DUNEDIN NOTES.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 146, 27 August 1872, Page 6

DUNEDIN NOTES.

By 0. P. Q. The major portion of the new battery which Mr Thomas Logan purposes erecting at Pipeclay Gully is now on its way to your district. Accompanied by Mr Logan, I was afforded an opportunity for an inspection of the machinery the other day as it lay in Messrs Kincaid, M'Queen, and Co.'s foundry; and certainly it seems deserving of the encomiums which have been passed upon it, for with its complete and perfect machine-work and its ponderous 5| cwt. stampers, it seems capable of getting through an immense quantity of stuff. It is said to be the finest and most complete battery yet made in Otago ; and being on the self-feeding principle, a great saving of labour in its working will be effected. It will probably be six weeks before the machinery is erected and work begun. We have had a great municipal storm in a teapot over some telegrams which passed between Mr Ramsay, one of the Councillors, and the Town Clerks of some of the other Provinces at the time of the Mayoral election. Mr Fish and Mr Ramsay have been at loggerheads for some considerable time, and at the time the Mayor's salary was under discussion by the Council, the latter gentleman telegraphed to the Town Clerks of Christehurch, Wellington, and Auckland, requesting to be informed what salaries the respective Mayors of those cities received, the information being desired in order that it might weigh with the Council in their decision. Under the impression, no doubt, that Mr Ramsay was Town Clerk, replies came from the Mayors of Wellington and Auckland addressed to the Town Clerk, Dunedin, and as that gentleman had not sent any telegrams on the subject, he showed the messages he had received to the Mayor, to whom the mystery was quite inexplicable. Mr Fish came to the conclusion that some one had been unwarrantably using the Town Clerk's signature to gain tho information, and at a public dinner he made remarks in connection with the subject reflecting on some of the Councillors, who took great umbrage thereat ; and hence the special meeting of Council to consider the question, at which the storm reached its climax. Finally the affair was patched up by the tacit understanding being arrived at that there should be no more naughty quarrellings and bickerings in the "happy" municipal family, but that in future the interests of the citizens should be attended to, and personal discords discarded. Tne Council is not by any means happily constituted, however, and it is very improbable that its discordant elements will assimilate in such a manner as to cause the interests of the city to be properly attended to. The James Xicd Fleming, one of the greatest favourites aiming our home ships, arrived in port yesterday after making, as usual, a splendid passage. For the first time for many years, Captain Logan has arrived in Otago without his usual complement of immigrants from the Clyde, thanks to the interference of the Agent-General in the immigration arrangements of the Province. The ar rivals by her are confined to a few cabin passengers. It is satisfactory, however, to note that instructions have been sent to Dr Featherstone by the General Government that Otago's immigration policy has to be respected, and her former arrangements for the shipment of immigrants direct from the Clyde reverted to.

The nomination of Mr J. 0. Richmond at Caversham the other day for the representation of that district in the General Assembly, no doubt caused considerable surprise, not only to the majority of the people assembled, but also to the other candidates, Messrs Outten and Tolmie. 1 understand that Mr Richmond was brought forward entirely without his knowledge or consent, the affair being arranged shortly before the nomination by a few of our politicians ; and whether he will enter into the contest with any desire to gain the day, now that he is nominated, I cannot say. Even so, however, Ido not think he will have the slightest chance of election. Mr Cntten and Mr Tolmie both seem sanguine of being at the head of the poll. The former gentleman must certainly be credited with the quality of perseverance in the matter of election contests, and that in no ordinary degree, for his defeats have been numerous and in some case ignominious—the recent election for Waikouaiti to wit.

I hear that Mr Barnes, the member for Leith Ward in the City Council, is shortly to have presented to him by his constituents, a very handsome gold watch, in recognition of the good service he has done the Ward in his place in the Council ; while their other member, Mr Thoneman, seems to be coming in for any quantity of abuse and votes of " want of confidence" at the hands of indignant ratepayers for his neglect of their interests.