COUNTRY NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 3717, 21 January 1875, Page 3

COUNTRY NOTES.

(From our Exchanges.) We (‘Wakatip Mail’) beard lately, from a private source, that a number of gentlemen had chartered a steamer for the purpose of making a tour round New Zealand. The party was said to consist of about 300 ladies and gentlemen. and one of their first visits was to be to Lake Wakatip via the Bluff. Sergeant O’Keeffe has been removed from Waikouaiti to Palmerston, and relieves Sergeant Morkane, who goes to Dunedin, while Constable Grant remains in charge of Waikouaiti. Sergeant O’Keeffe’s removal has been necessitated through Palmerston having superseded Waikouaiti as the district head-quarters for the police. The prospectors who for some weeks past have been sinking for coal on the property of Mr Thomson, Flag Swamp, have had to succumb for the want of funds, after having tested the ground to a depth of 120 ft. During the progress of sinking the indications existing of valuable coal deposits are represented to have been of the most promising description. Near the spot where the prospectors were at work ooal actually crops out at the surface. The crops in the Waikouaiti district are looking remarkably well, and give promise of an abundant harvest. Patches of grain are fast ripening, and within the next fortnight harvesting will become pretty general if the weather continues at all favorable. Where the crops are heavy the recent rains hav* done considerable damage. The hay harvest has been a very successful one.

_ A survey party is at work re-surveying the line of railway between Waikouaiti and Palmerston, with a view of determining by which mute the railway will ultimately pass. Several deviations from the previous survey may be made, amongst which the most important is crossing in a direct line from the Maori Kaik through the lower portion of the town of West Hawksbury. and from thence.skirting the upper part of the lagoon. Some dissatisfaction has been expressed that, no immigrants have ?-s yet been forwarded to the barracks at Palmerston. The buildings have, now been completed for some weeks past, but any material advantage accruing to the settlers from their existence would appear to be as remote as ever. The applications for men have not as yet been numerous, but the importance of locating a batch of immigrants in the Palmerston depot cannot be over estimated. We (‘ Herald’} would ■ therefore impress upon the Government the desirability of utilising the barracks as soon as possible A correspondent informs the ‘ Wakatip Mail’ that a few little scenes between Bench and Bar occurred at Arrowtnwn lately. Mr Finn, who was present in the Warden’s Court during the hearing of several applications, objected to the acting bailiff appearing as agent for absent parties, as he (Mr Finn) was present in Court and not retained on either side. Mr Stratford re- | plied in an angry tone that he would allow ;Mr Barker to act in his Court. It is stated • that the following altercation then took place : ■ —Mr Finn: Perhaps you will give him his commission as a barrister and solicitor; but I shall certainly bring such conduct under the notice of the Minister of Justice, Mr Stratford ; The Minister of Justice has no right to interfere with me when sitting in this Court as Warden. Mr Finn : You don’t recognise the oth section of the Warden’s Court Regulations, which protects the public interest by protecting the profession. We will see about that. Mr Stratford : Very well. The matter then dropped ; but in the Magistrate’s Court, shortly afterwards,_ during the progress pf another suit, the bpilitf was seen to pass a memorandum to plaintiff, who was in the witness box, advising him to ask for costs against the defendant (who did not appear), and that Mr Stratford ' would award them ; whereupon Mr Finn asked the Bench to impound the document, as the bailiff was then acting as a professional adviser, and the Magistrate had neither the right to grant him such a favor nor allow such irregularities to be carried on in his Court. Mr Stratford did so, admitting that the bailiff had acted very improperly.