SHIPPING.

Lyttelton, Apiil 28.—Arrived, Pen uin, 8.5., from the North.

MAIL NOTICES.

Mails close at the Ashburton Post Office, as follows : For Christchurch and North at 6 a.m. 9. a.m., and 5 p.m., daily. For Ohertsey Rakaia. &c., at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. For Dunedin, Tinwald, Winslow, Hinds, Coldstream, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, and Geraldine, at 10.15 a.m. daily. For Teinuka, Timaru, and South at 6 a.m. 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.

Mails arrive at the Ashburton Post Office—

From Christchurch at. 10.35 a.m., 4.55 p.m., and 8.15 p.m. daily. From Ohertsey, Rakaia, &c. at 10.35 a.m. daily. From Dunedin and intermediate places at 5.25 p.m. daily. From Temuka and Timaru at 9.25 a.m. and 5.25 p.m. daily. From Greenstreet, Ashburton Forks, Mount Somers, and Ashburton Gorge on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 3 p.m. From Ashton, Waterton, and Long beach at 10 a. m. daily.

From Wakanui and Seafield on Tues days and Fridays at 2.30 p.m.

W. St. G. Douglas, Postmaster,

Mails close at the Chief Post Office, Christchurch, for the following places (subject to necessary alterations) as under:—

Thursday, April 29. For Northern Ports, per Ringarooma, at 3.15 p.m.

The next mail for the United Kingdom via Brindisi (for correspondence specially addressed only), will be closed at Christ church on May 6th, and will be due in London on June 26th.

SYDNEY J. DICK, Chief Postmaster,

The Ashburton Herald AND Borough and County Advertiser (With which is incorporated the “Evening Echo”). WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1880.

For some time back there has been an awkwardness existing between the Web lington Fire Brigades and the bodies to

whom they looked for their support—viz, the City Council and the Insurance Com panies. The fire brigades alleged that the funds supplied to them for their support in efficiency by the Council and the Companies were not enough for the pur pose, and failing to come to any satisfac tory arrangement, they did what seems to us a very sensible thing—they laid up their engines, locked their sheds, and disbanded. The Council did not relish the prospect of seeing a large city like Wellington left entirely without means of fire extinction,and they appointed a Committee to consider the matter. The report of that Committee was submitted, and it contained a sugges tion to organise a fire brigade, the officers and men of which should be paid salaries for their services. This suggestion was adopted, and will probably be acted upon. In most of the New Zealand towns the services of the fire brigade members are rendered voluntarily, and it is a well known fact that these volun teer firemen show a remarkable degree of efficiency, and a keen enthusiasm. Their discipline is about perfect, and as their officers are elected by the members, and usually have to stand a stiff contest for their positions, they command the re spect of those whose votes placed them in command. In most cases, too, the gene ral public contribute largely to the ex penses of the brigades, while subsidies are paid by the various local bodies. Though the colony has thus enjoyed the services of a very large number of volunteer fire men, we regret to say that their value has not always been appreciated to the full, and not seldom the brigades have found themselves crippled for funds. The action of the Wellington City Council seem to us to be a very proper one to follow, and puts in practice a principle which has long seemed to us to be the one upon which brigades onght to exist—viz., on the sup port of the Corporation of the township in which they work. In this young colony hitherto, if we were to have fire brigades at all, it was almost a matter of necessity that they should be volunteers ; but it stands to reason if they are to be retained in efficiency, their expenses must be borne by some one, and their services are too valuable to risk the loss of from want of support. Whenever difficult times come, and money becomes scarce, public contributions fall away, and we find the brigades poking up the In surance Companies and the public bodies for more money. If the brigades are a valuable institution, and there is no one will deny their value, then we can see no reason why they should be allowed to get into a crippled state for want of funds. It is no use depending on the Insurance Companies— they command the situation and will give no more than they have a mind to ; and we think the duty of the brigades’ sup port clearly lies with the public bodies, and provision ought to be made accord ingly. At Home the Corporations of the •various towns support the Fire Brigades, and every member is a paid servant, so that his attendance at a fire is compul sory, and he is specially remunerated for it. We de not suppose our Volunteer Brigades desire to be remunerated for their work like ordinary day laborers, but most of them do take a pride in the efficiency of their corps, and would like to be supplied with the best appliances. The difficulty in Wellington will have the effect of virtually eliminating the volun tary clement from the brigade, and this we think will be a loss ; but if a means of support could be devised that would re tain the volunteer character of the brigades while it maintained them in effi ciency and relieved the members of all cost, a long step would be taken in re moving the discontent that at present exists amongst the members of very many good corps, and at the same time to wards ensuring their permanency.

