Lake Wakatip Mail. Queenstown, Wednesday, March 15, 1865.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 196, 15 March 1865, Page 2

Lake Wakatip Mail. Queenstown, Wednesday, March 15, 1865.

We withhold our usual leading article to make room for particulars of the West Coast rush and matter of local importance.

We again call attention to the importance of people registering their votes Miners and others visiting this town or the Arrow during the Races would do well to register their names. Forms are obtainable of Messfs Louttit, Prosser or Manders. This is the last month for the year to come.

The Criterion party, at Sutherlands, have again been very successful. They washed eighty ounces last week.

The large race company, Skipper's, are doing as well as ever, and getting splendid yields. Two immense logs of wood about 24 feet long and one foot sqnare, intended as shafts for a wheel for the New Channel Company, left Queenstown yesterday from Messrs Robertson and Co's. yard, Beach-street. They were each drawn by horses on a low two-wheeled carriage, which will causo considerable difficulty. These immense pieces of timber, taken out from Queens* town at a time when the rush to the Grey is at its head, should convince—if anything did—that the croakers were unjustified in their assertions of the unstability of this goldfield. Whilst the gigantic race companies exist, and the river companies persevere so steadily, we see little to despair of. The precious metal is in this district in abundance, but the era is yet in its infancy when mining shall be carried on by cooperative companies under a proper system, and on a safe basis.

Of all the up-country districts, Queenstown was among the foremost to move in the matter of Education, and has established a first-class school which Mr Hislop has pronounced second to none ; and yet our Oamaru contemporary says of us; —" It appears somewhat late for the important district of Queenstown to be taking up the subject of education. A meeting was called on the 7th instant, to consider the propriety of that locality being formed into an educational district."

His Excellency the Governor his paid a visit to Wanganui to see General Cameron, and also to Wellington; but it is not known in which direction he will proceed; whether back to Auck a land or to any of the Southern Provinces. The Governor has adopted all means to prevent a fuss being made about him. At the Dunstan the infatuation for the West Coast diggings—for by no other name can it be called—seems to be equally strong as that in our own district. Onr contemporary mentions that numerous instances daily occur of men selling claims, in which they can earn from £7 to £lO per week, for a merely nominal sum, so eager are they to partake of the excitement and change attendant upon the rush to Okitiki.

The 'Southland Times' states that a violent assault, which has since terminated fatally, was committed at the Mataura diggings, by a man named Whitehead, and is stated to be the result of a quarrel between Whitehead and David Stewart, the deceased. The man Whitehead, was charged at the Police Court, on the 6th inst. with "killing and slaying" the said David Stewart; and after being briefly examined was, at the request of Mr Weldon, remanded for eight days. The following letter has been handed us for publication: — Hawksbury, 6th March, 1865. Sir, —I was already on horseback, aud on my way into Dunedin, when your letter of 20th ult. reached me, and I had only tinre then to enclose to you the roll of electors for the current year. , 1. The roll was revised up to the 30th September. 2. A change in the qualification requires to be notified; if no change, the vote remains from tot year. , 3. A freehold in possession entitles a man to applv to be put on the roll. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant, J. W. Murdoch, Registration Officer, Hampden Electoral District. H. Manders, Esq., Queeenstown.