Local Intelligence.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1091, 11 December 1857, Page 3

Local Intelligence.

The St. Andrew's Society.— From the press of matter, consequent upon the airival of the Indian news, our notice of the annual dinner of the St. Andrew's Society, which took, place on the 30th ultimo, was crowded out from our List number. This reunion, which is invariably one of the most cheerful and hparty of all the Auckland meetings, was held at Palmer's Hotel, covers being laid for fifty ; John Watson Bain, Esq., in the chair, the Hon. J. A. Gilfillan, M.L 0., croupier. The earlier series of formal toasts having been disposed of, the Chairman, inpioposing St. Andrew's Day, took occasion to enlarge upon the object sought to be attained by the Society. He stated that in giving relief or assistance to the unfortunate, their rule was that " the right hand should not know what the left doeth," — that while all appearance of display was sedulously avoided, the good that was effected by them was working its way, surely and steadily, below the surface. He also stated that their funds were in a flourishing condition, there being a good balance in hand from the year's subscription, after meeting the n arious culls which had been made upon them At the next annual meeting, he hoped to be able to say that the suiplus would be more than double its present amount. The party did not break up until after midnight, every thing having passed off weH, and with that sedate conviviality which is characteristic of the nation whose patron Saint Andrew claims to be. Assault, on a Wife. — On Saturday, Mr. S. H. Levy, formeily of the Russell Wine Vaults, was brought before the Resident Magistrate for assaulting his w'fe The assdult, a. very violent one, wis fully prove'l. The Resident Magistrate, in passing sentence, said that some people seemed to think th .t they had a perfect 1 ight to ass tult and ill-treat their wives. The fact oi the person injured being the wife ef the man who assaulted, rather aggravated the offence ; seeing that it was the duty of the husband to protect the wife. Ha was determined, if possible, to put a stop to such proceedings : he shonld, therefore, fine the piisoner £5 and oosts, and order him to enter into sureties himself in £200, and two others o1o 1 £100 each, to keep the peace towards his wife for the term of three calendar months. The prisoner was removed to jail, in default of obtaining sureties. Cattle Show Dinner. — Our reporter was unable to be present at this dinner, which passed off, as we <ne informed by a gentleman who kindly consented to reremam in his stead, very successfully. The dinner itself, we can say from personal inspection, was excellent. It was undertaken by Mr. Vercoe, and provided by Mr, Canning, who certainly carried out the instructions, we are told, ho received from Mr. Vercoe, by providing the best of eveiy thing. Tha table was laid out with the greatest taste, and there was a total absence of that appearance of "pitching" vi.tmis on the table, which is sure to result from the efforts of those who think that profusion. i-» the one t hing needful to cor.stitute a good dinner. The Chair was taken by Taptam Haultain.suppoiced on his right and left by his Excellency the Governor, the Colonial Secretary, and his honor the Superintendent. The vice-chair was filled by James Williamson, Esq. About seventy-four gentlemen sat down to table. The band of the 58th Regiment were in attendance, and played a variety of airs duiing dinner. We cannot give the speeches delivered on the occasion, but we avail ourselves of our contemporary's report to lay before oui readers his Excellency's speech, 1 which was admitted by everybody to be the best of the evening : — "His Excellency rose amid warm applause, and said— Mr. President and Gentlemen, — I beg to thank you very much for the very flattering mannei in which you have drank my health. I regret to be obliged to confers that my own knowledge of asjiicultural affairs is but small. Tuere is, however, something about country pursuits which has an attraction for Englishmen of all classes ; and I am no exception. Indeed, I believe, there are few among you who take a qi eater interest in them than Ido (applau-e). I think we ma)' congratulate ourselves on the exh'M-oi we have this day witnessed Still, giatifymg as it has been, there is perhaps room for improvement in particular classes; hut I trust that each coming } ear, for this I hope, is but the first of a.seues of similar shows (hear, hear),— will sco an improvement on the last. (Hear ) But meetings su"h as those of t>--iay are attended with othci and tar greater advantages. Almost every intelligent and industrious man who emigrates to this colony, becomes sooner or later a landed proprietor! and desuesto cultivate on his own account, even though his prew'ous habits and occupation may have been of a very different description. Many have therefore much to leatn, befoie they van be successful. OtUeis recently arriving fiom the mother countiy may have studied or piactif ed ttoe systems of Oaird oi Meihi, aud will find it advantageous to tike a wiinkle from the rough and ready practice of the older colonists. (Hear, hear) They will learn that the system which is best adapted to the old country, where land is very dear, and labour very cheap, requnes modification in a country where an acre of good land is sometimes dear at the cost of two days' labour (Hear, and laughter,) On the other hand, the skilled agriculturist will be able to prove to the slovenly cultivator that flogging a piece of land to death, and exchanging it only to do the same to another piece, is not the most remunerative method of farming. (Hear.) I will not weary you by referring to the many other questions- such as the supply of, and the demand for labour ; the increased use of machinery ; the most economical mode of reclaiming waste lands ; all which cannot fail to be elucidated by the ventilation afforded at meetings of this description. There remains one othpr subject, however, which 1 cannot refrain from adverting to. - it is, that at mpetings of this description, uiffeiences of opinion on other matteisare forgotten, or permitted to he dormant. We hve an opportunity of seeing that politi- a' opponents may not only be good farmers, but good fellows, and i parting shake of the hand may piove that they are not only good and manly fellows, but very good friends (Applause.) Falsf Rppoht ov FniE —On Tuesday evening 'a laiu;e fire was obbeivablo in the direction of St. John's College, and very general fears weie entertained that this pile of buildings whs being deployed by fire. On the following morning these fears were, to many, confirmed by the assertion of a person, whose position in society entitles him to the appellation of a gentleman, that he himself hid arrived in town that morning, aud had left the College in ruins This report, of course, created great sensation, and a considerable number of people left town for the puip >se of viewing the ruins. On arrivivg at the spot, however, they found the collega still standing, and quite uninjured by fire, which, indeed, had not been near it. The visitors accordingly returned, with the comfortable reflection that they had been made the victims of a worse than silly hoax. The fire which occasioned this alarm was caused by some men who were burning a quantity of fern, and other matter, which had recently been cleared on a piece a land adjoining Mr. Buchanans, in the vicinity of the college.