Ashore and Afloat.— The Amateur Dramatic Society give their last repre sentation to-night, in the Town Hall, of Ashore and Afloat.”

O amaru Harbor. —The LIOO,OOO loan of the Oamaru Harbor Board having been successfully floated, another wall to the northward of the present one will be run out. and the harbor will be dredged to a depth sufficient to admit of the largest Home vessels lying alongside the break water.

Mr. Hislop, M. H.R.—A rumor is cur rent that Mr. W. L. Rees, of Napier, will stand for the seat for Waitaki, vacated by Mr. Hislop, who has just announced his esignation.

A Joke. —Some joker at Masterton recently telegraphed to a Wellington paper that the Maori King, Tawhiao, had abdicated in favor of Sir George Grey !

South Australia’s Wheat. —The South. Australian Register estimates the average yield of wheat at 11 bushels per acre, making a total yield of 16,300,000 bushels, of which 13,375,000 bushels, or 361,500 tons will be available for sale or export. Fair Warning. —The following adver tisement appears in. a Sydney paper : “ John Turner, native of Glasgow, who married Martha Riley, 17 years of age, at Richmond, I give you notice that having for seven years made every effort to dis cover you, I intend to get married again. —Martha Turner, Montefiores. ”

Who are the Imbibers? —Which is the drunken department of the Civil Ser vice ? The New Zealand Times says that all the empty beer bottles brought to light during the late shifting of the Govern ment buildings “ were found in the rooms of a single department, the gentlemen en gaged in all the others being apparently water drinkers.” Death from D.T. —On a wharf in one of the cities of the North Island, a short time ago, a larrikin mosquito, after doing a buzz in and out of a crowd there con gregated, alighted for a moment on the highly-colored nose of a Government official. The ill-fated insect presently fell down dead at the feet of its victim. On being picked up an examination was held, the verdict returned being—“ Died from delirium tremens.” '

A Hangman’s Wealth. —According to the New York ITerald, Calcraft, the Eng lish hangman, died worth L 20,000. He was, says the Herald, very sensitive, and was looked upon witli reverence in the neighborhood in which he lived, and respect by his relatives. This is not sur prising when we consider he was worth L 20,000. It is only a wonder there were not more persons who, for the sake of notoriety, did not want the exalted honor of being “strung up” by a hangman worth L2O,QQQ.

CORRESPONDENCE.

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

THE BOROUGH WATER SCHEME.

To the Editor

Sot, —In your last evening’s issue I notice a letter from Mr. J. Silcock, who appears to be considerably distressed at the action of the Borough Council re the waterworks.

Mr. Silcock, being a disappointed tenderer, may be forgiven for his bilious ebullition, and as I am not sufficiently acquainted with classic anchors and news paper correspondence to enter the arena of public argument with a writer of Mr. Silcock’s calibre I will not trouble you with such an array of inverted commas as he has done. Mr. Silcock’s letter, did it state facts, would be a very nice readable piece of news for the ratepayers ; but as he has drawn upon his imagination for his facts I now beg of him to state what work he tendered for and at what prices. If he does not, I intend publishing the whole thing as ah advertisement in your columns. As for Mr. John Black being practically the contractor, that is about as true as the rest of Mr. Silcock’s letter. I am at liberty,to employ what labor I like, and being solely responsible to the Borough Council, I don't suppose it would much matter to them if I employed Mr. W. J. Silcock’s teams, whether they be or be not as good as John Black’s. That is my affair. If Mr. Silcock wishes to have his work criticised in a manner like to that in which he has undertaken to criticise the Council, probably' room can be found in your columns for some remarks on a certain job he has on hand at present.* However, I won’t rush into print any further unless compelled. Meantime I should like your correspondent to give your readers something definite to read ; and not such a vague statement that his tender was LiO less than the accepted one. Well, it might be ! Mr. Silcock did not tender for the most important part of the work, which was let in three sections, and he only gave a price for two.- —I am, Ac., James Wilkie. [*We think not.]

