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Otago Daily Times, Issue 3254, 11 July 1872, Page 2

A meeting of the electors of South Ward will be:< held at the Provincial Hotel, this evening at 8. Mr Barnes will addreSß the electors of Leith Ward at Krail's Caledonia Hotel, this evening at 8 The attention of Volunteers is directed to a General Order which appears in our advertising columns to-day.

The monthly meeting of the Otago Kilwinning Lodge,' No. 417, S.C., will take place this evening at 8. A meeting of the Society for Investigating Spiritualism will be held in the lower hall of the Athenaeum, this evening at 7.30.

The quarterly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce will be held at the City Council Chambers at 3 o'clock this afternoon.

" How She Loves Him," and the " Cr«u turcs of Impulse," were repeated at the Priucess Theatre last evening.

We notice that Mm Robert Glover (Miss Jessie Raymond) will take a benefit at the Masonic Hall to-morrow evening. The proceedings, which are of a diversified and attractive character, will be under the patronage of the Caledonian Society. We hope this deserving and painstaking actress Will be rewarded with a crowded house.

Colonial preserved meat has to contend in Britain -with, many prejudices- and much ignorance, but the most extraordinary illustration of this fact that we have seen is contained in the following paragraph,, which we take from the Liverpool Mexewry:—" At

the last meeting of the Holywell Board of Guardians, the master of the workhouse repotted that the Australian beef had been tried, and that a considerable prejudice existed against it among some of the inmates who believed it'wis not beef at all, but the remains of the men killed in the French and Gorman' war—(laughter) —but two-thirds of the inmates liked it after trial, and it wan a saving-of 35 per cent, on English beef. It was resolved to continue the partial use of the beef." On. reading this, one does not know whether to be more astonished at the existence of such an idea, or at the ghoullike appetites of the inmates of the workhouse, as shown by their eating meat which they believed to be human flesh.

Under the heading of '* Emigration from Shetland," the Scotsman of May 4th has the following interesting item :—"An agent of the St John's and. liivcr dv Loup itaiL way has arrived at Lerwick to engage labourers and tradesmen for this railway, abont to be constructed. The company propose to pay all travelling expenses from Shetland to America of the men who may engage to go. The Provincial Government of Otago contemplate establishing a fishing settlement in StewarVs Island, New Zealand, and they offer special advantages to Orkney and Shetland fishermen who may wish to emigrate thither. It is stated that the sea around that coast abounds in fish, and that good markets can. easily be found for any quantity of cared or fresh fish."

\ The Sandwich Islands are famous for the high figure charged for licenses for publichouses, but in the matter of opium selling the license is excessive. The Pacific Commercial Advertiser, published at Honolulu, in its isßue]of June Ist, says : —" The license sold yesterday brought the sum of twentyone thousand dollars, and was bought by a firm of Chinese merchants. The profits of the business must of course be immense, and it is increasing every day. The natives, in an illicit way of course, are getting to be great opium smokers, paying to the Chinese who are allowed to buy the drag, so much for a smoke."

In the latest chapter of ''Round New Zealand," which appears in the Argus, the writer, who ia said t<> be Mr James Smith, of Melbourne, after' describing some of our local institutions, sums up bis opinion regarding Otago in the. following words ; — " The general condition both of the city and Province appears to be one of solid prosperity, aud steady but not rapid progress ; and the fact that the imports and exports of Otago are double per head of the population what they are in Victoria, speaks volumes for the productive resources and consuming power of that portion of New Zealand. Whether those resources will stand the strain which they will have to undergo when the Treasurer of the Colony has exercised the whole of the borrowing powers conferred upon him by the General Assembly remains to be seen. I hope they will, bat fear they will not."

The Wellington Independent says : — " There can be no doubt that the gr^sat ignorance prevailing in England regarding the goldfields of this Colony is mainly due to the dearth of information supplied by the Government. So long ago as 1869, Mr Harrison, one;of the Westland members, drew the attention of the House of Representatives to the necessity for detailed statistics being supplied to Parliament and forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, but up to the present tune no sufficient return to the motion he made upon the subject has been furnished. We are glad, however, to learn that this omission will be fully supplied during the ensuing session, Mr Haughton, the Under-Secretary for the Goldh'elds, having for some time been engaged in collecting information, and compiling an exhaustive report upon the gold raining industsy of the Colony."

