GENERAL ROAD BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 296, 1 August 1857, Page 5

GENERAL ROAD BOARD.

The half-yearly meeting of this Board was held on Friday last. Present — Messrs. J. M'Glashan, Todd, Fulton, Gibson, Hartley, Devve, Kerr, Hepburn, Sanderson, Buchanan, Lindsay, M'Dermid, M'Gregor.jand Andrew. Mr. M'Glashan in the chair.

It was reported that the road line fi om Abbot's Creek to the Taieri side of Saddle Hill had not yet been laid off, but that a right of roadway would be reserved through any land which might be applied for in that vicinity. Also that the boundary line between the North-East Valley and the proposed road had not been defined, but would be considered and reported on as early as practicable. Also that a tender had been accepted for the erection of bridges over two branches of the Tokomairiro river, and that the work was progressing 1 . Also that the repair of the Maori line from the Taieri ferry to the head of the Waihola Lake had been completed, but that some further operations neoessary to make it passable for drays could not be commenced until October. The line from the Ferry to Scrogg's Creek had also been under repair, and £65 of the sum voted for improvements still remained on hand.

A report from the Road Engineer, relative to road lines in the Northern district, which he had recently visited, was read. The purport of the report was that a sura of £536 (being £36 in excess of the amount granted for the purpose by the General Board) would be required to open up a communication with the North, and to effect local improvements so as to facilitate the shipment of wool an 3 other produce.

It was resolved— " That the Engineer's report on the main North Road, and also the resolutions of a meeting of the settlers of Waitaki, be remitted' to the Standing Committee to be appointed by this meeting, with instructions to them to communicate the Engineer's report to the Chairman of the settlers of Waitaki.

Resolved — That a Standing Committee of this Board be appointed, with the full powers of the Board, to whom the Board shall from time to time give such special instructions as may be' found desirable. The Committee to consist of Messrs. Macandrew, Hepburn, Calder, Fulton, Every, M'Gregor, and Lindsay; j\lr. Macandrew to be chairman aud convener. - ,

Messrs. , Lindsay, , Hepburn arid' Kefr we're appointed a Committee to hear and determine objections against the rate levied by the Town District Board of Road Trustees.

Resolved — That the rate proposed to be levied by the East Taieri District Board on a portion of that district (to be called District No. 3) be appi;oved of, and that the Road Surveyor be instructed to survey and lay off the proposed line of road ; and that a Committee, consisting of Messrs. Todd, M'Gregor, and Andrew, being appointed to hear and determine all objections to the rate, and also to that levied on' District No. 2.

Resolved — That the Standing Committee be authorised to audit the year's accounts, and to apply to the Government for such further amount of funds as may be required to meet the expenditure actual and contemplated. It was resolved — That the District Board be directed to report to the Standing Committee of this Board as to the best line of road from Silver Stream to West Taieri. ,

Resolved— That the Road Engineer be instructed to examine and report upon the position of the two culverts on the main line to West Taieri.

Resolved — That the line of Road passing the Kaikorai Swamp, through the lands of MessrsHood and Gillies, and for which no compensation is required, be adopted by the Board.

Resolved — That a line of road down the Kaikorai Valley towards Green Island be surveyed and laid off immediately.

Resolved — That, subject to the approval of the Road Engineer, a road to be laid off through Section No. 63, Wakari district, leading to the Upper Wakari.

Resolved, on the recommendation of the Green Island District Board — That an assessment be authorised to be levied for the purpose of forming and repairing branch roads within said district.

Resolved — That the Engineer be requested to inspect, and, with the sanction of the Standing Committee, to put such bridges and make such deviations on the road line from Waihola to Stony Creek as he may deem necessary.

Some routine business was also disposed of, and notice of a motion given by Mr. Lindsay with respect to the main road line through the NorthEast Valley, after which the Board adjourned sine die.

MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.

A meeting of the Committee was held on Wednesday evening. The object of the meeting was to consider the most advisable method of carrying out the plan of the Institution ; and after some discussion a sub-committee was appointed to prepare a Report of the proceedings of the Committee, such Report to embody suggestions as to iuture action ; the Report to be submitted to a meeting of the subscribers to the building fund. We have to express our regret that the attempt to establish evening classes has entirely failed ; and if there is to be anything like life in the Institution, the public must take more interest in the matter than it has hitherto done. We therefore trust that when the meeting of the subscribers is called, it will be fully attended.

Further Prorogation of the Assembly of New Zealand. — A General Government Gazette published on Saturday, May 2, contained two proclamations which, in the present position of the colony, make their appearance very timeously. By one, the General Assembly, which stood prorogued till the Ist July next, now stands prorogued sine die : whereby we are relieved a little longer from the tedium of listening to the windy- wordy harangues of some of our good gossips from the Province of Wellington, and the colony is saved the expense of paying large sums for the " loss of time" incurred by certain honourable gentlemen very fond of hearing themselves talk, but very ill-qualified for the purposes of practical and economical administration. By the other proclamation, his Excellency directs the Superintendents of the' 1 various Provinces to refrain from assenting " on behalf of the Governor" to any Bill passed by the Provincial Councils for raising money by loans, and to reserve every such Bill for the signification of the Governor's pleasure thereon. Looking to the reckless manner in which the late Government of this Province expended the money it raised by loans, and to the equally reckless manner in which the Provincial Government of Wellington was spending borrowed money on the importation of labour, without taking any sufficient precautions for the due observance of the contract by the home shipping agents — we think his Excellency and his responsible advisers have taken a very judicious and praiseworthy step in thus checking the abuse of this mode of supplementing Provincial finances. — New Zealander.

New Gold Field. — Our Sydney contemporaries give a glowing account of the marvellous gold-field -which has been discovered in the vicinity' of the Hanging Rock. Of course, there is a vast deal of exaggeration in the business ; but, unquestionably, the diggers must have struck upon a vein of unusual richness. According to a correspondent of the " Maitland Mercury," " their stones were generally discredited until, on Saturday, they deposited, at the Police Camp, a bag containing three hundred and forty-five ounces of gold, the result of five days' labour. From a single bucket of dirt they took one hundred and eight ounces of gold, which I think I may safely estimate to be the richest bucket of dirt ever washed in the colony. The character of the digging is of a feature entirely new, and tends to illustrate the extensive resources of this district, the geld being obtained from the surface of a quartz. vein, which extends for many miles in nearly a north and south direction.. The sinking for the vein varies,, as- yet, •• from five' to fifteen,, feet 'in depth."— lsel- ] bourne Age, June 19. ; -