BENDIGO.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 190, 1 July 1873, Page 6

BENDIGO.

(prom our own correspondent.) June 24, 1873. It is not often that news of interest falls in my way to despatch from here, and now that such unwonted luck is mine, the postal conveniences (J) of the place conspire to render it of no avail, so that 1 will not attempt to weary your readers hy what must be by this time stale matter. To be brief: the hitherto shy and modest Bcndigonians woke up to the fact that in the choice of a representative they had at least a voice, and mustered last Saturday in tolerable force to record their votes. At the close of the poll the numbers shown were : Mr MacKellar, 19 ; Mr Colclough, 8. Considering that at the last election here, only seven votes altogether were polled, sceptics must admit the fact, that Bendigo, if not exhibiting gicat improvement, ir it least displaying a little increased vitality. A meeting was called by Mr MacKellar on the previous Wednesday at Mr Smith’s Solway Hotel. A largo number of persons attended, and after waiting very good-naturedly for three hours, the candidate having failed to appear, they very sensibly decided to go on without him. A chairman was elected, and a gentleman -present read the addresses of both the candidates, accompanied hy a running commentary on their merits, and apologised for the absence of Mr MacKellar.

A resolution was then put to the meeting, that he (Mr MacKellar) was a fit and proper person, &c., and was carried by a large majority. An amendment was moved in favour of Mr Colclough, and elicited little or no response. Much criticism was evoked which I deem unnecessary to recapitulate. The meeting upon the whole was an instructive one, and as subsequent events proved led up to the desired result. Of course, that inseparable accompaniment of Little Peddlingtonian meetings, “ yabber, yabber,” as the Yictoi’ian blackfellow appropriately terms it, prevailed to some extent ; but as most of us in attendance were but tyros in election matters, this may be excused, and we hope to do better next time. Mr MacKellar has since satisfactorily explained his absence. The Aurora tributers washed up a crushing of about 80 tons with a return of 14 dwts per ton. As there was known to be a lot of poor stone put through, this is a decided improvement, and has produced rather a cheering effect. Their water race is being continually broken away in the ranges ; as soon as they can remedy this defect crushing will be resumed. The Cromwell Co. are washing up, and expect a cake of 350 or 400 ounces. The reef never looked better than at its present depth of 289 feet, and about 1000 tons of stone are ready for the stampers, The Lucknow tunnel still keeps in frightfully hai’d “country,” and costs at present nearly £5 per foot! Heavy snow has fallen during the past few days, and all the ranges in sight are deeply covered, but that great drawback to mining, peculiar to Otago—frost—has, I am sorry to say, also set in suddenly and severely, and water is again likely, for a term, to be very scant.