THE LONGBEACH VALUATION.

To the Editor.

Sir —The ratepayers of Longbeach. road district cannot but congratulate their Chairman on the stand taken by him in throwing out what with propriety may be called a farce at valuation. The result of Saturday last, shows plainly how much a man may aspire to a work which he is totally unfit to carry out. Mr. Leach may or may not be a valuator. It is quite evi dent, however, that his knowledge of country districts is meagre in the extreme. The extraordinary mistakes, added to the confused way in which the whole rate payers’ list was made up, could not but convince the most sceptical, that to up hold such a valuation roll as was presented before the Assessment Court on the 17th, would be a gross injustice to two-thirds of the ratepayers. Consider a farmer as sessed with five hundred acres, which lay perhaps ten miles from him, and of which he knew nothing whatever, and the right ful owner thereof rated with a hundred and fifty acres belonging to the party thus assessed with the five hundred. In my own case, I had a valuation notice which xvasnfac si/niile of that for last years roll, and to which I raised no objections ; but Mr. Leach was not satisfied with such plain work, and so had me assessed with an imaginary hundred acres (as it was put down) at the very modest annual value of a LlO9. I have no doubt but it formed part of the famous Longbeach district, but I knew it not.

I mention those two out of a large num ber of similar cases which, although not brought before the Assessment Court, can be easily adduced, and show plainly that the valuator, even in his amended roll, knew little of the work before him. Had Mr. Leach considered the magnitude of the work that was involved in undertak ing to give a proper valuation of the large and important districts included in his tenders, he would certainly have given the matter more thought, and arrived at a more accurate estimate of the remunera tion required for carrying the work out satisfactorily. This lam afraid he has not done, and the natural consequence is an attempt to confine or rather reduce the ■whole system of valuation to the pleasant shade of an office and map room. In this particular, I am inclined to the belief that Mr. Leach has only followed in the footsteps of past valuators. Year after year men have been appointed, new rolls have been made out, but no one has ever seen those men asking for information ; then the grand announcement is made that a rate has been struck, and that money is required. It requires no great sti-etch of imagination to see that such a system is extremely faulty, and the result is that whilst some may be rated to their full value, and perhaps over, others may be much' under. So far as the present valuation is concerned, it has been hinted that Mr. Leach was actually seen once in the flesh on the Longbeach road. How far this rumor is correct, I can’t say ; only I have not met with any who have seen him in any other part of the district. As ratepayers, our protection was in the As sessment Court, and the Chairman of our Road Board, and it is certainly well for every community that the law provides for checking such gross blunders as defaced the late rate roll of the Longbeach district. —I am, &c., G. Gilmoue.

The Law of Murder. —A late number of the Solicitors’ Journal states that a quaint piece of criminal law was disin terred at the recent Maidstone Assizes. A man and his "wife, after drinking heavily for eight days, threw themselves into a river, no doubt intending, as far as they •were capable of forming an intention, to commit suicide together. The husband was drowned, but the wife escaped, and she was thereupon charged with the mur der of her husband. Following authori ties in the recent case, the Lord Chief Justice, in summing up, told die jury that they must take the law to be that if two persons agreed to commit self-murder and one of them survived, the survivor was guilty of murder. Happily, however, it was not necessary to put this doctrine into practical application, as the jury seem to have thought that the parties were not in a condition to form a definite intention to commit suicide, and consequently found th« woman not guilty,

CABLE NEWS.

LATEST FROM EUROPE.

(Per Reuter's Agency.) London, April 26.

Adelaide flour, per 2801b5., ex ware house, 38s. At the wool sales to-day 9300 bales were catalogued, making a total of 51,000 bales since the opening. Prices were firmly maintained. Pig iron is quoted at 515., in consequence of the depressed state of trade. The Ministry. April 26.

