LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 231, 18 January 1877, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

| A meeting to promote what we consider j to W a very important movement—the fori (nation *>c a. Battling Company—wast held Inst i evening at Roderick M'Kcbzic s Imperial ; .Hotel There were about thirty gentlemen priv C, Mr. lLtibb;s being voted to the ehair- Mr. J. Familton, the leading spirit in the movement. spoke at some length, ami after other gentlemen present had expressed themselves in favorable terms, funds were subscribed. and a I'rovtsional Committee of nine appointed, ti'-'tr forming a »|ttorum. Sixteen names wrc proposed, but on a ballot Wing taken the gentleman were declared duly elected i—Messrs. Steward. CJibbs, Faniilton, M'Corkindale, £. 0. lane, W. Bee, A. Headland, Mainland, a. R. Taylor. The Committee meet again ©n Friday evening at the same time and place. We have received a letter taking exception to some remark# in a leading article of onr contemporary, bat mast respectfully decline to insert it. The paper making a statement to> which exception, is taken is the proper medium for a contradiction, and we are quite sure on this occasion insertion will foe freely given. A nice lit tle triangular duel has been going on in Wellington amongst the editors of the three papers, and such plain things—to put » roiild construction on it—have been said all round, without the Devil's Brigade being invoked, that people began to imagine that the capital was free from those gentry. We learn by telegram, however, that the last hair had come and broken the camel's back, Mr. Anderson, of the Post has commenced an action for libel against the proprietors of the Argus for certain alleged injurious remarks upon bis character, which appeared in that paper. Of course we are ignorant of what demanded legal protection, but after what has been, borne it must haye been something terrific.

Oamaru bids fair to lose its long-sustained good name in the matter of weather, as for the past fortnight, with very few exceptions, Jupiter Fluvius has " rained" supreme. It is very hard to please everybody, and there are some people we know who not long since were growling at the expense of water, are now soundly rating the Clerk of the Weather. However, "Too much of one thing is good for nothing," and it is too bad to have a miniature lake outside one's door. A Hibernian friend in whose company we happened to be not a hundred years ago, and who prided himself on his silvery tones, would insist on giving a specimen, the following l>eing the refrain: —"Your sowl to Brady's, I'll rise your wages from 30s. to £1 10s." We could not see the boon conferred, and so attributed our friend's confused arithmetic to his nationality. We, however, imagine that there is an advantage beyond our ken, for we read in an English paper devoted to the fair sex the following advertisement :— '* A lady wishes to dispose of a perfectly fashionable Tussore lawn polonnaise at a sacrifice ; cost £1 10s. ; will take :50s.'' It may be right, but in our opinion it is an excellent example of a woman's mode of making a sacrifice. The North Otago Benevolent Society held a special and general meeting at Mr. Church's office, the President (Mr. Steward) occupied chair, and there v/ere also present: Messrs. N. Fleming, G. S. Allen (Treasurer), Dawson, Falconer, and Greenfield. Letters were received from Mr. J. Booth, enclosing subscriptions received to the amount of £-1 35., and from the P. av. Mr. Gilford, appo'rglsiiig for his absence. Messrs. Falc >r.'jr an I ( Jrcv.i!L!.: were appointed the Veiling C"isiTt,itto f >:• she month, and a naniiicr of" <•;. vs i t ct: Uv.-j:; having been ro- ! ported, ! ome were ordered to bo relieved, and the Committer to vkit the others. A cuTtr" v.'h:> co;r*c-\;es hi; eye- ■ ig't-" i.~ i.c: a •%! i . v. a ■ ihirly !'- • a:'.e ! n:■ ?o throw a I:g\t upon | a ih.rh su''t'.o it a a grievance—«»<!, we con.e-s, a very iv.;..,on.;'j!c one ; it is, he lives at the far end of the tov.n, and lie complains the streets have been left in total darkness for the past six weeks. It will be admitted that, even with the liicker of widely-apart lamps, locomotion was a matter of much difficulty in the frightful weather we have had of late, but with neither moon nor lamp, we think he and others have cause for complaint. The matter is a dark mys" tsry to us. Will "the powers that be" please enlighten the streets—or the public. | It cannot be denied that Oaniani has just p saed through a trying time to a good many, and yet a person returning now who had been here six months ago would not imagine such to have been tiic case. Eveiywhere new buildings are being erected in a style of architecture not to be seen in another town in the Colony. In fact, the fronting to many of the stores are excelled by very few banks elsewhere, and we think we cannot be ; accused of egotism, when we say that it | takes precedence of Dnneilin, as it certainly | does of Wellington, or, as it is more generally called, Timber Town. The only criminal business at the Court this morning was a charge made against some hotelkeepers in Thames-street of not having their lamps alight over their doors. We were under the impression that Oamaru might try conclusions with all comers for its orderly behaviour, but we see by ail American escha»»gc that there is a large and populous town—Stockton by name—in the State of CVtlif-inua. in which the presiding deity had live weeks' holiday. There was not a single civil ease or criminal charge during that time, We don't happen to know the of {his model township, lmfc we should imagine it would be at a respectable distance from San Francisco, where the Iloodleumsin all their glory reign supreme. A man, seventy-seven years of age, made his appearance in Philadelphia, wearing a hat which he put on his head thirty-one years ago, vowing that he would never remove it until Henry Clay was elected President. As the gifted Clay has slept in his namesake for many years, and it is not probable the wish of the old party will be gratified, we wonder will he join his favorite with covered head. We imagine curiosity to discover whether he were bald should have tempted him to break his promise. Unless as a relic, it would not be likely to fetch much at auction after it parts company with its present owner. What a perfect god-send for the bonifaces of the sister colony of Victoria is the New Licensing Act, one of the clauses of which sets down that on no account whatever, or whatever may be the urgency, another license will not be granted for three years. Even should a new rush break out, and a settlement of 400 or SUO persons spring up, the provisions will be rigidly enforced. That is putting on the screw with a vengeance.