Untitled

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 105, 14 July 1876, Page 5

Another '.of our old and respected residents -is about to take his departure for the home -country — Mr ' Peter Clark, tailor and clothier. Bis friends arq J» bid him good-bj c in the AtheTiseum Hall, on Monday evening as will be seen •by an advertisement elsewhere. ! Da- J. GiLLIES,-. the public health officer, of | YDttneaiii, will deliver a lecture in the A thenseum, ■on Tuesday evening Tiext, on "Preventive Medi<cine." %j^e'believo the lecture haa already been given iu'itemediri, ana proved both entertaining sand instructive. .. •Wb regret to report that a fatal accident oc•curred at thejtStirling station on Wednesday •morning. It Spears that John Young, engine -cleaner, got jammed .between two waggons which vwere being shifted. He w*s removed to the -train to be taken to hia"' homo at Mosgiel, but <died when at Waihola. "* •• 'The nemination for the office of Mayor of Salclutha -will take place on Monday, and the Spoil {if any) on Friday. Reports are industriously circulated as to legal opinions having •"been given that an illegality has occurred in the matter of the compilation of the Citizens Roll. It is well 'known that such opinions are given the facts % 'as stated," and aro sometimes •therefore of little value. Counter opinions are •also reported to the opposite oif eet. Similar re- ■ •ports of adverse legal opinions are usually got up at all such elections. The Council will no doubt • •have the good sense to discard all such, and proofed with the elections in the usual manner. .So long they -take a common, sense view of the provisions of the ordinance, and act honestly and to ■-the beat of their ability, they need not fear the . reßult of any legsd quibbles that may be urged. They should not for a moment even give heed to 'such, but Biraply go on mth their business. The \ whole of the existing Municipal Ordinances will, i < .n all .probability, be replaced in a few days, and I &^ *a newone substituted. The Bill passed thugroh j '' Committee on Tuesday, aud was to be considered last night.

) We hear that the premises lately occupied by > Mr Henderson, Solicitor, will now be opened by , Mr Nicoll, Watchmaker. The concert afc Wairuna on the Sth inst., in aid of the School funds, was hiahly successful. A full report only reached us late last night, too la*e for insertion in thia issue. It will appear ; next week. ! : It will ho observed thafc the premises lately occupied by Mr E. Teague, photographer, have now been transformed into a mart, whero Mr Money will dispence fish " all alive O" to all who may favor him with their patronage. We have to acknowledge receipt of No. 5 of Hansard and a number of parliamentary papers j from the Government printer ; also a number of | departmental reports from fche Clerk to the Pro- j vincial Council. > THE '.tokomairiro annual ploughing match ' takes place to-day in a paddock belonging to Mr ! James Martin, adjoining the township. We trust to see a good many competitors from the Ciutha distiict present. I Thb nomination of officers for the ensuing I term in Lodge Hope of Balclutha, 1.0. G.T., takes place this evening. It is very desirable I that there should be a full attendance of mem- j bers upon such an important occasion. , The season being generally favorable, ploughing is far advanced in the Waihola Gorge district, and lambing has commenced in the flocks of Messrs Blues and Duthie, Mr Francis Hare, and Mr Mark Dale. INTIMATION was received by last mail that Mr James Adam, who has for the past few years acted as Home Emigration Agent for Ofcago, is returning per the William Davie. Ifc is mooted in Dunedin thafc an appropriate reception should be given him on his arrival. We certainly think some suitable recognition of his services on behalf of the Province should be made. Wb beg to call attention to the Tapanui ploughing match, to be held on lst August. The prize list which will be found in another coulmn is an exceptionally liberal one and testifies alike to the zeal of tbe Committeo, and the generosity of the inhabitants of the district. We hope to see a very large turn out on the occasion. Should the weather prove fine there should also be a large number of visitors ; and we would remark that those who have not heen in Tapanui have littlo idea of the magnificient agricultural capabilities of the district. It is well worth a visit. Wb observe from the Dunedin papors that at tho Court of Revision of the Citizens' Roll for Dunedin, 'four hundred claims were received, of whioh 362 were allowed. How were such a very large number omitted by the officials in compiling the roll ? If an omission of a like magnitude had occurred in Balclufcha, we should have heard of charges of swindling, corruption, incapacity, threats of prosecution, and all sorts of vile things. We hear of no such charges having been brought in the metropolis, where each individual ratepayer is apparently expected to take an interest in the matter, and to have hia name placed on tne roll if he se desires it. There was very little business at the R. MY'g Court here on Wednesday. A case, Fitzgerald v. Dickson, for assault, had been settled out of Court. Mason r. Muir, a judgment summons. Claim. £1 8s 6d. No appearance of defendant. Judgment for payment of the sum of £2 9s 6d within 14 days, ar 7 days' imprisonment, South Molyneux Eoad Board v. Speight, claim of £6 2s, for rates. No appearance for defendant. Mr Henderson, for plaintiff, said ho had the previous afternoon reeceived a draft for tho amount, bufc not in time to countermand witnesses. Judgment for 30s witnesses' expenses. Middleton v. Lloyd, claim of £4 13s, balance of wages due. Judgment for £4. In this case notico of intention to quit the service had beer, given in the middle of a week, and defendant left at the end of a week from that date. His Worship held fthat where a week's notico was agreed upon, the same must be given at the end of one week, and take effect at the end of the following week — not the middle of a week. There was no other business, A MEETING Was held at M'Donald's Hotel, Chnton, on Wednesday evening, 12th instant. F. Roberts, Esq., iv the chair, to take into consideration the advisability of holding a ploughing match. We regret to say that although this is an object we would naturally imagine would meet with a largo amount of support in an agri- | cultural district, the attendance was very limited. However, thoso present seemed very sanguine of its success, lt was decided to establish an Agricultural Association, and the following gentlemen were appointed office-bearers : — President, F. Roberts, Esq., of Knriwao ; Treasurer and Secretary, Mr Barlow. Committee — Messrs James Scott, W. Pagan, Jn. Moffat, W. M'G. Murray, 'George Steel, Thomas Pollock, Thomas Steel, John Taylor, John Sharp, A. Rutherford, Wm. Stewart, (Waiwera), George Brown, of Cromlands, David Murray, Robert Bagrie, and Donald M'Donald. The first ploughing match under the auspices of the newly -formed Association, is to beheld on Friday, llth August, full particulars of which will be published in a fufcuro issue of the Clutha Leadeb. The second of the enter fcamments in aid of the Kaitangata school funds was held in the Schoolroom on Friday evening. Notwithstanding tho inclement state of the weather, and, as a con.'ioquence, the bad roads, thero was a good ufcfcf-n---dance. Mr Charles Taylor occupied the chair, and by his amusing anecdotes and genial manner', kept the audience in oxcellcnfc humor. Tlie programme consisted of songs, readings and a number of dances, all of which wore firafc-rafco of their kind, and the audience testified to thoir appreciation of the programme by demanding encores on almost every occasion. Tho vocalists were the Misses Darling, Messrs Forrester, Sprightly, M'DougaU, Blaney, and Maxwell. The Misses Darling were in good voice, and added largely to tbe evening's enjoyment, the duet entitled the " Gipsy Maid" being beautifully rendered by Miss Darling and Miss Mary Darling, the treble and alto blending together with the finest effect. Mr Blaney, who is a professional dancer, delighted the audience hy his songs and dances in ' character, which were capitally executed. Several excellent readings were given by Messrs P. ' Stoddart, Wm. Smaill, and 0. Taylor. The programme was interspersed with, musical selections on the harmonium and violin, which el-i---cited the heartiest applause. After the customary votes of thanks to the performers and the , .chairman had boen proposed, the room was cleared, and the younger part of tho company indulged in dancing for a «ouple of hours with great _ezfc. Mr H. Clements presided at th© harmonium, and Mr R. Aitchison played the violin. On the whole, the entertainment proved .' a complete succchs, aud tho noxt of the series will be eagerly looked forward to by a large number.