The following further additional ap pointments to the new Ministry have been announced : —Sir William Vernon Harcourt becomes Secretary of the Home Department, and the Duke of Argyle fills the position of Lord President of the Council ; Mr. Goschen and Lord Rose berry'were offered, but decline portfolios in new Ministry. Mr. Gladstone experiences a difficulty in the formation of the new Ministry, owing to some prominent radicals having claimed portfolios. Afghan War. Calcutta, April 27. Latest news from Afghanistan announces further fighting at Ghuznee. Hostile tribes were again assuming a threatening aspect, and General Stewart consequently attacked and dislodged them from the heights surrounding Ghuznee. The enemy have retreated to the mountainous country beyond the city. Intelligence has also been received of the resumption of hos tilities at Cabul. The Afghans attacked Generals Jenkins and Macpherson but after heavy fighting were repulsed with severe loss. The British loss during the action was trifling.

AUSTRALIAN.

(By cable from Reuter's Agency. ) Biptheria and Measles. Adelaide, April 28. Owing to the prevalence of diphtheria and measles in Victoria, passengers arriv ing here from Melbourne are placed in quarantine for 24 hours. Mr. Childers. Melbourne, April 28. Mr. Childers has resigned his position as Chairman of the Board of Advice of Agents-General for Victoria in London, owing to his acceptance of the Secretary ship of State for war in the new Ministry.

NEW ZEALAND.

Luck. Auckland, April 28. Mounted Constable Bullen goes Home, having inherited considerable property. Sunday Trading. Wellington, April 28. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning the proprietors of the Prince of Wales Hotel, Tory street, and the White Swan, were fined L2 for Sunday trading. Native Affairs- Hawera, April 28. Mr. Huvsthouse, engineer in charge of the road works, has returned from ex ploring and cutting a track from Stratford to Opunake, along the foot of Mount Egmont. He describes the country as very level, the rivers running over the surface are easy to cross, and the land is of very rich quality. The constabulary at Oeo shift to-day ten miles further north. The road works are now ad vancing rapidly towards completion, and all unnecessary clearing has been put a stop to. It is reported that the constabu lary at Werekino will also advance to-day a few miles south. Attempt to Endanger a Train. Invercargill, April 28.

On Monday a heap of stones was placed on the Otautau railway at a point where the down train would run over them, near Fairfax. The obstruction was noticed in time.

The Czar’s Mistress.

It may be perhaps well to explain at once who is the lady that is exciting the discontent of the secret, as well as the ordinary society of Russia. The present Emperor had three mistresses acknow ledged in the course of his life, and all the three were Princesses Dologorouky. The first of them, being a woman of superior abilities and intellect, had a great and beneficial influence over the Emperor in first period of his reign, and many of the best reforms introduced in Russia at that time —chiefly the emancipation of the peasants—are universally attributed to her influence. The said Princess Dolgo rouky behaved extremely well, never boasted ©f her influence over the Czar, and was subsequently married to Count Albedinsky. To her succeeded her neice, another Princess Dolgorouky 7 , and was in the course of time—some seven years ago —replaced by her own sister, the present favorite, who by no means follows thesex ample of her distinguished aunt. She has three children from the Czar, the last of whom was born quite lately at Talta, in the Crimea. She does not make any mystery whatever of her relations to the sovereign, and acknowledges her children in an open way, taking them with herself every time she drove out in company with the Emperor in the Crimea. She is, moreover, always intruding on the privacy of the Empress, trying to annoy her as much as possible. The Empress could not, of course, patiently bear the presence of that woman in her immediate surrounding, but was unable to get rid of her ; the Czarewena, however, managed the matter in a more resolute manner, and positively shut her doors to the obtrusive beauty. As to the Czar, he is so much taken up by his favorite that he allows her to do very much as she pleases, having besides taken it into his head to ensure to her children a name that may suit their high origin. The family of the Princess Dolgorouky 7 , as well as ihe reigning family of the Romanoffs, counts its lineage from Rurik, one of the three first Princes called in from abroad, in order to govern Russia, in the year 862. Now the Minister of War, Miloutine, and other fervent supporters of the Princess Dolgorouky, have been instructed to try and find some ancient name of other descendants of Rurik, be longing to some family extinct already, as there is no possibility of giving the chil dren of the Princess either her own name oi' that of any other family belonging to the old nobility of the Empire. The

