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Dunstan Times, Issue 462, 24 February 1871, Page 2

The English Mail, via San Francisco, w 111 close at Clyde on Sunday, the 2Gth hist. Mr. James Macandrew has been elected Superintendent of < lingo, by a majority of 312 votes over his opponent Mr. Reid. The for each candidate were - - Macandr«\ 3270 ; Reid, 2958. The contest was the'keenest that has taken place, a »1 the number of votes the large it ever recorded in Otago.

The polling for the Supcrinteudency did not create much excitement in Clyde, till towards its close, when a largo assemblage collecte I round the Court House. A majority for Macandrow was anticipated, but not such a largo one as he obtained. Shortly before four o’clock a number of voters arrived in a trap from Mutton Town Point to record their votes for Macandrow, imparting that information by moans of an improvised parody on a popular song. Just before the poll closed a “ free and independent elector ” galloped up in hot haste and succeeded in voting, the booth doting immediately he retired—his arrival being greeted by loud cheering. When tho state of the poll was made known, tho-supporters of Mafcandrew gave veut to their jubilant feelings in repeated hurrahs. The anxiety to know the numbers polled in other places then began to grow, and, ns the returns came in—nearly every telegram changing the majority from one side to tho other—increased in intensity until tho arrival of tho despatch giving the resuils in Dunedin which extinguished fall hope in the majority of the partisans of Mr, Reid. Some, however, loyally hoped on against hopo,!until tho returns from Invercargill showed the useless’; ness of doing so. Betting which had been pretty freely indulged in during the contest then changed in character—wagers being laid and taken upon what majority Mr, Macandrow was likely to obtain. As our telegrams arrived we made the results known to tho residents of Clyde by means of the bellman and on Tuesday morning wo issued an ‘ ‘ Extra,” giving the returns thou to hand,

On Tuesday afternoon lost, a rumor to the effect that a block of land had been thrown open for settlement tinder the Goldfields Act on Messrs. M’Laren, Greig, and Co.’s run, was extensively circulated in Clyde and vicinity, causing great excitement. The Warden’s office was fairly rushed by applicants for agricultural areas, and since then a number of other applications have been put in. The matter being under the consideration of the Executive, as slated in the letter from the Acting Secretary for Land and Works, received by the Mayor of Clyde last week, wo presume, if Messrs. M’Laren, Greig, and Co.’s depasturing lease of the land in question hj not already cancelled, the block is on the eve of being thrown open for selection. The land applied for is of splendid quality,'and the number of applications sent in is a proof that it is required for bona-fide settlement. At the Warden’s Court, Clyde, on Tuesday last, before Mr. Warden Pyke, the much vexed Wai Keri Ken water question cropped up again. There were three cases : Ferand v. Holt, claim for £2OO damages ; an application by Mr. Feraud to cancel Mr. Holt’s water-right, on the ground that he did not apply it to the purpose for which it was granted ; and an application by Feraud and others for leave to construct a waterrace from the Wai Keri Kcri Creek to- the town of Clyde,and thence to thohanksof the Molyneux, to i>c used for gold mining. Mr. Brough appeared for Mr. Feraud, and Mr. Bailey on behalf of Mr. Holt. Before tho case was gone into Mr. Pyke staled that a remark hail Iwen dropped to the effect that ho was interested in the matter. For his own protection lie would ask if either side hod any objection to make to his healing the case. Mr. Brough was of opinion that tho Warden’s interest- was not such as to preclude him hearing tho case. Mr. Bailey objected to Mr. Pyko hearing the case as ho was interested so far as ho had valuable freehold property, which would bo rendered almost valueless if deprived of water. Mr. Pyke said he had armed himself with a legal opinion on tile matter, but if tho objection wore pressed he would ..take time to consider the matter. Mr. Bailey pressed his objection,andthe cases were adjourned for a week—costs of the day to fail upon defendants.

