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Oamaru Mail, Volume IX, Issue 2840, 2 March 1885, Page 2

The public, and especially the constituents of the Union Bank, -will feel some, interest in the information that Mr Joseph Palmer, the inspector of that institution, will shortly proceed to London, to interview its directors. We hope that the trip will improve,the health of the institution, as well as that of Mr Palmer, and that, when Mr Palmar has fulfilled the object of his mission—that of interviewing the directors —he will «eek much-needed relaxation in London, on the Continent, or In Asia. Mr Palmer has for many years been called npon to quench enterprise on the- part of the' Bank's customers, and the success which has attended his efforts in this direction calls for neither commendation nor demonstration. It is, we are mre, the fervent desire of the Bank's customers that. Mr Palmer should never undertake the risks acd. discomfort •of another sea voyage to this colony, and that he will be able to find in some - far off clime some occupation more congenial to his nature than that which he has followed whilst in the employ of the Bank. Wherever Mr Palmer may be, he may rest assured that he never be forgotten by the constituents of the Union Bank.* They can never - erase from their minds a remembrance of the marvellous scrupulousness with which he kept his pledges, and the consideration which he showed towards those whe had a, right to demand the exercise of such an attribute. I The bare thought ef these things will suffice not a few of the Bank's constituents so long as their connection with time shall last. Mr Edward Moore, who is at present manager for the Bank in Dunedin, will take Mr Palmer's place in Christchnrch ; vlr Lees, of Hobart, will take Mr Meore's place in Dunedin, and Mr Brown will be stationed either in Wellington or Oamarn.

We have been favored with a perusal of a copy of De Beer and Co.'a monthly shipping and freight report for February, issued .at Melbourne. From this we learn that the shipping business in the metropolis of Victoria is in a very stagnant condition, and that there are an exceedingly large number of vessels in Port Philip waiting, like Micawber, for something to turn up, there being no less than 42 vessels of all' classes whose futnre destinations are uncertain. Prom the circular we learn that the rates of freight from Melbourne to-London are as follows Wool, id to §d per lb for greasy and aooured respectively; skins, fd and -Jd per lb; wheat and flour, 22s 6d per ton. Sailing

Teasels : Wool, fd and Jd per lb for greasy and scoured respectively; skins, 60s per ton; tallow, 355; wheat and flour, 20s to 2256 d,

On Saturday the Qamaru Criokot Club played > match between teams composed of members oyer and under 22 years of age. The yoanger players, who played eleven strong against their oponenta nine, had all the best: .of the game, and scored 61 against 36 on the other side. Towards this result O. Borton contributed 22 and D. Hewat 19. Of these over 22 years of age T. Hewat was the highest scorer with nine, the bowling of W. Grehfell and O. Borton being particularly effective. The Railway Department notify that Saturday return tickets, available for return on the day of issue only, will be issued at Dunedin, (Jatnaru, and intermediate stations on the day of the I almerston races—Friday next.

We have before us a copy of the Welling- < ton Landed Property Guide, just published < by T. Kennedy Macdonald and Co., whxh i we recommend to the attention of buyers and sellers of property. The publication gives in a concise and well arranged form i details of properties for sale by the firm, ■ with useful information and statistics of the districts in which they arc situated, and also ' contains records of the sales of landed estate throughout the colony each month. It will thus be seen how valuable it will become as a permanent record of the value of property throughout the colony. At the Resident Magistrate's Court today, before S. E. Shritnaki and Henry Aitken, Esqs., J.F's., Allen Boreham was fined 10s for allowing cattle to wander at large on the Duntroon road. Kobert Edwards, of Papakaio, George Watson, and David Weir, both of Weston, were charged respectively with a similar offence, and a hue of 5s was imposed in each case. The Southland News says :—Captain Edie, who was recently appointed Harbormaster at the Bluff, has declined to accept the position, and a meeting of the Board will be held on Friday to.consider what steps should be taken consequent on his refusal. It is understood that the Union Company have held out additional inducements to Captain Edie to remain in their service. . The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court at Oamaru will commence on Wednesday, 11th inst.j before his Honor Mr Justice Williams. His Honor has fixed a sitting of - of tho Compensation Court at Oamaru for the 12th inst. Two claims will come before the Court—Fenwick v. The Waiareka Road Board, and Fenwick v. The Waitakl Road Board. The assessors in both cases are the Hon G. M'Lean and Mr Allan Hedley. In " Tasman's" consultation on the Dunedin Cup the first prize went to Gore, the second to Dunedin, and the third to Queenstown. During the autumn race, meeting of the D.J.C. just concluded the sum of L 38.399 passed through the totalisators in the three days. The amount on Saturday was L 13.307 —a slight advance upon that invested on Cnp Day. The totalisators were Worked in a most satisfactory manner by Messrs Mason and' Roberts, with a staff of assistants chiefly from Oamaru.. The steamship Indus is due at Port Chal- ' mers from Melbourne at daylight to-morrow, i and is expected to leave for Oamsrn on : Friday morning. She is advertised to leave ! here on Saturday for Calcutta, via Sydney and Madras. The Telegraph reports that an aerolite fell on the farm of C. Francois, at Chateau Richer, a short distance from Quebec, at 3 1 a.m. on Saturday, December 13th, 1884. It was dug from the ground, in which it had i .embedded itself, and was found to measure ■ about a foot in diameter. The people were ' so startled by the immense light that many rushed out of their houses to ascertain its cause. They say that the falling meteor presented the appearance of a huge ball of fire which lighted up the whole country side almost with the brilliancy of the noonday sun. A consolation rifle match for non-prize-winners during the past season was fired at the headquarters range this morning, by 16 members of No. 1 Company, for prizeß subscribed by the more fortunate members of the company. Considering .that all the competitors are young shots, some good scoring was made, especially by Privates Fraser and M'Keeman, who each made .35. The prizes were won by the following:—Private Fraser, 35,15t; Private M'Keeman, 35, 2nd: Private Maynard, 32; 3rd; Private Austin, 31, 4th. . French politics (says the Argus) have provided a surprise. General Campenon, tho Minister of War in M. Ferry's Cabinet, has finally resigned. His successor is General Lewal. The ex-Minister has explained that he was against the views held in the Cabinet as to the necessity of sending out large reinforcements to make an end.of tbe hostilities with China. He charges M. Ferry with entertaining far-reaching plans involving an expedition to Pekin, and the permanent retention of Formosa. But his main point is that the dispatch of the necessary reinforcements will infringe upon the mobilisation schemes of the territorial army, and give pause to that steady improvement which was encouraged, so as to prepare the army for the "revenge " when it should be possible. M. Ferry, he says, is_ placing France_-at the mercy of Prince Bismarck, who wishes to embroil her with England whilst dissipating her military strength in distant enterprises. It would be interesting to know how General Campenon's observations, exhibiting the Franco-German entente in such strange guise, were received by the German Chancellor. Explanations have no doubt been offered, to the Prince. M. Ferry is now in a position to work his vt ay in regard to hiß Eastern tronbles, and already we jiear of the dispatch Of a force of 12,000 men to Tonquin and Formosa. Quite recently General de l'lsle encountered a strong Chinese force near Chu and gave battle. According to the French report, which admits a considerable loss on its own side, the Chinese were almost annihilated.