DUNEDIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 455, 12 December 1868, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

(from our own., correspondent. ) December 5. The Criminal Sitting of the Supreme Court terminated on Thursday. A number of the prisoners pleaded guilty, and so saved a good deal of time; The trial of the notorious Garrett was expected to occupy at least a day, but to everyone's surprise he pleaded guilty to both charges of burglary. When brought up for sentence he had nothing to say, and looked as demure as if he had never handled such a thing as a false key ; but his behavior had no effect on the Judge, who addressed him in very appropriate terms, and sentenced him to two periods of ten years each for the oftences. This makes the entire time he has to serve 21 years six months, so that the public may have no fear of Garrett's proclivities for the rest of hi 3 natural life, he being now 55. The Court sits again on Monday for the trial of civil causes. At the meeting of the Education Board on Tuesday, the vacant Rectorship of the High School was filled up. There were no fewer than 32 candidates, the Rev MiMartin, of Tuapeka, and Mr J. G. S. Grant, of Dunedin, being among the number. The successful candidate is Mr Stuart Hawthorne, M.A. of Sydney University, .who has been for five years Head Master of the Ipswich Grammar School, Queensland. Mr Grant, perhaps feeling riled at his disappointment, held one of his usual meetings on the Octagon the other day, and drew together about a hundred or so. The main subject of discussion was " the diseased state of the Colony," &c., and Mr Grant, being chairman and speaker, of course all his motions were carried unanimously. He spoke very tall on the Provincial Council and it 3 miidoiigs, threatening all sorts of terrible things if a new one was not elected. His abuse was scattered thickly and widely on all who think differently from him. A sermon was preached to the Masonic body by the Rev R. L. Stanford, of Tokomairiro, on St. Andrew's Day, in St. Paul's Church. The bretlron walked in procession from and to the church, which was crowded. A liberal collection was made for the Benevolence Fund. The s.s. Keera made a very successful trial trip on Saturday last. She proceeded clown the harbor and went about two miles off the Heads. Her engines worked well, and she is in every respect as good as a new boat. She has been tiace placed in the Lyttelton trade. Tho weather during the week has been very severe, hard gales from S.W. with frequent squalls of rain and hail, and a very l)w thermometer ; indeed, one morning the neighboring hilltops were white. There has been no frost ori the low ground, however, but the gales have done a little damage here and there among the bushes. A quantity of the spare arms here, rifles and carbines, have been sent to the North.

A train of ten cars of the Atlantic and Great Western railroad was destroyed by fire near Urbana, on the 29th September. The fire was caused by an explosion of the forward car, which is supposed to have contained nitro-glycerine. The engine and train were completely demolished. The engineer was seriously injured and the fireman slightly hurt. The cars were loaded with flour and pork. A house a quarter of a mile from the wreck was demolished by the concussion.