TOKOMAIRIRO,

Otago Daily Times, Issue 768, 3 June 1864, Page 6

TOKOMAIRIRO,

(from our own correspondent.)

The induction of the Bevd. Mr Allen to the ministerial charge of Waihola took place on Thursday last. After the usual religious services (ia which the Sevds. Messrs Todd, Kirkland &c, officiated) the members of the Presbytery and a number of jother gentlemen dined together at the Lake Hotel. In the evening there was a soiree. Mr Molliaon's large Barn at Waihola Park had been selected as the scene of operation, and it was,, most; tastefully decorated with ferns and erei-greens, : The tables were supplied by the ladies of the congregation, and it 13 scarcely necessary to say'that an abundance of good things wa?.pro»ided., . About two hundred people were pre?snt, includ'uj£i of course, a fair proportion of ladies and children. The Bevd. Mr Todd, of Tokoniairiroi (Chairman of the Commission of Presbytery) -presided, and the tables once cleared; opened the proceedings with an appropriate speech. 'He was tollowed by the Hevd. Mr Meiklejohn. 'Mr ~E. T. Gillon, Revd. Mr M-'Naughton, Eevd/Mr Bannerman. Mr Allen, the'newly inducted pastor, and Mr 1). M'Master. During the evening several pieces of music were well rendered by the-choir, and the proceedings terminated with-the usual votes of thanks to the •varionß parties who ' had exerted themselves to forward the enjoyment of the evening. As a ■whole; I am inclined to thing that this soiree was one of the - best arranged and most successful I have-ever been present at; In my If-st letter I alluded to the dissatisfaction* occasioned her© by the education Tate of sixpence in the pound. On Saturday night Jast, a meeting of ratepayers was held in the White Horse Hotel.for the purpose of considering the question. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather the meeting was one of the most numerously attended that I have ever seen in this district, and many of those present-had come from a considerable distance. Thomas Muir, E-:q., was voted tothe chair; and alter a number of gentlemen had; expressed their opinion of the tax and inten-tention-To oppose it, the following resolutions were;'!passedi Proposed by Mr H. Clark, and •econded by Mr E. MartiD :—" That this meeting unanimously protest* against the principle of thfr;Educationa'i Assessment, and considering that the school in this district should be self-support-ing^ re"»ol-ves to oppose the rate in every legitimate'manner."

•^Proposed by Mr Treweek, seconded by Mr Robert Margrie-:—" That a committee be appointed lfor the1 purpose of taking a Solicitor's opinion as to the best means of opposing the rate; Committee 'fdjTPporf. result to a public meeting." • llessrs/Clark;1 - Treweelr, B. Martin, and T.-MuhV were appointed as a committee; and tke cmeetHi£: adjourned, after a hearty vote of thanks to the Chairman.

Oh -Tuesday evening, the meeting of the School Committee »was held, to receive and hear objections to tberate. • About seventy ratepayers were present, and almost all of them were objectors. Not content with, ratin r the Jand, the Committee have rated the dwelling-houses andfarm-buildings', lalthough the latter are expressly ex?mpted by the Ordinance. The notices of--assessment-are up in this way : " Buildings and so many acces of land," annual value, LIOO,-rate, L 2 lOs, as the case may be. The particulars of the amount of cultivated or uncukiyateJ land is-not stated, nor is the rateable value of the buildings given. This can only be ascertained-by a gupss, grounded on the rates fixed-by the 'Ordinance for the land On Tuesday f «vening;many parties asked whjifc their buildings were valued at; and in nnre than one instance the Committee refused to give the information.' T tie Committee refused to hear any objections, save on the score of excessive valuation, aud in iheir minuteI'book being a'-ked for in order'tbat the ratepayers might satisfy themelves as to the Committee having complied with the requirements of the Ordinance, it was stated that the: book was not there, and the Secretary -point blank refused to show it at all. Indeed, the whole assessment has been gone about in such a blundering way, that I have little doubt the ■•ratepayers will manage to carry it into the Supreme Court by certcrari and qua=h it. Many of'the ratepayers are resolved to let iheir goods be sod by distress, rather than pay the rate,, and almost all of them would be willing to pay- the amount at which they are assessed in order to upset the rate.

•Later on Tuesday evening a public meeting was held, at which the1 letter addressed to Mr Jam?s Smith, Solicitor, was read. Tbemreting approved of the'action taken by the Committee appointed on Saturday ,-aiid then adjourned to Wednesday, Bth-proximo,/by-which time it was anticipated that I;Mr-Smith's opinion would be received. I Eeve>f aw the people of Tokomairiro so indignant about any Citing, as they are about this affair. They''are-fully determined to carry their opposition as far as possible. The Market Company is getting on. A terse number of- stftrres have been disposed of, a- d a meeting of the shareholders will probably be held In a few days. -;