chronique scdndcileuse says that Miloutine has consented to do the service asked of him, and is now reported to be seriously engaged with the affair. Whether he will persevere is nevertheless to be doubted, as, notwithstanding the support of the Czar, the circle around the Princess Dol gorourky is somewhat widening, since her provoking attitude has sot the heir apparent against her. The Czarewitch himself is by no mean a man to overlook such scandals. It is a matter upon which he is most severe, even in relation to his uncles and brothers, setting himself with liis consort the example of a simple and faultless family life. But besides all above stated, the Princess Dolgorourky enjoys the worst possible reputation even among the less scrupulous part of society, as it is a well-known fact she is bribed by many financial people here, and uses her in fluence over the Emperor in order to make him grant financial concessions to the gentlemen who offer her . the largest sum of money. The Princess Dolgorourky is yet only 24 years old, and the Emperor is so much taken by her, that her opinion prevails in the Court circles of St. Peters burg to the effect that as soon as the Em press dies, the Czar will contract a mor ganatic marriage with the Princess.

Terrible Encounter With Sharks.

A sad occcurrence is reported at Port Blair : “On the evening of Christmas Day one of the 89th Regiment, named Kenny, went out to the bay to have a swim—a daily recreation between five and six p.m. When he was out a distance of about 150 yards from the jetty, he found himself attacked by a small shark, which bit off one of the fingers of his left hand, and lacerated another and the thumb. The man being a good swimmer bravely resisted the attack, and had nearly succeeded in checking, it is said, his enemy, when he found himself attacked by a larger monster, which siezed him below the cap of the right knee, causing an incision of about four inches long by two deep. The wounded man still fought his way bravely, swimming towards the shore with his right hand, while with his other mutilated one he defended himself. While doing so the second and fiercer antagonist managed to sieze his wounded leg just behind the knee-cap, rendering it perfectly useless. Life, however, is sweet, and notwithstand ing his crippled condition Kenny struggled on towards a boat he saw com ing to his aid, when a third shark attacked him from behind and tore off nearly the whole of the flesh from his back. Even in this dreadful state he managed to swim some fifty yards further and to reach the boat before-mentioned, when he was picked up. He was immediately conveyed to the shore, laid in a doolie, and carried to the hospital, where he received every care and attention ; but after lingering for thirty hours, and suffering the great est agony he expired. When the corpse was examined the intestines were plainly visible through the exposed ribs, three or four of which were broken. The di mensions of the last bite were seen to be 14in by 12in. The deceased was only 23| years of age. ”

A Rude Wakening. —A man went to sffiep with his head on the lines of the Port Pirie Railway, S.A. A vigorous kick turned the current of his thoughts, and his body off the line at the same time, just before a train sought an interview. He said the boot was more emphatic than the circumstance warranted.

Steel Fireirons. —A simple and effec tive way 7 of polishing steel fire irons, is by rubbing them with sweet oil, and then vigorously applying building lime. Rust spots may be erased, by 7 allowing the lime to remain on the irons a day or so, then rubbing briskly with oil and lime, a bril liant polish will be effected. Bronze fenders should be well brushed, to clear off every particle of dust, then with an ordinary paint brush, sweet oil applied.

Faggot Votes. This is how the Liberals in the old country work the oracle. As a set-off to 100 faggot voters created by 7 the Duke of Buccleugh, Lord Roseberry has, as if by 7 a sudden touch of enchantment, thrown up 160 cottages near Edinburgh, on the Tyne side, to house 16C working men and add 160 to Liberal constituency 7. The work was pushed on in a most picturesque and energetic man ner, four contractors taking each forty tenements, and a force of 500 masons, bricklayers, laborers, and so forth, re lieving each other in relays night and day.

