News of the Week.

(prom the daily times.) We hear that an interesting trotting match for L 250 aside has been arranged to take place between two horses belonging to two well-known sporting gentlemen of this city. We are at present unable to give further particulars than that the contest will take place on Saturday, and is anxiously looked forward to by members of the turf. The election of a representative of Dunedin and Suburbs soutlv, in tho General Assembly, took place on Monday; the polling booth being the Jury Room at the Court House. Considerable interest was manifested dv. -ing the day, and had there been more polling booths a larger number of votes would have been recorded. Shortly after four o'clock, John Gillies, Esq., Sheriff and Returning Officer, declared the result of the voting to be — William Hunter Reynolds - - 77 Julius Vogel 3i 1 William Henry Cutten - - - 1 1 Ho therefore declared William Hunter Reynolds have been duly clacted. There were about' a dozen persons present. Mr Reynolds said he sincerely thanked the electors for the honor they had done him. In the Assembly, he would labor to the utmost to promote the general intere.,f;k of the Province, aud those of the City of Dunedin in particular.— Mr Vogel said that it was the custom for unsuccessful candidates to return thanks. He could do so heartily ; and he could say that he was well satisfied with the result. He did not pretend that he would not have been better pleased to have been at the head of the poll ; but, at the same time, considering the circumstances under which he came forward, he thought it would be allowed tint he had done very well. He hoped Mr Reynolds would prove as good a member as his friends supposed he would. He had no doubt that many of the electors would be surprised at the large majority Mr Reynolds had obtained.— ( A Voice : Not a bit of it ) He had no idea that Mr Reyiislds was so popular a man ; and he could only admire the intelligence and good sense which had secured his election. Bui. still he hoped that Mr Reynolds would prove to be all that was expected. Mr Reynolds might not be able to speak much in the Assembly for the electors ; but he might br>, like the sailor's parrot, a good hand at thinking, and it was to be hoped he would not always think of himself, but sometimes of the elector.;. He (Mr Vogel) had to thank those who^had'voted for him. He'knew that many earnest friends nad worked hard for him — men to whom he was not pe-sonally known, but who admiring the perfect independence and Hie public spirit with which he had come forward, had volunteered their assistance, and had done what they could on his behalf. Those gentlemen, especially, he begged to thank for their exertions.— Mr Cutten said that ho also was very much obliged to those who had voted foi him ; but he scarcely knew whether he was not equally obliged to those who had not voted for him, and j who had thus, perhaps, saved him from a great deal of trouble. He had offered his services— the electors hadn't accepted them — and he couldn't help it. Mr Vogel had said that a number of gentlemen had worked hard for him. He (Mr Cutten) could only say that he had not worked hard for himself ; and he did not believe that any one else had done bo. However, he was exceedingly obliged to the eleven gentlemen who, on so dirty a day, had taken the trouble to record their votes in his favor. — This concluded the proceedings. ' A cat may not have been the means of making the fortune of Whittinglon, who dreamed that London streets were paved with gold ; but from what we hear, any speculative individual might make an exceedingly decent pile by the sale of cats to those who are getting gold in this. .Province, almost a* fast ns if they hud merely to pick it from a street pavement. We are told that on the Arrow and the Shotover, such havoc are the elephantine rats making amongst provisions, and especially flour, that L sis readily given for a good cat ; while at the Duns tan the quotation is at least LI.

A case of " sticking-up " is reported to have occurred about five miles from the Kawarau junction, on the middle track to the Arrow. It is said that two men, with their faces blackened pounced upon a miner, just at tho bottom of the Big Hill, and eased him of L7O ; but the rascals had fortunately been caught by the police, and were brought into the Dunataa ou Tuesday.

By the Alhambra we have Melbourne papers &> the Ist inst. They do not contain anything i P" r /' cular interest. Dr Hector's expedition to the West Coast has attracted considerable interest in Victoria, and the Melbourne papers draw attention to the benefit which would accrue to Me.bourne from the establishment of a port town on the West Coast, commanding the Like diggings The letter of our Victorian correspondent will be found elsewhere.

