Local Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 354, 9 May 1874, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

The English mails by San Francisco will anive in Lawrence this afternoon.

The census returns for the Tuapeka Electoral District for the year 1874 as supplied by Mr. Sperry give a total of 4703, thus showing an increase during the three years of 419. The detailed returns of the various towus and the proportions and ages of the sexes \yill not be issued for some time to come, but we are informed the population of the town of Lawrence numbers 654, as against 620 in 1871, showing an increase of Cl. It is gratifying to know that notwithstanding the general exodus to Dunedin which has taken pl.ice from the Tuapeka district during the past twelve months, there is still an increase in the population although considerably smaller than we should like to see it.

A MEETING was held in 'the Golden Age Hotel, Wetherstones, on Thursday evening, to consider the best means to adopt to prevent the alienation of thC commonage in the vicinity of Wetheistoues. Mr. B. Hart occupied the chair. It was decided to call a general meeting for last evening of ail the cattle owners in the neighborhood, to consider wiiat steps should be adopted to prevent the system of dummy ap. plications from beiug carried out on the commonage. At the meeting last evening, Mr. W. Smyth occupied the chair : and the following resolutions were unanimously adopted :—lst.: — Ist. "That this meeting is of opinion that is is highly necessary that some steps be taken in order to find out if the applications which appear ifi the TuArEKA Times forJand^ituate in block x.. Tuapeka East, are bona Jid'c applications. " 2nd. " That this meeting is of opinion that the local members of the Provincial Council should be communicated with in reference to the supposed dummy applicants, who are applying fo'i a laige portion of the Tuapeka commanure." Si.i. *"rii.,t. » Committee be appointed fiom-this renting consisting of sevcu members, viz., Messis. Herd, Abrim, Millard Whelan, Smyth, Hart, nnd 11. Coxon. The Committee met immediately after the public meeting. The Waitahuna Oddfellows. M.U.1. 0.0.F., celebrated their eighth anniversary last evening in the Athenteum Hall, Waitahuna, by a schee and ball. There wns a large' attendance, and a most enjoyable evening was spent, full par.ticulars of which will appear in out'next issue. Mb. Wh. Hates has been appointed agent for the Colonial Bark of Now Zealand for the Tuapeka district, aud is prepared to furnish forms of prospectus and to receive applications for shares. The shares in this new-bank, which is purely of a colonial character, are beiag rapidly taken up. The libel case Macassoy v. Bell has occupied the Supreme Court. Dunedin, the whole of this week, and bids fair, our telegrams state, to occupy a portion of next week, A LARGE quantity of land has been applied for in the neighboihood of Bow Bells Flat and in the direction of Bungtown. We hope, if this land is gi-anted. a reservation will be made for the pi'oposed load to Waipori via, Bungtown, the advantages of which are' admitted by all.' l The fis>h t shpp,o£ M.r. Robinson, in Peel -street, has been an object of attraction to the curious , for the past few days, owing'to sime specimens of fish of an uncommon description being there exhibited. Amongst those referred' 'io, there is a gurnet, and what Mr. Robin&on pronounces to be a salmon, although there are doubts expressed by some as to the latter. Dr. Davison thought it looked like a giayling. Our Coal Creek correspondent, whose communication appeared in our last, issue, wisely remarks that something should be done in order to induce miners to settle in zhe province ; so that should any exciting news in the shape of a rush - the Palmer for instance — ciop up at any time, they would not be enticed by unaiithenticated reports to. leave » comfortable home. Our reason for leferring to this matter, is the fact that we observed two minois en route foi the Palmer diggings travelling by coach the ' other -morning. ■ They had evidently not perused the various reports from- correspondents of -the 5' Brisbane Courier," which appeared in our issue of thte-2ndinst, Hud they done so, we imagine they would have directed their step* elsewhere. The amount of privation, coupled with disease' of a malignant character, endured by many who have visited the Palmer, are sufficient to unnerve the boldest and most daring. We trust that all those who mny en" tertaiu the" idea that the Palmer is literally "a land flowing with milk and honey," will have occasion to banish all such 'eironeous conceptions from their minds.

Glover, the actor, who was some time since brought up here on~<i charge of. petty larceny at Switzeis has ag:iin got into trouble. He Was brought up before the Dunedin 'Magistrate on a charge of stealing some articles of clothing, and sentenced to iinpiisonmeut for a month.

We have received a, copy of Mr. R. T. Wheeler's show card, giving a list' of the vaiious newspapers in. New Zealand for which he is agent. The design is by Mr. George; and the printing is by Messrs. Mills. Dick, a:id Co..' both of which are alike creditable.

The firsb half-yuarly report of the National Fire and Marine Insurance Company lias been published, and is an extremely Siibi&factoiy one. After deducting the amounts incurred for preliminary expenses, losses, commissions, returns of premium, and charges, it wilL bs seeu that the large sura of £17,236 Is Bd. is left to the credit of profit and loss. The Directors recommend that a dividend at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum should be paid, which will absorb £2500, and that the balance— £l4,736 Is Bd. - should bet carried, to a Reserve Fund,

Dr. Davison has proceeded toCromwell to report for ■ the Government ujn the fever epidemic which has lately been crtting so much anxiety and fear at Cromwell.

THfc Clyde correspondent of the ''Daily .Times" writes as* follows: — puiTown Council, are going to petition the Provinal Council, to extend the railway from Tuapek, up the Valley of the Molyneux, at least as fsiasßoxburgh, and have asked Cromwell, Alexndra, and the Teviot people to "no-operate with'hem in endeavouring to attain the extensioi being cairied out. It does seem strange tat, what may be called the main interior Ighway bh'ould be left without a railway, wen it piust be pateut to all that it is one of t'e lines which is the most likely -to pay. , Cartage from Dunedin to Cycle ranges from £14 to £18 a ton.

