LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 249, 7 November 1872, Page 7

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ik the report of the' Tuapeka Hospital Committee meeting, which appeared in our last issue, it was erroneously stated that Mrs. Davis was appointed canvasser for the Waitahuna district. The name of the lady appointed as canvasser was Mrs. Dewes. A correspondent signing himself " Citizen " writes as follows :—": — " One of the last acts of the late Town Council was to obtain from Mr. Mouat, solioitor, all necessary information how to bring certain bye-laws under the Act of 1867, into operation! Lately, I hear that Mr. Mouat's advice has been thrown aside, and that the Mayor and a prominent Government official (who aught to know better than to interfere in such a matter) are trying to devise means to bring . the bye-laws into operation, la not this most reprehensible conduct no the part of the Mayor, and whoever else may be concerned? I know that our chief magistrate is a modest unassuming gentleman, aud.one who would be the last to act discourteously towards any man, but it strikes me that in pitting his own opinions against those of a lawyer, whose advice on the very subject was asked, he is acting in a manner unbecoming a gentleman, and unwarrantably impertinent. In reference to the other gentleman, who is officiously intermeddling in a manner which does not in the slightest degree concern him ; I can only express surprise, especially as he must know that the Council have obtained and paid for professional advice on the subject.'* Mr W. J. Barry has returned from New South Wales, where he has been prosecuting his claim to the ownership of certain valuable sections of land in the city of Bathursfc. He states that his solicitors have recovered possession of one valuable block, for which he refused £20,000, aud that the title to the other properties he lays claim to, will be settled by the Supreme Court in January next. Mr Bniry spent a few days in Tuapeka, where many of his old friends reside, all of whom, it is needless to say, wish him every success in his lawsuit, While in Lawrence, a deputation waited ?upon Mr Barry for the purpose of requesting him to deliver his leoture on "Forty years Colonial experience." In reply he stated ho would be most happy to accede to the iequest, but his engagements precluded his doing so during his present visit, but on his return- which would be in a very ahort time, he would deliver the lecture. Wk have received a long communication from Mr. Archibald Hunter, of Crown Terrace, Arrow district, in which he complains that the Government officials and all the male residents of the district in which he resides, have leagued theniMelves to destroy hi 3 temporal prosperity, and ruin 'his spiritual prospects. We cannot gather from his letter iv what way the conspirators intend to accomplish their infamous, projects ; but he says the Warden will not grant him a certain, extended claim, and that a certain ''big Bill Palmer" refuses to allow him to reside in hishut,ar.d actually had the audacity to throw his swag outside. Despite this diabolical conspiracy, however, we think Mr. Hunter should be a happy man. for he has secured the sympathy of two estimable and beautiful maidens resident on the Crown Terrace. These 'angelic creatures, whose mundane appellations ary Miss Brown and Miss Costello, informed Mr. Hunter, to quote his letter, " that it was * great shame that big Bill Palmer should treat him so badly, and that he ought to get married, as he is the best looking man that ever came on to the Terrace." We envy you Hunter. Were we in your position, we wouldn't care a fig for the claim, or big Bill Palmer or the Warden, but take the advice of the ladies, and also take one of theih if she will have you.

An " Old Colonist," in a communication too lengthy for insertion, considers that the settlers of Martin's Bay, do not deserve the slightest s ympathy. He says they have been settled over two years, and yet they do not appear to have done anything* towards planting potatoes, or corn. Besides, he says, energetic' men with colonial experience, can fare luxuriously in a place like Martin's Bay; on the products of their fishing lines and stuns. The sea of New Zealand teems with fish, and the forests are full of birds of various descriptions. " Old Colonist," thinks the settlers a thoughtless and shiftless lot, Who, although the Government are to blame, are almost entirely resp6usible for. the privations thejr suffered, and is also of opinion that if the coddling system is to be followed, every settlement will be a failure. He recommends the Government to bring the Martin's Bay «ettlera baok to Dunedin free of charge, as it ia evident from their own statements, they «r« better fitted for town lif« than to be the pioneers of colonization.

