LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 367, 29 October 1863, Page 3

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

To prevent inconvenience in the posting of letters, we are requested to state that, uutil a standard clock, which has been applied for, is erected at the Post Office, the time at that establishment will be kept by the large clock in front of Messrs. Taylor, Watt, and Co.’s store adjoining.

We understand that Capt. Lillierap, of the Colonial Defence Force of this Province, is under orders to pi-oceed to Wangauui, and may be expected among us in the course of a fortnight. Whether he comes in charge of a further re-enforce-ment we have not yet heard.

Six natives who returned from Taranaki on Tuesday, reported that Pehi was greatly disgusted at the result of the fight on the 2nd inst. (in which it would 'seem more Maories had fallen than they at frst admitted),and that he and Tahana had declared their intention of returning homeland becoming supporters of the Queen's authority. They state that

j Ensign Powis was shot when charging at I the head of his meny that- the- volley wasj fired at him alone, and that but for-the | check consequent on his fall giving the ' natives time to escape, cheir loss would have been tremendous. Tahana it seems had a very narrow escape, Epiha and four having ruslied forward and rescued him when on the point of being bayoneted by two soldiers. Topia, who went down again a fortnight since, has been hooted and sent to Coventry by his comrades an account of immoral conduct.

Mi’. G. Huberts, just returned from Wellington, imports that a letter had reached the Kingites at Rangitikei, containing an account of a number of natives being surprised by the troops at Papa-, ratu, and 200 of them killed ; they appeared much cast down at the news. Tlie same account lias reached the Wanganui natives. The “.Waligamii ” steamer was launched at Messrs. Gourlay’s yard at Dundee on the" 3Qt.li July. TOWN MEETING. A meeting of the ratepayers interested in the Victoria-Avenue sewer was held at the Rutland Hotel on Monday evening, Tlios. Powell, Esq., in the chair. After a few' preliminary remarks from thechairmau, Mr. H. Lyon read a report trom tlie committee appointed on the Btli instant, and some extracts, taken by them, from the Board’s minutes It appeared from these that, on February 16th, the Board’s surveyor was ordered to prepaid the plans and sections for an 18 in. bai*rel drain on the south side of the Avenue, from the beach to Ingestre-street ; -that these were laid before the Board on March 2nd ; that during five weeks notices w r ere posted at three places iu the Avenue and advertised in the Chronicle, inviting all persons interested to inspect the plans, and to attend the Board meeting on April 13th, to offer objections or suggestions respecting the work'; that no one came to see the plans or attended the meeting ; that notices inviting tenders for the work were advertised in the Chronicle during other five weeks ; that at the Board meeting on May 18th one tender only (at 31/ 10s per chain) was received ; that this being considered too high, the time for receiving tenders was exteuded, and tenders for bricks only were invited ; that on May 25th a tender v’as received from Mr. S. Henson, for the whole work, at 25/ per chain (or 24-/ 15s if not required to fence off the work), and for bricks at SI 15s per thousand for bevilled, and 3/ 10s for plain ; that the Board, not wishing to undertake a work of such magnitude without a clear expression of the wishes of the ratepayers concerned, called them together by circular on July 6th ; that after considering the estimates and discussing the proposed work, the ratepayers by a. large majority passed a resolution declaring the proposed sewer “highly indispensable,” and authorising its construction, provided the rates could be kept within a limit of 51 per section ; that on the same day Mr. Henson offered to execute the work for 24/ 10s per chain if allowed to defer it till the summer ; that on July 20th Mr. Henson’s tender was accepted, and a rate struck charging the sections affected by the proposed sewer sums varying from 51 10s to 1/ each in proportion to benefit to be de rived; that at the Board meeting on August 31 sc, to hear objections to the assessment, three such objections only were preferred, though a number of ratepayers then began to object to the work itself; that on September 7th a discussion took place at the Board, as to whether to cancel the contract or proceed with the work, and that the latter course was determined on—Messrs Davidson, Roberts, Sim,-and Watt voting for, and Messrs. Handley, J ones, and Toole against it ; that on October 12th Mr.

