MAIL NOTICES.

Mails arrive at the Ashburton Post Office— , Christchurch at 10.35 a.m., 4.55 p.m., and 8.15. p.m. daily. ,_,,«JE!rom- Chertsey,- Rakaia, &c. at 10.35 a. m.-.daily, ? From Dunedin and intermediate places at 5.25 p.m. daily.* y Fr«m'Temuka and Timaru at 9.25 a.m. ; and 5.25 p.nE daily. From Greenstreet, Ashburton Forks, l Mount . Somers, and Ashburton Gorge ' on-Wednesdays and Saturdays at 3 p.m. uyj’rom Ashton, Waterton, and Long -3 beach;at 10 a.m. daily. iniFrom Wakanui and Seafield on Tues days and Fridays at 2.30 p.m.

Mails close at the Ashburton Post Office, as follows - ,1 . * For Christchurch and North at 6 a.m. 9. a.m., • and 5 p.m., daily. . - pFor Chertsey Rakaia,. &c., at 9 a.m. ’and 5 p, m,_ daily. For Dunedin, Tinwald, Winslow, Hinds, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, and'Geraldine, at 10.15 a.m. daily. Fpr Timaru, and South at 6 a. in. and 10.15. a.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 3.15 p.m. daily. For Wakanui, and Seafield, on Tues days and Fridays, at 6 a.m.

W. St. G. Douglas, Postmaster.

The Ashburton Herald AND Borough and County Advertiser (With which is incorporated the “Evening Echo”). WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1880.

! Thsi'' |3an Francisco . Mail arrived at Auckland at one o’clock this morning.

County Council.—The usual monthly meeting of the Ashburton Council was held to-day. A full report of the proceed ings will appear in to-morrow’s issue.

The Borough Auditors.- —As will be seen from the subjoined figures, very few of-the burgesses felt sufficiently interested in the election of the Borough auditors as to record their votes yesterday. The re sult of the .poll is as follows : —W. R. Boyle,'- 13 ; S. E. Poyntz, 22 ; W.- ~H. Zouch, 194 Messrs. Poyntz and Zouch were therefore-duly elected. • - Methodist .Church.—-This evening the quarterly tea meeting will be heldin the church, Wills street, commenc ing at 6 o’clock, after which a meeting of the congregation will take place to receive the quarterly statement of the affairs of the church.

Civil Cases.—lmmediately after the conclusion of the licensing business yester day, Messrs. Cox and Winter, J.J.P., disposed of one civil action, the rest "of the cases set down for hearing being post poned till Friday. Andrew Young sued Meredith Wilson for L 9 14s. 6d., being L 9 for wages, and the balance for travel lino- expenses. Judgment was given for L 8 os. 6d.

The Property Tax. The correspon dent of the Press in Wellington says : Respecting the property tax, it is unoffi cially rumoured that the modification re ported to be contemplated by the Govern ment is to exempt personal effects, includ ing household furniture, &c. This, how ever, is mere rumor, and must not be taken as in any way authoritative or inspired. - ! ; County Mats. —Two sheets of the County maps have been received by tho County Council from the lithographer. They are printed, we believe at the Times office. The sheets to hand, which are only one instalment of the County’s order, comprise the Ashburton Survey District, from the township northwards to the Rakaia, the Rakaia district included, and southwards to the sea, taking in the Waka nui district.

- Agricultural and Pastoral Associa tion. —The first monthly meeting of this Association, for the purpose of reading and discussing papers of interest to farmers, was held last night in the new upstairs room of the Town Hall. There was a good attendance, and Mr. F. Guin ness delivered the opening address, which was listened to with evident interest by those present. A paper was also read by the President, and several matters of minor importance discussed.

CORRESPONDENCE.

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

THE IRISH RELIEF FUND.

To the Editor.

Sir, —Can you give subscribers any information respecting the amounts which were collected towards the above fund, as it would appear from the reticence of the committee appointed to collect the same, and the treasurer—whose duty it should have been to publish a statement long ere this —that they have gone eternally to sleep on the matter, and never more intend to awaken ?

