SHIPPING.

PORT OF LYTTELTON. ARRIVED. March 19 —Ringarooma, s.s. from Nelson. March 19. —Taupo, s.s., from Northern ports. March 19. ports. March 19- -Southern Cross from Napier. Sailed. March 19 —Ringarooma, s.s., for South and Melbourne. . ....... March 19 —ilawea, s.s., for Northern ports.

POST OFFICE NOTICES

' Mails at the Ashburton Post Office close as follows *. — For Christchurch and North at 10.20 a.m., 4 p.m., and 7.30 p.m., daily. For Chertsey at 10.20 a.m. daily. For Rakaia at 10.20 a.m., and 4 p.m. daily. For Ashburton South, Winslow, Hinds, Coldstream, RangiUta, Orari, Winchester, and Geraldine at 10.30 a.m. daily. For Ashton, Waterton, and Longbeach at 2.45 p.m. daily. For Greenstreet, Ashburton Forks, Mount Somers, and Ashburton Gorge on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10,30 a.m. For Temuka, Timaru and South at 10.30 a.in. and 3 p.m. daily.

The Evening Echo. TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1878.

No able, earnest, and honest public man should expect to live long without incurring a great deal of ill-will, and receiving a great deal of abuse. II he is honest in the public interest he must often tread hardly on the toes of those who would manage public affairs in the selfish interests of themselves and their friends ; and no persons are so ready to -resort to abuse and discover bad motives for others as those who feel their own interests sacrificed to the public good. The man who timidly follows —the man who waits for the tide to turn and then goes with it—is often let off very easily by both parties ; but the man who has a mind of his own, who sees farther ahead than his neighbours, who thinks with indepen dence and acts with resolution, is sure to earn some hard names for himself; and though he may ensure both friends and admirers, he is quite sure not to be without active abusers.

Sir George Grey early learned this by experience, and must now be well case hardened to it. At a comparatively early age he was called on to take, not the nominal, but the real governorship of a colony of good sterling English settlers, which had, by gross misgov ernment and mismanagement, been re duced in a few months to a state of such complete bankruptcy that the public servants could not be paid, and even the prisoners could hardly be fed in the gaol.

With a vigorous hand and a firm will he set about the remedy—not the easy and - popular remedy of floating a great loan, but the arduous and unpopular remedy of cutting the coat according to the cloth, and reducing every establish ment and every salary to the limit of the young colony’s means. In dealing with the Natives of New Zealand, Sir George at once saw that the great object to be attained was to find some attractive employment for their restless energy, to induce them to be more dependent on the comforts and luxuries of civilization, and to make them individually the possessors of landed and other fixed property, thus at once to disqualify them for their favorite occupation of erratic warfare, and to give them a direct and powerful interest in the maintenance of order and stability. For this purpose he granted land to individuals amongst them ; he encouraged enclosures, culti vation, and stock-breeding, in every way possible. Mills were erected for the Natives at public expense, machi nery purchased, and engineers and

millers sent to work for and instruct them. By the-way in which he paid them for any land they liked to sell, he kept them well supplied with sugar, flour, blankets, clothes, and all the luxuries which we have learned to con sider as the necessaries of life, and which it was desirable that they should be taught to regard in the same light. This policy was denounced by some of the noisy and unthinking portion both of the British and New Zealand public, and especially by many of the news papers, and ridiculed as “ Sir George Grey’s sugar and blanket policy.” Sir George was often held up in the public papers as the temporizing Governor, who had lowered the prestige of the British flag by stooping to bribe a few arrogant savages, instead of giving them one or two wholesome exhibitions of what the British lion could do, and showing them the danger of daring to trifle with such a power. The proud and excitable Natives, always thirsting for an excuse to exchange the comfort able drudgery of a peaceful life for something more in accordance with their previous habits and inclinations, found that they were being often written about as mere paupers on the Government, who neither could nor .would fight, but who contrived to make Sir George Grey believe that they were going to do so whenever they wanted a little more sugar or flour. Notwith standing all this mischievous writing, Sir George steadily carried out his wise policy, and had done much to reform the Native habits, when, in 1854, he was unfortunately transferred to the Cape Colony, which was supposed, in consequence of a war with the Kaffirs, to be in more need of an able Governor. His work in New Zealand had been done so effectually that neither the colonists nor the Imperial Government knew what a difficult and delicate task he had in hand, and little dreamt of the consequences that would follow his removal. In such an uphill work, it was, of course, easy for a feeble ruler to undo, in a few weeks, all that Go vernor Grey had done in nine years; but it is difficult to understand how any successoi could be so reckless as to remove all those wise and evidently needed restrictions on the sale of arms and ammunition which he had been so careful to enforce. Yet even this was done by Governor Browne, and in the following three years the Natives pur chased no less than £50,000 worth of arms and ammunition, which they after wards used with deadly effect against the Europeans who so insanely supplied them with destructive weapons. We need hardly say that Sir George was never long popular with that party which has hitherro ruled New Zealand ; and those who listen to him this even ing will not have far to seek for the reason why.

