WAKATIPU.

Southland Times, Issue 1291, 9 August 1870, Page 2

WAKATIPU.

(FEOM OUE OWN COBBESPONDEtfTT.) .'; ' ; " ■■.' QiITBENSTOWir, AugUStl2. "Within the last week or so, municipal elections have beearall the rage. Queenstown went heavy into the contest, and her ratepayers hava. oeetl rewarded with a liberal assortment of patronage and promises. Other 'go'llffield townships have been similarly favored, so that latest advices" may be;: summed "lip in the one word' "great expectations." Speaking generally of the electoral returns, the qualifications of, the successful candidates are pretty much of the usua^stamp, viz., those who write vote with a double t, knd, thps^ (Fho. Nat n at -all. 3 Th? mode "'observed in despatching business by these conclaves is. now beginning to assume a alight resemblance to constitu : tional -form. ? The faintest, possible approach to parliamentary practice can "be detected, and the probability is that ere long they- will be enabled to take thenplace amongst representative institutions of a nobler- grade., f Their : motions and amendments have" to Be " made and seconded before being passed, and.. not more than two members are allowed to speak at once. ; : :lt is tcueithas their ideasi of a few of the more abstract forms of procedure-arebut: vague. ,73?0r- instance; an animated cliscussToh • took place some time ago ; in a council situated not a hun- : dred miles from 5 ; the Kawarau Junction,; ' which got so K6t that' a : "go in" became the fact being properly represented to the then-acting Mayor, he I -gravely observed, " all right, my lads j go j^on and 'have a 'wire 'in; 4 but stop" a moment ! before you. begin will .one of 'you move an adjournment for half an hour, that should give yo.u time to polish : each other pretty well ?" "An adjournf merit," remarked-one of the councjl^prs^ : " ! is hardly" necessary ; if you will just give, us a suspension of the standing orders, ; thafcwilFdo;" <^ AU right^hen," replied the accommodating Mayor"; and with that he let-drive: at the old town clerk, sending him and the minute book flying over the coal skuttle, where : report sayeth that they remained suspended until further orders. That is only one instance out of many that could be cited to prove the Otago municipal system a progressive one. ■ ■■ : The report of a vessel, the Esther Ann, having been wrecked at Martin's Bay, reached this place rather more than a week ago.-. It was brought in by a man who represented himself to have been one of her passengers, and,;, according to his own >account, immediately after the catastrophe he started overland from the bay. To ascertain the true facts of the case, a party of 'men were despatched last #e'ek en route for the scene^of the wreck. The weather since their departure^ has, been variable, still, hopes ar.e entertained that they would' be enabled to push through : without much-interruption,' in which case we may expect to -hear something authentic before long. Periodical communication , between this place and Martin's Bay is one. of the most desirable objects of the day, and your readers will be pleased to I learn that an effort will shortly be made itor' establish a postal service. ' • e ''From the usually well-conducted town . ;.of Clyde, rather a sensational item of intelligence has come to hand. The j fortnightly escort, it appears,' en route for Bunedin, makes a halt : at Clyde from ! Saturday night till Monday morning. Of course during the interval it remains under the charge n .of_the police. Last {Saturday two thousand odd ounces of gold :were deposited, and on Monday' morning; it was discovered that the whole amount ■ had -disappeared. - This speaks -wellfor the i vigilance of our police force, but until the • matter has-been further investigated, ii i would scarcely be fair to say- much more! « : Within the last L week 6r tWo a large number of Chinamen have come into the and the majority of them have 'set in to work abandoned gullies in the neighborhood. . ; The: inference is that John's patience has. become exhausted waiting upo%the fall of the; river, hence Ma. appearance thus early. From up toward- the head of the Lake, there is nothing new to report. The prospecting party have been fossicking about the head watera of the Dart for the last month or two, without any very decided result. The country is reported to be very rough — abrupt gullies with . overhanging cliffs, liable, more during frosts, to give way at any moment.- It is nevertheless satisfactory to- know that the -district is being explored.