ANNUAL LICENSING MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 490, 20 April 1861, Page 5

ANNUAL LICENSING MEETING.

A meeting of the Justices of the Peace for the district of Otago, for the purpose of deci-. ding upon applications for publicans' licensea,for the year 1861-2, took place at the CourtHouse, Dunedin, on Tuesday, the 16th instant. Present — Messrs. Harris, Gillies, Cutten, Richardson, Kettle, Lloyd, and Fenwick. There were 15 applications for licenses. The following applications , were granted, viz : — John M'JSTeill, " Queen's Arms Inn," Dunedin ; William Bridgeman, " Provincial Hotel," Dunedin ; John Henry, Noding,. and Ernest Cleland Mais, as copartners of the firm of Noding and Mais, " Albion Hotel," Dunedin ; William Towers, " Royal George Hotel," Dunedin; James Galbraith, "Port Chalmers Hotel," Port Chalmers; Thomas Christmas Bowern, '* Royal Hotel," Port Chalmers ; Joseph Beal, " Hawkesbury Arms," Hawkesbury; Andrew Baker, "North'era Hotel," Oamaru.

The application of George Batters Vause, present licensee of the " Commercial Inn," Dunedin, was refused, in consequence of the application not having been given in in proper time.

The application of Daniel White for a license was granted, solely on the understanding and condition that at the proper time the license would be transferred to Mr. "Yause, of the " Commercial Inn."

The decision on the application of Alexander Callender, East Taieri district, was delayed for a month, in order that the Provincial Government might give intimation to the public of such application ; otherwise, the majority of the Bench was in favour of granting the application.

No twelve o'clock licenses were granted.

The Gold Diggings.— We have not received any further information direct from the Lindis Pass Diggings. Considerable numbers of our settlers arc making their way up there. The " Geelong" on her last trip took up between 70 or 80 passengers : many persons have left the neighbourhood, of Dunedin and the rural districts, and have proceeded ovei'land. Drays with provisions ani necessaries have been sent up during the week. Much excitement prevails, and there are many of our settlers making preparations to be off. Rumours, of course, are plentiful enough, amongst which was one circulated in the beginning of the week to the effect that some one had" obtained 4 lb. of gold, this has turned out to be that the Government road-party had .obtained 4 lb. of gold amongst them by working in* their over-hours. This is not anything very extraordinary, though, it clearly indicates, that the precious metal is to be obtained. Several good specimens have been brought to Dunedin, some ot which are nuggets of five or six pennyweights. About 300 persons are estimated as being at the diggings, and are suid to be doing well. The gold is found wherever the soil has been tried, and we have seen several small nuggets which were said to have been taken out of a " pocket," as it is called. The weather at the date of the latest information, was fine. There had been a fall of snow about three weeks since, but it soon melted away. That the diggings are a fact, we have no doubt, but we must again warn people not to make a rush at this advanced period of the year.

On Sunday last the Bishop of Christchurch delivered sermons in the Episcopal Church, Dunedin, on which o :casions collections were made on behalf of the Melanesian Mission, which amounted to £23 17s.

Joseph Johnstone, the seaman who was shot in a house in Stafford-street about three weeks since, died of his wounds on Tuesday last, at the Dunedin Hospital. An inquest was held on Thursday, but was adjourned until Thursday next to allow of the attendance of ft principal witness, who resides in the country. The General Assembly is summoned to meet at Auckland on Thursday, the 30th May.

The Gazette, of the 27th- ult., contains an order in Council establishing; the southern part of Otago into a new Province, to be called " Southland," the boundaries of which are given as follows : —

" A line commencing at the mouth of the River Mataura and continued along the right bank of the Mataura River to its source in the Eyre Mountains, thence to the summit of Eyre Peak, thence in a south-westerly direction to the junction of the Windley with the Oreti or New River, thence due west to the River Waiau, thence along the left bank of the Waiau to the sea, • thence by the coast line to the mouth of the Mataura."

R. B. Martin and Co.'s sale of furniture, ex " Shelburne," took place in their sale room?» High-street, on Monday. There was a good attendance of buyers, many of whom entered into brisk competition for articles of a suitable description. Very few articles remained unsold, and the prices were, on the whole, satisfactory. ' - '