ASHBURTON RETAIL LIST.

The Evening Echo. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1878. PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS.

[from our own correspondent.]

A pugilist would have been delighted, a patriot would have been grieved, a poli tician would have been instructed, and a preacher would have been fortified, by witnessing the proceedings in the House of Representatives last Thursday after noon. The scene on the Government benches was well worth the study of a painter, a physiognomist, or a moral philosopher. The Government had been driven to bay by Mr. George M £ Lean on their attempt to put the telegraph wires at the service of three of their friends and flatterers, to the exclusion of the press. Letter after letter had been dragged out of them, excuse after excuse had been made for futile attempts to hold them back fron their merciless persecutor, and the whole transaction, with all its evident intention to gag the press, was before the still sitting House, which was intended to have been, and in a few days would have been, safely out of the way. Worse than all, a row of awkward questions were on the Order Paper for Mr. Fisher to answer, and the Government knew that they could not trust him to open his mouth about them. What was to be done 1 A bold but desperate course was decided on. Before the questions were asked, the Premier rose to make a statement, and for that purpose had to move the adjourn ment of the House. He dashed at it with a desperation worthy of a better cause, and at once declared, in his usual phrases, that all had been done “to emancipate the press from the monopoly of the Press Agency ; ” that in doing as he had done he had been guided by “the leading minds of Europe ; ” it was done, for “ the benefit of the great human family ; ” and he £ ‘relied for his reward on the verdict of posterity.” The. “ reward,” however, was much nearer at hand, and he was at once condemned to three of the most unplea sant hours he had ever spent in his life. Mr. George M'Lean is no orator ; he has never mastered the pronunciation of the Southerners, and his voice is not clear or powerful, but he knew all the ropes he had to handle for his present purpose. He knew far more about the department than its present head does, and he has no tender susceptibilities, no fear of censure or ridicule, has a most genuine hatred of Sir George Grey, and will neither give or take quarter in any encounter with him. As he shook his clenched fist at the Pre mier, he said —“ I have just caught the hon. gentleman in time. I have stopped his little game. I have caught him red handed in his attempt to smother the independent press of this colony. I hope I am in time, Sir, to prevent him from giving £3OOO ja-year more of the public money to the lying flatterers he has already subsidised so heavily with his ad vertisements. I hope lam in time to stop this nefarious transaction.

The Speaker —“I think the hon. mem ber’s language is not parliamentary.” Mr. M £ Lean —“ It is the language, Sir, that the hon. Premier has taught me to use in this House.”

Under this merciless castigation the Premier looked like a whipped school hoy, as his color came and went. Mr. Stout’s pale, intellectual face grew paler whilst his tongue was not allowed to move. He has some low lawyer’s tricks, and can and does habitually misrepresent his oppo nents ; but neither his tongue nor his face are capable of straightforward lying, so that that part of the Ministerial business is never entrusted to him. Besides, in this case he was otherwise disqualified, as he is a principal shareholder in one of the favored papers. Mr. Ballance’s mouth had formed itself into that peculiar square which always in dicates that he is in difficulties, and when he spoke it was evident that his lips had lost their pliability. Mr. Sheehan was wisely away. Mr, Macandrew looked as if he had been used to it, and Mr. Fisher’s flourishing face was only a little more highly colored than usual. Mr Ballance made a stiff reply, but his statements agreed not with the Premier’s, and so matters were made worse, and the Opposition became more than ever eager to force Mr. Fislier on his legs, if only for his usual half minute. To accomplish this they tried every manoeuvre, principally the one tried by the fox to the crow, and for the same purpose. Said the fox :— £ ‘ The public, sir, would not be satisfied, and this House could not be satisfied if we did not have the benefit of the great experience and departmental knowledge of the Hon. Postmaster-Gene ral, who, in his excessive modesty, has allowed himself to be set aside by the Premier as if he were really nobody, when, sir, he is the head of the depart ment pow called g motion, and the

gentleman to whom this House naturally looks for all information about it. ”

