DUNEDIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 632, 5 February 1870, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

(FttOM OUB OWN CORRESPONDENT.) January 22. The Presbyterian Synod concluded the labors of i^s annual session on Tuesday. The Psalmody question is not yet settled, and will likely form a subject of disenssion at the next meeting. Reports on finance and sundry other subjects were read, discussed, and passed. Arrangements for new churches were made, and some. alteration made in charges already existing, caused by the increase and fluctuation in thepopulation. Altogether, from the repcrfrf read and speeches delivered at the Various meetings, this much maybe gathei?p, that the Presbyterian Church? in thiJ /neighborhood is in pretty fair' conditiojf, both temporally and. spiritually. <M one matter, however, the Synod showed considerable bigotry, and that was on » discussion on a- proposed Ordinance to jbJ brought before the next ■ meeting of Pißvincial Council to enforce - the better >'»»ervance of the Sabbath. The -matter «d been considered by a committee", an* their deliverance showed th&t their liberality on the question is still much on; a'par "with the celebrated bill of Sir Andrew Agnew. •At a meeting of their constituency, held at Tokoraairiro^on Monday evening, Mr J. T. Gillies ar^Mr-Clark, Ms.P.C.;^ave an account, oflheir stewa^clship during thp laie 'session of Council^ The-foiriier gentleman entered into along explanation reading' h(s • doings in . rjeg^tcV to the Hundreds Bill, thJB Clutha iriailwa^ind/iaie differences .of opinion which exis^<| "^etwSen'his^ Honor the Superinte,n i (t<£ft and 'h&*resppnsible advisers.' In ; ; regard to ! thU.. latter matter, his explanations were ji^fier yeiy clear 'nor very logical, and although he carried the sympathies\>f the meeting with him, he left the affair, very inycli as it was — a sort of feeling prevailinjf that it would have been betterlif he had left it alone altogether. .-i 1 •' tVe are now without a theatre,in'Dunedin. The Provincial Hotel and all its various surroundings, are being scattered to the four winds by the ruthless lratiimer of/ iihe auctioneer. Already the stock of wines, spirits, groceries, &c, 5 has been a<#d : and next week the fittings of-'-fiie hotel, the bars, billiard rooms, ancCtne theatre, are to follow. It is very doubtful, whether it will ever be opened" as an establishment of the same magnitude'*' again. The dramatic corp3 have'divided i int|tJ v two bodies, and gone nQrth^ in the AKuriri the other, day, one to play a sliout'- season in ChristchurcH and the.ottierin Wellington. „. for the amuse*^yivn.i of we 'public is M. Fleury7 who is giving a '-series of^concerts in the new Masonic Hall. The Flying Squadron passed the Ocean " Beach early, on Monday morning on its way : iioifth. "As soon as it was known to lave put into Lyttelton several of our coasting steamers were laid on to take ex cursionists at low fares, and have since sailed with a few. It is; much to be re r gretted the squadron did not put in hore, as. the draught of water of neitlier.of the vessels is top great to allow them to come to. anchor inside Otago Heads, as they have just done at Port Cooper. The total eclipse, of th 6 moon, on Tuesday morning, was beautifully seen. here. The street lamps were not lighted, as is usual at fulj moon, and when the moon was totally obscured, the appearance of the towa, was. .very singular, the streets ■w^ere nearly deserted, and the. only light was from the feeble lamps over the hotel doors, which are generally kept at the minimum. A paragraph in the Daily 7«n«* about this eclipse contains a stupid • mistake, which could only have been made 1 by one who 'never saw the eclipse, for hie makes.the whole, thing to have been over by half-past two, whereas, the 'moon was not clear of the shadow until four. Very fine weather all week. Harvest prospects improving. . ; January 29. If your correspondent had to complain last week about the paucity of amusement prodded for the public, he has this week to state that there is quite a rush of caterers to fill the vacancy. Thafcter, the inimitable, with his talented assistants, Messrs Small, Daniels, and Salamoltf^has opened the new Masonic HaUy MoVay J place, for a series of popular entertainments, and judging from the crowded houses which he has had-, is. likely to achieve a great success. On tlie opening night, Thursday, hundreds, were turned away from the doors, unable to obtain admission, and the hall was crowded to Buffpeatipn,-^On the same evening, a Isighly Buccesßf ul entertainment was. given for^he benefit of the Library, i&c, of the : Lunatic. Asylum. It consisted of a concert by the Aonateur Christy Minstrels, vocal and instrumental, all the pieqes being well rendered and as well received l^jf art audience which 1 completely- -filled rfte large hall of the asylum,— St. George's 3iall has been taken by the CararidiinH for « series ' of concerte. . r They were to -hare' opened last night, but I am .afraid they^will not hold their own against Thtriiclier, although their cntcrtaitimonl is