We are informed that a nuiber of men have left the Waipori Sludge Chamel works. They have been receiving their wj^es monthly from the contractors, and wished tie term altered to fortnighly, but to this the contractors would not accede. It is well for tie laboring classes that they can afford , to thnw up remuerative employment in this .maifee-, and thus putt employers of labor to iuconveiience. The matter of. receiving his wages bnce or twice' in the month hardly justifies & man loaving steady work at any time, more particularly on what is likely to bti a long job. ,

The Committee ele<ted to manage the affairs of the new-band havepio far been very successful in making their peliniin.iry arrangements. Practice will most lilely commence during the ensuing week, in Af Coil's old ' store, at the corner of Color.say-ireet, kindly lent for the purpose by Mr. Georje Walker. Mb. Thomas Butlik, for tea years a resident of Waipoti, some tiue since sold his busiuess to Mr. James Wri/ht of that place, and has now takeu the Wes Taieri Hotel. We wish Mr. Butler the- shocks whioh he deserves in his new line of busines. He has the happy nack of making for Hmself friends iv whatever situation in life h< may be placed, and we have no doubt he will tucceed in his new venture.

The '* Guardiiu " of yesteulay announces that the " Soutiern Mercury " has been incorpoiated with the "Guardian," and will henceforth be pvoiished by the " Guardian " Printing Company and thai, no effort will be scared to make iti first-class weekly newspaper. We understand tint Mr. Pyke is to continue in the employment if the Company as editor of the " iUeicury," aid sub-editor of the "Guardian." "How," asks the ".Biuce Herald" " will he do the mb-editing, and, at the same time, go to Wellington when Parliament meets ? " Echo aiswers, How ?

ISY yesterday's Dunedin papers, we learn that Captain Mackenzie has secured to himself., at £1 an acre, the Ihree sections comprising 232 acies, which weie bought iv for the Government by Mr. Warden Carew at the recent sale at the Land Ofiite, Lawrence, for the sum of £757. These seitions contain the coal reserve, which the Tapanii deputation, aiucngst other things, prevailed upon the Government to reberve from sale. The Government having advertised the sale of the sections could not in time withdraw Lijeui ; but instructed iMr. Carew at the last inomeit to puichasi-. them on behalf of the Government. It is s.iid that tha Government did not complete the sale by omitting to pay the deposit money, ami that Captain, .Mackenzie ascertaining this fact, applied for the sections, and' obtained them. Lithe ''Guaidian's" leport of the Waste Land Hoard's Board's mtetiujr, it is stated that Captain Mackeiigiu was dopuued to be the purchaser of sections 12. 13, and 16. block vii., Gleukeuich. This is, indeed, Government bungling with a vengeance. A gentleman, in jvhose service one of the Surat single girls is employed, hands us a letter from a friend in Duuediu, from which we make the following extracts. He informs us that both the Inimigiation Department and Messrs. Guthrie and Larnach were written to twice by him soon after the Suiat was wrecked, ou behalf of the unfortuaafce girl whose boxes are alluded to iv the letter, and au offer made to pay all expenses anil salvage claimed. Here is the result. The letter is dated 30th April : — ' ' My dear . . I have seeu after 's boxes ; only one is here. The box was open, aud I found everything to be wringing wet. The toyj articled were evidently rotten ; and so before sending it up-country, I thought -it be'ttej' to .examine further, and see whether there was anything woith the carriage. From the miscellaneous collection, it has evidently been overhauled at Catlius Eiver, and again filled with whatever wa.s handiest. First came a man's coat and waistcoat, which would not bear lifting, they were so rotten ; then an old bed ticking, which is pretty sound ; then a silk shirt, utterly rotten ; and one or two dresses of flimsy material, in the same condition ; one cotton dress may prove wearable for a short time ;• two or three pairs of men's woollen socks, and sonic' feminine underclothing — the ''latter will| I think, be woaiable. Whatever 'will' hold together, I shall (d.v.) 4iave washed out in flesh water and 'dried,- "and will pack them off as soon as possible. Two pairs of shoes were there literally in pieces —the soles aud uppers having parted company, and the Litter gone to bits. I trust my arrangements will meet your domestic approval. There are other boxes I- hear still in the wreck, but from the samples to hand, they will be har Uy worth claiming if they come up." We are informed that the box referred to above contained some jewellery, which had heen abstracted theref 10111. The ship City of Tanjore, from Glasgow, arrived at Port Chalmers on Wednesday. She brings a full cargo and 17 passengers, none of whom aie Government immigrants. She has made the rather long passage of 100 days, having encountered contiai'y We are informed that a public meeting *vill be held in the Bchoolroom, Claries Flat, ou Monday evening next, for the purpose of electing a Progress Committee to look after the affairs of the ilistiict. and to endeavor to obtain a grant from Government towards the formation of the two roads leading from the main road to Tuapeka Myuth.' r During the past fortnight, a large amount of business has been done at the Survey Office, Lawrence. The various district maps have been scanned by anxious eyes, and lv.my sections of land have been applied for which, two or three years ago, would not have been looked at. The hearing of applications for no fewer than 5.500 acres is set down for the 27fck inst., and we learn that this earth hunger remains unabated. At the present rate of application, every section within five miles of Lawrence will be takeu up in less than a month. The application made to the Waste'-Landa Board by Mr. J. E. Pope, to purchase ten acres at the Blue Spur, was refused.