THE Otago Daily Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1873.

j Who are to be the men to form the fnew Waste Lands Board ? is evidently | the question which most interests our | politiciaris'at; the presentmonientr"The | Councillors who panted .the Superintendent to summon the Provincial Council in November" last gave as one fof their reasons, for desiring to meet, f their anxiety upon this point. They did ;not plainly say that they were very |much, disgusted at the idea that, this 5 important Board was to be re-consti-tuted by His Honour under the advice of the gentlemen who form the present ;Provincial Executive. That they meant jthis was so well known that perhaps | they deemed it unnecessary to mention the fact. The country newspapers have had a good deal to say on the subject, ;and their correspondents and 'occasional contributors' a good deal more. We. :share the general interest, though hot i j merely from a feeling of curiosity ;' we twish and hope that, as *the Legislature 'has seen fit to confer upon us what has 'been called, and is intended uto A pretend to be, a 'non-political' Waste Lands Board, the selection of its members will be made in'accordance with the spirit of the Statxite. We are not thankful for a 'non-political' WasteLandsßoard.and we do not believe that the people of this Province generally are grateful for the boon. Moreover, .we do not expect that those who have advocated the

possible has proved to bo extremely limited. We trust, however, to hear shortly that they have adhered to principle in their selection, and that however limited they may havo. found tlieir range of choice, they have strictly confined themselves within that range.

The Citizens' Ball, which is to take place this evening, at the Head-quarters Drill ;Shed, gives promise of being one of the most gatherings witnessed in Dunedin for 'a long time past. The members of the committee have been unremitting in their efforts fco render it in every way a success, and it 'may therefore be fairly presumed that the arrangements made will meet with the entire satisfaction of all parties. Dancing will comimence at half-past nine- o'clock punctually. We understand that tickets cau be obtained .from His Worship the Mayor, and the members of committee.

The Criminal Sittings of ihe Supreme Court will commence this morning, before His Honour Mr Justice Chapman, at 10 o'clock. A meeting of the Interprovincial Boat Race Committee was held at the Pier Hotel on Saturday evening. There were present: ; —Mr James Copeland (in the chair), Mr W. Begg (Secretary), and Messrs J. Hyman, F. J. Muir, H. T. Green, W. R. Long, W. G*. F. Fuller, Atkyns, and Comrie. It was moved by Mr Begg, seconded by Mr Muir,

