DUNEDIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1224, 1 July 1872, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

(from our own correspondent.) June 22. By way of trying to put a stopper on "The March of Infidelity," as the late outburst of Spiritualism, Rationalism, and Atheism, has been termed, and of which we have heard so much during the past month or two, a series of Evangelical meetings has been held in the various churches in town during the past week. As a rule the meetings have been very well attended. Among the ministers who have addressed themselves to this work may be mentioued the Rev. DriStuart, Dr Copland, Messrs Roseby,Reid, Gow, and Williams ; and Knox, St Andrew's, and Hanover street Churches, have been the scenes of operation. It is, of course, hard to say what good may be done by these services ; but that their effect is not lost on ihe other side may be seen from some ridiculous advertisements which have appeared in the papers of late. Such as that ten ton of brimstone is wanted, apply so and so ; or that a special fastMay is wanted to be held by the advanced free-thinkers, &c. This last was to have been held on a Thursday, but I did not observe any places of business closed* as wished for by the advertisement. However, in the evening a meeting of persons desirous of investigating what is generally known as Spiritualism, was held in one of the rooms of the Athenaeum, and was attended by about fifty, most of«them being thoae who have taken a leading part in these discussions hitherto. The result of the meeting was the formation of a new society, and a constitution was adopted, office-bearers appointed," &c. A few ladies are among the members. The coming Mayoral and municipal elections are boginning to make a little stir. Some requisitions are being quietly handed about in favour of various parties, but so far as is known our present Mayor,

Fish, will very likely be returned again. . In opposition to him Mr Mercer and Mr Thoneman are mentioned, but if they go to a poll I think they will have but small show. Whatever Mr Fish's faults may be, there can be no doubt that he makes a very good mayor. He has worked hard and perse veringly during his term of office, and he is always accessible to the ratepayers, /which is of itself a preat matter. In the other municipalities, contests are likely to come off,^nore or less fierce. It is rather early to speculate on ; the Ward elections, but for one or two in Dunedin there will be some warm work. ' There are some questions cropping up here that will require pretty able men to - deal with them, and it' behoves the ratepayers to be careful whoihey elect. Our Corporation has been pretty extravagant in some things .; they will have to practise economy in future. " . . An extraordinary meeting of the shareholders of the Water Works Company was held in Murray's Hall yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of considering a report from the directors on the desirability or not of accepting an offer made by the Corporation to purchase the works from the Company at a premium of L 5 per share on the actual ; capital of the company. A proposition, affirming that it was desirable to sell at that price, was moved, but a counter one, in the negative, was also moved, and considerable discussion . ensued. Some rather strong speeches were made on both sides, thoae against the sale expatiating on the prospective profits the company were sure to make through the increase of rates taking place by, the gradual improvement and increase in the property in the town. Eventually, the motion to sell was carried by a fair majority, the numbers being 465 to 305. Certain conditions or reservations, however, have to be observed before this can be carried into effect ; and it is still within the power of any individual shareholder to upset the arrangement, so perhaps an appeal to the Legislature, by way of a private Bill, will have to be made in order to definitely fix the terras of sale. Some other matters we:^|ikcussed by the meeting. . Tho weather during the early part of the week was even more 'severe than the preceding week. Sunday, Monday, and~ Tuesday were very cold; the frost never gave way all the titnev On Wednesday morning there came a change of wind to the N.E., and a few slight showers of rain which frose as it fell, : making the streets very dangerous to walk on at places where .there was water running down. But the strength of the frost was gone, for it gradually thawed during Thursday, and yesterday was a wet day, dull and close. The snow has mostly disappeared from the streets, but on the hills and high ground around there is still a considerable thickness. Up-country the storm has beea very severe, the snow-fall amounting to over a foot in depth, and the cold very intense. Indeed, at Mount Benger, the thermometer was reported to have fallen to 14 below zero, 46deg below freezing point. The Waipori River was frozen over, so that horses could walk on the ice. Travelling has been rendered almost impossible in some districts, but now that the weather is milder, the roads will soon recover. This is the sharpest storm and the coldest weather experienced at this early part of the winter, which has been recorded for the past 12 or 15 years. This morning is fine and bright, without a cloud on the sky, and the streets are perceptibly drier.