LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 183, 10 August 1871, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On Tuesday, the Ist instant, the Rev. Mr. Menzies delivered his lectuie on Bitnynn, at Wetherstones. There was it good attendance. The magic lantern illustrations was well ,de- vscrilied by the reverend lecturer. The proceeds, which amounted to £1 13* 6.1. , were for the purchase jof_grizes for the children attending the Sunday School held at Wetherstonts. " What 'has- become, of -the Lawrence Brass Band?"-is»a question which has lately been fi-euuervtly asked. We believe it is defunct, and ["would recommend the Athenajum Committee to lose no- time in getting the insr.rument«~«e!— looted together. The Atbetiteuin Committee are responsible to the pußlwfToYflie safe custody.of^ the instruments, -wKen-no.b..ud exists. It may jiot be i known to every member o: the f present. Committee that 'the instvumenit used by the "LrtwrenW Brass' Band cost sorta wh3re,.'abau6i i A^SO^wh^ghjSum wa* I y the ■pubtic;; the instr amenta were then-formal y handedoverto^fJ§s||oNi" Committee, at a rfespansiblepiiblic body. ■ The public, tberef >re, will looks to Chat! "Coiinnittee for the si fety oori r the ! i.. , f .^-*ti L v i .icti'ii titmirv t

At the last' meeting of the Waste Lands Boaul an application from Messrs M'Kinlar and Herbert to purchase' sections 178 and lfl^olock 11., Tuapeka East, and held by them under agricultural. lease, was granted. Messrs Smith and Anderson appli- d that authority he given to Mr. C. T. Marie and another to enter and^ view .Mr. Holt's coal pit at Clyde. It was resolved that the mine be examined by a Government officer with his assistant, at the expense of 1 applicants' clieut, and that the officer report to the Waste Lands Board. Mr. Benjamin Washer o x - jected to the granting of a coal lease jat Welshninns to Mr. Caleb Dongee. The lease had always been grunted by the Board. It was stnted that the lease had been granted to Mr Dongee after full and due consideration, and after it hsul heen agieed to make a reduction i& the price of coal to 7s 6d per ton. FliOM advertisement it will be observed that Mr. Armstrong, surgeon-dentist, purposes being in Lawrence in a few days. As Mr. Armstrong will only remain here for a short time, those? ladies and gentlemen desirous of availing themselves of that gentleman's expeiience in thedental art should not lose this opportunity. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Town Council took place on Monday evening, when Messrs. Meyer and Walker took their seats — the former for Middle Ward and the latter for West Ward. The Mayor delivered an inaugural address, in the course of which he said that while regretting that the gokl fields had been ignored by the Provincial Council, he was pleased to think that Provincialism was on its last legs, and to be able to say that during the ensuing sitting of the Assembly, piessure would be brought to bear in order to initiate measure* for the general adoption of the County system. This being done, he trusted to see Lawrence made the centre of a large district, when, instead of the impassable quaginiies at present existing, we should have good substantial roads,, and enjoy general prospeuty. Several lettera and accounts having been disposed of, a letter fioin Mr. Jeffery, stating that the road linebetween his property a:ul that of the hospital had been closed, was referred to the Publia Works Committee. A petition from certain residents in Ross Place was received, the Clerk being instructed to forward it to Government. The various Committees having been appointed, it was agreed to advertise for Assessors, who in th' 'v applications were to state their terms, and to adjourn until Friday in order that th.fr Finance Committee might (resent a report of the financial pOrfitLm of ths Council, which would be a guide in fixing tht rate for the ensuing year. The Council adjourned accordingly. Gas was lit for the first tins svt Port Chalmers on Saturday, the sth inst. The agitation in favour of a rerinissdve Bill continues iv Welliugtou. The Pfcshytery have unariinously adopted a petition tothe Assemblyin favour of such a measure. Speaking of the usefulness of sea-gulls to. farmers, the " Taranaki Herald " sajs :— " Dur« ing the winter months, when the wither j>ermits the plough to be at woik, it might be ' noticed that the plough and harrow a-e invari. .ibly attended by a flock of sea-guils, \ho pick uptlitgiulis and worms. There is no doubt, Therefore, that this bird is a very usefulone to. the farmer in clearing the ground of tht»e ir.seots. The ' Auckland Weekly News,' referring to this subject, says :— * A pair of sea-gullsm » j.iideu will destroy more slugs and grubs t&u a hundred sparrows. We recommend everyoia who ha 3 a garden to obtain a few oea-gull v he young birds are readily captured, and thej onn most interesting pets. Unlike the magpie, they are not mischievous, and they never touch \ vegetable matter. They will live for years, and \ only require feeding during very, dry weather, adaptii g themselves thoroughly to their novel mode of life. They will keep all day after the spadesman, snapping up every grub and worm, «eeimng never too weary with the suppy of food. In the Horticultural G.irdens, Richmond Pmk, Victoria, these birds are found to tie very serviceable, and are a source of much interest to the visitors.' The way to tamo these birds is to get them when young, and by clipping their wings keep them from flying away. We have, however, heard of a better way, which is to get the sea-gull's eggs and hatch them under a hen with other chickens ; the sea-gull then becomes domesticated, we believe, and will never leave the place it has been reared on. These birds , would have to be fed on meat cut into small pieces, when worms were not obtainable." We scarcely take up a copy of the "Bruce Herald " but we find our contemporary blowing his own praise a hurricane. On this account, it is becoming quite nauseous to peiu&e the columns of that gigantic journal, which any pjrson, not better acquainted, would imagine was the only *' organ" heard in New Zealand. We would consider the subject beneath our notice if we thought the editor or proprietor's lenmrks about the immense (?) circulation of the " Herald " in the Waikaia district were not calculated to mislead those in authority in their selection- of an advertising medium for that distiict. - We have no. wish to ui«tgnify our proportions* in a similarly fulsome strain to that adopted by our contemporary, but we think that even he will admit that their are a TZYt copies of the Tvx&Eiix .TJMES circulated in the Waikaia district.' this' we do know, that we are Used to a large aifcount 'weekly in sending the Tdafjska Times over tb** part of the wwtry.* - -. ' r*"~THKRB waSj a very fair attendance at the Athenajuui Ee.ulii.gi ou Friday evening last, the. ' programme being, ad usual, an attractive one. " Tyu" great want of the colony," says the. »• Auckland. Morning News," "is a wholesome • public opinion, , There n js i j.ysrietly speaking, o« -pubUo-optßion-whatever. . Each, settlement bat • ■its o*<Ja'lMwling,,6f miileading, r views on colonial matters ; butJthere isfuo strong, clearly ex* the. colony, on any r ' broad question of polioy. This is a mitfor-