I am given to understand, however, that his Worship the Mayor is treasurer of the fund. If so, perhaps he will, con descend to inform subscribers of the amounts he has received, from what sources they came, and whether he has seen fit to carry out his original idea of “ telegraphing it direct to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, and so have brought Ashburton into prominence before the Irish nation,” or whether he has disposed of it in any other less assuming way, or whether it still remains in his careful keeping. I am, &0. , Subscriber.

THE ESSAYIST.

What is Life. It is a common saying that a question is easier asked than answered, and that a little child can confound a philosopher. The question which forms the subject of this paper, although a simple one, has doubtless perplexed and defied the keenest intellect to solve, not only in days gone by, but also in the present time. What a vast amount of mental power has been expended in the vain efforts of man to discover the true nature of that force which constitutes the great source of life and motion 1 There can be no doubt, however, that, notwithstanding his unsuc cessful effort, much has been effected to ward the solving of the problem, and that there can be no gainsaying the pro gression which he has so evidently made. During the last century science has mani festly done very much in the elucidation of matters which for ages had been obscured by an apparently impermeable cloak of darkness, but the true nature of the essence which forms the chief and vital principle in the creative and decrea tive measures of the great Architect of the universe is . still an incomprehensible mystery to man, and may never be re vealed and truly recognised by him as he is now organised in his present sphei’e of action. Well may the gladsome soul of man in delight respond with wondering adoration toward his Maker in the con templation of his beautiful and harmom iously contrived mechanism as pourtrayed by the Designer and Sustainer of the heavens above. The glorious triumphs which mind has made over matter, the secrets unfolded to man’s view from scientific investigation, all continue to make him exclaim in “ wonder, love and praise,” “What is life?” A large portion of the heavens have been delineated ; the positions and movements of the planets noted, their character and physical qualities made known, and their common affinity for one another ascer tained. Who can conceive the feelings of Newton when, after years of the most laborious study and scientific research, the mysterious force of gravitation first dawned upon his well ordered and deeply reflective mind? We are told that his emotion was bo great that he was com pelled to resign the completion of his task to a friend. He had been permitted to make known to his fellow men the start ]in"'tidings that all matter, whether con sisting of the most infinitisemal particles or as worlds, possessed in common the inherent power of repulsion and attraction.

What that power is, per se, has been left to other philosophers to reveal. The fact that matter does move, and that of itself it ha 3 not the power of motion, being dead in itself and yet in destructible, suffices to show that there is in existence a principle which men call life, and that this principle pervades the whole of God’s glorious creation. .. What man, then, even though he can hut faintly comprehend the great .truth, is able to stand unmoved with the conscientiousness of it uppermost in his mind? Whether that man views this truth ill a heavenwaid direction, or as confined to a philosophical investigation of the different properties of the materials of which this globe is com posed, on which he “lives, moves, and has his being,” surely to such a man the question will arise—“ What is life?” The evidence of its existence he holds on all side, look wheresoe’er he may, there he sees the effects of this living principle which has been tei’med life. He sees it in the dust, in the flower, in living creatures, and in the heavens. ~-

The obvious relationship which exists between mind, and matter is one which, when rightly examined, cannot fail to have beneficial-effects on the mind of the examiner, inasmuch as it tends directly to the elevation of the finite mind of man to that infinite mind which has authorised and controls all things ; and more especially will this be the case when men pay a due regard to the revelations of Script ure. But alas ! Poor fallible being ; instead of enjoying a closer relationship with his Creator, he is only to prone to walk in a way altogether antagonistic to his will. Such an one, surely, cannot lay claim to the title of philosopher, for in the opinion of all right-minded men, the true philosopher does not seek to make panthe isim, or to exclude an intelligent First Cause ; but recognises him as such and his works as effects of his omniscient and omnific power. Again, what are we to understand by the hypothesis of a class of thinkers who, in respect to the subject under notice, assert that a portion oPHhe food of living creatures after being received into the stomach, and after having been subjected to the process of chemical change is thence conveyed by means of circulation of the blood to the brain ; and that this fluid is analogous to the galvanic. What ever this fluid may be, it cannot be spirit but simply matter, inasmuch as it is re ceived into the system in the form of matter, so that the saying is again illus trated of “That which is of the earth is earthy.” , No one will attempt to deny that the movements and sensations of living organisms are due to agency of the nerve force operating through the medium of the brain and nervous centres on the musclar and osseous system ; but that this nerve force constitutes the thinking part of man is open to grave doubt. Un fortunately, there are not wanting those who persistently maintain that this fluid is life, and it is this belief which tends to warp so many splendid intellects. Of such an one it may well be said : Alas ! Alas ! It give* me Title joy, To think I’m farther off from heaven

