. J. N EI L L. I ACE Curtains Is lid pur Table Damask Is 31 Heavy Winter Dresses Ladies' Jackets and Dlsters at the very lowest possible price BY kits of all descriptions from 7i H<* pair All Wool Fhnnel B§d, Shetland, Grey, and White Men's Tweed Suits, 14s 61 Men's Tweed Trousers 6s lid Boys' Tweed Suits 3s lid Tweed Caps 6d BOOTS. BOOTS. Women's Shoes, 4s lid Men's Boots, 7s 6d ALL BOOTS COST PRICE AT G. J. NEILIi'S PRIBDLAKJDBR'S- CORNER, EAST STREET. FLETCHER BROS. A RE JUST LANDING THE FOLLOWING GOODS FOR COMING SEASON, 100 CASE* WHITE ROSE KERO- 50 CASES " LIGHT 01? THE AGE " SENB, 150 per cent Test. KEROSENE, 150 per cent Test. These two brands of Kerosene are the Safest and Best Light-giving Oils Procurable. 5 Tons Moir's New Oatmeal 5 Ovvt Oatina or Rolled Oats in Packets 5 Cwt Gennina and Bags | Ton Golden Syrup in 561b tins J Ton Black Treacle in 561b tins g Cases „ „ „ 281b „ 4 Oases „  „ 28lb „ 8 „ -,/'  », 141b „ 2 „ „ „ „ 141b „ 5 „ „ „ »> 71b  5 „ „ i, » 7ib a 5 „ .„  „ 41b , 5 „ „ „ „ 41b „ 5 „ ,» •» » 21b „ 5 „ „ „ „ 21b „ I Ton Wheatmeal SUGAR. SUGAR. SUGAR. Wu have just made a contract with the Auckland Sugar Refining Com pany to be supplied with their finest No 1 Sugar at a greatly Reduced Hate. Enquire our price before going elsewhere % Dairy Salt. Dairy Salt, We have just received a Consi.^nmant of the Finest Reilned Dairy Salt. g Tons Fine Salt in lewt bags 2 Tods Fine Salt in sGlb bigs •2 , : „. „ Hlb „ 2 „ „ „ 71b „ JCTST ARRIVED—A Splsndid Line of Hudson's Water Biscuits in 41b tins, to be cleared at Is 7d per tin. lins Free. FLETCHER BROS., C^SH SUPPLY STORES, ASHBDRTON AND CHBISTOBX ROH. CARPETS, LINOLEUMS, RUGS, MA.TS, etc., AT T. H. UNDRILL & Cos. JUST landpd. a choice assortment of the above, tote sold at the Lowest T^ossiljlg Prices Also a shipment of Best Kapok for BEDS, PILLOWS, CUSHIONS, etc. Those requiring warm beds for the Winter would do well in getting our prices early We have also a Large Stock of IRON and BRASS BEDSTEADS from £10 iOs to 25a. Austrian, American, and Colonial CHAIRS. FURNITURE of all kinds, our own make. PICTURE FRAMING to suit all Pictures. -NOTE THE ADDRE «— I EXT BUILDING SOCIETY, TANCJUED STREET. / NEW TAILORING DEPARTMENT IN Order to meet the times we have opened a New Department, and wiih the j latest improved machinery and skilled labor, wb have effected the following REDUCTIONS in prices. NEW ) Men's Fashionable All wool Tweed or Serge Saita to measure, DEPARTMENT. / 47a 6d, 555, 57s 6i, 60.*, 65 1, 70j, 75a, 80i. HS, ) Men's Fashionable All Wool Tweed or Serge Suits to measure, DEPARTMENT, J (Hand Sewn) 77s 6i, 82 3 6d. 90, 93j lOOj. r^jpfea The prices quoted are in both departments for the same quality auifcinscs. kjsf3» xiie reductions of 17s 61 to 20i per suit in the New Department repre sent the difference in the cost of labor and extras. Our long established reputation is a sufficient guarantee for FIT, QUALITY, 1 and WORKMANSHIP in both Departments. The Largest Stock of Tailoring Goods in the District to choase from. ( craighkabTberrymaii TUB LEADING TAILORS AND OUTFITTERS, ASBBUBTON. * «1