Mil B. Suort delivered a lecture on tho bone- | fits of Life Insurance, in connection with the * Australian Mutual Provident Society, at the Waihola Gorge Schoolhouse, on Friday evening j lasfc. There was a good attendance, both male and female. Mr Short's interesting address was j interspersed with a number of humoious and very pleasing anecdotes applying to fche subject of his • lecture. At the close, ho was very successful in the number of applicants for policies. W£ have pleasure in calling attention to tho letter by Mr M'Donough, Chief Agont, Government Life Aasuranco Department, Otago, which will bo found in our present issue. The same is well worthy the perusal of those already insured, as well as those who contemplate doing so. As showing the wonderful progress of the Department, we give the following figures, which speak fdr themselves .-—Out of 100 of the oldest and beat offices of Groat Britain the Government Life Insurance came fourth, on the list for tho amount of business done during the last three years, having insured over half a million per annum during that time. Duriug the first five years of its existence there was a clear profit in favour of the policy-holders of £12,000, and this, in addition to all tho expenses incidental to establishing, one of the largest and most beneficial institutions ofthe Colony. This other fact may also be mentioned— viz., that taking fifty insurance offices in Great Britain of an average of ten years' standing, their annual expenses on new business was nearly fifty per cent., whereas fche expense ofthe Government Insurance of only five years' standing was only 18 per cent. We understand the Chief Agent, Mr M'Donough, and tho local agent Mr Canning, intend canvassing the district during the next month, and we have no doubt they will meet with that large share of success the inducements held oufc by the department warrant. Thh Rev. Mr Paterson, of Waihola, delivored a very excellent! lecture in tho Presbyterian Church hero on Wednesday evening, the subject being "Dr Guthrie." There was a fair attendance. The Rev. Mr M'Ara occupied the chair, and the proceedings wore commenced by fche choir singiDg one of Sankey's hymns, after which the Chairman engaged in prayer. Then followed another hymn, and tho Chairman briefly introduced the lecturer. Mr Paterson commenced by a somewhat lengthy reference to the characteristic energy and perseverance of Scotchmen in general, and the .important positions they had for many^yetirs hold in all countries. He then referred to the early life of ths subject of his lecture, his education, tho manner and customs of the time, &c. He specially referred to Dr Guthrie as a preachor, a philanthropist in tho matter of the inauguration of ragged schools, the part he acted in the diaruprion struggle, and to the closing years of his lifo. The lecture, which was delivered (nofc read) in a ready and fluent ■planner, was freely illustrated by anecdotes quaint sayings and remarks. The lectm-er succeeded in securing the wrapt attention of his audience throughout, and was frequently applauded. The subject was evidently a congenial one to him, and with which he was quite at home, and although time could not admit of his exhausting it, he gave a very true idea of the man and the minister — Dr Guthrie. Mrs Ritchie presided most efficiently at tho harmonium, and throughout the evening the choir rendered various pieces of music with good taste and execution. Afc fche close a hearty vote of thanks was, on the motion of Mr T. T. Ritchie, passed to the lecturer, who, in reply, proposed a a similar vote to the choir. The Rev. Mr Pafcerson pronounced the benediction, which concluded the proceedings.