COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

POST OFFICE NOTICES.

MftUs st the Ashburton Post Office close a; follows «•”’* For Christchurch and North at io a.m., 4 p.m., and 7,30 p.m., daily. For Chertsey at xo a.m. daily. For Rakaia at 10 a.m., and 4 p.m. daily. For Ashton, Waterton, and Longbeach, at 3.15 p.m. daily. For Greenstrect, Ashburton Forks, Mount Somers, and Ashburton Gorge on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10.30 a.m. For Temuka, Timaru, and South at 10.15 a.m. and 3 p.m daily. For Tinwald, Winslow, Hinds, Coldstream, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, and Geraldine, at 10.15 a. m. daily. . Mails for the United Kingdom, via San Francisco, close in Christchurch at I p.m on Friday next.

UNCLAIMED LETTERS.

The following letters are advertised at the Post Office, as. having been received from places beyond the Colony, during the month of June, and remaMiang unclaimed on the Ist August, IS7B t Abrenfeld, Henry Curry, Peter (c/o Michael Sareetman) Kennedy, Hugh King, A L McDowell, John M, Mclirien, Tbos. Sevres, T. ' Wallace, John Letters originating in New Zealand are not now advertised, but are sent to the Dead jitter o &ee, after haying lain for tm dear month*.

The Evening Echo. THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1878.

Waterton—Cliurcli Opening.— The thriving township of Waterton was yesterday the scene of a festal gathering which gave great pleasure to the neigh borhood. The pretty little Church of SS. Philip and James was opened for Divine service in the afternoon, and a tea meeting was held in the evening, followed’by an entertainment. The choir of St Stephen’s Church, Ashbur ton, went down in the forenoon, and were entertained to luncheon by Mr John Grigg at his residence, Longbeach. Thence they proceeded to the church, where a full choral service was per formed, the officiating clergymen being the ministers of the district —Revs. W. E. Paige and H. Wyatt—the former preaching a- most impressive sermon. The Church was filled, and a satisfac tory offertory bore testimony to the con gregation’s earnestness in the cause. After the service an adjournment was made to the Longbeach schoolroom, which was elegantly and plentifully pre pared by the ladies of the neighbor hood for the reception of the guests. Tea over, a well-arranged programme was gone through, consisting of songs, glees, and readings Rev. E. H. Wyatt and Mr Grigg were the readers, and vocal contributions were given by Mr and Mrs Campbell, Miss M. Grigg, and Messrs T. and H. Gates. The audience crammed the schoolroom, and received every item of the programme with vociferous applause. Libel Case.—An article appeared in the Timaru He* aid of 3d August, in which Mr John Martin, recently called to a seat in the Legislative Council, was accused of having made free with what was not his own while carting goods and specie from a shipwreck in Welling ton Harbor many years ago. Mr Mar tin intends laying a criminal informa tion against the newspaper. Savings Banks in Schools.— Notwithstanding the protests of school masters against being burdened with the work of taking charge of the Sa vings Bank, department in schools, the Government have determined to put this system in force. The Government have issued an order that a supply of pass-books, account-books, and other papers, shall be furnished to the Edu cation Boards throughout the colony for the use of schools, and these are now in course of preparation, and will shortly be issued. Old Soldiers.—The Saturday Ad vertiser is not in love with “ old soldiers.” Referring to the Governor’s speech, our contemporary says s —“ The paragraph about the armament of the the colony we could have spared, but we have no wish to be critical on that point. If the protection of our hearts and homes be left under Providence to ourselves, we shall be content, but if there be an attempt to foist upon us any system whereby a cluster of sine cures is to be opened permanently for old soldiers, we shall decidedly object. On the whole the speech is good read ing, and we shall patiently wait to- see if the performance be equal to the pro mise.” Maori Ideas of Mourning.— A correspondent of .a Wanganui paper writes :—ln connection with the death of Te Reimana, an chief’ some little time ago, it is related that his, heirs, becoming possessed by his decease of some little property, thought fit to give the old man a respectable Euro pean funeral, so they sent down to a local storekeeper for a coffin. The coffin, decorated with crape and fringe and stuff, was taken up in a canoe, and Te Reimana was put in it and hawked round to two or three pahs in the neigh borhood before burial, to show how grandly the thing was done. The fringe, was then taken off the coffin and constructed into head dresses for the Jsdy friends of the deceased, and it is authoritatively stated that Te- Reimana s successor wears one of the German silver coffm plates upon his breast,

INQUEST.

