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Dunstan Times, Volume 643, Issue 643, 14 August 1874, Page 2

jSn'he nsftal sitting of the District Court will take place on Monday next, the 17th instant.

We notice that Mr John Honywill has been appointed Deputy Registrar of Marriages.

The appointment of Mrs Agnes Madigan as Matron of the Clyde Gaol is _notified in the Gazette.

We particularly draw attention to tho, advertisement of the Clyde Choral Society which appears in another column.

The amount collected in the Church of England, Clyde, on behalf of. tho funds of the Duustan District Hospital, on Sunday evening last, was 41. fls. Gd.

The Treasurer of of the late Ball in aid of the Band, informs us that tho sum of L 7 12s is tho net amount realised towards supporting so’valuable and praiseworthy an object.

It was rumored some time since that a daily coadr was to he put on the road between Clyde -and Queenstown, by Mr Eichardt, tho present mail contractor. On Tuesday last, MrParsons, the road manager, tooled in the-steo'nd coach, which we understand commences running at tho beginning of the week. The Cromwell Dramatic Club will make their first appearance this evening at Cromwell, in aid of'the funds of the local hospital, and as the object ismost praiseworthy, it can scarcely bo doubted but that there will be a good house. The various members arc said to be well up in'theit- parts, and will not disgrace the s Buckskin. We wish them success.

The long -standing dispute between Mr C. T. Marie,-the lessee of the coal-mining lease in Cooper’s Gully, and the applicants for an area adjoinind his lease, is likely to bo soon terminated by the sale of tho said lease, which is notified to take place at the Survey Office, Clyde, on Monday, the 7th of September next, subject to repayment of half valuations for cost of-road line.

The Provincial Government, in order to got off their hands the large number of im‘migrants lately arrived in the Province, are sending off batches to be employed on tho Government worksnow under contract. One batch has been sent to Southland, to MrProudfoot, railway contractor ; another is to bo forwarded to Mount Ida, to be employed on the Sludge Channel there. The Good Templars arc making headway in the Cromwell -district, there being now two lodges, the Tribune (Bendigo), and the Cromwell Lodge. It is also currently reported that, in tiro course of next week, two other lodges will be instituted—one at Carrick and the other at Bannockburn. Some of tho members of the order have resolved to solicit tho co-operation- of the Clyde residents with the view of obtaining a charter for establishing a lodge in this town ; but with what success thcir elforta will bo attended remains to be aeon.

Numerous complaints have reached us concerning the conduct of a certain hotelkeeper, not many milos from Cromwell, which, if true, deserve tho attention of the authorities. We arc informed that the person ’referred to has), been drinking heavily of late, and that on Saturday night he drove his little motherless children from home, compelling them to take shelter beneath the hospitable roof of a neighbor till the following morning. It seems tho family consists of five, and all of tender years, and have recently boon deprived of their mother. If one-half of what we have heard be true, the unprotected little ones would find a far better home in the Industrial School, Dunedin.

MrD. A. Jolly the newly elected Mayor of Cromoll, at the first sitting of the new Council is thus reported in the Argus “Commercially, he thought the town had a bright future before it, and the Council could encourage and assist its development. Cromwell was the centre of the best goldproducing district in Otago, and this in itself is'a good deal. Beeides this, however, Cromwell was centrally situate, and was the key, as it -were, to a very large extent of valuable country. Recently the Council bad been asked to give a bonus towards the encouragement of sterna communication between ’boro and the Hawea, and on the Lakes. When the Hawea block became settled upon, no doubt tho grain and produce there raised would demand a speedier and cheaper mode of transit than at present existed ; although until then it ■would, perhaps be premature to encourage the undertaking steam communication the necessary outlay would be so groat. He mentioned this to show the Council that there were other industries than that or mining lequiring to be encouraged and developed Another of those, for instance, was the establishment of a woollen factory: where established, they bad proved a great success, and the demand for woollen goods throughout tho district was quite sufficient to warrant the investment of capital in such an industry." Mr Jolly then referred to some of matters that would require attention during the year, including water-works, sanitary and reclamation measures, District Court sittings, <tc.

Mr Donald M'Lean, the Native Minister, has received the honour of Knighthood. The Mayor of Dunedin’s salary if fixed at 40(k

In the Assembly the Cromwell Water Works’ Loan Bill has been passed.

