The Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 655, 8 June 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 1878.

We are informed that traffic will probably be resumrd on the Southern line on Wednesday next. Every effort is being made in repair the damage done within the earliest possible period. V huggy with mails, carrying passengers, leaves Hillgrove for Palmcrston every morning on arrival of the 5.43 train, returning in time to catch the 4.32 train to Oamaru.

1 A iw.v: Zealand G.-iz.:'- v.Vt'h has just j cotne to hand contains a full return of tin: populations of tlie whole of the electoral ■ districts for the Colony. The figures therein j contained form food for gome amount of re- . flection as to the proportions in which th«varions pnrts of the Colony arc represented > in the House of Representatives. There are " ouly two constituencies in the Colony re- ; turning three members—Chriatchnrch, with • a population of 24,971), and Dtinedin, with ' 22,490. Of the eleven electorates blessed with a brace of members in the representative branch of the Legislature, Wellington, • with 19,037 of a population, heads the list; then comes the Thames with 12,51R, closely followed by our own district with 11,629. Then the populations in the "doublevoiced " electorates begin to tail off gradually until we reach the bottom of the list— Nelson, two members, and only 6603 of a popalation. For the sake of enabling o ur readers to draw their own comparisons, and to ascertain the populations of the different centres, ire give the- Exact figures as regards the populations p'f the remainder of the clec"tor.iT~ districts which return two members. The figures are as follow Grey Valley, 10,2,12 ; Anckland City West, 9469 ; Franklin (Auckland), 9440; Hokitika, 5975; Napier, S36S; Wairarapa (Wellington), 5262; Wanganui (Wellington), 7739; Nelson City, 6603. We now come to the constituencies which only return one member to the House of Representatives. Of these there are no less than 56, the highest in regard to population being Heathcote, with 9299 inhabitants; Coleridge coming next with 9227. We will not give the exact figures in the other cases, as they might prove wearisome to onr readers. Eoslyn and Caversham each have over 8000, Mataura and Timaru over 6000, Newton. Clive, Ashley, Kaiapoi, and Gladstone, over 600t>; Manawatn, Selwyn, Tuapcka, Brace, Taieri, East L'oast (Auckland), Fdcn, and Marsden, over 5000; Waikr.ia, Waikouaiti, Auckland City East, Parneii, Waipa, Avon, Akaroa, Port Chalmers, Clutha, and Riverton, over 4000 ; InvercargiU, Wakatipu, Dnnatan, Geraldine, Lvttelton, Wairau, Picton, Buller, Wellington County, ilutt, Rangitikei, Grey and Bell, Waikato, Waitemata, Rodney, and Mongonui, over 3000; Wallace, Mount Ida, Totara, Motueka, Waimea, Nelson Suburbs, Kgniont, New Plymouth Town, and Onehung*, over 2000; while Collingwood has only 1463, and Cheviot 1354. The proportions of members to population in the various Provincial Districts are—ln Canterbury, i one to every 6537 ; in Otago, one to 530S ; < in Wellington, one to 5146; in Hjiwke's Bay, one to 4951; in Auckland, one to 1 ' 4535; in Westland, one to 436S ; in Tara- l naki, one to 2963; in Nelson, one to < 2739; and in Marlborough, one to every i 2675. The most unfairly represented | t City is Wellington, and the most over- j c represented Auckland, which has three s members for a popalation of 13,731, while I «

Wellington has only two members to represent its population of 19,037. Of the other towns Nelson and Invercargill hare more than, a proportionate number of representatives. The provincial districts of Nelson, Marlborough, and Taranaki are, according to the figures we have given above, represented out of all proportion to their populations. Taranaki, however, is deserving of consideration, for her progress has been greatly retarded through having been the scene of many years of strife with the natives. The cases of Nelson and Marlborough arc different; Nelson has stood still in consequence of the proverbial somnolence of its inhabitants, and Marlborough has failed to progress because its broad acres are occupied by sheep and not men. The Mayor received a telegram yesterdayannouncing that the Order-in-Council reserving the Oamaru Municipal Endowment has been signed by his Excellency the Governor, and will appear in the next Gazette. We have not been officially informed of the receipt of the telegram in question, but we are pleased to learn that our contemporary has been informed of the important matter by his Worship the Mayor.

