The Oamaru Mail FRIDAY, MAY 7, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1274, 7 May 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail FRIDAY, MAY 7, 1880.

Only six electors responded to the advertisement calling a meeting of Mr. D. Sutherland's supporters for this afternoon, at the Criterion Hotel, and no business was transacted. The time for which it was called (2 o'clock), the coursing meeting, and the sale at Mr. Orr's, no doubt militated against the attendance.

A requisition is being signed in Hampden asking Mr. Jones to offer himself for election to the vacant seat for the representation of Waitaki.

In response to an advertisement calling a meeting of the supporters of the Liberal electors of this constituency, about 25 persons assembled in a room in the Empire Hotel last evening. Mr. Hislop was voted to the chair. The business of the meeting was to choose a candidate for the seat rendered vacant through Mr. Hislop's retirement. Mr. Wansbrough proposed, and Mr. Atkinson seconded, that Mr. Jones should be the candidate. Mr. M'Dowell proposed, and Mr. Atkinson seconded, that Mr. Roberts should be the candidate. The show of hands was in Mr. Jones' favor.

The monthly meeting of the Waitaki Branch of the Educational Institute will be held on Saturday next, at one o'clock p.m. The Taiaroa sailed from Wellington for Lyttelton with the San Francisco mail at 11 a.m. to-day. The Oamaru portion will arrive by to-morrow's express from the north. There will be no afternoon delivery by carriers, but the office will be open till S p.m.

The monthly meeting of the Athenreum Committee was held last evening in the Library of the Athenreum. The following members were present: —Messrs. Forrester (in the chair), Fidler, Garrow, Greenfield, Hassell (jun), Headland, Kidd, Loring, and Peattie, and the Secretary, Mr. Williamson, The minutes of last meeting having been read and confirmed, a letter was read from the Secretary to the Education Board, asking for particulars re amount of donations (L 525 Os 6d) received by the Library Committee during 1579. Particulars had since ■been forwarded to the Education Office. A letter was read from the Librarian (Mr. H. Bichmond) calling attention to his services, stating that his salary for last year amounted to only LlO5 15s, and respectfully asking for a moderate increase. The Secretary stated, in reply to a question, that the subscriptions for last year had been Ll3O. It was suggested that Mr. Hislop be consulted, and it was resolved that Mr. Richmond's letter be referred to a committee consisting of Messrs. Hassel, Headland, Greenfield, and Peattie, to consult Mr. Hislop with reference to Mr. Richmond's salary, and to report at the n6xt meeting. Mr. Wheeler, late of the Oamaru Telecraph Office, had sent in a notice of his resignation as a member of the Committee and the Secretary stated that Mr. Robert L. Rule had been elected to fill Mr. Wheeler's place. A small account having been passed for payment, the meeting adjourned. The Hampden Borough Council held its usual monthly meeting on Monday evening, when there were present—The Mayor and Councillors Campbell, Dorreen, Douglas, Murcott, Peach, Watkins, and Weir, The minutes of last meeting were read and con.firmed. A letter was read from the Resident Engineer, Oamarn, granting permission to the Council to remove gravel from Shrews-bury-street, near the Railway-station. It was proposed by Councillor Peach, and seconded by Councillor Watkins, " That the Mayor be requested to attend the sitting of the Assessment Court of the Borough of Hampden, on the 12th instant, on behalf of the Council." It was proposed by Councillor Dorreen, and seconded by Counpijlor Watkins, "That the Finance Committee be empowered to employ legal service, if required, to protect the interests of the ratepayers of Hampden." Mr. J. M'Cormack, contractor, made application for an advance of LI 5, which- wag granted. It was also decided that the sum of 13 9s (advertising account), be paid to the Oamaru M»il. It was proposed by Councillor Dorreen, and seconded by Councillor Campbell, "That the Public Works Committee report at next meeting on the necessary works required to be done." The Town Clerk handed in his resignation, when it was proposed by Councillor Dorreen, and seconded by Councillor Murcott, " That it be accepted, subject to his giving three months' notice." Councillor Murcott proposed, and Councillor Weir seconded, "That applications for the office of Town Clerk, Collector, and Treasurer to the Council, be advertised for, applications to be sent in by next monthly meeting; and that the notice be advertised twice." The meeting then adjonrned.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court to.-day, before T. \Y. Parker, Esq., R.M., James Mills was charged with stealing a horse, the property of one James Roddick, and was remanded to Temuka, where the alleged offence was said to have been committed.

The Auckland correspondent of the Otago Daily Times wires as follows:—" The Central Committee have been in session today, making arrangements for Sir George Grey's meeting on Tuesday.—Mr. Seymour George, M.H.R., left by thes.s. Ringarooma for the south, to visit Dunedin and Christchurch, to soand the political feeling of the constituencies."