Forgiving and Forgetting. —Prince Bismarck was once asked by Count Enzen berg, formerly Hessian envoy at Paris, to write something in his album. The page on which he had to write contained the autographs of Guizot and Thiers. The former had written : “ I have learnt in my long life two rules of prudence. The first is to forgive much ; the second is never to forget. ” Under this Thiers had said : “ A little forgetting would not de tract from the sincerity of the forgive ness.” Prince Bismarck added : “As for me, I have learnt to forget much, and ask to be forgiven much. ”

What a Teacher Should ee.— Inspector Lee, reporting on the Welling ton district schools has the following to say regarding teachers : “ How much depends on the character, disposition, education, and example of the teacher ! Every school differs in some respects from all other schools —the difference being mainly attributable to the individual character of the teacher. The position of the teacher, both in relation to his scholars, and in his social relation to the people amongst whom he labors, is very much of his own making, and depends for the most part on his own personal worth. If teachers fail in producing good results, it is not from idleness, but from want of judgment, want of training, or from sheer incapacity. Teachers are, however, to be met with who have loose notions of their own, and think that such matters as excesses in their habits, and living beyond their means, are to be thought nothing of, if they do their duty in their school. Parents who en trust their ohildren at an impressionable time of life to the school teacher, in loco parentis, will naturally look for good example of life and manners in those who have the care of their offspring. The teacher, then, if he wishes to win the respect of his pupils and their parents, will be a bright and honest example, and, in all his acts an honorable man, sensible of his responsibilities, and mindful of his influence.”

Wednesday, April 28, 1880.1

THE ASHBURTON HERALD



New Advertisements. WANTED, a GENERAL SERVANT at once. Apply Mr. T. R. Holder, North-east Town Belt. 780g-380c TITANTED—A Good General Servant ; * * also, Nurse Girl, about 14 years. Apply at once, Mrs. R. Eriedlander, Tancred street. 386 c OG FOR SALE.—A Capital Watch Dog, and would be suitable for Cattle. Apply Herald Office. 384 c MONEY TO LEND.—Several sums of money ready for investment at current rates. F. P. O’Reilly, Solicitor, Tancred street, Ashburton. 263e-6840 CASH RECEIPTS, in Books of 100 each, on SALE at the “Herald and Guardian ” office. 868 c SERVANTS requiring situations, call and get your names entered in the Herald Registry, Is. TO FRUITERERS, CONFECTIONERS, AND OTHERS. FANCY Show Cards, neatly printed— “ Finest Lemonade and Cordials ” 3ii Sale: at the Herald Office. JUST ARRIVED Young Ladies’ Journal, London Journal, Family Herald, Family Reader, Boys of England, Boys’ Standard, Our Girls’ Own Paper, &c., &c. H. M. JONES, Stationer, 360 c East Street and Baring Square. RE JAMES JOHNSTON’S ESTATE. A DIVIDEND, at the rate of 3s. 9d. in the £, is now payable at the office of the undersigned on all proved claims in the above estate. FREDK PA.VITT, Trustee, Ashburton. April 28th, 1880. 383 c FINE ARTS. ART UNION. A SPLENDID Collection of OIL PAINTINGS and Water Color DRAWINGS, by Mr. Clarke, of Rakaia, are to be disposed of by Art Union. The pictures are on view at the shop next to Mr. Street’s, Saddler, Rakaia. Tickets, 10s each, can be obtained at Mr. Street’s Saddler, Rakaia, and of THOS. A. GATES, Picture Frame Maker. 48c-77Cg Ashburton. NOTICE. WSSTERFIELD MILL. TO FARMERS, BAKERS, & OTHERS. jrjpHE Westerficld Mill is now in ful work, and the public can be supplied with FIRST-CLASS FLOUR on most reason able terms. Every attention will be given to Public Gristing, and farmers from a distance can have grist done immediately after de livery. Apply to the Miller, HENRY BOWERS. Grain stored on liberal terms.



