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Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 90, 9 March 1864, Page 4

The matter of the correct and careful registration of births, deaths, and marriages, is one of Buch great importance to the social condition and welfare of every community throughout the civilized world, say nothing of the advantages in a scientific or statistical point of view, that we should be guilty ot a dereliction of duty, did we not as public journalists raise our voice in the general feeling of distrust and indignation at the removal of the office, and appointment of the Wakatip district registrar, to the township of the Arrow For our own part, we must confess there is something incomprehensible in the circumstance, and can arrive at no other conclusion than that it must be owing to extreme ignorance of the relative commercial importance and geographical position cf the v\ akatip district, on the p\rt of the gentleman at the head of the registration department of the General Government. The appointment being in the hands of the Registrar-General, we take it for granted

that for the credit of his department he would not have made such an egregious mistake in transposing this office to the Arrow, and entirely ignore the large population of the central township of Queenstown, unless he had been advised through official routine that such a course would be advantageous. Personal feeling has occasionally been known to warp the judgment of men high in office, thereby producing the most serious results to the great bulk of a population; nevertheless we would prefer, in this case, discarding that idea, and more charitably attribute it to simply—a blunder. Howevtr, enquiry wi 1 prove. \Ve have nothing to say against the personal qualifications of the gentleman appointed, far from it, hut we respectfully submit that if the post be filled as a sine qua non by a clerk of petty sessions, that the Queenstown clerk is equally eligible lor such post as the clerk at the Arrow, besides, being a senior in the service. Personally we protest against such appointments being held by clerks of petty sessions, basing our objections on a knowledge of some ten years date, of the working of the Registration Act in Victoria. A reference to the books of any registrar will at once show the signatures of the informants, in the majority of cases, to be that of the mother, and we say who so fit, for few men can tell, without considerable thought; and perhaps reference, the respective ages of himself and wife, date of marriage, names and ages of his issue in the order of their birth, and other information that many deem ridiculous, but which will be of immeasurable importance in the next generation ; we say again who so fit as the mother, and able to give the most satisfactory and reliable information without a moment's thought? Proceeding on this data we unhesitatingly maintain that a police court is not a place to compel a modest woman to attend for the purpose of registering the birth of her offspring, with the chance of having to wait amidst a court of idlers till the clerk is disengaged. For the purpose of effectually securing the registration of births and deaths every facility should be given by the Government, consequently we would prefer seeing deputy registrars appointad for every township boasting of a moderate population. There would be little difficulty in making such arrangements, as any respectable chemist or qualified gentleman would willingly undertake the duties at a moderate amount of remuneration. The system works well in Victoria and we do not see why it should not in New Zealand.

The enterprising men who commenced sinking in the Gorge on their own responsibility, and whose exertions have since be'en supplemented by assistance from the Prospecting Association Committee in the form of labor and materials, are now down some 16 or 18 feet. With the aid of a pointed rod, they have ascertained there is some six or seven feet of a dark sand, 12 to 18 inches of gravel (the supposed washing stuff) and then mullock. On the withdrawal of the rod, the water came boiling up like a miniature Artesian well. Still, with the shaft 6ft. by 3ft. slabbed and puddled, there is every hope of overcoming the difficulties, and testing the bottom. It is worthy of mention that the various strata gone through are precisely the same as those found at Arthur's Point, Maori Point, and other places, thus giving reasonable ground for strong faith in the belief of its having beeu formerly the course of the Shotover River. The following is a copy of a letter received by the Queenstown Improvement Committee : Provincial Secretary's Office, Dunedin, 27th February, 1864. Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated the 22nd instant, addressed to his Honor the Superintendent, submitting a resolution passed at a meeting of the Queenstown Improvement Committee, relative to the expediency of municipal powers being extended to Queenstown at as early a date as possible. In reply, I have to inform you for the information of the Committee, that the Provincial solicitor has already received instructions to prepare a bill which the Government will bring before the Provincial Council at its next session in April, granting to Queenstown similar powers to those exercised under the Dunedin Town Board Ordinance, 1855. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Thomas Dick, Provincial Secretay. H. Manders, Esq., Honorary Secretary, Queenstown Improvement Committee. On Saturday evening last a meeting of the leading inhabitants of Queenstown, took place at Bracken's Queen's Arms Hotel, called by advertisement, for the purpose of organizing a Kegatta Meeting, to take place here on the 17th and 18th of this month, in honor of the day devoted to Ireland's tutelur head—St. Patrick—which is on the 17th, the sports will of course be kept the succeeding day, and we have no doubt if judiciously arranged we may expect that Queenstown will not be behind hand in providing amusements and festivities that will vie with other towns where this day, of all days in the year, is duly observed as a holiday. There will be other sports on the tipis besides the regitta, and therefore we may expect a good bill of fare. A managing commit of gentlemen was formed, comprising Messrs. Itees, Bracken, M'Beatii, Ryan, Welsh, and others, to c.Try out the programme. A subscription list was opened and headed liberally by several gentlemen present.

On Saturday evening, between 7 and 8 o'clock, the alarm of fire resounded through the town, and on proceeding to the scene it proved to be on the premises of the Clare Castle Hotel, Beachstreet. A portion of the roof, being of calico } was speedily consumed, and but for the prompt assistance rendered by members of the new fire brigade and others, who were quickly on the spot, a serious conflagration would have been the result. How the fire originated is not known. A meeting of the Ancient Order of Foresters takes place to-morrow evening, at Brother Cochrane's Criterion Hotel, when all members are requested to be present, as business of importance is to be considered.