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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1245, 14 April 1880, Page 2

We are told in a telegram from Wellington that "the Government steamer Stella will leave on a trip to the Southern Lighthouse to-morrow. After visiting Paysegur Point, she will proceed to the Auckland Islands" to relieve sellers reported to be cast away there. This appears to be a cool proceeding. If it were necessary that the two first-mentioned visits should be made, why not get soine other steamer to perform the service, or some other steamer to go to the Auckland Islands whilst the Stella did it. For aught the Government knows, the rumour that men have been cast upon these Islands may be correct. The balance of evidence and probability is strongly in favor of such a supposition. If they are on the island, we need not say that the arrival of relief a day earlier might save them from death through starvation. Who has the ordering of these things ? The inward San Francisco mail is expected to arrive by special train from Christchurch to-night about 10 o'clock. The Railway Commission were expected to arrive at Palmerston to-day or to morrow, and will probably be here on the 17th or ISth, If there are any railway matters that the public 'wish to bring before the Commission now is tho time for making arrangements to do so.

Mails for the Australian Colonies, per Rotomahana, "will close at the Bluff at 11.30 a.m. on Friday, 16th inst. A number of slight alterations in the departure of trains have been made to take effect to-morrow. The particulars can be ascertained by a reference to our advertising columns. Information has been received that the uniforms for No. 1 Company's Band have been shipped on board the Orient line steamer Sorata, which was to leave London for Melbourne on the ISth February. It is therefore tolerably certain that they will reach Oamaru in a fortnight. The anniversary soiree of the Wesleyan Church will be held this evening in the Volunteer Hall, Tea will be on the tables at half-past 6 o'clock, and after the tables have been cleared away there will be a public meeting, at which addresses will be delivered by a number of clergymen. In consequence of the Volunteer Hall being otherwise engaged this evening, the weekly practice of the f'hilharmonic Society has been postponed until Friday evening. In order not to clash with the Philharmonic Society's practice, the practice of the Oamara Rifles Band announced to take place on Friday evening will be held to-morrow evening.

John M'Laren, the stump orator and " working man's friend," who for some time was a noisy agitator in Wellington andDunedin, has got into trouble in Victoria, having been sentenced to four years' imprisonment for housebreaking. It will be remembered that some time ago M'Laren gave a "lecture" in Oamaru, but he was not ji success here. For the last ten years he has done nothing but prate of the wrongs imposed on working men, but during the whole of that time he has never been known to do a day's hard work, always depending upon some gentle swindle for a livelihood. The annual general meeting of the Oamaru Mutual Benefit Building Society was held last evening at the office of Mr. Sumpier. Mr. A. J. S. Headland occupied the chair, and there was a very fair attendance of members. The annual report and balancesheet were read and adopted. The reportrecommended that the full profits should be paid to withdrawing shareholders by way of bonus, amounting to L 9 14s 9d, or equal to L 25 14s 9d per share. The balance-sheet disclosed the fact that the Society would be in a position to close its accounts at the end of the present year. Mesgrs. H. Aitken, W. C. Baudinet, T. Fairley, A. J. S. Headland, and T. Smith were elected members of the Committee for the ensuing year, and the meeting terminated. The Monthly Meeting of the Waitaki Road Board was held yesterday, when there were present:—Messrs. Duncan (in the Chair),

Johnston, Dennison, Snmpter, Borrie, Smillie, and Schluter. The minutes of last meeting having been read and confirmed, a letter was read from the Treasury notifying the payment of L 374 Os Pd subsidy. A second letter from the same source conveyed the information that although forms of application for the next subsidy had been forwarded, it was not to be taken as an indication that any provision would be made for the payment of pny fiirther subsidy. A letter was read from the Union Bank of Australia, giving notice of its intention to terminate the present arrangements, by which interest is paid on current accounts, from 18th September next. Consideration pf the letter was deferred till the next meeting of tjje Board. Messrs. T. and J. Jardine wrote with reference to a crossing on the road-line in section 13, block 2, Awamoko district, to admit of cattle being driven along the road. The matter was referred to Messrs. Johnston and flail and the Engineer, to furnish a report jn QOijiieptipn with the deviation and continuation of this rosd tp the road-line between sections 11 and 12, on tji<3 game block. Mr. John Locke was reappointed auditor. Tenders were then opened for contract 84, for the formation of the road-line from Gibson's to Peebles, and that of D. Heron, for L'}2 133 was accepted. The rate of wai-'j.-s for diiympn on the Board's works from the end of the present month was fixed at I** per day. 4-ccounts t> the amqunt of f/2S 14s wove tjien passed for payment, and with a vote of thanks to the chair tlie meeting terminated, A correspondent afcSfc Petersburg, wpiting to tiic Pall Mall Gazette, says:—"The Commission appointed to consider RearAdmiral Tehikatchett's plan for a reorganisation of the Russian navy, reported in favor of the following proposals t—l. Disr armament and sale of such ships found to be useless for service. 2. Disarmament of such ships as may still be used for purposes of iJeiVincc, and which should therefore be retained. 3. Redaction of the personnel from 29,000 to 17,000 men, 4, All ships which arc seaworthy and capable of beii)g employed as cruisers to remain at sc» for o, whole year; training uhips arc tp reipain at sea from four to six months, 6, JnimccJiatH?

abolition-iof{<iertain- cditimarid3 on the coast. 6. Establishment of a feM census of age for each rank. of affixed maximum of ,j?ge for active service. 8. All officers now;: on to remain so-. Sihtirthey are"able to obtain thlirpresenifpay in the shape of pension. -It is calculated that by the above measures upwards of 7,000,000 roubles would- be-saved; and it is-proposed*-to-apply this; amount to the building-:of ■' new ships. The scheme .is t'o'come into effect,' if approved by the Grand Duke the 'Admiral-in-Chief, on January: Ist, 1881." -V r- .**• The "Lancet is" often very good "reading, even to the folks who have nothing the matter with them, and are not looking for a "parallel case." The last number describes a gentleman who swallowed his false teeth, and felt them in the pharynz (wherever that is; 'my own medical knowledge ends with the larynz). A doctor was sent for, who introduced a probang, which touched the teeth, so the patient said, but he was afraid to proceed to extremities with that instrument, because they were described to hjm as " a complete set of molars," He then " bent a l(Mnoh military silver probe, and tried to liook the teeth up." but the spasms of the larynz were too severe, and the secretions from the pharynz so excessive, that these dredging operations had to be suspended. The patient began to get in extremis; so presently doctor was telegraphed for, who found the missing teeth on the top of a chest of drawers. This gentleman, reporting on the matter, very justly observes that this curious effect of imagination upon a strong and healthy man throws light on many a case of supposed hydrophobia, Adelina Patti, on her recent arrival at at Dresden, was met at the railway station by a party of her admirers. Their spokesman, a general, handed her a beautiful bouquet, and was about to deliver an address, when the impressario of the prima donna approached him, and said : —Your EJxcelr lency, please postpone the agreeable task of addressing Madam, for in this draught she may easily catch a dreadful cold in the head, and every such accident costs me 15,000 marks."