An inquest was held •yesterday at Alford Forest, by Dr. Trevor, Coroner, on the death of Francis Stephen, aged 3 years. Mrs. Stephen, mother of the deceased, deposed to the child having been in good health up to the evening of Tues day, when, at 6 o’clock, he came in white and trembling, and so weak that he could hardly stand. Didn’t know what was the matter with him, and he couldn’t explain but only moaned. Put him in a warm bath and gave him a dose of castor, oil. He continued in this state till twelve o’clock at night, when he died. Was conscious up to the last. Wasn’t aware of his having received any hurt, but thought he might have fallen off some sacks piled up about four feet high, under the verandah just outside the door. George Stephen, father of deceased, deoosed to having seen the child alive and well at eight in the morning, when he went out to work, and finding him in the state described by his mother when he returned from his work in the evening. The child died at 12 o’clock at night. Was conscious to the last. Knew of no cause for the child’s sudden death.

Dr. Kesteven deposed that he had made a post ?nortem examination on the body of the deceased, and that he found on opening the abdomen a large quantity of blood effused into the ab dominal cavity, the origin of which was a vertical rupture of the liver, extend ing through its entire substance, in fact, entirely dividing it. The child had died from exhaustion through loss of blood, consequent on the rupture in the liver. He did not think the rup ture was the result of direct violence ; more probably would have been caused by a fall from the height of the sacks described by the mother. Not a fre quent occurrence, but such effects had resulted before from a similar cause.

The Coroner, summing up, drew the attention of the jury to the singularity of the case, which, he said, was a very rare occurrence, |but thought there was no reason to suspect that any violence had occurred.

The jury returned a verdict of “ Ac cidental Death.”

THE MAORI QUESTION.

.During a recent debate Mr. Fox, in referring to the meetings held at Hiku rangi and Waitara remarked “The most influential chiefs who had been identified with the Native trouble in the past were not present. Manuhiri was not present, nor Tawhiao, nor Te Whiti, nor even William King, the cause of all the troubles of the past.” 2e JVananga, the Maori newspaper, caustically states that those expressing such views evince “ a most lamentable ignorance, not only of Maori intentions and ways of action, but also the most profound want of knowledge of who the chiefs are who are leaders of rank and influence with the New Zealand tribes.” Our contemporary then points out that when the several tribes allied in the King movement and went to war with the Europeans, they soon found that they could not hold their own. “Lands were confiscated, and some of the allied tribes were made landless, while others held nearly all their great tribal terri tories. The landless tribes were in vited to settle on the lands of those tribes whose lands had not been taken. The landless have, and still continue to foster, the idea that a time will come when they will have their lands given back to them, but those tribes on whose lands they now live, waiting for this happy event, are becoming weary of the presence of these landless men. As the chiefs named by the honorable member we quote are in the category of landless chiefs, we do not see on what grounds the Premier or the Native Minister could talk to them, or even hear them speak. Rewi is the leading man in Waikato, Mokau, and even in Waitara, as all past history (not only of hereditary right but conquest) indicates, and for the Premier to have spoken to others, to the neglect of Rewi, would have been as absurd as for the honor and allegiance due to the Queen to be given to the Lord Mayor of London.” 'Our contemporary, which ought to pos sess the means of forming an accurate opinion on such a subject, declares that the action taken by Sir George Grey and the Native Minister, in holding those meetings, was most wise, and will lead to the most important results in having the king country opened up to settlement by means of roads and rail ways.

