London, May 4. Speaking on the 2nd May, the Home Secretary said that England was bound to exhaust every effort for the main tenance of peace before entering upon war; but she insists that existing treaties cannot be annulled at the will of a single Power. Count Bebanoff has been appointed Russian Ambassador at Constantinople. The Right Honorab’eGathorne Hardy is gazetted Viscount Cranbrook.

May 9. Negotiations are more active. Hopes of a favorable issue are increasing. Sir S. Northcote, at Oxford, hoped we had now approached the end of the diffi culty.

May 8. A banquet was given in honor to Sir W. Jervoise. Sir William in a speech urged the extension of railways as the surest guarantee of the confederation of the colonies. Sir M. Hicks-Beach an nouuced that Sir W. Jervoise had been created a Knight of the Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George.

Constantinople, 9th The Turks have only partially evacu ated Shumla, because Russia only with drew her force from San Stefano to San Georges.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[Per Press Agency.]

Alexandra, Saturday.

Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehan have returned here. The Kingites will consider the Premier’s proposal. The King’s son, Tu Tawhiao, came here with Sir George’s party, and Tawhiao himself accompanied them as far as Kopua.

Tauranga, Sunday. Captain Morris, M.H.R., addressed the electors last night. He defended the Atkinson Government. No ques tions were asked. A vote of confidence in him was passed.

Dunedin, Sunday. The question of teaching science in eleirentary schools was discussed by the Educational Instimu § yesterday. Pro fessois Black. Macgregor, and Hutton, and several others spoke. A diversity of opinion prevailed as to the desira bility of such innovation, and Professor Macgregor said that to attempt to teach science in such schools would be pro ductive of unmitigated mischief. After a short discussion last night, it was decided to wind up the Eclectic Association. It is proposed to inaugu rate a similar society, to be called the Eclectic Institute.

Greymouth, Monday. W. H. Harrison, J. Borrowman, R. Reeves, and Heber Newton were nomi nated to-day for the vacant seat in the Grey Valley representation.

THE HIKURANGI MEETING.

(Special to the Globe.) Auckland, Saturday. The house for Tawhiao is to be built at Kawhia, not at Ngaruawahia, to hold councils. The Star special dispatches state that after the general meeting the Hauhaus held a meeting to discuss the proposals, but the proceedings were almost entirely occupied by a number of chiefs attacking Te Ngakau for his management of affairs, especially with reference to card-playing. Dinner fol lowed. The Maori King dined with the Europeans, and intimated to Mr. Shee han that he accepted the whole of Sir G. Grey’s proposals. After dinner, some thousand natives assembled between the whare of Wheoro’s people and the Eu ropean tents, and arranged in a citcle, the ranks in front sitting, the next kneel ing, and the others stooping. It was a most exciting scene. Tawhiao was ac commodated with a seat on a candle-box. Sir G. Grey distributed a sack of lollies. A concertina was played in a masterly manner by a half-caste, and the Maoris danced lancers, polkas, and waltzes very creditably. There was the highest good humour and the best order. The Maori police insisted on keeping the centre clear. The scene was utterly unlike anything witnessed here. Another Maori improvised a drum as an accom paniment to the concertina, with a tin dish, which he played well. Everyone was in the highest spirits. Ngakau visited the European tents, and held in his hands Sir G. Grey’s letter. He ex presses the greatest satisfaction with the

Government proposal. Tawhiao also appears in belter spirits. The isolation appears entirely broken down. Old ta tooed Maoris, who never witnessed a round dance in their lives, are applaud ing and clapping vociferously. It should be stated that all the allotments which Sir D. McLean re-purchased from the Europeans for the natives will not be alienated. The lands to be given for settlement are parts of the confiscated lands which have never been sold.

Subscriptions are being made for a memorial to the late Charles Kingsley. It is no tall and stately monument, bearing records of his worth : the pro posed memorial is simply a sick child’s bed in an English hospital—a charity which many a sick child will bless. The “ Charles Kingsley Cot,” as it will be called, requires about to endow it, each bed in the hospital costing a year. Such memorials in honor of the worthy dead may well be multi plied.