Than when I was a boy. The author of this little paper is bold enough to maintain that this galvanic fluid is not life ; but only matter, and a part of the universal work of Him who first “breathed iuto the nostrils of man, the breathed of life.” It is this fatal theory against which I am now contend ing, that holds captive, in the meshes of Materialism, so many men who believe that the soul, the thinking part of man—is a material thing doomed to perish with the clay of his body. Sir Isaac Newton, in his work the “Prin cipia,” has satisfactorily demonstrated that au etherial fluid pervades all space, by means of which all particles of matter ate attracted, and through it light is emitted, and thus heats the earth, and other bodies. Whatever this fluid may be, it ha 3 not the power to think or to put itself in motion. On the contrary, it is kept in motion by a powerful cause, and through whose instrumentality it operates and fills the whole universe. All this does not prove what life is, but merely points out the fact that there is in existence a powerful and subtile fluid analogous to spirit. It is possible, however, that it may possess unknown properties for the distribution of the vital principle as in tended by the Creator. Man is said to be an immortal being, because his moral and intellectual constitution is so con trived as to absolutely demand a belief in the future development of his nature ; and we are, consequently, at liberty to accept the doctrine that there may be existing immaterial orders, or beings, which en joy brief periods of existence, and after wards return again and again to a state of nihility ; or, to make the matter more clear, that there is a future period of spiritual existence and which has com menced with man.

Life is the work and gift of God, and he through his watchful providence con tinually sustains all the creatures of his will. Life originated with God, and re turns unto him again ; it cannot be de siroyed by any finite power. He who above dispensed life, light, and beat to all his dependant Creation, is able to answer this question of “ What is Life ?” L.

News by the San Francisco Mail.

(by telegraph.)

London, May 8.

Exeter Hall has been purchased by the London Young Men’s Christian Associa tion for L 25,000. A ship employed for transporting fresh meat from South America to France has been sold to an English company for lll.OOOfr. Nos. 80 to 84, Gray’s Inn, and 5, Port Pool Lane, London, were burnt down on the 7th May. Fourteen persons are missing. On the 28tli April the steamer Ameri can, belonging to the Union Company, foundered near the equator. Several pas sengers were saved by the boats. It has recently been discovered that there is a deficiency in the Indian Budget amounting to L 400,000. The press openly charges the Government authori ties with deception in the matter. Edward Stanhope, Under Secretary for India, writes to the Standard, denying that the date Government received the tele gram concerning the Indian deficit was on the morning after the debate on Mr. Faw cett’s motion in Parliament in favor of Longland’s contribution to a portion of the African war expenses. He deprecates Mr. Fawcett’s action in making the state ment before ascertaining the facts. Mr. Fawcett writes to the Standard recalling

his statement/and expressing regret that he had been misinformed. The Prince of Wales has visited and congratulated Mr. Gladstone on the Liberal victory, and of his appointment as-Premier. The incident has occasioned some surprise.

. The British steamer Alnawick Castle, bound, for Venerzuela, entered the river Elbe on the 15th. The vessel, from the. nature of her cargo, attracted the atten tion of the Peruvian Consul. She had a large quantity of war material,, and in tended to-' take. in a hundred tons of powder at Hamburg, and then proceed to Valparaiso.' r She took - fire and was scuttled .to prevent an - explosion. The ship and cargo, which included a number of Krupp guns, was insured in the London and Hamburg Company for L 137,000. The Peruvian Consul is about to proceed against the owners of the "vessel. The London World says the Queen’s health and spirits are most unsatisfactory. She suffers from constant headache.

