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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1116, 15 November 1879, Page 2

The inquisitorial proceeding indulged in by the Covetiiiucnt. at the instigation of unprincipled members of Parliament, in calling upon the Commissioner of Telegraphs to produce the telegrams that were transmitted by the members of tho late Government during the elections, is not going to be jK-nnitted to end with the gratification of the curiosity of a feu" bitter opponents. Tin: agitators f.>r t?:<- r.,-nof this unprecedented proc'"c<tiirr huvi;iiKt oidvutterly failed in establishtii'.' that the wiref had be-ii t!ie b-j:icfifc of the late Ministry at siiv ptt>>l:o <-.\peiistt, but they have been the meatts of making public the contents of private telegrams, a tiling that, it is admitted on all hands, should not be quietly parsed over. 2lr, Maeandrew lias, therefore, taken the matter up, and a Committee lias i■_"!i <': tied by Parliament to institute a thorough investigation. Mr. Shcehan. too, has instructed his solicitor to proceed against the parties concerned in producing the copies of the telegrams sent by liini, one of them having been paid for by himself. \\ lien Mr. .Shcehan announced his intention in the House, attempts were made by tho Government and its supporters to induce him to leave the enqniry nnd decision to the Committee, in which, wc observe, there are four supporters of the Government. But this course is scarcely likely to be adopted, especially as Mr. Speight was 111 a position to state that he had documentary evidence that the whole of the telegrams in question had been paid for by the senders. It is encouraging to hear that 110 less a sum than LIOO,OOO of foreign capital has been invested in the Tiniaru district during the past three months. This bodes good for the Eskbank sale, which is announced to take place shortly. Messrs. Milleraud Smillie, the Breakwater contractors, commenced their sixth section, of the Breakwater yesterday. As each section is 1"> feet in length, they have completed 7"> feet since they undertook the work. When it seemed probable that females who possessed property to the value of 1/25 would be enfranchised by the House of Representatives, wc expressed an opinion that the Upper House would not allow such a principle to pass in the Qualification of Electors Bill. The Lords have, however, been saved any trouble ia regard to this matter, as the House of Representatives has decided by a majority of four votes, partjes being well defined, to eliminate the clause in question. \\ e are not ungallant, but we cannot see why females should be dragged so prominently into the turpioil of political life. Sorely they have now as njueh as they can

do to attend to the duties which devolve upon them as the mainsprings of domestic life and felicity. Those farms offered but unsold r at the late auction sale of the Seadown Estate have, -with the exception of three, been sold privately at an advance on the rates realised at the auction sale of about L2 per acre.

We learn from the Waimate Times that the Waimate Cricket Club will meet this evening at the Royal Hotel, Waimate, to arrange programme for the season, &c. We think that it is the intention of this club to try conclusions with Oamaru and Timaru at early dates.

So it seems that the old North Otago Turf Club is defunct, and a new one has arisen, Phcenix-like, from its ashes. This is satisfactory to the lovers of sport, but it will scarcely be pleasing to the creditors of the old Club, who will naturally ask how they are to be paid. As the new Club will reap the benefit of the large sums expended on the course by the old Club, it is only reasonable to suppose that the Jockey Club just formed will use every means to pay off the liabilities of the defunct Club. At the meeting last night, Mr. Ronayne suggested that if there was any surplus remaining after the first meeting of the new Club it should be put aside to defray pro rata the debts owing by the defunct Xorth Otago Turf Club. This suggestion met with favor from those present, and it is to be hoped that, for the credit of the sport, and those connected with it, it will be acted upon. On Wednesday afternoon about 100 girls, and nearly the same number of boys, met at the North School for the purpose of following the remains of their late beloved schoolmates Hannah and John Woodcock. The girls, accompanied by the lady teachers, proceeded to the cemetery, and there waited the arrival of the funeral train. The boys went to the deceased's late residence, and joined the procossion. Scarcely a boy went without a badge of mourning on his sleeve, and at the graves the girls who were Hannah's chief playmates placed a beautiful wreath of daisies and lillics on each coffin, showing thereby how much their late schoolmates were beloved and respected by them. Mr. George Freeman and Mr. Mathew Sherwin, accompanied by several other Waimate townsmen, turned out a large number of young salmon at the Waiho Forks a few days ago. Of course, the occasion was a merry one—for who could resist merriment in such company. Mr. Freeman—an old devotee of the rod, tackle, and fly—was director, prime custodian, and wit, and after having satisfactorily performed the operation of liberating the contents of the cans in tiie beautiful and suitable stream chosen for their new home, addressing the little wrigglers, he delivered himself of the following Demosthejiejm toast : —"Ye pets of Izaak Walton, increase and multiply, and fill each river and stream." We need hardly say that this neat sentence, containing so much sontiineut, was loudly applauded by the onlookers,

