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Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 724, 5 August 1878, Page 2

iOn every aide we are told that the present winter has been ins severest felt for many , yearn past, and in this respect Oamaru has not proved an exception to the rulp, for many of the oldest residents inform us that, I for many years, such a continuance of sold 1 weather has not been felt in this district. Early this morning, a heavy fall of snow occurred, the whole town being dressed in a mantle of white for many hours _ during the day, the snow in some places being a couple ofiuches thi.-k. Of "ourse, snow-balling wa? greatly indulged in, especially by the larrikin element. The Otepopo Road Board gire3 notice that persons allowing gorge to grow on the district roads will ee prosecuted.

We understand that a trotting match for | IXr't a-f-inV hre ben arraiu/ed to take place ]on Fri'ii-.v next between Mr. W. M'Kay's Tom fca\ -,ts and Mr. J. Johnston's Tom Bong. .!'-••" irt«ut»y has already been posted, and the trot will start at 12 from -Mr. H. Schluier's, Boundary Creek, finishing at the Commercial botel. One of the conditions is that tbe horses shall be ridden by their owners. There seems every probability of Oamaru having within the next few weeks an abundance of entertainments of various kinds. This evening and. to-morrow evening- the Elder Brothers will appear at the Masonic Hall, on Thursday the Rev. A. B. Todd will deliver a lecture on "Geology," and on Friday Mrs. Medland Newsbam's farewell concert will be given. On the following Monday and Tuesday we are to be favored with a couple of entertainments by the Cheevers, Kennedy, and Bent Minstrels, one of the strongest companies of the kind that has ever visited the Colony, including amongst other well-known artists, Mr. Martin Simonsen, the eminent violinist. On the Wednesday following a concert will be given in aid of the Early Closing Association ; then will come the Philharmonic Society's concert and the Oamaru Christys' entertainment. The North Otago Coursing Club Committee meets at 11 a.m. to-morrow. Mr. T). K. Buckingham, of Waimatc, has taken out an auctioneer's license. At the Resident Magistrate's Court today Patrick M'Cugker was fined 10s. for allowing two cows to be at large. Elizabeth Mayhew, for being drunk and disorderly on Saturday evening, was fined ss.

Our Livingstone correspondent writes that he has nothing to record save the fact that snow has fallen freely during the greater part of the week.

The annual meeting of the North Otago Ritle Association will be held this evening, at eight o'clock, at the Royal Hotel. As several matters of importance will be brought forward, a full attendance of members is requested. The "Riley and Allen Poly graphic Troupe " gave a performance at the Masonic Hall on Saturday evening to a small house. Comment upon the nature of the entertainment would be useless. The monthly meeting of the Committee of the North Utago Horticultural Society will be held this evening, at 8 o'clock, in Mr. Earle's dining rooms. A meeting of the North Otago Agricultural aDd Pastoral Association is called for Thursday next, at 11 a.m., for the purpose of taking action with reference to the proposed conference on the proposal to form :< National Association. We have been requested to direct afte-.i tion to the fact that the sale by Messrs. Fleming and Hedley of Mr. J. Johnston's .stock, previously advertised to take place on the I:sth instant, at the Commercial Yards, has been postponed until the lath, when it will be held at Duntroon. The Wellington correspondent of the A'hburton Mail telegraphs the following : '•lt has been discovered that L 20,000 arrears of native land duties are outstanding. These represent the accumulation of many years. The late Government neglected to collect them, and many of the debtors have disappeared. In other cases the accumulated debt and interest are very hard to collect, and the present Government have ajipo-nte.l a spfci-d collector. This is only i.-i. j r the many instances of carelessnesses ■ >!" tht; 1.-.r? Goierarrient now coming to light.'' An entertainment will he given this evening at tiie Masonic Hall iiy the Elder Brothers, and from what we know of the members of the company, we'can safely say that a very gu.'d evening's amusement will be provided In addition to other attractions, a number of prizes will be distributed. We have heard of many eccentric doings of Municipal Councils when attempting to frame laws, but an instance which has jusr. come under our notice leaves all the others in the shade. The half dozen or so of wiseacres who constitute the Borough Council of Masterton (an inland town in the Wellington Provincial district) solemnly framed a byelaw that " no person shall light a fire in the Borough of Masterton." This is certainly the richest thing of the kind that we hav« ever heard of. Brevity is no doubt bhe soul of wif, but when a bye-law is imde ;o brief as to render it illegal for a man to make a tire for the purpose of warming his frozen fc.ijes, cooking his victuals, or obtaining :he necessary hot water where with to warm lis liquor, then; is too much brevity if not >vit about; it. Surely the lawrmakera of Warttui'tGn were ansious to avoid the possitility of getting into hot water. No doubt i he pt-.'pL; of Masterton were pleased to earn that the Colonial Secretary was to such an amount of coolness :xist:ng in their delightful township, and had ; the addition t_> the bye-law of the vords ''except in a properly constructed , ■ replace.'' ', The Hokitika Hospital does not seem to I >e in a very flourishing condition. It has • lot >ui;j .ient funds to pay the three months' j alary promised to its retiring surgeon, and he bank refused to grant 4i} overdraft of ,50 to enable it to pay off the doctor,

Miss Dickenson, the young lady whose i charge against Colonel Valentine Baker was i the cause of that officer's expulsion from the J Kngli.sh army, and imprisonment iu gaol, I has taken a step that will (says an exchange) | he applauded by every rii-hr.-tlunking peri son. The Colonel, whr.se military talents and personal bravery in the Sultan's service have made him a socjal lion in Londou, has been honored by Q -een Victoria with an invitation to Windsor, while the Prince of Wales has introduced him to the Marlborough Club, and otherwise 'patronised him. Miss Dickenson lias therefore returned the Royal portrait sent to her by the Queen as a mark of sympathy at the time of the assault, and requested that her own, which she presented in return, should lie sent back.

Koumania is to be a Imittfd to the permanent International Commission for the navigation of the Danube. At a service held in Melbourne, by the Rev. Dr. So.iierville, a collection was made for the starving Chinese. The sum of LSI 3 was collected. Advice* from C«ip''o.vn to May 21 represents that the Na:;d;l!i chief, Galaky, has told the commander of the British forces that ho is tired «.f fighting, and ;vants peacp. The Commander replied "that he would accept an unconditional surrender only. This will probably soon follow, and with it a speedy settlement of the trouble. I

Her Majesty ha 3 expressed a wish to have a representative brigade of the Native army, now at Malta, brought; to England for her itispt:'-5i.-,.'i i..«t\»ru their final return to India (says Atlas in, the World). For my part, I think ic would be well £f a small brigade of this kind was always kept in this country ; theiiior'l effect would act and re-act both •i> ;he C 'minent and in I'idia. It has been pr-jjosedto affi'ia'.e a lutive as a ti-ird bat.alion to each regiment of the iiu-.-. Bach regiment would then have three battalions, one of them being composed of j natives of T'udia. I

The monthly meeting of the Benevolent Society takes place at 7 o'clock this evening. A meeting of the members of the North Otago Turf Club will be.tield at 8 o'clock this evening, at the Empire Hotel. The monthly meetings of the North Otago Permanent Building Society*and the "First Oamaru Permanent Building Society will be held at the usual times and places to-morrow evening. The Bay of Plenty Times states th'at a certain southern gentleman at' present in negotiation for a block of land at Maketu, forwarded from Dunedin by the Taupo, on Sunday, 2cwt. of lollies for distribution among the native children at Maketu.