A retired sea captain of New York has a young crow' which bears the name of “ jack,” and takes his grog like an old salt. A South Brooklyn politician offered to test the crow r . A glass was half filled with old rye W'hiskey; the crow made for it, drank it up greedily, gave a hoarse croak of maudlin delight, and fell over on one side. Its recovery was rapid, and it soon walked off. This dissolute bird is in the habit of getting drunk two or three times a day ; and would be a stumbling block to ornitho logical temperance societies, as it seems to thrive on whiskey. When the oxy-hydrogen microscope was first exhibited in Edinburgh, a poor woman, whose riches would never hinder her ascent to the kingdom above, took her seat fin the lecture room where the wonders of the instrument were shown, and which we.e for the first time to meet her sight. A piece of lace was magnified into a salmon-net, a flea was metamorposed into an elephant, and other like marvels were performed before the eyes of the venerable dame, who sat in silent astonishment, staring open-mouthed at the disc. But when at lenglit a milliner’s needle was transformed into a pop lar tree, and confronted her with its huge eye. she could “hold in” no longer. “My good ness!” she exclaimed, “ a camel could get through that ! I'liere’s some hope for the rich folk yet.” But when the water tigers were ex hibited, she rushed out of the theatre, exclaim ing, “ wha’ if they artful’ crelers’get loose, what would become of us mon.”

THE EVENING ECHO, MONDAY, MAY 13, IS7S.



I 'HE Public are Cautioned against Cashing -L a lost N.Z. Bank Cheque, numbered 9469, as payment has been stopped. May 13th. \A7”AN 1 ED, a few Respectable YOUNG ' V EADIFS as Appientices to the DRESS MAKING. A. 0. AITKEN & CO. FOR SALE. A FOUR Roomed Cottage on a Corner sec ■ Cl. tion in Cox Street, Price moderate. Perms easy. Apply to W. R. BOYLE, Moore Street. Pood for the Mind and Refreshment for THE IIODY. A WESTON’S COFFEE and PUBLIC • READING ROOMS, will be opened on Saturday, nth May. Pies and Coffee always ready. ( < 'pH E EVENING ECHO.” Town Agent, MR. A. ,W EST ON , Tancred-street. TO STATIONERS, DRAPERS, AND STOREKEEPERS. , | 'O land ex Waikato, and for Sale in original -L packages:—-Few cases Envelopes, white and blue office, No. 7, each containing ioo.coo, also foolscap and demy; 9 casks Ink, black, blue-black, copying and red, all sizes; 2 cases Blotting paper, Fracing paper and Cloth, Co ventry Book marks, great variety; 12 bales Paper, brown, drape-s’, small hand, single and double foolscap, tissue papers, all colors; 1 Harmonium. R. BIN STEAD, Stationer, Christchurch. IM PORTANT NOTIC ET O MOTHERS. ]~)QN’T trouble yourself to make any Clothes for your little ones this Winter, as you WILL GET all you want Well-made and Elegantly- Finished at the ASHBURTON PRESBY TERIAN CHURCH GIFT AUCTION, which will be held shortly.