Mr Habold Pykk. of Colonsay and White-haven-streets, has on hand a. quantity of a new ex-iol>ive, called the Rock Render* The advantage* tbis compound has over ordinary blasting powder, are- stated to be less danger, greatly increasel power, and cheapness. Sir Pyke being willing to alloM ft fair test of the efficacy of the Rock Reader, will giv? samples gratis for, that purpose, -.- • . :

THE recently erected Church of Eugland, Koxburgh, will be open«d on Sunday, the 17th inst. The young man Pierpoint, arrested at Lawrence on a charge of stealing a suit of clothes from Wain's Hotel Dunedin, was brought up at the Dunedin City Court on Monday, and discharged. Shbabinq has fairly commenced in the Tapanui, Switzers, and Teviot districts. Shearers are very scarce. A CORRESPONDENT suggests that if the fortutunnte owner of the talented cuckoo fed the bird on more substantial diet than girgerbeer. its notes would not resemble those of a belated partridge. THE return rush from the Roper has set in. Three old Otago miners who had been induced by glowing nccoanta to pay n visit to the ttvp. ical goldfields recently returned, and on Tuesday last passed through Lawrence, en route for the Lakes. They give a most doleful account of the vaunted Roper diggings, stating that there is no gold there, but any amount of fever and ague. We are infouned that the directors of the Devils Creek Quartz .Mining-Co.,' contemplate suspending prospecting operations. This idea in ridiculous and suicidal, and shows an amount of timidity and irresolution impossible to imagine in clear-headed business men. Quartz reefs are not to be prospected iv a month, and scratching on the surface isnot prospecting at .all. Let the directors look at other countries. In Victoria, or New South Wales, men- who embark in a speculation do not shudder at***a call of half a crown a share, neither do they expect a return before investing capital. If the operations at the Devil's Creek to find the reef have proved unsuccessful, try again. ' One thing the directors may be certain of— and that is, that if they do not prospect, they will never find a reef. If they discontinue operations now, we consider they have wasted the shareholder's money, A meeting of the Lawience School Committee was held on the evening of Friday, the 25th October. Present: Messrs. Bastings (President), Herbert, Abel, Jamison, Thompson, Jeffrey, Menzies, and Hayes (Secretary). The minutes of the previous meetiug were read and continued. The Secretary was instructed to remind the Town Council that the annual examination of the school takes place in December, aud to respectfully request that the medal be procured in time for presentation on the examination day. The Secretary submitted the statement.of the financial position of the school. A list of the names of persous indebted for school fees Wits submitted by the rector. It having been ascertained that Mr* Hislop is likely to visit Lawrence in the course of a fortnight, » sub-committee consisting of Messrs. Meuztes, Bastings, and Hayes was appointed to meet him at the schoolroom. Messrs. Bastings and Abel were re-appointed Visiting Committee for the month. Mr. Giuham, the working manager of the Beaumont and Tuapeka Waiter Race Company, while engaged foot-levelling the ditch, discovered a splendid site for a reservoir near the Devils Backbone Spur. By the expenditure of frooi £100 to £150, iv the erection of » Jam a magnificent reservoir larger in extent than the one at \Vetherstoneß can be secured. It may not be generally known 1 that towards the end of the session the General Assembly voted ,iv mlilitioi.al £06,000 for the construction of the Tuapeka Railway, making the total sum available for thai worK £156,000. We may remark as an instance of Government meanness, that •the £100 given to Mr Millar, for his ridiculous leport on the Wuipuhi line, came out of the money voted for the construction of the Tuapeka railway. Wk understand that Mr Stout, M.P.C., for Cavershiuu, has beeu appointed Provincial Solicitor. Mb J. C. Brown M.H.8., returned to Tuupekii on Saturday last. We have beeu given to understand that a public, demonstration in lecoguition of Mr Brown's many aud valuable services to the district, will shortly take place. In the case of M'Lean v L M'Kay, an important point was raised, which appears to have escaped notice heretofore. The action— s report of which appears in another column,, was . for depasturing cattle on a run, aud we believe that actions of thib kind have hitherto been tried iv the Warden's Court, under the impression that that Court had jurisdiction. It was pointed out by the plaintiffs counsel in this case, that although the 15th clause of the Goldfields Act limited the amount of damages recoverable; yet, looking to the sections of the Act, which defined the jurisdiction of Warden?, and more especially to tht* 112 th section of the Act, which requires plaintiffs to be holders of miners' rights, tniniug or agricultural lenses, before they could acquire any locus standi in the Court, it was clear that the Warden's Court had no jurisdiction, and the action only could be brought and hail properly beeu brought in the Resident. Magistrate's Court. This view of the matter was acquiesced in by *he learned counsel for the defendants, and also by the .Bench. Prkvioub to hit departure from Lawrence, Mr- W. J. Bany kindly presented "to the Lawrence Athenwum Museum' several firstrate specimens of stream aud reef tin from various mines in New South Wales and Queensland, also some copper ore. and i'oside ot copper from the same colonies. Mr. Barry has travelled over the whole of the tin tuid copper mining districts of the colonies mentioned during the last few months, and since his return to New Zealand, inclines to the opinion that valuable tin and copper mines will shortly be worked in Otago. On behalf\of a Sydney Company he has taken up a lease, of some black sand bench in the North IsLvud, which contains gold in- large quantities, and is ou behalf of the same parlies about to prospect in Otago for tin and cinnabar. The Gabriels Quartz Tunnel Company are now driving through rjck full of quartz veins, all dipping eastward. About 75 feet have now beeu driven. The O.P.Q. Quartz Mining Company has been registered as a Limited Liability Company, under the name of Waipori Quartz Mining Company. Fob some reason, whether political or otherwise, we are unable to state, but we suspect .it has something to do -with the present anomalous state of the Provincial Government, or in connexion with another semi-political affair. Mr. J. P. Armstrong has been compelled to leave Lawrence and proceed to Dunedin. He will, however, return within a week, and resume his philanthropic endeavois to repair the dental defects of the good folks of the Tuapuku district. The Gabriels Gully Quartz Mining Company's will commence work on Monday, the llth inst., which is to be observed as a general holiday to celebrate the Prince of Wales' birthday. There will be no formal invitations, but the proprietors will giveaheatty welcome to all who put in an appearance, ami will open tbe j machine and mine for inspection at 2 p.m. The j preliminary trials of the machine and turbine that have taken place, have proved eminently \ satisfactory. The mine will be .lighted up, in order to afford visitors an opportunity to in r speot it thoroughly. • We understand that a match between the Lawrence and Tokomairiro cricket clubs,' is to be played at an ' early date. A scratch ■match will b« played, to-morrow, sides to be chosen on the giound. TnE consort in tid of thefund* oftUe Church of England,' wiU tale pluce «tw or about thq 20th inic. The lattiM and Runtlemen who are to appear, ' have hees most aswdious in thoir practice for some time past, under tao leadership of Mr Riolle, so thai & ' musienl treat of H high order «u^ fes nqticij>«ted,

