DUNEDIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 773, 31 December 1870, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

(from our own correspondent.) December 17. In the matter of courtesy to a public man, the citizens of Dunediu have this week retreived their character. Mr Vogel' s meeting was no sooner over than ."folks began to see what a, blunder had been made. Instead of allowing that gentleman to explain in detail the policy of his government, a small noisy clique had been allowed to create disorder, and upset entirely the arrangements of the meeting. So a requisition was set agoing asking Mr Yogel to address another jneeting, and in a short time upwards of 800 names were adhibited, This was. presented fa .the Mayor, who accordingly 1 called a meeting at 7.30, in the> Masonic Hall. Considerable interest was aroused, and long before the hour named the room was packed^ and hundreds crowding outside, At first th§re was a great dea} of disorder, which quieted down a little, and Mr Yogel commenced his speech, but had only gone on a short time when the row broke out again, caused by xhe endeavors of those outside to gain entrance. After a little the Mayor, who was in the chair, put it to the Tneeting whether, in accordance with the cries of those in the passages and outside, the meeting should adjourn to the open air. This was carried, antl forthwith there i* was a general rush to the terrace |n front of the Provincial Buildings, at which a crowd of about 1000 people soon gathered. When Mr Yogel appeared, he was received with cheers and counter cheers. The usual toot of obstructionists managed to get a good position pretty well forward, and were active in creating disorder for a time, but the good sense of the meeting soon put a stop to that, and, the speech commenced. Mr Yogel gave a masterly review of the policy of the General Government as manifested in the. Immigraand Public Works measures, and defended the policy from the numerous misrepresentation, which had been put upon it by the local press. He was particularly severe on the Times, and gave it hot to the editor of that paper, comparing him with Sairey Gamp of Dickens, and causing great amusement tp the crowd by his humorous* 'to the iemiuine editor. Ho ente'red. at great length into the railway Question, and showed how much tfetter it was for the General Government to construct them, than the Provinces, as they could do it at a much cheaper rate. At the close of the speech he replied to numerous questions in a manner which was satisfactory to the various querists, A resolution implying satisfaction with his explanations, and thanking him for the speech, was moved and seconded ; and an amendment to the effect that some time should be allowed to fully consider the various statements made before giving a decided opinion, was also moved and seconded. These were put to the meetiug, but there was not light enough to determine which was carried. 1 Mr Yogel then moved a vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding, which was adopted, and the meeting terminated. Orator Grant, however, gathered a few of his friends around him, and he kept yarning to them for some time longer. Mr Donald Reid, M.P.C., for Taieri, the leader of the do-nothing party in the Council, is to address the electors here on Monday night. It is rumored that he is to oppose Mr Macandrew in the coming Superintendal election. The annual examination of the various schools in town have been commenced this week, and the pupils dismissed for a .four pr v five weeks,' holiday. The presentation of prices |o the' High Scnool boyis takes' place this afternoon. All the re-? ports of the schools agree in representing the state of education as decidedly improving. The attendance of pupils is constant, the numbers have considerably increased, and their proficiency warranted by the examiner to be first-class. The teachers $lso have shown themselves thoroughly well up to their work. Great crowds attended at the different schools on the prize days, and all seemed well pleased at what they saw and heard. Mr Diack's school of phonography ia a novelty this year, and is w«ll reported on. The road steamer hid a most ignoble mishap on Tuesday morning. The new racecourse at the Pprbury is now nearly completed, and it was thought a. good idea to get the iron horse to do a little in . the way of consolidating the surface, so it was arranged to get the big iron roller belonging to the Corporation, a large concern about two ton 3in weight (the roller I mean, not the Corporation), and run it round with the steanier; 100 times, The course is a mile in circumference, and it was expected to do the work in about twelve hours. But after getting^o%'t of ttie PorVury road and out on the racecourse, the ground proved far too soft for the heavy machines, and the. steamer un-

( For cMitiniiutim of Jbews see Ath Page.*)

fortunately sunk into a> boggy place so far that she stuck and there remains. A plank way is being made to get her out again. . . The ..Supreme Court }\m beeu sitting this week for the trial of special jury cases,' but there are none of them of very great importance. The weather hast been changeable, with a good deal of rain. The temperature is also low. But line growing weather is the result. . ~