Miller, alias Maxwell, arrested at Liver pool on two charges of forgery on the Bank of England and other Banks, is said to be wanted for forgeries committed in .America. The Earl of Scarborough was fatally injured on April 19th by being thrown from a drag. Mr. Bright says he wishes to enter the Ministry because he has work to perform with reference to the Irish land laws. Mr. Bright, recently' elected to Parlia ment for Nottingham, fell dead at an Educational meeting in Birmingham. His death is a considerable loss to the Liberal interests. The English crop reports are generally satisfactoi'y, though wheat is said to be losing colour on heavy lands, but is by no means promising in some districts. The Sliau-Parnell feud has grown into such importance that .the Catholic Bishops have been appealed to to heal the breach. The land conference at Dublin has been a failure.

The Sligo police have seized a number of army rifles, swords, and bayonets at Tubbercory. The , Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin lias issued a pastoral warning to the people against the present agitation in Ireland, and against the destructive doctrines laid down by some public speakers on the first principles of morals. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, states in a recent address, that the..distress,in Ireland is as great as ever, and it is feared that during the next three months it would prove most, severe, and this, too, in the face of failing subscriptions. Kilbrude, in the the county of Galway, is suffering fearfully ; hundreds of people will die if food is not supplied. : Mr. Forster, Chief Secretary for 'lre land, has devoted a week in Dublin to the careful examination of the condition of Ireland, and to decide whetner to - con tinue the Peace Preservation Act, or allow it. to expire. The German Samoan Island's Assistance Bill has been rejected, and consequently the German South Sea Islands Company resolves to. wind .up its affairs. Bismarck was incensed at its rejection.

Poisoned food has been found on the Czar of Russia’s dining-table. T." Congratulatory addresses have been for warded to Mr. Gladstone by several of th e prominent Russian nobles. Public opinion welcomes the Liberal victory, because Mr. Gladstone’s Cabinet is a guarantee of desired peace. According to the Moscow Gazette the reasons upon which China refuses to ratify the Kuldja treaty are that the mountain passes would remain in the possession of Russia, and that 500,000 roubles might better be expended by China in military preparation. The same paper warns the Russian Government not to undei’value Chinese warlike strength. The Golos discusses Siberia’s stratage tical strength in case of a row with China, which is now considered certain.

A plague and famine are' ravaging parts of Russia. In the Don district all the granaries are empty, and there appears an absolute dearth of money. Shevitheh, the missing wo: km an, who lodged in the casement of the Winter Palace, before and up to the time of the explosion, has been discovered in St. Petersburgh and arrested. He confesses himself guilty of the attempt on the Czar’s life. He has an uncle, Governor of the provice of Calonga. All Jews, of foreign birth, have beer ordered away from St. Petersburgh, the feeling against this class daily becoming more bitter.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

(per dress association.)

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Tuesday, June 1.

The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. One petition and four batches of papers were presented. Thirteen notices of motion and questions were given for the following day, and notices to intro duce fourteen new Bills, eleven being by the Hon. F. Whitaker. The Address in Reply was brought up by the Committee and read. It was merely formal. The Hon. Dr. Grace gave notice, to move its adoption next week. One-Sessional Com mittee was appointed, and notice given for several others. The Council ad journed at 2.45 pirn.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tuesday, June 1

On the House assembling at 2 30 p.m., Sir George Grey gave notice that he would on June 16th move for a repeal of the Property Assessment and Property Tax Acts. Mr. Pyke gave notice that he would ask the Government whether it was their intention to bring in a Bill to prohibit religious and party processions. Mr. Hurst gave notice that he would ask whet steps the Government intended taking to prevent the spread of pleuro-pneumonia from the North to the South Island. . . NEW BILLS. A number of new Bills were introduced and read a first time, including the new Licensing Bill. COMMITTEES. A motion by the Hon. John Hall that, as a rule, committees should not exceed ten members, was agreed to. ADDRESS IN REPLY. Colonel Trimble, in moving the Address in reply, opened his remarks by alluding

