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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 960, 17 May 1879, Page 2

Our shipping telegrams inform us that another vessel, the barque Hudson, is coming to Oamaru to load for London. This will make the fourth vessel of the season, and in connection with this it may be interesting to note the number of vessels that have been despatched for ports outside of the Colony. With a view of aiding our readers to come to a conclusion as to the manner in which wc arc extending our commerce, we give the following list of vessels that have cleared for ports beyond New Zealand since the Ist March, merely premising that during the same period of last year the number was very small indeed :—William Wilson, for London; Estrella, for Liverpool; Camille, for Mauritius; Hopeful, Agnes Jessie, and Star, for Melbourne ; Elliotts, for Sydney ; Chittagong, Argos, Floral Star, and Dahlia, for Adelaide; and May Newton, for Brisbane. To this number we may add the Beatrice, which is now loading for a Home port; the Sea Shell, loading for Melbourne; the Frank Guy, on berth for Sydney; and the Hudson, coming here to load for London. But still the list for the grain season is not complete, for many other vessels will have to be dispatched away before our surplus grain has been disposed of. Mr. Dransfield, the Mayor of Wellington, made an assignment, or did something of the sort, the other day, and then vacated the Mayoral position. The City Council have forwarded him " a letter of regret and sympathy." The troubles that have befallen Mr. Dransfield may therefore be viewed as providential. It is true that the epidemic has somewhat home him down with a good many others, but, then, look at the "regret and sympathy." Who, would not make an effort to get into difJ - culties if he could make sure of receiving a communication like this :—"To Mr. Dransfield, late Joe Dransfield, Esq., once Mayor of Wellington. &c.—Dear Sir, —We, the undersigned members of the City Council of Wellington, desire to express to you, our late Mayor, but now deemed unfit for our society as councillors, by reason of a reported reduction in your financial, and therefore your social, status, our regret and sympathy with you tbat such a calamity should have befallen you as to necessitate your being deprived of the honor of presiding associating with us in our official e.ip..c,i,y, and we beg to assure yon that, although we are of course immeasurably superior to you, inasmuch as a live City Councillor is better than a dead Mayor, we shall

not change our demeanour towards you if we should happen to meet in the street.—We remain, &c." Mails for Australian Colonies, per Albion, close at Bluff on Monday, 19th inst., at 11 a.m. We understand that the Rev. R. L. Stan- ' ford will officiate in St- Luke's Church tomorrow. A telegram says the Government are calling for tenders for the erection of the new Court-house at Oamaru. On closer inspection of the message we find that "new Supreme Court-house, Wellington," should be inserted instead of "new Court-house at Oamaru." Our turn is to come next. In another column there is a notice that all desirous of joining the division of the Sons and Daughters of Temperance to be started here on Tuesday evening next, are requested to wait upon Dr. Fleming between the hours of 7 and 8 to-night and on Monday, for examination. The cause is a good one, and the more young people that join it the more likely are our future men and women to be sober and industrious. A meeting of No. 1 Company Volunteers was held last night at the conclusion of the parade. The chairman (Captain Sumpter) explained that the meeting had been called to consider the following resolution of the Committee: —"That it be a recommdation from the Committee to the Company to change the present grey uniform to scarlet." A discussion ensued, which ended in the recommendation of the Committee adopted. It was stated that there would be but little delay in getting the new uniforms, as they were to be made in the Colony, and that they would be supplied by the Company free of cost. The helmets and belts are expected to arrive from Kngland shortly. Seven new members were enrolled. We have been favored with the following authentic particulars of the death of Mr. James Robin On Friday, 9th May, .amongst the passengers by the Omarama aud Duntroon coach, was one named James Robin. He was very shaky, having been drinking in Omarama, and was going to Oamaru to see the doctor. (He had not been more than a week in Omarama.) When he got out of the coach he had a glass of gin, and managed to take his seat with the rest for dinner. All were aboard, and being told that the coach was waiting for him, he endeavored to drink his tea, was observed to change colour, fell bacK in the landlord's arms, and, in less than ten minues, was dead. He did not, however, die in convulsions. I was present, with another eight or more. A messenger was despatched for the policeman, who, when he arrived, took down the statements of two or three persons who last saw the poor fellow alive. The officer then went back to Duntroon, returning on Sunday. Meanwhile a coffin was made, and on Monday Robin was buried. Very great dissatisfaction seems to exist up country on account of the omission to comply with the usual custom of holding an inquest, and we think that there was no valid reason why this should not have been done. Once let it he thought that, in the cases of persons dying up country, no inquest will be held, and there is danger of the door being opened to more villainy than already exists. Our Duntroon correspondent writes : —As Mr. Peter Aitcheson was driving home last evening he met with what might have been a serious accident. The new road through Duntroon and near the Post-office has been constructed by making a cutting 10 or 12 feet deep. This cutting takes off part of the old road, and, as Mr. Aitcheson. kept on the old road, and it was too dark at the time to see even the horses' heads, the buggy and its three occupants were toppled over into the cutting. The latter fortunately escaped without injury . not so the buggy, for that looks in a most dilapidated condition. This should show our Inspector of Roads the absolute necessity for having the cutting in some way protected. Our Ngapara correspondent writes : —The weather still continues very dry. Towards evening it gets fogiry and chilly, and we begin to feel that clreary winter has again put in an appearance. Our townspeople intend keeping things lively these dull times, for we have now got our brass band on a fair footing, and, with Major Atkinson as its leader and instructor, it is sure to go ahead, for no one will dispute that gentleman's abilities as a teacher. The second meeting in connection therewith was held last evening, when it was agreed to make the Oamaru Railway Baud an otter for their instruments. If they accept this, the financial difficulty will be got over, which is the main obstacle to advancement these hard times. The Library also is progressing. A meeting was held last week, and the following gentlemen elected as a committee : Messrs. W. H. Walker (chairman), Ardagli, Atkinson, Collie, and Leitli. Mr. Collie was appointed librarian and Mr. Leith secretary. Subscriptions were received to the amount of LI 5, and, as this amount will be doubled by the Education Board, we were enabled to order books to the amount of L3O, which arrived by rail this morning, and I think this is a very good beginning. I may also add that Major Atkinson was appointed to interview Mr. E. Menlove with regard to a section for a reading-room, and that gentleman has kindly promised a section free of cost in the paddock over the road in which is the site for the new railway station. This alteration, I understand, is to be gone on with at once, and will be a great boon to Ngapara, as the present railway accommodation is far too limited for the traffic.