We take the following items of mining intelligence from the Dunstan Times:—"The hard winter season appears to have broken up, and with a (low of water in the racea, the miners are again busily at work ; on either bank of the Molyneox from Cromwell to Alexandra, the scene of operations of 150 miners, work is again resumed, and the fruit< of their labour will tend to swell the uext escort returns. The majority of the parties working on tho banks of the Molyncux are engaged in sluicing, however, having as a rule but limited supplies of water, their gains are not large, yet those parties who fortunately have plenty of water are doing remarkably well. In Butchers', Conr«\v's, and Blackman's gullies, and Coal Creek, the miners have a plentiful supply of the liquid element, and a busy scene is witnessed in each place. At Frenchman's Point, Alexandra, the Hit or Miss Company have again got under weigh, and are netting ex" ccllfint returns for their labour. In the neighbourhood of Clyde, the various sluiccrs on the west bank of tho river, also on the right, and the numerous parties on the terraces between the township and the Wai Keri Ken Valley, are all again in full work. The accounts from Drybread, Tinkers, Devonshire, and Blacks are cheering, there being plenty of water, keeping all hands busy."

The inhabitants of Naseby are considering the advisability of .having that township incorporated as a municipality.

A Rifle Association, is about to be formed in the Waikato.

Diphtheria has made its appearance in Blenheim. One child'has died from the disease, and several others are suffering from it.

The Waikato natives now grow nearly all the tobacco they use. Even the Hauhaus cultivate the plant to a large extent.

The coal -pita wear Clyde have both come to grief. Mr Holt's is swamped, there not being water enough to work the pumps ; and the pit at Cooper's Gully has caved in. The inhabitants of Clyde are accordingly obliged to get their coal from Alexandra.

A man named John Scott ha« Ijeeti receive*! into the hospital at Naseby, suffering from froat-bite.

Durbg the mouth of June there 15 days on which rain fell iv Duuixhu, the total rainfall being 3.364 inches, 'and the greatest rainfall in one day .780 inch on the 14th. The mean daily velocity of the wind was 101. miles, the greatest velocity observed for 24 hours being 500 miles on the 2nd. A snow-, storm prevailed from the 11th to the 15th, and sharp frosts from the 11th to the 18th, both inclusive. A beautiful lunar halo was; seen on the 20fch, and a large meteor on the 24th. The highest maximum temperature in the shade registered, was 01 degrees on the, 6th, and the lowest minimum temperature 30 degrees on the 12th, giving au extreme range for the month of 31 degrees. The mean daily range, however, was only 9.0 degrees, and the approximate mean temperature for the month was 42.3 degrees. The barometrical observations uhow the highest atmospheric pressure to have been 30J34 inches on the 3rd, and the lowest 29.092 inches on tho 13th, giving a range for the month of 1.042 inch. The'mean atmospheric pressure during the period in question was 29.564 inches.

The adjourned meeting of the Hand and Heart Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., was held at the Oddfellows' Hall on Tuesday evening. The Auditors' report for the past six months set forth that there was a very large amount of sick pay during that time, namely—£l3s 0s 6d, being equal to 12s per member, and nearly equal to the whole amount of subscriptions payable to the sick fund. This, the report said, were it not that the Lodge had some established sources of revenue, would be a very serious charge, but as a setoff against so large a disbursement, there was £124 9s coming iv as rent, and £87 17s Gd interest on the two funds, making an incidental fund for the past six months of £212 6;B Cd. This was a very satisfactory income for six months on the Lodge's accumulated capital, and it was £22 8s in excess of the increase of the Lodge value for the previous six months, the value of the Lodge having increased in the period before that just expired by the sum of £189 18s Gd. But this showed that the Lodge had, of itself, apart from the revenue derived from the accumulated capital, actuallyretrograded during the session in. the sum of £22 B*. There were 225 members on the books of the Lodge, 213 of whom were financial, and the

total value of the Lodge was £4383 4s, show-; ing about £19 9s 7d per member. Six members, one of whom was an Ifonerary member, had been initiated during the six months.. During the evening, Bro. P. Black, G.P., was presented with a framed certificate. The presentation was made by Dro. Swan, P.G.M., and Bro. Black responded in fitting.terms.