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We beg to remind our readers that, as we announced yesterday, Sir George Grey will address a public meeting to night in Ashburton. The meeting will be held in the Library Hall, and will commence at eight o’clock. Apart from Sir George’s position as Premier of the Colony, and the circumstances under which he assumed that position, throughout his long life and close con nection with the colony he has enjoyed opportunities for acquiring a compre hensive knowledge of New Zealand politics, such as have never been within the reach of any other colonist, and withal he has no superiors and few equals as an orator amongst the many eloquent men in our Parliament. Our

readers will do themselves an injustice if they do not Hear him. Cooper and Baliey’s menagerie, &c.> perhaps the biggest thing of; the kind travelling, will visit Ashburton on the 29th inst. We would remind our readers who have not yet registered themselves as electors, that the end of March will put it beyond their power to do so. An attempt was made last night at Timaru to injure the racehorse Temuka by cutting his legs. The perpetrators' are unknown.

Not long ago Hunter’s claim at Wetherson’s (Otago), came into the hands of its present owners for £55. The last washin3 gave 185 ounces. Some months ago an Otago family woke up and found themselves pos sessed of something like £60,000 through the death of a female relative in Scotland. The ' fortune vyas" quite unexpected, as it was known that the deceased relative had intended to leave her immense wealth to a stranger. It appeared, however, that she had quarrelled with her intended heiress, had revoked her will, and dying intes tate, had left her property to be divided among her relatives. The following extract from a Home paper has refer ence to the event: —“ In the Second Division of the Court of Session at Edingburgh last week, an action was commenced, at the instance of Mrs Charlotte Temple or Yeatman, and her husband, for the reduction 1 of a deed of revocation. of a will made by Miss Macphtrson Grant, of Aberlour, Banff shire, deceased, who inherited property from an uncle valued at from £206,000 t 0 £300,000. She, taking a liking for Miss Temple, who was the daughter of the High Sheriff of Wiltshire, made her heiress, by a will, in. 1873. Miss Temple married in 1876, and before the end of the year Miss Macpherson Grant exe cuted the deed of revocation,, sought to be reduced. She died at the be ginning of last year (1877). The object of the action was to prove that when the latter deed was signed, Miss Mac pherson Grant's intellect was affected through tippling, and also from the effect of a fire which occurred at Aber lour House in 1876. After the opening speech, the case was compromised by the pursuers agreeing to' accept ,£IO,OOO.

CORRESPONDENCE.

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.

To the Editor of the Evening Echo.

Sir, —A short time ago a very useful officer in the township was appointed/ namely, an Inspector of Nuisances, in the person of a gentleman whom every one will admit is well-qualified for the position. But however efficient, his inspection of the town will serve no good purpose unless active measures are taken by the powers that be to remedy the evils which may come under his observation. At the rear of certain premises in East Street I have seen a standing nuisance, in the shape of all sorts of fil th in a gully, which in all conscience should be immediately filled up by somebody, if ,the .people living in the neighbourhood are to be saved from disease, and perhaps some thing worse. Here is a warning voice from Sydney, announced by telegram : “ Typhoid fever is raging to a fearful extent near Sydney, and numerous deaths have occurred.” 1 Yours, See., ■

Pro Bono Publico,

March 19. [The work of filling up commenced this afternoon. —Ed. E. E.]

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

( Special to the Globe.)

/ [By Submarine Cable.] London, Saturday. In "wool there S is less animation. Fleece and greasy have declined a }4d. to a id. compared with the opening rates. Scoured sells readily, In cross breds there is an average rise of id. compared with the last closing rates.'

AUSTRALIAN.

Sydney, Monday.

A verdict of £7OOO was given for Manning in the. Lord Ashley insurance case. A new trial will be moved for.

[Per Press Agency.]

Melbourne, Monday.

Floods in' the Yarra are doing great damage. The Melbourne water supply is cut off in consequence. The floods have damaged the River Plenty bridge, and the.aqueduct-from.the Yan Yean, which will be repaired within a week. The Governor has received another message from the Home Colonial Office, but it is strictly private. All efforts to bring about a compromise between the two Houses' have failed, thbugh both appear desirous that in the meantime matters should go on quietly, but in any case the Government (have three hundred thousand pounds to carry on tiff the end,.of July. ~, „ . The/Chihibordzo imade 1 a 4*2 days' passage, and brought a large number of passengers. ! ' Tenders for the Stawell and ' Hor sham Railway have been accepted at .£2,270 per mile. -The line will be 52 miles in extent.

Sir John Coode is examining Gipps land Rakes entrances. He proceeds to Sydney shortly, then Home, via Cali fornia.

The Sydney Government prevents members of the House acting as land agents.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Auckland, Monday.

The Rotorua survey party from Waikato have been taken prisoners by the Natives at Tohorua. Their theo dolites and chains were taken, and they were seized about midnight while sur veying by moonlight. The Natives are very indignant at what they call a bare faced attempt to deprive them of their lands. ~ ~ . , The Parihaka meeting was held yes terday. A large number of Natives assembled,, 1 'and ; several Europeans attended and' were hospitably received. A number of Natives -in European costume amused themselves by dancing quadrilles, &c.,- to an accordion played by a Maori. Te Kooti and a large number of chiefs were present. The Natives had expected that the Hon. John Sheehan; would have at tended. In the speech made by Te Whiti, he said he was in favour of

adopting European customs, except that of drinking, but- the land question, he said, was to be spoken of at another time. The Natives appeared to be muen disappointed that Mr Sheehan was not present.

Auckland, Tuesday. 'The Rotorua has'arrived. She left Sydney on the 12 th.

Higginson,: of New Caledonia, has issued a writ of libel ; for £50,0 against the Age newspaper. The military establishment at Fre mantle is to be broken up. The .Adelaide Political Association propose the abolition. of free immigra tion and the reform of the Upper House: - - - - ‘

THE EVENING ECHO, TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1878.