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Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 160, 3 August 1877, Page 5

Mr Blair, District Engineer, has been elected a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, England. The smallest pony ever imported into the Colony arrived at Dunedin by the Ringarooma on Sunday. It is only 32 inches in height, and is broken into saddle and harness. The roads in the South Molyneux distriot are at present in a very bad state, but no doubt will improve with the good weather shortly to be expected. Complaints are made of the roads being constantly run over with c-ittle. There is a large extent of land being broken up in the Lower Mataura, but very little fencing being clone. It seems the fencing wus in most cases got through with last season, iv anticipation of extensive ploughing at a future period. The entertainments of the Shaughraun company here on Friday and Saturday evenings were only partially successful, the attendance being small. Now that the excitement of the elections are over, a return visit, especially upon a pay night at the railway works, would prove more remunerative. Drafts of workmen have arrived from Dunedin for the Balclutha aud Clinton section of railway. Wo belie yo upwards of 100 have arrived, and woik was commenced at the Balclutha end yesterday. The contractors for the Balclutha section are certainly pushing forward the work with exemplary diligence. On Saturday last a large number of Balclutha gentleman had a day's coursing at Hillend. The hares were plentiful, and tho sport first-rate. The dog 3on the ground were Dr Smith's Trooper, Mr Campbell's Hamlet and Esmeralda, and Mr Mason's Fly. We believe it is intended shortly to establish a Coursing Club in Balclutha. There can he no doubt .that the very best sport will be had at Hillend next season. We would call the attention of the Town ■Council and the Road Boards of Balmoral, Clydevale, Pomahaka, Clutha, South Molyneux, and Matau, .to clause 4 of the Clutha River Conservators Act, which provides that it shall be lawful for the Municipal Council of Balclutha and each of the above Boards, during the month of August j in every year, to elect a member of the Conservators' Board. It is not necessary that the persons so to be elected should be members of the Municipal Council or Boad Boards, but should they neglect to elect, the Mayor and the Chairman of tho respective Boards named become exofficio members for the year commencing Ist September. Any person who has served upon the Board is eligible for re-election. Clause 5 provides that the Clerk to the Municipal Council, and the Clerks of the Road Boards named, shall intimate in writing to the Secretary of the Board of Conservators the name of the person so elected. A Puerua- correspondent writes : — The usual Sixpenny Readings came ,off in the East Clutha Schoolhouse on the evening of Tuesday, the 24th inst. The moon being full, and the weather good, the only drawback was the state of the roads, but in spite of this the attendance was large, the schoolroom being quite full. Tbe programme was a very good one, and consisted of readings, &c, by Miss M'Closkie, and Messrs M'Ewan, Jack, and Paterson, agreeably interspersed with songs by Misses Begg, Jackman, Morton, and Messrs Morton, Wilson, &c. By the time the programme was finished it was about half past ten, and as the dancing is not allowed after one o'clock, the young folks were doubtless thinking it high time for what they considered the best part of the entertainment, and I daresay they were not far wrong, for we were all young and foolish once. The music consisted of violin and concertina, supplied by Messrs Anderson, Tulloch, and Anderson. Those of the audience who did not wish to take part in plying the light fantastic toe took up their position in the back seats to enjoy the fun. The hours soon sped away, and " time's up" being called out, the company soon dispersed, everyone being highly delighted with their evening's entertainment.

