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Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 392, 31 July 1877, Page 2

In accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance, the poll for the election of a member of the Municipal Council for Severn Ward will be taken to-morrow, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4- p.m., in the shop lately occupied by Mr. Whelch, at the corner of Thames and Coquet streets. Mr. S. Gibbs wll act as Eetuming Officer, iu the absence of his Worship the Mayor, who has gone to Wellington to attend the Municipal Conference. A keen contest is expected to take place between the two candidates, Messrs. Liddle and Johnston. The friends of both candidates are working hard, and each party seems pretty confident of being able to place their favourite at the head of the poll.

Mr. A. H. Maude will sell to-morrow, at Mr. Moss' store, Thames-street, at 12 o'clock, a large stock of clothing, &c. The only business done at the committee meeting of the Oamaru Mechanics' Institute last evening was the signing of the necessary declaration for the purpose of bringing the Institute under " The Public Libraries' Powers Act, 1876." There was a good attendance of the members, and the meeting only occupied a few minutes. The draft agreement with the new librarian was submitted by the Secretary and agreed to. We are glad to welcome back to Oamaru an old resident, who may be called in truth a pioneer of settlement and colonisation in North Otago—for Mr. James Hassell was truly one of the founders of |oamaru —and we trust he is gratified on his return in witnessing the town, which must contrast strongly with the one he left only two years ago, and differs still more from what it was when his woolshed was, if not the only, the most imDortant, edifice on the s;ts of the now white stone city. Mr. Hassell, during his absence in Europe, gave us many proofs that he kept in memory the town he loved so well, and made several important communications on harbour works at Home to the Harbour Board here, of which he was at one time, we think, a member. We have heard that a plough of his turned the first sod in Otago north of the Oamaru stream. He introduced the first threshing mill, and was the first manipulator of that now great staple, Oamaru stone. We trust his trip to the Old Land has not weaned him from his love of this, and that we may have him a»ain among us a permanent as well as an honoured resident.