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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2755, 15 December 1871, Page 2

New J. P.’s.—Messrs. A. H. Doug lass, of Arrowtowu, and J. F. Kitchiug, of Moa Flat, have been appointed justices of the peace for the Colony. The San Francisco Mail. The San Francisco Mail is due at Auckland every fourth Monday in 1572, commencing January I, and leaves Dunedin every fourth Friday, commencing on January 19. The Goldfields Wardens. The Tuapeka Times mentions as an on (lit, that the Government intend adopting the recommendation of the Goldfields Commission, to shift the Wardens. The Superintendent. — His Honor the Superintendent wiJJ. return overland to Dunedin. He expects to reach AJat aura tonight, Balolutha to-morrow evening, and Dunedin on Monday evening. Princess Theatre. — There was u capital attendance last evening, when the programme of the previous evening was gone through to the evident satisfaction of the audience. The afterpiece, “ The Bohemian Girl,” was highly successful. High School. —We would remind the parents of the scholars and those who take au interest iu the institution, that the distribution of prizes will take place in the school to-morrow, at 11 a.m. His Honor Judge Chapman will distribute the prizes. Soiree, —The .anniversary soiree of the Stepping Slope Division of the Sons and Daughters of Temperance, was held last evening in the Alasonic Hall, Port Ghplineis. The meeting was well attended, and its successful issue was increased by the presence of a number of the friends of the cause from Dunedin, who took part in the proceedings, and were conveyed to town by the Harbor Company’s steamer Peninsula at the close of the meeting. The Interprovincial Cricket Match. — It is understood that the Otago team will consist of Allen, Cairns, Collinson, Downes, F. Fulton, J, G. Fulton, Kettle, Alacdonnell, Macfarlane, Reade, amlTurton, with Sale or W, D. Smith as emergency man. The Canterbury team will probably be— Cotterill, Fowler, Lee, LougUnan, Maples, A. Ollivier, Perry, Pierce, Souter, Stevens and Wood. There is just a chance that Corfe ipay be substituted for Perry or Souter, but that will be the only change, if one should be thought desirable. The Reef.—From the Garrick we learn that the first crushing of the Elizabeth company was hardly equal to general expectation. Stone from the portion of the reef which previously averaged one and a-half ounces to the ton has only yielded about 12 dwts. This result is attributed to the want of efficient supervision at the machine. The last clearing up of the 0. P. Q. Company yielded 66 ozs of gojd from 125 tons of stone. Since then a new leader has been struck. A new reef, it is said of very promising appearance, has been discovered in the Lamer? law Range. Girls’ Provincial School. —There were several omissions iu our yesterday’s report which we now supply ; —The vases and card case were presented to Airs Rhiud, and the cabinet to Aliss Al‘Donga)]. In the 2nd Glass, grammar and composition : 3rd, Miss Isabella llislop; same class, arithmetic, Aliss Isabella llislop; same class, Miss Margaret Watson. Lower Room.—Arithmetic : 2nd. Aliss Bagley, not Bayley. Needlework (omittcel). —Prizes; Misses C, Gow, A. Logan, and M. Galloway. Lower Room.—2nd Glass, English Class Works, not Books : 2nd prize, Misses S. Smith and J. Cassels. History : 2nd prize, Alisses S. Smith and AI. Watson. Needlework : Jane Findlay. Ordinances Assented to. officially notified that the following Ordinances passed during the last session of the Provincial Council, and reserved for the signature of the Governor’s pleasure, have received the same : -Portobello School Glebe leasing ; Sale of Land of Dunedin City validation ; Clyde School Reserve Sale ; Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Reserve AJamigement; Ferry and Accommodation House Reserve leasing > Invercargill Reserve leasing ; Blneskin Alarkct reserve > District Roads Compulsory landtaking; Hampden Machanies’ Institute; Cam am Drill Shed Reserve Alanagement ; Invercargill Athenicum Reserve Alanagement; Education Reserves Alanagement leasing. The Needle Gun,—A few days siuce we gave a short account of the needle