The crow had evidently been ordered not to open its mouth, and still sat mute, so another flattering voice had to say— “ The Hon. Minister at the head of this department cannot be aware, sir, how deeply the interests, the progress, and the liberties of the colony are involved in the management of the department entrusted to his care, and consequently of the gene ral anxiety that exists to hear the utter ances of the Postmaster-General on a sub ject of no less importance than that of the liberty or bondage of the whole colonial press ; and it would be lamentable indeed, sir, if this debate were to close without having elicited the opinion of the only member in this House whose position enables him to speak with authority on the subject.” This speech opened the crow’s mouth, and the cheese instantly dropped into the fox’s paws amidst the great laughter of the House. In half a minute Mr. Fisher proved that all Sir George Grey had said in half an hour was untrue, and was also stupid enough actually to praise Dr. Lemon—the very man the Premier had blamed for having misled the House as to the loss the colony would incur. Tiie scene was one truly degrading to the colony. The Premier had told one tale, the Treasurer another, the Post master-General another, and the papers they had laid on the table themselves plainly and flatly contradicted them all. Major Atkinson saw that such hard facts required no hard words, and was wisely very moderate. Compared to Mr. M £ Lean he was gentle, but gave some home thrusts that told well. Of course Mr. Wakefield could not resist such a temptation to come down with his sledge hammer to crush the wounded and mangle the slain. He either does not know the weight of his hammer or he has no sense of comparison in him. Sir George Grey is not his special hatred, but Mr. Stout and Mr. Ballance are ; and as Mr. Stout had said nothing Mr. Ballance got it all, except some com passionating remarks about the Premier having had as much as he could “possibly stagger under.” Last, but hardly least, came Mr. Fox, with all his red-hot needles, making the Premier wince in every direction, until the hand of the clock reached half-past five and put an end to the torture. As the Premier limped from his seat, everyone felt what a pity it was that so much ability, so much persuasive power, so much experience, so much daring courage, such age and such position should all be dragged in deep mire for want of a little truth.

No one of the slightest weight or stand ing in the House attempted to defend the Government. Mr. Feldwick repeated something that appeared to have been learned about his own satisfaction as a proprietor of an evening paper. Mr. Gisborne, with his usual penetra tion and sagacity, enlightened the House by telling tnem that it would have been all right if the Government had given the Opposition papers the same privilege that they had given to their friends and sup porters. Even Mr. Moss could think of nothing better than the old trick of abusing the plaintiff and Jiunting up some favoritism on the part of the late Go vernment.

The very Speaker, though always ready enough to support the powers that be, gave a dig at Mr. Feldwick when ap pealed to to protect him from Mr. Wake field, who had said:—The lionorabls member for Invercargill, sir, repeated hie task in a manner that was higiily credit able to him.

Mr. Feldwick replied—l repeated no task. I appeal to you, Sir, if the honor able member has any right to charge me with repeating a task.” The Speaker—The honorable member for Invercargill must be aware that much harder things than that are often said in the debates in this House. At the same time, I do hope that the honorable mem ber for Geraldine will see that some mem bers are very thin-skinned, and cannot bear what others would smile at.

Mr. Wakefield —Why, sir, I was pass ing a compliment on the hon. gentleman. I was going on to say, Sir, that very few members of this House could have re peated that task with as few mistakes as he did, and that no member had spoken on that side of the House who had done their patrons so little harm. His speech, sir, compared most favorably even with the speech of a veteran in this House like, the hon. member for Totara, who thought he was speaking on the side of the Govern ment when he told us, with all the gravity of his matured experience, that if the Government had done exactly the reverse of what they had done in this matter, they would have done exactly right. Of course, they would, sir. That is just what wc are all telling them, and what every member in this House knows without the assistance of that gentleman’s profund wisdom. At two o’clock in the morning, the same clever but merciless speaker again attacked Mr. Ballance for his speech on the Rail way Construction Bill, and charged him with the grossest perfidy, duplicity, and meanness towards the late Government, and related a string of facts to prove it, when the • following interruption took place— Mr. Ballance I deny the truth of what the hon. member says. Major Atkinson And I assert most positively, sir, that evey word he has said about the conduct of the Colonial Trea surer is true. Mr. Wakefield —Then, Sir, it is a choice as to which of these two gentlemen we are to believe. I have no hesitation in choosing to believe the honorable member for Egmont, and I believe every member of this House will make the same choice. “ Thus compliments pass When gentlefolk,§ rncet,”

