Local Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 369, 1 July 1874, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

The time of closing of the San Francisco tna'l at the Post Office, Lawrence, h-is been extended to Friday morning, at 6 o'clock. This alteration ha 3 beeu caused by the delay in tlieirrival of the inword mail. We are compelled, owing to the lateness of the lour, to give our report of the soiree held at If i\velock last evening. In our next issue, we wili piblish a condsnsed report In the meantime ye may state theie was a large attendance, which' was addressed by six Pieabyteriau clergymen. THBlOlutha Piosbytery met at Havelock yesteriHy for the purpose of ordaining the Rev. James Skinner, A.M., to thi; office of the ininistiy. There was a very good attendance of the co gregation. The Rev. J. H. Cameron, the Midcrator, presided on the occasion, and preach d fiom the Acts, chapter IV. and 33 verse. The usual questions of the formula having been put to Mr. Skinner, the Presbytery then iroceeded with the ordination service. A su t»blc address was delivered to the minist rs by the Eev. John AHau, of Inch Cluthi and to the pecple by the Rev. Dr. Ssuan.W Dune.lin. We hive received a few verses of doggerel rhyme oi "The Shepheid and His Dog," but would be\orry to inflict them upon our readers. It may abuse our poebicaliy-iuclined correspondent whW herding his sheep on the hills to whileaway tieh.-tppy Lours by making such compositions, but wo do not think his talent lies in the directiomof poetry. A BALCLUTHAcorrespDiident informs us that the statement made by the *• Bruce Herald " of Friday last, that a Vicfcovian lady had received the appointment of mistress of the Balclutha School is not correct. Applications for the appointment were receivable up to yesterday, aud the Committee had not fixed upou any one. SIXTV-FIVK pohnp-s were offered and refused last week for a fixth share in a claim on the Waipoii Flat, ad/icent to the Drainage Channel. This speaks volumes for the sorifiMence the miners have ia the ground, which the Diainage Channel givei facilick's for working. On Sunday last, the new Presbyterian Church at Havelock vas opened by the Rev. Dr. Stuavfc, of Ducedin. The building at the time was iv an unfinished state ; in f.ict, it will take fully a fortnight before the Church is thoroughly completed. When completed, it will reflect great credit upon the residents of the district, bein£ a very handsome and commodious structure It is capable of accommodating over 200 persons comfortably. The contractors are Messrs. Hay and Son, of Wetherstones. Precisely at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, service was commenced. The congregation was a very numerous and attentive one— there being upwards of 200 persous present, a few of whom were from Li whence. After the singing of the 100 th Psalm, the Rev. Dr. read portions of the xxxv. and xxxvi. chapters of the Book of Exodus, and also a portion of the XVI. chapter of Romans. In explaining to tha congregation the custom of the Israelites, as shown in the two pz - eceding chapters, he adverted to the liberal manner in which they bestowed their offerings when called upon to erect a structure for the purpose of conveniently worshipping Almighty God. Their liberality of sjirib, he was sorry to observe, was not imitated to such an excent by .Christians in the present day. He, however, expressed himself as thoroughly pleased with the bounteous manner in which the residents of the distriot had subscribed towards the buildiug which he had the inestimable privilege of opeuing. Tho rev. gentleman chose for his text the Epistle of John, 2nd chapter and 20th verse, which reads: " But ye h<ive au unction from the Holy One, and ye kuow all things." The discourse, which was an exceedingly eloquent and impressive one, was listened to with undivided attention. We regret to learn that the Alexanrtia, Steam Drerlge project has come to grief. \Va looked forward with oonsitWaUle hope to this Compauy, which intended working the bed of the Molyncux afcer a systematic fashion. One of the peculiarities — if not the absurdities—of the new Licensing Act was shown in the R.M.s Court, Dunedin, yesterday, when Mrs. Diamond, of the Globe Hotel, was summoned for selling drink on a Sunday. From our telegram it appears that one of the laudlady's lodgers had ordered two drinks- one for himself Mad another for a frieud ; and because the fii«nu was not a loilgor in tho house, the Ludlady was eummond for a breach of the Ordinauce. The Magistrate, our tolegram states, did not decide whether a lodger in a public house could ask a person to dine with him at that house, aud then give him a drink. The meeting for the election of officers for the ensuing six months iv the Loyal Tuapeka Pioneer Lo.lge, M.U.1.0.0.F., was held last evening at the Lodge-room, in the Commercial Hotel. Bro. W. Qnin was elected N.G. ; Bro. J. Uttll. V.G. ; asul lira. J. Rn'w\ tana, ES. "here wa* a numerous attendance from the Loyal BluoSpur Lodge. There was also a repTeaentative from the Waipori Lodge. A purple lecture will moit piubably be delivcied in the Lodge-room on the 12fch August, if permission ib granted by the District Officers. The larrikins of Lawrence were up to their games again last night. The gate of our office yard was found this morning lying in the middle of the sheet, the burners were removed from the lamps, and several other stupidities indulged iv.

We (' ; Times") understand that it has been decided by the Committee of Management of , tho Colonial Bank of New Zealand to name a uniform day throughout the provinces for closing the list of applications for shares. This decision has been arrived at iv consequence of repiesentations by the deputation to the northern provinces. The feeling appears general that the applications from each of the provinces will be fully equal to the number to which, upon the basis of population, they would be entitled. Thus it would be anfair to allot to Otago the whole number applied for until it is definitely known what the requirements of the other provinces amount to. The applications in Dunedin alone yesterday amounted to over 12,000 sliares, making a grand total for this ; province of over 100,000 stares applied for. ] The prospects so far, we hear, are moat encoui aging, and promiso that the bank will start with a very wide-spread proprietary, embracing every class in the community. The day fixed for finally closing the share lists is Tuesday, the 20th July. The usual monthly meeting of the Tuapeka Hospital Committee was held last evening, The President occupied the chair, and there was a fair attendance of members. The subject of the apparent excessive quantities of medical comforts used ia the Hospital during the past few months was brought on for consideration. The Resident Surgeon read a statement explanatory of the matter so far as he was concerned ; and after some discussion, the question was referied to the Visiting Committee to report fully upon it, as soon as, convenient. Our report of the meeting we are obliged to hold over until our Saturday's issue. The tenders for supplies for the ensuing six months were then opened, when the following were successful : — Win. Hears, interments ; D. Heid. milk ; Win. Drainer, butcher meat , G. Thompson, lignite and /food ; J. Harris, bread ; T. Arthur, groceries.