The Queenstown Town Council have voted 1501. in aid of the Public Library of that Town.

We understand, by the Tuapeka Times, that Mr Thomas Pope has disposed ot his interest in the coaching firm of Yeend and Pope.

The National Fire and Marine Insurance Company have passed a resolution that no Shareholder shall hold more than fifteen hundred shares.

Our Dunedin contemporaries say that nearly the whole of tho applicant for Shares in the new Colonial Bank have got the full number of Shares applied for. We understand that several local residents have got their full number. The Daily Times says:—“ The Waste Lands Board agreed at its weekly meeting held on the sth instant that land on the Gold-fields which the Warden did not consider auriferous, and which had befin open for sale, they would sell to each bona fide applicant to the extent of 400 acres, subject to the condition that no sale he made where sufficient bbjection is raised. While the resolution was come to on applications from Lawrence, it apparently applies to all the Gold-fields. ”

It may ho of service to some of our readers-to know that when they are summoned foi debt it is not sufficient for them to pay the amount claimed into Court before the hearing, without apprizing the plaintiff of the fact, as the failure so to do readers them liable for payment of the costs of suit, and a case in which this point has been brought under the consideration of the Court occurred last Friday at Cromwell, and will be settled there to-day. The Daily Times says—“ Some queer impoitations are being made into the Colony by Dr Featherstone and his numerous if not efficient, staff of assistants, under the free and nominated system, but the queerest is a lawyer. As if we had not enough and to spare of them already. The gentleman of the long robe brings out hia family at the same rate ns hia own passage cost him, and will no doubt grumble if lie does not fall into an extensive practice as soon as he has resided in the Colony for the probationary term required bythe Supreme Court. The gentleman alluded to comes from Oxford, but whether from the University we know not ”

The season for cricketing is now drawing on, and there is an united feeling pervading this town that this champion game should be encouraged this year. Many have expressed a willingness to join in getting up a club, some of whom have been members of other clubs for a number ,of years. Clyde has, in times past, received challenges from other, townships, but has nat been able to accept of them ; but, we think, in future they might muster a pretty strong team, and be second to none of the surrounding districts. Black’s, Drybread. and Alexandra might also raise teams in their respective townships ; so that this noble game might still continue to rank as one of the first of opr pastimes, instead of being a thing of tho past. The gentleman to whom wo arc indebted for onr Cromwell Court reports and items of intelligence thus excuses any inaccuracies in his report—“ Though my articles have been for some years on tho file of tho Supreme Court, which would alone entitle mo to a seat at the Bar table in an inferior Court. 1 never manage to obtain one hero, and have to take my notes tho best way I can. There are only four chairs, two of which are occupied by the professional gentlemen, one by the reporter of your contemporary, and) the other by the Town Clerk, although why he should be so highly favoured above other citizens is to others as well myself an enigma. I am] fully aware that he is entitled to appear in Corporation cases, hut fail to see that there is any act or usage which sanctions the monopoly I have referred to, namely, the constant occupation of a seat—to the inconveniencing of others—when no Corporation cases are before tho Court.” We hope that steps will he taken in the matter, as the Bar of Cromwell is not astonishingly great ; and wo believe the Provincial

Government is not yet insolvent, at all events its credit should be worth “a chair."

Wo extract the following from The Bazaar, a paper which devotes its columns solely to the chronicling of articles for exchange. Is it libellous ?—Under the head of “Ecclesiastical,” and sub-head of “ Various,” is offered a “great bargain,” which is described as a “ Highland minister’s complete rack mecum.” It consists of “ miniature Testament, very largo silvermounted spirit flask, and strong serviceable corkscrew, fitted in superfine Russia leather case.” This arrangement for qualifying the water of life with whisky is to us novel ; but it may be usual in a damp country like the Highlands. “The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth lifeand this is perhaps the reason why a very little Bible is associated with a large supply' of whisky. An English minister would perhaps consider some book of prayer a necessary part of his equipment. But in the Highlands ministers despise cold formalism, and cultivate spirituality in their exercises. The corkscrew is doubtless an emblem of that power which is ascribed to the early Saints. One of them took Satan by the nese with a pair of tongs, another bound him with chains, and another made him build a dyke. The power to bind implies the power to loose, and as ancient saints shut up the spirits, their modern successor lets them out. That is all the difference. It is quite right that the corkscrew should be “strong and serviceable," for neither the large spirit-flask nor, we Suppose, the small Testament, would ho of much mo without it.