Mtatu&mtf sucktm* Board for^that' ! and cani^ W eo«._«That, on account wHwb xt^replaces ;^jll find'^y parti- of ithe.waai^ sympathy displayed by the £&** <? lllse ,for satisfaction at tho result gc^waf public, and the apathy of many of of their agitation. But wo neverthe- them&tafcew-et tte Committee, it would bo less desire that the thing should have a wwrae to proceed any further in the matter fair.trial, -tht\t it proper and full oppor- ofthe representation of the Province by a tunity-should tje given- to' lis* bf ascer-* -l»at-tat: tho .'forthcoming Interprovincial taining by experience what sort of. in-, R?gatta at Wellington, so far as this Comstitution a ' non-political' Waste Lauds "f it*cc ia Pwwetacd.;'. Xhe accounts"disclosed Board-is,-and what is "the"«*ood of it. V ligkfc on ifre wrong side, and it was We do not believe in Waste Lands "8<?l^ od thafc a levy should be made, each Boards of any sort, so long as we keep eraber of the Committee to contribute an. tip the machinery and pomp of a local T* 1 P™*ol**o"- The chairman remarked Government. We object to any irre- • Was, not thed^ llte?fc intention of cast: sponsible Board deciding questions £ g 'By *l" r. °n th°9c «(' ntlemcn who »-*- ---ject to the large amount of discretionary of whom also threw cold water on the power winch the Land Act leaves scheme. It was remarked that three in the hands Of tho-Board. Itis most .gentlemen had worked energetically last undesirable that any body, of men yeir in having Otago represented at should have the opportunity of dealing tho general regatta, and iinally , eacY of with matters which affect the personal them had to pay £20 out of his own pocketinterests of individuals, and in which When the Committee had not the public to their own interests or those of their support them, it would be hazardous in,thorn friends may also ho involved, without to undertake a similar risk, especially when its appearing on the face of tilings that $ was considered that it was the few that such is the case? But if we are to have re Sularly nttended the Committee meetings Such a body, and if so much is to be *hat would be solely expected to pay. The left to its decisions, we would have it 9 llairj?3ian observed that two or threo men, composed of tho most prominent public ho^ ever cnerg€*»c, could uot carry such an men in the country—men whom we ir throu 8h successfully; the leading men can get at, and in somo measure punish J*? t.°^ ii shouia fiLvc *dr contributions if they ever let self interest or private T l ,n"ocnc'- 4 * vote of thanks was friendship, or prejudice, or eveAcar^ f . **!"' fcssness, cause them to deli Z f^. Greett > and "ardW .who had «*»* hmouslvr with tW k.W^o iw^ Practising during the past six weeks, and JUTIOUSIy Jith the business of their Mother to the Secretary, Mr Begg. fellow citizens. Not a Board- of o •t- ,- .. ■ *^-- " nominee nobodies,\vith a civil sSvant : -rikinnn^ew Yea*, « xi i • t - movant mo rmng amused himself by firintr stoi*w fi^' .hoWrn W^loUe BUCh from a the CusSmToL and sudi Government officer dews; ThSrcsult Was that two lar^Zs pybe v Not a Board that cannot/be of very thick glass were perforated. One turned out of office by the indication jianc was broken in one place, and the other Ot the public if it dooß anything fla- had two stones fired through it grantly unjust, or eyen,flagrantly.op- : A man named Philip Wakefield, residing posed to the popular prejudices of the in'Dowling streot, attempted to commit day. Not such a Board; therefore, as siuicidc at o o'clock'yesterday mornmg; the providence of the General Assembly Constable Rooney, who was promptly inhas^conferred Aipon lis. Since, however, f . formed of the occurrence, Am entering the we have no longer any choice about it house found Wakefield bleeding from a wound -r-since we are hot asked what we would in the throat. Wakefield, inwply to aqueshave, but told that ,^0 are to have so tion from the constable, told him that he cut and so, and that it is best for us (for, throat with a knife which he had prcvi be it remembei-ed, the people of this ously sharpened with a file. He was after. Province have neverbeen in any sense wards taken to the Hospital bytheconstable. Consulted on this subject), why, as this The wouml. ifc seems, is only a superficial is the case, let us have the new boluA one' Tfae would-be suicide has been drinking puns and simple—let the intention of very hard <ltlrinfithe P 38* fortnight, the fnimers of thisp^irtof the Actl>e Lady Bowen > the Misses Bowen, and His Strictly and impartially earned out Honour the Superintendent visited the Hos. Everyone knows what these iiiten- P>bdion Wedneeday last, and passed through tions were. They are not completely J?^ 8 and offices. Lady Bowen and the expressed in the language of the Act S?! 68 Bow,? agoin the Hospital on lt would have been all but impossible d s bro "B ht with a latge parte have given expression to them f WB. ™ost acceptable gift.for with any precision in the clumsy !•**«£*«»** in whom her ladyship apr eol4 \an Act of Parliamel tri^hy^^s^ But those are so angry about hmAt whom , name^eh^^T^^^ the ap^mtment of , thw new- ascertain, and who was employed by Mr fangled Board being in the liands of E<lmund Ducksbury, railway sub-contractor, those whom they look upon as the Green Island, was found dead in a gnlly bcrepresentatives of a minority of the tween nine and ten o'clock yesterday moraProvmcial Council, have very clear ideas ing. The deceased, who was employed as a of what was intended, and that is one waggon driver in a cutting on the railway, reason of their great anxiety on the left the works with the horse he drove besubject. We are quite aware that con- tween four and five o'clock on Saturday! siderable difficulty must attach to the Not having arrived at the stables, which are selection of individuals who combine »^ Mr Smith's farm, between which and the in their own persons all the qualifica- P«"t of the works ho left iMU mtervenes, tions which ought to be possesaed by search was made on. Saturday night and the membera of such a Board as is in- Sunday morning. Although the searchers tended by the ph rase ' a non-political' mußt have en within 20 or SO yards of him/ Waste Lands Board. It is difficultin so *hey did not succeed in finding him till between small a com munity to find many persons nine and fce° a*m-on Sunday, when be was diswho can be supposed to be free from co,f ered ly'laK under the horse in a gully, and political bias and froni the influence of quifce d^ he h°rse was alive. It would personal and class interests, who are f ef™ tlf the decease<* mi^^ *ho track, possessed Of tie requisite^ local and »fanß «"> ho««* wh'^ he waa riding to the general knowledge, and who are at the C?. S* f the P"«P^? when it talked or same time sufficiently long and widely dl?* ed ° x ver ' w~ with it. known, and of such higii reputation as . ± Tli^i° f :°T!^ M ve]} en to command the confidence of the ? dd f the H<^ <<& ?M»iday evta* public. No one of these qualifications L? £ "Tf* .■ dvwWity.-.ot forming ought to he wanting in any member of !" f.BB^" paying or rts object the i-u \xt i. t -Tt i 1. establishment of a fund for the purpose of meratethemistonarrowthecircie within deemed desirable. Mr Austin presided. A Avhxch choice 1* to be nuuleto very small repo rt was read from the Committee andimensions wceed. Out of the small pointed to draw up a constitution for tlie number of individuals possessed of Society and rules for its guidance. After these qualifications, a large part will be considerable discussion it was resolved that found wanting in another indispensable an Association be formed, to be called "The requisite—the willingness to serve their Commercial Travellers' Association of Otago," country in this manner. Certtinly, and that the co-operation of the Town SaleatheAct provides that the members ofthe men of the various wholesale bouses bein. Waste Lands Board shall in future be vited. The annual subscription was fixed at paid for their services, an arrangement 21s, payable in advance. The management of which may in some measure overcome the Association is to be vested in officers, and the reluctanoe of those who plead the a committee of fifteen members, who will pressure of business engagements as an further report to a general meeting, to be excuse for declining all interference beld in March, as to the success, of the with public affairs. The salaries, undertaking. It was also reaolved to seek however, are not fixed by the '^c assistance of tho principals of the wholeAct, they are to be determined by Bale &X'M towards the promotion of the the Provincial Council, and will be objects of the Society. The following subject to periodical revision, should gentlemen were elected as a committee :'— that august body feel disposed to exer- Me««re J- Thomson, XO. Eva,. Austin, W. eise its powers in that direction. The DaYie«» w- B. Davis, Aitken, W. Moody, remuneration, therefore, which a mem- Morrison, Crocombe, Cook, Tonics, Engel, ber of the Board is likely to receive is KoUiiabaw, Shipton, Benson. Mr J. Coldnot likely to be sufficient to act as any *n"*h **■ elected Vice-president, and' Mr great inducement to those who on any Secretary. The proceedings ter;ground object to take upon themselves ™in»ted with a vote of thanks to the phairan onerous and thankless duty. We man- ' " ' ,may well believe that the range within which the Government has found choice