In the Resident Magistrates Court, Clyde, ou Tuesday last, before Vincent I’ykoEsq., R.M. and James Hazlett Esq., J.P., the hearing of the charges against James Patterson and Westwood were ad. journed fd* a 'ivock, in oonaequonce of the unavoidable absence of Sergeant Smith. In two civil cases viz—Johnson v. Lavcrty, claim for 1,7 95.. and Cox v. M'Leod, claim for L3O, defendants did not appear, and judgment was given for plaintiff's, with costs. Moore v. Wilkie was a case brought to recover the sum of L 7 due for board lodging and washing fop seven weeks. Plaintiff stated that ho only received 1,2 on account oI heard from defendant although he had received several sums for drinks Defendant averred ho had paid plaintiff L 6 but admitted having had a mimlier of drinks hooked to him. Judgment was given for plaintiff with costs, in Cox v. Webb there was no service of summons, and the case of Paterson v. Hudson was settled out of court.

Mr. Warden Barton (Teviot district), writing under date the 11th inst.. says there is little ol interest to report from his district. The miners generally have been earning good wages but no new ground has been opened up. An enterprising company has started tdbringinaw atcy-race to work the east Rank of the Clutha between the island and Messrs. Cargill and Anderson’s station. It has long been known that such a race, successfully constructed, would command some miles of good, payable ground, and would probably amply remunerate the owners for their trouble and outlay; bnj until the present company started no one cared about risking so great an amount of capital as must' necessarily bo expended before the water is on the ground. When this raca is finished I fully expect it will give permanent and remunerative employment to at least forty miners. Since my last report 1 have visited tho Fourteen Mile Beach—a wild, rocky gorge between Roxburgh and Alexandra. The Messrs Qnaylo have here ilumcd their water across the Clutha at some considerable expenseJ but at the time of my visit the water was not running,{tho hose hating been blown away by ono of those furious north-west gales which are so general in the spring of the year. Messrs. Heron and party, on tho west bank, arc doing a very good thing, 1 fancy, in a quiet way by sluicing in a gully leading down to the Fourteen Mile. lam quite under the impression that a great portion of tho terraces in the neighborhood of the Fourteen Milo will prove richly auriferous, nnd sooner or later there will bo a considerable population established there. A number of Chinese have left the Pomahaka nnd surrounding districts! owing partly to the severity of the weather, and ,partly to tho difficulty of obtaining good gold without a proper system of working. The European mining and agricultural population .is a little on tho increase, and 1 estimate tho total population of the district at about ono thousand persons. The number of miners in tho district is live hundred and twenty nine, and tho ma chlnery employed in alluvial mining com. prises twenty-fonr sluices, twenty waterwheels, twenty-four pumps, ono thousand and forty-eight sluice-boxes, of the aggregate value of £23,352. Tho number of square miles of auriferous ground actually worked on is foify-six, and tho price of gold £3 15s. , ' 1 , ” . , j. ~ The writs for the | Provincial Council elections have been issued. The returning officerforthe Dnnstan and Kawnrau district 3 is Mr. Vincent Pyko ; for Mount Benger, Mr. J. N. Wood; for Mould Ida, Mr. H. W. Robinson; for the Lakes, Mr. RBcctham ; for Tuapcka, Mr. W. N. Simp" sou.

By advertisement in another column, a meeting of the shareholders of the Victoria Lease Compary is convened for the purpose of auditing the accounts and settling out standing claims, to-morrow evening, at tho Port Phillip Hotel. The programme of tho Blacks, Annual Races, which appears in another column reflects great credit upon that district and upon those who drew it up. Five events are to bo run for on St. Patrick’s Hay, and on the following day, a number of Hack Races, trotting matches, foot races, &c., ore advertised to come off, We hoi>c, and have no doubt that there will bo, a large number of entries, and a goodly gathering of spec* tutors on tho Black’s race-course.

