Local News and Notes.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 13, 13 June 1863, Page 4

Local News and Notes.

Mr. Vincent Pyke, Goldfields Commissioner, arrived last night per the Victoria. We understand that he is on a tour throughout the Lake diggings for the purpose of reporting to the Government the relative advantages of Queenstown and Frankton, and also on the questions of roads and efficient police protection for the miners.

The Union Bank of Australia is fast approaching completion, and promises to present an appearance second to none of its competitors in the township. We understand it is the intention of the manager to open for the transaction of business to-day (Saturday).

We beg to call the attention of those of our readers who belong to the " mystic craft," that an adjourned meeting of Freemasons will be ludd on Monday evening at Bracken's Hotel.

I/The new Post Office in Ballarat-street is now completed, and was opened for the first time for the transaction of business yesterday, This establishment is a great benefit to all in the township who are compelled to visit!he post office with anything like frequency. The former arrangements were wholly inadequate to meet the requirements of the community, and necessitated much vexatious delay to the applicant, and unnecessary labor to the unfortunate official, whom we could profoundly pity at his task of searching over masses of letters and papers huddled together in a box, amid the reiterated calls of those peering in at the little slit in the wall. We must not forget to notice the kindness and urbanity of Mr. M'Kean, the postmaster: or Mr. MBeath, at whose store the office was formerly held, vho have invariably showed their willingness to obviate as far as laid in their power, the disadvantages under which the public labored in regard to the defective postal arrangements. We notice by an advertisement, that a movement is being initiated to establish an Amateur Dramatic Club in this township. We will willingly accord our support to this movement, having a recollection of the benefits conferred on local charities by societies of a similar nature in Victoria and Dunedin. As a general rule, "new brooms sweep clean," and the charm that their novelty gives them makes up for their very defective utility. It is often the ease, however, that the possessors find that th« new broom is comparatively worthless after all, and the despised old one is looked back to with something very like regret. If we do not mistake the feeling of the residents of the Lake Goldfields, the prevalent opinion seems to be that with our change of Government we are really no better off than we were before; and what we imagined a good claim, that was to be productive of incalculable benefit, turns out a mere " shicer." and the milhmial administration of John Hyde Harris is not a whit superior than that of Major Richardson. Another instance of the beauty of Old Identity rule has been shown to the admiring eyes of the inhabitants of Otago, in a proclamation lately published in the " Gazette," prohibiting the importation of cattle from Port Albert, Gipps' Land. What the price of meat will rise to during the winter, it is hard to say ; but for the benefit of those unfortunates whose cla : ms are ruined by the late floods or who have been otherwise unlucky in their digging operations, we should recommend the Government —now by their pandering to the squatting interest, they have raised the value of stock by shutting out all competition—to issue a proclamation forbidding the destruction of those innocent animals known as Maori rabbits.

The earthquake which paid us a visit 011 the sth inst., did not forget the foot of the Lake in its travels. A correspondent from Kingston says: It seemed to me more resembling convulsive shivering*, lasting fully 30 seconds, subsiding in a succession of long earth waves, whose line of direction seemed to be north and south. It was ushered in by a long, rolling, rumbling sound, such as might be heard at the one end of a long railwav tunnel, when the train was at the other. From the nature of the buildings the injury done was trifling. At the Police Barracks, I am told they were rather anxious about the fate of their uew stone-built chimneys, wluch

performed some rather eccentric movements, causing the amazed officer in charge to imagine that he or they had a " drop too much," but his fears on that score were set at rest on hearing everybody mention the "earthquake " We find by the Daily Times of the 9th inst., that the Grand Jury found a true biil on the Bth inst., against Job Johnston, for the murder of John Eldon, at Miller's Flat; and that the trial was fixed for the 11th. There are fourteen witnesses for the prosecution, and seven or eight for the defence; and it is believed that the case will occupy the Court for nearly two days. Charles Cullinan was found guilty of obtaining £SO from Henry Radford, at Queenstown, by the false pretence that he had, and would sell, a fifth share in a river claim on the Shoto.ver, together with tools and provisions. Sentence was deferred. John Forrest and James Reid were indicted for stealing a bag of sugar at Queenstown. Reid was acquitted, and Forrest found guilty. As he had been in custody since the 2nd February, he was sentenced to three months' hard labor only It was explained by the Crown Prosecutor that the depositions wer<s not received in town until after the Grand Jury at the last session had been discharged, so that it was impossible to bring the case to trial at an earlier period A peculiar instance of economy, anent the battle of the bakers, has been, as will be seen by an advertisement in another column, most grossly attempted to be burked. A firm who considered that the best way of gaining business was by seeking publicity, and therefore thought a pound or two would not be thrown away in printing, lately invested in a few extra-sized posters. Their opponents in business, in addition to underselling, thought it an opportunity not to be lost to make a good appearance " on the cheap," and therefore cut out a portion of their placards, and exhibited them on their own premises. The rightful owners are naturally indignant at this, and have offered a reward of £SO for such information as will lead to the conviction of the guilty parties.