DUNEDIN.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 67, 9 June 1877, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

Monday. Mr Blair, the district engineer, lias been instructed to mate areconnaisance of a survey for a railway to the interior, 'and report on the relative merits of the various routes. The Caledonian .Society's classes. are closed to new pupils. The attendance now amounts to 400. The ' preliminary examination at the Otago University for medical students commenced on Saturday. Only one , 'candidate was-present. - i A stable containing five horse's, m' 1 Maclaggan-street, the property of Fitz- i gerald, was destroyed by fire last night. The building was insured m the New Zealand office for£ 100; estimated loss, £300. Wednesday. A public meeting was hcld'ih iHe Temperance-hall last night, to consider

.the Local Option Bill. - About 800 were 'present. The mayor presided, and the following resolutions were carried:— "That m the opinion of this meeting the principle embodied m the bill is ! equitable; practicable, and -'.. likely to ■•afford, the public relief from the many I evils resulting from the consumption of intoxicating liquors. '%— " That m the opinion of this meeting no system of licensing laws has yet been for "the prevention of those evils to prevent which they were enacted, and." therefore a change was necessary both m princrple and by laws dealing with the liquor trade i-r-" That m the opinion of this meeting r.a^veryjlarge proportion of the .vice," crime,. diseiiseV poverty, and other, social 'e^ilstvvhich exist m this colony are the "direct result of the traffic m, and use. of, alcoholic bevetages." A petition to- th<s Assembly was also submitted and approved of. Mr McLaren interrupted, and 5 a free fight ensued, which ended m his being thrown down stairs and out into -tta street. . Yesterday afternoon, the Presbytery met m committeeto receive suggestions as to the. subjecttof anew chair, to bo endowed by the Synod. It was agreed m committee to lay before the Presbytery the following subjects .-—English language, literature and constitutional history ; secondi moral philosophy and . political economy ; third, constitutional history and political economy.