TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1434, 17 July 1865, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

The PRovmcuL Council. — Another vacancy has occurred in this body by the resignation of Mr. H. P. Lance of his seat for Sefton, upon 'his departure for England. It is understood that the late member's brother, Mr. J7 D. Lance, who has been raised to the Legislative Council of the colony, will be a candidate for the vacancy ; and the name of Mr. Maskell is also mentioned. ;

New Zealand Gazette. — A Gazette, published on July 11, contains a proclamation ' for the naturalisation of several persons therein mentioned. A proclamation extending the jurisdiction of the Resident Magistrate's Court at Tokomariro, in the province of Otago ; another, for Hokitika, another for Dunedin. A proclamation bringing the second section of "Wild Birds Protection Act, 1864," into operation in the province of Canterbury. A proclamation, revoking the , one of martial law in the province of Taranaki. An order in Council, delegating to Alfred Saunders, Esq,, Superintendent of the province of Nelson, the power to regulate all the costs, charges, and expenses incident to the management and administration of the goldfields within the province of Nelson. The appointment of Hokitika and Onehunga as warehousing ports. A communication* received from the. Secretary of State for the Colonies, as vO .the maintenance of Naval Cadets in the Colonies. Proclamations under the " Diseased Cattle Acst, 1161," issued by his Honor the Superintendent of Otago. Remarks. on the Chatham Islands, by Captain Hope, of H.M. s.s.. Brisk.: A letter from ' the Honorary Secretary to the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition, published for general information. The cancelling of the cotidU tions, dated 3rd August, 1863, upon which land situated in the Waikato country will be granted to Volunteer Militiamen' and Naval and Military settlers. The appointment of William Rolleston, Esq., to be Under-Secre-tary in the Native Department. The appointment of James Mackay, the younger, j Esq., to be a Civil Commissioner for the Colony of New Zealand. The official report of the trial trip of the P.N.Z. and A.li.M. Company's s.s., Tararua. The announcement that the IJnder-Secretary Native Department is authorised to frank official documents. An announcement that the light at the Dog Island Lighthouse will not be exhibited before the end of the current month. The licensing-.' of Daniel M'lntyre, Custom-house street, Wellington, to act as a Custom-house agent. The addition: of the names of the following officiating ministers for the Marriage Act: the Rev. George S. Harper and George B. Quilty. A table, showing, for each Electoral District in the colony of New Zealand, the numbers of the male population, as ascertained by a census taken December last, the number of representatives in the General Assembly, the number of electors, and the proportion of electors to the male inhabitants. An account of the estate of the late Samuel Stewart, of Otahuhu, deceased. A Gazette, published on July 12, contains, among other matters, the summonsing to the Legislative Council, by His Excellency the Governor, of the following gentlemen :~John Barton Arundel Acland, Henry Joseph Coote, Henry John Miller, James Prendergast, James Crowe Richmond, James Holland, Arthur Penrose Seymour, Alfred Rowland Chetham Strode, and John Parkin Taylor, Esqrs. His Excellency has been pleased to leave to its operation the following Ordinance, passed by the Provincial Council of Canterbury, intituled—" the Christohurch City Council Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, .1865." Hokitika Overland Mail.— The first arrival of the mail from the West Coast under Messrs. L. G. Cole and Co.'s new contract,' occurred at about noon on Saturday. We issued immediately a short "Extra" containing the principal items of news, which will now be found at length in the excellent letter of our correspondent received by the mail. The contractors state that the outward mail, which left towu on the morning of the 4th instant, reached the Otira gorge on Wednesday night. Thursday and Friday were consumed in getting down the Otira and Teremakau to a point whence a canoe was obtained, with a Maori crew, for the journey to the coast. This was completed on Saturday morning, and Hokitika was reached, along the beach the same afternoon, four and a-half days from Christchurch, The return mail was dispatched about mid-day on Monday, the 10th instant, and the same route was fold back again; so that the return journey 25 hole dayB ' and waß on, y completed within that time by dint of the most strenuous exertion. The weather was unfavourable, and the roads very bad. Snow is stated to lie deep in some spots between .K'Zl rth " r '» P ? M «- Oo the otto crnLtt ft « tter P* BB \ tho Mailman had to cross the river 27 times, and on the last rT H Wn°M WM ,r m 5 el i ed t0 ™ withou m,il - Tho from Hokitika, it will be seen, is very favourable • and private letters, on which reliance may

be placed, speak of trade betaf exceeding brisk and "no complaint*." f|- ; ; Makdkvill/E FAXMBM' Cxm--§pe •of**! ploughing match of, this club fill •• held in % paddock, kindly lentfor th»tH»rjx*«iby |lr. J. D. Macpherion, neaur; the JEftUuatii Hotel, Kalapoi, on Friday, tf#4tbbf Aftgittt next. Full particulars of the rule* and priaa li»t will be found in our advertising Colttmnii <U& this day. " \ Jockey Clob.—A committee meeting of the C.J.C. was held on Saturday afternoon, at Barnard's room, where, after some routine business, the resignation of Mr, H. P. Lance at Secretary was received. The committee unanimously voted a testimonial of the value of £20 to Mr. Lance, in acknowledgment of hfi valuable services in the interests of the club. It was resolved that Mr. 3. D. Lance should be elected ad intprim Secretary and member of committee, in the room of his brother, who is about to pay a visit to England. A resolution was passed tbat the remainder of the life-tickets to the grand stand (amounting to forty) should be disposed of at the original price of £10 each, limiting the issue to one hundred members. -• -