Miss Young, Queenstown, has been ap- . pointed schoolmistress of the Tokomairiro Granr . mar school, in room of Miss Cooke, resigned. Mr W. P. Street, who has held the 1 position of Clerk of the Resident Magistrate's i Court, Dunedin, for many years, wns presented ! with a purse of 50 sovereigns hy the legal profession on Saturday. 1 The piercing of the Deborah Bay tunnel WW successfully accomplished on Saturday night. This tunnel was tbe largest and most difficult work of the kind that has yet been undertaken by the Public Works Department. The roads in the Lower Mataura district are worse this season than they have ever been. This will give the various Road Boards that have been formed plenty to do to put them into a siate iv keeping with the increase of traffic. The Mokerita School Committee have erected a stable in connection with tho School, and intend carrying out other necessary improvements, such as hanging gates where slip panels have hitherto been placed, painting of school buildings, &c, the Jafct-sr having been wisely deferred till the beginning of summer. The following rumours are afloat in Wellington :— That Sir Julius Yogel will be relieved of; the duties of the Agent-Generalship at /the end of his engagement, viz., Decomber next, and that Mr Stafford will be his successor ; also, that Sir Julius will return to Otago. to edit the Daily Times, at a salary of £1800 a year. The Dunedin City Council has determined to take steps for bringing the new Muni, cipal Corporations Act into operation. The Star says this will have the effect of making Mr Leary's tenure of the Mayoralty a short one. He will need to go before the ratepayers again in November, but as tho necessary steps to proclaim ' the city a borough under the new Act cannot be completed under two months, there can be no election of Councillors until September of next year. ! The usual meeting of the Athenaeum Committee was held in the library on Monday evening. There were present : Messrs T. T. i Ritchie (President), Turnbull, Grigor, Whyte, Cossens, and Fleming. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, a general conversation ensued upon the affairs of the institution. It was agreed, if possible, to arrange the periodicals, magazines, &c, and to expose the same for sale on- Saturday evening at the Newmarket Hall. There was no other business. A number of settlers of the South Molyneux district turned out on Wednesday last week, to crive Mr M'Gregor, road inspector, a day's ploughing. There were eleven ploughs on the ground, and there would have been many more but it was known that the number mentioned was sufficient to do the whole of the work, and which they accomplished in good style. Others will havo an opportunity of giving assistance in tho harrowing and putting in the seed. The men were hospitably entertained to the usual creature comforts by Mrs M'Gregor, and altogether a very pleasant and profitable day was speut. A Wyndham correspondent writes : — Complaints have been rii'e among parties who love entertainment, (if not for its own sake for tho sake of cheering the spirits in dull times), at thoso who are to blame, whoever- they may be, who have not made every possible effort to provide a course of readings for the winter. One party charges tLe state of the roads and dir fcy weather as being the cause, while others say tbe leading paterfamilias, whose patronage must be sought, and can't be done without, are either feeling the burden of class too much, or have forgotten their youthful d.-y& and pleasures, or have no sympathy with the aspiring beaus of Wyndham and Mokerita; or in other words, no one has made a pi oper move, and nobody is in tbe fault. A meeting of the Clutha Yeomanry was held in the Newmarket Hotel ou Monday evening. There was a fair attendance. Mr Mason (Mayor), presided. The Secretary read correspondence sjn.ee last meeting, ami produced patterns with prices of uniforms, &c. From these it appeared that a very haudsomo uniform could be procured for about £5, and it was pointed out tliat the Governmont had agreed oo supply all arms. A new batch of members were sworn in, and a Committee was appointed to examine and recommend as to uniform at next fortnightly meeting. The following gentlemen were placed \ipon the Commitee -.— Messrs Mason, J. Paterson, James Whyte, John Dunne, James Wilson, John Whyte, and the Secretary. The meeting then adjourned till tho evening of Monday, the 13th inst. The pheasant shooting and coursing season ended on Tuesday last. Throughout tho .season the sport has been very fair in the Clutha district. A very largo number of cock pheasants, and, we believe, a few hens have been bagged ; ■md the excellent condition of the birds proves that the district is admirably suited for this class of game. There is every reason to believe that by the end of another yeai game will be yery plentiful. Hares aro abundant in Hillend e.ud some other districts ; and as numerous parties are now procuring dogs, coursing next year is certain to be a favourite aud successful sport. That some parties have abused their privileges, and killed game contrary to law, there can be no manner of doubt, and it would be well that the regulations were revised to meet such cases before another season commeuces. On Monday last, Misa Cooke, late matron of the Tokomairiro Grammar School, was, in the presence of the scholars and teachers, presented with a handsome gold brooch and gold earrings from the children. Mr Malcolm made the presentation on behalf of the children, and in doing so paid a high compliment to Miss Cooke as a teacher during the three and a-half years she had been connected with the school. Mr R- R. -Jones acknowledged the gift on behalf pf Miss Cooke, and read the following letter addressed to her by tbe School Committee : — "Tokomairho, July 30, 1577. — Madam,— l am directed by the School Committee to inform you ; that, at a meeting held on the 27th inst., it \vas ,. resolved as follows :—* That the Committee de- ■ sire to express their high appreciation of Miss Cooke's teaching and management of the department for upwards of .three years, and their best wishes for her future success and advancement. I am, madam, yours yery truly, R. R. Jones, Clerk to School Committee." Miss Cooke has received an appointment in Christchurch, and left Milton on Monday evening. A large number of friends met at the railway station to bid her good-bye.

South Dunedin has been proclaimed a * al. o ough. The Mokerita library has been snpplei merited hy an addition of fifty volumes lately, i making the uumber about 400, more or less. The I books are a splendid selection, and an excellent neuclus for an extensive library. Grain speculators have done well throughout the Mataura tbis season, and the settlers who s jld too early are beginning to grudge them their luck. Some of the parties must havo cleared afc least Is per bushel all over, if Dot more. A conference of Dunedin ministers of religion was held in the old Knox Church, on Monday, to consider the religious clauses of the new Education Bill. The Rev. Dr Stuart occupied the chair, and there were also present : Bishop Nevill. tbe Yen. Archdeacon Edwards, and tbe Rev. Messrs Fitcbett, Davis, Watt, Professor Salmond, Dr Roseby, Dr Copland, Gow, Dolamore, Sutherland, Ross, Greig, Maxwell, Blake, Russell, and Lewis. The Rev. Mr Davis moved the following resolutions : -' That whereas, Ist, there are very diverse opinions concerning religious instruction in the schools ; 2nd, the purely denominational system would irritate, aud the purely secular system would shock tbo general public ; 3rd, the proposed compromise runs closely along the lines already pursued by the chief Provinces : 4th, this meeting deems it desirable to accept tbe Govevnment compror mise and not to impede the Government in the carrying of this important measure." After a long discussion, jn the course of which several amendments were moved, the resolutions by Mr Davis were carried.