PARLIAMENTARY.

t ™ In reply to a question in the House of Repre sentatives yesterday, Mr Macandrew said il: was not proposed to make any provision to meet the case of persons employed on railways who suffered an injury in the execution of their duty. Every case would be dealt with upon its merits, allowing six months’ salary in case of death. He also said, in answer to Mr Seaton, that the Gazette would be supplied free of cost to Road Boards and Municipalities. Further oa he : aid Government would bridge the Taipo between Christchurch and Hokitika. He also stated that the Brogdens’ claims had been settled, and tabled the particulars. A lengthy debase arose on the Government advertising question, at the instance of Mr Fox, who moved for ret tins. One portion of the press accused the othrr of being corrupted through Govern ment s tpport thus given. If that was the case, it was a new thing in the colony. He twitted Ministers with the ownership of the New Zea lanier, and contended that Government adver tisements should be dispensed without regard to politics. Mr Stout replied, promising the return, but correcting Mr Fox in regard to the Wellington and Dunedin papers. Mr Joyce would advertise in every paper in the colony at a fixed rate, even if that were low. Mr Mac andrew would be glad to have a scheme devised to solve the advertising difficulty. Mr Joyce’s would cost an enormous sum. Mr M‘Lean supported Mr Joyce’s idea, but retailed the old Taupo land story about the Premier, who de nounced it as a foul slander. Mr Barton made a silly speech about a broad line of demarcation being made by advertising between the two sec tions of the press. The press, he said, ought to be made feel who was in and who was out. Several members were in favor of utilising the Gazette, having it posted at the telegraph and post-offices for public inspection. Mr Feld wick said that would be more expensive and less efficient than the present system. ' The debate was adjourned. At the evening sitting Mr Whitaker moved the second reading of his Parliamentary Repre sentation Bill. He delivered a lengthy speech in favor of his measure, ably urging its leading points. Mr Stout followed, arguing that the hon. member’s scheme was impracticable. Mr Turton saw in it an insidious design to oust Government and play into the hands of the rich as against the poor. It also placed too much power in the hands -of judges and return ing officers. Mr Wakefield announced his in tention of supporting the Government Bill in the hope of getting it amended in. Committee. The House adjourned at 12.35.

TELEGRAPHIC

LATEST FROM EUROPE.

[By Submarine Cable.]

London, August 13. The Russians are preparing to leave San Stefano.

The Austrians have entered Travnic after severe fighting. Constantinople, August 3:3. The Porte has ordered her troops to evacuate, Batoum. *• London, August 14. Deaths from the late Indian famine amount to 1,350,000.

(Special to the Wellington Post.)

London, August 12.

Extensive forest fires are raging in Siberia. They are supposed to be the result of design rather* than of accident. The Fenian prisoner Clancy has been pardoned and released from Chatham. It has been stated in the British Parliament that the English fleet will leave the Sea of Marmora whenever the Russians withdraw * from the vicinity of Constantinople. The Sydney Commissioner, Mr. Coombes, was banqueted by the Eng lish and French representatives at the Paris Exhibition. There was much enthusiasm displayed at the banquet, and the Australian wines and dishes were regarded as being exquisite. The contemplated occupation of Batoum by the Russians causes intense exciteihent, and another appeal has been made to England to interfere and prevent it. The Austrian occupation of Bosnia necessitates a fresh mobilisation of troops, which have been reinforced by 40,000 men.

AUSTRALIAN.

Sydney, August 14.

The Herald’s London correspondent says : —The Secretary for the Colonies desires to avoid re-appointing Sir H. Robinson Governor of New South Wales, but has extended his terra, to gain time to appoint a successor. Melbourne, August 14.

The Ringarooma arrived to-day. The Arawata left to-day with the Suez mails.

INTERPROVINCIAL

[Per Press Agency,]

Auckland, Wednesday,

At the conference between the pub licans and brewers to-day, the former agreed to forego the additional charged on beer. The price is to be is 6d per gallon as before, with the tax added.