to that portion of the speech which had reference to the monetary pressure lately experienced throughout New Zealand. He anticipated, however, that the boun tiful harvest which had been gathered in, along with a probable increase in the price of wool, would tend to bring about a more satisfactory state of things. Referr ing to the deficiency in. the Colonial revenue, the speaker said that the Colonial Treasurer estimated that defici ency to be about one-eiglith of the’reve nue. He strongly condemned the pro posal of the late Government to make up the deficiency by taxing colonial bond holders to the extent of 3d, in the pound, and held up the proposal ,of the present Ministry as being much more honest. Why the property tax was so unpopular was because' it affected the taxpayer directly, instead of indirectly, and although it might not be the most agree ble method to the people it was by far the least expensive mode of taxation. After briefly referring to the defence of the ports of the Colony, he said he hoped the House would be very cautious in inter-: fering in any way with the present system. of education. If a charge of 10s per head was to be made upon every child, the amount would not exceed L 28,000 per annum, and then it would be the means of at least one-third of the present number being withdrawn from school. He defended the appointment of Commis sions as a means of gaining information onfwhich Government could act, and after reviewing the pui’pose3 of the various Commissions, he spoke at some length regarding the interim report presented by the Native Commission. It had been stated that after its reccommendations were carried out there would be no land left for European settlement. The report recommended that 100,000 acres should be given to the Natives, which would leave 300,000 for settlement. A great advantage, however, would be the satisfac tory solution of the Native difficulty ■which would make a new era of progress and prosperity in the history of the Colony. . Whatever they might otherwise think of Te Whiti, they must always bear in mind that he had all along preached peace, and to that fact they were no doubt indebted for the good order that had pre vailed. Captain Russell seconded the motion. Mr. Macan drew said that if the Address had any faults at all they were sins of omission rather than sins of comnussion. He thought it would have been well had they been told that it was the intention of Government to repeal the Property Tax. He knew for a fact that in view of its imposition many valuable colonists were gathering up all they could prepara tory to leaving the colony. He had not much hope of any good resulting from the labors of the Local Industries Commission. The best, part of the Ad dress to-his mind was that which promised them a short session.

Dr. Wallis described the Speech as one of the worst he had ever listened to. He would undertake to prove that the present Government had made more errors, faults, and blunders in their eight months of office than tlieir predecessors had in their two years. . He reviewed at considerable length the constitution of the Government, and their unfulfilled promises, which were legion.

The motion was then put, and carried without dissent.

A Committee was appointed, who brought up the Address in Reply. On the motion for the second reading,

Major Te Wheoro and Hone Tawhai both spoke, remarking on the reference in the Address to the native question, and expressing approval of Colonel Trimble’s remarks about Te Whiti.

Sir G. Grey said that the true cause of the depression in New Zealand was the present Ministry. The Treasurer’s alarm ing staiement must have been prejudicial to the colony. The public works should not have been stopped as they were. The effect of these proceedings had been to create panic ; it was not the proper time to reduce wages. It would have been much wiser to proceed vigoriously with public works, and curtail their proceed ings in that way when flourishing times again came round. The Premier stated, in his speech to his constituents, that the burden of taxation would fall on the wealthier classes. The fact was that the burden of taxation fell on the poorer classes, that is the classes .who were not worth LSOO, The tax would eventually fall on the retail dealers, consequently it would fall on population at large. The sooner a tax of this kind was swept away the better. In principle it was bad, as it held out inducements for the dishonest to make false returns, with a view of bolster ing up their credit. He earnestly appealed to Ministers to repeal this tax.

The Hon. J. Hall said the advice of the previous speaker about getting rid of the Property Tax had not been accom panied by any suggestions as to the mode in w'hich they were to provide for the large deficit created by the Government of which he (Grey) was the head. No doubt; the disclosures of the Treasurer were taken serious notice of, but it was absolutely necessary that these disclosures should be made, otherwise both the credit and administration of the colony would have been completely ruined. The fact was that the rate of expenditure during the last nine months would be greater than it could possibly be during the next nine months. He had been challenged to state the policy of the Government ; it was this—to amend its laws, reform its administration, and place its finances on a sound basis.

After Mr. Pyke had made a few re marks of a disparaging nature concerning the Government, The motion for second reading was put and carried without dissent, and the House rose at 9.35 p.m.

The Civil Service.

Civil servants, over whom a cloncl was hanging in the report of the Royal Com mission on the Civil Service, are likely to have the evil day put off for a time. It is said that the Commission having in March last sent Home to the Imperial Go vernment for information as to the Civil Service in the old country, they will be unable to submit their report until they receive a reply, and meanwhile, there is a probability that the question of re-or ganisation will be postponed, and only such officers dispensed with as can pal pably be done without, but in this direc tion, with other retrenchments, Govern ment will be able to effect a reduction of over £IOO,OOO

CABLE NEWS.