Wanted. v ANTED Known.—There will be V»' no practice of the Wesleyan ch< ir to-night, 4 149



WANTED Known—Wo have l>ten appointed Sole Agen's for the Sale of tha famous *' More Poi k" Br.«nd



NKVV CUItE BACON. Supplied wholesale orte »il. —A. Lawrib AND Co., Saunders' Bu Idings 4 147



BOOKS -The Genuine Clearing Sale at; grean reduc i >na will be con tinued at my shop - J, Marsden, Tancred street. 4127



J'JST Arrived, ex Aoran£>i, the bejt and cheapest shipment 11 Bicycles ever landed in New Zeal aid. Prices £10 and £16 — Carson and Co. 4 134



IV] EVER suoh a chance before in Ash i^l barton. Friday and Saturday onlf. Mrs Adams, being compelled to realize on her stock, will refuse no reasonable c ffer for anything in store. Easter prt sen's Easter gits 4 97



WANTED To Rent.—A House of about six rooms, in or near Ash button. Apply Box 34. 4 85



TO Let or for Sale—Seven-rcomed House, with half acre of land, planted with Fruit Trees, and Tenoia Lawn; in thw most healthy part of the town, close to the Domain. Terms very easy. Apply Robert Aicorn. 436



WANTED KNOWN.-Warm carpei slippers for Winter wear, girls 9d, Is, women's Is 9J.— W. H. Collier, " The Corner."



WAN TED KNOWN—The celebrated Yarmouth Oilskins can be ob tained at W. H« Collier, "The Corner."



VI T ANTED Known — Great Bargains W. are now being given for Cash in (all departments. B«fcre laying ott your money for Drapery, Boots, etc , give us a call.— H. C. Segers, Melford House*



WANTED Known — Mrs Hooper (monthly nuree) is open to accept engagements. Apply, by letter, to Mrs Hooper, Alford Forest Koid, Ashburton, 11*134



A UTUMN DRESSES, Splendid Variety, Lowest Prices. See windows G, L. Beath akd Co., Tan cred Street. 2 202



WANTED Known, — Spectacles, Eye Protectors, Goggles, Folders, and everything in the optical line at S. Saxek's, Optician.



WA N.TKD KNOWN. — F. S Jkffries, leading Confectioner and Fruiterer of Ashburton, East Street, nexb the Corner. Ice Cream*, Fresh Fruits, Confectionery, Summer drinks of every description. lea a*; reasonable rate* Ladies Room a specialty. 1*153



ROBERT ALCORN has opened in Baker's Buildings, next the Court house, with a stock of Clothing, etc, bought at Edwards, Bannett's and the Kaiapoi. S%les, the cheapest lot of goods ever brought to Ashbnrton. Also an assortment of Boots.



f F. ANDREWES & CO.—Sals now M» on of Surplus Strck of Fancy Goods, Toys, Books. Stationery and Account Books, and all a*; greatly redoc d prices for cash, at L F. Andrkwrs &Co



■,» ANTED Kvery Lady to try W Madam Balcojibe's I'atenb Ex panding Belt Corset (ivgi*.rer-d), guaran teed whalebone ih'ouglmut Orders leff it Mr E. .H"ill's, Herbalist, Ashburton. will receive prompt attention. 10 86



( 1 UNS ! Guns ! Guns ! My new stock '~X of Gunsj ust to hand direct from •he manufacturers. Douhle and Single Barrel Breech L aders. Rifles, etc Jn <pection invited. No old stock to select from at J. W. Hakdley's Sporting Repository



Sharps. Bran, Bra-. I ~ you a c xt quirii-g either of the above for your Pi ; ;s or C.ttle enquire cur Pic? Iti-fure buying elsewhere. Special quota t ions for ton lots. Flour at Mill Price — Fletcher Bit rs , Ashburton.



You Irv tht New Venus Tobacco /CHOICE FKUjTs,— Peaches, bananas, V^ ©ranges, lemons and trmitoes, at H. A. Flower, Ftuirer and Conf c'ioner. East street. OWN Make In ladies' and Children's Underclothing, Aprons, and Pina fores ; also a good assortment of Calicoes, Vluslins, Flannelettes, Trimming", etc.! 'at Mes Alcorn's new shop, Bdkei's Buildings.



