Local Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 359, 27 May 1874, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

The British and other mails via San Francisco will close at the Lawrence post-office at 6 a.m. on Monday next, the lwt prox. . A Union" Prayer Meeting 1 will be held in 1 the Lawret.ce Schoolroom this evening at halfpast seven o'clock. Wb have received a communication from Roxburgh aigued "Query." commenting in verystiong language upon the charge brought against Mr. Bastings by Mr. Turnbull of expending a vote of money on the road from TokoinairirQ to Lawrence, that should have been expended upon the road Lawrence to Roxburgh, In the face of the fact that a Select Committee ha* been appointed at Mr. Bastings own request to inquire into the charge brought against him, we cannot at present insert "Query's" fetter.

A BAI/L was held in the Athenaeum Hall, Lawrence, on Monday evening, to celebrate the anniversary of Her Majesty's birthday. There was a numerous attendance, ' considering the inclement state of the weather, which no dou.H . deterred oiauy from putting in an appearance. The number was sufficient, however, to comfortably fill the hall. Dh}ic\djj cciximenced about ten o'clock, and continued, with short intervals for refresh-"ments,-Cfrttil'half-past five yesterday morning, The Waitahuua Quadiille Band supplied tht m isic in first-class style, and to the complete satisfaction of the dancers.

. The ordinary meeting of the Lawrence Town Council was adjourned from Monday to Wednesday (thiseven.ing), ou account of the Queen's birthday holiday.

This Waipori Drainage Channel has already commenced to produce good results. Three 6* acre claims have been taken up in the vioiuity of the Channel to work ground which, in all probability, would never have been touched had it not beeu for the workable fall given by the Channel. THE natal day of Her Majesty Queen Victoria was held as a close holiday by all the business people of Lawrence on Monday last. The day was about as miserable a one as could well bo imagined ; cold and bleak weather, with the rain falling the greater part of the day.

The decision given by the Resident Magis* trate in the case of Michael v. Hay, reported in our last issue, has stfven rise to some little discussion as to the liabilities of ah auctioneer, and Mr. Henry Galbrailhi who pnrohased a sewing machine at Mr. Gascoigne's bale, finding the machine to be' quite worthless, threatens; Mr. Hay with legal proceedings if he fails to remove it, and return the puichase money.

At the RlM.'s Court yesteiday, Yun Sun, charged *ithinrcjeny l was remanded till Friday next. E. Herbert, Esq., J.P., was on the Bench." Other cases were adjourned till Friday. It was arranged by counsel that the case of Roberts t\ Lancaster should be postponed till Tuesday next. Mb. J. Blair, of darks Flat, disposed of his leasehold property consisting of 146 acres of land, ou which is erected a d selling-house and several out.hous.es, for the sum of £275 cash. Mr. _\Ym. Draper, of Lawrence, was the purchaser, Thb hearing of , the application of Mr, Wm. Evans, for a mining lease, was adjourned to the 3rd June, and not to the 23rd, as stated by mistake iv our Warden's report in our Saturday's issue, -. The share list of the Waiperi Quartz Mining Company closes on the 31st instant. By lasl Melbourne mail. w=) received the " Austialasian Sketcher " for- May. It contains the usual complement of excellent engravings. amongst which is one of the Hon. Julius Yogel, C.M.G., Premier of New Zealand : and also one of Colonel VVarburton, - the celebrated . explorer. THE enormous suurof £16 a ton was charged for the carriage of a bout and timber for the enlargement of the Clyde punt ; 'and £20 a ton for a puiup nnd pipes for the Clyde coal pit. THE Upper ' Shotaver correspondent of the " Eyeuiug Sjtir " *hus writes : — " Th.c late Executive. wa» the. only Government which did its best to. do us justice, and atuoh regeet ia felt ■at a change. ' Mr. Buttings a« QoldftekLi S»oretmry wa» admitted t^e best we have ever had, or are likely to gat, and the Mining Associations are. I believe, fully alive to the fact, and will try whatevermeana they can to have him re-instated, ifpopnbfc^