A letter has been received from a trust worthy source at Raglan, which states that several meetings have been held recently among the King natives when the question of opening the harbour of Ravvhia to European traffic was dis cussed, The general views of the Natives are is favour of this, and in

anticapation that the harbour will soon be opened to European traders, the Maoris in the Kawhia district have sown over 500 acres of wheat this season, and a proportionate breadth of oats and barley is 111 cultivation. In this.district, now all the rage among the Natives, Tawhiao has a large house being built for him at Te Aku. It is now advancing towards completion, and it is expected that Tawhiao will specially mark the occasion of. taking possession of it by tokens of friendliness with the white settlers. As the results ol Sir G. Grey’s negotiations, Tawhiao has also decided, to visit Raglan again shortly, and on this occasion he is to travel all the way to the Waikato Heads to see the country, and will probably return' by way of Waikato River, passing through, several of the Waikato settlements. T Wanganui, Wednesday. A young man named Frank Marten was killed at the railway station at noon to-day, while* shunting goods carriages. The deceased, who was a porter, ran in between two timber trucks with the in tention of coupling them, but some timber protruding over the trucks caught him in the chest and back, and crushed him to death directly. Patea, Wednesday.

Up to yesterday the Waimate Plains Survey was proceeding satisfactorily, and there was not the slightest appre hension of any interference by the Natives, though a few Europeans riled at their prognostications not coming true, are said to have given false re ports as to the intentions of the Govern ment by asserting that fighting was in tended.

A YOUTHFUL MATRICIDE.

There is now occupying the Russian criminal tribunals a tragedy which throws into the shade the gloomiest imaginings of the old Greek playwrights. It is the murder of a mother by her son, a child nine years old. The story is one of the most appalling in the whole annals of human crime, and withal it is heart-touching as showing the misdirec tion of a noble nature. For the motive of the crime was honor, and the son slew his mother that hex blood might wash out the - stain her infidelity had put upon her husband’s name. The case is a most remarkable one. There seems to be no evidence of a vicious disposition on the part of the boy. On the contrary, he seems to have had a loving heart, and to have been tenderly attached to his dead father; but a cloud came over his young existence, when his mother, for getting her duty to the living and the dead, contracted an illicit alliance with a government employee The woman seems to have troubled herself little to conceal her amours from her son, thinking that a child. of such tender years would not be likely to pay any attention to her actions. She does not seem to have ever suspected the .pre cocious sensibility of her child. The boy, however, very soon began to sus pect the true relations existing between the stranger and his mother. The functionary entered frequently before the child’s eyes, and at ifnusuat hours, into the house that had belonged to the dead father.

The child felt himself cruelly injured by the dishonor cast upon his father’s memory, which had remained enshrined in his young heart like a sacred image. For a long time he concealed his anger and his shame ; but one day his indig; nation mastered him, and he resolved to make an effort to win his mother from the path of shame. Throwing aside all fear, he reproved the widow for her infidelity to her dead husband, arid besought her to return to her duty by respect to the memory of the dead and' out of respect to her son. The mother treated these remonstrances lightly, and burst out laughing at the child. Without even deigning to hear him to the end, she advised him to occupy himself with matters more ap propriate to his age. Several timesTe seems to have renewed his exhortations, always, however, meeting with the same reception. • Feeling that it was useless to appeal to the better nature of the mother, the child conceived the horrible design of washing out in her blood the stain she persisted in putting on his name, and which he° knew was no longer a secret to the neighbors. Hav ing once made up his mind, his thoughts became wholly absorbed in plans for carrying his vengeance into execution. Wherever he went he carried with him this idea of avenging the injured honor of his name. In solitude he pondered over it until it became in his eyes a holy duty. Beside this child of nine years taking upon his conscience the respon sibility of judge and executioner, think ing and planning before taking action, Hamlet, tormented by visions and simu lating madness, is oply capable of in spiring pity, The heart is moved at the thought of ‘the anguish the child must hays idug