The raid amongst sly grog sellers continues. At the lo, ice Court on Monday two cases were heard, in bolh of which a fine of £50 and costs was inflicted. Four cases of a similar nature were postponed owing to a press of business.

Charles D'Auly Gilbert, who had been in custody some time on snspicion of beinsr connected with the perpetration of the Lachlan Escort Robbery, has again been brought up at the Resident Magistrate's Court ; but in the absence of Detective Lyons, who is hourly expected to arrive from Sydney, the Bench had no alternative but to remand the prisoner for another week.

The two men, Henry Cohen and Samuel Benjamin, who have been several times remanded ou a charge of stealing a quantity of gold belonging* to the estate of Miller and" Cohen, of which Messrs Hildreth and Cleve were appointed trustees, have been brought up at the Police Court and discharged. The counsel for ihej piosceution stated that their reasons for declining to pioceed with the case wore owing to the evidence of the principal witnesses being insufficient to support the charge. It was stated that the property taken from Benjamin when he was arrested has since been stolen from- the Dunstan Lock-up by an escaped prisoner, but the Resident Magistrate considered that tho Government was responsible for the property in question, which is worth about L3O, and accord ; ngly granted an ?rder upon which Benjamiu can take proceedings to recover.

An accident, which might have been attended with very serious results, occurred on the Port Chalmers road on Sunday last. It appexrs that a party consisting of Mrs Dawson,of the Melbourne Club Hotel, Mrs T. Nunn, and two gentlemen, weru returning from Blueskin, and were about half-way to town when the vehicle capsized, and all the inmates were thrown out with considerable violence. Both ladies were much disfigured, and have required constant medical attention since the unfortunate occurrence. We understand that the gentlemen escaped without sustaining any serious damage.

Not long since we had occasion to remark that the" 1 Town Board authorities had very thoughtfully placed a lamp indicating the passable part of the cutting in Princes-street, the light from which in some measure guided foot passengers through this " sea of mud." Last night, however, although the state of that part of the town, after the recent rain, can be readily imagined by those who had not the misfortune to see it, all was darkness and confusion. This is a matter of serious public inconvenience, and as ics remedy involves but a trifling expense, we have no doubt the proper authorities will see the desirability of attending to it forthwith.

The bodies of the three men who were drowned lately by the upsetting of their boat near Port Chalmers, have all been found durin? theweek,and inquests upon them have been held by Dr. Hocken at the Port, a verdict of " accidentally drowned ; being returned in each case. There was some doubt as to the identification of the holy found on Good Friday, but, from information which hid been given to Sergeant Joyce, he was able to identify it as that of Brown, one of the hands belonging to the Santiago. The others are those of Nelson, the boatman, and Johnstone, another of tho Santiago's hands.

A number of gentlemen met in the Athemeum on Monday la9t, to form a Debating Society in connection with that institution. Mr Jago "was called to the chair. Some preparatory business having been disposed of, the following gentlemen were appointed office bearers of the Society : The honorable J. H. Harris, President; Mr Thos. Halliwell, Vice-President; Mr W. D. Stewart, Treasurer ; Mr Marshall, Secrftary • and Messrs Craik, Galloway, Douglas, Cragg, and Colson, members of committee, the office bearers being ex officio members. All persons joining the Society mu«t be members of the Athenaeum. The following question was intimated for discussion nex 1 ; Monday evening — " Which Statesman has exercised the greater influence on Society, Brougham or Burke ?"

The Lancashire and Scottish Relief Fu;id box was not opened on Monday evening ; but last evening, the contents were found to be £2 2s. lOd, Amongst them was a half-sovereign, wrapped in ptper, which bore ths words, in a female handwriting, " A servant's mite."