A New Court House for Ashburton. —The supplementary estimates show an item of /3CO for a Court House at Ashburton. Race Privileges. Messrs. Acland, Campbell, and Co., will sell by auction on Saturday first, the ground privileges of the forthcoming race meeting. Fire Brigade Practice. —Last night a very encouraging practice was held by the members of the Fire Brigade. A considerable number turned out, so that the work was easy and spirited. Messrs. Friedlander’s tanks were made use of, and the engine being got smartly into gear, the hose reel run out, the !ir,se affixed, and pumping commenced, the little engine soon found the bottom of the tanks, which hold 400 gallons each. The practice at the tanks lasted nearly an hour, when the engine was run back to its house and everything fixed properly, Mr. George Comp ton, Superintendent, giving instruction in the minutiae. of working. Those practices are hence fort 1 to be more frequent, and they will be valua fie indeed .to the Brigade when Messrs. Friedla icier have got their tank accommoda tion increased to the extent they purpose. The Brewery.—A visit to Messrs. Wood & Co’s fine brewery in Cameron Street, will show that this local industry is being well patronised, and in full Working order, turning out per week about 36 hgds. beer of quality equal to any colonial ale in the market. The fact that the proprietors are so buisily engaged, in sending out their orders should be a sufficient proof of the quality. The bottling department has only recently been commenced, and the proprietors are about to erect machinery for filling and corking with greater speed, SO as to meet their requirements. The whole plant is new and very complete, and the large building is quite conspicuous in that part of the town. Parliamentary.—At a late hour this morning the House of Representatives passed the Appropriation Bill. The Immigration and Public Works Appropriation Bill was passed through Committee. Rnplying to a question as to when the House would prorogue Mr. Stout said it entirely depended upon the Legislative Council, both Houses having to confer to-day as to the amendments made by the Council on several Bills. Mr. Barton will move at 2.30 to-day that his charges against the Judges be enquired into. The House adjourned at 3. 10 a.m.

ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

(In continuation of yesterday's ?eport.) INSPECTOR OF SLAUGHTERHOUSES. A letter was read from Sergeant Felton accepting the appointment of Inspector of Slaughterhouses. THE POUND. The Council cancelled the lease of the pound, held by R. Jamieson, and appointed Mr. W. B. Compton poundkeeper. SURVEY. A progress payment of £6O was ordered on the work of preparing survey plans. The Chief Surveyor had prepared these, which were now being checked. CHARITABLE AID. A letter from Mr. Thomas Taylor, Watertori, asking assistance for a widow with six children in that district, was re ferred to Mr. March, of Christchurch, and the unsatisfactory state of charitable affairs in Canterbury was remarked upon. SOUTH RAKAIA ROAD DISTRICT. Mr. Wright moved that the Colonial Secretary be informed that the petition of the Mount Hutt ratepayers does not con tain the requisite number of signatures required by section 7 of the Canterbury Road Board Ordinance, 1872. He moved this so that the proceedings could be com menced again. Every chance should be given to a district to manage its own affairs; but when nearly 150 ratepayers were on the roll, and less than a third part of that number applies for a division of the district, there was reason for the Council being cautious. The resolution was carried. VOTE TO THE CHAIRMAN. £IOO was voted to the chairman for his services during the year,—complimentary speeches also being made regarding Mr. Walker’s conduct as chairman. BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY. Mr. Wright’s motion was carried, grant ing £SOOO to the Borough of Ashburton for a water supply, and that gentleman moved further that the sum be paid to a separate account in the Union Bank of Australia, payable therefrom only on the joint signatures of the County Chairman and the Mayor of Ashburton. PLAINS WATER SUPPLY. £IO,OOO were voted in furtherance of the work.