the grave. This was for his infant hands a long, painful labor. When he had everything prepared he re solved to execute his terrible pur pose. One night, while his mother slept, he.armed himself with a hatchet and silently approached her bed. When his eyes rested on the author of his being bis resolution was shaken. He gazed on the face he had long loved and respected. The sight was too much' for his Childish heart, and, bursting into' tears, he fell on his knees ‘before his mother’s bed. There the morning light found him stretched in slumber with the deadly hatchet still clasped in his tiny hands. When the mother rose she was terribly frightened at the sight. She awoke the boy, who explained his presence by a peasant fable, and then took the opportunity to once more be seech his mother to dismiss her lover and return to the path of honor. She, however, lost her temper, and, ordering the child to hold his tongue, dismissed him curtly.-* This action of the widow decided her son to carry out his mur derous resolution. The following night he again entered his mother’s bedroom, and, finding her asleep, with one blow of the hatchet he killed her. He then took the body, which he dragged to the grave he had prepared, and there in terred it.

The trial of this strange matricide is progressing in the town ofValok, in the Government of Kharkow. Seldom have Russian people been so interested in a criminal trial, but the sight of a child nine years old, standing in the dock as the assassin of his mother is well calcu lated to excite compassionate sympathy among a people by whom the family ties are regarded with something of the respect of patriarchal times. Mr. Vlad mir, professor of criminal law at the University of Kharkow, has spontane ously undertaken the defence of the unfortunate child. ■ *

The Evening Echo, Thursday, August 15, 1878.

(Post.)



. ASHBURTON RETAIL LIST. d. s. d. s. Butter, inferior to best, lb I 4 to I 6 Eggs, $ dozen . - I 6 to 0 0 Bacon, prime smoked, $ lb o 10 to 0 0 Hams in cloth, $ lb - I 0 to p 0 Cheese, prime quality, ¥ R> o 9 to 0 10 Flour in bags, # ioolb 13 6 to 15 0 Oatmeal, $ ioolb - 26 0 to 0 0 Lard, & tt> - - * 0 9 to O 0



VSHBURTON TRADE DIRECTORY. K ICOUNTANTS AND COMMISSION AGENTS Charles Braddell, Montgomery’s Buildings H, J. Bristo, Prospect Buildings, East-st. \ XCHITECT AND CIVIL ENGINEER — S. W. Brown, East-street S. Farr, Montgomery’s Buildings B. Mountfort, East Street Auctioneers — Bullock and Co., East-street Saunders Bros., Ashburton Barristers and Solicitors — Mr. Branson, East-street Mr. E. G. Crisp, Montgomery’s Buildings Bakers, Confectioners, Etc.— Thomas Hicks, Tancred-street Taylor and Lill, East-street, Banks — Bank of New Zealand, East-street Union Bank of Australia, East-street Boarding House Keepers— J. G. Anstee, East-street Eagle’s Dining Rooms, Havelock Street Builders, Contractors, Etc.— James Baker, Havelock-street Geo. St. Hill, Burnett-street West G. Parkin, Steam Saw Mills, Moor-street Matthew Smith, Moor-stieet Thos. Williams, Tinwald Booksellers and Stationers — A, Weston, Prospect Buildings, East-street Furr.ess and Dixon, Stationers’ Hall, East street South Bootmakers — T. Chambers, Prospect Buildings, East-street M. Nealas, East-street Brewers — Wood and Co., Cameron-street Cabinetmakers and Undertakers — James Baker, Havelock-street G. Parkin, Moor-street Thomas Williams, 1 inwald Carrier— G. F. Scott, Cameron-street Chemist and Druggist— J. M. Cambridge, Montgomery’s Buildings Coal and Firewood Merchants — G. Parker and Co., near Railway Station A. Hayes, Firewood and Timber, near Rail way Station Drapers and Clothiers— Aitken and Co., Havelock-street Orr and Co., East-street John Fowler, Tancred-street Firth, Pass, and Co., Old Bank Store, East street W. Gavin, East-street T. Quinn & Co., Moor-street Engineers and Founders— Edwards and Lee, Engineers, Smiths, etc., Burnett-street W. J. Hessey, Central Foundry, Peters-st Furniture Warerooms— A. Spillard, Tancred Street Grocers, General Dealers, Etc.— Aitken and Co., Havelock-street Orr and Co,, East-street Firth, Pass, and Co,, East-street John Fowler, Tancred-street K. Sando, East-street Greengrocers— W. Birtvvell, East-street J, Mooar & Co., East*street Hairdressers— E, A. Garnett, East-street A. Pearse, Moore-street Hotels— Quill’s Commercial Hotel, near Railway Station Shearman’s Somerset Hotel, East-street "IKuNkongeßs- Orr and Co., East-street Aitken and Co., Havelock-street S. Hardley, East-street t.AteiEs’ Clothing Establishment— Mrs. Morey, Tancred Street. Painter, &-c.— j. R. Chapman, Tancred-street PRINTERS and Publishers — Fumc3s and Dixon, East-street Plumbers, Gas fitters, Tinsmiths, Etc.— J, C. Dolman, Tancred-street Joseph Hyde, Tar.crcd-stfeet §j 8. Hardlcy, East-stieet Saddlers— Thomas Hudson, Burnett-street Surveyors— C, E. Fooks and Son, East-street Tailors— Aitken and Co., Havelock-street Tentmakers— • K. Sando, East-street Tobacconists— A. Pearse, Moor-street E, A. Garnett, East-street A. Weston, East-street