We are glad to learn that we were misin* formed with regard to the accident which occurred near O'Brien's, on th« Alexandra road, to Mr. Lancaster's threshing machine. The accident happened to a waggon which wa§ closely following the machine. We make this correction at once for the information of (he parties who had engagements with Mr. Lancaster for threshing their grain. Thf Tapanui Progress Committee recently received a letter from Dr. .Menzies. M.T.C., stating that the Government were to retrieve their coal blunder by granting them a reserve for that purpose near the Waikoikoi Creek. Mr. Kingsfobd, the carrier, well-known on the Teviot toad, lost one of his gray team on Havelock Flat yesterday morning. The horse got on his back in a water race, and was dead when found. The case of Lewis Stead, referred to in our telegrams as creating great indignation in Dunedin, will be found fully detailed in our supplement, under the heading of "Sketches of Prison Life." The total European population of the Colony, as disclose J, by the late census, is 315,330. A WOMAN named Isabella Tassey was found dead in her bed in Bristol House, Dunedin, on Monday morning. She is supposed to have poisoned herself by taking opium. The Loyal Dunedin Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., celebrated their anniversaiy in the Masonic Hall by a Boiree, concert, and ball on Monday evening. There was a good attendance. The Lodge is in a flourishing state, having assets to the amount of £1,949 135., and no liabilities other than the current expenditure. Thb Royal Standard Company finished a crushing of 40 tons of stone on Tuesday, the ] 2th instant. The yield was 540z. of retorted gold. —The Try Again Company had 59 tons of stone crushed some time ago at the Royal Standard battery, which gave ft yield of 64£oj,— The Heart of Oak Company finished a crushing of stone on Saturday. The yield of gold ia not yet knowii, but Will likely be somewhere about lOOoz. — ** Cromwell Argus," The following, appointments are notified in the "New Zealand Gasutte" : -Dr. J, B. Lake to he Medical Referee for the district of Switjsers under the Government Aunuities Act, 1869 ; aud John Francis Herbert, J.P., for the district of Teviot, vioeJ. F. Kitchen, J. P., under the Lioensing Act, 1673The ship James Nicol Fleming arrived at Port Chalmers on Sunday, atter a passage of 95 days from London. No serious cases of sickness occurred on the voyage, and there were no deaths. - Many complaints .were lodged by the passengers against the doctor of negleot of duty and drunkenness. The Fleming brings a total of 367 souls, equal to 299£ adults. The Dunedin Volunteers held their parade, usual to the Queen's Birthday, on Monday morning. They turned out in good force. The Rifle Association's prizes were distributed at the Drill Shed by Major Akiuson. The Dunedin City Guards celebrated their fourteenth anniversary in the Head Quarters Dtill Shed, ou Monday evening by a grand ball. Thb regatta, which was to take place at Port Chalmers on the Queen's Birthdny, did not come off on account of the severity of the weather. After waiting in vain for some hours, in hope of the day clearing up, the Committee resolved, '" That the regatta be postponed, *»nd that a deputation be appointed to call upon his Honor the Superintendent and his Worship the Mayor to have some other day proclaimed a holiday, in order that the programme of the regatta may be carried out." This, to us folks upcountry, seems rather strange.

The concert and ball in aid of the funds of the Drybread School, referred to in our Drybread correspondent's letter, which appealed in our last issue, took place on the 20th instant, aud proved to be a great success. We learu from the *' Dunstan Times " that the large room of Messrs, J, and^G. Mellor was elabor. ately decorated, and when th» ball opetied, the Clyde Brass Band, occupied a prominent position ; the sight was imposing, eclipsing anything before seen in the locality. Messrs. Oobb and Co.'s coaoh, which took the Band over, returned on Thursday morning, about eleven o'clock.

The complimentary supper to Mr. John Barnes, on the occasion of his retiring from the representation of Leith Ward in the City Couucil of Dunedin, took place at the Queen's Hotel, Albany-street, on Monday evening. Mr. B. C. Haggitt occupied the chair, and Mr. James Copeland the vice-chair. The Mayor and Councillors Ramsay and Walter were present. In reply to the toast of his health, Mr. Barnes said it had always been bis endeavor to do the best he could for the city. His motto was. to speak the truth and be honest, and be always endeavored to act up to that. But when people sought honor, they were bound to tell lies sometimes, which statement evoked great laughter from the 25 gentlemen present. The Mayor (Mr. Mercer) eulogised Mr. Barnes as a Councillor of great practical experience, energy, and usefulness.

The following additional particulars of the boat accident referred to in our extra of yesterday appear in tha " Daily Times " report of the accident. It appea) a. that agi een boat, recently purchased from Mr. Mercer by the four unfortunate fellows w.ho were drowned, had left Dunedin to proceed to Port Chalmers. There were seven persons in her. three of them named respectively Gottfried, Strongback, and Davis* being sailors, whilst the reuiaiuing four were employes of Messrs. Brown, Ewing, and Co.. and named respectively Andrew Skene, Frank Cassell. Frank Butturfield, and Wm. Liuton. The boat run well enough, until she whb near the black buoy in the cioss channel, and tlien a heavy spuall striking her, she broached to and capsized. Luckily she had loose boulder ballast in. and so as she turned light over this fell out :n,l the boat floated keel uppermost. So far as we cau make out, three of the men, or rather two meu and a boy, sank very shortly to rise no more, whilst Stiougback and Davis duns; to the boat and managed to get astride her keel. Gottfried and Skeue struck out for the shore, and (he former succeeded in reaching it. but thi latter when almost within, reach of laud was swept away by the tide and drowned. Meanwhile the accident had been observed from the shore, and a boat manned by a Chinaman and a man named we believe, Hoskius, put off to the rescue pnd saved Strongbnck and Davis, the then, saved men were taken oji to the port by the fiist train. They were very much excited, and unable to give a detailed account , of Abe catastrophe. • Further particulars will no doubt be obtainable to-day. IXivis, one of them, is engaged on board the old Galliot lighter. The other two are employed at Dunedin. We hear that the unfortunate man Skene was mariied but had no fauyly. Mock Ousters. — Where will the genius of the American inventor ond ? A down-east, journal informs us that a Maine man is about to apply for a patent for an artificial oyster made out of flour-paste, tapioca, salt, and, water. The inventor places these in second hand, oyster-shells, which are carefully glued around the edges ; and when a half intoxicated customer call* for a dozen raw on the holffhgßi he gets feem frealv from the afcon ,