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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1167, 13 January 1880, Page 2

During the cross - examination of Eliza Dale, the prosecutrix iu an assault case beard at the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day, Mr. O'Meagher had considerable difficulty in ge#ing an answer. Mrs. Dale

with some force said that she had come there to speak to his Worship and the Inspector of Police, and she was not going to be " ransacked" by Mr. O'Meaglier. In vain did O'Meagher use all his persuasive powers, for the witness remained imperturbable. His Worship at last came to the rescue, informing the witness that he would have to commit her for contempt of Court if she would not answer the questions. This declaration that she would obtain practical experience of the powers of the law and the discoipforts of imprisonment had the desired effect; and the case proceeded.

f A meeting of the Committee of the North Otago Coursing Club was held immediately after the annual meeting of members to-day. There were present —Messrs. Otterson (in the chair), Connell, Duncan, Liritott, Thomson, and Ronayne (Hon. Sec.) The following new members Were elected : —Messrs. M. Sherwin (Waimate),. J. Oliver (Totara),. C. Dodge, J. Williams, j. Webster (Balruddery), and A. Gillespie. Several accounts were passed.for payment, and it was. decided that "the usual monthly meetings should be held at half-past three o'clock on the second Tuesday in each month. To-morrow will be offered for sale at the Oamaru Court-house a number of Government sections in the Deborah township and in the Kurow district. The sale will be held at half-past one o'clock. The usual monthly meeting of the Waitaki Road Board was held to-day, when there were present —Messrs. Connell (chairman), Borrie, Hall, Johnston, Pr6cter, Denniston, Smillie, and Oliver (engineer). The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed, and the outward correspondence read and approved. A letter was read from the Clerk to the Waimate County Council, asking for a return of expenditure from December, 1575. It was resolved that the information be not supplied. The following tenders were accepted :—Contract, No. 79, Heron and M'Dowell. LIS 14s : No. 80, Thomas Wright, L2O os. The engineer was instructed to report on road-line between blocks 4 and 5, Papakaio. Accounts amounting to L 270 12s were passed for payment, and the Board rose. A special meeting of the Ngapara 1.0. G.T. Lodge will be held on Friday next, the 16th instant, at the usual time .and place. All members are requested to attend. The Committee of the Oamaru Jockey Club met at the Empire Hotel last evening, when there were J. -W. Humphrey (President, in the chair), Hardy, M'Corkindale, M. Grant, Moss, Paterson, Shalders, and F. W. O. Grant (Secretary pro tern.) The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, and the Treasurer (Mr. Moss) read the balance-sheet, which showed the Club to have a surplus, after a few trifling accounts came to hand, of nearly L6O. Considerable discussion took place as to what should be done with the surplus, and it was eventually decided to call a general meeting of the Club to discuss the matter, the meeting to be held next Monday, at which will also be considered the advisableness of holding a race meeting in March next. Accounts amounting to L 62 7s Id were passed for payment, and some other business in connection with the general meeting having been transacted, the meeting terminated with the usual vote of thanks to the chair. The Waimate Times says " Couldn't something be done towards inducing Mr. Oliver to call at Waimate on his way north ? There are two or three public matters in connection with which it might be desirable to have an interview." This reminds us that apparently no steps have yet been taken by Oamaru to impress the Minister for Public Works -with the necessity for immediately attending to the several public Works, the carrying out of which has now become an absolute necessity. Mr. Oliver will for a certainty feel it incumbent upon him to see that these necessary works are at once proceeded with, their urgency beingindisputable, especially when compared with some other public works being prosecuted in the North of the Colony. The Mayor might, we think, with -wisdom call a public meeting to discuss the matter, and strengthen the hands of the deputation that will wait upon Mr. Oliver on his arrival here. If the citizens permit this opportunity to slip, they may not have another anything like so favorable for obtaining what they require and have required for years. A writer in the Sydney Morning Herald thus exposes a phase of political immortality that obtains in New South Wales. In writing concex'iiing the East Sydney election he says:—"A gentleman of my acquaintance who was a member of Mr. Tooth's Committee tells me he went up to record his vote about mid-day. When leaving the polling booth he saw an equllv active canvassing agent on Air. Tooth's side, and asked him how things were going. 'Fine,' was the reply, '1 have brought up and polled no less that 15 dead-uns already." Before he had gone 50 yards he met an equally active supporter of Dr. Kenwick, of whom he inquired —in jest, of course—' Well, have you polled any dead-nns ?' 'Hush,' was the reply, 'I polled 22 dead-uns and two men who have left the Colony, and all before 11 o'clock. The other side won't beat that in a hurry ; will they?' " We have been taught by certain Victorian journals that such rascality as this would be impossible, except under the Berry administration. We submit to our contemporaries, the Timara Herald and Press, that the above-quoted paragraph exposes a state of things even worse than that which drew forth their denunciations of the Grey administration ; and yet they.endeavoured to persuade us that that administration wa3 the mosfc injpure that had ever occupied the chief benches in any Parliament,