CYPRUS IN THE PAST.

Though changes' have occurred in Cy prus, as well as in other parts of the world since 1330, when Maundeville visited the island, his account of the manners, cus toms, and religious privileges of the place at time may be worth citing : —“ Cipre is righte a gode lie and a fayr and a gret, and it hath 4 principalle cytees within him. And there is an Erchebysschoppe at Nichosie, and 4 other Bisschoppes in that land. And at Famagost is one of the principalle Havenes of the See that is in ye worlde, and there arryven is Christene men, Sarazynes, and Men of alle Nacionns. lii Cipre is the Hill of the Holly Crosse, and there is an Abbey of Monkis Black, and there is the Crosse of Dismas, the

gode Theef. . . _ . And some men trowen, that there is half the Crosse of our Lord, but it is not so, and they done evylle that make Men to beleeve so. Cipre Men hunten with Papyonne, that ben like Lepardes, and the taken wylde Bestes righte welle, and the ben somdelle more than Lyons, and they taken more scharpeley the Bestes, and more clevyrly than don Houndes. In Cipre is the man ere of Lordis and alle othere Men, alle to eten on the Erthe, For they make Dyches in the Erthe alle about in the Halle, depe to the knee, and they do pave hem, and when they will ete, they gon therein, and sittin there. And the skylle is, for they may be rao'-e fres-sche. For that Lond is much inors hatter than it is here,"

TELEGRAPHIC.

AUSTRALIAN. [By Submarine Cable.] Melbourne, Oct. 30. The Alhambra, s.s., arrived on Sunday, and the Arawata, s. s., to-day. The Tara rua sailed to. day, and the Alhambra sails on Friday. Melita is firmer at 100 to 12 ; Firebell is easier, 100 to 10 ; Calamia, 100 to 8 ; 100 to G offered for anything else ; only the first two horses are backed. Sydney, Oct. 30. The Estimates are tabled ; the total £5,366,070; increase, £467,771. The Statement will probably be made on Wed nesday. The Powers and Privileges of Parliament Bill has passed the House of Assembly. A ketch has arrived at Maryborough in Queensland, with one of the missing boats and five survivors of the wreck of the On ward.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[Per Press Agency.] •Napier, Wednesday. The body of the man Hunter, wlio has been missing at the Spit, was washed up to-day. An inquest will be held to-mor row. Wanganui, Wednesday. In the Supreme Court Hr. Rix Rose pleaded guilty to three counts of forgery, and was sentencedto two years. Carl Hu ber, stabbing case at Waverley, received fifteen months. Herrmann Behrndt, a lad of sixteen, forgery, six months. 5 Wellington, Wednesday. The Union Insurance Company have purchased the premises lately occupied by Mr. Lewis Moss, Grey street, for £2400. Dunedin, Wednesday, At a meeting of the Waste Lands Board to-day, a letter was received from the Commissioner, Mr. Alex. Mackay, in which he applied for Crown grants for 118 Natives mentioned in the Middle Island “ Half caste Crown Grants Acts, 1877.” The Board resolved to ask Government to issue Crown grants for some of the blocks specified. The consideration of others was postponed. The detention of the Ringarooma at Wellington has caused a great deal of anxiety and disgust among sporting circles in this city, as a considerable number of intending passengers were desirous of witnessing the Melbourne Cup race.

THE FRENCH JOURNALIST.

(From French Piclwes in English Chalk.

