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Otago Daily Times, Issue 185, 19 June 1862, Page 4

We are compelled, swing to the great pressure upon our space, to hold over the lettess from our Nelson and Canterbury correspondents until tomorrow. Early yesterday morning, a numerous 'and influential deputation waited upon his Honor the Superintendent, to represent to him the objectionable features of the Building Act. Amongst the number we noticed Messrs. J. Jones, Driver, Tickle, Cleve, Casper, Cole, Barker, and others. The deputation expressed its views on the subject at length. It appeared the several gentlemen composing it were not altogether as one as to the best course to pursue, but they united in objecting to the Ordinance. His Honor listened patiently to the arguments employed, and promised to bring them before the Executive. At the subsequent sitting of the Council the Ordinance was withdrawn, at the instigation of the Government. We observe by the passenger list of the Lord Worstey, that Captain Vine Hall, the general manager of the Inter Colonial Royal Mail Steam Company has arrived at Dnnedin from the North. Captain Hall has been visiting the various ports in New Zealand, in order to regulate the fresh arrangements in connection with the Inter Colonial Company's steamers, rendered necessary by the recent alterations in the Mail Service of the Colony. The Concert to night at the Theatre Royal, Commercial Hotel, is for .the benefit of Madame Vitelli, and it is announced that this is the last week of Thatcher's Concerts. We have no doubt that the public will reward Madame Vitelli with a crowded- house.

In consequence of the'recent great advance in the wholesale price of tobacco, a meeting of the retail dealers in that article was held last night at the Shamrock Hotel, for the purpose of fixing the price. An advance scale of prices was decided on, particulars of which will be seen in our commercial column.

■■ The new steam boat the Betsy Douglas, which was launched the other day at Pelichet Bay, left her moorings yesterday morning for the purpose of receiving her engine and machinery, winch she succeeded in doing * without any delay or mishap, and she was safely moored alongside the jetty by 12 o'clock at noon.

The public safety is greatly jeopardised by the careless manner in which draymen load their carts with planking. The timber is laid upon the drays slant-wise, or, in other words, at an angle of about forty-five degrees from the horizontal. The consequence is, that each plank has an inconvenient projection over the head-boards of the cart which contains it ;■ and, when a pedestrian encounters one of these nuisances in a narrow thoroughfare, he has to leap suddenly out of the dangerous proximity of timber. The protuberant and angular handle-point of a butcher's tray sometimes endangers' the eyes of foot-passen-gers on a pavement, and has Ipngbeen considered a crying grievance, but to be imperilled by a careless stacking of plank-boards is a far more serious and flagrant evil.

"We are informed that by the last mail the RevD. M. Stuart has received n-eommunication from Professor Miller of the Edinburgh Unirersity, in which the Professor announces that he has engaged a gentleman to come to Qtago to take the position of agent to the Total Abstinence Society. In making the selection, Professor Miller was assisted by the President of the Scottish Total Abstinence League, ana the Eev. Mr. Aurcott, of Glasgow. Professor Miller speaks in the highest terms of, the person engaged, Mr. John W. lago.and says that he has every requisite qualification for the office.'. He was to start for Qtago about the end of April.

"We regret to learn from the letter of our Wellington correspondent, that Mr. Baker who was for some time connected with the' Native Mission at Otago Heads, was on board the Pole Star, which is supposed to have been lost pn her pas-

sage from Napier to Auckland. Mr. Baker had recently been appointed .Resident Magistrate in one of the Native districts, and was on his way to assume his office.

Our Gold fields' correspondent sends us an account of a violent gale, which has made sad havoc among the frail buildings which abound on the diggings.

At the Princess Theatre last night, the Corsienn Brothers was again played with the same success that attended the previous representations. It was followed by the Rough Diamond, in which Miss St. Clair made a decided hit, as Margery the frank rough country hoyden. As Cousin Joe, Mr. Tom Fawcett was capitally " got up for the part. The scene where Joe tells Margery all the news of the village, was especially rich.

A case occurred a few d :ys ago, in which a prisoner, apprehended under a warrant from Victoria, was discharged, on account of the Resident Magistrate not possessing the legal power to endorse the warrant. In reference to this subject, his Worship stated yesterday, that he had carefully analysed the Act 6 and 7th Vie, chap. 34., sec. 2, and he was of opinion that the power to back warrants from other colonies, might be legally exercised by the tgiief Justice, or any other Judge of her Majesty's Supreme Court of Law. Mr. Solicitor Ward, remarked that this applied only to a certain programme of offences, and that the only way to meet the present difficulty would be by an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand.

We lately drew attention to the frequent instances of obvious perjury, which are of almost daily occurrence in the Resident Magistrates CourS. This evil has assumed so serious a character, as at last to elict from his Worship, a determination to make an example of the offenders. Yesterday Mr. South drew the attention of the Bench to the growing frequency and flagrancy of direct perjury, with which the Court was continually being scandalized, and that it was absolutely necessary that steps should be taken to put a stop to the evil.

Great necessity exists for extending the jurisdiction of the Resident Magistrate's Court in dealing with actions for debt. In some cases lately, claimants have, in order to obtain more summary judgment, submitted to the alternative of reducing the amount of their demands, rather than incur the delay and inconvenience of instituting proceedings iv the Supreme Court. .