LATEST FROM EUROPE.

(Per Reuters Agency.) The Markets. L-L London, May 31.

Three per cent. Consols, 99$ > 5 per cent. New Zealand 10-40 loan, 103§.; 4§ per cent. New Zealand loan, 1879.,-to 1904, 98.1 ; 5 per cent. New Zealand loan, 1889, 1032, ex div. At the wool sales to-day, 6,300 bales were offered, making a total of 324,400 bales catalogued since the open ing. The tone of the sale throughout was firm. The Irish Distress. The Government has increased its ad vance from the Church funds, towards the Irish distress to L 1,500,000.

AUSTRALIAN.

(Reuter's Telegrams.) Shipping. • Melbourne, May 31 Sailed—Te Anau, for New Zealand.

NEW ZEALAND.

(Per Press Association.) Hotel Gambling. Auckland, May 31

Michael Gallagher, landlord of the Cos mopolitan Hotel, charged with permitting gambling on his premises, pleaded guilty at the Police Court this morning, and was fined LlO Two men, Kingsley and Townsend, who had been under police surveillance, in duced Major Westrupp to play with them at chicken hazard in the Cosmopolitan Hotel on Saturday night. They won L6B. Westrupp gave a cheque for the amount, but afterwards stopped the same, and communicated with the police. Gallagher, the landlord, has been summoned for per mitting gambling. The Property Tax. A requisition has been sent to the Mayor, asking him to call a meeting to protest against the properly tax. The Samoan Islands. The Danse, corvette, has arrived fro Samoa, and will probably remain here t 1 the end of June, when she will proceed to Wellington to meet the Commodore, and receive a fresh crew from the Raleigh. During her stay at the Solomon Islands, the Danse visited most of the islands of the group, and discovered a fine, pre viously-unknown haibor. During the last four months the ship has been employed at the Samoan Islands in upholding the claims of King Malisowa. There have been constant quarrels among the rival parties, which have frequently called for interference, and only a few days before she left an outrage by the people of Lufi- Lufi on the Royal party necessitated the destruction of the'town. Seamen and marines, in the face of an army of 3,000 men, who were assembled in the neigh borhood, landed and destroyed the whole settlement. Fire Four houses, with a bakehouse and stable, in the Kyber Pass road, . w;ere en tirely destroyed by Sre on Sunday morn ing. The damage is estimated at L 450. Bolters- Ten more boys absconded from the Naval Training School. Seven have been captured, and the whereabouts of three are still unknown. • The Auckland Wharf. Auckland, June 1. At a meeting of the Harbor Board the engineer reported the damage to the wharf by the City of Sydney at L2SO. The Licensing Bench. The Temperance people opposed the new publichouses at ille Licensing Court to-day, and succeeded in defeating the applications for houses at Arch Hill and the Great North road. Wanganui Steeplechases. Wanganui, June 1. Fresh weights for the Wanganui Steeplechase will be published, as the handicapper overlooked the fact that the races were to be run under the Grand National rules, which provide that the lowest weight shall not be below lOsfc, Fatal Accident. Wellington, June 1. Stephen Stockbridge, a carter, was killed to-day by falling off a dray. He was thirty-seven years of age, and in the employ' of Mr. Fitcbett, to whose farm he was taking a load of grain. An inquest will be held to-morrow. Inquest. Nelson, June 1. The body of John Kruse, supposed to be drowned in the Waimea river, was dis covered on Sunday about a mile and a half below where he attempted [to ford. An inquest was held last night at Appleby, when a verdict of “Accident ally drowned” was returned. Deceased leaves a .wife and several young children. The Invercargill Publicans. Invercargill, June 1.

At the Licensing Court to-day one new application was granted. Two licenses of hotels in town were refused renewals on the ground of total insufficiency of ac commodation, and the bench requested the police to notify to holders of licenses that the wooden hotels in the principal thoroughfares must be rebuilt in less in flammable materials, otherwise there was a probability of the licenses being refused at next sitting of the Court. This has caused quite a flutter amongst the publicans. Two of the largest hotels in town —the Prince of Wales and South land Club—are of wood, while many others in populous neighborhoods are of the same material. Mr. Shanks and his Constituents.