The Sydney Morning Herald's Loudon correspondent says : —" In addition to the engagements of which I informed you a fortnight ago, Mr, Lillywhite has arranged matches between the Australian team and the gentlemen of Hampshire on May 13, 14, 15, at Southampton; with a Keighley (Yorkshire) Club on May 31 and June 1 and 2; with a team of eighteen at Birmingham on June 21, 22, and 33; and with eighteen Northamptonshire cricketers, at Northampton, on -4. 2-1, r.r.'l ~Q/'

The Saturday Advertiser commenced a new tale entitled " Eustace Egremont' in last week's issue. In writing in this week s issue regarding it, it says : —"As this very interesting tale will run through about three j months, new subscribers are* informed that j they can procure copies of last week's num- j ber of the paper, in which the story is com- j menced, by applying at our Princes-street j office. As only a limited number of papers are left, early application is recommended to those who wish to complete the tale. 'Eustace Egremont' was originally purchased from the author by the enterprising proprietors of the Sydney Mail; and the copyright having reverted to the author, the proprietors of the Saturday Advertiser have secured the sole right of publishing it in New Zealand.

Yet another scourge has visited Holy Russia. A letter from St. Petersburg to the Temps says that the news received from the interior of Russia Empire is heartrending. Famine and diphtheria are decimating the population. The provinces of Saratof and Kief, which annually export enormous quantities of grain, scarcely had any crop at last year. The calamity is aggravated by the want of fodder for the cattle, the peasants being forced to sell them at any price. In the Caucasusthe famine is still greater. Here people are committing suicide, selling their children, and other extreme measures to stave off starvar tion.

The comparative serenity which cjiar&c. tenses meetings of the Caversham Council was (says the Dunedin Herald) disturbed last evening. Mr. James M'lndoe, who acts as auditor to the Council, presented a report, which was disputed and commented upon by the Mayor. Mr. M'lndoe then called the Mayor a liar, and His Worship sent for a policeman to remove Mr, M'Tndoe. A special constable was at hand, however, in the person of Mr. Calder, the colossal Councillor, who rose from his seat and "ran" Mr. M'lndoe out of the building. A little later, a policeman appeared in the hall, but his services were not required, and the Mayor having thanked him for his attendance, he retired.

The Catholic community in general, and Children of Mary in particular, -will be pleased to learn that, permission having been obtained from the Mother House, there will soon appear in English a "History of the Miraculous Medal," by M. Aladel, an interesting extract from which was in our columns a few weeks ago. The accompanying life of Sister CatherineLaboure, the Daughter of Charity to whom the vision of the Immaculate Conception medal was revealed, is replete with interest, and so are the many well-authenticated facts attesting the efficacy of the medal as an instrument in bringing about many wonderful cures and conversions, No sodality or association of the Children.of Mary should be without this forthcoming Mirror.

The Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times wires that fl the Ministerial measures are still in active prepara? tion. some twenty or thirty Bills being in the printer's hands. These include several consolidating Bills, and some which were carried through last session for want of time. These latter include the Regulation of Elections, Election Petitions and Corrupt Practices Bill. I hear that the Hospital and Charitable Aid Bill of last session will be reintroduced in a slightly amended shape, as suggested by the exPremier, This measure is understood to be now under the careful consideration of the Cabinet. I understand, also, that a new Licensing Bill is in preparation—a very bulky aSair of some 230 clauses. The exact provisions have not yet transpired, but I hear on good authority that the principle of local option will be applied to new licenses only, and not to ol i ones, so as to avoid interference with vested rights and interests on the one hand, and escaping the compensation difficulty on the other. Jt is reported, algo, that a new Representation Bill is being prepared, proyjding for the readjustment of representation, not a re-distribution of seats on the sole basis of population, but taking into consideration the various other circumstances inseparably associated with the question of just r.epreseptat on. lam told that copious returns of population, &c., are under compilation for the purposes of this measure, with a view of rendering it as fair as possible, although, of course, it is not supposed or hoped that everyone can be satisfied." The following passage occurs in a letter frojn Messrs. Kincaid and M'Queen to the National Industrial Association :—We have often been surprised to hear the question asked, can locomotives be made here ? As a proof that they can, we have only to refer to the larger and more difficult mechanical undertakings which have been successfully executed by some of the firms in the chief towns of the Colony. As we presume that others in siipilar lines of business as ourselves have been requested to furnish you with what information they can in connection with their own experience, we will confine our jremarks principally to works which have been SHGQessjfully undertaken by our firm during the last few years. As an instance of the capacity of our local industries for the accomplishment of works of some magnitude we may mention the 40-ton travelling crane at Oamaru, constructed by our firm to the order of the Oamaru Harbor Board. This crane is self-acting in all the motions of travelling, slewing, and hoisting and is all under the control Qf que man. The crane is constantly and successfully employed laying ponderous concrete blocks for the formation of the Oamaru breakwater. The success of this, one of our early achievments (it was made some few years ago), has induced the Board to favor us since with jnany large orders for cranes and other machinery, and have manifested their appreciation of the quality and suitability of the work supplied.