Untitled

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 559, 15 February 1878, Page 2

We understand that Mr. Larnach will not re-sign his position in the Ministry. He proceeds to England by the first opportunity, and will return during the progress of next session.

It is probable that Sir I'ler.rge Orey and the Hon. Mr. Mncandrew will leave Wellington oh M»>mlay, ami proceed overland from Cliristchurcli, calling at Oamaru on their way to Dunedin. We have no doubt that the Premier and Mr. Macaudrew will be as gladly welcomed by the people of the Sonth as the former was by the people of the North dnring the late trip.

At the request of Mr. M'Mnster several gentlemen dined with the Hon. Mr. Larnach last evening at Waikonra, and Mr. Larnach left for Dunedin by special train this mornaccompanied by Mr. C'arruthers, Mr. (!. M. Reed, and several Oamaru gentlemen.

We acknowledge our indebtedness to our morning contemporary for a portion of the account of yesterday's deputation, which appears in this evening's issue.

Mr. Conyers, with his usual consideration, has consented to allow the railway «//</'%<"•■', their wives and families, ami female friends, to travel free to and from the festival to be held to-morrow. '

Dnring the past year. 4!G births were registered in the Oamaru office, the number for the town being -2T2, and for the surrounding districts 144. The number of births registered during the preceding year was 349. The number of deaths recorded dnring 1877 was DO, 73 of which were fortlie town, and 17 for the eonntry districts. The deaths for the year IS7<>' numbered 91.

His Worship the Mayor acknowledges the receipt of the following sums towards the Turkish Sufferers Relief Fund '.—Messrs. Anderson and Co., LI Is. ; Mr. T. Meek, LI Is.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Municipal Council took place last night. Present —His Worship the Mayor, Messrs. <;il>l.s, Booth, Mainland. Procter, and Familton. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. It was resolved that it he notified that the Council intends to levy a rate of Is. 6d. in the £, payable in one sum on the first of May, IS7S. Leave was given for the transfer of the leases of the following sections, viz. :

Section 19, Block Til., from Win. Cowling to George Meltlram ; Section 0, Block XIV., from John Morrison to Charles Shepherd; Sections l> and 7, Block XXV., from Thomas Aimers to C. Galhraith and ('!. Sumpter, subject to all rates and rents being paid. Accounts to the ainonnt of LS74 were ordered to bo paid. It was resolved that the Engineer's attention be drawn to the circumstance that no particulars accompanied the large item for extras in the case of the Wear-street bridge, which the Council regarded as unsatisfactory. The Council adjourned tjll next Monday evening, at a quarter past seven.

Two civil cases were heard at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, in each of shich judgment was given for the plaintiff.

We remind those interested that a meeting of the North Ofcago Turf Club wiil be held this evening, at which the weights for the handicaps for the forthcoming meeting will be declared.

. A Committee meeting of the Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Association will be held at the Secretary's office, at 2 p.m. to-morrow. Business—To arrange for a trial of reaping and binding machines. We are glad to observe that seats for the Sothern entertainments may be reserved. The agent -will be in attendance at the Masonic Hall on Saturday and Monday, from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m., and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

We learn that the Caledonian Band is to reconstructed ; also, that new arrangements are to be made by the society and the volunteers. A deputation of the latter, consisting of Lieut. Morris, Sergt. -Major M'Pherson, and Quartermaster-Sergt. King, are to meet the directors of the Caledonian Society on Monday night to make arrangements with reference to the above.

The railway employes of Timaru and Oamaru will hold their fete to-morrow at the Willow Bridge Racecourse. The event is likely to be a most interesting one, as will be gleaned from a perusal of the programme which appears in another column. The various events will be open to everybody, and it is anticipated that they will be well contested. Every inducement is offered to the public to attend the /We, single fares only being charged. Trains will leave Oamaru at 9.40 a.m., and return at 5.15 p.m. and S p.m. The admission to the ground will be—for adults, Is. : children, O'd. As the railway cr,ijjlo>/Ci festival is worthy of every encouragement, we hope that not only will there be a large attendance to-morrow, but that the liberality of the public will enable the promoters to offer prizes that Trill ensure keen competition.

A correspondent sends ns the following : Uillo Association, I beg leave to state for the encouragement of the battalion and shootists in general that a great improvement is taking place in the above Association, and I am sure that the hard-working Secretary, Mr. Atkinson, deserves considerable praise for the -way in which he is pushing forward the interests of those who delight in sharp shooting, and the attention he is paying b> the work lie has on hand. Our new President and worthy Military Surgeon is I also doing his work well, and I believe is i going to give ns a silver cup to shoot for.— Yours, &c, Y."

