LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 128, 21 July 1870, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The English ifail via San Francisco is due in Lawrence this evening. The Athenaeum Readings come off this evening, A good programme is prepared. The nomination of Councillors for the Municipality of Lawrence takes place ou Saturday at noon. The English Mail via San Francisco closes at the Post-office, Lawrence, ou Friday, the 29fch instant. Mb. Geobge Morison has commenced coal mining operations in Lawrence on the ground he has leased from the Government. This evening the first meeting of the Wetherstones Debating Society will be held. Phrenology is the subject selected for discussion. In mentioning the ladies who supplied tables at the Presbyterian Church soiree, we inadveitently omitted Mrs. M'Beath and Mrs ilfitchell. It will be observed by advertisement that Mr. Keen will sell by auction, at the Commercial Assembly Booms on Saturday evening, the balance of Mr. Hopkins' library. Db. M'Lvuchlan and Mr. Kilgour, members of the Tapanui School Cominitte, examined the scholars of the local school under the tuition of Mr. Neish, and report great progress having been made by the pupils since the last examination, held about six months ago. Last evening the Collins Variety Troupe performed in the Commercial Assembly Boom to a mobt enthusiastic house. We cannot say more in their praise than what we heard from several persons who were present, which was this, that ie was the best two bob's worth they had got for a -long time. Nomination of candidates for the Board of TFardens must be made in wilting, addressed to the Chairman of the Board (Mr. G. F. C. Browne, Waitahuna), and must be signed by the proposer and seconder of the candidate, and must be forwarded to the Chairman on or before Tuesday next, the 26th day of July.

Mb. M'Leod Nioolsojt will sell town sections In Waipori to-day, in Lawrence on Monday, and Havelock on Tuesday next. i Mb. Richard Hebitage desires us to thank the public- of Tuapeka for the generous gift to him of a belL Mr. Docherty informs us that he collected the sum of £2 10s. Last week Mr. J. L. Gillies addressed his constituents at Tokomairiro. The vindication of his conduct, and the conduct of his associates in office with regard to the Otago Hundreds Act, ocoupies four columns in the ''Daily Times." Mr. Gillies's justification was complete, and appeared to be satisfactory to the meeting. On Saturday last a meeting of ratepayers was held in the Council Chambers, Lawrence, for the purpose of nominating candidates for the office of Mayor for the ensuing year. In the absence of the Mayor, Cr. Jlfears officiated as Chairman. The only candidate nominated was Mr. Horace Bastings, who was therefore declared duly elected. The memorial to the House of Representatives, from the agricultural leaseholders and others in the Tuapeka district will be forwarded to Wellington by the first mail. It i 3 nuiner. ously signed, and we trust will be productive of good results. The committee appointed to cany out the decision of the public meeting, have now performed the work appointed them. A Waipori correspondent sends us the follow* j ing : — The Collins Variety Troupe made their fiist appearance at the Oddfellows' Hall, Waipori, on Saturday evening to a full hall. The character singing of Miss Rowland is of the first order, and brought down the house. The clog dancing of Mr. Collins is superior to anything yet seen in the province ; and the " Young American's" juggling and acrobatic feats are wonderful. The whole entertainment is certainly the best we have had in the district, and was most deservedly loudly applauded, A cobbespondent sends us the following :—: — "The mouldy bachelors of TTethorstones are like men suffering a recovery after a long bout of sea sickness. They are just able to walk by themselves without the support of the old married women who have been nursing them. They call themselves select, and yet they have prepared a code of laws against using profane language and Black Horse beer. One of the mouldies the other night committed himself, and was fined half-a-crown because he would not conform to the rules. The word ' select ' applies very badly to this body of mouldies." THE Waikaka Water Race was formally opened on Saturday, the Kth inst. A larga number of people were invited to be present, both from Switzers and Tapanui, and iv spite of the very unpropitious state of the weather, nearly all accepted the invitation. The r«vce was christened by Mrs. M'Vicar, " The Great Waikaka Water Race," in a very appropriate manner. After the ceremony was over, tho large gathering sat down to a sumptuous repast, provided by the company. Many toasts were proposed, the chief one being " Success to tlw Race Company." Further particulars will appear in a future issue. The following resolutions were unanimously adopted at a public meeting held in Tokomairiro last week :— 1. That this meeting has seen with great satisfaction that the member of Assembly for the district has introduced a Bill ,for the repeal of the Otago Hundreds Regulation Act ; that this meeting cordially approves of the 61ject of the Bill, and trusts Mr. Brown will be successful in getting it carried through, so that the distracting excitement which the Acfc created and has kept up between the different classes of the community may cease, and settlement throughout the province be again resumed. 