POST OFFICER NOTICES.

Malls 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., j iW For Chertsey at 10.20 a.m-daily. !;• For Rakaia at 10.20 a.m and 14 p.m daily. For Dunedin, Tinwald Winslow,.< Hinds, Coldstream, Rangitata, Oran, Winchester, and Geraldine, at 10.20 a.m,; daily.; ; f For Temuka. Timaru, and South a.t 10.20 a.m and 3 p.m daily. For Greenstreet, Ashburton 'Forks, Mount Somers, and Ashburton Gorge on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10.30 a. m . , . For Ashton, Waterton, and Longbeach, at 3. 1 S p.m. daily. ■ ; . . j _-l . For Wakanui and Seafield, ’on Mondays and Thursdays,. 7.30 p.m. .__ ~ ‘ w.- St; G. Douglas, ..\sy .'j c| . j.. i'• Postmaster. A travelling Post'"Office having been estab lished on the Southern line of . railway, letters bearing a late fee of 2d. may be posted at any station in the mail carriage attached to the expre=s train, and they will be included in the mails made up in transit for offices on the main line and branches. .y Sydney J. Dick, p , 'Chief. Postmaster. UNCI AIMED LETTERS. ,

The following letteis from places beyond he colony were received at the Ashfcurtcn Post OffiteYclming the month of. August, 1 emamen unclaimed on Ist October, i»79 : Allinhamr j. J . Charles, Richard Critchley, W. SlAl I Deacon, William Devane ? . JPtdrick ? ~. ? v .. Fraher,4bhril. X A MU.. .VT.Di.Li Criffin, Morgan Maclean (or Maclear).John Kennedy, William Kissane;]MichaeL; }_//.>{'•’ OY Larkin, Andrew Morrison, James Moriarty. Michael Quinlan. 'Mary 4/ . . r/ , RyanV'Thomas B.- - - 1 : ‘ 1 .Sharp, Sames , r . 'Valpy, JohnN: 1 '" ...' -Vincent* Jiß'OTsa.'// ,L is: Walker, Archibald //, . , r if Woodman,'-Wl D. * j ' ■ ; •• Young,-Lewis P. -, q,- t - rv , McAllister, 1 Mr? 1 -' l i j,i ‘ -V - • • - ; " . Black, John . • . ; Twiss, Michael W. St. G. Douglas, Postmaster. On the first da’ J each month a. list is ex hibited at each Pc t Office in the Colony of the addresses of all letters received from places be yond the Colony that have remaind unclaimed for one month at such Post Office; and such of these letters‘as. remain unclaimed at the end of a further period of two months are then for warded to the Dead Letter Office, to be return ed unopened to the countries where they origi nated... Unclaimed letters originating in the Colony are:not. advertised, but at the end of two mdiiths'ar'e forwarded to the Dead Letter Office, -Wellington,, there to be opened and re turned.to the’Wfiters.'y,

N OTI CE.

NEW- POSTAL REGULATION*

Letters posted within the colony haying the names and addresses of the senders printed on the address side of the envelopes, accompanied by a request that the letters be returned f u not claimed withia A stated period; will be return ed unopened; - Provided, however, such tetters shall have remained in the post office/to which they may be addressed, at least ten days.

ASHBURTON RETAIL LIST.

COMMERCIAL.

Jtfeaqia AclandT'-Gtrinpbell and Qq t , Ohristchurch and Ashburtoh; report ;on the stock market for the week' '(Aiding Friday, October 3, as follows-:—-

i At Addington on Wednesday, only 3625 sheep were; penned, and of these a .very small proportion were butchers’ sheep, certainly not more than from 600 to 700, and amongst those a. good many •were’ inferior. lib- spite - of- the .short, supply, there was little improvement in prices, and a want of animation through out the whole market. In Borne cases, however, there was an advance of about Is. per head. The first lambs of the season were yarded, but some of them were rather young and did not find pur chasers. Prices ranged from 10s. to 12s. We quote cross-bred best quality from 12s. 9d. to 14s. , according to weight ; medium cross-bred, 10s. to 11s. 9d. Merino wethers—A very few in; best 12s. 6d., medium 9s. 3d. A good many stores, most of which found 'buyers at about late rates ; cross-breds, ewes and lambs, 7s. 6d.; two and four-tooth cross breds, 6s. 6d. to Bs.; hoggets, ss. to Bs. 381 head of cattle were yarded with a very fair supply of beef, some of it being very good quality. There was a slight improvement on last week’s prices, best quality fetching from 30s. to 325. 6d. per 1001 b. In stores a good many were yarded, but little improvement on late prices was apparent. Two-year-old steers from £4 10s., £4 15s. to £5, for well conditioned good sorts. Young cattle, £3 to 3 10s.; yearlings up to 40s. for best sorts.

