LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 86, 31 July 1876, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A general meeting of No. 1 Company, O.K. V., was held in the Drill Shed on Friday evening, about twenty-four members being present. In the absence of Captain Sumpter, the chair was occupied by Lieutenant M'Kenzie. The balance-sheet for the year ending 30th June, 1876", was submitted, when Privates Headland and M'Corkindale were appointed auditors to examine the accounts, and report to an adjourned meeting to be held on the 4th of August. Corporal Bennett was re-elected Treasurer, and Sergeants King, T. C. Bennett, and Privates Morris, Headland, and M'Corkindale were elected as the Committee for the next twelve months. Several members having been sworn in, and some other routine business transacted, the meeting was adjourned to the 4th of August.

The Secretary of the Harbour Board has forwarded to us two photographic views of the Breakwater, one being taken from the "turn" 011 the upper road, and the other from the hill just above the quarry. Both views are excellent specimens of photography, and reflect great credit on Mr. Lawson, the artist.

Mr. J. F. M'Donogh, the Government Assassin, or Insurance Agent, is now busy in Invereargill taking lives. He writes to the " Times " and asks the Editor to allow him space to address a few words to the people of the town and district. The " few words " made just three columns.

We arc pleased to learn that the rules of the First Permanent Building and Investment Society have been registered, and the society is therefore enabled to commence business. By an advertisement in this issue it may be seen that to-morrow (Tuesday) the second monthly payment of subscriptions is due.

" /Eglcs " tells the following good story : "In the good old days of New Zealand, when the runs in the Ainuri district were first taken up, parties used to be formed to cross the mohntain range towards Nelson for mutual protection in the event of snowstorm. Upon one of those expeditions was Mr. George Guppy returning from his run, which was unfortunately afilicted with scab. Now, Mr. Guppy was very neat in his costume, justly vain of his appearance, and was particularly pleased when jokingly-addressed as Lord George. On his journey, one night, after Mr. G. and his Maori servant had retired to their tent by the camp fire, was overheard this colloquy—Mr. G. : 'What do they call Mr. Robinson ?'—Tangi : ' They call him Ready-money Robinson. 1 And, after some further preliminaries— G. : ' And what do they call me?' Tangi chuckled audibly, but didn't reply. G. (insinuatingly) : ' Come, come, what do they call me ? Speak, my good fellow. Don't they call me Lord George ?' Tangi: ' Lord George be shot; they call you Scabby Guppy !'—And that night the child of the forest exchanged his master's tent for the wide canopy of heaven." " Nimrod " in the " Saturday Advertiser," says : "I am glad to be in a position to state that the publication of the "New Zealand Turf Register " will not be materially delayed by the unfortunate decease of Mr. C. Elliott, as one of that gentleman's sons intends completing the work, which will be put in circulation during next month."

Onr Premier leaves no stone unturned -which may arid to the <Sclat of his position. A few days ago, jjLady Vogel, under his direction, introduced quite a novelty in balls. It took place at the Prime Minister's residence by Lady Vogel's invitation, the programmes of the dances being duly illuminated with Sir Julius' crest and motto. It could hardly be correctly termed a calico ball, But one of the terms of admission for ladies was that they should, in the material of their dresses dispense with silk, satin, and velvet, a restriction which would of course necessitate the exercise of ingenuity on the part of the dressmaker. The affair was a great success, politically or otherwise. The "Smiler," however, was very much missed. Mr. I'ees lately went slightly into the history of Colonial literature, and Sir Julius Vogel's connection therewith. He said :—I will tell thtf -House that there is published in Auckland a paper called the " Southern Cross." Some ; three or four years ago it belonged to Sir Julius Vogel, and it was hawked about for sale at a price of somewhere about £3,000, and no one would buy

it. There were in Auckland, at that time,, two brothers named Weston, who formed a company to purchase it from the Premier, the price being £12,000, of which that honorable gentleman got £4,000 in money, £4,000 in shares, and a mortgage for the remainder. Of the two gentlemen who managed the one got a very good position on the -paper itself, and. the other was made a District Judge. I suppose that is not corruption, and I must not say so. Then there was another little matter. A gentleman who was a member of the House, but is so no longer, a Mr. Luckie, was lucky enough to be made editor of this paper at a handsome salary, and so was. bought body and soul.

With respect to the expedition which has left Sydney to attempt the recovery of the large quantity of gold which went down with the General Grant, off the Auckland Islands, the "Mount Alexander Mail" writes:— "This is not the first attempt made to recover the lost treasure. A Mr. Wallace, of Winter's-flat, Castlemaine, essayed to get the gold. He left Victoria with a party of men on board a ship he fitted up for the purpose. They neared the spot of the wreck, and Mr. Wallace put off with some of his men in a boat to observe the shores of the island, in the hope of finding the precise spot where the gold went down. His ship, and those on it, waited several days for his return, but he never was seen again. The ship with the remnant of his crew returned to Melbourne, and his widow, after some time, obtained letters of administration, the Court considering him dead. The expedition must be a highly perilous one ; and if the enterprising men who have set out to this Eldorado at the bottom of the deep, deep, 3ea, have taken enough dynamite to blast sufficient rock to make a breakwater at the mouth of the fatal cave, no doubt many persons would prefer letting the gold —estimated at half a million pounds sterling—lie undisturbed, rather than be one of this novel prospecting party."

The "North Canterbury Standard," is very severe on a contemporary. He says : "The "Lyttelton Times" has greater pretentions to respectability than perhaps any other journal in the Colony. Of course, we are not enunciating a new fact, nor are we likely to meet with many disbelievers when we state that whatever shadow of honest repute our contemporary ever possessed has long, long ago melted away. We have known the "Times" to decline publishing correspondence on political questions of the moment, although the "writer's name was attached to it in full. Of course, the "Times" differed with the correspondent. Yet, on the other hand, let any rascally anonymous scribbler wish to give vent to his spleen in the columns of that paper, he is at once received with open arms, but, of course, his views must be consonant with those of < the man behind "the bellows.'"