LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A VEETINQ of the residents and property holders pn the north side of Boss Place was held ia the Masonic Hotel on the evening of Tuesday last, to consider the advisability of building a retaining wall to protect their properties from floods. Nearly ths whole of the residents interested put in an appearance, and, from the unanimous feeling exhibited by the meeting, we expect to see the affair carried through with that amount of enterprise which ensures suooesa. Mn Armstrong was voted to the ohair. Mr. C. Bryant proposed and Mr. M. Hay seconded, " That this meeting is of opinion that it is necessary to {construct an embankment at the rear of blocks 40, 41, and 42, township of Lawrence, for the purpose of , preventimr the encroachment of the Wetherstones Creek, and also for reclaiming certain lands for the benefit of property holders in the above mentioned blooks," The motion was unanimously carried. Mr. Pressly moved and Mr. G. Jeffery seconded, " That it is desirable to obtain the services of an engineer for the purpose of drawing plans of the proposed em- j bankment on the south side of Wetherstones Creek, at the rear of blooks 40, 41, and 42, township of Lawrence, the said plans to show the amount of lands proposed to ba reclaimed by such embankment." Carried. Mr. Wm. Mears proposed and Mr. A. Humphrey seconded, fi That a Committee be appointed for the purpose of carrying out tho foregoing resolutions and obtaining guarantees for the necessary ex- . penses connected therewith." The following gentlemen were elected a Committee :— Messrs. Armstrong, Williams, Hay, Jeffery, and Mears, Mr. Wm. Mears proposed and Mr. G. Walker ■econded, " That the survey should be one of a uniform depth throughout, namely 50 feet, inpluding the proposed 17 feet for right-of-way." This being the only business, the customary vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the proceedings. Those of our readers who took advantage of the entertainments provided for the Tuapeka public during the past week by Miss Aitken must have been highly gratified by that lady's performances. The opportunities of hearing pne so perfect as an eloqutionist are so rarely to be met with that we must confess our surprise that the Assembly Boom was not better filled. But we have before had to regret the slowness of our residents in their appreciation of first-class talent, and this occasion it would seem has not proved an exception. Miss Aitken give 3 another entertainment to-morrow evening, which we believe will bo positively her last appearance in Lawrence, and we would strongly recommend those persons who have not heard her to avail themselves of the opportunity, and give her a bumper house; Mr. Winter, as hitherto, will lend his valuable assistance, and thereby add variety to the entertainment by his excellent songs. Wb have received a long letter from Mr M'Ginni«, Butchers Creek,JAlexandra, on the subject of the. Bald. Hill Flat Sludge Channel ; but as this ' question, like others which have recently been discussed in our columns, is assuming too much pf a personal character, we must decline to continue the correspondence further. Oob Switzera Correspondent, under date of Friday, 15th inst., writes as, follows : — The case of the police against Dapp for selling spirituous liquors without a license at Gow Creek, was heard to-day, before the Besident Magistrate, find the defendant was fined £30 and costs. The mail from Tuapeka, due here last evening at 7 p.m. did not arrive until 4 o'olock this morning, and the delay on this, as on almost every other occasion to which we are subjected, occurred onf your side gof the line, vis;., between Tuapeka and Beaumont. i We are informed that Mr. Buck, our local postmaster, will soon be leaving Lawrence, he having received an appointment as postmaster »t Westport. While we regret Mr. Buck's removal frem a place where his civil and obliging disposition in the discharge of his arduous labors have gained for him the just appreciation of all the business people, we are glad to learn . that the change will be one of promotion, and we can only oongratulate the people of Westport upon having obtained his valuable setices. The Government are getting a portion of the Lawrence Camp Beserve surveyed into sections. It is their intention to continue Campbelltonstreet right through the reserve into Peel-st. This will be a great benefit to the residents in that locality. When the sections are put into the market, we have no doubt they will command a very high