The Ashburton Herald AND Borough and County With which is incorporated the "Evening Echo"). MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1879.

A copy of the Local Option Bill intro duced by the member for Cheviot is now before us. Though generally known as the Local Option Bill it bears no such title, but is simply “ The Licensing Laws Amendment Bill, 1879. ” It is intended to come in force, if passed, on the Ist of January next year, and to be deemed part of the existing licensing laws of the colony, all enactments contrary to the provisions of the Local Option Bill being repealed. The Bill proposes to abolish all licensing, districts now existing, except such as have been constituted with reference to the sale of liquor to Natives, and provides that “ the licensing districts for all pur poses, of the licensing laws shall henceforth be identical and 'conterminous respectively with existing and future boroughs, wards of boroughs, ridings of counties, road dis tricts outside counties, and such other dis tricts in parts of the Colony not comprised within any of the foregoing which the Governor in Council is hereby authorised to constitute, 5 and to vary, abolish, and reconstitute from time to time, as may seem fitting*” provided always that the Governor in Council may have power to group, sub-divide, alter, abolish, or re constitute such, districts as he may see fit. To give, full effect to the provisions of the Bill the Governor shall make all necessary regulations and appointments, ■ but where the boundaries of licensing districts now existing have been unaffected ■by the Bill present appointments shall not be dis turbed.

Regarding the obtaining of new licenses, it is provided in the Bill that new pre mises can only be licensed at the June licensing meetings in each year, and in no case shall such license be granted until the ratepayers of the district shall have previously determined by a poll whether the number of licenses within the district shall be increased or not., The course to be followed for taking this poll is laid down. The Chairman of the Licensing Court appoints some convenient day in March, 1880, and the same time in each -succeeding--year—but not earlier than fourteen days after notification by public advertisement of the day so appointed— for taking the'poll, which is to be done in the manner laid down by “The Regula tions of Local Elections Act, 1876.” The proposal to be submitted for the rate payers’ determination shall be “ That the number of publicans’, licenses in the dis trict may be increased. ” The “Presiding Officer” (such is the designation of the Returning Officer under the proposed Act) shall be appointed by the chairman of the licensing district,- and such officer shall cause to be printed voting papers in the form of the following schedule : . Proposal that the number of publicans’ li censes in the district may be increased, upon which a poll will be taken on the day of jS 1 - -V - Vi";; • ' i. I vote that the number of publicans’ licenses in the district may be increased. 2. I vote that the number of publicans’ licenses in the district may not be increased. The voter will erase one or other of the lines given in the above schedule accord ing as he desires to vote in favor of or against the granting of new licenses, and he shall only have one vote as in the case of voting for members of the House of Representatives. Should the result of the voting favor new licenses it shall in no case render it imperative for the'Licen sing Court to issue them unless in its judgment it should see-fit, and every de termination of the ratepayers shall con tinue iu force until another shall have been subsequently made. Where no rate payers’ roll exists, a roll is to be made up from the roll of electors for the House of Representatives for the electoral dis trict in which the licensing district is is situated, or in which any part of the district is comprised. If by any misad venture no determination is arrived at at the time appointed for the poll, the Go vernor may, on the application of two ratepayers, appoint another day for a poll, such day being not less than fourteen days previous to the June sitting of the Licensing Court. All costs of the poll shall be paid by the district to which the licensing fees accrue. Notwithstanding anything in the licensing laws contained, any petition against the granting or re newal of a license, bearing the signatures of a majority of two-thirds of the resi dents or ratepayers in the neighborhood of the house objected to, shall be sufficient to cause the Licensing Court, on proof of the authenticity of the signatures, to re fuse the license. Such petition shall bear, in addition to the signatures, the age of the party signing, arid the actual distance of his residence from the house objected to, and the petition must be lodged with the Clerk of the Licensing Court not less thar. seven days previous to the day ap pointed for the next sitting. A list of all such petitions to be posted for seven days in the office of the clerk. All improper signatures shall be erased from such petitions by the Court, who shall also take such measures for authenticating the signatures as shall be necessary to de termine the number of residents and rate payers in the “ neighborhood,” and, it shall also be the duty of the Court to de termine what is to be deemed the “ neigh borhood. ”