Several of the bnsiness premises.on the easterly side of the Cutting, which were left perched ou from -sff. to 7ft. of soil, owing to the reduction of the Cutting to the permanent level, have now bacn safely lowered ; and on the westerly side, a pile of two storey shops and a brick building are being proceeded with, while two new shops have already been opened.

The Tasmanians are in great hopes that valuable gold fields will yet be found in that colony. The Hobart Town Mercury gives the following information :—" The general tenor of Air. Gould's letter fully sustains the impression he communicated in his former letter. He states that gold is found everywhere up the River F. ranklyn. But as the party proceeds towards the Frenchman's Cap, the quantity does not perceptibly increase, and as yet, gold is not discovered in paying quantities. Having got all his supplies up to the depot, he declares his intention of carrying on the prospecting operations under his own personal superintendence. The following is extracted from a letter to a gentleman holding a high position in the community :— " Communications have just come to hand from the Government Geologist, Mr Gould, dated 14th instant, from the Depot in the neighbourhood of the Frenchman's Cap. The party wero working well, and Mr Gould reports that gold exists everywhere in rivers in small quantities, but that the parties do not seem to get any very great increase as they go up. The next month will probably tell more about it, as Mr Gould is going to superintend in person the working of a number of shalts in the branches at the head of the Franklin."

The general monthly meeting of the Dunedin Volunteer Fire Brigade was held on Monday evening at the Shamrock Hotel. The chair was occupied by Mr A. C. Rees, there being present about thirty members. The minutes of tho preceding meeting having been read and confirmed, several accounts were presented and passed for payment. The officers previously appointed to bring up designs for a dress suit uniform, submitted two jumpers, one of which— a loose scarlet shirt with black trimmings and roll collar— was, on the motion of Mr Switzer, adopted and tenders ordered to be called. It was further resolved that tenders should he invited for uniform trousers, to consist of black cloth with red stripe. Five members were nominated for the office of Poreman of the Hook and Ladder Company, in place of Mr Prn&er resigned, the election, by ballot falling upon Mr Switzer, Mr W. H. Mumford was also elected Honorary Secretay to the Brigade, a position which he had previously occupied and resigned. Mr Asher moved that an assistant foreman of the Hook and Ladder and Hose Carriage Company be appointed, whose duty it will be to act in the absence of the foreman and work as an ordinary member at other times. This proposition was seconded [by Mr Muraford, and being carried, it was decided that it should be left in the hands of the foreman to appoint his own | sub, the appointment to exist only during the period of his (the foreman's) holding office. Mr iiobinson gave notico of his in ention to move at the next general meeting — " That a committee be appointed to revise the bye-laws of the association.,' Several new members were elected by ballot and some other matters of an unimportant nature having been disposed of, the meeting separated.

The Hobart Town Mercury says that the new ateamer for the Tasmanian Navigation Company, and intended for the Otago trade, 1 is now in course of building by Messrs. G. and J, Thomson, of Glasgow. She is to be from 650 to 700 tons, builders' measurement, Al, 19 years at Lloyd's, and to have a guaranteed speed of 13 knots. All the latest improvements are to be adopted in her construction. She was to be completed in September, to sail out under canvas, and may therefore he expected to arrive in the Derwent about the end of the year.

It appears from the account of Mr. Hartley's trip to the West Coast, mentioned in the letter of our correspondent, that Mr Hartley has erroneously confounded the river he reached with a river considerably to the nortward, discovered and named by Dr. Hector the Jackson Hirer.

