DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 390, 12 September 1874, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

(From our own Correspondent.)

The marked contrast observable in the streets of Dnnedin now when compared with their appearance even so recently as a couple of years since, is a matter of notice even by usually unobservant people. No matter at what hour of the day you may chance to walk along Princes-street, the difficulty of anything like satisfactory or comfortable progress is aggravatingly brought to your notice. If business maters require that you should be quick in your locomotion, the chances are ten to one against your being able to walk beyond the pace of tha loiterer without coming into violent contact with some one similarly circumstanced to yourself, or being stopped by a party of new arrivals, or being compelled to step into the gutter to make way for the inevitable elegantly dressed females, doing their afternoon's shoping or obliged to stand at the corner of a crossing till a string of expresses, bakers carts, and waggonettes get over the pitching and leave the the roadway clear, or something or another of that sort equally aggravating when time is precious. And then you begin to indulge in the use of expressions more forcible than elegant, and wonder why on earth the person who originally laid off the city didn't make the streets a chain wider, with footpaths to correspond, and to persuade yourself in the usual igofcistical manner that you wouldn't have been guilty of such an egregious piece of stupidity had you been present at the time. However, the mischief is done, and Dunodin citizens will have to submit to the jostling and inconvenience of which they are at present the victims until the end of time I suppose. In connection with this matter there is one redeeming point, however, and that is the decision of the Corporation to widen Princes-street from the Ship Inn corner to the Imperial Hotel, a subject over which there has been much discussion m the City Council and the newspapers. It is now definitely settled that this widening shall take place, the late fire on G-uthrie and Larnach's premises having been the means of the decision so far as the portion of Princesstreet from Police-street to Manor Place is concerned. A deputation from the City Council waited upon his Honor the Superintendent in connection with the matter yesterday, the object being to solicit the use of prison labor in assisting towards carrying out the work. It is an undertaking of great magnitude, and will involve an expenditure of something like £20,000 or £30,000, and the request of the Corporation is therefore not by any means an unreasonable one, although tke demand for prison labor is of course very great and difficult to meet. His Honor promised tQ lay the matter before the Executive.

Among the cases decided at the R.M.s Court during the week was that of Outred v. Hyman, plaintiff being one of the passengers by the Surat, and his claim being for £40, the value of a Bewing machine which defendant as one of^the purchasers of the wrecked vessel and her cargo, had, as the complainant set forth, illegally detained. Your readers will no doubt be aware that there bare been numerous actions by the passengers for the recovery of damages from the purchasers of the wreck fer missing luggage, all of which have hitherto been decided in fa^or of the defendants. In this instance, however, perseverance has had its reward. Mr. Bathgate, in giving judgment, having expressed the opinion that the defendant and his partners had no right to . claim possession of the passengers' luggage by virtue of the sale. Unfortunately, however, for the successful litigant in this instance, counsel for defendant gave notice of appeal, so that Mr. Outred's success is at best but half a victory. The announcement by Messrs. Begg aud Anderson that we are shortly to have a visit from Madame Arabella Goddard will be hailed with great satisfaction by all lovers of music in the community. Her fame is worldwide ; and if the performances to which we will no doubt shortly have the pleasure of listening bear out the criticisms which" most people with a taste for music have at one time or another in the course of their lives had the satisfaction of reading, we may reasonably hope fora great musical tr.est<