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Evening Star, Issue 4226, 12 September 1876, Page 2

The arbitration case of Howell, Loughnan, and Co., against the Provincial Government, in which 1,12,000 compensation was claimed iov the cancellation of 14,500 acres on run .140 and 245, has resulted in the ruuholders being awarded L 5,500.

“ The Little Detective ” was repeated at the Princess’s Theatre last evening, and the performances of Nell and Mr Giddens were apparently much admired. There will be a change of programme for to-morrow, when “ The Fire Waif ” will be played. An inquest was held at the hospital at noon to-day, on the body of the man Learnon, a weaver, whose death by suicide we reported yesterday. The evidence was merely a corroboration of the facts as detailed, and a verdict in accordance therewith was returned.

Our Outram correspondent informs us that a great deal of sickness is prevalent in the lower Waipori district, Mr Kinloch having lost two children from diphtheria within a few days of each other, and having two others ill. There are several other cases of diphtheria in the district.

The pigeon race from Tokomairiro, in connection with the Dunedin Poultry Association, took place on Saturday last. There were only two competitors, and it was won hy Mr Jackson’s “Black Dragon.” The time was sixty-one minutes, but there were heavy gusts of wind during the day, which of course affected the birds’ speed.

The Hound Hill tunnel was finished on last Saturday, all the liningwork having been completed. The ‘ Bruce Herald ’ states that a number of men will be engaged for a con* siderable time, however, clearing away the slip that occurred lately, close to the Lawrence end of the tunnel.

At a meeting last night of the residents at Ravensbourne, which was attended by thirty-five heads of families and presided over by Mr Bolt, a deputation was appointed to wait upon the Education Board and urge the necessity of establishing a school there. It was stated there were 200 educatable children in the district.

Yesterday afternoon, shortly after the workmen employed at Bauchep’s saw-mill, Port Chalmers, had left for their dinners, Mr Bauchop had a very narrow escape from seiious injury. He was on the point of descending from his upper workshop, when a truck filled with muilock came over the embankment of the No. 1 section of the Dunedin Moeraki railway, just behind the saw-raill, and struck with great force against the ladder leading to the workshop. Mr Bauchop had barely time to step back to avoid the truck.

A telegram in the ‘ N. 0. Times ’ says the Bill Lj be introduced by Sir George Grey to make the abolition of the Provinces optional, will repeal sections 25, 26, 27, and 28 of the .< Abolition Act, enable the Superintendents Ito dissolve the_ Provincial Councils, and bring the Abolition Act into force on a day named by the Provincial Council, and limits the power of the Legislative Assembly to nineteen sections of the Constitution Act; each Province to be charged in proportion with a share of the Colonial debt. It is not to be brought forward until Mr Macandrew’s resolutions are disposed of. During the hearing of an affiliation case at Christchurch the complainant took a curious way of pleading her case. A payment under seal of LlO by the defendant was ruled by the Magistrate to be an estoppel, whereupon the complainant became very violent, and laid the infant which she had been holding in her anas on the floor of the Court, saying the father could take it and the other two outside, as she would not. She then left the Court-, and as she continued to be very violent, and refused to take the child, his Worship ordered her to be locked up for twenty-lour hours. Next day she was mildness itself, and took possession of the child without a murmur.

Reporting on the progress of the Kakanui harbor works, the *: > orth Ota?o Times ’ says the inner works are now in a very forward state, some 450 ft of the north wall and 240 ft of the south wall being completed, the wall on the south side being in effect a fine broad wharf. Still further progress would have been made, but that there has been some diffieuHy in obtaining the supply of timber of the requisite gsize and description. Altogether the progress made has been very satisfactory, and the work promises to be accomplished in leas than the contract time, which expires about nine months hence, operations having been commenced by Messrs ' llan and Stumbles about three months ago: indeed, the Board are confident that the works may be completed in three or four months.

Advices from the Shotover give a rather gloomy picture of mining prospects during the past winter, which we (‘Arrow Observer') are informed has been fearfully hard up, snow up to the knee, and fros't of Siberian intensity. Many men have been idle for three months, and have only just made a start. Even some of the river miners could not work, as they could not break the frozen ground on the beaches. There has not actually been a single ounce of gold got out of the river by any of the pat ties at work in her from the Blind Stab up, with one exception, a man who has bem merely making wages in some old ground, opposite the .Nugget reef. Above the Sandhills the Chinese have been getting a little gold all the winter. The dredge party have not not done much ; in fact the European miners working the alluvial ground cannot have got more than two pounds weight of gold during the last three months altogether, while for anything in the shape of a job of work applicants are plentiful.

The monthly meetin: of the Lodge of Dimed in will be held in the Masonic Hall this evening, at eight o’clock.

The political meeting announced to be held in the Mornington District Hall this evening is postponed to Tuesday, September 19.

The adjourned monthly meeting of the William Johnston, L.0.L., will be held at the Oriental Hotel to-morrow evening at 7.30.