The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 336, 7 October 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7.

A meeting of the Akaroa School Committee was held last evening at the schoolroom. Present —Messrs Meech (chairman), Missen, Dalglish, Fenton, and Wiggins. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Letters were read— From the Board of Education, acknowledging receipt of letter from Committeecomplaining of materials being used in the new school building, stating that their letter had been referred to the aichitect; from the same, forwarding salaries for August, and £13 10s incidentals; from W. Montgomery, Esq., M. H. R., forwarding cheque for £3 3s, in aid of the fund for school prizes. Considerable conversation took place as to the unsatisfactory nature of the fence just erected. It was resolved that the Chairman be authorized to write, calling the Board's attention to this circumstance, as also to the fact that a former letter re new buildings and offices* though referred to the architect, had not beon answered. It was resolved to apply for a sum of money to put the school grounds in order. The Chairman was instructed to issue notices to parents whose children are not attending school. The meeting then adjourned.

By a telegram from our Christchurch correspondent, which appears elsewhere, it will be seen that the two men who were committed for trial for a criminal assault on Mrs Ramsay, have been sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. The charge on which they were committed was abandoned by the Crown.

The criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court commenced in Christchurch yesterday before Mr Justice Johnson. The following is the calendar :—Mary Hallida}*, false pretences; William Hull, perjury; William Barnard, Bheep stealing (two charges) ; Edward Smart, rape ; William Wood, larceny from the person; John Miller and Edward Clarkson, attempted rape ; Robert William Jones, forgery and uttering (four charges) ; William Henry M'Donald, attempt to commit an unnatural offence ; Jane Mahoney, forgery and uttering ; Edward Jones, forgery and uttering ; Charles Henry M'Elwain, breaking into a shop and stealing ; Thomas Henry Reed, larceny ; Thomas M'Callum, receiving stolen property ; Mathew Henderson, libel.

A meeting of landowners situated between Waikerakikari and the Akaroa Heads was held at Beecher's Hotel, on Saturday, for the purpose of drawing up a petition to the County Council, showing the manifest; injustice which has been done to that district by the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board. Over 19,000 acres had been sold over the range, and the only piece of road leading to any of the properties is the Long Bay road. The settlers of the different bays had nothing- but dangerous bridle tracks leading to their properties, whilst cockatoos holding about 50 or 100 acreß on this side had good dray roads made to their doors. There was no doubt this part of the district had been entirely neglected in the matter of roads by the Road Board, considering the immense amount of money which they have received from the land fund.

The Registrar's returns for the Akaroa District for the quarter ending September 30 are as follows : —Births, 46 ; marriageSj 2 ; deaths, 10.

Two schooners, the Lizzie Guy and the Mary Hannah took refuge in Akaroa on Saturday, from the rough weather prevailing outside. They are from the Northj and bound for Timaru and Oamaru,. respectively. The vessels are still in harbor.

At'the,late division in the House of Representatives, 43 members voted with the Opposition, and 41 with the Government ; two paired, the Speaker, of course, does not vote, and the seat for the Thames is unoccupied. Therefore every member of the House was accounted for.

With reference to the meeting lately held at Little River to discuss the question of the railway route, the following letter has been received by Mr A. D. Allan, the chairman of the meeting :—" Wellington, 29th September, 1879. A. D. Allan, Esq., Little River. Sir,—l have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 23rd instant, with copy of the resolution passed at a public meeting held at Little River the previous evening, in which my attention is "drawn to 'the fact that Mr Hardy Johnson's line, rising at Caton's Bay, Lake Forsyth, is not in accordance with the accepted resolution of the Select Committee 'appointed bj the Upper House,' and ' that the line on the public, map, i.e., the original reserve, should be adhered to where practicable.' Also that I should endeavor to accomplish the object in view, go that the additional six miles of railway or so may be opened simultaneously with the contract now let to the Shingle Flat. You also inform me that a public petition is now being signed in support of the views held by the meeting. In reply, I beg to assure you the wishes of the residents in yonr locality will have my best attention. I may mention that before I left Christchurch I wrote to the Minister of Public Works, requesting him to place on the estimates the sum of £150,000 for the construction of the line to the tnnnel, and for the work to be done in the tunnel for the next two years. I have seen Mr Macandrew since I came here, and he awaits the arrival of Mr Blair the engineer in charge of the Middle Island, and will, after consultation with him, decide what amount should be voted this year. I have not spoken a word respecting the route from Lake Forsyth to the tunnel. This matter will be decided by the engineers after the consideration of all the information to be obtained, but I think this decision will not be arrived at till after the session. I shall of course be happy to present the petition. —I have the honor to be, sir, your odedient servant, W. Montgomery."