The Oamaru Mail FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 3 September 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1880.

The annual general meeting of the Oamaru Jockey Club will be held at the Empire Hotel at eight o'clock this evening. It is notified by an advertisement in another column that seats in St. Paul's Church will be let to the present seat-holders,. at the Church, between half-past seven and nine o'clock this evening. The third of the series of lime-light exhibitions will be given at St. James' Hall, Tees-street, this evening, at 8 o'clock. Our readers will be glad to learn tliat the " Wheel of Life" will be repeated. The football match between the second fifteen of the Oamarn Football Club and the Orakanui. College Club will be played on the Old Cricket Ground to-morrow afternoon. The ball will be kicked off at 1 p,m. sharp, and members of the Oamaru team are particularly requested io be punctual.

Lovers of cricket 'will be" glad to learn that the Committee of the Excelsior Cricket Club have succeeded ill collecting L 32 in aid of the new cricket ground. The new ground, pleasantly situated in the Garden Reserve, Severn-street, when completed will be a perfect boon to cricketers, who have long felfc the want of a gronnd in an easily accessible position. The Committee deserve great praise for .tbe energetic manner in which they are working together. During the past 13 months there have been no less than 57 meetings (exclusive of committee meetings) of the Municipal Council, of which his Worship the Mayor at-, tended 46; Councillor Smith, 55; Councillor Mainland, 51; Councillor : Hnmphrey, 50; Councillor Roberts, 49; Councillor Headland, 4S; Councillor Otterson, 48; Councillor Townsend, 47; and Councillor Garland, 36. The reports submitted to the Council.were as follow:—Waterworks Committee, 24; Finance Committee, 26.

We this morning had the pleasure of viewing, in the shop of Mr. Fry, some of the finest beef we have ever seen, even in this part of the Colony. Mr. Fry was fortunate enough to procure a number of animals from Messrs. Snjitb and Dornwell's purchase of Seadown cattle, of which the beef now exhibited is a portion. We are informed that the beeves on view were selected as the smallest from a draught of 50 head,, yet they weighed no less than SJ cwt. But the most satisfactory circumstance is that the appetites of these animals have never been pampered—no turnips, no mangolds—nothing but grass, and pot-luck. Their condition, therefore, speaks volumes for the quality of the pastures on the Seadown Estate. It is nothing less than woflderful that at this time of tha ye»r of such magnificent quality can be tnrneu out without resort to adventitious aid.

A meeting of the committee of the Athenteum and Mechanics' Institute was held at the Institute last evening, Mr. T. Forrester in the chair. After the transaction of some ordinary business, the receipt of a letter and invoice of books from Messrs. Mudie was announced. A copy of St. James' Budget, submitted for. approval by Messrs. Dawson and Sons, was ordered to lie on the table for the inspection of members. The committee received, per favor of Mr. Shrimski, a copy of the New Zealand Justice of Peace and lie Rev. Mr. Gill's work on Maori Traditions. It having been remarked that Mr. Shrimski had attended to the requirements of the Institute in the matter of papers of interest during the session, it was unanimously resolved that a vote of thanks be accorded that gentleman for his constant attention to the requirements of the Institute, and that the Secretary be requested to write thanking him for the books. The chairman stated that he thought the -Building Committee would shortly be in a position to report on proposed building enlargement. The meeting terminated with the übual vote of thanks to the chair.

It is worthy of note .that on.a certain Tuesday morning, when the Estimates were being considered, Parliament-adjourned .at four, and just before adjournment, the Canterbury members being in y fuli force, votes in which they were specially interested went through with extraordinary rapidity.; The same occurred on the following morning.; On these two occasions the only Otago members present were Messrs. de - Lautour,' Shrimski, Finn, and Jones.

A pathetic pun, worthy of Tom Hood,! was made in the House dating the considera- ; tion of the Estimates. The. Hon. the; Colonial Secretary (Mr. Dick), ip defending; the item "Messengers" from Government buildings, almost wept as he dilated on the; necessity for maintaining the staff arid the salaries. His arguments reached a climax when he said, '"The work is considerable,; there being four tiers in the building."; "Yes," said an hon. member, "and a decrease of the means by which these men] keep their families means an increase of tears."

Here is an anecdote for the orthodox : In the House of Representatives on a certain Monday afternoon, the Preroier, -de? siring to transact some businesss on the other side of the Chamber, crossed over and took the seat beside Mr. Gisborne usually occupied by Mr. Macandrew, the leader of the Opposition—if it has any leader. Mr. Macandrew, on entering the House and finding Mr. Hall in his place, "Si'you -have found your way over ; ah •last." The Premier remarked that as he

had found the seat a very good one he would have no objection to remain; to hon. gentlemen sitting near remarket such a change was forbidden in the Era!jnSjf which expressly said "Norin the of the just shall wicked men appear.J! j? "Justice" should refer his the Corporation. We* feel disinclined, to open up a discussion on such a matter in our