NOTICE. Advertisements for. the evening Echo must be sent in not later than 3 p.m. and the number of insertions written plainly on the copy, or they will be inserted till counter manded, and charged accordingly. Special notices can be received up to 3.30 p.m. for insertion over the Leader, but will be charged double scale.



Education in N.Z.—'The number of schools in operation under the Edu cation Board in New Zealand during 1877 was 730, the number of teachers employed was 1400, and the number of scholars on the sqU was 71,95 s#



The average annual value of the musical instruments made in Paris dur ing the last six years has been 23,000,000 francs, divided among 360 makers, em ploying no fewer than 5000 workmen. Paris turns out every year, 1,320,000 francs’ worth of accordions. Pianos figure for 11,400,000 francs; organs, for nearly 5,500,000 ; wind, wood, and metal instruments, for nearly 4,000,000 ; but bowed instruments, for less than 500,000. Strangers coming to resale in Ashburton are often at a loss to knovrwhich is the best Establishment to visit for the purchase of Drapery, Clothing, and House-furnishing Iron mongery, and General Stores. ORR Sc Co. offer special advantages to the public that can be met with nowhere else in Ashburton. They keep at all times the largest and best-assorted Stock of every class of Goods, imported direct from the leading manufacturers at home, which beinp bought entirely upon cash terms, they are enabled to offer goods of such sterling value as cannot be equalled by any other house in the trade. Every article in stock is marked at the lowest price, from which no abatement is made so that the most inexperienced buy their goods at the same prices as the best judges.—Advt.



THISTLE LODGE, ASHBURTON. A ‘LODGE of Instruction in connection with the above Lodge will be held THIS (Thursday) EVENING, at 7.30 sharp. All Members are requested to attend as the bye-laws will be strictly enforced. By order of M. SMITH, R.W.M., " “ 'JOHN BLAND, Hon, Sec. TO LET. TWO-ROOMED COTTAGE. Apply to MR. T. KIDD, -J G • Canteron Street.



ELECTION OF MAYOR. R. THOMAS BULLOCK Invites the M R -. Residents of the Borough of Ashburton to meet him at the TOWN HALL ON SATURDAY, NEXT, At 8 p.m.



ASHBURTON BOROUGH ELECTION. A MEETING of DONALD WILLIAM* SON, Esq’s, Working Committee, will be held at the Commercial Hotel, on THURS DAY EVENING, at 8 o’clock. W. R. BOYLE, Secretary,



TENDERS arc invited for the Erection of Shops and Ofiices, &c., to be erected at Ashburton for Messrs. Saunders Bros., Plans and specifications may be seen at my office in St. Asaph street, where tenders will be re« ceived up till TUESDAY, the 20th hist, The lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted, J, 3, M, JACOBSEN, famty fan CMitetofy