PaKßßL*Ton.—The new committee ©ftbis school inaugurated their labours on Thursday evening last with the orthodox tetuneeting, , to raise funds. This cemmittce are fortunate in not having to consider the means of paying the liabilities of their predecessors, the previous members having so contrived as to keep ; free from debt, and the only present need at all pressing being the want of fuel, to proride which the funds raised will in part be devoted. The viands were provided by seven ladies of the members of the committee, and by Mrs. Cox. Those assembled did ample justice to the fare set before them. The room was crowded in every part, at least 100 persons being provided with tea. Afterwards, Mr. Wilson addressed the parishioners. He said he was glad to see so many assembled, notwithstanding the drawbacks of bad roads, bad weather, and darkness; and he was pleased that the purpose of the meeting had been answered. As people became educated, and learned to read and write, unless some channel was afforded by which their education could be of use to them, it would be very likely to do them harm. Such means of applying their education are now provided at Prebbleton by the libraiy lately placed in position on the wall; he would read the titles of some of the works, particularly one on Assyria, as likely • to prove very interesting. All the works have a decided Christian tendency, and woiild help them on in the great business of this ; life, viz., preparing for the next; they would be found to be suited to every capacity, and it had been determined to hare the rules and catalogue printed, so tbat subscribers could choose their book before applying for it. A subscription of Is per quarter, and Is entrance money, would be sufficient to keep the books in repair, and at times add new ones. He thought Mr. Cox would be kind enough to act as librarian. Subscribers would be allowed two books at a time, and to keep them for a month. A list was then handed round, and fifteen parishioners paid their entrance money. Mr. Tosswill wished to say a few words about church music ; they . had been very fortunate ia having so good a leader as Mr. W. Wilson, but his stay was uncertain, and it was desirable to jproride an instrument. Two of the parishioners had promised £5 each, and he would gire two or three more; and he proposed opening a subscription list to provide the balance required, say £13 or £14. Mr. Wilson agreed with Mr. Tosswill as to the necassity, but thought the presence of instrumental music in a church tended to make people lazy in singing ; he had found that in almost ail congregations. He could testify that both in Prebbleton and Templeton he had found every disposition to assist in the singing. Mr. Wilson concluded with a few words on the necessity of coming to church. He could not understand any professing Christians not desiring to avail themselves of every opportunity of hearing God's Word, and of partaking of that Supper without which they are told there can be no life in them. He hoped the entertainment they had received would tend to far holier and higher feelings than those of mere mundane enjoyment, After singing a hymn, the meeting was dismissed. Jackson's Bat.—A letter is published in the West Coast Times, signed by a number of miners, who took passage by the Matilda Hayes for the Okaritu river They state that they found a dry bar across the entrance to the Okaritu, at lew water/and no entrance whatever. The Waitaki, another river a few miles to the north of it, was apparently worse than the former, although described on the charts as large, and likely of entrance. Post-Office at Oxford.—Great inconvenience has been experienced by the inhabitants of this district, in consequence of the non-delivery of the mail on Saturday. By the present arrangement, letters posted at Christchurch later than Friday are not delivered at Oxford until the Monday following. A petition has been got up by the residents, a view of obtaining an alteration in this respect. Princess' Theatre.—The performances at the theatre on Saturday were for the benefit of the working hands of the establishment. The house was but : scantily attended. The first piece was " Jenny Foster," in which the same members of the company appeared as on the former occasions when it has been played. " The Irish Tiger " was the intermediate piece* the farce of "H.M.S. Spitfire " terminating the entertainments. This evening is fixed for the benefit of Mr. Richardson, who will appear as Lord Dundreary, in the "American Cousin." The Peace Negociations.—The Southern \ Cross, ot July 7, says Since our last summary was written, very little additional information has been received with respect to 'the, peace negociations. The meeting between Mr. George Graham and the " King " and Rewi is not yet reported as having taken place, but Mr. Graham has telegraphed to Auckland that he expects to meet the aforesaid rebel dignitaries shortly at Kopua,and he attributes the delay, in the negociations to the floods, which had necessitated the postponement of the expected interview. However that may be, nothing further has transpired to warrant us in being at all sanguine of a favourable result."