Compensation shall be paid to the owner of, and every other person having any public house the license of which shall be abolished under the provisions of this Bill, for all loss sustained by the exercise of the restrictive sections of this Bill, and shall be estimated (1) at the difference made in the value of the. premises by the taking away of the license, or (2) the dif ference between the value of the interest of the parties respectively having a bene ficial interest (exclusive of the goodwill) in the premises at the time the license is taken away, and the. value of such in terests after the license has been taken away. Two-thirds of the amount of com pensation to be paid by the Colonial Trea surer, and the remainder by the local body receiving the license fees. The general provisions of the Bill res trict the sale of liquors in licensed houses to between the hours of six morning and ten evening, but an extension of license may be granted within boroughs to sell until twelve o’clock, but in no case later. The license fee shall in all parts of the colony be forty pounds, and the fee for each extension of license ten pounds. All fees shall be paid within fourteen days of the granting of the certificate authorising

IffteS ft!iSSlTrifiT the'Expiration of the fourteenth day, _ The lamp regulation now existing is retained. Ten pounds is fixed as the penalty for sale of liquors on.. Sunday to other than lodgers or.bpnafide travellers, and a repetition of the offence within twelvemonths after;the first conviction doubles the amount of fine, and renders the license liable to for feiture. A bona fide traveller is one who resides five miles from the house where he has been supplied, and lias travelled that distance on the day in which he ob tained the liquor. Persons falsely repre senting themselves to be bona fide tra vellers or lodgers are liable to a fine of five pounds. • •

Borough Council.— -The usual fort nightly meeting of the Borough Council will bo held to-night. This Late T. M. Hassal, Esq.— We regret to notice the announcement of the death of Thomas Maberly Hassal, Esq., of the firm of Miles, Hassal and Co., at the early age of 45 years. The deceased gentleman had only been confined to his bed for about three weeks. He will be greatly missed in all parts of the province, and Ashburton, will miss him specially. He had always taken a great interest in the development of' the , estates over which he exercised personal supervision here.' The Lowcliftyislesworth, and Chatriiossestates, south of the Ashburton River, occupied a deal of his time and attention, while, the large estates of Fairfield and Chertsey have his energy to thank for their develop ment. We know of few men we can so ill afford to lose. . His business abilities as well as. his genial manner, his well known and judicious liberality, and the extensive nature of the works carried out by him, involving the expenditure of many thousands of pounds per annum, coupled with his unassuming and; gentle manly bearing to all he came in contact with, render his loss all the more to be regretted.

Relief Fund for the Family of Alexander Gordon. —A subscription list, which has already been well filled, is being carried round for behoof of the widow and family of the late Alexander Gordon, the Seafield fanner, whose lamentable death two months ago in the snow storm, and the long period during which his body was missing, caused so great excitement.; We hope a handsome sum will be realised for the bereaved family. \ /

Road Board Rates. —We notice that both the North and Lower Ashburton Road Boards have decided upon striking a rate for the ensuing year. This, al though not exactly welcome intelligence, is necessary, as the Boards have now mainly to depend upon the rates, and the £ for £ given by Government in aid.

Impecuniosity of Public Bodies.— It seems that the Borough Council is not the only public body suffering from a tightness in the money chest. The Lower Ashburton Road Board had on Saturday to plead poverty in answer to several applications for new work ; and a number of i contractors had to take a, some what indefinite promise to pay in lieu of the usual cheques for completed work. It is to be hoped that the moneys due by the General Government will soon be paid, as contractors cannot carry on work for any lengthened period without the sinews of* war. We regret that this Board has got to the length of its tether, as it has always been a model body during the period in which it has had funds at its disposal.. The banks, although having as much as £20,000 of this body’s funds in hand at one time, do not seem at present disposed to grant an overdraft, although- the security of the rates ought to be good enough even in these doubtful times.