We understand that on last Saturday four sporting members of the Acclimatisation Society made a raid with their breechloaders upon a small colony of shags near the mouth of the Kakanui IJiver, and succeeded iu destroying seventeen of these voracious enemies of trout and salmon, and one large hawk. One shag killed weighed about 141b5., and, judging by his appearance and olumage, must have been at least a deputyirovernor. The example thus set will, we hope, be followed, so that the swarms of these destructive birds in the district may be at least thinned. We would suggest that ammunition should be supplied out of the hinds of the Acclimatisation Society to members vailing to expend it in the destruction of birds of prey generally.

This morning at nine o'clock we noticed the Windsor House scholars at their usual drill under Instructor M'Pherson, and the improvement is most marked since last we witnessed their performances. The extension motions were gone through to-day in good style, and the lads seemed to enjoy their military exercise. The new scholars, which are numerous, seem lost, and arc, of course, not half so smart as those exercised in their drill, but this clumsiness will soon disappear under the instruction of the Inspector, who will form two squads. "We understand that Mr. Ansted has arranged with the .drill instructor that the first squad is to receive instruction in sword exercise.

We clip the following from the Dally Tiai'-r report of the meeting of the Education Board, held on "Wednesday : —'•' A letter was read from the Oamaru School Committee regarding the liabilities for last year, increased school accommodation, and salary of third master. It was decided to postpone the question of liabilities, the matter of increased school accommodation, it was resolved, should be considered in conjunction with similar applications from Dunedin and other thickly populated places, while that of salaries was relegated to the Finance Committee. On the recommendation of the Oamaru School Committee, Mr. Eobert Peattie, M.A., was appointed Hector of the High School ; Mr. W. Fidler, second master; and Mr. Ebenezer Hewat, third master. The Board, declined to raise the salary of the third master irpjn LISO to L 175." Mr. Thornton's resignation of the Rectorship of the Grammar School was accepted.

The Port devotes an article to Mr. Bryce's speech, and conchides by stating : —" We think that Mr. Bryee has entirely succeeded in justifying his actions throughout the session and his secession from the ranks of the Atkinson party, and that his constituents may repose entire confidence in him as an able, honest, and straightforward representative."

Information from Berlin is to the effect that Bism/irck is determined to break up the French Exposition, To accomplish this he will urge Russia to demand impracticable terms, so as to necessitate English interference. Germany will then send a force to aid Russia. France, he believes, would not be able to resist this opportunity to attack Germany, whereat he would turn on Fr nee and complete the work begun in the FrancoPrussian war, and which did not leave France ciently brokea to suit Germapy.

After being feted by. his brother journalists Mr. Archibald Forbes; the veil-known special of the Daily News, received a cheque for LIOOO proprietors oyhat journal, in 'recognition pi the' ener'gy r ahcl.. displayed by him at Plevna.

The Colonies— a paper published in the mother country, and devoted to colonial and Indian matters —saysj that a French journal has been giving some interesting statistics showing the " relative proportions of the trade of our Australian colonies and that of the United States in the year 1875, when, it is stated, the total imports to and exports from Australia " amounted "to L 91,700,000, .or about L4O per head in a | population of 2,300,000. The value of the exports from the United States in the same period amounted to less than L 6 per head in a population of 40,705,000 ; while, on the other hand, the exports from these colonies are stated to have been of the average value of L2l per head of the population. The full meaning of these figures can be better realised when it is stated that the total value of the produce, agricultural and manufactured, exported from the United States, combined with the foreign imports, or, in other words, the whole productive power of the country, was in 1870 only L 26 per head of the population." The exports and imports of Great Britain and Ireland amount to about L 655,000,000, or at the rate of L2O per head of the population. In France, the next country in wealth to those already mentioned, the combined exports and imports only amount to about LlO per head. In the figures given in relation to Australia, the French joiirnalist includes New r Zealand.

A good story is told by a medical correspondent of an English paper. " A patient of mine, a middle-aged clergyman, was suffering from some slight symptoms of gout. I recommended a glass of hot whisky and water every day, in preference to physic of any kind; but my reverend friend, with upturned eyes, absolutely refused to accept my prescription, saying : ' No, no, doctor ; I have all my life preached against alcohol in any form. If that is the only remedy, I must continue to suffer.' ' Besides,' said he, ' if I rang for hot water, my servants would guess its purpose.' Said I, 'You shave, ring the he'll for shaving water ; mix your glass of medicinal whisky, and who will be the wiser but yourself ?' The parson at last submitted; we warmly shook hands and parted, hi a few weeks' time, my carriage passing the clergyman's door reminded mo of my clerical friend. . I touched the bell, and the thin, care-worn face of a once robust housekeeper answered me. ' Well,' said I!. ' how's your master ?' ' Stark, starin' mad, sir—mad as he can be.' ' Mad ; how ! what, how mad?' 'Lor.'sir. mad as he can be; why, he shaves himself about 20 times every day !" was the innocent reply."