gun presented by the Honorable Captain Fraser to the Otago Museum, on behalf of Mrs Vogel. In a note accompanying the present, that lady writes : “ Even in England and America relics of the kind are looked upon as possessing great interest. This trilic has more than ordinary interest, became it has a history which dates back before the last war. It was picked up by a friend of mine, who gave it to me, on the battle field of Sedan. On the barrel was a record showing that it bad been used at Solfcriiio, and another showing that it was originally an English ‘ Brown Bess, sold to the Prussian Government, and converted by them into a needle-gun.” Tampering with the Justices. —Au adjourned case of assault came on for hearing at Blenheim on the Ist inst. Before resuming the hearing, the Magistrate, Dr. Muller, said he had to state that he had received a letter apparently from the accused, in which reference had been made to the case then pending; that he had not read the letter, and, as any attempt to tamper with a Judge or Magistrate during the progress of the case was a very serious offence, he must call on Mr O’Mahouoy to apologise, or he should feel it his duty to commit him for contempt of Court. The letter was then handed by the Bench to the accused, who expressed his regret if he had done wrong. The defendant had to be reprimanded several times during the hearing of the case, and eventually he was committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court in Marlborough ou the charge of a common assault. School Examination. The examination of the scholars attending the South District School, which extended over Tuesday and Wednesday, was brought to a close to-day by the usual speech day, which lasted from noon till three o’clock. Ihc examination was a very searching one, and the results creditable alike to the scholars and teachers. The examiners (Messrs Reynolds, Jago, Hepburn, and Cargill, assisted by Messrs Hardy and Wilson), both on'iuesday and to-day fouu I their task anything but an easy one ; for in several classes, notably in reading and debate, it was with extreme difficulty that they were able to come to a decision. The proceedings to-day comprised readings and singing, and the debate on “Compulsory Education,” iu which twentyfive boys took part, after which the prizes were distributed by Mr W. H. Reynolds. We regret that we are unable to publish the prize list to-night. Funeral. —The remains of SergcapfMajor Murdoch were interred in the Southern Cemetery this afternoon. The funeral cortege as it passed through the town attracted considerable notice, for a military funeral is of very unfrequent occurrence here. First there was a firing party with reversed arms, consisting of one sergeant and nine men belonging to No. 1 Company, and an equal number of men from No. 2 Company, Scottish; the battalion band, which played the “Dead inarch in Saul ” ; the hearse, the sides of which were taken out, so as to give a view of the coffin, which was wrapped in a Union Jack, the d.ecpasgd’s uniform, sword, and in odds being placed uptjn it; the staff officers, the police (every available man jn the depot being present), ar.,d last th§ officers, comprising Major Atkinson, Captains Wales, Jamieson, Copeland, M'Parland, and SubInspector Thompson. Land Transfer Act.— We desire to point out to those persons who have purchased land from the Crown, but who have not yet had delivery of their Crown grants, that by making application to the District Land Registrar, at the time of delivery of the grant, they may have it registered under the Laud Transfer Act in-tead of in the Deeds Registry, upon payment of 6s added to the contribution to the assurance fund of js 3d for every LIOO of value, a sum which in iu:u,y gasps is less than the ordinary registration fee. Thug, for example, the grantee of a section in this city, of the value of LIOO, the registration fee for which under the old system would be 14s, may bring his property under the Act for 10s 2d, thereby effecting an actual saving of 3s lOd ; because, unless he elects to have his grant registered under the Torrens’ system, he cannot escape payment of the 14s. Those persons who take advantage of this provision of the Land Transfer Act Amendment Act, will secure, at a nominal cost, not only a guaranteed title, but one which is i» every sense of the word “marketable.” J.hey will be in a position to mortgage or lease their laud upon payment of fees amounting in all to 12s, and if they desire to sell the land at any time, it will be a material inducement to buyers to know that their will only cost ffiem 11s, instead of the large amount which they have Lepn accustomed to pay for a conveyance under the old system. Heathcote Regatta. Au adjourned meeting of the committee was held at Christchurch, ou the 10th ; Mr Pavitt presiding. The hon. sec. (Mr Thomas) read a letter from Mr Logan, Wellington, requesting the committee either to arrange the interprovineial race on a day from the 15th to the 19th January, or from the 30th January to the SLh February. A letter was also read from Mr B. Clark (hon. sec, Spdney Rowing Club) stating that tliey would not be able to send a boat to compete at the regatta, as they intended sending one to compete at the regatta, as they intended sending to compete at Hobart Town. Mr Herdson stated that lie had received inquiries from various parts of the colony, asking for information as to the day upon which the regatta would be held. Ho had also been asked by the Dunedin Rowing Club whether a waterman, being a member of the club, would be aßowed to row, and he had replied in the affirmative. The question as to whether the regatta should extend over two days was then considered. In reply to a question put by Mr Uerdson, the treasurer (Mr Cohn) stated that he had not yet received the subscription lists from collectors. It was resolved that tor the present the programme for one day’s regatta be ai ranged. Mr Herdsou moved, and Air Montgomery seconded—- “ That the Heathcote Regatta take place on Thursday, the 25th January, 1532.” The motion was agreed to, and after revising the programme the meeting adjourned. A Gale. —Thursday last was certainly the most disagreeable day we have experienced in Cromwell for the past twelve mouths. The general direction of the wind was westward, but at turns it blew violent gusts from oyejy point of the compass simultaneously. So r gi>eat was the force of the gale, ai.d so blinding the all-pervading dust, that locomotion of any kind was attended with great difficulty and some danger. We arc informed that a Chinaman travelling on the Nevis road was suddenly

laid prostrate and carried bodily into a deep ravine by the sheer strength of the blast Waggoners travelling with their teams were obliged at frequent intervals to come to a dead holt, being unable to proceed in consequence of the dense clouds of dust with which themselves and their teams were enveloped. At the Nevis and Morvon ferries, a large number of waggons were detained until that day, the punts being unmanageable owing to the high wind. More than a hundred horses were punted over the Kawarau at Owens’s on Saturday. As regards pasture for stock in the environs of Cromwell, Thursday’s gale may be looked upon as the harbinger of a season of heat and drought and scanty vegetation. On Sunday we were visited with more wind and more dust, —this time from an easterly direction ; and our water-supply from the west end was entirely cut off for a period of two days by reason of the drifting sand. —Cromwell Aryus. A general meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club will be held at the Empire hotel, at 8 o’clock, to-morrow (Saturday) evening. We notice by advertisement that prize takers at the Horticultural Society’s late show can obtain their prizes at Messrs Law, Somncr’s, and Co., to-morrow evening, (Saturday) at 7 o’clock. The third match of the Dunedin Rifle Club will take place to-morrow. Squads fall iu at the Anderson’s Bay Range at 5 a.m. and 3 p.m., and at Pelichct Bay at 5 a.m. and 3 p.m.