OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 32, 22 June 1870, Page 5

OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

(From our ww Corraipotultnl) Juus 10, 1870. Forsomo time past the cry in everybody's mouth has been, ,l What wretched weather 1" With the occasional intermission of a line day or bo, we may be said to havo had coutinuaL- rain for the last six weeks. For my own part, I altogether despair of any permanent improvement, The heuvftns have taken to weeping over the present depressed state of affairs in the province ; and so long an they continue to evince their grief in this manner, and refuse to steel their susceptible hearts to the grievous spectacle, I fear there will not be much cause for them to recover their good spirits. Tho roads in all districts are in a frightful state, and for the last two or three weeks we have ceased to expect the arrival of Cobb's coaches until wo actually saw them. Who is to bo Mayor 1 is tho great topic of conversation and discussion in the city at present. Mr Reynolds is very anxious to oblige the townspeople by holding the. office of chief magistrate ; but unfortunately his fellow-citizens cannot, and will not, see the matter in the same light as he does. The worthy Speaker addressed the Dunedia ratepayers in the Theatre the other evening, but notwithstanding the tremendous eloquence that he brought to bear on the occasion, the feelings of the meeting on the point were so unmistakeable that I have little hesitation in saying that his chances of the Mayoralty are extremely small. Other candidates may, and most probably will, appear on tha stage in the course of the next few days, but for the time being, 1 think Mr Griffen stands the first show. Mr Griffen has fti 1 many years past been a hard working, energetic member of the Town Council, and is much more popular amongst the tradespeople of the town than the office seeking Mr Reynolds is. The Provincial Council is prorogued, and the several members, having received their honoraria, are rapidly disappearing from Dunedin—.some to take their seats in the House of Representatives, and others to attend to their stock and crops. The Superintendent, in closing the session, enunciated a few very important truths with regard to tho manner in which the General and Provincial Governments now clash, and expressed a hope that ere long some more advantageous method of conducting the affairs of the province might be brought into operation. During Mr Macandrew's absence at Wellington, Mr W. A. Tolmie is to act as Deputy-Superuv tendent. The Provincial Engineers have been pub in a sad flurry by having their professional skill attacked from many quarters at one and the same time. Statements having been made in the Daily Times, extolling the cheapness and strength of certain bridges on the Matanra which were not constructed under Goverament management, the Engineer of Roads and "Works submitted a report on the subject to the Council. In this he makes a most ridiculous comparison of the expense of various, bridges in the province—reducing Ms 1 figures to the " rate per foot." Taking this; tabular statement for what it is worth, I observe that the Shotover bridge was tho most expensive, the average rate per footbeing £lO 2s lid, and the bridge over the Manuka Creek was the cheapest, befngat the rate of £5 3s 4d per foot. It must, however, bo palpable to all that such a. comparison is most unfair and absurd. The natural features and beds of streams to be bridged vary in almost every case> necessarily rendering the cost of. construction equally variable. Between spiritualism and mesmerism, the people of Dunrdin havo during the past few weeks been nearly bereft of theiu wits. Dr Carr ha 3 left us on a country tour, in the coui'B9 of which I believe ha intends to visit your neighborhood. s We have had two spiritualist lectures Cut Dunediu during the last fortnight—ono in support, tho other in opposition. The very largo audience that assembled in St, George's Hall to hear tho oration of the " man of spirits" bore testimony to the great amount of interest, and tendency to believe, that people now-a-days evince an regards tho new faith. I am thankful to say that the speaker was a man of such poor powers of speech, and obviously of so superstitious and ignorant a nature, that his arguments (if he adduced any, which I must doubt) did not carry much weight with .them. What "he said was subsequently ably refuted in Mr Christio's lecture. Before closing, I cannot help entering a protest against Young Men's Mutual Improvement Societies louding their countenance and their names to lectures of such a trashy description. It is a question for grave consideration whether a belief in spiritualism would be productive.of improvement in young men, old men, or old women ; though its theories would, I havo no doubt, bo more easily grasped by tho intellects of the latter class than by those of any reasoning or reasonable individual.