Yesterday an accident occurred to the well-kuown jockey, Tom M'Kay. He was riding in the vicinity of Hampden, in company with a friend, v.-hen his horse fell, and lie sustained a partial dislocation of the shoulder, a severe shock, and a number of cuts and bruises about his body. The horse was so badly hurt that it was found necessary to shoot it. M'Kay was only just recovering from a broken collar-bone, contracted at the last Waimate Steeplechase, at the time of the accident. He has now had nearly every bone in liis body broken ; but, notwithstanding that, he lasts well, and will probably be ready to remount the saddle within .1 short period, as thore are no dangerous symptoms consequent upon yesterday's accident. AVe have been requested to intimate to members of the Oamara Christvs that a full practice will take place on Monday evening, nt the Masonic Hall. Every member is particularly requested to be in attendance at S o'clock. There were no cases down for hearing at the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day. It is gratifying to learn that the survey of the proposed extension of the Waiareka railway to Livingstone is to be set about at once. Mr. E. K. Ussiicr, the engineer entrusted with the work, arrived here yesterday, and purposes commencing operations immediately. The heavy rain which lhas fallen during the past few days has had the effect of bringing down a large quantity of soil from the hill side on to the Breakwater railway line. A party of workmen are engaged clearing the line. We beg to remind all interested in coursing, that the nominations for the ['resident's Meeting (Awamoa Cup). must he sent in to the Hon. Secretary, including L 5 03, !>y 4 o'clock, on Tuesday, tile 11th inst. A-; the election of two members of the Oti-popo Koad Board, for the Copmauhurst •Sub-divisi<.n, yesterday, Mr. Diehl was reelected, and Mr. Davidson was chosen to till the other vacancy. We would remind;our readers that, there will be a special service for the young in St. "aul's Church to-morrow morning. Tl.e members of the Football Club will meet this evcuing at the Royal Hotel, at 8 o'clock, for the purpose of electing a Secretary and Treasurer. The adjourned monthly meeting of the Committee of the .North Otago Horticultural •Society will be held at Albion House, on Monday, the 10th inst.., at S o'clock p.m. The Timaru Herald says : "We are very pleased t„ learn that the 'hounds will meet in the neighborhood of Tinnru on to-day, ■".nd we hope to sec a good field of sportsmen. The hounds will subsequently be taken down to Oamaru." We understand that the hounds will not visit Oamaru on this occasion. Although it was hoped that arrangements would he made to secure some genuine sport here with them, some difficulty has interposed itself that will necessitate the postponement of the pleasure. Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Bowcn, at a late meeting of the Canterbury Education Board, pointed out that no teacher should be permitted to strike a child on the head. We arc pleased that attention has at last been drawn to this dangerous practice, more especially as the Canterbury Board of Education has resolved that teachers be instructed to abstain from beating any boy ! about the head, and that corporal punishment be inllicted by the headmaster only. Under the new army regulations, every Prussian soldier carries in his left trousers' packet the plaster, lint, and bandage necessary for a first dressing of a wound. The pheasants appear to have developed, a new taste. We (Xcw Zealand Herald) are credibly informed, by more than one suffering agriculturist, that recently they have been repeatedly seen to scratch up, pick to pieces, and eat both potatoes and mangolds soon after planting. The export of wheat of Californian growth of the crop of 1577 will probably amount to 200,000 tons of L2OOO each, being 400,000 tons less than the crop of the preceding year.

At a recent meeting of representatives of Insurance Companies in Christehurch, Mr. D. Craig, manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company, said, to the amusement of those present, " We have worked well together, and have tried as hard as we can to reduce the rate to the lowest possible margin of profit." Even some of those included in the "we" seemed to think it unreasonable that people should be expected to he'ievo anything of the kind. They are, of e.iui'ie, doing the best they can for the shareholders, which is no more than can be •xpected.