MACRAES.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 160, 29 March 1872, Page 5

MACRAES.

(From a correspondent.)

' Oh Monday evening a public meeting (due notice of which had been previously given) was held in the Australasian Hotel here, for the purpose of taking into consideration the advisability of constructing a tunnel of sludge channel through the rising ground at the back of the township. There was a large' muster of miners and others present. Mr. Donaldson, who was called to the chair, in a few happy remarks stated the object of the meeting'. ;',-' Mr. M'Bryde proposed, and Mr. Hepburn seconded, " lhat this meeting, taking into "consideration the highly auriferous nature of Macrae's Flat,, hereby expresses its opinion of tqe great desirability of constructing ;i tun-

nel or sMge ' cb&iutfl * throfc i • inte" rising ground at t:=e and terminating -in D<&ep : i )el\ y--.. : gSm> considersiihafe the san># may out by a company of hereafterformed for the / ',<. A general and animated followed, respecting the adVantages W# . might expect to ace ue shJu'ld su«h tfaundertaking ' be and : when the matter had been talked over tor fully an hoqtr, the nation was daTried; almost tinauimously.

Mr. White proposed, And Mr. Glriffia seconded, " That application be forthwith made to the Provincial Gfofcerament, asking for the services of tun '£s* perienced surveyor or engineer to survey the proposed ljnepf tunnel and th* works in* connection therewith, preparatory to the iftsue. of a prospectus showing the dbj'ects of the Company." Carried unanimously. Mr. Deeurproposod,'arid Mr. G-rijßßn seconded,, Coiiitoitttee of five be appointed, 0 take suen steps as they may deem proper t° carry out tba views of this meeting." An amendment was inoyed as tp the number of members of Committee, arid some discussion ensued, when it was finally agreed that the Committee should consist of nine, viz.:—Mess rs. M'Bryde, Griffin, Deem, O'Keilly, Donaldson, Campbell,. White, Flynny and Eggers. The meeting then dissolved, leaving the Committee to call the next.

An amusing case of sharp practice occurred lately at the Resident Magistrate's Court at Wellington. A man named Campbell, well known in town, who has purchased some book debts, was sueing a debtor under them. He had been previously sued himself, and judgment obtained, but when aske4 to pay he said, "Oh! yes,, some time." When the case, in he was plaintiff, w§s <sf>inpleted,: he asked if he might leaviiua books in Court for a short time, and permisslou heing gives, he did so ffis .applied for .'"a warrant Jon. his 'property and seized the books;- without which Campbel 1 could not gather % his debts, and•? kept them till the amoiflit -M ?hisclaim was paid. The Victorian drought still continue*, Weekly Times thus unburdens himself upon the Subject: -•->" My - soul\te weary for water. For five long days I have seen none.-' '-'- I 'had seen tender infanta washed in beer, and a gin bath has been all that r eduld get for myself. "It is like water to look at, but it is not nic* to bathe in. In the days of unregerieracy.l.; jaco.rned. the limpid fluid of the brook • now I long for it. Let me but have> draught of Yan Yean and j will eschew O-uiness's stout for a year—l will indeed: and if this sort of thing it to go on, I shall be compelled to sham dead in file streets, in the hope that the char-itably-disposed may pour water over.me. I will not write on a'card as did the-va-grant of subject to fits; give me brandy ;' hut I will writer an* dying;; give me Yau& It is water I want, not alcohol. . I cannot /Jfresr to look around me--the streets are desert*, my Jrath is empty, and the demoii drought is dancing on my water fprsaklen body. And all the while I pay. tny water rate in advance. Stat a time will cbme> and though there-be no water, there, will be blood. r \*>'