- The following .petition in favour of_a coutimi-- . atiou of the present system of education in Otago is being numerously signed, by patents and guardians in the Tuapeka district : — To the Hon. the Speaker and Members of the Geueral A&aemoiy* ; The petition of the undersigned parents and guardians of children accenting the public ajuuois ut the Proviuce of Ocago Humbly Sheweth, — That your petitioners* children have been enjoying for m.uiy yeiu-s the inestimable blessing Ot ii ttioroughly souad, liiteral. ami moral education, under .eh.; t-xisGiujj uatio.ial systtem ot'e.lucatiou. That your petniuue s, altnougli bclo.iging to vanoita tieuuuii>iatio<», have never hail any cause ui'_sha<li>iv or tor uouij>.'ainc, aiul Uo not believe thnt tlieie \v.n> been tha i«. u\oc«acv\c\e\npi at any teaching uisecnoian ikocr times peculiar t» any outs eiiuiii'j. in the public Echoola or Outgo, 'jliut jour peciDioiiKcs would stivngty oppose any acteiupc ty alter the present national by^iuiii or rducauou into h (leuomuiational, one. us such v cuurae would iriagre-.t measuie destroy ilie eiHoiency of the existing schools ; would preveuD c.tepoasiiti ity ot suhuoU being uiaiiibimed in outlying disci lets, ami would ;>e calculated to coatiuue iv the rising generation disseusioas ami ditfereuces on purely cectanau grounds, thus preventing co a great ex teut tlio cultivation ot wliac ougut to l>e aimed at— the estublUhmeut of one grand feeluig uf New Zealuud naHo.iiiliiy. Your petnioiiera would a. so oppose suu.i a charge, as it would >>c a retrograde step iv legislation, the universal tendency being lit ail rice cuuufciies to ailvatice towards a national system or education, and they would point to tiie tacC that even Great Britain is fast emerging tiom the tiHimneis o sectH.ianism to » oyswiu of educatiou situi.ar to that already established iv Otago.

