Untitled

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 927, 5 April 1879, Page 2

Messrs. Fleming and Hedley, in conjunction with Messrs. Connell and Clowes, sold to-day, at their stores, Tyne-street, the Meadow Bank sections, and succeeded in realising large prices. The bidding was most spirited, and the result as follows:—Section 1, Main North Road, L 270; section 2, L 275, Messrs. Stemson and Leigh ; sections 25, 26, 27, L 235 each, Mr. W. Young; sections 3 and 4, L 205 each, Messrs. Stemson and Leigh ; sections 5, C, 7, L 205 each, Mr. R. C. Lindsay; sections 8, 9, 10, 11, L2Ol each, Mr. W. Young; sections 15,16,17,18, L 240, Mr. W. Young; sections 19 and 20, L 236, Mr. W. Young ; section 21, L 215, Mr. Kerr; section 22, L 203, Mr. W. Young; section 23, L 205, Mr. M'Combe ; section 24, L 212 10s, Mr. Swinard. Sections 12, 13, and 14 were passed in. A little pardonable warmth was displayed by some members of the Schools Committee last evening, when Mr. David Fleming's resignation of the head - mastership of the North School, came up for consideration, and Mr. Fleming, who was present at a portion of the. proceedings, came in for some ratherhard knocks. It appeared that Mr Fleming, in tendering his resignation, gave as liis reason that the Committee did not seem inclined to assist him in carrying out necessary reforms in the school. This the Committee very naturally looked upon as a charge of neglect of duty against them, and Mr. Fleming was subjected to some cross-ques-tioning as to the reasons which led him to come to such a conclusion. The only reason he gave was that he thought the feelings of the Committee were not with him in regard to the complaints he had made against teachers in the school, kind when asked to state what induced him to come to such a ln;lief, he saiil he judged from the questious put to him by the Committee when they were examining him with reference to his charges against his teachers. When asked if the Chairman had not distinctly told him to speak out plainly with regard to the teachers, and assured him that he had nothing to fear, as the Committee were determined to assist liiin to the utmost of their ability if he could substantiate charges of a specific nature, Mr. Fleming said that he did not remember such a remark being made. At first Mr. Fleming led the Committee to infer that he had not made the obnoxious statement to the Education Board, saying that his resignation had merely been framed in accordance with the prescribed form ; but on being further interrogated, he admitted that he had afterwards sent the Board a copy of his letter to the Committee. This drew from the Chairman (Mr. 2seil Fleming) the remark that Mr. Fleming's action displayed mvlire premnse. The Chairman also accu?cd Mr. Fleming of leaving the Committee in the lurch, and said that he had not act*«l in a gentlemanly manner in staling before the Education Board had had time to make the investigation the Committee had applied for. Mr. Evans said it appeared to him that Mr. Fleming had confessed judgment, while Mr. Dunlop said that Mr. Fleming had, to his mind, actually admitted that his complaints were groundless, and he had evidently resigned in order to prevent the matter being inquired into.

The Hon. Itobcrt Stout passed throng Qaiiiaru by to-dav's express, rn route to Wellington. There is a gathering of the fl.m.f now, after protracted dispersior and we hojic that it is the result of a conv.otion 011 the part of the members of the Ministry that they must now prepare for what will he a stormy session. The gases that have been jjeneroted by the Press and people during the recess will explode when brought together in the House, and there will be a wreck of parties such as has never been eiiualltd in the history of this Colony. The duty of the Ministry is to armour-plate themselves with invulnerable argument for the occasion.

There was a blank sheet to-day at the Resident Magistrate's Court.

Last night, as the mixed train to Dune-din was ncaring Waimotu, the engine ran over a bullock, cutting it in two, and throwing the fore bogie wheels o(T the line. No alarm was occasioned to the passengers by the accident, and after a delay of rather more than an hour, the engine was again replaced on the line, and procued&d to Mahbito. From this station the train proceeded slowly into town, where it arrived at 11.50 p.m., and delivered its passengers and freight in safety. The Waimate Plains dispute, which has been such a well-used weapon in the hands of the opponents of the present Ministry and Colonial progress, is likely to be brought to a speedy and satisfactory conclusion. It is to be dej.-iv!•: i that a secti'm of the Press, actuated by improper motives, has written so much upon the matter that is calculated to lower ua in the estimation of the natives : but the determined stand made by the Government will nevertheless operate in the manner intended upon the natives, who have a very proper appreciation of firmness and courage.

