THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1870.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 22, 13 April 1870, Page 4

THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1870.

We are reluctantly obliged to bold over till next week our leading article, Queenstown correspondent’s letter, a budget of mining and general news from Bendigo Gully, and three or four communications from casual correspondents.

The English mails vid Suez leave Dunedin about the 13th inst., and those vid California on oMahout the 27th inst.

Thatcher, the inimitable, who has lately been amusing crowded houses in Dunedin and several of the provincial towns, with his pungent local songs, appears in Kidd’s Hall to-night, and to-morrow (Thursday). Cromwell will be a fertile field for the display of his powers, and our “two Mayors” and the belligerent Councillors will no doubt come in for the lion’s share of his attention. Mr J. Small (the “Unfortunate Man”), Mr Daniels, a baritone singer, and Mr Sykes, pianist, accompany Mr Thatcher.

Early on Monday morning the residents on the Camp hill were startled by 3 tremendous crashing noise, which wakened them out of pleasant dreams, and on rushing to their doors, en deshabille, to ascertain the cause, they found that several immense masses of rock, each many tons in weight, had become detached from the hill-side on the opposite bank of the Molyneux, and were rolling down to the river. It is a wonder that these huge rocks, many of which seem to be very insecurely fixed on the mountain sides, do not more frequently become detached and astonish ‘ ‘ the natives” with the crashing noise of their "fall.

We remind our readers that the sale of the Cromwell coal-pit, with the whole of the working-gear, takes place to-morrow, Mr Barry being the auctioneer. The coal-pit is a valuable property, and for a man with a little capital would no doubt prove a good speculation.

From the report of the interview between the deputation appointed by the Clutha Presbytery and the Cromwell Church Committee, which we publish in this issue, our readers will perceive that there is a probability of Church matters in this district being placed on a satisfactory footing. The deputation stated that the Synod was quite willing to associate the Cromwell congregation with the ; Church, and to place it on the same footing as other Presbyterian congregations in the Province, and also that the Synod was quite agreeable, if the congregation so desired it, to employ Mr Drake as at present. Although the strict rules of the Church prevented the admission of Mr Drake as a regular member of the Synod, in consequence of his not having passed through the regular curriculum so strictly enjoined by the Presbyterian Church, yet that did not prevent him being employed by the Synod as supplying minister. The only disadvantage, then (if disadvantage it is), that the congregation will be placed under, is the fact that Mr Drake will not hold a seat as a member of the Synod. The congregation will he entitled to the usual grant for a minister’s residence, and receive the other benefits attached to its association with the Presbytery of the hounds. ,

Alleged and party, the sluicera at Bendigo Gully against whom an order to desist from ground-sluicing was recently issued by the Warden’s Court, hare commenced operations in their claim on a different system. In consequence of having no method of clearing away the falldn-in ground which obstructs their entrance to the drives in the auriferous spur they are working, they have commenced a tunnel at the point where the ground is solid, and by this means intend to work their way in to the drives which they previously made at the foot of their deep shaft. Although this is a work that will take them some time to execute, they have energetically sot to work to secure its accomplishment, and we trust that they will eventually be well rewarded for their labor.