Ashburton Fire Brigade. —The monthly meeting of the Fire Brigade will be held at Sherman’s sample rooms to morrow evening at 8 p.m. As the Brigade at its last meeting resolved to inflict fines for non-attendance, unless good cause for absence was shown, we expect a full muster will take place of this highly use ful body. We understand that the sub committee have prepared plans for re erecting the fire bell at a higher elevation, so as to give its sound a wider area. Several other important matters are likely to crop up. A practice of the brigade is also fixed for Wednesday even ing. : The Auckland Bribery Case. The City West bribery and corruption case was resumed on Friday. Fred Binstone deposed that he brought tlie beer to the Hurst and Wallis committee rooms by the direction of Machitte. He went to the hotel for beer every quarter of an hour. Machitte was keeping order in the room. He did not bring in beer after four o’clock, as the people were turned out. He did not know Dr. Wallis, but he saw a tall man with gray whiskers standing in the passage, showing people into the rooms. He sub sequently identified a photograph of Dr. Wallis as the person he saw. O. S. Ellis deposed to seeing Machitte drawing corks of bottles in the room. He saw the elec tors drinking, and people were scrambling for the liquor. The returning officer de posed to the facts of the election. Samuel Brooking, Mr. Hurst’s agent said he had nothing to do with Dr. Wallis or his re freshment arrangements. Machitte had applied to him for £5 as half the expenses of the refreshments, and Mr. Hurst had refused as he never authorised refresh ments. Mr. Hurst’s expenses to Salter in connection with the election were 375. The counsel for the defence, Mr. Coopeiq raised various legal objections to which Mr. Hesketh replied. His Worship re served judgment till Thursday. An Essex laborer, working in the fields, hearing cries of “Murder” proceeding from a neighboring cottage, left his work and found a man being murdered by a lunatic, who was in his charge. The murder was prevented, but by rendering assistance the labourer absented himself from his work for an hour and a-half. For this, of course, he was summoned by his master, and the Mistley Bench decided that he must pay a fine of five shillings. It is really surprising on what trivial grounds people will leave their work. We have heard of a man leaving turnip hoe ing to jump into a river merely to save a life. In this case the surpi ise is that the miscreant should have escaped with a fine. We wonder they didn’t make it penal ser vitude.—“ Herald.”

First Yokel : “ What be thee doing of, Jeames ?” Second ditto : “ Nothing. What be you? ” —First ditto. : “ Minding the children.”—Second ditto: “Where be they ? ” First ditto : Hanged if oi know. ”

INTERPROVINCIAL.

f©»sA.'V' % WLM 8*

RESIGNATION OF THE MINISTRY. : Wellington, Monday £2.50. Immediately after tlie caucus meeting; this morning, the waited on the Governor arid placed sthe/,resigriatiori.\of the Ministry in ;his hands,' , !

V'Auckland, Oct; -6a Arrived Hero, from Sydney, with news to Sept 30. The Exhibition is greatly enhanced bj r the daily opening of fresh exhibits. Tlie attendance has been a failure except on the first shilling day. A heavy pecuniary failure is inevitable, and the Exhibition will only pay a little over the current ex penses. Deputations : to' the 1 Colonial Secretary .have protested against the sale of goods at the Exhibition. Wellington, Oct. 6.

- The criminal sittings of the Supreme Court commenced this morning before Chief Justice Prendergast. In his charge the Chief Justice referred to the large in crease of petty thefts, and with reference to the Maori prisoners arrested on the West Coast, for trespass and malicious in jury to property, he thought their cases would not be heard, but be postponed by proclamation. Mr Travers, who is re tained to defend the natives, applied for a postponement, and said they would -be tried at a special sitting. The Grown Prosecutor conserite d to an ad j ourriment which his Honor granted. True bills were found against Frank.. A, Moore, for larceny from Messrs Turnbull, Smith, and Co. ’s. Prisoner pleaded guilty, and was remanded for sentence. A case against George Brighting, for burglary,' is now proceeding.

LAST NIGHTS CABLEGRAMS.

BRITISH & FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. s ( Reuter's Telegrams.) 0 London, Oct. 1. Arrived—Loch Sloy, from Melbourne, June 8 ; "Salisbury, from Port Broughton, June 2; Lusitania, from Melbourne; Loch Sliiel, from Sydney. :V: •. •; SV'jifl . Oct'. 3. ■ The Bank of South Australia has de dared a dividend of five per cent for the half-year,-and carries forward £7,677 ster ling. ' ' - Bombay, Oct 4. Shutargardan was unsuccessfully at tacked by independent tribes from south wards in the evening. According to au thentic information, communication is cut off on both sides of Shutargardan. The Indian Government are despatching rein forcements.

(,Special to the Sydney Herald.) London, Oct. 3.

In addressing a political meeting at Cambridge, Sir Vernon Harcourt attri buted much of the prevailing distress to the Government’s neglect of’home affairs, and from wars being neeedlessly provoked with Afghanistan and Africa. Dutch sales of tin have been marked by an advance. In the English tin market prices are hardening. Sales have ; been made at £75 per ton.

AUSTRALIAN.

Melbourne, Oct. 3.

The deficiency in the revenue for the quarter was principally in land. Excise showed a decrease. There was an increase on 39 other articles!. I

LAST NIGHT’S TELEGRAMS.