Mr Shanks advertises liis address to his constituents, apologising for want of time to address the numerous centres in the Mataura districts. He makes no promises, but generally one to do his best for the district and colony. He left for Welling ton yesterday. Presentation. Mr. W. R. Carruthers, late assistant and locomotive engineer, has been pre sented with a watch and a purse of sovereigns.

A Novel Five Escape.

Man is the of impulses. If a •steamboat disaster occurs, nearly every one except those that are drowned, patents a life-preserver. If a fire destroys life and property, fire-escapes at once en gage public attention, until a new opera is brought out or some one is murdered. A late conflagration prompted a life insur ance .company to offer a premium for the best lifer-saving apparatus in case of fire, the trial to take place in a large fire-proof building, and a great crowd assembled to to witness the result. Jones was the first inventor w*ho gave an exhibition of his patent arrangement. It was an endless wire rope running on - drums, which moved by internal were ar ranged to run through all the rooms of a dwelling ; and at night, upon going to bed, each member of a family would strap themselves to the rope by a steel-band, and upon the breaking: out of a fire it would start by automatic movement, and pull each sleeping member of a family out of bed, and carry them down safely through the window..- Jones‘and Kis family dressed to represent sleeping*, iji mates of the house, retired to bed in three rooms, and everything being in readiness, a pile of shavings was lighted on- the ground floor, and smoke and flame puffed out of the window. . The next-moment an alarm-bell sounded, the rope started, and Jones shot out through the window, fol lowed at intervals by Mrs. Jones and three children. The crowd shouted in admiration, and it was evident from the way Jones rubbed the smoke from his eyes that he had just waked up. As he reached the ground he said, with a smile of confidence on his face, V You see, gentlemen, what a grand success this is ! ” He had hardly spoken these words when he shot up like a rocket j into the burning building again followed by Mrs. Jones and the children; They disappeared through the smoke of one. window, and the next moment shot out .through another, and down again ; but still the energetic and relentless wire carried them back again, until the Jones family began to look liked ; smoked herrings ; and 1 it was remarked by a by-stander that Jones hadn’t as much hair on his head as when the experiment began, and another sug gested that Jones had been going up for his hat. “ For heaven’s sake, gentlemen,” said Jones frantically, “go up there some of you, and smash that drum-wheel ; it is set to run twelve hours, and it will drag us in an out of those windows seventeen hundred times if you don’t stop it.” The Jones family had some clothing on when the experiment began, but they were clothed in confusion and smoke when it ended ; and Jones remarked as he wiped the sweat from his perspiring face, that he had only planned for getting out of the building, and never thought. of the endless rope carrying them back again.

Shocking Barbarity to a Priest.

Allusion was made a short time ago to he exploits of a party of Spanish ban ditti, who, aided by the village alcade; pillaged a number of dwelling-houses. A fresh instance of the audacity and im punity with which these ruffians carry on their lawless calling, and strike terror into the minds of the rural population, is now given. Recently, while the inhabitants of the villages of Rhodes, in Lerida, were assembled in the parish church, their devotions were abruptly interrupted by the entrance of a band of robbers, their faces blackened to prevent recog nition, and carrying poignards, revol vers, or other arms. Three of these intruders went resolutely . towards the pulpit, and, without wasting any time in words, doalt the officiating minister a heavy blow on the head, 1 which stretched him senseless. L In this state he was bound with cords and carried out of the church, the brigands threatening anyone present who at tempted to leave the building or give the alarm with instant death. The unfortu nate priest was conveyed to his residence, placed in an arm-chair, and brought back from his swoon. One of the four ruffians present ordered him to indicate the place where 500 ounces of gold they knew to be on the premises were kept. The priest replied that he was ignorant of what they were alluding to, which answer, was. punished with fifteen poignard stabs on the arms and legs. The question was then repeated, and received, the same reply, upon which a further infliction-of cuts with a knife and. heavy blows with a stick was resorted to. The victim of’this barbarity, upon being replaced in his chair, admitted now that he possessed, a little money, about 3,000 reals. . This de claration exasperated the bandits, Who, next tortured their captive by lighting., a quantity of straw over the flames of which they held the priest’s face until-his' hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes were ablaze. The heartrending cries uttered by the sufferer brought at length the female ser vant to the scene, but before she could offer any resistance or seek help she was stabbed. It. was. finally decided that since the robbers had been deceived in their expectation of finding-a rich booiy, the priest should be shot, ancl lie had already been told to kneel down prepara tory to the putting into execution of the" sentence, when one of the band, who had been ransacking the house, returned with the news that he had discovered, the five hundred ounces of gold. This was a treasure deposited in the keeping of the; priest the previous day, and which his conscience forbade him to give up.*' Hav ing obtained what . they wanted the brigands made off, such being the terror they inspired that no one dared to pursue them. •• / tj