Henson, in consequence of the remarks at the ratepayers’ meeting on the Bth, offered to concur in any arrangement that the Board might deem advisable, on being protected from pecuniary loss in respect of the bricks, of which 20,000 were made. Mr. Lyon also read the correspondence, as to works generally, between the committee and the Board, in which the latter expressed an intention of carrying out contracts already entered on, bnt of not undertaking new works without consulting the ratepayers concerned ; and as to this meeting, which the Board declined to attend, though they expressed their willingness to afford the committee and ratepayers every information in their power.

Mr. D. Richai'dson, sen., wished it to be understood he had nothing to do with the contract, which was Henson’s alone.

Mr. Townsend couldn’t understand the extracts from the Board’s minutes read by Mr. Lyon. He wanted to know if the contract was let, and if the bricks were to be buried or not. He advised them to pay no rates, for the Board couldn’t work without monev.

Mr. Lyon couldn’t understand the extracts himself. He proceeded to read the draft of a letter, to be addressed by the committee to the Board, requesting the latter to suspend the work till the wishes of the ratepayers was definitively expressed. Mr. Townsend wished to see improve ments in the avenue. Wouldn’t like to see a brick-bottomed semicircular gutter, such as he had heard some people advocate, for he knew that not only would c ittle destroy it, but the boys would pick out fie bricks for mischief. His own boys he knew would, and steal the bricks. He was an ignorant man, and not a very wise one ; but he was not quite a fool, and unless some means could be found for preventing cattle and boys from injuring the drain, be thought they had better keep the money in their pockets than make it. ,

Mr. D. Nathan thought the committee hud discharged the duty, entrusted to

them. He thought moderate and conciliatory measures most likely to produce a good result. Mr. Townsend would keep his money, and called on all present to do the,same, till a good plan of drainage was devised.. I Mr. Richardson. The proposed sewers were, to-small-.; they ought to be at least 3ft. wide by 3ffc 6in. high. He had seen plenty of sewers in England and Melbourne. - In the latter the sewers were all taken xip and open drains substituted. These last were dangerous. He had seen a horse and cart swept away by the rush of water down one of them.

Mr. Townsend, saw it too. They were carried nearly a quarter of a mile. A desultory conversation followed between Messrs. Richardson and Reynolds,. as to the size of the sewer necessary. The. Chairman said he must call them to order. They would never get on thus, it seemed to him the meeting ought to propose to do one of the two tilings, either oust'■the Board who seemed determined to carry out their own views in defiance of the ratepayers, or suggest some definite plan of drainage to be carried through at the expense of the whole Town. He thought Henson’s proposal a fair one, and the value of the bricks already made would not ruin them if they had to pay it ; btft probably they might he able to sell them to some other Town Board, which might want bevilled bricks for sewer work. Mr. Townsend said it was.nonsense to talk of selling them. They wanted the bricks, every one of them, arid he would gladly help to pay for them. Use them for surface drains, and don’t bury them. Let them have the street drier than it was that night. ' Mr. Hood, had heard from a person who had been at Henson’s a day or two back, that not a brick was burned. The clay could be moulded over again. Mr. P. McWilliam, had just seen Henson, who said 0000 were burnt, and 9000 more ready..

Mr. G. Beaven thought tin’s was a point of no consequence. If they had open drains, they must have culverts under the cross streets, and the bevilled bricks would be wanted for these.

Mr. Gudgeon felt that something was needed. Let the meeting suggest something. His ow r n opinion was that a deep open drain ought to be carried along the back line of the Sections between the Avenue, and St. Hill Street, where the line of lowest level was, and where he was told there was formerly a creek. The Avenue flat could not be healthy, for the houses were so damp, that everything in them got blue-mouldy in a week if let alone. Mr. Townsend was sure that Mr. Gudgeon’s scheme would not atiswei'. The Board had deepened the gutter all up the Avenue, and lowered his cal vert too, and ever since his neighbours were always at him because their land was wetter than before, and they said it was owing to his culvert being choked. He wasn’t going to stand in the rain with a iron rod to keep the culvert clear. Mr. Hackett confirmed Mr. Gudgeon’s statement, as to the lowest level and the old watercourse, which had been filled up by various persons. When it was open Townsend's section was far drier than it was now. Mr. Townsend stoutly denied this. He had wheeled hundreds of cartloads of sand into his section.

