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Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 390, 28 July 1877, Page 2

The Hon. H. J. Miller, who left Oamaru about eighteen months ago for the purpose of visiting Great Brita n, returned last night. We are sure that Mr. Miller, whose position and influence are such as have always enabled him to confer considerable benefits upon our disfrict in various respects, will be welcomed back to Oamaru. Mr. Miller, who was in Plymouth on the Ist of June, came out in one of the steamers belonging to to the new Cape Line Company. It seems that there is not to be a contest after all for any of the seats in the Municipal Council, rendered vacant by effluxion of time. Mr. J. Johnston, Avho had been proposed for Severn Ward, and between whom and Mr. J. Liddle a keen fight was expected, has withdrawn from the contest, and Mr. Liddel may therefore be considered elected. Altogether the Municipal elections this year have been far different from those of previous years. That the Mayor, four Councillors, and two Auditors should all be returned without a poll being necessary, is rather a novel state of affairs for Oamaru, and this is greatly added to by the fact that none of the retiring Councillors' sought re-election. We understand that Miss Flamank, who had been selected by the Oamaru School Committee as pupil teacher in the nordi school of this town, has been appointed to a similar position in the South School, Dunedin. Her services will not, therefore, be available, here. By advertisement in another column it will be seen that a mistress is required in the South School, at L 125 per annum.

There was no sitting of the Resident' Magistrate's Court this morning. Although Messrs. Lees and Moore ;are relinquishing certain branches of the export meat preserving trade, it would appear that this firm do not contemplate reducing the large trade it has been carrying on for about four years in Oam aru. . At considerable expense another railway siding is being laid down from their establishment, which will greatly facilitate the prosecution of the business, whilst it will tend to materially reduce expenses. It would be a calamity to Oamaru to lose the expenditure consequent upon the conduct of so large an establishment as theirs, and we are therefore pleased to learn that their abandonment of certain branches has only been deemed necessary with the object of taking up others.

The monthly meeting of the Kakanui Road Board was held this afternoon, when there wsre present—Messrs. Gilchrist (in the chair). Booth, G-emmell, Elder, Thompson, Allan, and Morton. A large amount of business was transacted, but we have not space to give a full report in our present issue. A deputation from the Municipal Council, consisting of Bis Worship the Mayor, Councillor Gibbs, and the Municipal Engineer, waited upon the Board with reference to the road to the Bush Reserve, and asked that the Board should hand over their contribution to Messrs. Lees and Moore, who had undertaken to make the road ; and it was agreed that the work should be carried out on the understanding that the cost of the road should exceed the sums voted by the Corporation and the Board, the balance to be paid by Messrs. Lees and Moore.

A special meeting of the Municipal Council was held yesterday afternoon, at at which there were present—His Worship the Mayor, Councillors Booth, Gibbs, Grave, Mainland, and Scott. The principal business transacted was the making of final arrangements for sending the Waterworks debentures by the Suez mail. A telegram from C'hristcliurch was read, intimating that the Municipal Conference to be held at Wellington would include representatives from nearly all the municipalities in the Colony, and requesting the Council to make arrangements to be represented. His Worship the Mayor having been requested to attend the Conference, stated that he would endeavour to do so, although the time "allowed him to make the necessary arrangements was very short. Councillor Gibbs was appointed to act as Returning Officer should the Mayor be absent from Oamaru on Wednesday. Permission was given to Mr. C. M •Kenny to have a coffee stall in C;>quet-street during the pleasure of the Council. An application from Mr. Richardson, for leave to use powder in sinking a well, having been referred to the Engineer with powe_' to act, the Council adjourned.

We have heard of jugged hare, but we had never seen, or heard of, potted cat until yesterday. Witnessing a large concourse of people in Thames-street, our reporter hastened, with his usual vigilance, to procure literary pabulum. A cat had jammed its head into a salmon tin ; rumour is silent on the question of whether it had been assisted in the operation or not. Squeezed round the neck, and unable to see the light of day, it flew in desperation hither and thither frantic in its attempts to obtain relief from the galling yoke. A few humane individuals succeeded in capturing the tormented animal, and after attempting, by sheer force, to sever the animate from the inanimate, it was very nearly being abandoned to its fate, when one, wiser than the rest, suggested the brilliant idea of melting the tin off in a blacksmith's fire, and another thought a little blasting powder would be the most effective means of securing liberation. Whilst these deliberations were proceeding, grimalkin shewed her or his appreciation of their kindness by scratching them well and escaping. The animal then indulged in a scamper over Thames-street, and thus eluded the gaze of its would-be beiiefictors. It is stated that the police subsequently succeeded in performing the act of liberation.