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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1178, 26 January 1880, Page 2

The members of the Irish Famine Relief Fond Committee who undertook the task of attending the tabic in Thames-street on Saturday were highly successful in their efforts to obtain subscriptions. During the thy ami evening, a sum of L3O was obtained, chiefly in small amounts. The Committee met with very few tefusals, and many of these who declined to contribute are tolerably certain to give respectable subscriptions when the general canvass is made. It 13 oar painful duty to record the very sudden death of Mr. Wm. Pirie, an old and much respected resident in the district. Deceased was landlord of the Papabaio Hotel, and at 12 o'clock last night was attending to his business, apparently 1b ijood health and spirits. At an early hour tii.s morning he complained of being ill. ami r.skoi for some brandy aiul water, aft«-r partaking of which be suddenly became worse, and shortly afterwards died. Dr. De Lautoor, in the meantime, was sent for, but did not arrive in time to render any assistance. An inquest will be held tomorrow.

Messrs. Coxhead and Sargeant, photographers, have ou view at their premises, Tees-street, a very fine enlarged and colored photograph of Mr. W. Sutherland, the piper to the Oamaru Caledonian Society. The picture is a really good one in every respect, and reflects great credit upon the firm. The coloring of the dress, ornaments, pipes, &c., has been done with considerable skill, and the picture is one possessing many attractions for Higblandmen. The members of the Excelsior Cricket Club indulged in a scratch match on Saturday afternoon. Sides were chosen by Messrs. Church and Spence, the former proving successful by 24 runs. On Saturday afternoon the members of the Oamaru Cricket Club contented themselves with a scratch match, the sides being clioscn by Messrs. Lintott and Newton. Lintott's side proved the victors by a large number of runs, their first innings totalling up 45 and their second 29, Walls being the highest scorer with 21 (net ont) and 15. Newton's side were exceedingly unfortunate, their first essay with the bat only resulting in 10 rnns, while in their second attempt they were but little more successful, the total being 18, Cooke heading the list Vith 15 (not out). We would remind householders that the statutory meetings for the election of school committees in the several districts will be held this evening. The annual meeting of subscribers to the Oamaru Hospital will be held at the Volunteer Hall to-morrow evening at seven o'clock. At the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day, before T. W. Parker, Esq., R.M., James Reid, for emptying the contents of his nightcart on the beach near Coquet-street, at an early hour on the morning of the 22nd inst., was fined 253. Michael Maloney, for being drunk and disorderly, was fined os, with the alternative of 24 hours' imprisonment; James M'Gregor was dealt with in a similar manner; and James M'Kenzie was fined 20s, with the usual alternative. Peter Matheson, against whom four previous convictions for drunkenness were recorded, was fined 10s ; Archibald MTee and John M'Kenzie were cautioned and discharged. A Ngapara correspondent -writes as follows :—Our town is crowded with men from all parts of Christendom in search of work, but, so far as I can learn, -with very little prospect of finding any. Consequently many of them are in a high state of illliumor, both with themselves and everyone else. Through the day they are to be seen gronped together reclining on the plots of grass about the hotels, into which they occasionally go to allay their thirst, and drown sorrow by engulfing enormous quantities of Colonial beer. When not drinking they usually employ their time yarning about the good old times that were ere free immigration came into existence, and of the hardships and privations they have since endured. Of course, Sir Julius comes in for no small amount of their contempt, and now and again are to be heard dreadful threats uttered against the "new chums" should they work for inferior wages. At night the majority of them seek refuge in empty lofts, stables, and other uncouth places wherein to rest their weary limbs and dream of happier days. Our hotelkeepers also deserve a passing notice. They are now doing an extensive business at present, and are in raptures over the favorable signs of the coming harvest. They are daily seen promenading the verandahs of their respective hotels, stopj>ing sometimes to count their money or to welcome a poor victim who, they know, has got a cheque, and, with a sweet angelic smile, asks him in to drink. The harvest is not coming in so soon as was expected. I believe it is owing chiefly to the inclemency of the late weather. However, under favorable conditions, harvesting should be in full swing about the end of the week.