May it therefore please your Honorable House, that in pass.itig any educational measure you will preserve iiftacc to tins Province of Uwgo the education system as at pieseut established. And your petitioners will ever pr<*y.

Parents and guardians representing 203 children who attend the Lawrence Gram mar School have signed thu petition, aad 33 parents aud guardians representing 131 children have signed the petition in Wetherdtoae3 aloae. We have not received the returns from the Blue Spur aud Waitahuna, but we have no doubt there will be a similar response. Tha people of Otago as a rule *re well sntiUacd with cho Hvabem of eilucatvui they already posies^, aad are coateat to "let well alone. "'

It will be observe.l in our advertisement columns that a meeting of Rjui vi C itho'.ics will be held at the Cicholio C.mwli, Ltvneuce. oa Sunday, the 13^hiusfc , as 11 o'clock, a.m. The subject to be considered is Catholic education.

We have to ac'tnowled^e the receipt of a copy of Mr. Culd well's Eepoitcf die Dune.lin G;iol for the past twelve months. The report is a very interesting one. After giving the statistics of the gaol, Mr. CUldwell iuduljei in the fallowing moralising strain on a questio.i which has been considered debatable, although tlut gentleman's experience oujhfc to have no little weight in deciding it. "' We have," he writes, "no evidence that education, as commonly un de i .s:ood, is a prevention to crime. Thos>e perpetually reiterated newspaper paragraphs, in which the ratios of instructed to uninstmcted .prisoaew are so triu uphi.itly state I, prove jusnothing. Before a;iy inference can be drawn, it must be shown that those instructed aiid uni'istmcted prisoners comef.oiu two equ.tl sectio-is -of society - alike in all other respeocs butthah .of knowledge. So far, in lead, from proving that mora ioy is incie.ise.l by educatiun, tht» ! fact 3 prove, if anything, the reverse. Thus we" are told in the reports of the prisons in Great Britain, Ireland, United and Continental States tiwt thft lJtdpivtiosi huvae by the eilntafced kc ' the urre Incite. l noiviots h fully as high' as that which 'exists between the educated and the uneducated classes in the general population. Where the c'la -aoter is defeativi*. intellect — no matter Jionr hia;h— fails to regulate right'y. bedesires falsify its estimates. Nay, «yea a distinct foresight of evil conse•quences will not restrain, when strong jiassions are at work, flow else loes it happen that men will get drunk ? th-iugh they know .li milieuness will eatail ou them suSfecing and disgrace, and, as with >fche poo>-, eveii staivutioa. How «lse 13 it tliat medical students, who know the diseases brou-,'hi oa by dissolute living better than other young raev\, are just as reckless and «ve:i more r.'i'dess;? How elae is ie that the profesnonal thief who his beaa ia Gaol a ilozjii 4ime3 will 3teal ag.iin as soon a3 ha ia at liberty ? How is it that pejple who^h ive all their lives been taught Christianity will not l>eha.ve as Christians, though they boiiovesthat dire penalties are entailed by behaving j otherwise ? Is there some, parallel hetweei the habitual criminal and - the- kabitUl drulnkar.l so that

«rime becomes an omnipotent? passion wbich must indulge itself, at whatever'risk of secsn and dreadful consequences."

