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Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 317, 12 May 1866, Page 2

A meeting of the School Committee was held in the School House on Ihursday evening,—Mr llallenstein in the chair. A letter from Mr llisiop was read. It stated that Government was prepared to expend £350, as soon as a suitable place for a new School House had been agreed on. On the motion of Mr Matheson, seconded by Mr Bridge, it was agreed that Messrs Hallenstein and Robertson, take the necessary steps for having plans and specifications of the new building prepared. The size of the room is to be not less than 36 feet feet long and 23 feet wide, with walls 12 feet high. A stove having been procured by Messrs Robertson and Bridge, for the use of the school. Mr Brown was requested to have it suitably fixed. It was also agreed that a window be procured and .fixed in such part of the building as the teacher may consider most suitable. A report was presented by Messrs Robertson and Bridge who stated that the sum of £25 9s 6d had been collected by them, in aid of tha School fund, for the quarter ending 30th March last. A little financial business was done, and the meeting adjourned till such time as the plans and specifications are ready to be submitted for the approval of the Committee.

Froraan advertisement in another column it will be observed that the Quarterly Licensing Meeting will be held ok s;h June next. Intending applicants must send in their applications at least fourteen days before that date.

A general meeting of the Race Committee and subscribers was held in Powell's Hotel, on Wednesday evening, Mr Percy in the chair. The Ti easurer presented his report and stated that after all accounts and claims had bsen paid,,a balance of about £l2 would remain in the hands of the Committee. On the motion of Mr Aitken seconded by Mr Spooner, a vote of thanks was given to Mr Weaver for the use of the scales, Mr Malaghan for providing the ropes, and Mr Rees. for the use of the hurdles. The same compliment was paid to the Treasurer for the satisfactory discharge of his duties, as also the starters, and Secretary. On the motion of Mr seconded by Mr Atkins it was agreed to retain the balance of funds to the credit of the Committee. The Stewards next received a complimentary vote. It was agreed that all papers connected with the meeting be lodged in the Bank of Otago for safe keeping, and a vote of thanks to the chair terminated the proceedings. The Resident Magistrate's Court has been rather barren in the matter of cases lately. Yesterday, however, the tedium was broken by a civil action, Cook v Howorth, in which plaintiff claimed £l9 5s llrjd for work done, and defendant pleaded not indebted. Mr Manders conducted the case for plaintiff; and Mr Chalmers for defendant, who put in an account for board and drinks—by which it appeared that, after crediting him with wages at £3 per week, plaintiff was still due £4 7s It appears from the evidence adduced that plaintiff has some knowledge of engineering and rough carpenter work. In the latter capacity he erected a barn for defendant, and also repaired the engines &c., of the steamer Expert. There was no agreement, beyond that he was to be paid the li current rate of wages." After hearing the counsel and evidence on both sides, his Worship said it was exceedingly difficult to say who was telling the truth. On looking over the accounts, and comparing them with the statements of parties, it seemed that plaintiff was claiming the wages of a regular engineer; which he was not. His Worship considered it right to allow him throughout the engagement £4 per week—which would come to £24 —but Sunday work could not be allowed for in the absence of any arrangement or understanding having been come to. With reference to Howorth's bill, he never saw such a thing in Court before ; and the evidence being so unsatisfactory, he was not inclined to entertain it except as to the meals and beds. He could not entertain 27 drinks at different times; and therefore, except beds and meals, would strike all out. Judgment was then given for plaintiff for £9 15s and costs.

The following additional section to the fourth rule of the Gold-fields regulations appears in the 'Gazette.' 17. Nothing contained in the preceding sections of this Rule shall extend or be construeed to extend to deprive the registered occupier of any water-race, being the holder of a miner's right, of any rights or privileges which he had acquired previously to the eleventh day of April, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six ; and every such registered occupier shall, and shall be deemed to hold, occupy, and use such water-race and the water thereof, under and subject to the regulations in force as to water rights and races at the time when such claim was origi" nally registered; and the preceding sections of this Rule made and published on the eleventh day of April last shall and shall be deemed to pply to such water-races only of which the first registration shall have been or shall be made subsequently to such last-mentioned date. The 1 Gazette' of the 2nd May contains the limits and boundaries of the following harbors and ports in the province of Otago,—Dunedin, Oamaru, Moeraki, Waikouaiti, Molyneux, and Waikawa.

