ALEXANDRA.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 213, 9 December 1873, Page 6

ALEXANDRA.

(from our own correspondent.) November 29, 1873. This is the most favourable season we have had for the last five years, not alone for the miner, but for the agriculturist also. Although we have no crops in this neighbourhood, and consequently can’t be expected to feel so much interest in the state of the crops, nevertheless we rejoice at the prospect of a good one for the sake of the horses, wlio, it is to be feared, have been on short commons for some time. Oats have been at Bs., and the supply has come all the way from the Taieri.—The mining claims are in full work, and the water races full to overflowing, so everyone is in good spirits. On the 17th instant, a meeting of the subscribers to the Library was held, for the purpose of the election of a new committee, A very small number attended, but the business of the meeting was successfully accomplished. The first meeting of the new Committee was held on the 24th inst., when Mr Chappie was elected president, and Mr Samson treasurer. The principal business was the consideration of two tenders (for enlarging the Hall) which had been received by the old Committee and passed over by them to the new one to deal with. The President questioned the Secretary respecting some irregularity in connection with one of these tenders, and succeeded after a time in eliciting that it was received at half-past eight p.m., while the advertisement fixed noon as the latent time. The tender was then thrown out as irregular, and some severe remarks were passed on the party sending it (who, by the way, was a member of the old Committee), the other tender was over the amount contemplated for the work, and consequently could not be entertained. The new Committee start with a balance of £2O to their credit. On Monday last, the 24th inst., the great case of the Corporation v. Chappie was heard in the H.M.’s Court here. Mr F. J. Wilson appeared on behalf of the Corporation, and Mr Chappie conducted his own case. The principal facts of the case having been already made public in your columns, I need not trouble to repeat them. The Town Clerk was placed in the box, and produced his appointment. It was elicited from him that he had committed a similar offence himself to that Mr Chappie was charged with; that Mr Rivers (one of the Council), Mr H. C. Jones Mr Theyers, and others had done the same thing; but these had not been proceeded against, because he had received no instructions from his Worship the Mayor to do so. None of these parties had made application, as Mr Chappie had done, and he could not tell the reason why the latter was refused. After Mr Chappie had addressed the Bench his Worship gave judgment. He said it was patent that the Mayor had all at once awoke to a sense of his duty, or else that he had been actuated by personal spite; and thought the case would be best met by a fine of one shilling and costs of Court. The Council, he advised, had better look into their affairs at once, as they were not in a position to bring a civil case into Court, and he thought they had laid themselves open to a fine under the Stamp Act in not stamping the Town Clerk’s appointment. And so ended this much talked-of case,—that is, in this little town. I would suggest that our worthy Mayor’s next effort should be to try and stop some one’s grog, instead of his water.