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Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1228, 29 July 1881, Page 2

The inward Home mail via San Francisco, reached Auckland on Monday. It was expected atDunedin last night, in which event anxious expectants may depend that Mr Barr, chief postmaster, will see the Lakes portion despatched in time to reach here tomorrow evening. Mr G. Barnett, in a letter elsewhere, asks us to publish, in extenso, the evidence taken in case, himself v. Mr Butement. but as we gave a fair resume at the time we must decline. The Garrison Band announce a dramatic performance 011 the 12th proximo. Mr J. Cameron, an old settler at Hayes Lake, died on Friday morning at his residence. Henry Upsdale was brought up on remand on Monday, before Messrs W. Mason and W. Warren, J.P.s, charged with having on the previous Thursday afternoon jumped into the Lake with intent to drown himself. The only witnesses were Sergt. E. Morton (who watched the case for the Crown,) and J Byrne. Although the evidence strongly supported the charge, the fact that accused had previously talked about jumping into the Lake, that he was a good swimmer, that he kept himself afloat, and availed himself of assistance when ofl'ered led to the possibility of the whole affair having been a joke, and the Bench therefore gave him the benefit of the doubt and discharged him with a salutary caution and reprimand. Next Monday commences tho usual monthly sittings of the R.M. and Warden's Courts. The business is not so large as that of last month. No particularly important matter is set down for deliberation at Monday's meeting of the Lake County Council, although it is probable that the Arrow Valley track will be brought on, as public meetings have been held in the Arrow and Matukituki ridings, and petitions signed for a separate rate for the work. The question of deviation of track in Brown's Gully, Skippers, will also, no doubt be again—and again—brought up, if necessary, as long as twenty good practical miners insist that the gradient can be considerably lessened at a comparatively small expense, notwithstanding the statement of the Inspector to the contrary. The Inspector is, we believe, an excellent servant, and very correct in his opinion generally ; but, under present circumstances it is advisable that the question should be set at rest carrying out the original intention to call for tenders.

The County Council call for tenders for maintenance of certain tracks, &c., but three days' notice is insufficient to let those intererested know by advertisement of the service required. As far as yields are concerned, the reefing interest is pretty well at a standstill in the district. There is nevertheless some activity in working of the mines in the Upper Shotover, preliminary or preparatory for spring at the Mount Aurum, Southberg and Co., and the Phoenix claims—in the latter of which about 14 men are engaged driving a tunnel under ground, from which the last satisfactory return was obtained, or breaking out quartz above, The officer commanding M Battery, lately received a cheque from Major Sumpter, Oamaru, to be placed to the credit of the Queenstown Brass Band, in recognition of its performance at the late Oamaru review. This ought to be pleasing intelligence to our towns people, showing as it does, that their band can hold its own when away from home. In the returns laid before the Assembly of the Post Office and Telegraphic department the Queenstown office takes a high position among country offices, being fourth in receipts and business done. This, considering the small population of the Queenstown division of the district, and the presence of telegraphic offices at Arrow and Queenstown, speaks very favorably. The question of Free-trade v. Protection, came on for discussion at the Queenstown Debating Club last Thursday week. After a prolonged debate, the former was declared the most conducive to the prosperity of ft country. Last evening, the subject was p. 3to the desirability or otherwise of Capital Punishment. Finally it was decided that its continuance was more beneficial than its abolition. After a long spell of brilliant weather—warm sunny days and frosty nights—a heavy downpour of rain on the flat lands and snow on the hills has taken place. On Wednesday it commenced to rain heavily at midnight, and continued till five o'clock next morning. Thursday, up to 2 p.m., was again warm and fine, when a southerly burster set in, which continues. The first rain was from the north, and in all probability was the tail-end of the stonn that has passed from Auckland, through Wellington, over to Canterbury and Timaru. One important item of news in our telegrms from Wellington is that the Waste Land Committee recommend a return to the County Councils of the 20 per cent land revenue. Should the Government adopt the recommendation, they will be able to retire their Native and Crown Lands Rating Bill without any rankling sense of defeat and, moreover, conciliate supporters who are kicking over the traces about this new policy. The squatters do not like the Bill, and certainly that portion of it refering to advances to pay Native Rates—charging the land fund with the same—is a palpable blunder. The local case of Scoles v. Davis, claim for £2OO for barley, sold and delivered, set for hearing on Monday, at the District Court Invercargill, has been postponed for one month, grounds not known. The non-arrival of the Invercargill mail prevents us giving information about a case that is exciting some interest, owing to the question