The following prisoners were received into \ the Gaol on Saturday afternoon:—Henty John Weeks, sentenced at Palmerston on the 2nd inst., by Mr Murdoch, RM., to six months' imprisonment with hard labour, convicted of stealing at said place from the store bf Michael' Pagan, a quantity ..of to-' bacco, value' £3 10$; ahd Alfred James Styles, to three months' imprisonment with hard labour, for the same offence. Both prisoners are recent arrivals by Christian M'Ausland, sent oat by Messrs Bjrogdeaaud -Son. . The fire seen in town in the direction, of the Peninsula at about three-o'clock on the morning of Friday proceeded from the Highciiffc Hotel, which was then burning. 'Tlie building and stock were totally'destroyed, i and neither was insured. Mr Robert Coneys, the licensee of the premises, held them,on lease from Mr Henry Fairbanks He retired to bed at about 11.30 on "tlie night before; previously examining the kitchen fire-place, and seeing that there was no fire burning: Mr Coneys was the only person who slept lin the ~ hotel that night. He woke -at about 3 o'clock in the morning, and found his ! bedroom full of smoke; he jumped out of [ bed, and after partially dressing himself, went to the front door, looked round the house, and found that tho store-room and kitchen* at the back of the hotel were on fire. He at once raised an alarm, and then j ran to his sleeping room from which he had [ only time to carry three empty boxes and [' the bed on which he slept into the yard; he was unable to save anything else.

