LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 211, 15 February 1872, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Is compliance with a requisition, the Mayor has convened a public ineetiug, for the purpose of impressing on Mr. Reeves the expediency of at once commencing the construction of the railway from Tokovnairiro to Tuapeka. The meeting is to be held in the Council Chambers, Lawrence, at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, the 21st instant.

The sittings of the District Court com menced on Tuesday. We hold over our report of the proceedings till our next issue.

We direct attention to the extensive auction sale of horses, waggons, harness, &c, announced for Wednesday next, the 21st inst. Mr. Hay is the auctioneer. The sale will take place at Docherty's Hotel, Tuapeka Flat. Particulars will be found in our advertising columns.

The tender of Mr. George Morrison for makinjr alterations to the Lawrence Court House, to render it suitable for sittings of the'\Supreme Court, has been accepted. The alterations comprise the erection of a room and the putting up of a jury box. The amouut of the tender is £91.

Mr. R. W. Capstick will sell by public auction, on Tuesday nuxt, the 20th inst., at the Crown Hotel, Balclutha, spveral sections of laudl the property of Mr. W. A. Bews. ' The quarteily licensing meeting, will be held on the sth prox. Applications for licenses must be sent in 14 days before the meeting.

Mb. W. A. Mdrhat, of Glenore, has been appointed meniher for Otagb of the Colonial Industries Committee.

Several poundkeepers having failed to make their, returns, it is intimated in the Provincial *•" Gazette,". that the penalty of £20. imposed by the Impounding Ordinance, will be enforced if die returns are not made at once.

The building of the new Roman Catholic School, in Colonasy street, proceeds apace. On Thursday evening last, the whole of the framework and two of the walls, which had been previously put together were erected. A number of townsfolk assembled to witness the progress of erecting the framework and walls, and many of them, sinking denominational differences, volunteered their services to ex-, pedite tbe work.

The Minister of Public Works for the Middle Island, Mr. Keeves, the Superintendent, and the three Professors of the Dunedin University, recently visited Stewarts' Island and CatUns River, where it is con' templatod to establish special settlement.

Os both race nights at Balclutha, Messrs. Holly, O'Brien, and Cowle, performed to good houses. -.

The memorial to the Governor re the aale of land on . Moa Flat to Clarke, w being exten.sively signed in the Tuapeka district. •

The Seagull, which arrived at Port Chalmers last week from Hong Kong, brought liiO Chiv neso immigrants.

Thb Carrick Range Water Supply 00. has been floated without difficulty. All the shares have been applied for, and a meeting is tc- take place immediately fo,r the election of directors.

Bt our advertising columns it will be seen that Mr. C. W. Adams has been duly licensed as a surveyor under the Land Transfer Act, 1870. Dr. Halley has been appointed Medical Officer of the Loyal Waitahuna Lodgo, M.U.1.0.0.F. Thb Dunediu Corporation Cattle Sale Yards were formally opened on Wednesday, the 7th. instant. Tub township of Reef ton, situated at the Inangahua, contains a population of. 3000: A newspaper, to Be called the " Inangahua Herald," is to be published there immediately. THE Hon. Mr. Fox appears to be starring on the West Coast. 4. telegram in the Otago " Daily Times " states that a congratulatory address has been presented to Mr. Fox.' A do_ putation, headed by Mr. O'Coaor, M.H.R., waited upon him to complain of thp neglect of the district by the Nelson Government, and to' uigo the withdrawal of the Superintendent's powers and the separation of the district from Nelson as the only remedy.

We are informed that the Waipori Minors' Association have determined to lend their aid towards increasing the subscriptions to the Tuapeka Hospital. With this view they intend to canvass for and collect contributions, which they will hand to the resident member of the Hospital Committee.

By our advertising columns it will be seen that the Switzers Annual Races will tako place on the 14ch prox.

The opening services of the newly-erected Wesleyao Church, Roxburgh, will take place on Sunday next, the 38th inst, when two sermons will be delivered by the Rev \V. H. Beck : in the morning at 11 o'clock, and in the evening at 7 o'clock. On Tuesday, the 20ch, there will be a social tea meeting, at which addresses will be delivered by several clergymen and layman. Tea will be ou the table at half-past (5 o'clock.

Harvesting is nearly over in many parts of the Tuapeka district. The damage done to the crop 3by the drought, although very serious, was found not to' be so extensive as anticipated.

A performance in aid of the Tuapeka Hospital is to be given in the Waitahuna Athenaeum, by the Wiiitahunn Dramatic Club, on the evening of Friday, tiie 23rd inst. The programme comprises two farces, viz., "Betsy Baker* and "Domestic Economy," «.nd a number of sonj,s and dances, and the procee.li>ig9 are to wind no with a social "hop." Tiie worthiness of the object for which the entertiinmeut is to be giv-.-n ought, irrespective of the well-known abilities of the members of the Club, to secure a large attendance.

AT the usual weekly meeting of the Waste Land Board held on the 10th iust., Mr. Johu Baker applied for a lease of the coal mine abandoned by Messis. Marie and La Fontaine. The application was declined, as one had been pre" viously made for the ground. A letter was read from Messrs. Smith and Anderson, enquiring whether the Board was prepared to instruct the Provincial Solicitor to draw up, or peiuse, or settle, on behalf of the Board, a case for an apppal from "the decision of the Board respecting Mr. Clarke's application. It was resolved that the Provincial Solicitor be requested to confer with .Messrs. Smith and Ailderson, with the view of preparing a joint case to be submitted to the Board. Messrs. Smith and Anderson also wrote to the effect that they were authorised to state that, without prejudice, Mr. Clarke was willing to acquiesce in tbe late decision, on the understand" ing that the WOO acres taken from the area applied for should be put up to auction within a reasonable time. The application was declined.