at issue and the large number of witnesses taken down. The defence is that the barley was not equal to sample, that it was unfit for malting purposes, and that delivery was not accepted. Originally the action was commenced in the Supreme Court for a brge sum. It was withdrawn from that Court and a new action for the above amount entered in the Invercargill branch of the District Court, for trial before Judge Ward. The costs of the action whichever side loses will be very heavy, and the winner will also be called upon to "fork out" as between solicitor and client. The Rotomahana arrived at the Bluff on Sunday" The mails were expected here on Monday evening last, 'out, for some unexplained reason, they did not come to hand. They were therefore confidently looked for on Wednesday evening, but neither the Suez, Melbourne, Dunedin, or Invercargill mails arrived. The bags were left behind at the latter place. Genera) disappointment has ensued and much inconvenience arisen. We get better served from Dunedin, and it would be as well to consider whether our service by way of Kingstou, should not be arranged mainly in connection with Dunedin direct via the Waiinea Plains line. Certainly the Dunedin department would not treat the district in the way Invercargill has apparently done, by declining to sort a Home and Victorian mail overnight. The injustice is the greater when we have to wait another two days and, in the present instance, four days. During the present month about forty cases of typhoid, three of them proving fatal, have been reported by the health officer in Christchurch. In every case the milk supply was traced to one source, that of a dirty dairy—hence the fever. One of the English Archbishops recently said in the House of Lords " The narrow notions of all churches have been their ruin. I believe that the Church of Scotland, though not so perfect as ours, is as true a Protestant Church as the Church of England." The Chinese Immigration Bill (says the Wellington correspondent of Lyttelton Timet) passed the Upper House under somewhat peculiar circumstances. It appears that certain members of the Lower House voted for it in the hope that the Upper House would throw it out, their object being to stand well with their constituents. The aspect of the case was the last moment presented privately to the members of the Upper House, and in order not to be made catspaws of, several of them also voted against their convictions, and so the Bill was passed. Some spurious tea recently landed from the steamer Ocean, in Melbourne, is believed to have been sent to Dunedin. The Collector of Customs is trying to trace it. We are informed, on good authority, that some of this very article was recently landed on the Queenstown Jetty. The Tuapeka County Council, at its last meeting, resolved that for the future no loaded waggons or drays would be taken across in the County punts on Sundays. It is understood that the division of profits in the Government Assurance scheme will averago nearly 25s per £IOO, but of course the amouut will depend upon the duration of the policy. The nominations are as follows for tho Cromwell Derby : Mr T. Foster's blk g Rulu, by BucephalusSailor Boy's dam. Mr T. Foster's b g Netherby, Bucephalus—Mabel's dam. Mr E. Duncan's b f by Clontarf—Lady Howard. Mr J. Flynn's b f New Broom, by ArchitectLittle Nell. Mr J. Paterson's b c Lord Reay, by Haruha, dam dam by Master Rowe. Mr J. Wall's blk g Orari, by Westover—dam unknown. Mr J. Rivers, b g Resartus, by Architect—Polly. Mr J. Smith's b f by Architect—Wild Rose. Mr J. Smith's b g by Architect—Stocking. Mr H. Partridge's b f Emblem, by Young Morris Dancer—N^llv.

Some little merriment has been caused (says the Dunstan Times) by the vagaries of the great Local Bodies Convention, which met in Wellington recently, and passed a resolution in favor of a subsidy of £ for £ for new works, the Solons evidently forgetting that the Colonial Treasurer last session offered them £3 for £l. The modesty or the ignorance of these gentlemen is astonishing. They began their deliberations by proposing to restore the tea and sugar duties, and ended with the above idiotic proposal. We observe in the list of awards published of the Dunedin Exhibition that our townsman, Mr Edward M'Caffrey, has obtained the only first-class award for building stone. In the second award list Port Chalmers blue stone obtains a position, but the Oamaru exhibits obtain no recognition. The stone from Mr McCaffrey's quarries has therefore obtained c, first prize at Sydney, a second in Melbourne, and now a first in the home market. How the Oamaru article obtained a first at Melbourne remains still a mystery. Before long, an industry capable of increase to some magnitude will be established. Already, we hear, the stone is to be employed for the fluted Roman columns and #aps of the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Patrick's, Dunedin ; and orders have been received, and are still coming to hand for monumental tombstones and obelisks for the Dunedin cemeteries. An enquiry from Auckland is also being answered, and no doubt, as the worth of the stone becomes known, the demand will increase. Employment will lie given to several hands for quarrying stone when the frost breaks up. Owing to the impetus given to mineral discoveries by the taking up of the Moke Creek copper lode, and the application of Messrs Watson and Buchan to secure the right of prospecting for minerals over a large area of country sloping to Lake Wakatip, many persons are now searching for minerals. Several discoveries have