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Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 595, 29 March 1878, Page 2

Councillor Procter cvid-iirly thinks that the fee of LI cuu-g.-d by the Muiiieipa Council for granting pormi-sioii ior the transfer of municipal io.cies from •nc person to another is exorbitant, ii.d-.-ed he said as niu-*h at the in'-etiog of the Council la*r evening when he give n-;l:c-_ or a morion for next meeting La-, ing the obj.-ct of redueinrr the amount "to .h. of the Councillors, however, tli.l not si-em to entertain a similar opinion «•» tlie si;bj..ct. "With some force they pointed out tii.it no complaints had been mad- on the sui.j- et by tlie Lt-neral public, ami that it would not be wise to do away with a source of revenue. Tlie census returns for Waikouaiti County are as follow :—.Electoral District of Waikouaiti (including boroughs ot J: awkJntry and Palmerstoo) Males, 2, C ;">S : iemnles. 2.039—t.-tal. 4.507. IWouidi of liav.ksburv—Males, Sri-i ; females. :> 7 total. 7-' I. Boroii'di of Falmerston Males, 401 ; female's, 333 total. SU. County of Wait=ouaiti (mclufliiis; portion of Kit-coral I'istrict of IVrt Chalmers) to Waitaki >iream Boundary-Males, 3,0-_'2 : femaKs, L'.lOi total, 5,21."

Tiie members of the Municipal Cijunc-.I seem to think that they have quite enough fco do to perforni tlie important works already devolving upon them. "When a letter from the Cnvernnient was read at the mi etmg la-st ev.ninir. stating that th- Ministry proposal to place hospit.di: :.nd charitable institutions under C> ntrol of ti:-- tjiiiun-ijKili-ties, quite a burst of vir'uou- hi.ligiiatmn was eiven utterance to by ciineiilor- at tinprospect of having a lot of additional labor upon their shoulders. Councillor Headland in particular strongly e>: ■rc-i.-e.l th- opinion that it was unadvisable for ?>iitnicipal Corporations to undertake the management of hospitals. He said he thought, that the Councils had quite enough to do if they performed the w..rk of guarding the interests ot the town property, without having the management of hospitals thrust upon them. The next thing they would have to undertake would he the management of the harbor and other important matters. The Mayor and some of the Councillors stated that the present management of the Oamaru Hospital was hurhlv satisfactory, and it was unnecessary to make any alteration other than with regard to the deductions from the borough >ubin aid of hospitals. &c, and the gi anting by the Uoveinmeut of the promised subsidy of !.l for Ll. Eventually it was decided that the letter called f.r some reply, and the Mayor, and Councillors (ribhs and Procter were appointed as a Hub-Committee to frame the same. Judging from the length of the sittings of the Council at present, we should think that the Council certainly do not require anything more to occupy their attention.

! The Penang and Rangoon cable is interrupted, but "the route for Europe, etc., is .still open viii Penang and Madras. Mr .Stephen Msssett, :i gentleman who, as an i-ioeiitiuiii-t and mimic has attained greatfame throughout Kngland, America. India. China, ami the Australian colonic.--, will jirobablv arrive in Oamaru next week. His entertainment is both instructing and amusing, and embraces readings from great authors and iecitati.>nsfrom his own writings. Since we were deprived of the pleasure of listening to Mr diaries Clark. Mr Stephen Massett's vi.-it to Oamaru will doubtless possess additional interest : but from all v/e read Mr Massett's ability as an elocutionist will scii'.d the ordeal of comparison with the other high-ciacs elocutionists of the day, and .his programme has the decided advantage of p-.ssecs'iiig variety. The lio.ltiinorc Ai/f-ricm savs :—'" As an elocutionist, Mr. Msssett is unrivalled;-and in his superb conception and delivery of 'The Vagabonds, ' surpasses anyone v.-e have before heard. There are touches of pathos in the tones of his voice that are surpassingly line. This was most marked in the reading of the ' Dkath of Pook'Jok' from-' Fleak House,' We have

never heard anything more equisite than his rendering of the death-bed scene; and the effect upon the listeners was more visible when he came to the words ' Our Father, .as feebly articulated by the dying boy. The [ silence was almost painful, while at the conclusion, in contrast to this, round after round of applause greeted the speak-r. His imitation of svladami: Axxa Bishop was a wonderful bit of vocalization—his falsetto ."voice is . really astonishing. 1 '

We are pleased to learn that the man M 'Bride, whoso arm was amputated in the Hospital a fortnight since, has so;far recovered as to be able to sit up, and is ex : pect'.-d to be allowed out in the garden on Sunday.

The monthly competition of the Rifle Association, postponed in consequence of the unfavourable weather, will be commenced to-morrow morning.

Special Thanksgiving Services will be held morning and evening at St. Luke s Church on Sunday next, in connection with the harvest.

We arc requested to inform pewholdors, and those desiring to procure sittings in St. Luke's Church, that the sittings will be re-let this evening at the Church, from 7.30 to f.-'W. ~