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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2181, 4 May 1870, Page 2

Table Hill Quartz Reef. —The shareholders in this company have decided upon raising nine tons of stone, eight of which are to be crushed on tho spot, and the other ton is to be forwarded to Melbourne for that purpose. Masonic Hall.—The Christy Minstrels continue to draw good audiences. Tlrs is unquestionably a clever, entertainment, and by judiciously changing the programme from night to night the management puts in a strong claim to public support. It is precisely one of those few entertainments that may be visited half-a-dozen times without a sense of monotony being experienced. American Circus.—This company are now performing at Lawrence. On Monday evening, during tho gale, tier large tent—within which some 150 people were seated—was blown down. In the darkness of the night, a number of the audience in rushing outside, found themselves suddenly immersed in an adjoining creek, but otherwise no accident occurred.— Bruce Herald. Acclimatisation. Some of the English skylarks turned out a few weeks ago by the Branch Acclimatisation Society hero are frequently seen near Awamoko, soaring up and pouring out their joyous notes. The starlings are thriving remarkably well in the town ; one young brood may be seen daily on the wing, in company with the parent birds. Yesterday, one of a healthy brood hatched under the roof of our office, fell out of the nest. It was full fledged and strong, and will be reared by hand. — Oamaru Times. The Premier. —The Hon. Mr Fox, accompanied by his Honor the Superintendent, arrived in Oamaru on Saturday afternoon, having proceeded there overland. His Honor returned to town yesterday, and Mr Fox may be expected here to-morrow. The bon. gentleman will deliver his temperance address at Outram, on Saturday evening, in obedience to a request made by a deputation from the West Taieri Temperance Society, consisting of the Eev. Mr Gillies, and Messrs Borrie ami Allan, who waited upon him last week. Sudden Death. — On Sunday last the dead body of a man named William Crawford, drayman, lately engaged in carting stones from the Woolshed Quarry, was found in the stable of Mr E. Cameron, Woolshed. At the coroner’s inquest, held yesterday, the medical evidence went to prove that death resulted from rupture of the heart, a blow] on the shoulder, spoken of by some witnesses as having been inflicted by a horse, having in all probability been inflicted after death while the body lay under the horse’s feet where it was found. The jury, notwithstanding, returned a verdict to the effect that the probability was, that while fastening a cover on the horse, a young and somewhat wild animal, it squeezed deceased between its body and the stall, thus causing the rupture. Financial Statement. —The statement of revenue and expenditure of the Provincial Government, from April 1, 1869, to March 31, 1870, is published, and shows anything but a promising state of affairs. The payments exceed the receipts by L 18,580 18s, which, added to the deficiency of L 24.769 7s Bd, lias increased the deficit to L 43.350 os Bd. The total revenue received was L 289,677 19s Gd, from the following sources Crown Lands, L 35,013 4s Id; Sheep and Cattle Assessment under the Waste Lands Act, L 58,090 7s 2d ; Gold Fields Revenue, L 19,460 3s lid ; Consolidated Revenue, L89,07S 14s lOd ; Gold Export Duty, L 20,132 10s 9d ; Sale of Government Buildings and Land, L 1,483 6s 2d ; Harbor Dues, L 2,792 0s 8d; Jetty Dues, L 4,597 Is lOd; Dog Tax, L 2,418 10s 6d; Goat Tax, L275s ; Rents, LI9I 7s 3d; Sinking Fund Released, L 23.956 Is 9d ; Repayments on account of Immigration, the Hospital, tbe Lunatic Asylum, and the Industrial School amount to L 3.782 5s lOd ; Receipts for School Books, School Fees, and Revenue from Education Reserves amounted to L 2,090 8s 7d; the sum received for Maintenance of Debtors and for Prison Labor was L 92 9s 6d ; Tolls on Roads realised LI 1,991 9s 5d ; Revenue from miscellaneous sources, LI ,589 7s 3d, and from Licenses, L 12,861 ss. The total expenditure fpr the year has been L3;15,867 11s, and would have been greater had all the votes been expended. The falling off is principally in the land revenue, which in 1868 was L 136.898 16s—nearly Li 02,000 more than last year. Had tho Hundreds Regulation Act been brought into operation, the Province -would have been in a very different position. The present prospect is that of a dead-lock. Public Meeting.—A meeting of the Taieri settlers was held at the drill shed, Outram, on Saturday evening, to consider the report of tho Chief Surveyor upon his proposed scheme for the protection of the Taieri Plain from devastation by floods. Mr A. Rennie presided, and the following petition was adopted, Mr Allan, M.P.C., being deputed to present it to the Council “To the Superintendent and Provincial Council of Otago.—Tho petition of the undersigned, settlers of the Taiei-i Plain, humbly sheweth - That within these few years, from the results of ground sluicing and the construction of water races, reservoirs, &c., on tho Taieri River and its tributaries, the riv.er has become more destructive, overflowing its natural banks and sweeping over the farms of a great portion of the Taieri Plain, destroying crops, stock, fences, and houses of your petitioners to their great loss and we fear ultimate ruin, We believe that, over lands being in |onr possession prior to the commencement of the gold diggings, it is an infringement of our rights that the Government should grant licenses to miners without considering or providing against the disastrous results of the goldfields works. We therefore pray that your Honor and Provincial Council wifi take this matter into your most serious consideration, and will take such steps as will immediately prevent the Taieri river from doing such immense damage to the low plains either by constructing such works on the Upper Plain as would keep hack part of the flood water, or by making storm channels on the Lower Plains as the Government Engineer may direct, and your petitioners will over pray.”

Waste Land Boakd. — The Waste Land Board met at the Government offices to-day. Present, the Chief Commissioner of Waste Lands, Messrs Bcid, Duncan, and Hughes. The plan of the town of Boauly

was approved, and it was resolved that T.o sections should he advertised in the next land sales. W. Doak’s application lor license to occupy one acre section of 1 of 15, block 3, Oamaru, wvs considered. It was resolved that it should be laid off in quarter-acre sections, reserving five acres, at the back for a stone quarry. On the opinion of the Provincial Solicitor respecting right of road through section 7, block 7, North Harbor and Blueskin, it was resolved to reserve a road westway of section 7, block 7, for access to section (5, and to give notice to Mr J. M‘ Lean to pay his rent or be ejected. On the opinion of the Provincial Solicitor, it was resolved that Messrs Fish awl Rose bo informed that in working for minerals on run 227, they do so illegally unless under sanction of the Waste Land Board, and that tho runholder be informed he has no right lo grant permission to anyone to work minerals. In reply to Mr llohertson’s letter as to valuation put on sections 1 to 7, and 14 to 16, block 31, ' awrcnce, it was resolved that the sections be leased to Mr Morrison for working coal at a rental of Ll2 per annum. On the application of Mr Warden Beetham to purchase three-quarters of an acre around his house purchased from the Government at Queenstown. It was resolved that it be sold with valuation attached at the upset price.