Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, February 9, 1875.

Cromwell Argus, Volume VI, Issue 274, 9 February 1875, Page 5

Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, February 9, 1875.

We have "been requested to intimate that, Wednesday being Ash Wednesday, and the 'first day in Lent, service will be held in the *Church of England, in the evening, at half-past •eight o'clock. On Thursday evening first, the services in connection with the induction of the Rev. B. Brake to the pastorate of the Presbyterian congregation ate to take place. The Revs. Messrs ; Bannerman'(Soath Cltitha), Telford (Teviot), and ■•'Cameron (Tuapeka), are the ministers deputed *by the Preshytery to conduct the induction services. It will be seen by advertisement that it Ss intended to hold a soiree in connection with 'the affair, and although the notice is rather short, is every prospect of a good attendance. The Town Council, at their last meeting, Hiad laid before them for consideration 'the report of the Engineer for the waterworks, Mr G. M. Barr. The report is a very full and complete one, and will no doubt be attentively iread by the ratepayers. It is even mote favourable than any previous one with regard to the *!Firewood Creek scheme of supply,—its efficiency and cheapness of carrying out Mr Karr %a.a man of high reputation in his profession, and *s known as a cautions and conscientious en-;gineer,.-"-the Very last man,who might be expected lo lay on the rose-colonr. His statements and esSfcirmtes may with all certainty be accepted as •corrdct and well-considered, and we feel sure his "report on the proposed scheme will do much to Remove any lurking doubts there maybe in the ■minds of some as tu the wisdom of the choice by Council of Firewood Creek as the source of supply. The Council are well pleased with the deport, which they carefully considered on Friday bight, and they evince a most praiseworthy de■termination to act Upon it to sttch extent as may 'be in their power with as little delay as possible. A copy of the document will be found in our re* (port of Town Council proceedings. Elsewhere will be found an advertisement of the sale of Mr Edwards's premises and 'stock at Nevis Ferry. The hotel recommends "itself as a first-class investment, and Will doubt* less occasion strong competition. Those in 'search of bargains in almost any line will notice %hat a good opportunity is afforded them by this *Bale. The Bannockburri Miners' Association <eall a public meeting for Saturday night, with "the view of obtaining an expression of opinion Regarding the conduct of Mr MacKellftr at the last session of the Provincial Council. Very "probably there will be an excited meeting, for Mr MacKellar has many warm admirers in the Bannockburn district, who will likely be prepared to do battle for him. The Rev. Joshua Jones has now fairly taken his departure from this district, to take •charge of the Wakatip cure, rendered Vacant by the resignation of the Rev. Ja:ksnn Smith. Mr -Joneses removal from the district is much de» plored. His ministrations as a clergyman have been accepted with much favour, and his genial and gentlemanly manner in private life have been the means of attaching many friends tc him. Since his arrival in the district, the Episcopalians have become a united body, almost entirely owing to his unwearied exertions to this <end. He has performed the up-hill work oi forming congregations in the different centres "with every success. The Rev. J. Dewe, of th« Teviot, is to be Mr Jones* successor in the Dun Btan district. The case of the Corporation tiersw Marsh, for the recovery of the present year'. l rates, was elcected by the Resident Magistral t>n Friday last in favour of the Corporation. Mi Marsh has elected to appeal to a higher Court tind has taken the preliminary steps to that end Very probably the question of whether the Cor poration dan or can not force payment of thii year's rate will be six months befote it is de cided. The Chinese have been holding higl holiday throughout the district. During las Week the new year began, and there has been ; Universal cessation of work among them. The; don't go in for horse-raoing, and we have no seen them indulging in anything 'in the athleti line:none of them appear to pretend to excel lence in the hop-step-and-jump line, or to any thing like fast time for a hundred yards,—the; are contented to leave such idiotic (according t their light) sports and pastimes to the whit barbarians. They feast, let off crackers, an gamble : ducks and fowls, roast and boiled, ar made aw'ay with in great numbers, while in th intervals of eating many of them do their best t make " ducks and drakes" of their earnings.

We remind Hospital subscribers that the meeting for the election of a Committee of Management is to take place on Thursday. Last Friday, while driving in the tunnel in the Crown and Cross claim, Carrick Range, the reef was struck. The thickness of it where struck is two feet, and gold is plainly visible in it throughout. The proprietors of this claim have determined to throw it open to the public, and the terms on which they do so appear to be very favourable. The prospectus will be found advertised in another column. The Corporation have at last taken steps to turn the municipal reserves to account, make them reproductive,,which was Cr Grant's election-cry threeyears ago. They have at last found out where these reserves are situated, and have arranged to have the leases of them put up for competition at public auction. That valuable piece of ground next the Town-hall is among the reserves to be submitted for sale, and a lively rivalry may be expected for its purchase. A telegram from Auckland in the Daily Times of Thursday, 4th instant, says :—"Some sensation was caused this afternoon, by the announcement of the arrest of Mr Leggett, Clerk to the Provincial Council, on a charge of embezzling £BO. A cheque for the amount was given him a year ago, by Mr O'Korke, the Speaker, to send to London for the purchase of library books. The non-receipt of the books led to enquiries, and it was discovered that the cheque had been cashed, but no draft purchased. It is not known yet whether there are any other defalcations. *' , . , Everything is at "sixes and sevens" with regard to the Nelson Corporation affairs. A telegram dated' the 3rd instant, says —" At a meeting of the City Council last night, all the members but two resigned in consequence of a resolution passed by a meeting of ratepayers, that the Council had lost their respect and confidence. The Corporation has an overdraft of £I7OO at the Bank, which dishonoured their cheques yesterday." The small-bore match at the recent Intercolonial Prize-Firing at the Thames was won by Hoskins, of the Thames, with 76 points ; Walker, 72 ; Christie, 71 ; Churton, 67 ; Wilson, 66. Christie (of the Taieri) and Walker, it will be remembered, are old contestants in the matter of shooting. The Dunedin Arcade is shortly to undergo extensive altera ions and improvements. The business places on the eastern side are to be demolished, and re-built in a more substantial style ; and there are to be vast alterations on the other side also. The Queenstown slander case, Malaghan v. Wenkheim, was disposed of at the Supreme Court on Monday, the Ist instant, before a special jury. The damages claimed were laid at £IOOO, and the circumstances under which they were claimed were briefly these :• Malaghan bought part of the effects in M 'Lara's estate, in which Wenkheim was a creditor. Wenkheim to one or two persons stated that Malaghan had dishonoured the bills of exchange he had given, and gave this as the reason why no dividend was forthcoming in the estate. The jury found a veruict for the plaintiff on all the issues to the effect that defendant had uttered the words maliciously, and in a defamatory sense ; but only assessed the damages at one farthing; The Dans tan Times says the law expenses will probably amount to. £SOO. The following is a list of letters received at the Cromwell post-office in September, and remaining unclaimed till the end of January : Berniey, John; Deem, Mr Y.; Dempster, Mr A. F.; Drew, Lewis Frederick; Harding, Mr Edward; Harrison, Mr; Jones, Mr Elias B.'f; Moncrieff, Mr John ; Murray, John; Rigg, Mr Edward; Taylor, Mr Walter.