THE ASHBURTON HERALD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1880.



NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS.



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Miscellaneous pi A 0(10 LEND, in sums to 3iJLvyvUU suit borrowers, at lowest rate of interest. F. P. O’Reilly, Solicitor, Ashburton. 424c-835g Ql CHOOL. Requisites and Artist M vte ip rials. H. M. JONES, Static xer, rials. Baring Sauare. "ANTED, —Coppersmith aud Tin plate Worker. Competent hand required.' -Apply, J. Hyde, Moore street. „ ■ . 524 e ITT ANTED KNOWN—That C. Haw kins, The Tinwald Bootmaker, has REMOVED to premises Opposite the Tinwald Post Office, where he is still open ;to;Sell first-class Boots and Shoes at his usual Cheap Rates. All kinds of Boots Made and’Repaired. ‘ 505g— 417 c GHINIQUY’S LECTURES.—Just Ar rived, New Edition H. M. Jones, •Baring Square. TO LET. ' Ci IX ROOMED COTTAGE, with half acre Garden, East Belt. .Apply, 441 c ■ ' ORR & CO. \FFICE and Pocket Diaries for 1880 _~ - ; H. M. Jones, Stationer, Baring Square. ASHBURTON TOWN HALL COM PANY. mHE DIRECTORS of the above Com- T pany are now prepared to LET the LARGE ROOM over the Shops in the Town Hall for Meetings and other pur poses, and to entertain proposals from Societies and other bodies for the periodi cal use of the same on most reasonable terms. -- ••• Apply to ...O.OOTHE SECRETARY,. - 502 c At the Town Hall. NEW ZEALAND TRUST AND LOAN .a;..: COMPANY (LIMITED). /CAPITAL ... £1,000,000. SUMS OF £BOO - £20,000 READY TO BE ADVANCED UPON FREEHOLD SECURITIES. Information can be obtained upon appli cation to . t 1 J. C. M‘DOWALL, Manager, 678 g Hereford street, Christchurch. - MOUNT SOMERS ROAD BOARD. are invited for the following JL WORKS:— N 6 .: ; 11. Formation Stevenson’s road. z !u/No. 12.—Metalling and putting in *70.1 k: ua culverts, Anama Downs road. l-imiifaiilS, —Supply of drainage pipes for 12 months. Specifications of the above can be seen it the Road Board office, Mount Somers. • Tenders, addressed to the Chairman, nust be sent in before noon on MONDAY, Tune 7th, 1880. The lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted. J, WENTWORTH COOKSON, Jun., ‘ UU ' J ‘" v ’ '■ Surveyor to the Mount Somers Road Board. Mount Somers, May 28th, 1880. 904 g



Holloway's Pills. —These Pills are more efficacious in strengthening a debilitated con stitution than any other medicine in the world. Persons of a nervous habit of body, and'alt who are suffering from weak digestive organs/ or whose health has become deranged by bilious affection, disordered stomach, or liver complaints, should lose no time in giving these admirable Pills a fair trial. Coughs, colds, asthma, or shortness of breath are also within the range of the sanative powers of this very remarkable medicine. The cures effected by these Pills are not superficial or temporary, but complete any permanent. They are as mild as they are efficacious, aud may'be given with confidence to delicate females and young chil-; ,dren. Their action on the liver,, stomach, and*, bowels is immediate, beneficial, and lasting, restoring order and health in every case.- AdvtJ