A correspondent, writing from Hyde on. Monday last, says:—" A man named Stewart waa found this morning, lying near his hut on the bank of the Taicri river, frozen to death."

On Monday evening the officers elect of the Loyal Leith. Lodge, A.1.0.0.F., for the ensuing six months, were installed into their respective chairs by R.W.G. Secretary Michie, assisted by W.G. Marshal Neale. The several officers were :—Bro. Russell, as G.P.G.; P.G. Alexander, as N.G.; Bro. Dunshea, as V.G.; Bro. Boyd, as Secretary; and Bro. Bagley as Treasurer. P.G. Shepherd waa appointed Warden, and P.G.Long Conductor.

By a typographical error in our local columns yesterday, it was made to appear that 70 ounces of gold resulted from a crushing of 145 tons of quartz from the Elizabeth claim, Carrick Range, whereas it should have been "47 tons produced 70 ounces of gold."

The postponed football match between the Scots and English of the D.F.C. will be played, weather pei uniting, on Saturday next, on the South Dunedin. Recreation Ground, commencing at 3 p.m.

His Honour the Superintendent, by a proclamation in this week's Provincial Government Gazette, extends to the Municipal Corporation of Port Chalmers the parts of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1807, entitled "Government of Boroughs and Bye-laws," " Loans and Special Rates," "Water Supply," " Markets," and " Miscellaneous."

We understand that the favourite steamer Phoebe will leave Port Chalmers on Saturday, with the greater portion of the Otago members of Assembly. It has been specially arranged that the Phoebe shall stop only a few hours at Lyttelton on Sunday, so thai she will reach Wellington on Monday forenoon, thus giving her passengers a day to get settled in before the Assembly opens. Hon. members will also iv this way be able to reduce to a minimum the loss of time occasioned by the passage to Wellington.

The Hon. Robert Campbell, at the meeting of the Waste Lands Board yesterday afternoon, handed in a communication by which he agreed "to the suspension " of 10,000 acres on hi» runs, and to the opening of the land for sale. Mr Thomson, the chairman, aaid he mizht say, as Chief Surveyor, and not as Chief Commissioner, that the land was only fit for pastoral purposes. He also stated ho would not vote in the matter. On Mr Campbell requesting the Board to take the matter into consideration, Mr Reid remarked, " I presume it may be retolved now to open the land for application." The Chief Commissioner replied, " What shall I minute ? letter received ?" Mr Reid: "And agreed to open the land for sale." Mr Campbell, it appeared, intended to purchase the land, and asked that the matter might be disposed of, as he waa leaving for the North by the Albion on Friday, and would be away for three months. The land was opened for sale, and Mr Reid remarked, "We can receive applications for it today, and: consider them to-morrow." Mr Hughes suggested that the special meeting to consider the application should not be held till Friday, which would allow a day for other applications to be sent in. It was agreed that the meeting be held to-day (Thursday). The Hon. Mr Campbell sent in on application for the purchase of the land a little before four o'clock, and as the application was the only one put in, the land fell to him at 20s per acre, without being put up to auction. The land forms part of runs 17 and 28, and is situate in the Waitaki district, between the boundary of the Marewhenua Hundred and the Otekaike.

In consequence of the existence of the foot-and-mouth disease in Victoria, the Diseased Cattle Act* have been brought into force in. Otago by a proclamation by His Honour the Superintendent, published in yesterday's Provincial Government Gazette. The proclamation declares all the Colonies of Australia, Tasmania, the o£her Provinces {including the County of Westland) of New Zealand, and the Chatham Islands, to be infected districts within the meaning of the Acts. It also declares regulations "for the destruction of diseased cattle, and for the preventing and regulating the removal or fcranaportation of cattle from the said several infected districts into the Province of Otago." These regulations take effect from the day following their publication in the New Zealand Gazette.