Messrs. De Carle, Nash, and Coopfer, 'three o the deputation appointed at the public meeting:,.. .-. held on Tuesday evening, respecting' the ljigh ./ price of meat, had an interview with His Honor the Superintendent on Wednesday afternoon, tha T Provincial Secretary bein? also present.' The resolution agreed to by the meeting, in favor of > permission being given to im port cattle from :Mel- , bourne and Sydney, was submitted' to His Honor; and the members of the deputation urged tho necessity of immediate action being taken to meet the requirements ot the public in the present emergency. His Honor, in reply, said he could sco that considerable opposition to the granting of the request embodied in the resolution would be raised by the General Government ; and he read to the deputation a long correspondence from the General Government, arising ont of remonstrances made by the Canterbury and Southland Governments. He, however, agreed that it waa necessary something should - be done. He therefore suggested that tho deputation should obtain all possible information on the subject ; and should embody the result of their inquires in a memorial to the Provincial Government. This he would forward for the consideration of the' General Government, accompanied by such information as he could obtain f«om the" Provincial Government. His own view wj.s, that ofali other ports of export that could be suggested, in - addition to Poit Albert (Gipp's Land,) the least objectionable would be Twofold Bay ; while, ho considered that the idea of including Western Port could not be entertained. After an interview, which lasted nearly half-an-hour, the deputation thanked his Honor an.l withdrew. _ We are glad to notice that a lower room of the Athenaeum has been fitted up for the purpose of writing, rtiess, nnd refreshments, and will be open to all subscribers during the same hours as the Library.

Fifty-three applications for general publicans' , licenses have been lodge 1 with the Clerk' to thir Dunedin Bench, in compliance with the provisionof the Licensing Ordinance. The Special Gan : ral Meeting of justices to consider the appiici cations, is to be held at the Court House, oa Tuesday, the 2 1st inst, at jeleven o'clock. 1 '

The following Government sales of town sections are announced in the Prooincial Government Gazette, viz., at the Court House, Hawkesbury, on the 12th of May, sections in blocks 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 26, and 32, in tha township of Hawkesbury; and at the same date and place sales of sections in blocks 18, 5, 20, 22, 21 and 19, in the township of Palmerston. At Mr Young's store, Hampden, a sale by public auction will be held on the 14th of May, of sections in blocks 36, 31, 41, 48, 38, 28, 30, and 32 in the township of Harapden. At the Court House, Oamaru, a sale by auction will be held on the 16th of May, of sections in blocks 28, 25, 4, 79, 54, 23; 24, 29, 10, 51, 11, and 66 in the township of Oamaru; ■ The following members of the Police Force are - notified iv tho Provincial Government Gazette as having been appointed inspectors of Slaughter Houses, viz., Dnnedin, Louis Julius Weidner; - Tuapeka, Simon Johnson, Elijah Mcc; Dunstan, " Francis Porter, John Swaine; Mount linger, John Garvey ; Oamaru, Gi'bert Percy, Frank Rochford O'Brien, John Ryan ; Wakatipu, John Emerson, William Irwin. Mr John Turnbiill Thompson has been appointed pro tern Governmsnt Engineer, and also Engineer of Roads and Bridges. Notice is given by the Roatl Engineer, that the' new piece of road from Landslip Hill to the Mataura, by which the road to the Wakatipu Lake country is shortened upwards of twenty miles, is now open for dray traffic. On two occasions, during tho adjourned Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court,, a practice adopted in some Magistrate's Courts, of marking documents put in in evidence, was strongly condemned by Mr, Justice Richmond and by Counsel. The second case occurred yesterday, on the trial of some prisoners from Waitahuna, bank notes, which the prosecutor said he could identity, br.ing marked with initials, and also with the letters A. B. C, &c. Thi< plan, it was agreed prevents generally anything like a fair test of the grounds. of identification when the case comes ou for trial. His Honor adoptei the plan of taking possession of the notes, "requiring the' prosecutor to name the marks, &c, by which lie said he could identify each, and then handing the notes to the Jury, that they might see how for the witn< ss was to be relied on. His Honor hold* that in cases before the Magistrates, where the property alleged to have bceu stolen 19 not minutely described in the original infuraiation, it should not be shown to the 'identifying' witness, at "least until he has described the marks or other means of identification ; and that noes ordacuments should then be sealed up, any mirk requisite for reference being put upou the envelope. The Crown Prosecutor promised to. communicate with the Magistrates on the subject.