Notwithstanding the unpleasantness of the weather there was a very good attendance at the New Tees-street Hall last evening, when Mr. Alfred Brunton delivered the first of a course of lectures on the Great Pyramid. The Rev. A. B. Todd occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the lecturer, who stated that he intended that evening only to deal with the historical and descriptive portions of the subject. On Monday and Tuesday evenings he 'would refer to the more abstruse questions the purpose of the great building and it connection with Christianity. The lecturer then in plain and comprehensive language proceeded to give a graphic description of the pyramid, rendering his remarks the more intelligible by the aid of unmerous models and drawings. The exterior and interior of the building, the methods employed in its construction, and almost everything connected with the great work, were carefully described at considerable length. The lecture, though extending over nearly two hours, was listened to with an amount of attention that clearly showed that the audience were more than interested.

The monthly inspection parade of the headquarters companies of Iso. 3 Battalion Volunteers took place last evening. Captain Sunipter being in command and making the inspection. There was a vr ? ry good turn-out of the Artillery and No. 1 Company, but the muster of Citizens' Cadets was small. After the inspection was completed, a short marchout took place, but it had to be curtailed owing to the rain, and a speedy return was made to the Volunteer Hall. Here the battalion was formed into a hollow square, and Captain Sumpter read a letter from Major •Steward, notifying Lis resignation. The parade was shortly afterwards dismissed. At the conclusion of the parade a meeting of Xo. 1 Company was held, and eight new members elected. Several candidates were rejected, as they were not up to the standard height. About twenty gentlemen attended the meeting held at the Empire Hotel last evening for the purpose of taking steps to ensure the holding of the annual race- | meeting. Mr, T. Y. Duncan occupied the chair. After some discussion it was I unanimously resolved that a new Club, to be called the Oamaru -Jockey Club, should be formed, and all present were enrolled as members. The membership fee was fixed at one guinea per annum. Mr. F. W. O. Grant was elected Hon. Secretary pro (em. After some conversation upon various matters, it was resolved to adjourn the meeting until Tuesday next, in order to give those who intend joining the Club an opportunity of attending, A meeting of the Oamaru Schools Committee was held last evening at the Secretary's office. There were present—Mr. N. Fleming (Chairman), Dr. Garland, Messrs. Montagu, Herdman, Hay, and Hardy (Secretary). The minutes of the previous meeting having been confirmed, the Rector of the High School reported that Mr. Hutton, the drawing-master, had arranged to attend classes at that school. The Midsummer vacation was fixed to commence on the 13th December. The Committee Confirmed the appointment of Mr. Edward Phillips as a substitute for Mr. Fidler during his absence at Christcliurcli. A report from the Building Committee having been read, it was resolved, on the motion of Dr. Garland, seconded by Mr. Montagu, "That in consideration of the fact that the school buildings at the High and North Schools are very valuable, the Committee deem it very desirable that some one should reside on the premises, and would recommend that a janitor's resilience be erected at each place, and that the Education Board be respectfully asked to have the same erected in time for the re-opening of the schools in January next." The meeting then terminated with the customary vote of thanks to the Chairman. The question of Protection v. Free Trade is being discussed in the Dunedin papers with an earnestness worthy of its importance.

"We wish, however, that the advocates of Free Trade had afforded less superficial arguments for the theories which they hold. If the present discussion should end in the advocates of both principles entering upon a full investigation of them as applicable to the Colony, we -are sure that the cause of Protection, such as we advocate, would be strengthened.

Through some mistake, we only received the first exchange copy of the Waimate Times (the new title of the Waitangi Tribune) to-day. We have, therefore, till now been deprived of the pleasure of paying a compliment to the new proprietary, and especially to Mr. W. J. Steward, the editor and manager, for the improvement that he has effected in the literary character of the paper. There was a time when, perhaps, the Tribune was quite lively enough for any community, but it was also scurrilous to a degree, and scarcely such a paper in many other respects as the important district of Waimate requires. Then it fell into a state of somnolence little better than dissolution, to be revived into new life by one than whom there is no more competent journalist in the Colony, so far as we know. The Waimate Times is now, we imagine, a reflex, so far as any one paper can be, of public opinion in the Waimate district, whilst it supplies a compendium, as far as its size admits, of events of any importance throughout the Colony. From the copy now before us we observe that Mr. Steward was able to perform signal service for the Municipal Council, almost as soon as he arrived at his new sphere of labor. In order to comply with the provisions of the "Municipal Corporations Act, 1876," it was necessary that notice of elections should be published in the Waimate Times —for no other paper could be got at in time—Mr, Steward | set to work with his small staff, and accomplished a task that has seldom, if ever, been performed in the Colony under such unfavorable circumstances, for a two-page paper was produced on Tuesday morning and the Council delivered out of its dilemma. If such assiduity does not beget success, it ought to do so.