We learn from a Southland paper that Mr. Kee Chang, who victimised the Orepuki storekeepeis to the tuue of £300 by selling them Bpurious8 purious gold, managed to get away to Newcastle in a sailing vessel. The adage that " the devil looks after his own " was illustrated in this case. Mr. Chang's life being rendered miserable by the anxiety of th>» polite to interview him, he determined to avoid their unwelcome importunities by going over to Stewart's Island. Thither he departed one morning in an open boat, and when off Port William, came across a vessel bound to Newcastle, on board of which Chang transferred himself, and after some difficulty, caused by his stock of ready cash having run rather low — he having taken out a draft on Melbourne for the most of his money— he succeeded in negotiating a passage. An Austra" liau bound ship. had not called at Stewart's Island for (three mon£]i§ -previously, and the one in question was just leaving, a fair wind having arisen. There is every probability, however, that, unless there is -another interposition of Chang's guardian angel, who i 3 mentioned above, he will find a deputation of policemen waiting on the wharf to do the honours of Newcastle to him. A brother of Kee Chang's has been committed for trial as an accomplice.

A serious accident occurred to Blr. "W. J. Dyer, late on Thursday night last. It appears that on returning from tbe Canada reef, whither he had gone In the early part of the same day, he had been thrown froni his horse, as it was found, without its ridev, by some paities going to the reef . An unsuccessful search was made for him by some parties for some time, but it was only towards Friday afternoon he was found by Mrs. Dyer, lying in some scrub about a mile and a, half beyo.nd the , reefs. He was then insensible, bruised in the face, covered with Mood, and his clothes in tatters. Mrs. Dyer, assisted -by others, got him into' a buggy, and brought him home, where he for some Mine lay unable to speak. Towards night he was able to indicate that his bock was injured, but £ould not tell how the accident took place.

The " Social Movement," aa it is called, has exteuded to Melbourne. The leaders of the agitation go in for placing the land in the possession of the industrious and) virtuous of the country, and the advance by tiie St&te of .money to those who need it for working the land. A small annual rental to be paid for the land and interest upon money, advanced. THE marriage between a Waipori lady and a Chinaman, which we stated in our last issue was to take place this week, is, we are informed, not to come off, a disagreement having arisen, between the parties.

We are informed that on account of severe indisposition Mr. HaughtoH was unable to make his projected tour of the Otago goldfields, and has been compelled to defer it till after his return from the West Coast, to which place he intends to proceed immediately.

Mb. Spbodle notifies in our advertising columns that he will re-open his Commercial Evening School, Lancaster-street, on Monday next, the 19th. instant. The hours of attendance are from seven o'clock to nine o'clock. There will also be a Indies 1 class from five o'clock to six o'clock.

On Sunday next, the 18tli inst,, three sermons in connection with the anniversary of the Lawrence Wesleyan Church will be preached. The morning sermon will be preached by the Rev. J. Menzies, and in the afternoon And evening the Rev. H. Bull will officiate. Collections will be made after each service in aid of the Trust Fund.

During his visit to Dunedin last week, Mr. Bastings had an interview with Mr. Reeves, Minister of Tublic Works for the Middle Island. Mr. Reeves regretted his inability to visit Lawrence, but expressed his intention ofdoing so at some future time. He further stated that the railway from Tokomairiro to Lawrence would be commenced next summer.

The Chinese have been holding high carnival last week, the occasion thereof being the advent of their new year. Lsst Thursday, the last day of the Chinese old year, banquets were given by several of the storekeepers, to which a number of Europeans were invited, and at which the good things of this life, eatable and drinkable, were provided in profusion, Friday was the Celestial New Year's Day, and it was celebrated in due form. All who visited the Camp, includirg barbarisms, were "treated" liberally as they were also on the following day. On Monday afternoon there were some sports and frequent discharges of fireworks. On that day lmge numbers had arrived from Waipori and other districts, and the Camp was literally crowded with Chinamen. Holiday was also kt'jit on Tuesdny ond Wednesday. The Chinese C.mip wiis vhileil eveVy evening during the holiday time by Lirge runibers cf la lies and gentlemen from Lawrence, who were very hospitably treated. In one of the houses a veritable! Chinese band discoursed, every evening, music which to untutored barbarian ears did not seem remarkably harmonious. A Celestial youth also favoured those present with songs at intervals.

SCARLET fever, in a very mild form, has, it is stated, attacked several children in Milton.

A TfLrGRAM from Auckland, which appears in the " Otasjo Daily Times," states that a man named Haley was brought hefore the Resilient Magistiates' Court, for examination on the 30th ult., charged with attempting to murder Mr. Russell. Thtf particulars of the affair are highly sensational, and point to the conclusion that Mr. Haley is a candidate for admission into a lunatic asylum. We quote the telegram .- — v Violent threatening letters sent to Mr, Russell in the name of the International Society ha ire been identißed as being in Haley's handwriting, and the paper on which they weie written has also been traced to him. The following is a copy of one of the threatening letters sent to Mr. Russell: — 'Fiist and last intimation. Accumulation of wealth at the expense of and by defrauding, the humbler classes. The Caledonian book is closing. You are making 1 a bad use of your wealth, and posi. tion. Your wife is haughty and proud to those she ought to help. The International has condemned yourself, your wife, and family to death- poison, shooting, and stabbing. Property—fire. Servants who do not leave you after notice will share as their master. Finale within two years — tortures at every opportunity.'" The examination of this playful selfappointed apostle of the International was resumed the following morning, when it was stated that Mr. Russell had letters in his possession in Haley's handwriting, detailing the burning of the Choral Hall and keiosene store.