A public meeting of ratepayer s am 1

others, convened on requisition by Mr G. V Goodger, Mayor of Cromwell, was held in tk T'owu-hall on Wednesday evening last. Dll ■ Mayor occupied the chair, and stated that th object for which he had called the meeting m “ to consider the present unsatisfactory state t municipal affairs.’’ Mr Barry then addreaes the ratepayers, urging that they should eithe break up the municipality altogether, or get tk Mayor and Councillors to work together as i other incorporated towns. He moved tb Tfc »’ lowing resolution, which was read to the'Jtlt S iug by his secretary“ That the course enteli / upon by Councillors Whetter, Burres, and Dagg U iu seeking to have the minutes confirmed, is th 1( sole cause of the present unsatisfactory state o affairs ; that these gentlemen be requested t refrain from insisting upon the course they pro posoj or otherwise be requested to resign.” H Lindsay seconded the motion, and it was undet stood to be carried. Messrs Dagg and Burrt ]j p defended the action taken by themselves am Mr Whetter. Mr Kelly moved—“ That thi meeting is of opinion that the motion trough a ] £ forward by Councillor Burres in the Municipi Council, to adopt the minutes of a Council de ,j a dared by decree of the Supreme Court to hav t 6U been acting illegally, is ultra vires of the Council, g v inasmuch as it proposes to intromit with Cofpo. re . ration funds in a manner never contemplated bj be the Ordinance.” The motion was seconded bj bo Mr Connellan, and was declared carried. Mt no Kelly charged the “assumed” Council wiki as having granted to a section of the Press (whick ar ha did not specify) a lease of thirty feet of muni, in cipal reserve as an inducement to “ hound dowt ai( their opponents.” Air Marsh proposed the next hi resolution, which ran thus :—“ That this meet th iug views with alarm the state of feeling existing! mi in the Municipal Council, and is strongly oil de opinion that it is necessary for the welfare oil the Corporation that a decided expression olita: public opinion should be recorded by the rate-i re payers.” Seconded by Mr Dagg, and agreed tn or Mr Dagg said he had proposed at last meeting ;vi that the Mayor and Councillors should resign, C( but Messrs Goodger and Kelly declined to taka I til that course. Messrs Shanly, Barry, and Lind' C( say objected to the ratepayers paying the *Co3ti |be incurred in defending Mr Whetter’s claim to tlis 1 w; Mayoralty. Mr Whetter explained the circum- P e stances which had led to the present difficulty. !T1 With the view of bringing the present dispute Ibe to a termination, he would now make this offer: to If Mr Goodger would pay his own solicitor, hs to (Mr Whetter) would undertake to pay all the I costs incurred on the other side, and would not , ask the ratepayers for a shilling. -(Applause.) |*° Mr Goodger said that if Mr Whetter had come \b f to him in the same spirit some months ago, the ; proceedings in the Supreme Court would not have gone so far ; but now fie was inclined to let those w r lio had brought the costs upon them' ! selves pay them. In answer to a question by ; ■ Mr Marsh, Messrs Whetter and Burres stated that if a majority of their constituents requested them to resign, they would do so without best Ct tation. A vote of thanks to the Mayor brought te the meeting to a close. at The concert at the Arrow in aid of the | Church of England Fund was a great success, upwards of £3O being raised. Too much praise .P 1 cannot be given to the ladies of the congregation i for their zealous and successful efforts in the I $ good cause. hj On Monday, the 4th inst., Mr Field sat on the Bench at Alexandra in consequence of the |jj illness of Mr Warden Pykej having been dele- I gated with the power by th(|Warden. He dis- ; posed of several cases in the Resident Magistrate 1 ! j Court, and also delivered judgment in a case in | the Warden’s Court. The Timaru Herald of the 2nd instant states “Yesterday, the first day the new and i 0 reduced tariff of charges came into operation, there was a considerable increase of Business I done on the telegraph wires. Prom Dunedin the number of messages sent was about 120, the 11 average from that town being about 50 per I s diem. It is to be hoped that this increase is | not spasmodic, but that it will be permanent, * and prove the wisdom of the Government in reducing the former heavy telegraph charges.” 1 1 Ropata attacked Te Kooti iu the TJriwera country on the sth inst., and defeated him, | killing 19 of the enemy, and taking upwards ol | 300 prisoners. Hakaria, one of the Rev. Mr |>] Volkner’s murderers, is amongst the killed. Te 1 Kooti escaped, with about 20 followers. 1 1 Another large fire took place in Christ- : 1 church on the oth inst., five stores and hotels being burned to the ground. | ( The Bruce Herald states that a requisi- ' tion is being largely signed in favour of Mr W. , > H. Reynolds as next Mayor of Dunedin. 11 , A private letter received in Wellington \ by the last mail states that the Homo Com- | ; missioners have arrived safely in London, and j that they had an interview of an hour and > | 1 half with Earl Granville on the 27 th January. | ,