The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1120, 21 November 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1879.

In the House of Representatives yesterday mornintr, the Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Bill was shelved in Committee by 22 to 25. They reported progress without asking leave to sit again. Mr. William Murcott was re-elect' 1 '! Mayor of Hampden yesterday without opi>o»ition. Mr. William Mnrcott will address the ! ratepayers of the Mocraki IIi• Einir and the it Hampden on Saturday night next, at S '/dock. It M notified in another column that the annual reunion of the Oamaru \ ouuir Men -s I Association will be held in the New Tecs-street Hall this evening. The will he a3 follow : lea from »;.:(«> to 7-HO; wnvcraizloiw, from 7.30 to s."O : music and addresses, from 5.30 to 11. The llntiac of Representative* s»at till 4.30 this morning in committee on the \\ anganui Km lowed Schools Bill, which was reported with amendments. Messrs. Conned and Clowes rejiort the sale of Messrs. Lnxinore and Douglas's Akatarcwa Station, Waitangi, consisting of ahoat 32,000 acres of leasehold and Gil acres of freehold land, and IS,OOO sheep—delivery after shearing. I'rie>-, L15,0»X). The purchaser was J. A. Sntton, Esq. Mails for the United Kingdom and Australian colonies, per Arawata, will close at 3.30 p.m. »>n Saturday. 22nd inat. Last night's entertainment for the benefit of the Fire Brigade was not in any way so successful .13 it might have been. In the first place the notice given to the public was too short : in the second place the evening selected was not a good one. inasmuch as the Hoik of the people had Wii at the show daring the day, ana were too tired to be enticed ottt of their homes in the evening, even by a musical entertainment. The effect of the short notice was, therefore, a rather thin hoasc, and, wc regret to say, an entertainment not so good musically as it might have been. Nevertheless, the audience was i enthusiastic, and demanded double duty ■ from almost every performer. The programme consisted mainly of songs, which, in our opinion, was a weak point. Had there been even one glee in each part—and I there might have been had there been a I little more time for practice—the performance would have been more interesting. The performers were Mesdamcs llnmton (accompanist), Kinncar, Fraaer, and liallami; the Misses Hardy, the Misses Newton, and Miss Honor, and Messrs. E. J Sooth, A. Fraaer, W. Fraaer, Daniel IJcoth, Ilalland, | Hayes (who gave two capital recitations), ' Browntee. and Jones, the opening pieces in leach part being played by .Mr. Karle, sen., I Mr. Karle, jttn., and Mr. I'helottng. V> c tear that the proceeds will not co far to- ; wards assisting the Brigade. This is to ; he resetted, as it is just now both ncedy and deserving. A sate of pure-bred shorthorn cattle was ! held at the conclusion of the late Christ;church Society's Show. The animals : offered were the property of Messrs. John ! Grieg. J. F. Hitching. J. It. Hill, J. HorwooE. J. Deans, and K. M'Pougall. ami the auctioneers were Messrs. H. Matron and Co.. Messrs. J. T. Ford and t 0.. and Mes.-rs. , 1!. Wilkin and Co. The sale realised L-f3lO 7s 6d. Kiby Knight, the champion bull, the property of *Mr. Kitehing. fell to the nod of Mr. J. M. Williams, of Napier, the price beinc SCO Twenty animals were ; sold~on account of Mr. Kitehing. realising LSI 02, or an average »f Lll>2 17s. Nearly a!! the Bridge watt 1 ?, Victoria, stock was withdrawn. "A #!v>rth.-ni ci-w. liKehess of , Hridsevater. was withdrawn at lw«» guineas.

We understand (says the New '/.% -aLiider) that through the earnest advocacy of .Mr. Itatlance, one oE the members of the Waste Lands Committee, that body ha> decided to recommend the reduction of the upset price of rural lands from JiOs, the present price, to 20a per acre. The Wellington own correspondent of the Otago Daily Times sends that paper the following As many iiiitttiries are made by merchants and tradesmen as to how the tr.s wmdd affect stock-in-trade, I have endeavored to ascertain this, and I am intormt d that the tax is intended to apply to all property of every description. Thus, merchants and tradesmen wit! be required to send in the estimated value of their stock-in-trade, premises, plant, book debts. Ac.: al o, of amounts owed by them, and they will be taxed one penny in the pound value on the tu't balance which remains after deducting all liabilities and the L3OO exemption.— The principle on wfii-rh the tax is f;as_ed is that evtaything of whkh any man is in actnal possKssiom of whatever nature and f..r whatever pctrpose. shall be liable to the pro-' perty tax on the net value of _ everything above L3OO, this exemption being deemed necessary to prevent any danger of taxing too heavily the poor classes, while the _»ystetrt of valuation avoids everything of an inquisitorial character.—lt is rumored this evening that the Opposition arc trying to induce mt'tid'TS of their party to support an adverse motion equivalent to a want of confidence. but members are anxious to get away, so as not to have to face another desperate and protracted struggle such ns must ensue if the motion were seriously fought out.