figure, such a one as will warrant the Goverment in erecting a new Courthouse, and converting the present one into a post-office. The Claud Hamilton arrived in Hokitika last week with London news only 5 days old, the quickest time that English news has come to us. This onlyds ten to intensify the desire to have the ■cable extended to our own shores, and thus put us in hourly communication with the civilised world, a position which New Zealand, from its rising importance, deserves to occupy. Messrs. Campbell and Co., who have the Glenore contract for the Tokomairiro and Lawrence railway, have 70 men at work on their portion of the line, and intend pushing the work through as rapidly as possible. A Waxpobi Correspondent furnishes the " Daily Times " with the following items :— Business is not very lively just at present, but ■we are expecting a reaction soon. Some idea of the healthiness of Waipori may be gained from the fact that the Eegistrar's returns for the last five years show that only 16 deaths have occurred in this district during that period. Of these, five have been caused by accidents (drowning, &o.); whilst, in the same time, nearly 150 births ■ jure registered* These were several cases on for hearing ia ' the B.M.s Court on Friday last ; but, in the i absence of Mr. Carew, E.M., they weread^ourned

The reports (says the " Arrow Observer") that have lately been spread that very rich ground had been struok in the Shotover Company's claim, appear to lack confirmation. "We hope it may be the case, but are afraid it is only a ruse to get rid of shares. The Company ought to lose no time in giving confirmation or otherwise to these reports, as they will, if false, not only injure the Company in question, but the entire district. We observe from the " Australasian " that Mr, D. L. Mundy, who has been for three years travelling (through, the most picturesque districts of New Zealand, with a view to collect the materials for an illustrated work on the islands comprised in this colony, has opened an exhibition of photographs in Melbourne. They embrace every variety of the magnificent scenery! of both the principal islands ; and when they are displayed to the eyes of English artists on Mr. Mundy's approaching visit to the old country, the " Australasian " thinks they will have the effeofc of alluring to New Zealand many of the landscape painters, to whom there is no field in Europe that has not been exhausted for the purposes of art. Mr. Mundy is evidently bent upon making the British public thoroughly well acquainted with the natural features of the beautiful islands through which he travelled with that apparatus which, as Salem Scudder was accustomed to observe, can't lie. The building on Moa Flat intended for a flour mill is being proceeded with. It is Mr, M 'Gill's intention, we are informed, to have the mill in working order in time for next season's wheat. It is to be driven by water power, and a 10 inch turbine wheel is to be employed. A. plentiful supply of water has been secured from two to or three sources. In one case it will be brought a distance of three miles, from the creek above Moa Flat station. Mr. M'Gill estimates that altogether the mill will cost him about £1700. When completed, it will be a great boon to the district, enabling oonsuiners to get cheap flour of first-class quality. The Teviot district produces wheat that will compare favorable with any grown in the province. The only disadvantage the district now labors under is the limited extent of country open for agricultural settlement. Mb. J. C. Arbuckle's land, sale on Friday last was well attended. Several sections changed hands at good prices. A few lyts were bought in, the bidders not being inclined to " spring " to the reserve placed on them. Mb, M, Marshall, news agent of Clyde, long and favorably known in that district, has recently disposed of bis business to Mr. Lewis Hotop. Mr, Marshall has been a resident of the Dunstan distriot since the first of the rush, end he has gained for himself the appreciation of all his townsmen. His departure from Clyde will be a felt loss to the town. Owing to the heavy frost on Thursday last, the Dunstan coach -was unable to proceed on its journey for some hours, On Monday another delay occurred owing to a slight breakage ; one of the rockers got fractured on the downward trip, and our local carpenters required n great deal of persuading to undertake the job, as some were too full of work and others too full of whiskey, The Pioneer Lodge M.TJ.1.0.0.F. will celebrate their anniversary