LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 223, 9 January 1877, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

♦ We must confess t« feeling considerably "mixed" about the proceedings at the School meeting last night. Why the election of new members for the School Committee should take about live hours we know not, and in point of fact the election proper did not take one-tenth part of that time, the remaining fonr hours and a half being spent in discussing the report of the retiring Committee. It was, however, soon after the beginning of the debate pointed out by Mr. Steward that the report could in no wise be altered : that as it stood so it nmst remain, and yet all this time was wasted in suggesting alteration* which should be made in it. Neither could any motion that was carried be in the least binding on the incoming Coin" mtttce : therefore we suppose that the main object of the meeting was not, as had been stated, the election of meaiber.*. bnt to arrive at an expression of popular opinion. ft' so. the objjet was most undoubtedly gained, and t!u> expression as ni-»isy and contradictory as such thing* generally are. live MX) yards foot raja which was to have taken place last evetnirg between Uivr.S'dl a id Pafeer did not e -iv.v? otV. the tetter furiVtt'ng hb de{.oat. Wj (>':■.•■'.■■/.t'i ': -'i v> :*;at trrj is tir> ~.j:v\ :..!■. bi-\ ti-. dir ..-::>- -■■* -h- ' iils. ■,[ .aUti'J tiuv A;*t" djrc.ru M.II. FC.a fivm anyth'ng in the shape of minuter turn. Of coupe th. v re arc "picking.*." Certain SI. 11. B.'s are skilful y!tfaners. The Harbor Hoard will hold their usual fortnightly meeting on Friday nest at 2 p.m. We are indebted to Mr. A. Ileskcth, the immigration c-ftieer. for the following classi* fcatton of iramigraotj which arrived per p.s. damson :-—1 family. 3 children, farm laborer: I ditto, 2 children, ditto ; 3 ditto, 1 child each, ditto; t married couple, ditto; 10 single men, ditto. The immigrants remaining in the Depot are equal to 27 f> adults. Chonkiche, the Chinese giant, will appear at Burton's old portrait gallery, Thamesstreet, this and to-morrow evenings, when we hope many will go and see what may truly be called his Aij/A-ncss. The first case under the Public Health Act. IS75* (says the Dunedin Time*), was heard on .Saturday morning at the City Felice Court. A Mrs. Batty, of the Halfway Bush, pleaded guilty to a charge of refusing to allow the execution of a lawful warrant authorising the removal of her daughter (who is suffering from an infectious disease) to the Fever Hospital. The case, which is of a very painful character, was dismissed for the purpose of allowing the defendant to consider the advisability of peacefully sending her daughter to the Hospital. We are informed that both of her children are suffering from scarlet fever.

A certain paj>er called the Stitiufard, and ptthltshed at a place called Rangiora, which the editor, with a laudable desire for improving the geographical knowledge of the rising generation, informs us is in North Canterbury, takes occasion to make fun of oar little Christmas article, and (editorially) pities the people of Oamarn for the lachrymose effect- which must have been produced by oar wishing onr readers the compliments of the seaion. As ho is probably as ignorant of the whereabouts of Oainara as we are of the locality of Rangiora, he may think that the inhabitants thereof are given to shedding tears. With all his more than superhuman •wisdom, with all that power of satire which appears to wither ns np more and more as we gat nearer the end, the gentleman has not as yet been able to extract one tear from as, and we are perfectly certain that had weeping been possible we should now leqtrirc six new handkerchiefs. We arc glad to state, therefore, that as far as Oamarn is concerned, no weeping wa» gone through. The sTUToanding country may have suffered,

though, but then, as it wants rain as\Welh\ In any case, if we have failechin producing the required moisture, our friend the Standard might have a try with a piece of sarcasm such as he only could produce, and we will then prophesy a flood.