A correspondent of the' Hawke's Bay Herald' thus speaks of an intended raid of the natives of Poverty Bay. "It appears through information received from the friendly natives that the Hau Haus are mustering very strong at a place called Manga-powhatu, under Keroeopa, Patara, Anaru Matete, and one or t,vo others, with the object of making an attack on the Kawanatanejas and white.people in Poverty Bay and Wairoa. They are said to have mustered to the unmber of 1200 or 1500. There is probably some truth in the report, and one or two of the settlers have been told by some of the friendly natives to look out. The' Nelson Evening Mail'says" Mr Tatton, chemist of this town, has shown us a specimen of oil which he ha 3 distilled from the petroleum recently arrived from Taranaki. The oil compares favourably with the American oil of the same kind, with this difference, however, that the oil of Taranaki appears to have a greater body than the other. The Taranaki oil gives a strong and steady light. There can be no doubt of the good quality of the Taranaki oil> and we sincerely hope it is exhaustless in quantity." A very gratifying proof says the * Oamaru Tints' of the recovered prosperity of this Province ? especially in squatting investments, is to be found in the present large influx of sheep from the sister Proeinee. During the past two months, 41,000, principally ewes and mixed lambs, have crossed to this side of the Waitaki; 16,500 are now on the way down, and 12,600 more under negociation, will increase our Otago and Southland flocks by 70,100 sheep. Messrs Royse, Mudie and Miller, report all these as having been sold at satisfactory prices to the holders in Canterbury.

A Hokitikapaper says: —" Wemay give a w«rd of caution to miners leaving the West Coast, fcr Melbourne with gold in their posseesion not duty paid and regularly cleaved at the Custom House. A communication has been received by the Collector of Customs, Hokitika, from the Collector at Melbourne, intimating that the provisions of the Gold Exportation Act 0f'1862 will for the future be rigidly enforced. This is "an Act to authorise the exportation from the Colony of Victoria free of Customs duty" of gold not the produce of that Colony. It would be obviously an injustice to the miner who had cleared his gold on shipment to Melbourne, to be required to pay the Yiclorian export duty also. It is provided, therefore, by the Legislature of that Colony, that gold from New Zealand and elsewhere, regularly cleared at the port of shipment, may be received upon declaration made and entry passed, and deposited in such place and manner as may be prescribed, until it shall b« removed for exportation. The entry to be passed at Melbourne is a transhipping entry, which entitles it to be shipped free from the payment of Victorian duty. It appaars, according to the representations of the Melbourne Collector, that large quantities of gold are being taken to Victoria which have not been cleared at New Zealand ports, and consequently do not appear on the ship's manifest as duty paid. Such gold is not admitted into Victoria as entitled to a transhipping entry; and does not therefore enjoy exemption from the Victorian duty on reexportation." The Carriers strike in Dunedin seeme likely to be ended by the carriers taking out the loading on drays until free of the bars. A united company has also be n formed. A hay stack in Dunedin was recently set on fire by a boy who was playing with some matches. The fire, fanned by the heavy westerly gale which was blowing at the time, spread to a stack of rye-grass, but was fortunately got under and prevented from extending to a handsome pile of firewood near. The copy-right and plant of the 1 Canterbury Standard' have been sold for £1,855. The new proprietors intend to establish a first-class daily journal, same size as the Standard the price of which will be one penny. The Sandard takes leave of all old friends in its issue of-the 23rd ult., "trusting that while they speed the parting, they will welcome the coming guest." Separation i 3 being agitated for in Wanganui. In a recent number the local journal says 1 " As things stand at present, the little that has been granted, and the much that has been promised, to the Wanganui and Rangitikei districts,—the former being in proporton to the latter much like Falstaf's bread to his liberal allowance of sack—have been wrung from the fears of Well, ington. The justice of our cause and the necessities of our position have certainly counted for very little, and all our settlers connected with public boards, or improvements of any kind, know that they invariably have to beg as a favour what they are well entitled to as a right. Should such a mode of managing matters be perpetuated ? Good-natured people shrink from continuing the agitation of this question. They have a vivid recollection of the bitterness and misrepresentation —positive falsehood even—imported into it by those opposed to the interests of Wanganui, when first the movement was set agoing, and they feared a repetition of the same thing again. We hope, however, it will not be so. But, whether or not, they should also remember that a good cause is rarely won without difficulty, and that not only the interests of the present settlers, but of those who shall come after them, are more or less involved in the proper solution of a question like this. One would rather not evoke evil passions, but if men will get angry without any just cause, there is really no help for it. We can only reiterate here what we have said on a former occasion that separation from Wellington is sought, not because we like Separation for its own sake—not that we cherish other than kind wishes for the prosperity of the capital—not even that we admire provincial institutions per se, for the very reverse is the case—but beeause there is no other mode in which we can at present obtain local government and the means which are necessary for developing the resources of the district, as they ought to be developed."

The whole of the sad consequences of the Bruce Bay rush are, we fear (' Okariti Times') not yet ascertained, and the list of those who went there to miserably perish will probably never be known. We are continually hearing of something or other that proves the sad truth of this and repeatedly some vestige of humanity turns up without giving the smallest trace of the unfortunate to whom it belonged. A few days ago a party of miners on their way back, about four miles from Cook's river, found the bones of a man's foot on the beach. The foot had been separated at the ancle, and the bones were quite denuded of flesh or skin, though, singularly enough the nail of the great toe was still adherent. At Bruce Bay about the same time the jaw and part of the skull of a human being were found, though whether the remains were those of the same person of course could not be ascertained. It is known that numbers penetrated into the bush ii the neighbourhood of Bruce Bay, but very poorlv provided, and there is a sad probability that all who did so will never return, and to search, if any are missing, is, under the circumstances impossible.