The Evening Mail. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 495, 29 November 1877, Page 2

The Evening Mail. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1877.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning a charge was heard against Kobert Smart for having committed a breach of the Regi tration of Births and Deaths Act. 1875, by neglecting to register the birth of a male child, born about the 15th of February. The defendant pleaded guilty. I he Registrar stated that the defendant had called upon him some time in March with reference to the registration of the infant, but being unable at that time to state the place of the mother's birth, had promised to call again; he had, however, neglected to do so. His Worship remarked that of late there had been frequent cases of similar neglect, and said he must inflict a penalty of 20s. There was no other business.

The Waiareka Koad Board has agreed to levy a general rate of Is. in the £, the rate to be payable on the 12th December next.

At the conclusion of his lecture last evening, Count De Zaba announc d that on Monday evening next he would give a lecture on a new system of education, more particularly with regard to the teaching of history in public schools in such a manner as to make the subject inte esting as well as instruc ive. 'J hj« lecr.ure will be given iti the V olunteer Hall, and the admission will be free.

We understand that Mr. John Cr>gvin, of the Oamaru Boan'.ing-house, has laid an information against the revenue constable, Henry Andrews, for perjury, for swearing in the late sly-grog case that Cogvin h;;d a beer-engiiie on the premises. The ea;e will, we believe, lie heard on Thursday next, aud is likely to last for some time, a host of witnesses having been subpoenaed for the prosecution;

The meeting of the North Otago Benevolent Society called for Monday evening next has been adjourned until the following Monday, in order not to interfere with the lecture on education to be given by Count De Zaba. To-morrow the Waitaki Athletic Club will hold its inaugural meeting on the new cricket ground, and a pleasant day's outing may be anticipated by those who purpose attending the sports. The prizes off-red for competition are very liberal, and from the manner in which a number of the competitors have been indulging in preliminary training, some capital contests may be looked forward to. On Saturday afternoon the new cricket ground will, be opened with t:ie return match between last year's eleven and the next eighteen. An expr< ss will leave the Post Office at 2 p m. sharp, and members are requested to attend punctually. T e choice of a team to play against Palmerston wid greaitly depend upon the cricket shown during this match. The following are the names of the players for Saturday's match : —The Eleven—Messrs. Booth, De Lautour, F. Fenwick, Maude, G. Millington, J. Millingtoh, Macdonald, Nicoils, Rice, Sumprer, and Tempest. The Eighteen— Messrs. Atherton, Bennett, 80-ton, Church, Davidson, Edwards, G. Fenwick, Filleul, Honour, Kerr, Lowe, AJoore, M'Jeunet, Pickett, Taylor, Thornton, aud Walls.

As swimming—one of the most useful and healthy of athletic exercises—has become fashionable among both ladies and gentlemen in Oamaru, it may not be uninteresting to some of our readers if we teir them that "the Lords and Commons Prize" on the Thames this year was c mpeted for l>y 32 g< ntlemen, and was won by Mr. H. Davenport, who swam the course—from Putney to "Westminster —iu one hour and a quarter. We may mention that the private match between two Oamaru tradesmen to swim 660 yards is fixed to come off at tie Baths on Saturday morning at 6 o'clock, and will doubtless be witnessed by many early birds. The monthly insp°ction parade of the head-quarters companies of Volunteers will take place at the usual hcur to-morrow evening.

At the meeting of the Waireka Road Board yesterday, a 1-tter from his Worship the Mayor was read, stating the Council would make and maintain that portiion of the road to the Corporation quarry used by them across sections 28 and 31, but pointing out that the resolution arrived at by the Board included a road petitioned for by settlers, and with which the Council was not connected. It was resolved:—"(l) That the Municipal • ouncil having consented to make and maintain part of the road line referred to in the petition, viz., from Town Belt, thence through section 31 to the boundary of the district, the Clerk write to his Worship- the Mayor, stating that this Board is taking the necessary steps for obtaining the land for the said road-line. Should the proprietor requi e compensation for the laud, the Council to pay the amount and expense?. (* ) That the Clerk write to Mr. W. Fenwick, asking for the land for the road-line through section 31, block IV., offering, on the part of the Board, to give in exchange therefor the roadline abutting on the north side of section 28, Mine block.

remind meters' of Nortip M ntrttnal bef&eld at she Royal ifetrtl thia eveniiitti At 8 olcloek. ■' N Tbefion. £'our 'rolontteers.-v' and Ke protests most. against the continuance of the Imbualtjprize-tiring contest. In the course of Bis Speech in the Legislative Council on ■the question of colonial- the galiant colonel said He.al o wished to do away With that foolery andclap-trap—pi ize-firing. It was a very expensive toy, a most-useless one. In former .days they.never had such a thing, and it was only intended for armies like those of Great Britain and of other old, countries. As to having prize-firing among a lot of boys and undisciplined troops be objected to it in toto. When a man was well disciplined, knew Ms company drill, and the use of his arms, and had arrived at a state of efficiency in these respects, W all means let him take part in the prize-firing; but he objected to the system in this Colony. He had raised his voice several times in the Council agamst expenditure on prize-firing. It was nothing else biifc a toy. It was intended to blind tbem and to throw dust into their eyes. There was an immense amount of money expended uselessly in this foolery."