DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 282, 26 June 1873, Page 6

DUNEDIN.

(From our ov>n Correspondent.)

With the election of a member to represent the Caversham distriot in the Provincial Council on Friday last, the most exciting of the late contests concluded. The Oaversham election was looked forward to for some time mtkvery great interest, as it was anticipated that the contest would be of the closest, and most exciting description ; and certainly public expectation was not in thi3 instance disappointed. For a fortnight prior to the election, the friends of each party actively canvassed the various divisions of the distriot, and Mr. Macandrew's Committee worked hard for Mr. Leary, notwithstanding that gentleman's assertion, at tha declaration of the poll, that there had boon a want of effort on their part. There can bo no question that each party did its very utmost to secure the return of its particular candidate. What in reality gave Mr. Stout his majority, it is now pretty evident, was a number of Roman Catholic votes — in fact, this is asserted in very plain language by last Saturday's issue of the " Tablet." In its first paragraph bearing upon the election, that journal exhorted its readers to support Mr. Leary;, but as he subsequently changed his views on the education question, in its next week's issue, the " Tablot" also changed its views as to who should be supported in the contest, and cho result is that Mr. Stout was elected, and Jlr. Leary's fate is held up as a warning to all those who trifle with Roman Catholic interests. It is, no doubt, very gratifying to the editor of the "Tablet" to be able to sway a political election in this manner, but it can certainly never be looked upon with any deyree of satisfaction by the community at lar<*e. A savage assault took place at Anderson's Bay on Thursday last, arising out of the election contest in that district. Party feeling, of course, ran high there, as in other places, and Mr. Sanderson, a respectable settler in the district, espoused the cause of the Opposition candidate, Mr. Cutten. This appears to have aroused the ire of some brutal fellows, who, in consequence of Mr. Sanderson's activity in the Opposition cause, savagely assaulted him, beating and kicking him on the head in a most inhuman manner. They were brought up before the Mayor on tho following day, but in consequence of theinability of the prosecutor to attend, were remanded for a few days. It appears that Mr. Sanderson's state is rather sarious, although it is not anticipated that any fatal results will follow. Fears are now beginning to be publicly expressed that some mishap has occurred to Messi*3. Patrick Henderson & Co.'s clipper, the Otago, which sailed from Port Chalmers for Glasgow in the beginning of February, under the command of Captain G. R. Stewart. Thu last Mcl- ; bourne steamers brought no telegram of her arrival at her destination, and up to the date when the steamer left Melbourne, the Ota^o would have been nearly four and a half months r.ut, the passage usually occupying eighty or ninety days. Something unusual has happened, but. it is to hoped that our nest news from Melbourne will brin^ a telegram announcing her arrival afe Glasgow. Two of the students who have been residing at Bishopscourfc, studying for the Episcopalian ministry, are to be ordained as deacons at £t. Paul's Church on Sunday nest. This is the preliminary step to their ordination as priests, twelve months being the time set apart by the church as the period of probation before they aie admitted to full orders.

Our theatres have both been open for the past three weeks, with fair companies; but judging from the attendance, it is pretty evident that one is quite sufficient for our requirements. At the Queen's, Mr. Fairclough has been playing a round of Shakespearian characters, with ar fair measure of success. Of hi 3 representations up to the present time, Hamlet and Richard the Third must be classed as most deserving of praise. His Hamlet is a finished piece of acting: quiet, original, and impressive, he carries the sympathies of the audience with him to the close of the piece. The attendance for tho past few nights, however, has been anything bxifc encouraging. At the Princess, Messrs. Geddes and Willies have a fair company, with Mr. Joseph Rayner us leading performer. Constant novelties are produced, and the attendance is better than at the rival establishment.

A rat-Inn* amusing incident occurred in connection with the election for Caversham, on Friday, which I had almost forgotten, but which is worth recording. It was well kuown that a vote or two more or less might be of vital importance to either of the candidates, and as a matter of course every voter who could by any possibility be dragged to the poll was ferreted out. Two voters were found to be employed at Messrs. 'Gibbs and Clayton's ;" and the performance oommences with Mr. Fish f actively working on behalf of Mr. Leary) posting down to the factory, arid obtaining an interview with Mr. Gibb, who, however, could not possibly spare his workmen until dinner time. Mr. Fish here intimated Ilia intention of coining down at 12 o'clock with a cab ; but as it turned out that the men had only hulf-an-hour to dinner, in which time they could not possibly get their meal, and go out to Caveisham and back again, the project of the " Leary " Fish seemed likely to be defeated. The matter was, however, eventually settled by Mr. Fish announcing his intention of coming down at twelve with Ihh cab, and two good dinners for the all-important voters, to be consumed during the drive. Shortly afterwards, down posts Sir. B. Isaac, a hot Stout partisan, who also discovered the whereabouts of the two voters. An interview takes place with Mr. Gibbs, but 'Mr. Isaac's endeavors to obtain the two men are also futile ; and dually the saiue "happy thought" -coa-L-eiMXiig the dinners seems to flic across LishvMn, and unconscious that his rival !i,id been there before him, he takes his d-jpartyre elvucklingr over the brilliant cuuy de main by the aid of which he suppuses he will secure two votea for his friend Mr. Stout. Twelve o'clock arrives, niul thundering down to the factory comes Fish's cab with the smoking hot dinners, ffiugular to relate closely followed by :u: 'tliur cab, also (oitaiuing two smoking iu>t dinners, taken care by his hate noir, "»§•: - Isaac. Of course a scpne occurred bifcvreea the occupants, and after a wordy

contest it finally concluded by each of the voters taking possession of a separate cab and two dinners, evidently to their intense gratification and amusement. But the tantalising mystery of the ballot prevents any knowledge of their proceedings after arriving at Uavorsham. Whether they atuok to the colors of their respective providores, or totally ignored the exertions of those gentlemen, and voted as their principles dictated, I cannot say. Let us hope, however, that the latter is the case, and that they quietly laughed in their sleeve at the whole proceedings.