been made, and we have seen quite a collection of them in Mr Manders' offices. This gentleman has had a good deal of experience in the matter of dealing with copper ores. He was connected with the Yattalla Smelting Works, colony of South Australia, owned by ?, public company, which was established to buy the produce from the various mines opened. He has, we are told, for some time past been again urging miners to keep their eyes open when repairing their water races, etc. No. 1 specimen of copper ore found by William Shore, junr., very promising; No. 2 specimen, found by John Farrell (an old miner better known as Jack the squatter); No. 3, continuation of Moke Creek lode—finder's name withheld—contains too much silica; No. 4, copper ore from a new lode discovered last week—very promising, gold freely seen in it; No. 5, presumed to be silver ore; No. 6, a bright substance that burns freely with a blue flame in copper ore ; No. 6, hematite clay with copper. Most of these are Mr Farrell's discoveries—one shows pure copper with blue oxide. They are all being forwarded for assay. Consequent upon a falling-off of custom by the smallpox scare the Chinese vegetable hawkers at Newcastle, N.S.W., formed themselves into a "Chinese Gardeners' Association," and entered into a compact to refrain from hawking vegetables for the period of one month. The public are said to be the sufferers, and are only too anxious to welcome John and his cabbage " back again. The N.Z. Gazette of 14th instant, contains notice of bonuses to be given for Colonial Industries, as follows £I,OOO for the production of the first 125 tons of sugar, manufactured from beet or any Other root or plant grown in the colony; £SOO for the production; by machinery permanently established, for the first 10,000 gallons of oil, of good marketable quality, and £IOO for the first 50 tons of starch ; 50 per cent, on the value realised for the first £IOOO worth of cocoons of silkworm or silkworm eggs, on quantities of not less than £SO nor more than £IOO produced by any one person; £SOO per annum for three successive years for the production each year, by machinery, of not less than 50 tons sulphuric acid; £250 on the first £I,OOO worth of household earthenware of good marketable quality: £SOO for three years in succession for the refining each year, by machinery, of not less than 100 tens sugar cane ; £SOO for the first 25 tons of butter, or 50 tons of cheese, produced in a factory worked on the American principle; £SOO on the first 100 tons of meat exported from the colony, and landed in Europe in sound marketable condition. The Government are also prepared to receive proposals for the establishment of a powder manufactory, the proposer to state the amount of bonus required. Notice of intention to claim any of above bonuses to be sent in to the Colonial Secretary not later than 31st December next, and claim to be made before 30th June, 18S2. Carlyle's plain-speaking is thus reported. An acquaintance, with strong opinions of his own, had supported them pertinaciously one evening against Carlyle's views, and was thus taken leave of at the door " Good night sir ! And let me tell you that you have capabilities for becoming one of the greatest bores in England." The Wellington correspondent of the Dunedin Herald, telegraphing on the 22nd instant touching the political crisis says:—lf Mr Ormond could form a Ministry he would hold them together till Sir Julius Vogel arrives from England, and Sir Julius Vogel would take a prominent part and virtually, if not nominally, the leadership of the party. It is beyond doubt that Sir Julius Vogel has been communicating, if not with Mr Ormond, at least with persons who are mutual political friends —An old stager gives it his opinion that the session, whether a new Ministry is formed or the present retains office, will last ten weeks longer, though it may end in four weeks.-An Opposition member tells me there is no fear of ?. political crisis preventing the passage this session of the Bill for aiding railway companies by grants of land, nor will it prevent the Bill dealing with the rabbit pest being passed. Holloway's Ointment and Pills.—Chest Preservatives.—At all seasons of the year the rate of mortality from diseases of the lungs is very great. Holloway's Ointment well rubbed upon the chest, aided by his Pills, arrests all mischief. These cleansing medicaments exercise the most salutary restorative influence over the entire contents of the pectoral cavity. Air-tubes, nerves, bloodvessels, and all other tissues feel their wholesomely potent power, more particularly in their thoroughly purifying both venous and arterial blood, by promoting the free circulation of air. Neither Ointment nor Pills caontin any noxious ingredient whatever, but their balsamic nature nourishes rather than irritates the system, and kindly subdues untoward symptoms till all is well once more. Advice to Mothers.—Are you broken in your rest by a sick child suffering with the pain of cutting teeth ? Go at once to a chemist and get a bottle of Mrs Whitlow's Soothing Syrup. It will relieve the poor sufferer immediately. It is perfectly harmless and pleasant to taste, it produces natural quiet sleep, by relieving the child from pain, and the little cherub awakes "bright as a button." It soothes the child, it softens the gums, allays all pain relieves wind, regulates the bowels, and is the best known remedy for dysentery and diarrhoea, whether arising from teething or other causes. Mrs Winslow's Soothing Syrup is sold by Medicine dealers everywhere at Is l*d per bottle.