Ashburton steeplechase MEETING. SATURDA Y, MAY 29th, 1880. List of Officers President : E. G. Wright, Esq., M.H.R. Vice-President.: W. C. Walker, Esq. Stewards : Mr. Hay T. Smith Mr. John Carter Mr. JL. E. Corsbie Mr. R. Friedlander Mr. Neil M ‘Lean Mr. J. Hunt Air. E. Saunders Mr. A. McLean Mr. E. S. Coster Dr. Ross Judge : Mr. M. Stitt. Starter : Mr. John Carter. Clerk of the Course : Mr. E. Saunders. Clerk of tiie Scales : Mr. E. F. Wright. Hon. Secretary : Mr. J. Wilkie. llon. Treasurer : Mr. C. C. Fooks. Handicapfer : Mr. H. P. Lance. FIRST RACE TO START AT 12.30 P.M. 1. Ashburton Handicap Steeplechase, of 40 so vs., added to a sweepstakes of 2 sovs. each for acceptors ; over about 3 miles of fair hunting country ; nomination 2 sovs. 2. District Handicap of 20 sovs., added .to a sweep of 2 sovs. for acceptors ; 2 miles ; nomination 1 sov., for district horses only. 3. The Wakanui Stakes, of 20 sovs.; weight for age ; open to all horses ; 2 miles ; entrance 1 sov. 4. Farmers’ Steeps chase, of 15 sovs.; about 14 miles ; weight for age ; en trance 1 sov.; for district horses only. 5. Hack Steeplechase, of 5 sovs.; 1 mile ; catch weights ; entrance 1 sov.; for district horses only. Rules and Regulations : The N.Z. Grand National Rules strictly adhered to, except where specified. District horses shall mean horses owned in the County of Ashburton, both owner and horse being respectively resident and owned in the county previous to March Ist, 1880, and any horse which has been entered by a non-resident for other races since that date will be disqualified. The decision of the Stewards on all dis puted points shall be final. No protest will be received unless 2 sovs. be deposited, which shall be forfeited if the protest be considered frivolous. Nominations for the Handicaps to be sent to the Secretary at Quill’s Hotel not later than 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 20tli. Weights will be declared on Tuesday, May 25th. Acceptances on night of general entry, Wednesday, May 26th, at 8 p.m. All entries to state age, color, and name of the horse, and the colors of the rider. JAMES WILKIE, Hon. Sec. Ashburton Steeplechases.



NOTICE. RATING ACT, 1870. WHEREAS at a sitting of the Assess ment Court for the Road District of Longbeach, held this 17th day of April, at Longbeach, before me, F. Guinness, Judge of the said Couit, it was proved that no Valuation List had been prepared as required by the said Act. Now, there fore, under the provisions of clause 28 of the said Act, I order that a Valuation List be made ; and I hereby appoint William John Cuthbeet to be the Valuer for the said District; and I do further fix Tues day, the Ist day of June next, the day for the completion and inspection of such list ; and that the last day for delivering objections thereto shall be Tuesday, the loth day of June. The Court will sit at 10 o’clock in the forenoon on MONDAY, the 21st day of June next, for the purpose of hearing and determining all objections to the Valuation List of the said District. FRANK GUINNESS, Judge. C. CAVENDISH HURRELL, 378 e Clerk. NOTICE. RATING ACT, IS7G. TYTHEREAS at a sitting of the Assess- V ment Court for the Road District of Mount Somers, held this 19 th day of April, at Mount Somers, before me, F. Guinness, Judge of the said Court, it was proved that no Valuation List had been prepared as required by the said Act. Now, there fore, under the provisions of clause 28 of the said Act, I order that a Valuation List be made ; and I hereby appoint Cracken thokpe John Wentworth Cookson, Jun., to be the Valuer for the said District; and I do further fix Tuesday, the Ist day of June next, the day for the completion and inspection of such List, and that the last day for delivering objections thereto shall be Tuesday, the 22nd day of June. The Court will sit at 10 o’clock in the fore noon, on MONDAY, the sth day of July next, for the 2 )ur P ose of hearing and determining all objections to the Valua tion List of the said District. FRANK GUINNESS, Judge. C. CAVENDISH HURRELL, 377 c Clerk. WAKANUI ROAD BOARD. TENDERS are invited for the following Works : No. 18. Beach Road, Forming to full width from Finger Post to Wakanui School, about 200 Chains. No. 19. Beach Road, Metalling above, 15 yards to the chain. No. 20. Suburban Roads near South East Belt, Metalling about 50 chains. No. 21. Additions and Repairs to eight immigrants’ cottages in district. No. 22. Leadley andßutterick’sDrain, Making three concrete falls. Specifications, etc., can be seen at the Board’s office, Moore street, where tenders will be received till 10 a.m. on THURS DAY, MAY 6th, addressed to the Chair man, endorsed with No. of contract, and accompanied with 5 per cent, (marked cheque) on the value of the work tendered for. FOOKS & SON, 75.'c!-365c Surveyors’ to the Board.