The other - day the police" authorities for- ] warded samples of brandy procured ' fioin. j allthe'lJotelieepers in^Oamara-to professor. Black, the Governmentanajyst.g.The £e?ult is that information'has been'"" recfeivea thaJt 'there was not a single sound sample ' amongst the lot. As the intention of the police, in taking this action, was to bring to book any liquor vendor found .guilty of diluting or doctoring their ; wares, summonses will be issued and cases heard on Monday week at the Resident Magistrate's Court. - The fTimaru Telegraph gives the following:—" On dit that Sir George Grey has purchased an interest in our morning contemporary, the Timaru Herald. "We are not in a poeition to vouch for the truth of this, though we shall be glad to hear the rumor confirmed. More unlikely things have hap r pened." We would add to this that, if it is desired to secure perfect commercial success,, no change could be more favorable to the .promotion of such a result, Mr, Wakefield has now severed all connection with tlje Herald, and, although he has proved himself one of the most brilliant journalistic writers in the Colony, yet he did not promulgate views that met with the approval of the people, eyeji of the peculiarly Conservative district through which the Herald circulates. Rurrjor after rupi.or has been set afoot that another morning paper, represenr tative of the popular cause, was on the eve of' establishment. None of these have ripened into anything tangible, because the process of obtaining a footing would be a too expensive one at this stage in the history of Timaru. But the day will come when the . dissatisfaction of the peoplo of Timaru, backed up by capital, will assume a i shape that will not be conducive to the advantage of the Herald. Should this occur, onty those who agree with itp one-sidedness —its chronic political obliquity—will feel the least regret, -and their regret will be bom of selfishness rather than commiseration for the proprietor. ' : -i '■ The Native ownersof.the Otamakapua Block are to be paid some Lso,ooo,ina few day?, Dr. Buller will of course be present. The place of payment is at the'bouse'of the chief Renata, The area.of the.Otamakapua Block is 101,521 acres, and the price at IDs per ; acre will be £52,260 —-a tidy-little sum for the Native owners to receive.—Feilding Guardian.

That the pessimist views of those who profesg to have the welfare of New Zealand at heart are not fully shared by our capitalists is demonstrated by the fact that the last New Zealand loan—a very small one it must be admitted —was considerably more than covered. The Borough of Timaru asked for L 60,000, and when the tenders were opened at the Bank of New-Zealand on 'June 21 it was found that the amount' applied for exceeded L 59,000, from £lO2, the minimum,: up to LlO5. The largest tenders were—One for L 11,500 at LlO2 os, two for LIO.OOO each at 1,102, and for L7ooo"at LlO2 0s 6d. Tenders above LlO2 0s 6d will receive allotments in full, and at LlO2 about'l6 per cent, of*the amount applied for. 'We are' glad --to note that Sir Julius Yogcl has not allowed to pass unchallenged the exaggerated 'statements which have appeared in the public Press on this side regarding the depression in New Zealand. Small capitalists at Home have been warned not to go out to a Colony ".where the cost of the bare necessaries of life are most exorbitant," but, as we pointed out tbe other day, and as Sir Julius states now, the Colony has never offered a better chance to such perons.—European Mail. . The " Anglo-New Zealander " in the New Zealand Herald, writing from London, concludes one of his readable letters as follows: I ought, perhaps,'to add that the difference between the present and the last House, in reference to the beer question, was strikingly illustrated this week. Of course everybody knows that .the. great brewers were driven out almost to a man at the last election; but everybody did not know, until the division showed it, that there has been almost a revolution in the constitution of the House upon temperance legislation. In March last Sir • Wiifred Lawson's resolution was rejected by a .majority of 114 ; last Friday it-was carried by a majority of 26. The matter of local option is now before the Court as a practical measure to be faced and settled, when Englishmen have decided how they will bury their dead. Perhaps local option should have come first; for many people* tKink thatf'tKere 1 will" be fewer dead to . bury en Ihere is less drinking.

' 'The -Wellington correspondent of rthe Ot'ago Daily Times wires the following : | A question under consideration at the Cabinet to-day was. the. form of the new schedule under the Property Asses? ment Amendment- Act/ The -form- ulti* mately adopted is almost' exactly the same as that in the_schedule to the Amendment Act, but differs in keeping the returns for freehold aiid leasehold property separate, and in omitting the exemption of personal effects. The practical result, however,, is.ithafr ,onljr thjßr ?net taxable .value of property liable to the property tax is to be returned, any details.or inquisitprial particulars. " The.new-fonns "are expected to be issued on Saturday or Monday next, and are returnable onp3oth-, instant, I hear that 7000 acres "of "the "Watmate Plains will be open for sale on 25th.. October,-this .being a preliminary saleof'|the bloikj Op'eAhird of the total area be forsdle on deferred payments extending'. years, at L 5 per acre, the f<ir' cash at'L4. Village settlements, are,also being laid out,, regarding which I - expect'to be able'to iend : farther particulars to-morrow. Here is a Latin problem for the boys of Mr. Fidler's class :

"Is ab ille, eris ago; Fortibus es in aro, No ! Nobile Themis trux. Vatis enim?—Pes an dux."