Auckland, Oct. 4.

The Maori troupe en route for Sydney gave an entertainment to-night, consist ing of Maori hakas and dances, in the Theatre Royal. The house was crowded. Oct. 5. The diver engaged to plug the Thames big pump did not succeed in doing so. The stoppage and influx of water will have a damaging effect on mining opera tions. '/.IsL Grahamstown, Oct. 4. The news of the defeat of the Govern ment caused a great sensation, and it is now thought certain that Mr. Whitaker will stand for the Thames seat. • Wellington, Oct. 4. At the Ministerial caucus this morning 42 were present, Sir George Grey in the chair. The following resolution was passed unanimously :■ — 1 £ That the mem bers present are determined to take all steps necessary to preserve, the Liberal party, and will resist coalition, and that they adjourn till Monday, at eleven o’clock, to enable Ministers to consider further what action shall be taken.”

• The Maori prisoners arrested, for tres passing on settlers’ land at Taranaki are down in the calendar for trial at the criminal sittings of the Supreme Court, commencing on Monday. It is understood the counsel for the prisoners will ask for a special sitting of the Court to hear the charges, and it is believed that the Crown Prosecutor will consent to the postpone ment, providing the Court sits before the end of the year.

A Millionaire’s Little Joke.— An aged millionaire in an American Eastern city has played a sad trick upon his heir and relatives. He invited them all to gather round his dying bed, and when they were assembled there, sprung a no tary and a whole stock of legal foolscap upon them, and made them all take affi davits that he was perfectly sane and clearheaded and cool —and then .died. When the heirs came to rummage in the desk, they found a will dated in 1875, bequeathing most of his property to an idiot asylum : and furious at their deceit, they one and all began an action to have the will broken on the ground of insanity —all swearing that, though he : was quite sane on the day of his death, he was madder’n a whole litter of March hares in 1875. Then his executor smiled a grim smile and produced a later will, made and signed about half-an-hour before the heirs gathered around his dying bed, precisely'to the same effect as the first one. This sad event has cast , a gldom"., over the\ com munity of heirs.

Recovery of a desy of the League and Covenant.

(From the Scotsman.)

Tlie Rev. T. Somerville, Blackfliars’ Parish Church, Glasgow, has just /been the medium of securing for the Advocates’ Library a document of considerable his torical interest, which seems to have long lain in obscurity, unknown even to the' most learned of our archaeologists. ,> It -appears that, recently a bankrupt trades-' man in Glasgow, to whose family Mr Somerville had shown some kindness, called upon-the rev., gentleman and stated that he was to have sailed in an emigrant ship for the antipodes on the following day, but that he should be prevented from doing so unless he could find the means of obtaining the necessary supply of clothing. The whole of his effects had been taken by his (creditors, with the exception of a document left him by his grandfather, who, as lie understood, had discovered it inside the cover of a Bible bought at a sale at Biggar, and believed it to be one of the few original" copies in : existence of the Solemn League and Covenant. Mr Somer ville’s visitor added that it seemed to him not right to take such a document out of the country,:and, partly in acknowledg ment of former kindhesss, partly in the hope of obtaining a loan in his present strait, lie liad bethought him of leaving, it with his old benefactor. The rev.' gentle man thereupon, advanced a sufficient sum of money to enable the intending emigrant to obtain .the needful outfit, and accepted the document, 1 which he lost no time in forwarding to'Mr Clark, keeper of the Advocates’ Library, as a gentleman likely to have special knowledge of such matters, with the view of ascertaining whether it was actually an , original copy of the famous: declaration.. In reply, he was in formed that: not only was it. what. it. pro fessed to be, but that it bore certain marks which led to the supposition that it might at one time,have formed part of tlie Advocates’ collection. Under these circumstances Mr Somerville handed over the document to the library authorities, informing them how it. came into his possession, and put ting in a plea of gratuity to the person from whom he received it, which has been duly acceded to. -.The, relic in question, now safe in Parliament Square, turns out to be one of those copies of the Solemn League and Covenant which were sent all over the country for signature. It bears date 1643, and is in the form of a small quarto;, pam phlet, printed on rough, strong paper, and enclosed in a limp vellum cover. At the end of the text of the Covenant were placed a large number of pages, with printed headings for the reception of signatures ; and the greater proportion of these have been filled up with names of subscribers, arranged in double columns. What renders this copy specially interest ing is the fact that it seems to be the one which was signed in the West Church of Edinburgh.- -The -first nanie it bears, “ Robert Douglas,” is believed to be the signature of the eminent Presbyterian minister, .who was reputed to be a grand son of Queen Mary. At any rate,' he is known to have served with distinction j as a chaplain in' the army of Gustavus Adolphus, and, after his return to Scotland, to have taken a prominent part in the politico-ecclesiastical movements which led up to the Revolution. Close by -Mr Gordon’s name is inscribed that of Hep burn of Humby, who had also served as a Scotch auxiliary under Gustavus. Then come the names of elders and deacons, these again being followed 'fiy some hun dreds of signatures, many of which would appear to represent families well known in the history of Edinburgh. Here and there the column of names is interrupted by the. introduction of a certificate from some notary-public signifying the adlie sion to tlie' Covenant of certain parties un able to write. The signatures display a curious diversity, in the style of penman ship. . Some are firmly and neatly writ ten in quaint old-fashioned characters; some take the form of, almost an illegible scrawl; while a few subscribers, either un practised in the current hand, or anxious that their names should be easily read, have resorted to a rude imitation of printed letters. In ' some signatures again, it is easy to trace the transition, which is understood to have been then in progress, between the crabbed handwriting familiar on. ancient parch ments and the more perspicuous caligraphy of modern times. It may be added that, in addition to the valuable copy just brought to fight, the Advocates’ Library possesses an unsigned copy, of the- Solemn League and Cove nant, 1643, besides several parchment copies, with, the original signatures of Montrose, London, and Rothes, and other eminent Scotchmen, of the earlier Na tional Covenant, the subscription of which was commenced in Greyfriars’ Church and churchyard on 28th February 1638.