by a. dinner to be held in the Commercial Hotel, on Friday, the sth proximo. It is to be hoped there will be a larger attendance of the order than at the last anniversary. As the Pioneer Lodge of Oddfellowship in the distriot, they should set a good example and endeavor to make the affair a success. Ma. M'Dohald, the oontraotor for the Beaumont bridge, informs us that work is again resumed. Some time ago the wire rope used for conveying the blocks of stone, in some cases weighing 30 cwt., from the the bank of the river to the piers suddenly snapped, causing a considerable delay, as a new one bad to be got from Dunedin. The new one is now fixed and in working order, and it is to be hoped that the work will proceed without further delay. A few weeks more will place the work out of all danger from floods, the piers being already at the ordinary summer level of the river. On Monday afternoon, Miss Aitken. at the invitation of several members of the Lawrence School Committee, read some appropriate and amusing pieces in the schoolroom to the children, who seemed highly delighted. Miss Aitken's visit, we feel satisfied, will not be lost upon the children. We understand the Lawrence Town Council have accepted the offer submitted to them on Monday evening, by Mr Jonas Harrop for £2000 debentures bearing interest at ft per cent, for the ereotion of a town hall. The Municipal Corporation of Oamaru decided at their last meeting to pay the Inspector ofJNuisances £130 a-year. For this sum he is to devote the whole of his time to the duties appertaining to his office. From this we must infer that the Town Council of Oamaru are determined to either keep their town scrupulously clean, or they must have allowed it to fall into a sad state of neglect. We are inclined to think that the latter inferenoe is the correct one. An occasional Alexandra correspondent furnishes the following :— On .Monday, the 11th insK. Mr. J. O. Chappie disposed by auction of the entire plant of the Hit or Miss Company at fair prioes, considering the state of river bank mining in the distriofc. The company is now dissolved ; it was tho last of the old Frenchman Point Companies, and their failure to fstrike payable gold is a loss to the district. There ia nothing new to report in mining matters ; we have had pretty severe frosts which have lessened tb,e supply of water for sluicing purposes. Wb have reoeived a letter from Mr. George Clark, contradicting the evidence of Mr. .Michael O'Gormon in the case of Johnston v. Clark as being altogether at variance with truth, but as the letter is couched in language savoring j Str.Qn.gly of Pel, we m,us,tid.ecjline its DubUcatiqn.

Mr. Henrt Mabk. one of the proprietors of the Gabriels Gully reef, left on Tuesday morning, homeward bound wo M elbdurne, Wb notice from the " Dunstan Times " that Mr. J, P. Armstrong was to deliver a lecture in aid of the Dunstan Hospital last evening. The Bubjeot of the lecture is not stated. Since Mr. Vincent Pyke resigned hia position a& Resident .Magistrate and Warden of the Tuapeka district, it has been a matter of doubt till within the last few days as to who would be his successor. We understand that Mr. E. H. Carew, who has been doing duty since Mr Pyke's resignation, has been permanently appointed to this district. We feel confident that Mr Carew's appointment will be received with general Batisfaotion by all who have any acquaintance with the efficient manner in which that gentleman has conducted the public business under his charge during his short residence amongst us. A meeting of the creditors of Hugh M' Cunn was held in the Courthouse, Lawrence, yesterday, when Mr. was appointed trustee, and .Messrs Harrop and Harris supervisors. The launch of the submarine boat which has been constructed in Dunedin is expected to take place in the harbor on the 9th September. The company purpose having the 'boat eunk in 26 feet of water, after which it is to be worked down the bay into 80 feet of water, with a strong current. The result of this experiment will be anxiously looked for by all the well-wishers of the gold mining industry in New Zealand. The boat will be afterwards removed to the Shotover, the scene of its future operatoins. j The announcement of Mr. Pyke's victory i at Queenstown was received yesterday in Lawrence with very general satisfaction by one and all. Those persons who took an active part in opposing Mr. Pyke's election when he stood for, Tuapeka, were amongst the first to express their congratulation at his successful candidature for the Wakatip district.