The Accommodation House at Waitahuna, lately in the occupation of Messrs Hill and Smithers, has been leased to Mr John Morgan, of Waitahuna, at the annual rent of .£l2O.

In the Provincial Government Gazette appears a report from, the Provincial Surgeon of the Dunedin Hospital, from March Ist. to 3lst; IC appears that during that period 100 patients have been admitted, of whom 11 were suffering from, typhoid fever, 21 from iufhmmatory diseases; 3, from disorders ot the nerve's, 1 from disorders' incidental to females, 8 from disease of the bowels, 2 from disease of the head, 2 from con- . sumption, 1 from scrofula, 6 froni diseases of the skin, 19 surgical cases, 22 accidents, and 4 cases lunacy. The actual total in the Hospital on the ■ Ist of March was 153, making. the number oi cases under treatment, during the month, 255. Of these 81 were cured, 5 received benefit, 2 wero not bencfitted, and 9 died. The following captains of mercantile vessels are, b"y the Government Gazette, declared to be exempted from the necessity of taking a' pilot on - board as respects the harbour of Otago tain Darby, s.s. City of Hobart ; John Maxwell, Dobb, schooner Jane; Hugh Mackie, s.a. Gothenburg; and Captain Robertson, formerly of the steamer Pirate. A printer's error made great "nonsense of, the report published yesterday of Mr Webb's remarks at Mr Reynolds's meeting at the Masonic Hall, on Saturday afternoon. > The portions of the following sentences which are placed between quotation marks^.were omitted: — He could not trace the slightest foundation for the remarks to that effect, which had been made ; except in the fact that Air Reynolds " was a member of the Executive of a Superintendent with whose views he did not agree. This was the only ground upon which Mr Reynolds" could ba called a slippery politician. At the Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, Henry Cohen and Samuel Benjamin were again brought up on remand, charged ]with stealing a quantity of gold, the property of Messrs Hildreth,. and Cleve, as trustees in the estate, of Miller And^ Cohen, but the counsel for the" prisoners not being prepared with his witnesses for tho de fence, the hearing of the case was further postponed till to-day. A man named, Patrick Ryan, who appears to be a semi-lunatic, was brought up by Inspector Sincock, on suspicion of being the Miller's Plat murderer, but there was a witness ' present in court who had been working with Ryan, and said he could prove that he was no : the man. The Magistrate remanded the suspected character till to-day, and in the meantime the police will make inquiries in the matter. A late number of the Bendigo Advertiser dpscribes an instance of mining ingenuity, 'which H may be worthy the attention of those of our readers who are engaged in puddling operations. ' If the contrivance described is indeed capable of being turned to any useful account in Victoria, we may reasonably expect far greater results from its adoption here, as we are more liberally , blest Avith the essential article of " wind."" The following is the description referred to :— VKear Long Gully may be seen a very ingeuious and practical adaptation of tl\e wind aa a motive power. 'The proprietor, who is in all probability ji person of nautical experience or tendencies, ab« ' juring the hard work of puddling by hand, and ~ declining to go .into horse puddling, has inventedand constructed the following apparatus. Instead" of the usual crpss bar of puddling machines, this has two cross bars,' forming a cross, and atthe'erid of these is a mast, properly stayed-, -on each of these' - is hoisted a- lug sail, with the sheet' frtutal flat: a,ft. It will be -thus seen ' that three of thes'eSviQ \ always be full or drawing, while the fourth iYgb> l ; r yering, andas tho machine revolves, each, sail fiUs, r * shivers as it comes up to the.wihd, and $gn<^ tafcea on tho other tack, an-.V sq the revolution ofthe machine is maintained as long as there ia sufficient wiud. There is no doubt the system ia capable of being used successfully ou a larger wate."

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