The Athanasian Creed. —Bishop Piers Claughton and the Bishop of Peter borough have had a short controversy in the “ Times” on the effect of the new rubic - proposed by Convocation in rela tion to the Athanasian creed. Bishop Claughton maintains that the only affect of the new rubic is to warn Churchmen that the statements in the creed are not ;to be pressed beyond the drift of the general statements of Scripture on the same subject ; whereas Dr. Magee holds that it must be understood as asserting that the statements in Scripture mean as much as the statements in the creed. And Dr. Magee tells us that a clergyman “ whose orthodoxy and' learning Bishop Claughton would, I ami sure, be the first to recognise,” writes to him to say that “should the rubic ever become law, he would be forced to consider whether he could remain in the ministry of our Church.” Clearly, whatever Parliament may do in relation to the newly-proposed ornaments tothe rubic, it had better leave the Athanasian creed alone, until Convoca tion is pleased distinctly to relax the rules for its recitafion. Apologies for damnatory expressions are always delicate, and gene rally ambiguous. You may retract them, if you can ; you may ignore them, if you must ; but better - utter them without ex planation,:, than explain them. Explain ing. them means making them clearer; and making them clearer is apt to mean making them more offensive. —“ Specta tor.” ' For the Publican. —The common be lief that a publican is compelled to serve all sober comers has been upset by a deci sion, of the highest English Appeal Court, which has laid it down that the obligation applies only to inns, and then only in the case of travellers.

A

■ Tb<j foiifiwdrjSj af a, sos Ftntoria ’/Potty “ Sessions ia "from tlw ‘ Tyrone Constitution’’J— . If the'cases before ‘ the Court Fere few inn umber, the following “ record” which

