GENERAL ITEMS.

West Coast Times, Issue 36, 26 August 1865, Page 2

GENERAL ITEMS.

Tho members of tho newly-formed " City Council" of Dunedin, which takes the place of the old Town Board, have commenced squabbling already. The Herald of the 10th inst. contains half a column of a discussion on the weighty matter whether the Mayor should bo styled "your worship/ or simply " Mr Mayor." Both wero subsequently adopted, and Councillor Driver very properly remarked that such conduct "would aoon render them as ridiculous in public estimation as their predecessors were." The Daily Times (Otago) says - "Mr John Angus, a well-known storekeeper at Queenstown, is in gaol upon an attachment for contempt of Court — refusing to obey an order of the Supreme Court. Thomas George Dugard, bailiff at Queenstown, has been 'apprehended for the same reason. We believe this is the first occasion on which imprisonment for contempt of Court has occurred in the history of tho Province." I The light now shown on Dog Island (Foveaux Straits) is reported as burning brightly, as being visible over a wide area from all points of the compass, and as materially aiding the navigation of | Foveaux Straits by vessels proceeding either east or west. The steamer Muid.of the Yarra has been stripped of her yards, &c, and fitted specially for tho Lyttelton and Heathcote trade. Government is about erecting a beacon on Luke Rock— a sunken rosk in Tory Channel. This is a step thought very advisable, since several vessels beating in and out have miraculously escaped. This is the most dangerous point in the whole of Queen Charlotte Sound. At Smeaton (Victoria) a revenue detective dressed himself in tho garb of a "cockatoo," and having purchased eighteen eggs, took them to a store for sale, cheap as they were all he had left, and he wanted to get home. The storekeeper, eager to turn an honest penny, bought the goods, and the vendor boing " ve^ry cold," thought a nobbier of rum would do him good. A sixpence was laid down, tlio rum was served, and thero is no doubt the eggs will hatch chickons that tho storekeeper will find of a very expensive kind. In the Victorian Government Gazette we find a reward of L2OO, and free pardon to an accomplice, offered by the Government, for such information as shall lead to the conviction of the person or persons guilty of tho murder of Henry Junod, vine-dresser, on the 3rd July lust, at Sunbury. A new diggings has Jieen discovered on the northeast of Tasmania, to which tho name of Cradlo Gully Diggings has been given. In three days, with rude appliances, a party of three men had washed out six and a half ounces of very fine gold. A public meeting has been held at Chiltern, at which resolutions wero adoped in favour of the construction of a line of railway from Goornong to Albury, as surveyed by the railway department. A very rich golden reef has been discovered at' Tarrengower, in the Oymru Company's claim, at a depth of 200 feet. There is a forty feet block literally strewed with gold. From Hamilton's (Otago) we learn that some parties who have taken up an extended claim at Mount Ida, of three acres, in tho Maori Gully, are about to construct a long tail-race to the Taieri River, which will be of great benefit to tho miners generally in carrying away the tailings. A share in Matthewson and party's claim and water race, at Hyde, has changed hands for L3OO. The Rise and Shine Company, at Hamilton, who have been ready for some time to wash up, are continually being disappointed for want of water. The United Company who hold the first water right from the Pigburn, intend npplying for a lease of six acres at the Shepherd's Hut, in the Gorge, about two miles from this place, and intend to extend their present water race for the purpose of working it Tho "Southland Times" of the 11th instant, says :— " Through the courtesy of Mr Commissioner Weldon, we learn that the Riverton goldfields are not going to be so remunerative as was at first anticipated. Sergeant-Major Chapman roports that he visited the district on tho Moa Creek, where the parties are prospecting, and found that payable gold was not being obtained. Aldred and party intend washing out a paddock, and then turn the creek to test its bed. They are sinking about four feet through heavy ground, and nil the stuff is washed, except about a foot of stripping. Thirty men at least, in parties of two and four, aro prospeoting as far as Mount Pleasant." A correspondent of the Dunedin "Herald," writing from Port Chalmers, says "that much amusement was caused by the sailing of Messrs. Macandrew and Vogol by the same steamer to Wellington. It is not often that two such staunch antagonists are crowded within so narrow a space ; and curiosity was raised as to how they would spend their time on tho voyage— whether they would fight their battles o'er again, play bo-peep with each other out of their cabin doors, or whether one or both would bo shut up in impenetrable sullenness till they set foot on land again." Tho "Wakatip Mail" says— Quartz-reefing speculations have almost become a mania at the Arrow. It is hard to Bay how many sixteen acre leases have been taken up. The following are tho names of somo of tho companies under survey, or whose applications havo been registered. Wo can stato that Mr Warden Broad has his hands Mil, and the appointment of Mr Anderson pro torn only allayed tho excitement :■ Critorion Company, Plutus Company, Jupiter Company, Baracouta Company, Now Orleans Company, Scholcs' Company. Two moro have been added to tho ftbovo list, but wo havo not ascertained their names. Ground at tho Arrow roofs is likely to bo very wet, but this, whon all tho companies aro at work, will soon right itself. Tho association for tho protccrion of tho fine arts in Scotland, lias issued its prospectus for tlio ourrent year, It has purchased fot distribution among the membors, somo forty works of art, at a cost of LI 61 3, containing tho best productions of Douglas. Bough, M'Cullooh, 18. T. Crawford, and others. Each subsubscribor of a guinea will, beside his chance oj obtaining one of tho works aforesaid, recoive a volume of lino engravings, after original designs by Scottish artists, illustrative of " Wavcrley." This association was founded in J833, incorporated by Royal Oliurtei in 1847, and hits done much to extend tho love of art in Scotland.

The Hobart Town papers state that the celebrated racehorso Panic, the winner of the late Tasmanian Cnainpion Race, has been sold by Mr S. Blackwell to a well-known sporting gentleman in Victoria, for the sum of LISOO cash. Tho Mercury says there is an understanding that, in the event of his winning the Melbourne Cup, L3OO extra shall be paid. I'or fifty years uninterrupted peace lias prevailed between England and France. The rivalry of war has ceased, and ancient prejudices ,aro now buried, let us hope, for ever. The fiftieth anniversary of peace could not be allowed to pass without some appropriate celebration, and to the representative working men of both countries is due the credit of having taken the first step in a practical and well considered movement. It has been decided that an Anglo-French Working Class Exhibition shall be held at the Crystal Palace during the summer. According to existing arrangements the Exhibition will be Opened on Saturday, tho 27th July, and will remain open during the threo following months. Tho promoters have determined to limit the goods to specimens of skilled Work, and thus to appeal mainly to the cultivated intelligence and artistic training of the working classes. The, French workmen have gone into the undertaking with genuine enthusiasm. The New York "Herald" estimates that the amount of gold remitted to England by timorous Federals during -he darkesi period of the war was 62,000,000 dollars (about £6,000,000). Local self-government is being introduced into Turkey, whsch will henceforth have its vestries and town councils like other civilized nations, instead of having all its affairs administered from Constantinople.