The Evening Mail. SATURDAY, NOV. 4, 1876. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 169, 4 November 1876, Page 2

The Evening Mail.

SATURDAY, NOV. 4, 1876. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

" Wont* are thinx*. »r»rf a ilr»;> nt i«!« fa'tlmr upon .1 th«ttiht nvty pwiuce that whit;h Hwkc* ihonraivU think."

Messrs*. Fleming anil Hcdiey report that th'jjr held, this flay, a sale of the Booths and Gates at the forthcoming Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Association's Show. ICO. 1 booth was knocked down to Mr. William Maitland, of tha Commercial Hotel, for the snra of £6O; booth JCo. 2 fell to Mr. .lohn Richmond, of the Queen'* Hotel, for £53: and Mr. Maitland secured the Ttniperance Booth and Fruit Statl for .£23 and £ls re speettvety. The right of the gates* for the two (day* was. after a spirited competition, purchased t>y Mr. .fsnmng-*, for £163. The total sotii realised was Somewhat leas than last year's atnottnt.

The asttal westing of the Board wad held yesietday at the new olKccs of the body, the fotfowtßg gentlemen being present : Mr. Sninptcr fin the chair), and Messrs. Meek. ttilebrisC, Headland, and Steward. After the uswal routine business ha 1 been transacted, it was resolved, "That the Hoard desire* to express its great satisfaction at the f assing of the Oaniant Harbor Board Act, ls7£. and that the thanks oi the Board be tendered to Messrs. Shrimski and Hklop. M.H.IJ.'s, for their ardttous labors trt the matter ; alio, to the Hon. 11. Campbell, for the valuable assistance rendered by htm in the Legislative Conucil; and that cwpiei ©if this resolution be forwarded to the gentlemen named."

The annual meeting of the Caledonian Society called for last evening was allowed to lapse on aeewnnt of the paucity of members in attendance, it was determine I after watting for folly one hour to postpone the meeting tiiJ nest Tuesday evening at eight, and it waa also arranged that ths Directory shoaM meet faalf-an-hour earlier on the same night to prepare a report for submission to the general meeting. Wc have to acknowledge the receipt of the Prtm Xetet for November. The iditor is to W congratulated upon the high standard of the joarnal, which is alike a credit to the gentleman in charge of its columns, and the profession it represents.

Among the latest papers printed k a re- f port of the Committer appointed t • consider ) the expediency of ns.ng native fuel ou Colonial ruilvraya. Ihc report by , some very interesting evidence and memo- • rsuitia. The Committee'* first coucluai n is [ that native brown coal could be used ou all the railway lines of the Colony by a slight j

alteration to the locomoti.ve3. Such alterations they consider need simply be the placing of the furnace bars closer tog3ther, and the furnishing of each locomotive wi(h a SDarkcatcher, in the event of such not being sufficient the Committee direct attention to the German " Trappenrost," or step-furnace, a description of which is given in an appendix to the report. The Committee further report that the evidence adduced goe3 to show that for ail steam purposes the Grey River coal is superior to the Newcastle, and they therefore recommend that increased facilities for the shipment of the same shoull he afforded at the port of Greymouth. They recommend a bonus of £I,OOO for the first thousand tonf of coal pressed fuel manufactured at a remunerative figure. They recommend an equal bonus for the first thousand barreta petroleum from native wells, hcinu .-(■ sanguine an to believe that nothing would contribute so much to the welfare of the Colony.

Speaking of the now r-'fnn ■, the Guardian says :—*'Affairs in the Provincial Government Buildings do not appear to have suffered material alteration consequent on the dawn of Abolition. Mr. Macan.lrcw occupies his oiiic; as of old, and the various officers go about their diuk-s a* if no transference oi auth-irity had occurred, witli the exception of Mr. Logan, who bad recently obta'n.d a year's! lcav« of absence. 'Hie Hon. G. MVcnn arrived yesterday morning by the Hinemoa, and at two in the af cmorm ca Ld on Mr. Macandrew, with whom he was closeted for some time. We understand lhat overture; were made to the effect that Mr. Macandrew s ioutil continue to atlm nister affairs till the end of the year, on the basis that such an arrangement should be regarded as in no way compromising Mr. Macandrcw's political position, or interferi-g with such future action as lis may be disposed to take. No definite result waf, however, arrived at, and the interview, we understand, was adjourned till to-day. Subsequently Mr. M'Lean interviewed the members of the Provincial Executive, and spent so:nc time with them in the i: •nsider.ition of affairs. In the afternoon Mr. M'Lcin was interviewed by a representative of this journal, and informed him that his object was not to retain or exercise the powers vested in him as a member of the Ministry, but to arrange with those who have been in the habit of administering the affairs of tli3 Province until the County Councils arc elected. It was expected that the County Councils would be elected by the middle of December, and when elected it w.ij intended by the Ministry that they should take over the work of local government. Nothing definite had been arranged, but the disposition of the Provincial Government was that nothing should be done to inconvenience the public business, and he thought tl:at the assistance sought would be j iriveii to aid in giving effect to the new ar- ! rariirotnents under Abolition." i c ! That w.i.i not a bad idea which Mr. Swansea gave expression t-> on the question of [ prison management and discipline, lie said ha would prefer criminals being made to do so much work rather than perform a certain j term of imprisonment, and would say to them : "There is your pile of stones; pick away r.t them till you gei out."