A French jourdalist is a man of weight. It may be alleged that his regard for facts is small, that his judgments on men and things have more variety of range than depth, that his temper often gets the bet ter of him, in his ardent desire that the world should be moved by his prose, he breaks out in paradoxes well calculated to bewilder the weak minds who look to the press for guidance. It may be urged that the French journalist is not over-scrupu lous nor over-wise—that he prefers the discomfiture of a foe to the triumph of a principle, and he wquld never miss a point to save a truth. It may be asserted that he is, socially speaking, bumptious and truculent, for it is impossible to enter a drawing-room where he may happen to be without being at once made aware of his presence and abashed by it, so impetuous is his flood of talk, so dogmatic his obser vations, so jaunty his strut, so wholly self-satisfied the expression of his counte nance. All this may be said, and more ; still the fact remains that the journalist is a power, and one whom men dread. Be he ever so young and ignorant—and ignorant he almost invariably is, whether he be young or not —people truckle to him. He has usurped the public homage and the public fear that were once bestowed on astrologers and court fools, but his resem blance to the jester is greater than to the astrologer, for whereas the popular belief in his devilling powers may be limited, none can doubt his prerogative to stab re putations irresponsibly under cover of his profession. The French press laws, which have done so much to keep newspapers in terror of Government, have left them al most absolutely free to molest private persons. People may challenge the journalist if they dare, or thrash him if they can, but except for the fear of sword thrusts or cane-wheles the mail plies his vocation uncontrolled, and may use his pen indifferently either as a weapon to puncture with or an instrument to be spatter. Nothing exceeds the power of the French journalist, unless it be his ma lice in .using it, and his conceit in boasting of it. He is a strange excrescence on the surface of modern civilization—a bramble, briar, or stinging nettle ; and no wonder that people should handle him tenderly, for he is harmful by nature. A statesman enters a drawing-room, brushes uncere* moniously past officers who have bled and grizzled in their country’s service, philo sophers who have grown grey in promot ing science, painters, composers, whose works have added to the nation’s glory ; but he stops before a-puny young man with an eye-glass and a pretentious head of hair, and bows affably to him. A few months before, that puny young man was a puny clerk in the stateman’s office, but having deserted his high stool and desk to write in a newspaper of large circulation, it is now in his power to render his Qld chief ridiculous in the eyes of 50,000 readers by assailing him every morning with barbed jokes and spiteful insinua tions. Thus were the Sophists of ancient Rome a terror and a plague to the great and the wise; but the voices of the Sophists reached no further than the Forum’s limits, whereas that of the jouma* ,list rings in the ears of th§ million, 'N

SENSATIONS.

(From the Otago Daily limes.) The manufacture of sensational para graphs is not a monopoly of the New Zealand “special correspondent.” A story has been going the rounds of the papers, extracted from the “Sydney Evening News,” narrating how a young lady was chloroformed in a Wooloomooloo ’bus by a man and woman, robbed of her pocket-handkerchief, and carried about the town in a state of semi-stupefaction. Embellished with the appropriate circum stantial details, it has no doubt sent a thrill of indignation through many a sympathetic bosom. But now the paper which first gave the story to the world makes a clean breast of it, and candidly admits it has been hoaxed. It says the whole thing was “ a fable. No such occur rence took place. The affair was related as given to us, with all its glaring contrav A. dictions and absurdities. The young lady : in question appears to have inventive powers very fully developed or an imagina tion likely to be much excited by the frolics of late parties. What was related was a disgrace to the city, and we are glad it has been proved false.” Tills is very good, but it has been surpassed in America. A kindred but more horrible sensation has been similarly going the rounds of the colonial papers during the past few weeks, being introduced by the London corre spondent of the “ Melbourne Argus. ” It is to the effect that a free-thinking lecturer named Burleigh, lecturing in Illinois, pub lished “ a card” informing his fellow-citi zens that since they had a fondness for tragedy, he had resolved to indulge them. He undertook to deliver a lecture in Thornton Hall, at the conclusion of which he would gratify the audience by blowing his brains out, and “secure for himself eternal peace by annihilation.”- The first part, at least, of his programme he accomplished. After the delivery of an infidel lecture to a crowded audience, he suddenly drew a Derringer, placed it to his forehead, and shot himself. The pro ceeds of the lecture he had arranged should defray his funeral expenses, and the resi due be spent in the works of Huxley, Tyndall, and Darwin for the town library. Referring to this, the “ Chicago Inter- Ocean” declares that “the recent despatch announcing that George W. Burleigh, an infidel barber at Capron (111.), had blown his brains out at the conclusion of a lec ture was false. ” It says—“ The stoiy was written by Burleigh himself, and sold to the ‘Chicago Times’ for 7dol. 50c.” Our New Zealand specials have something to learn yet.