was the last on the books, fully made up for the deficiency! Ann MiCarneyj-.' from the rural district of. Kilnahussoguej /who estimates her age at TOO, andwhose appearance did not ma terially belie her, summoned an old man •named Paddy-M-S6rley, of Aghafad for refusing to pay her 25s wages. The complainant was, after much diffi-. culty, sworn. She began—He tuk the rainiest day till put me out, lie did. , . Chairman—Are you his . servant Complainant —Av coors I am, an’ IJhed mair te do nor ony- sarvirit- * (To defen dant) Ye may well laugh ye ould thief, (Laughter). . f . , L •, Chairman—Silence now—how long : wer e?-* ” you with,him?. .. 77// Complainant—nearly a year. ''■ ;-'U£Ci T / Chairman—Well, what,did you do? iL Complainant—Sure I washed for him, and he had a dyin’ cow in the house, an’ a pig iri the room, and there was a dael do althegither. (Laughter). ' , Chairman —Was there any other in : the house but you?/' VV;V Corirplainant—Oh, the iiiver a one.; .U*?. : Defendant—Didn’t I’give ye yer mate ?? [ C/omplainant—-Sorra- the- biteiverAyes-- give me. (Renewed laughter.) . I fed rnesel’. ’ 1 • * eBM Chairman—Did he promise"! you-wages ? Complainant—He wouldn’t give me. any! - --- ; . ’- ■ 1 Defendant—She was to give me thrup- , pen 4 a-week lodgin’ money — ■ ■ / Cbmplainant—Orra—Good .luck .to. irie, with a cow in the house,'- pig 1 iri thri* * room.'. (Renewed laughter.) And efther ~ ; he put me out when I went back for’ me tongs and things, he pitched me out., ■ r Defendant—Yer Worship she come two , | or three times to murther me. LJ -I Complainant—Noyrio, ~ Chairman—Did..-you pTQmise to j>ay I( threepenee a week fob your lodging? vn> Y . ' Complainant — Nivir -7- Och, the ould rogue—(great laughter) ' promise* 'thrup periceaweek ? ’pdn nm JSO\dH/hiyir Aids£ (Continued laughter.) - /., ... Defendant—That you did surely.;Ji.a At this point the complainant drew her; staff arid gave’the shej poured forth a volley' of abuse which caused a temporary paralysis of the re-’ :r portorial pencil. ; The police disarmed- her, after which (to speak pugilistically) she gave the defendant one with her fiat, straight from the shoulder, 1 which took f him in the “butt? of the ear; r . The Chairman put a stop to this attack which was borne calmly by the.defendant.- T; The defendant was sworn. ■ -T-l Chairman—Now, Daddy, did- you r gage this woman ? . ;/i Paddy—Nivir. She kem to me. as lodger, and I tuk her for a charity May,;,?!, -last was a year. There was no bargain in" '' the wide, world betwixt us about!. wages. She went away to Mr Ancketill’s to get lodgin’ with a woman there, .but she left Ker plenishin there and forced her -way into me. _ : JJa ■ ■■■ ■■■'/.• Complainant—Be me sowlrl did not. Constable—You must be quiet. Defendant—l had a cow in .the ; house for two months "but I cleined her She milked her, and used to give the milk ! * ~ away. I niver promised her wages since i-the worl’ began. Complainant—Oh, goodness, will ye listen to him. (Laughter.) Chairman—Did you ever promise her wages ? ' Defendant—Never. Complainant—Be the crass .. v Constable—Silence;; • "d''f Complainant—He went till a woman, - ' and she sWore she’d hang hersel’ afore slie’d take him, the ould rougue. Chairman —There will be an action for libel taken against you. ‘ * '*' * Complainant—Bad luck till him ; when I went for me tangs and me good taypot he threw me out iviry time..- (More laughter)., Defendant—lviry time / she came lsheo had a stick and threatened to kill me. Complainant—Ocho,—the stick wouldn’t hurt a wean. Ye ould thing ye, there’s : policy in you. (Laughter.) Och ye ould thief — Defendant—You ould liar. -, , Complainant— Och,, let me at him. , (Great laughter, and rescue of " defendant by police.) v .• ' Defendant—Oh, you liar— Complainant—Oh, you rascal— Defendant—Orra, bad scran to ye— Chairman—Oh,-dismiss the case. Defendant —She robbed 1 me night and day; stole me corn and sowld it—the biggest rascal— The police at this point had succeeded - in putting both parties out of court, and ! had the satisfaction of seeing them go separate ways.

Another Job. —The “Patea MaiF' says : —“lt is stated on 'good authority that a .resident of Hawera has been authorised to supply alb the Armed Con-/ ’ stabulary, from White Cliffs Ito WaihiJ f with rations, without tenders having been, called for same. This is a strange pro ceeding, if true, as Government are not- '• supposed to let any. contract over £so‘uii- * ‘ by public tender. ”

An Aristocratic Policeman.—lt is ‘ said there is a baronet in the Melbourne police who receives a handsome monthly remittance, and continues to be a con-' ' stable apparently from mere force of habit. .-wr -pr' -v

An actor with, a very. homely face was once acting Mithridates, when a beahtiful captive said to him, “ My lord you change your countenance. ” Theodore Hook, who was in the pit, exclaimed, “ Don’t step him—don’t stop him! * For- Heaven’s sake, let him ! ” _ . . . Smart Sailing. —The fastest run on record was made by the English mail steamer Durban. . She ’ ran from. Cape Town to Plymouth—GOOO; miles—in 18 days and 22 hours—making for the voyage 13 - 1 knots. . \

To the point. —Mrs. O’Bralaghan : “ Shure, an it’s the truth oi’ve bin tellin' yer, Mrs. Muggins ; you never matched a lie a-comin’ out of my mouth.”—Mrs. M. | “ No, indeed, Mrs. O’Bralaghan, they 5 comes out so fast nobody couldn’t catch, ’em.” ;