His cask-tk% containing sixty -five-pounds in J bank notes, and, his clothing, werein the »tow£ j room, and wore all deslj^odt^*Cfc».huildiiigi a wooden one containing^iii^t^^is, and roofed partly with shingles and partly wifch iron, waa burned to the grouud in less than an hour. Mr Coneys made an addition of three rooms to the premises a few months, ago, which cost him £73; paid his license feo a week ago ; lost £65 in notes, and stock, clothing, and furnituro to the extent of £200. Mr Henry Fairbank, the owner of the promises, estimates his loss at £250. Suspicion of foul play attaches at present to no on©; in fact, no one could gain any benefit by the destruction of the hotel. Mr Coneys is well known and much liked in Dunedin.

j We are glad to hear that there is at length a prospect of the cutting of the track from Queenstown to Martin's Bay being proceeded with. The Provincial Executive have, we believe, accepted tho tender of Mr Sandison, referred to in tho Daily Times of Tuesday last, and Mr Saudison leaves Dunedin on Wednesday for -Queenstown, to dq ake the necessary arrangements for tho prompt commencement of the work. The route taken by the track, as already mentioned by us, is by the Greenstone river andLake M'Kellar, it havingbeen proved that this route is incomparably superior to the former one by Lake Harris. It. is to be regretted that six weeks of tho finest weather should liavo been lost, but Mr Sandwon nevertheless hopes to have the work completed before the winter sets in. He has had considerable experience in work of the kind, and-the manner in which ho has executed it, for instancejin the Waikaia district, is a guarantee that the work he has now undertaken will be, promptly and efficiently performed.

} During a thunderstorm at Hokitika tlie other day, the lightning struck a bird-cage, suspended outside a hotel, and killed, three but of four canaries it contained. ' At the distribution of prizes at St. Mary's Roman Catholic School, Ahaura, someprizeß were given by a lady to those of the scholars who had been distinguished during the previous six months by "general good conduct, with a particular-regard to truth telling." *

That popular dramatic item, "Naval Engagements," was played, as the first portion of the entertainment at the Princess Theatre on Saturday evening, aud was rendered thoroughly enjoyable by a cast which included Miss Colville, Mias Mathewß, Messrs Hoskins, Douglas, and Mußgrave. The pantomime followed, and was witnessed with expressed satisfaction by a numerous audience. To-night the entertainment will commence with the play entitled .£ A Ma^ch tii the Dark." In order to enable the juvenile portion ofthe community to witness the pantomime, on Wednesday evening it will precede, instead of being preceded by, the other portion of the performance.

The first of the meetings of the concert for prayer to be held during the week, will take pace in the Wesleyan Church at 7.30 this evening. Christians of all denominations are invited to attend. The* Citizens' Ball Committee will meet at the City Council Chamtars at 4 o'clock this afternoon.