Iho following is from a Wanganui paper:—-“ Wo learn on tho best authority that some important changes are likely to be made in the judicial bench. Chief Justice Arney will shortly leave for England, where ho intends s pending the evening of an honored life. Mr. Justice Johnston will ho elevated to the Chief Justiceship, and Mr Hudley Ward will lie made a Justice of the Supreme Court, and be located in the Wellington district. The election for Superintendent appears to have caused political feeling to run very high in Dunedin. In tho assault case of Isaacs v. Macgregor, which arose out of an electioneering placard, . plaintiff stated lie was unable to go out to get a glass of grog without the escort of a polieemau. Tho poll for the election of a member of the Houseof Representatives for Mount Ida, resulted in the return of Mr. D. H. Mervyn by a large majority—the numbers for each candidate being:—Mervyn, 217 ; Macassey, tO ; Pratt, 09 ; George, 1. Messrs Bremucr and Hcrtslott retired in favor of Mr. Mervyn.

At an open air meeting of the unemployed, held in Wellington recently, a petition was aiioptcd praying the Government to grant to people in the place laud on the Manawatu block on deferred payments, and employment on public works on the same terms as those granted to the Swedish immigrants. The railway from Invercargill to Winton ' was opened for gqods and passenger traflie on the 13th\i,st. \ ' A meeting of contributors to the Dunstan District Hospital wilt be hold at 3 o’clock this afternoon, at the Public Library, Clyde, for the purpose of electing four additional members of Committee.

The “Now Zealand Gazette ” of the 7th inst., notifies that Hundreds have been declared iu the Creokston and Wairuna districts, the former containing twenty thousand acres and being part of runs two hundred and twelve, and one hundred and sixty three, and the lotted also twenty thousand acres Ijeing parts of runs thirty one aud seventy eight.

Various rumors are afloat regarding the new San Francisco mail contract entered into by Mr. Vogel. i-Tho newspapers opposed to the Government, teem with tele, grams stating that the agent of the contracting company exceeded his powers, and that his principals have repudiated any arrangements ho . may have entered into From a careful examination of all information accessible to us we have come to the conclusion that the agents of the journals referred to, chagrined at not being taken hitu the confidence of the Government in the matter, circulate damaging minors by way of satisfaction.

e remind those desirous of having their names placed upon the Electoral Roll, that the time for registration expires on the 31st of March. Every person, not being an alien, of the ago of twenty-one who is the owner or occupier of land, or of a dwelling house of the annual Value of £5, is entitled to have his name on the Rolls. Every person so qualified must, however, take the trouble of registering his claim,, and this process is very simple. The claimant must fill up a form to be obtained from any registration officer stating his name and qualification—whether household, freehold, or leasehold—and sign it in presence of a Justice of the Peace or an elector. Should he have filled up the form correctly and his declaration be true his name will be placed on the Roll

The steamer Airedale with the English mail via San Francisco on board was lost on the morning of Tuesday, the 14th instant, off the mouth of the Waitara, eight or ten miles north of Taranaki. The Airedale when she struck the bank was going under full steam, and. so severe was the shock that a largo hole must have been made bottom, for in throe minutes the saloon passengers were-up their waists in water. The Phoebe which had passed the Airedale was informed of the wreck at New Plymouth, and immediately went to the assistance of the illfated vessel, and with the aid of the New Plymouth surfboat succeeded in bringing oft'the passengers and mails. The mails, which weresubmergod for two hours, were badly damaged. A number of newspapers principally from America which were packed in bags were reduced to masses of pulp. The Airedale was one of the first.steamers brought out by the Intercolonial liojial Mail Company, (afterwudjphc Panama and New Zealand anu has been regularly trading on the coast over since, uuder the able command of Captain Kennedy. The cause of the wrick is supposed to bo an error in the compasses. There is little hope of saving the hull of the vessel, though the cargo engines. rigging, &c., will no doubt be recovered.