The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 13.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 303, 13 June 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 13.

A meeting of the Duvauchelle's Bay School Committee was held on the even ing of June 7, the members present being Messrs Cossar (Chairman), Libeau, Vogan, Pettigrew, Pawson, Sadler. The minntes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. A letter was received from the Board of Education, enclosing one the Board had received from Mr B. Shadbolt» wanting an explanation how the School had been closed so many months, and stating that the Board would send a temporary master until the Committee should get a permanent one. The Chairman was authorised to send the necessary information. The Chairman stated that he had written to Messrs Murray and Phillips, asking them if their applications could be considered yet; both had received appointments. The Chairman stated as it was unnecessary to call a meeting, he had advertised OnCC in the Press and Times for a certificated master, and had received four applications, two certificated and two uncertificated. Mr Pawson proposed, Mr Sadler seconded, that Mr Martin Sheard, late of Waikara Valley School be appointed, subjected to the approval of the Board of Education. The motion was carried, and the meeting closed. A few days ago we received a portion of the volume which will; contain, when complete, the results of the census of New Zealand, taken on the 3rd March, 1878. While lost in wonderment at the unparalleled expedition shown by a Government department in getting a portion of this work completed in little more than fifteen months, our joy was somewhat damped on receipt yesterday of a memorandum from the Registrar-General, intimating that an important error had been discovered on .the first page of the publication, whereby the male population of the Colony had been overstated to the extent of 40,000 souls. No wonder that mistakes should creep in, when such reckless haste js ml dulged in. However, the memo goes on to request us to cut out the erring leaf and substitute the " leaf sent herewith." The i full import of this joke would probably be lost upon our readers did wo not inform them that no leaf was " sent herewith." A fearful and wonderful institution is the Vagrant Act, and still more wonderful is the manner of its enforcement. Some months ago a lady, whose habits were of an objectionable nature, was " cent up " for three months from Akaroa. But ac the poet expressed it a good many years ago— Ccelwm non animam mutant gui trans mare currunt, which may be freely interpreted to the effect that the leopard ie not likely to change his apote, and even the voyage from Pigeon Bay to Lyttelten appears to have been ineffectual in effecting a renovation of the culprit'e moral nature. Having eerved her time, she proceeded to give Chrietchurch a taete of her quality, and in due couree made her appearance before Mr Mellish on the old charge. She explained that she intended leaving for Akaroa in a few houre, and was accordingly diamissed. Cheerful for Akaroa. But the idea in dealing with this class of offenders appears to be —" Go where you will, and do what you like, so long as you don't annoy us." By advertisement elsewhere it wil be seen that the s. s. Ladybird, having been unavoidably detained, will not leave Lyttelton for Akaroa and Port Chalmers till Sunday, instead of to-morrow, as announced. Instead of reaching thia port on Saturday evening therefore, she will not be here till Sunday afternoon. Tho unfortunate man M'Gibbon, wlm j was sent to the Asylum by the Bench on Tuesday last, had been brought over from Little River by Constable Smart. It appears that while prowling about the bush in the neighborhood of Red John's Gully, he was very nearly becoming the author of a tragedy. On Saturday he went to a house occupied by a Mrs Clarke, and attempted to cut the throat of a boy. Happily assistance was at hand, and he was secured before he was able to effect his purpose.

On Tuesday evening a meeting of the I committee of the Akaroa "Horticultural and Industrial. Exhibition was held, ftt , Brace's Hotel. Mr J. D. Garwood was voted to the chair, and the Secretary, Mr S. Watkins, laid the statement of receipts and expenditure before the meeting, as follows .•■— Receipts (including balance" from previous year), £27 14s 6d ; expenditure) ,£24 Os 4d; balance in hand, £3 14s 2d. It was reported that all the prizes gained at the last exhibition had been paid. The statement was considered highly satisfactory, and the accounts were passed. A public meeting was then held, at which the following gentlemen were j elected officers and committee for the ensuing year :—President, Rev. W. Aylrher ;*| Vice-presidents, his Worship the Mayor i and Mr F. W. Williams, Chairman of the County Council ; Secretary and Treasurer, Mr S. Watkins; CommitteeMessrs Penlington, Garwood, Henning, Harris, Wiggins, Billens, Meech, Welch, Jolly, Nicholls, and the Revs. H. Stacker and W. Douglas. It was resolved that the third annual show should be held in December next, and that an advertisement be inserted calling the attention of intending contributors to the fact. The meeting then adjourned. The case of Curregh v. Vangioni, which had been adjourned till yesterday morning was then, owing to the continued absence jp£ the Resident Magistrate, adjourned till '-eight o'clock on the same evening. The case appears to have excited a considerable amount of interest, as at that unusual hour the Court was crowded. The Court sat till nearly eleven o'clock, when judgment was given for defendant, with costs. It appears from an advertisement in another column that the Mutual Improvement Association is to meet again nest Tuesday evening. This association provided the people of Akaroa with such pleasant evenings during the winter before last, and was so much missed last winter, that it is to be hoped that there will be an effort made by a good number of persons to keep it in active existence. Subsequent to the hearing of the assault case against L. Perham, Mr Joyce, for defendant, made an application to quash the conviction on the ground that, in fining defendant £10 and costs, the Justices had exceeded their jurisdiction. Up to a late hour last night the Magistrates had come to no decision on the matter.