BALCLUTHA.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 362, 5 April 1871, Page 7

BALCLUTHA.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) March 27. The elections are over ! T can very well imagine the reader exclaiming, "Thank God !" Notwithstanding, however, that it has gone forth to. whose names the Olutha district his pinned the much-envied MIP.G., the result — as far as the commercial centre of the district is concerned— -is decidedly unsatisfactory. Taking the district for what it really is— strictly an agricultural one —it will occur to the most ordinary mind that the settlers are scattered to the same extent which necessarily prevails in all agricultural districts, and that satisfactory representation cannot be expected as long us the private interests of its representatives are concentrated, like Brown's cows, "all in a heap," especially when — to use the metaphor — the heap happens to be lodged in the most out-of-the-way and unfrequented corner of the whole district. 1 have onea or twice been called pig-headed, and am not unwilling to concede that portion of the meaning implied, | but more' elegantly expressed, by the word obstinate, and although the actual returns ' give a numerical acquiescence in the result of the .election, I am obstinate enough to continue in the belief that dissatisfaction is felt outside, as well as inside, the circle o£ electors who exercised lha franchise. This is the second time, within my experience, that "Balclutha ha? been deprived the^ privilege of returning % local candidate. I don't look upon this local deprivation as a local griovance, unless someone more obstinate than myself chooses to deny the claims of this township. How would Dunedin submit to be represented by a member living at Bluei skin 1 As long us the trade of a particular district gi-avitates to a particular centre, it is to the interest of the whole district that the interests of that particular centre be carefully shepherded. As well might a person say that, as long as his hands and feet wore looked after, he cared little about his head or his heart, as to deny the claim I set up. Do not let it be imagined that, in the parsons of tho successful candidates I sea anything to find fault wuh. On the contrary, T believe them both to be thoroughly conscientious men, anxious to serve the district to the extent of their knowledge of its requirements but, for t,he reasons stated, I am of opinion that one of ih-jin could be superseded with | advantage by a representative whose location, with respect to this township, gives him better opportunities of learning ita requirements. The second meeting of the Town Council was held in the Court-house on Wednesday last. The business was confined chiefly to the election of committees, and other matters of little interest to the outside world. April 3rd. At a game meeting, held at Pillaus' Bend on the 31st ult., Mr Curly Taiiboy, as President of the Ancient and Independent Order of Ducks and Drakes, called the attention of his feather'd friends to a notice in the ' Brace Hernld 1 withdrawing legal protection, and handing them over— for a time — to the mercies of triggevometry. He (Mr T.) felWery much concern in the matter, but, as President of the A.1.0.D.D., he was— in calling them together— actuated by a sense of duty towards one or two broods which, had come o>it of their shells so recently that, though not worth powder and shot, they might— -by the merest caance, and he thought it could only bs by the merest, chance— be made April fools of. % It was for the meeting to say whether any extra precaution was necessary during trig term. , Bro. Paradise said, that, although in no way interested in politics, he had taken a bird's-eye view of recent events, and it oc- ! curved to him that if a reputed squatter could I lose his election, through carelessness, it was quite on the cards that any one of their number might loso his or her life through careless aquiittiiig.— (Loud quacking.) Bro. Toalford asked— Whother the meeting was awara that a volunteer corps had been formed in the district si.ics their last annual meeting ? The President suid— He would answer Bro. Tealford's question in the Scotch fashion by asking another one—" What cause of alarm could there possibly be if twenty volunteer companies were formed in the district ?" Bro. Tealford— (t Is it not, the object of the volunteer movement to leurn its members how to shoCit V The PreaHent— Certainly ; '"but as long as they on'y shoot, and never hit anything, 1 hope no" member of thi3 society is such a goose as to show the white feather on account of such (t)i-iile3. Fnr his part— although were as big as a hay-styek — only give him his health and wings and he would soar over a battalion at full-cook— (flutters.) Bro. Greydrake entirely coincided with the remarks which had fallen from their plm-ky President— (Bro. Tenlford : "May he nov.-r be plucked.") He (Bro. G.) had, last year, been cautioned by a timid friend, against a reputed crack shot from the township where the big -bridge crosses the river. His timid friend, who is often overcome by appearances, g.ive him a full description of this terror, the only part of which he now remembered was a velvet coat. Well, he spent a whole day looking about the Tuakit^to f.»r the kilter ; however, at length he did find him, and the meoting would be able to determine how he and V.C. got. along together when he informed them that the fonl piece (a donble-barrelled one) had received more carving than it had ever administered, and that the makers name— Bell, Glasgow— was rjiiite easily read ac the distance he found it perfectly safe to ily within. At this stage of the proceedings the steamer Tuapeka came round the Bond, and the President hastily dissolved the meeting with the assurance that, on the wing, they wore as safe as houses. Did you ever see a solicitor, at 7 a.m., running about, after an imaginary client 1 — or a, coach driver rushing into a stable to attend a sick horse, only to find the horse better in health than himself— or a brewer soliciting an order from a man who didn't want any beer— a livery stablekeeper perambulating an empty street with no other object than to unhitch horses from a buggy which he never did, and never will see— a penny aliner hurrying up to Ko. 5 bedroom in the liope of picking up something for a paragraph, and securing instead an assurance that it was the Ist day of the fourth month, &c. All this I experienced en Saturday last, from which I conclude that Pitt's hope has not been realised in the adults of this generation. . . The new river steamer, ''Ciuiha, returned 'from lier first trip to Port Molyneux on Saturday. As far as can be judged from this trial trip, she is said to fully answer the expectations of her owners. If there is any truth in the saying that "two lawyers will live vrh&ce'onz only would starve," let us

hope that the saying and the truth thereof is equally applicable to steamboats. Captain Maitland held his monthly inspection of the Clutha Hifles on the 29th ult. Owing to the majority of the members baing busily engaged, either housing or threshing their grain* the attendance was not so numerous as is usual or desirable It will be good news, to those who were not presnt, to learn that Barr's Hall has been secured "for the purpose of monthly inspections throughout the coming winter.