An interesting ceremony took place at the Presbyteriau Church, Lawrence, on Sunday, 'being no loss than -the*'bapti3'Qipf l two Ckineso. the first Celestial cqil verts in this district flince Mr. Paul Ah Glim commenced his labours Among bis countrymen. / i We are infovmed tfeat'thi^O.P.Q Reef Co., "Waijmri, have agree.l to -crush' some stone from >the new reef lately dissoverel at the Lammerlinv Creek, bo we hojie to be able to atate tJUe result of the crushing. - We .pr* informed thsit Mr. George Bailey, of ' .Switzars, »t t&e request^of 'a fe*r lof his friends '* ' willgive an ' enfovtitiument 6\v behalf of the* funds TJf the .Church of BnglanTl, in Lawcence,' ( J .©nJTiiurs^ay n^ilj. . .^rp.B, thp f *erv sucoeufuC \ . . Sir. Bailejj dfiPerSrlithe Tuajie'ta. f.^residentay^pme /years,. ggn, yre ;bpv'd no doubt - on this.octfasivn' there witl'be & large attend■ance. sFurther particulars will be du'y noti&ed. A Blue correspondent, writing on ,tbe 7th"in«it^nt,isa}!s:-- > '01(J Johin ©my's hanTtz . reef last week caraea asreat sens* tion amount mjnera here.^ presejit.hiin , .*" anjin-; visible reef." The tide of Chinese immigration seems to liave fairly set in towards our shores. 478 of those interesting beatbens arrivdd at Duaedin on Monday from Hong Kong, and ate to be followed in About three weeks by another swarm.

?. On Wednesday, the 3rd inst., says the "Daily Times," two men, named respectively George H. Hill »iid William M 'Donald, both miners, residing near the head of the Poinahaka, left for the purpose of fetching a couple of goats from Moa Fiat, and had to cross the crown of Mount Benger for that ]>uri>ose. After procuring the goats, they started to return home, and had leached a plpce called Bullock .Creek, near the top of the range, when they were overtaken by a fearf il snow stoim/ M'Donald, being much exhausted, requested his mate to go ahead, ami said that by the time lie had got the Lilly boiled he would reach home, the distance beins only about thiee in ties. Hill aceovtlingly sturketl, it being rather late in the afternoon, but did not reach bis hut until about five o'clock next morning, having had to encounter the fierce storm which was raging at tut* time. Shortly afterwards, M 'Donald not making his appearance. Hill, accompanied by some of the neighbours, started at daylight to search on the» ranges foi the missing man, whom they found leaning against a rock, about a hundred yards distant fiom the place where Hill had left him the previous evening. When found. M 'Donald Was in a most pitiable sUte, being so benumbed with cold as to have lost all power of motion, ami be was also delirious. With cousiilerab'e difficulty the parties who found him managed to get him to a house near the Teviot, where proper restoratives were applied, and we understand that h* is now slowly recovering. Had he remained another hour or so on the ranges, he must have perished.

The " Daily Times " calls the attention of the Dunedin temperance societies to the extraordinary fact that no (huiikimls have been brought up at thu Mayor's Court for a whole week.

We learn, with great satisfaction, that Serge tfit- Major Moore has i.e^n promoted bo the office of Sub-Inspector of Po!ic9. Seldom have the Government made <x more worthy choic. Although Mr. Moore has not bee 1 l>ng a resident it) 1 v ipeka, he has earned the es eem of one a:id all, and hi 3 energetic and faithful services in the forcj highly entitle him to the position to wh.cu he has ben promote I. The "Daly Times," of list evening, refe:ring t-i Sergeant.Vlajor Mooro'a promotion, mites :— "We Irani with much pleasurd tiiafc Serjeant I'h <m,is m "and ."er-.ea it- Major M -ore haie oeju promo c I to thj ruiii of SubInspector. The->e oifiuera, wh • previous t> promoio.i, were the senior ssr^eaars of the Ota^o Force, have f>r many yeaw past perforated ver^ ard ions and trying duties, b >th in the city anil on the i^oldtields B -ta have ha>l a long experience <>f the w.>r.c re-ju rod to bj done by the police, botu in town a id country, and on jaooft duDv. They liave morj rjca ltly hid the discharge of re .p OMib'e dities. whi-.'h s!io ild m <va pr 'perly have been lil'ed by olfio >rs of thi r.m.c to \v\ue!i t ley are now raised. Taere caa bd little doub*", frmi tlu satisfactory way in which r,hiv' hivj discharged their du:.ies, and from the r large exi)eiience of police du*y, acquired in the Homo couitry, Victoria, md iiare, t lat tiny .u\j w -11 qua'itid I f »r t.id positions th-'y now till. I hoy havtwen neuly ten yeirs in t.ie Ougo Fore*, bef >ie j mrinjf which tliey redignei their a )|jointmen's in the Victoriaii "Foice to cake service here."