Mr. C. Broughton described the line of the old creek, which was in existence when he came here. Mr. Townsend woudn’t swallow that pill, and it was no use to cram him with it. The Chairman must call them back to the point, either to resolve to oust the Board, or suggest some other plan of drainage. The Board seemed to him to have far too great powers and to use them in a most arbitrary manner. He thought Henson’s tender an enormous ono ; and that the Board had not made the work sufficiently public. If they had he felt sure there would have been lower tenders. A good many of the ratepayers now left. Mr. Gaitt would as a member of the Committee suggest conciliatory measures. From the extracts which had been read, it appeared that 3 out of the 7 wardens had already proposed to cancel the contract ; and he believed the others would be vdlling to accede to the ratepayers wishes if temperately expressed. The ratepayers were themselves to blame for paying no attention to the project at the outset, and then misleading the Board by saying the work was “ highly indispensable” and authorising its construction. Mr. C. Broughton thought the Board should be requested to postpone the work. No good could come of this discussion. Mr. P. Me William proposed, and Mr. E. T. Woon seconded, “ That this meeting being of opinion that the proposed Sewer in Victoria Avenue will not be efficient for the drainage of that street and the properties adjacent, beg respectfully to request that the Town Board will not proceed any further, in attempting to carry out the present scheme.” Several amendments were successively proposed, but not seconded. The following amendment was then pi’oposed by Mr. B. Hood, seconded by Mr, Townsend, and carried, “That the Boai'd be requested to cancel the arrangements they have entered into for draining Victoria Avenue, and they be further re quested to meet a deputation of the Ratepayers, to devise some more advisable scheme.”

Messrs. Gudgeon, P. McWilliam, Cummins, G Howe, and Flood, were elected as a deputation. .. The Chairman suggested that the Deputation should report to the Committee the result of their conference with the Board. All the Town ought- to join in matter, us other ratepayers might be

served as those in the Avenue had been ; and unless they supported the present sufferers, they could not expect the latter to help them, if they wanted aid in opposing the Boai'd. The Committee should report to a further meeting of the whole of the ratepayers. ! A Resolution to that effect having been pi’oposed by Mr. Townsend, seconded by Mr. Soulby, and carried. Votes of thanks to. the Committee, and the Chairman of the meeting, wex-e passed, and the assembly dispersed. OTAGO. A new gold field lias been discovered on the west bank of the I aieri river, only a few miles from Dunedin. Tlie prospectors tried seventy or eighty holes, extending over a length of three miles up a galley, and found from 1 dwt. to \ oz. of rough shotty gold to the dish in every hole. The sinking is only from one to two feet, and tlie waslidirt from 9 in. to a foot. Good payable gold was also found in another gulley a mile and a half further on, and another gulley had not been bottomed. '1 liei'e was plenty of timber near. THE AUGUST MAIL. Her Majesty has gone to Germany. The Prince and Princess of Wales are in Scotland. Lo:;d Ci\de (Sir Colin Campbell) was buried in Westminster Abbey on the 22nd August. England, France and Austria, have addressed three more notes to Russia, which were delivered this week. They are most courteous in tone, and expressed a hope that Russia would accept tlie six points and take measures to restore peace in Poland. If she does not, they will hold her responsible for whatever may happen in consequence. The Paris I‘resse states that a marriage between Queen Victoria and the ex-King of Portugal is contemplated. Two European regiments are ordered to embark for New Zealand.

Tne magnitude and richness of the harvest throughout the country give great satisfaction.

The distress in the manufacturing districts is decreasing in consequence.

The American news has been anticipated via California, and 'will be found on our fourth page.