Local News and Notes.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 45, 3 October 1863, Page 4

Local News and Notes.

Our readers will no doubt learn with satisfaction that the sum of £2OOO, Government subsidy to the Frankton Hospital, was passed by the Provincial Council, on the 22nd ultimo. This will raise the total sum at the service of the institution to £3ooo—a result of which the inhabitants of the Wakatip field may be proud. The Resident Magistrate's Court was yester* day adjourned till this day, in consequence of the absence of Mr. S. Hickson. We may en passant inform our readers that Mr. Beetham has arrived in Dunedin, and is expected in Queenstown in about a week ; when Mr. Broad will be appointed permanently to the Arrow, and Mr. Hickson will resume his duties at his old quarters—the Manuherikia.

We have been requested to call attention to the very defective postal communication between this place and the Kawarau township. A letter, when posted, instead of coming here direct by the mail via the Dunstan, is sent en a voyage of discovery to Dunedin, whence after a sufficient rest, it is forwarded to Queenstown, reaching the end of its journey in about three weeks from the time of its committal to the post. Surely it is no wonder that people prefer trusting a packer to deliver their correspondence rather than submit to the loss of time caused by such a circumlocutory mode of transmission. It stems that the " powers that be" have decided on refusing to the miners any further share in the government of the country they live in, preferring a clique of wool and mutton lords or clodhopping agriculturists, who according to Old Identity ideas, constitute the whole wealth of the country. A second effort to reform the present defective and disgraceful system of goldfields representation has been made, and as might have been expected, it shared the fate of its predecessor. On the 23rd ult. Mr. Brodie moved resolutions on this subject, supporting them by an eloquent speech—convincing to all but those who at present are sowing the seeds of discontent and disunion throughout the Province. The first declaring that the Miners' Representation Act of 1862 was defective, and required amendment, was affirmed without division. The second, affirming the principle that, considering the large population settled on the goldfields, they were entitled to an additional number of representatives, was met by an amendment proposed by the Provincial Secretary to the effect that the goldfields should be divided into four districts, each having a representative. Ultimately the original motion, the amendment, and a further amendment, proposed by Mr. E. B. Cargill, were all negatived. The miners have one of two things to do to escape their present thraldom; to petition the General Government to resume the management of the goldfields; or to agitate for annexation to Southland, who at least has shown herself progressive in her tendencies, and willing to foster that industry so contemned and thwarted by Otago.

If change be necessary to produce success in the management of a theatrical campaign, we have reason to expect that the Messrs Fawcett will gather in a good harvest while they remain in Queenstown, if they continue as -they have commenced. No fewer than three variations of performance have taken place during the past week, and on each evening there has been a crowded, and above all a satisfied house. The domestic drama of the " Cricket on the Hearth'* was produced on Thursday, being the first attempt of the company to step beyond the bounds of comedy or farce; and we must admit that they have been as successfnl in that attempt as in those previous, the fine delineation of character so peculiar to every work of Charles Dickens being pourtrayed to the life. Of course there were the usual explosions of laughter at the after piece:— " Laughter! 'tis the poor man's plaster, Covering up each sad disaster. Laughing, he forgets his troubles, Which, though real, seem but bubbles. Laughter! 'tis a seal of nature Stamped upon the human creature. Laughter, whether loud or mute, Tells the human kind from brute. Laughter! 'tis Hope's living voice, Bidding us to make our choice, And to cull from thorny bowers, Leaving thorns and taking flowers." This evening Douglas Jerrold's inimitable drama of " Black-eyed Susan" will be produced, followed by the " Spitalfields Weaver." The poll for the members of the Improvement Committee took place yesterday, when the following gentlemen were declared elected:—Messrs Gordon, M< Gaw, Weaver, Budd, Bracken, Cass, Willis, Gibson, Harris, Carey, Bradshaw, Angus, and Ryan. A meeting of the Committee will take place at Bracken's Hotel on Monday evening, at eight o'clock. The rumor lately current that Mr. Inspector Morton was about to join the volunteer movement, and leave his old haunts for the " rich lands of the Waikato," as the Daily Times has it, turns out to be a canard ; that gentleman having returned to Queenstown, with the intention, we believe, of remaining here. There is reason to believe that another de plorable accident has taken place on the Lakeresulting in all probability, in serious loss of life,' The Pride of Tymore, a well-built boat, trading regularly to the head of the Lake, left Queenstown on Saturday heavily laden, and conveying four passengers besides her crew of two men. She not ariving within a reasonable time, her consignee came down to Queenstown to ascertain the reason, suspecting some accident, when he of course learned that she had started on Saturday. No trace of the boat has since been discovered, and there is every reason to suppose that she went down during the heavy gale of Saturday night. A case of gin, an oar, and half a bag of flour has been picked up near the Twelve-mile, which have been identified as belonging to the missing boat, the fate of which is therefore little doubtful.

It is announced that the Rev. Mr. Palmer (Wesleyan minister) will preach at the Masonic Hall on Sunday evening at seven p.m.