A considerable amount of difficulty in carrying on the work of the South School has been occasioned by the resignation and sudden departure from the town of Mr Elsbury, the second master, rendered necessary by ill-health. It appears that Mr Elsbury's medical adviser recommended him to seek restoration of his health in Victoria, and Mr Elsbury stood not "upon the order of his going," but went without delay, and the school has, consequently, been deprived for a time of the sen-ices of a second master. The matter was brought under the notice of the .School Committee last evening, and an arrangement was come to by which the difficulty will in some measure be overcome. Mr Peattie, Rector of the High School, who was present, agreed to allow Mr. W. F. Todd, a pupil-teacher in his school, and now a certificated teacher, to act in the meantime as second master/ of the South School, Mr Todd's duties in the High School to be performed by prospective pupil-teachers. The action of Mr Peattie, in seeking to assist the Committee and a brother schoolmaster out of a difficulty is deserving of commendation.

Members of the Football Club, and those •wishing to become members, should bear in mind that the annual meeting of the Club will be held this evening, at eight o'clock, at the Royal Hotel. Nominations of candidates to fill the vacancy occasioned in the Waitaki Road Board for the Papakaio Sub-division by the resignation of Mr. P. Aitchison,_ must be lodged with the Returning Officer before noon on Monday. The letter signed " Temperance" lias been held over till our next issue.

A very fair audience assembled at the New Tecs-street Hall last evening to listen to an interesting address 011 Temperance delivered by the Hon. W. Fox, M.H.R. The chair was occupied by the Rev. Mr. Barley, who briefly introduced Mr. Fox. We have not space to follow the hon. gentleman through his long and interesting address, and to notice a few of its points would be doing

Mr. Fox an injustice and robbing his address of much of its force. Suffice it therefore to say that the speaker dwelt upon the baneful effects of drunkenness in a forcible manner. He showed how ruinous indulgence in strong drink is to the constitution,, and said that something like 2000 persons die here annually directly or indirectly from its effects. The hospitals, gaols, and lunatic asylums were filled with people who owed their presence in those institutions to the influence of drink. He had ascertained while on a Tisit to the Dunedin Industrial School that nearly all the children in it became inmates through the drunken habits of either their fathers or mother. Having referred to the liquor law and the necessity for its amendment, he accused Mr. Sheehan of committing a breach of faith by not bringing in an amending Bill last session. Votes of thanks were passed to Mr. Fox and the chairman.

" Happy Hours " is certainly a very appropriate title for the entertainment given in the Volunteer Hall last evening by Mr. and Mrs. Hart, assisted by their clever daughter. The large audience present was kept in a continuous state of merriment, and encores and applause were bestowed with no unspairing hand. We have not space to describe the entertainment; suffice it to say that it is of the same class as those given here so successfully by the Stewart Family. Mr. and Mrs. Hart assume a variety of characters, each having some connection with the little domestic comedy being enacted. While so disguised, they sing, dance, and instrumentalise to such an extent as to create in their audience surprise as to how they manage to go through so successfully so large an amount of really hard work. Mrs. Hart's dancing is both finished, graceful, and free from the slightest tinge of vulgarity, and she renders the songs incidental to her characters in a highly pleasing manner. Mr. Hart, in addition to being a good vocalist and a capital actor, is an accomplished musician, his solos on the clarionet, banjo, and mandoline being in themselves well worth the money charged for admission. La Petite Louise also sings very nicely, and altogether the entertainment is oge well calculated to please all classes of amusement-seekers. Another performance will be given this evening,

The first chapter of Mr. Thomas Bracken's new story, "Golden Foundations," appears in this week's Saturday Advertiser, of which the well-known author is the editor. It is difficult to form a correct opinion of a tale that would make an ordinary Bvo. volume with only the first chapter as a guide. But there are certain characteristics which afford the reader a pretty fair idea of what to expect. For instance, it is plain that the tale is a Colonial one, and that rough and ready gold-fields settlers play an important part in it. The writer has had experiences .of the kind of life he has commenced to depict in the first chapter of his tale, or he could not write so vividly ; and we would not be surprised if some of the incidents which will be introduced ilita the story in Mr. Bracken's well-known happy and original syle, were actual occurrences. " Major " Mulnee is a "character." If we mistake not, the author will ring the changes on him to the end. The sparkling incidents so graphically depicted throughout the first chapter will create a longing in the reader for the next and the next, until the end is reached, then regret on account of its termination., or Vi'e arc greatly out in our calculations. We would not be surprised if the young Scotchman, Leslie Sinclair, who sang at the " 'ouse warming" "A T ril-nto u> Bimin," in cue language' of the author, were chosen by the author as tlie hero of his tale. We cannot pay the writer a greater compliment than to say that we believe, from a perusal of the first chapter, that his new story will surpass all his previous efforts. Yesterday's Lyttclton Times says : Messrs. Maclean and Stewart offered at Tiiuaru ou Thursday, in suitable sized farms, 2152 acres of land on the Levels estate, the property of the New Zealand and Australian Company. There was a large attendance, but not a single lot was sold, the reserves being considered too high ill the present state of the money market. They also ottered, on account of the same clients, a number of town sections, being an extension of Pleasant Point township. but all had to be withdrawn.