2. That the chairman be instructed to forward a copy of the foregoing resolution to Mr. Brown, and also to Mr. ilfacandrew. The following Napier telegrams, of the 15th inst., are from the " Daily Times " : — Information was received yesterday that Lamplough, the mail carrier to Wairoa, had been found dead on the beach, 14 miles from here. An inquest was held on the body to-day, when the jury leturned a verdict of "Found drowned,' together with the following rider : — '" There i.s no direct evidence to show how the deceased met his death ; but the fact of the coat, waistcoat, and shirt being off, and the trousers pockets turned inside out, gives to the jurygrave suspicions that his death was caused by the violent act of some person or peisons unknown."—Tongarivo is still sending foitk streams of flame and lava. A report from ii; was heard at the Bay of Plenty, 150 miles oil. — Great excitement prevails in regard to tha financial policy of ths Government, which people here are auxious to see carried out. It is intended to hold a public meeting to consider the subject. The person described by our Teviot correspondent last week as an " Old Soldier," and who had managed to get two parties convicted of sly-grog selling, has found his way to Lawrence, and we believe lodged information against several parties in Lawrence, and its neighbourhood. A rather sensational occurrence took place in Ross Place the other day between the "Old Soldier" and one of our townsmen. The veteran said to him, " Can you tell me the way to so and so ?" The answer given by our townsman, whose friend had been summoned at the instigation of this old individual, was ! anything but parliamentary, and ended as follows :—" I've a good mind to give you a good horsewhipping," lifting his riding whip as ho spoke. The " Old Soldier," under the hallucination, we suppose, that he was on the battle^ field, quietly unbuttoned his coat, and produced sa revolver, at same time remarking, "You had better not — I'm on Her ilfajesty's service." We should like very well to known if this "Old Soldier," who is making a, raid on the sly-grog sellers, is authorised by the Government to enforce the law in this manner. A bullet would be rather an uncomfortable exchange tor a, horsewhipping. Speaking for ourselves W9 would prefer tb,e latter,

The quarterly meeting of subscribers to the Tuapeka Hospital was held iv the Assembly Boom on Tuesday evening. The meeting consisted of the president (Mr. Bastings) and the following members of committee, viz., Messrs. Abel, Herbert, Harrop, and Drs. Stewart and Halley, In the absence of the secretary, the president read the minutes of the last quarterly meeting, which were confirmed. He then submitted the quarterly balance sheet, which showed receipts including subsidy, paying patients, and subscriptions, to the amount of £588 10s, and expenditure to the amount of £522 13s lOd, The chairman said it might be remarked that the expenditure for the quarter was very large, but it must be remembered that about £115 of the amount had been expended on works of permanent improvement, such as the addition to the Surgen's residence, &c. The subsidy account showed a balance of £319 4s due by the Government on the Ist of this month. The balance sheet was then received and adopted, after which the meeting broke up. The Collins Variety Troupe performed in the Sportsman's Arms, Wetherstones on Tuesday night, and although the audience was rather limited, the programme was gone through with great spirit. Miss Eowland, in her charaoter songs, fairly brought down the house, and in the after piece, entitled " Biddy O'Trot," she convulsed the audience with laughter. Mr. Collins step dancing is inimitable, as are also his darkie representations. Mr Beeves sang several songs, accompanying himself on the guitar, which were well appreciated. "Young America'" was advertised on the programme, but unfortunately as he was coming with the troupe from Waipori, he met with an accident. It seems the coach in which he was riding was coming down a hill, when the off wheels went into a rut and threw him off, the wheels passing over him. We are glad to learn that this really clever lad has no bones broken. The troupe will perform at Bastings Assembly Booms to-night, when we trust there will be a good audience.