SAN FRANCISCO.

The American business agent of Mrs. Scott-Siddons, writing from San Fran cisco, on the 2nd September, gives the following description of that city : “ San Francisco, as a city, is not nearly so handsome or so well laid out as Mel bourne, but here the discrepancy ends Everything is life. The streets are thicl 1; laid down with tramways, running ii every direction to all parts of the city and suburbs, sometimes as far as six miles, the fare for this distance being five cents., and the comfort is considerably in advance of omnibus riding. Wages here are very high, and everything is fearfully dear in proportion. I asked for an edition of Mark Twain’s ‘ Innocents Abroad’—4 dol lars and a half (18s.). I had frequently heard a great deal about the Palace Hotel, but I must confess that when I beheld it my astonishment knew no bounds. One is not prepared for its stupendousness. It . would be vain for me to attempt a descrip tion of it ; suffice it to say that it is seven storeys high, and occupies a complete block, thus having frontage to four streets. The rooms are simply sumptuous. There are four elevators constantly running, and though you live £ up among the angels,’ . ! you have not the slightest difficulty in getting to or from your room. You touch an electric bell at whatever landing you may be on, and an elegantly furnished elevator, lighted by gas, appears, and you ascend. All the servants of the hotel are 1 negroes and Chinamen, numbering 287. There are 58 colored waiters in the spa-- cious dining hall, which accommodates 1000 guests, and the effect at dinner, when all are seated, is very fine. The hotel is ( built so that all the rooms terminate in ' balconies, forming # a quadrangular court : - in the centre, which is really magnificent. Standing at the bottom of this court, the • fj appearance of the rows of terraces is bj. beautiful, each being supported by white pillars, and being lighted up at night by ; - the electric light, so as to give it the j aspect of moonlight, the effect is complete. Most of the ‘ housemaids’ are Chinamen, ’ and it is extremely amusing to see them perform their various duties.”

THURSDAY, October 31, 18?8.]

THE EVENING ECHO.

2



s. d. s. d. Butter, inferior to best, $ lb I 6 to 0 0 Eggs, $ dozen io to 1 0 Bacon, prime smoked, i;' lb o 10 to 0 0 Mams in cloth, 1? lb - I 0 to 0 0 Cheese, prime quality, lb o 9 to 0 10 Flour in bags, # ioolb 12 6 to 14 0 Oatmeal, 1,1 ioolb - 26 0 to 0 0 Lard, I;? lb - - - 0 9 to 0 0