We learn that Mr." W. Pine, late of the Commercial Stables, Lawrence, lias purchased th» well-known trotting stallion Quic'csantl. now travelling the Tuapeka and Tokoiiiairiro districts, and we trust that his speculation will prove remunerative.

We received the following telegiam from Dnnediu last eveniug :- Peeress -is scratched for the Canterbury Cup. Queer reports is reference thereto are in circulation.

Ewino will be liberated from gaol on Saturday next.

Mr Lancaster desires us to intimate that his entire Abdallah is about to proceed up country, ami that his place at the Beaumont will be tilled by the celebrated stallion Professor.

By our advertising columns it will be seen that Mr Mussen. (of Irwin and Musseu, London Portrait Rooms Duuedin,) has opened a- studio in Peel-street Lawrence, and is now prepared to execute photographs of every description. Mr Mussen is widely known as a photographic artist of high repute, and his portraits will hear favorable comparision with those of nny other photographer in the colony. As his stay will be for fourteen days Only, those desirous of Availing themselves of his {services, should los& no time.

The leper confined in the Lawrence lazaretto, is still improving, and Dr Stewart is of opinion that he will be able to discharge hiui this week.

LAST week a son of Mr. Geo. Smith, Waipori had a narrow escape from drowning. The little fellow was playing about the banks of the river, and venturing too near fell in. The force of the stream swept him rapidly down about 30 yards, when he was rescued by Mr. Duncan Diumaiond. who, with a number of other residents of the township, had been attracted to tho scene of the accident by the child's cries.

Two patients died in the Tuapeka Hospital on Saturday night. One was a miner formerly resident at Waipori , named Anderson, and the other waa a Chinaman.

On account of the Prince of Wales' birthday falling on a Saturday, Monday the llth inst. , has been proclaimed a public holiday, to celebrate that auspicious event. We believe that all the business people of Lawrence intend to closa their establishments on that day.

Somr wretched apology for a man has been exhibiting hia ft>ea.nnes<> hy teimug down ihe posters announcing the arrival of Mr Mussen. photographic artist. Should the fellow be. discovered, he will be entertained «t Government expense, in the commodious brick edifice in Colonsay-street. ■•