WANTED Known.—That our New Autumn Goods are now on view. Novelties in all Deparlments. Landing x Tongariro 4 eases FJanelletes.— Mjt- CKBLL AND 'URNER.



FINEST Separator Butter, the best brand In the market, lid per lb.— Fletcher Beoß., Ashburton.



IMPORTANT To Men! Mitchel an© T^KysE Outfitting Specialists Style, Fit, and Good Value in all cases.



BANG ! Bang j Bang ! My now sea son's stock of Ammunition to hand Eley'e, Kynock's and, 01ui> Cartridges, Powder, Shot, Caps, Wads, Cases and all sporting materials of the first quality at J. W. Hartley's, Gun Emporium



CASH, CASH. Drapery, Boots, Cloth ing, efc. New Goods just opened. Everything reduced for Cash.—H. C Segbes, Melford House.



BOY'S and Girls Own Annual, British Workman and Workwoman, Tnfanc's Magazine, Th© Pr:;;e, Child's Companion, Children's Friend, Little Dot, Family Friend, Band of Hope, Youns; England, and other New Books at Lowest Prices.— L. F. Akdrgwes and Co. It 98



CHOICE New Season Fruit. Grapes, Peaches, Pines, Plums, Bananas, Apples, Apricots, and Tomatoes , the foeajb in town.—ftDASt^, Siundern; Buildings.



\lf ANTED Known—We are reducing V* the whnle of our Draperp, Boots, C'otbing, etc, For Cash. New Dresses, New Jackets, New Kats, etc , will all be reduced. —H. 0. Sg»jbh3, Melford House.



WANTED Known.—We are d»ily receiving additions to our large "G->od Value" Stock —Mitchbm, asp Turner, Drap3rs and Clothiers, Tanered Street.



WANTKD Known —The Mrssiss %sivs3it\vif have started Dress makiag, and haying a tiiof knowledge of the businees, combined with j»q4er,ate chirges, hope to reeeiee a share of the Diblic pitronape. Addtesg: Tangred ' tree 1, next to JHI W. Hall, Herbalist.



WANTED Known -That if you are in Ef/ant of a firsii class article in sum mer Borta «.iv? Shoes, you cannot do better than call at |. Mp/son's ; you will get the very beat at reduced #i:«:es. Ah for his own make, they are well known t,y the delight of the wearers, throughout the .Australasian colonies. Repairs well done and at once Premier Boot Maker, Town Hall Boot Store. E-*ct street, Ashburton Ail tin Ragt—Tht New Vmt 7ripc(»



riHRISTMAS Present, Choice Orna \J ments, Zithers and Jew's Harp?, Balls acl Dolls for everybody from Id each ; Jointed Dolls for 63, Sleeping Beauties Is. Chinese Conquerors 6d, Russian Embassies Is, Walking Men, Talking Dolls, Scotch Greys, and Ennis killen Dragoons all wonderfully cheap at Mrs alcorns Ladies' Underdo lung and Fancy Bazaar, Havelock street. NEW GOODS. NEW ZEALAND CLOTHING FACTORY. rpHE Largest and bast assorted Stock of Men's Mercery in the ( Distriot. New Shapes in ~ HARD AND SOFT FELT fej « HATS, H q NEW TIES. *" - * CALL AND INSPEGr OUft O «i NEW GOODS. C 2_ ■ o NEW ZEALAND CLOTHING FACTORY, ALEX. HENDRY, Manager.



Holloway's Pills and Ointment exert a rapidly favorable effect in all t'^.ose diseases >vj(jiob ?.re induced by exposure to damp or by great changes i# temperature 1 hey will therefore be found eminently serviceable to those who work in iron foundries! cop^ey mines and collierieg, These well known remedies present manifest advantages in respect of use and effectiveness, being entirely compounded of vegetable drugs selected with the greatest care and regard less of price. When used in accordance with r tlie ample printed directions which accompany them, they act surely but mildly and do ndt interfere Hvith the daily work. There are but a few didea'Ws 'which are not capable of cure—or, at all events, cf great relief—if Hollow ay'« remedies are pbroevor* toflyuwd.