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Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 391, 30 July 1877, Page 2

A public meeting, called by Lis Worship the Mayor, will be held at the Volunteer Hall this fcv< liing, at eight o'clock, for the purpose of taking steps to obtain an amendment in the .Education Bill now before Parliament-, with a view of securing the establishment of a separa-e educational district for jSori.li Otago. The meeting has been called at the request of tli3 Schools Committee, and the business to be brought forward i.-i of such great intere.-t to the resident* of Oamaru and the whole of the surrounding di-tr cts, that we hope to see a large attendance. By the new Education Bill it is proposed to have only one Education Board for the whole of the Provincial District of Otago. This means that the management of the large and valuable educational reserves in this district is to be placed in the hands of a Board having its headquarters in Dunedin, and composed almost entii ely of residents in the metropolis, To everyone the results likely to flow from the adoption of such a course must be perfectly obvious. We all know how this district has, in the past, been treated by Dunedin, and it is only natural to suppose that even in the matter of education we should be no better treated. For this reason we cordially endorse the action taken by Ihe Schools Committee in endeavouring to secure to North Otago a separate educational district, and the management of our

own affairs. Some of the ratepayers of Severn Ward do not seem inclined to allow Mr. Liddle to be returned unopposed for that -ward. Notwithstanding that Mr. Johnston has announced liis intention of withdrawing from the contest, a meeting has been called to-

morrow evening for the purpose of forming a Committee to secure his return. Whether Mr. Johnston will consent to take his seat in the Mui.iciijal Council if elected against his expressed wish remains to be seen. Mails for Australia, per Arawata, close at the Bluii'at eleven a.m , to-morrow. Mr. E. Corliss, a young gentleman who has been connected with the Telegraph Department as counter clerk, is about to be lemoved from Oamaru to Duuedin, to fill a similar jiosition in the Department in that city. During the time Mr. Coriisj has been in Oamaru lie Las won the esteem not only of those who have in the course of business come into contact with him, but of the public generally. Possessed of a happy, genial manner, he has succeeded in gaining numerous friends, ail of whom will learn with regret of Mr. Corliss' projected departure f;om this town. Almost from his arrival ill Oamaru he has been connected with both the Dramatic and Minstrel Companies which have lived and flourished in Oamaru, and as a member of these he has done great good service. To him the people of Oamaru have been indebted in a great measure for many enjoyable evenings' amusement. Always painstakii.g and hardworking, he has been the means of imparting a considerable amount of energy and enthiifiasm amongst his brother members of those societies, who, we feel sure, will greatly miss him from their ranks. While regretting that Mr. Corli s should be called upon to quit (:amaru, we hear ily congratulate him upon his promotion, and wish Lum every success in liis new sphere of usefulness. Instead of the exportation of gold from j this Col.my having fallen off, as some people imagined had been the case of late, it would appear to have been steadily increasing, judging from the returns pubb'slied in the ! Gazette of the 19th inst. This is mainly | due to the very large increase which has taken place in Auckland, where we notice the value of the ptrecious metal exported for the half-year ending 30th June last reached L216',590, against L99,9b'2 for the corresponding period of the previous year. The greater portion of this (LI7C,S4S) has been exported during the last three mouths. In Westland and Marlborough increases have also taken place, in the former Provincial District to the amount of nearly L 60,000, while Otago and Kelson each show a decrease, the former of over L 50,000. The value of the gold exported from the different Provincial Districts during the halfyear is as follows : —Auckland, li'Jl6,dOO; Otago, L 203,625; Westland, L 165,247 ; Xelson, L141),t 53 ; Marlborough, L 3,197 : making a grand total of L73t,712, against LG05,790 for the corresponding half-year of , 1S70". The total amount of goid exported j from the Colony since its first discovery in i 1557 up to the 30th June last was 8,453,577 ■ ounces, of a value of L 33,000,526, Of j

this Otago has contributed no less than L 14,279,352 worth ; Westland, L 8,131,715; Nelson (-which includes Grey mouth and Westport), L 6,406,827 ; Auckland, 14,006,129; Marlborough, LI 76', 653 ; Wellington, L 120; If a stranger had been suddenly dropped down in the neighbourhood of the Police Court about three o'clock this morning he probably would have been considerably surprised at some strange proceedings in a court of justice. When the jury in the case of Cole v. M'Kir.ly retired, the majority of the people in Court were volunteers in full uniform and apparently elevated to a high pitch of excitement. As soon as the judge le.t the bench, one exhausted counsel snatched off his wig with one hand, while with the other he removed the hat from the head of the astonished polieeman, transposed ihe position of the two head-gears, and leaving the astonished man in blue more taken aback than he was even when a buxom laudlady threw her arms round his neckaud ki.<sed him, the lawyer tucked his gown under his arms and departed in search of a charitable publican for something hot. His learned brother, not being able to appropriate any otie's hat, trusted to his wig, and in full costume sailed down the strest for the j same haven, greatly to the astonishment of another constable whom they passed on the way, and who seemed to have serious thoughts about running both in, until his fellow member of the iorce, duly bewigged, looked out of the Court to see where his hat was gone.— Wellington Argus.