LAND TO LET. TWO BLOCKS of Superior Land of 680 and 320 acres, situate near the Forks of the Hinds, will he let either together or separately for a term of years. TEN SHILLINGS per acre will be allowed fur breaking up if let to a suitable tenant. This land is partially fenced, and is adjoining farms which yielded heavy crops last season. A station on the Mount Somers Railway, now under construction, will place it within about five miles of steam transit, whilst the Temuka and Oxford Branch will pass very near to it. For further particulars apply to WILLIAM GAYIN, 385 c East street, Ashburton. y; R, In the District Court of Christchurch. Holden at Ashburton. IN THE MATTER of the Debtors and Creditors Act, 1576, and the several Acts amending the same, and of the bankruptcy of PATRICK GR/. CE, of Winslow, in the County of Ashburton, laborer, a debtor. T HEREBY SUMMON A GENERAL i MEETING of the creditors of the abuve namsd debtor, to be held at the office of E. G. Crisp, solicitor, Ashburton, on WEDNESDAY, sth May, 1880, at 11 o’clock in the forenoon, to consider an applica tion by the above named debtor for an order of discharge. Dated, this 28th day of April, 1880. FREDK. PAVITT, Trustee. E. G. Crisp, Solicitor for debtor. 387° In the District Court of Christ church, Holden at Ashburton. IN.THE MATTER OF The Debtors and Creditors Act, 1876, and the several Acts amending the same, and in the bankruptcy of JAMES GARDINER, of Ashburton, Con tractor, a debtor. Notice is hereby given that at the first meeting of creditors of the said James Gardiner, held at the District Court, Ashburton, on Wednesday, the 28th day of April, instant, John Orr, of Ashburton,_ mer chant, was appointed creditors’ trustee in the above bankruptcy, and further that the said John Orr has this day filed in the above Court a written acceptance of the office of creditors’ trustee. Dated this 28th day of April, 1880. C. CAVENDISH TIURRELL, Clerk of the Court. E. G. Crisp, Solicitor for Debtor. 388 c THIS EVENING.



m OWN HALL, ASHBURTON. THIS (WEDNESDAY) EVENING. ONCE MORE !! ASHORE & AFLOAT. FOR THE LAST TIME ! Prices of Admission—Front seats, 2s ; back seats, Is. Gd. ; gallery, Is. 354c-7710 DON’T! PLEASE! DON'T! STOP ! DO STOP ! STOP before you give your next order for a Suit of Clothes. F you want Style, Fit, and Quality, try the Undersigned. EAD the following, then call and in spect the Goods. [YARDS READY ) TO CUT. 350 JUST ARRIVED—The be3t Stock of Winter Cloths to be got for money. SUPERIOR in quality to anything ever yet shown in Ashburton. ( SAMPLES ) 70 T 0 70 ( SELECT FROM. ) Comprising the following : German Cloths, plain and fancy, the most fashionable Beaver Cloths, suitable for Winter Scotch Tweeds, assorted Mosgiel ~ „ Kaiapoi ~ ~ West of England Cloths Bedford Cords Irish Frieze, Ac., Ac., Ac. CALL and inspect this Splendid Assoi't ment before you order. MOTTO: Small Profits and Quick Returns. Terms—Cash. s TYLE and Finish second to none. ■gOONOMY £1 Is. Cash for a Pair of Trousers £3 15s. Cash for a Tweed Suit. The Address is— G. ]. F. LUBLOvV, THE TAILORING DEPOT, Triangle, Ashburton, Between Post Office and Baldwin’s Central Hotel. 7820-3800