The Daily Times notices' ’tho arrival in Dunedin of Mr Pritchard, of Arrowtown, and states his business is to float a Woollen Factory at Lake Hayes. We have to acknowledge the receipt ot Hanaaid and other papers from the General Government printers, and a volume of Ordinances passed during the Session bf 1874, from the Provincial Government Officer. At the meeting of the Waste Lands Board held on the 6th instant, the applications of Messrs M‘Laren, Gregg and Co., and Mr T. Wilson to purchase land jin the Leaning Bock district were approved, with reservations for miners, and tail-races, &c. In the House of Beprescntatives, Mr T. L. Shepherd moved the second reading of the Gold-fields Act, 1868, Amendment Bill. To show the importance of the mining interest in the .Colony, the honorable member quoted figures to the effect that the total value of water-races, tail-races, dams, mining machinery, &c., in the Colony amounted to 1,603,1811. He wished to place it out of the power of anylindividual to arrest such an important industry, in stopping tail-race .water, from flowing over his land, and instauced a case in point—a case now pending between a squatter and a miner at Warewhenua. Mining was an industry that was of more value than all tho rest in tho Colony, and deserved more con sideration. The second clause of the Bill gave the miners the.right to get rid of their tail-water by fouling streams.—The Premier could not possibly agroe with the second clause, which was dealing with a question now before the Law Courts. Ho would not object to the second reading if the honorable member would Vithdraw tho second clause for the present.—Mr Shepherd declined. In tho interests of the Goldfields of tho Colony this was a battle to be fought, and tho sooner the better. Were tney to arrest an industry that had exported 28,000,0001. during the last eight years, because some squatters wanted to tlip a few sheep? He would divide the House, iLhe stood,, alone. The Bill was read a second time, and referred to the Gold-fields Committee.

The Melbourne correspondent of the Daily Times says:—“ There is always great danger to the innocence of many young girls occasioned byj the evening meetings, of which so many are held in connexion with churches and schools, and instances are constantly occurring* in great numbers to illustrate the realityj of theso^.dangers. The number of cases of immorality that are made public, and are distinctly traceable to the pernicious association of boys and*girlsj[at'jclass meetings, prayor"meetings, and such evening gatherings, with the walks to and from them, is very largo, and affords some ground JtoJJostimato the much larger number Jof which we never hj tar. The latest case of that kind was certainly calculated to open people’s eyes a little. It came before the Castlemaine Circuit Cqurtjijjin the shape ef an action for seduction brought by the father of a girl named Eddy against a wealthy mining proprietorjiiamed JDowe. All the parties were zealous Wesley ana, and never failed in their attendance at class meetings, and the raild.dilutcdgdobauch of a ’benevolent tea," whatever that might be. It Was in their walks to andjfrom these attractive gatherings that the little familiarities used to take place which gave occasion to the action. The defendant was an elder—a man of extreme piety, and a married man ; hut kisj,lifc does not appear to have been entirely beyond reproach, as there was reason to believe that other tender ewe lambs of the flock had fallen victims to his wiles and his reputation for wealth. When under examination he refused to state how many young girls he had seduced since he was married. However, if he seduced the present plaintiff—a circumstance that, upon the evidence called, seemed very doubtful, applying the word seduction only to tha first lapse from virtue—it was clearly shown by her own evidence that he had no trouble occasioned to Lira by any opposition on her part. But the minister*©! the congregation good man and easy—described her as a modest girl ; and a sympathysing British jury gave her a verdict for 2501. Bather an encouraging premium held out to view : but, of course, it was not in this way that the jury intended it. It is right to say that, since the conduct of Bowe has been discovered, he has keen expelled from tho Church. But prevention is a great deal better than punishment, and if the Church authorities bra really in earnest in their desire to chock this kind of . immorality, they should abandon the practice of holding meetings that seem at present to have very little other object than to aff ird opportunities for young people of both sexes to associate in a loose and questionable manner, under the allsanctifying guise of religion."