parhaps the moat pleasant of the two. — The multifarious properties of the Princess Theatre hay« mostly been dispersed this week by the hammer of the auctioneer, so that it may be long ero the legitimate drama, or any other, will be performed on the old boards. But still' it will say very little for the enterprise of the town if the theatre remains very Ion? closoi!. — The races this year are, after all, to como off on the course at Silverstream, the Forbury course not, being in anything like a tit state to allow of racing.— The children and teachers ofrtho Knox Church Sabbath Schools ihad a very.' enjoyable picnic on Wednearbiyv 'They^met^at tlie church and marched down to Pelichet Jetty, embarked in the Golden Age, and crossed to Vauxhall, where they spent, several hours in amusement, varied by liberal distribution of buns, cakes, tea, milk, &c, returning by the same route in the evening. / ■* . \ '■ '■ Tuesday being the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, was duly observed by numbers of our Scottish residents. There were three public affairs— one under the auspices of the Caledonian Society in Wain's Hotel ; another -..at. Caver-sham, in the CrowU Hotel. ;tai?dta>tliird, at iChalmers, in the Royal Hotel. All vve'ro : 'well attended, and pleasant evenings were 'spent by those who were present. A singular strike is going on just novv. ; among the miners of Mount Ida, in regard to the price of water for sluicing. It appears that water is measured, there by what 13 called the "Hogburn" head, which is s'omew hat less than the regular or Government head ; for this quantity the companies charge the miner. 50s, which they consider far to« much, and urge ja reduction. Meetings have been held, and ;the miners offer 30s a week for every head :of water ; but this the, companies refuse, and so the miners have struck and refuse to take any water at all, and meanwhile work is almost suspended over the district. In other; parta of the gold fields work is progressing fairly, and the damages done by, the late floods are nearly all repaired. • The last escort brought down some 47010z. The coasting steamer Wainui mci; with an ugly accident on tKe upper end of the bank opposite Port Chalmers, at the beginning of the week. She was making a sweep to get alongside one of the ships to tranship some, goods, when she ran aground, and^ despite, every effort made, ' remained hard and fast. The tide was falling and she slewed round, the current then scooped away the sand from under her keel, and she bent and broke, the water rising in her inside rapidly. All her cargo was got up on deck, and other measures taken to save loss. Next clay, her hold was filled with empty casks, and an attempt made to float her off, but without success. Lighters were then lashed alongside, and next tide she lifted, and was towed across to the, Floating Dock, where she is to be repaired, the damage not being so great as appeared. ; At the City Council meeting on Wednesday, the tenders for the construction of the proposed gas works were opened. The amounts were as follows : — J. Millar, F.S.A., L 20,932 14s 8d ; Chambers, L 22,109 ; Walker and Peyman, L 21,495"; A". R-. Smith, Ll9 ) 2 i TS 6s. There is. not a great difference in the range of prices, but; to these, has. to be added the cost of laying' the pipes for distribution through the streets, which will run the total sum cx r pended up to a pretty high, figure ere all is done. Business has been rather dull during the week, and several, failures are rumored, though lip. particulars are given. The weather during the week has been very changeable. Sunday was close and showery, Monday and till midday on Thursday were close, sultry, and uncomfortable, with at times a gusty dusty hot nor'-wester blowing, Thursday evening it began to rain, and yesterday it rained hard all day, with a considerable fall in both barometer arid thermometer, and this morning it is dull and threatening more rain.-