WANTED, '"PENDERS for PLOUGHING 180 Acres 1 Tussock Land, three (3) inches deep. Tenders to be sent in to H. Mcffat, \\akamu, not later than the 31st October, 1878. BOROUGH OF ASHBURTON. | APPLICATIONS are invited from Gentle men competent to act as ENGINEER for the Borough; salary, per annum, with permission to carry on private practice. Applicafions to be sent to the undersigned on or before Monday, 4th November next. CHARLES BRADDELL, Town Clerk. Ashburton, 23rd October, 187 S. A FOR SALE. QUARTER-ACRE SECTION in Have lock Street, on very easy terms. Apply ECHO Office. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER Ist, 1878. BOOTS, DRAPERY, READY-MADE CLOTHING, &c., &c. -ft/fESSRS. BULLOCK & CO. will JLVI offer for Sale by Public Auction, at their Rooms, East street, on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, A Large and well-assorted Consign ment of Boots, Drapery, Ready made Clothing, Carpets, and Miscellaneous effects, Comprising — Men’s Elastic-side and Blucher Boots, Women’s, Girls’, and Children’s Boots, Goloshes, Slippers, &c. 64 60 Pair Tweed Trousers Men’s Tweed Coats, Assorted Sizes. 64 60 Felt Carpets, Door Mats, Flannels, Alpaccas, Silk Mantles, &c., &c. Members of Families would do well to Suspect the above useful and well-made .articles, both for personal wear and house hold use. Sale at 1.30. BULLOCK & CO., Auctioneers. F IREWORKS ! JjMREWORKS ! For Sate at WESTON’S HAST STREET NOVELTY DEPOT. BAKER’S NOTICE. TAYLOR AND LILL BEG to inform their numerous cus tomers, and the public generally, tnat on and after the first day of Novem ber, and until further notice, they will supply BREAD at 6d. per 41b LOAF, Made from the Best Flour in Canterbury, and by a First-class Practical Baker. invited. TAYLOR & LILL, Bakers, Confectioners, & Pastrycooks, East Street, Ashburton. ORICKET! QRICKETM Clubs and others requiring any of the requisites for this universe game, go to WESTON’S EAST STREET NOVELTY DEPOT. ASHBURTON RACES. NOTICE. THE Race Course is CLOSED against all Horses until the Race Meeting on Nov. 13th. and 14th. Any trainers, jockeys, or horses using the course previous to the meeting will be disqualified. By order, JAMES WILKIE, o Hon. Sec. OHRISTMAS CARDS, Elc., For transmission to Friends in England and Elsewhere via outgoing ’Frisco and Suez Mail, at A. WESTON’S EAST STREET, Novelty Depot. CHARLES BRADDELL, GENERAL AGENT. Agent fox Press Company, Limited. Secretary Town Hall Company. Agent for National Insurance Company. Removed to Montgomery’s Buildings, entrance from East and Burnett' Streets. E. G. CRISP, gARRISTER AND SOLICITOR, Has removed his Offices to MONTGOMERY’S BUILDINGS (Ist Floor), BURNETT STREET, ASHBURTON,



ENCOURAGE LOCAL INDUS IRI ES a O. AITICEN & CO. have much plea il. sure in informing the Gentlemen of Ashburton that they are prepared to take orders for New Spring and Summer Suits. A Perfect Fit Guaranteed, and at Christchurch Pricps A. O. AITKEN & CO., T AILORS, Havelock Street, Ashburton.



A Motto tor an Enthusiastic NAUT. —“ Air-or-naught.”— Fun. A Vague Address.—Mr. Bolt, on leaving hir lodgings, stated for his landlady’s informa tion that he was going to live in Elsewhere Road. — Fun.



How TO PROCURE AN ECLIPSE OF THE Son. —Cut him off with a shilling. —Punch Railway Luxuries.— Excursionist: “1 say—’ere ! This water’s full o’ crumbs-j-’ Aquarius : That ain’t crumbs ! That’s only off the liice !” —Punch Strangers coming to reside in Ashburton ire often at a loss to know which is the best Establishment to visit for the purchase of Drapery, Clothing, and House-furnishing Iron*, nongery, and General Stores. ORR & Co. jffer 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 Qoods, imported diffH from the leading manufacturers at home, wfiicA beiiu> bought entirely upon cash terms, they arc enabled to ofier goods of suffi sterling value a>. cannot be equalled by any other house in the trade. Every article in stock is marked atjhe lowest price, from which no abatements mRO." so that the most inexperienced buy their gDods at the same prices as the best judges,