Original Correspondence.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 54, 4 November 1863, Page 5

Original Correspondence.

TO TIIE TOWN IMPROVEMENT COMMITTED Per favor of the Wakatip Mail.

Gentlemen,—l beg toe ill \ our attention to the existence of "An Ordinance to provide for the more effectual management of towns and other places within the Province of Otago in matters of Police." Section 5 provides that '• Any person guilty of the following offences shall 011 conviction for every such offence pay a penalty not exceeding Twenty Pounds." 1. Throwing any glass, filth, dirt, rubbish, or other matter of a similar nature upon any road, footway, or public place. 12. Neglecting to clean all private yards, ways, passages or avenues, by which neglect a nuisance by offensive smell or otherwise is caused. 23. Exposing for sale any article whatsoever on any footway, or outside of any shop window or doorway, abutting oil any public thoroughfare or street.

I have been induced to call your attention to these in consequence of frequency hearing the remarks of strangers upon visiting Qucenstown. They one and all are astonished with our noble township, admire the cleanliness of its streets, but wonder we do not keep them free from rubbish. Unfortunately, the latter remark is too true. Old bwots, bones, bottles, sugar bags, &c., are lying about the sheets, and fronting the doors of many of our leading residents. As a Town Improvement Committee,the matter comes legitimately under your sphere of aelion. Many persons are of opinion that the Ordinance above quoted does not apply to townships not dulv proclaimed by Government. In that case the ouly duty of the police would be to maintain order. I think the Act applies equally to the roads through a remote district as to the streets of a township. The whole tenor of the Act shows that power was intended to be given to act ir places settled upon by the people. A nice point of law might upset this equity view of the case, but our former R.M., Air Wood, fined under its power, and the police have also warned people under its provisions. I would call your attention to clause 4, touching the powers of the Resident Magistrate, after previously considering the final words of clause 3. "And all other provisions of this Ordinance shall extend to and and be in operation throughout the said Province." The clauses that require Proclamation are Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, relating to builuing houses, &c. 1 trust I have thus shown you that you can if you deem it necessary request the police to put into force all the other clauses of the "Town and Country Police Ordinance, 1862," except the clauses mentioned.

I have the honor to be, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, H. Manders. Qucenstown, 3rd November, 1863.

t To the Editor of the Lakk Wakatip Mail.

Sm, —In justice to myself and mates I consider Mr Peter Stewart has made a great mistake in stating that I was blindfolded on the morning of the 7th October, 1862, in not seeing him or McGregor at work. No doubt I have seen them at work, but not before daylight, as stated by Mr Stewart. On the 6th, I positively state that he or party were not at work in the gorge of the Arrow, at 2 p.m., as Mr McGregor and Co. were prospecting on that day, on the Shotover, which Mr Mitchell, or George tho

shepherd can state also. No doubt Mr Stewart might have obtained gold on the 6th of October, but he or party never worked there until the 7th. As far as the keeping of my word with Mr Rees, I did so, until he broke his word with me in not supplying me with provisions as he promised to do by paying him for the same. I can also state that Mr McGregor left the Arrow on the 15th of November, for Southland, while O'Callaghan and I did not leave the Arrow until the 17th of November, arriving at the Dunstan on the kOth of the same month, depositing our gold at the Camp, and reporting the same to IVtr Warden Keddell, it being the first gold deposited there from the Lak6 district. Yours, &c., William Fox. Arthur's Point, Nov. 2nd, 1863.