The Irrepressible Yankee. —As an incident of American competition it-is mentioned that eggs imported from Chicago last month were eaten at Dublin breakfast-tables, and good American but ter at 8d per lb. was, and still is, on sale on the Dublin quays. . . • A

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s. Butter, inferior to best $ lb I dozen - I d . X 0 to . to 'V. • “1 0 dr 4 p Cheese, prime quality, lb p 8 to 0 10 Bacon, prime smoked, ■$ lb o 9 to 0 ip Hams in cloth, $ lb - x 0 to p p Flour in bags, 1? xoolb 14 6 to 0 p Oatmeal. 251b - 6 0 to : 0 0 Lard, $ lb. - . 0 9 to p 0



JUST‘ ARRIVED— ( i SECOND SHIPMENT OF QTAT t ON-ERY, IST ATI ONE RY, DIRE CTt 'FRO M * THEM AN UF ACTORY. ' AVIIOIiESAIE AND RETAIL. ' r Jj WEEKS AND >D IX' ON, Saunders’ Buildings, East Street :A ;ASHBURTON. See Future Advertisements. FARMERS ! FARMERS !FARMERS ! V‘ R. McKERROW & Co. 1, RE Casli Purchasers of Wool, Grain, 'jflL and all kinds of Farm Produce, and are also prewired* to make Liberal CASH ADVANCES on the above Commodities placed in their hands either for sale or shipment to the .English or Colonial Markets. A Large, Stock of Corn Sacks, Wool Packs, &c. , ; for Sale, at lowest current prices. ■ R. McKERROW & CO., GRA I N M ERGIT AN T 4, •p r ; RAKAIA. V CO NE W ZEALAND WESLE YAN, Published Monthly. JUST ARRIVED, the “ New Zealand 'Wesleyan ” for October. Price 6d Sold at the Herald Office, East Street. . WEEKS AND DIXON, . • Agents. to CONTRACTORS and others. LET> 2000 ACRES ROLLING. Apply to i. ; SAUNDERS BROS., Ashburton, tawawsa*!Charing Crossj or Seafield. A FOR SALE, NUMBER of Light and Draught HORSES. : J .' r '■ ■ SAUNDERS BROS.



Clothing Establishment. ASSIGNMENT OF THE ESTATE of MESSRS. AITKEN, PASCOE & CO., CLOTHING MANUFACTURERS,,. TO Mr. J.H. Morrison, Manager Mosgiel, Woolen Factory, AND Mr. John Ross, Of Sargood, Sons & Ewing ► Trustees. THE above large Clothing Manufac turing Firm having had to succumb to these hard times, and assign their I estate, we have been induced by the Trustees to purchase the whole of their large Manufactured Stock at a Very Heavy Reduction, and have resolved to sell the same again in our Branches direct to the public at prices at which we could not legitimately sell our own Goods. In fact (without exaggeration) during ' the next few weeks we are in a position to offer NEW GOODS IN MEN’S AND BOYS’ ATTIRE, Of Colonial Manufacture, at from ONETH I R D \ to ONE HALF THE I R USU A L COS T . HALLENSTEIN BROS., New Zealand Clothing Factory. The assigned Stock will be for Sale in our Ashburton Branch from and on SATURDAY NEXT, 28th JUNE. New Zealand Clothing Factory. 12a



Meetings. ASHBURTON HRE BRIGADE. Regular monthly meeting on TUESDAY, 7th, at Somerset Hotel, 8 shdrp. Fines strictly enforced against members absent without notice, in accordance wtth resolution at last meeting. lj. M. CAMBRIDGE, 539 a . Hon. Sec. ASHBURTON AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION. rjl HE ANNUAL SHOW WILL BE HELD AT TIN WALD, ON TUESDAY, 18th NOVEMBER. For particulars see posters. Persons willing to offer private prizes will please communicate with the under signed at an early date. GEO. JAMESON, 536a-r-64: Secretary. ASHBURTON PERMANENT BUILD ING AND INVESTMENT SOCIETY. THE Monthly Meeting of the above Society will be held,-in Mr. Bullock’s office on TUESDAY EVENING, from 6-30 to 8.30. Subscriptions will be received at the Secretary’s office, Burnett street, be tween the hours of 9 o’clock and 4 p.m. this day, at Mr. Bullock’s office, from 6-30 to B'3o on Tuesday evening. J. WARD. 538 a Secretary.