MR. BRANSON, BARRISTER and SOLICITOR, J-J AS COMMENCED PRACTICE in .-.SHBURI ON, and can be consulted at the SOMEKSEI HOI EL until he can obtain suitable Offices. T OST oil Sunday in Ashburton, a CALICO BAG > containing a Cheque for ios. and three £i notes. Reward on returning to Echo office. 'pHE Public are Cautioned against Cashing a lost N.Z. Bank Cheque, numbered 9462, as payment has been stopped. May 6th. WANTED Immediately, SEVERAL first class CARPENTERS and JOINERS. Highest wages given to really good hands.— IHOS. WILLIAMS, Builder, Tinwald. TX7ANIED, about the beginning of June V V a3or 4 roomed Cottage, to rent. Ad dress, W. “ Echo” Office. WANTED —Three or Four Intelligent MEN to circulate the “EVENING ECHO ” throughout the County. Apply at once. G RATEFUL—COMFORTING. pPPS’S BREAKFAST COCOA. “ By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a careful application of the fine properties of well selected cocoa, Mr. Epps has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately-flavoured beverage which may save us many heavy doctors’bilk It is by the judi cious use of such articles of diet, that a constitu tion may be gradually built up until strong enough to resist every tendency to disease. Hundreds of subtle maladies are floating around us,_ ready to attack wherever there is a weak point. We may escape many a fatal shaft by keeping ourselves well fortified with pure blood and a properly nourished frame.” —The Civil Sei vice Gazette. SOI.D ONLY IN PACKETS LABELLED JAMES EPPS AND CO., Homoepathic Chemists, London. Ashburton county STEEPLECHASE MEETING. WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1878. PROGRAMME: r.— ASHBURTON COUNTY STEEPLE CHASE—Handicap of 30 sovs. added to a sweepstake of 2 sovs. for acceptors. Nominations 1 sov., over about 3 miles of fair hunting country. To start at noon. 2.—ASHBURTON HUNT CUP—For Sil ver Cup, value 15 sovs., with silver mounted whip for rider, weight for age. About 2 miles. Gentlemen riders to be approved of by the committee; entrance I sov. ; winner of the A.C.5.11. to carry iqlbs penalty. 3 —THE FARMER’S PLATE of 15 sovs. Weight for age—about i l /i miles; entrance I sov ; hoses to be the bona fule property and ridden by Farmers or Farmer’s sons resident in the County, winner of the previous races to be excluded. I 4. —MAIDEN STEEPLECHASE of 10 sovs—Weight for age. Entrance, 1 sov ; 1 mile ; for horses that have not competed at this meeting. 5 HACK RACE of 5 sovs—About 1 mile; post entry, ios. catch weight. BYE-LAWS. All races to be run under the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase Rules, unless otherwise specified. No horse shall be qualified to run at this meeting, unless such horse was the bona fide property of a resident in the Ashburton County on Ist April. Nominations for the handicap, enclosing 1 sov., to be sent to the Hon. Sec. by 8 p.m. on Saturday, May the nth. Weights will be pub lished in the Evening Echo on May iSth. Acceptances enclosing 2 sovs will be received on night of general entry, Saturday, May 25th, at 9 p. 111., at Somerset Hotel. Entries for Hunt Cup, Farmer’s Plate, and Maiden Steeplechase, enclosing 1 sov, to be sent to Hon. Sec., May 25th, at 9 p.m. N.B.—Scale of weight-for-age— 4yrs old, list ; syrs old, list I2lbs; 6yrs and aged, i2st 3lbs. All colors must be declared to Secretary, May 25th, at 9 p.m., and a fine of £1 will be enforced for running in colors other than those declared. JAMES WILKIE, lion Sec. T OTTO, Draughts and Draught Boards, ' Dominoes, Cards and Cribbage Boards, &c., at FURNESS AND DIXON’S, East-street, Ashburton. [A Card.] PRIVATE LESSONS TO YOUh -*■ LADIES, Four times a Week in M-US French, German, and Drawing, at MISS STEANE’S, Oxford Villa, Burnett Stree



Saunders Bros. HAVE £4,OOOSrJ°S FREEHOLD PROPERTY. £2,000 fo Ron to be advanced in > Sums of and upwards. Preference given to town sections and house securities. rkr»rk to be ADVANCED on GROWING crops, LIVE STOCK, and other AGRICULTURAL Security. Messrs SAUNDERS BROS, have for Sale, Situated on the NORTH BANK of the RAKAIA, 4000 acres, partly improved. Sixty Acres four miles from the Township. Several Valuable Town Sections. DRAUGHT HORSES. THE Undersigned have FOR SALE a Number of Broken and Unbroken COLTS now to be seen in their Paddocks, adjoining the Ashburton Domain. SAUNDERS BROS. NOTICE TO FARMERS, HORSE BREEDERS, AND OTHERS. THE Advertisers are prepared to Receive HORSES for Sale by Public Auction or Privately, and to make Liberal Cash Advances on same. Good PADDOCKS and Plenty oj FEED for Stock. SAUNDERS BROS. WEST COAST LUNCHEON & DINING ROOMS, EAST STREET, ASHBURTON. J. G. ANSTEE, BEGS to intimate to the public that he has just OPENED those spacious buildings situate in East Street, as LUNCHEON AND DINING ROOMS. Persons pationising this establishment can rely on securing all the com forts of a home. The bedrooms are well ventilated, every attention being paid to cleanliness. The table will be found all that can be desired. First-class accommodation for Boarders. N.B. —The proprietor trusts by strict atten tion to the comfort of his patrons, combined with moderate charges, to merit a share of public custom EXCELLENCE, PUNCTUALITY, AND SATISFACTION SECURED BY Taking your Printing TO THE ECHO PRINTING OFFICE. EAST STREET. CARDS, CIRCULARS, PROGRAMMES, INVOICES FANCY SHOW CARDS, HANDBILLS, SHIPPING FORMS POSTERS, LABELS, BILLHEADS, CATALOGUES. PAMPHLETS, MEMORANDUM FORMS, And every description of Letter-Press Printing executed in a style not to be surpassed in the Colony. Colour Printing.