The last Financial Statement of the Colony of Tasmania states that it is contemplated to raise L 16,000 by levying a tax of 3d per gallon on colonial beer, which it is proposed to collect on the American system, by means of stamps. A letter in the Lyttelton Times discusses the causes of the Irish famine in the following intelligent manner:—"On the coast, also, matters are in the same condition (failure of all crops and the supply of turf), this being partly owing to the decline in the employment of kelp-burning. In other parts of the provinces much of the distress is due to the reduction in prices obtained for cattle and pigs, and to the farmers being deeply in debt to the money-lenders and shopkeepers, and to the stoppage of their credit. With the view of ascertaining the present rate of expenditure in the several unions in Ireland, the Board directed the union clerks to furnish the usual annual statement on this subject, at as early a date as possible. The returns have been received from 45 unions, and in 11 the expenditure in the year ended the 29th ultimo amounted to 3s in the £ and upwards—viz., four unions in which the expenditure lias been over 3s in the £ but under 3s 6d; three unions in which the expenditure has been 3s Gd in the £ or upwards, but under 4s; three unions in which the expenditure had been over 4s. The expenditure was highest in Belmulle Union, where it amounted to 4s 5Jd in the on a valuation of L 10,952. The increased expenditure was no doubt caused by the additional numbers receiving relief, the numbers relieved in the first week of October, 1878, being 73,724, and in the first week of October, 1879, 84,239, and excess of 7515. The percentage of increase has been greatest in Ulster and least in Leinster." The depth of water in the gorge below the Niagara Falls has just been measured for the first time. The swiftness of the stream has baffled all previous efforts, but a corps of Government engineers accomplished the feat. They embarked in a small boat not far below thefalls. An old guideaccompaniedtheparty. With great difficulty they approached within a short distance of the American falls, which darted great jpts of water on them. The roar was so terrible that no voice nor sound could be heard. The leadsman cast the lead, which rapidly went down to S3ft. This was near the shore. Passing out of the friendly eddy which had enabled them to get so near the falls, they shot rapidly down stream. The next cast of the lead told off 100 ft., deepening to 192 a little further down. The average depth to the Swift Drift, where the river suddenly becomes narrow with a velocity too great to be measured, is 153 ft. Just under tho lower bridge the whirlpool rapids set in, and so violently are the waters moved that they rise like ocean waves to the height of 20ft. At this point they computed the depth at 210 ft. The following letter lias been received by Mr. Joseph Arch in reply to a communication sent by him to the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., on the small farm system, in which Mr. Arch is a strong believer : '' Hawarden, November 13th.—Dear Sir, — In replying to yonr letter I must disclaim all pretentious to authority on matters on agri-

cultural practice and arrangement. Under this reservation I am one of those who like to see, what I am glad to say we have here, a great variety in the size of holdings, and especially a liberal proportion of small or moderate holdings. I must not claim any merit in professing this opinion, for in the neighbourhood large farms, unless when in the hands of first-rate tenants, give us most trouble. But quite apart from this, I have always regretted the tendency, in some cases almost a mania, for absorbing small holdings by consolidation. During the present period of pressure I find the reports from a variety of quarters that the difficulty is felt most with the large farms; and I trust the distress may. produce, among other good fruits, a re-, turn to a better balanced judgment about the size of fanr.s, and may check all measures to a contrary effect. I hope it will also tend to strengthen the current of feeling favorable to such legislation as shall set the land free from present restraints. Nor can I abandon the hope of an era when we shall see a great extension of fruit, vegetable, and even flower culture as part of our agricultural system, with an increased demand for rural labour. —I am, dear sir, your faithful servant, W. E. Gladstone."

The Hawke's Bay Herald is rather sceptical about Dr. Hector's rain theory, namely, that the Gulf Stream which passes from the equatorial regions to the South of the Auckland Islands has changed its course, and passing through Cook Straits has enveloped the Colony. That journal says : Now, with all due deference to the scientific knowledge of Dr. Hector, we cannot but regard this new weather theory as somewhat far-fetched. This is not the first wet season we have had in Hawke's Bay, and are we to lay every exceptional year to the vagaries of a stream of water ? Besides, Southland, which in its normal state isunder water for 11 months out of the 12, is so dry this year that prayers for rain have been offered in the churches. There are many arguments which could be urged against D. Hector's new idea, but those brought forward in - support of his contention are not remarkable for strength. Surely, if the Gulf Stream had altered, as suggested the fact would have been observed by some of the numerous vessels trading along our coastr If there has really been a change in the currents round the island a new chart should be prepared, but before such a work is undertaken we should like to have some further information of Dr. Hector's latest weather theory. The Wellington Chronicle says : —"There is at present only one Minister in Wellington, namely, the Premier. The Hon. John Hall, like Atlas of old, is bearing the whole burden of the New Zealand world on his shoulders. Mr. Hall looks careworn and haggard, like a man who is greatly overworked. He is experiencing some of the disadvantages of ambition. He is shunning delights and living laborious ways. What a pity it is he is not a Liberal ?" The Rev. James Buller gives the following particulars respecting an ecclesiastical celebrity, in his "London Gossip":—"l met the Rev. S. Dunn at Mr. Salvage's, where I took tea with him. His name is well known in connection with the unhappy agitation of 1849. He is now an older, a wiser, and a better man. At the ripe age of 82 his ' natural force has not abated.' He often preaches twice on Sunday, with the vigour of a young man. His memory is remarkable. I was very much interested in his conversation, particularly so in that he knew so well many of our early missionaries. The late John Eaglestone was his junior colleague in Edinburgh. He read me a letter whieh|he received from him just before he set sail for Tasmania in IS3S. He can give personal recollections of Leigh, Lawry, Carvosso, Mansfield, Watkiu, Waterhouse, Cargill, Hunt, and many others. It was in 1814 that he joined the Methodist Society. That was the year in which was first published an • Alphabetical List of Methodist Ministers.' He bought a copy, and has it still. There were 900 preachers at that date. From year to year he has ticked them off as they have died, and to-day there is only one remaining of that 900 !"