News Of the Week. (FROM THE DAILY TIMES.)

Otago Witness, Issue 559, 16 August 1862, Page 5

News Of the Week. (FROM THE DAILY TIMES.)

A meeting of ratepayers was held at Sawyer's Bay last Friday, for the purpose of electing head trustees for the North Harbor District. The meeting assembled at the house of Mr, Joseph Morris, and consisted of nine persons, Mr. Duke presiding. By the votes of the majority, Messrs. Clemison, Perry, Pack, Bolton, and Hammond were elected, the meeting having resolved to appoint only five. At the conclusion of the business several of the members animadverted on the impassable condition of the Port Chalmers and Dunedin road. Mr. Duke urged the propriety of a meeting on the subject being immediately held. Mr. Wright spoke strongly of the mismanagement and partiality exhibited in the employment of a large body of men on the road in the North East Valley, while nothing whatever was doing at the Port Chalmers end, where the necessity for improvement was ten fold greater. From what he could learn, tho number of men employed there were only an embarrassment to each other — about a dozen men being usually seen looking on at one man doing the work. By dividing the gangs, some justice, however tardy, would be done to Port Chalmers and its district. Mr. Morris reminded Messrs. Duke and Morris that they were members of a committee who had been appointed to watch over the matter; and he recommended that, with the other member, Mr. M'Diarmid, they should arrange for the holding a public meeting at an early date. This was agreed to, and it was understood that the meeting should be appointed to take place some evening next m eek, in the schoolhoiise, or courthouse, at Port Chalmers.

A preliminary meeting of the licensed victuallers of Dunedin, was held on Monday, at. the Queen's Arms Hotel, for the purpose of forming an association for the mutual protection of their interests, and similar to those already in operatiou in Melbourne, and other large towns. The meeting was presided over by Mr. A. Griffiths, and the following persons were duly nominated as members of the committee, for the purpose of carrying out the object of the meeting: S. Jones, Provincial Hotel; A. Griffiths, Australasian Motel; J. W. Feger, Edinburgh Castle; J. M'Neill, Queen's Arms; Thos. Little, Exchange Hotel; G. Davis, Prince of Wales Hotel; J. Crawford, Glasgow Arms; V. Ross, Melbourne Hotel; F. Martin, Martin's Hotel, and J. M'Gubbin, Otago Hotel. The meeting then adjourned until Monday next, at the same time and place. A m?eting of Freemasons was held at Part Chalmers on Monday evening, when it was resolved to form a lodge, to be called " The Port Chalmers Marine Lodge," and steps were taken to form the legal constitution of the lodge through the Otago Lodge, the Victorian Grand' Lodge, and tho Grand Lodge of England.

A deputation from Wetherstone's waited upon his Honor the Deputy Superintendent on Monday. The deputation, which consisted of Messrs. Clark and Savage, members of the Mining Board, and Messrs. Moses, Jones, and Cassius, had been appointed at a public meeting lately held at Wetherstone's. They were introduced by Mr. Vincent Pyke. The principal object of the deputation was to induce the Government to undertake the construction of a storm water channel the effect of which would be to drain Wetherstone's Flat, and to enable the miners there to work without interruption by the flooding of their claims. His Honor having heard the deputation out, stated that he believed the Government would bo prepared to proceed with the work required, which he agreed with the deputation would be very advantageous, but it would be essential that the work should be capable of completion for a moderate sum. There had been obstacles to the carrying out of the plan, but those obstacles were now removed, and he might say the Government had allowed no useless delay. The newly appointed mining surveyor would, on Tueeday, start for Tuapeka, and his first business would be to examine the ground at Wetherstone's, and report upon the proposed channel. If Iris report was to the effect that the work could be effectually done for LI 200, (the Government would not be particular to a hundred pounds,) instructions would be forwarded to Major Croker to call for tenders but to consult with the local committee. The work would be let in small sections so as to allow of the contracts being taken by n/ners who would be allowed the right of appropriating the auriferous wash dirfe. The deputation then withdrew.

We learn that fanning operations are progressing satisfactorily. Ploughiug hag commenced generally throughout the districts, and thß land will soon be ready to receive the seed. The early sown crops for hay are already well up and looking remarkably healthy. Farmers are complaining greatly at the high rates demanded for every description of farm labour, ploughmen, and general agricultural servants, demanding and receiving as much as seventy and eighty pounds a year, with rations. On the rich alluvial flats where immensely heavy crops are raised, and

where wood is abundant, such a Tat-"- o£ wage may be borne for a ano ; but on tha infe.'ior lands, where the cos-t of carting firewood to the homesteads is consi,' (Table, farmers cannot pay such enormous wjo . out; of their profits. A large breadth ol land 'a^ been put under cultivation this year for p iin crops, aud should the spring continue fav<,' He for field operations the markets in the su er will be supplied with most description 0 » getables, at prices within the reach of all clashes of purchasers.

Competition has done its work and bread has been lowered by all the principal bakers in town one penny per loaf. The retail price for bread is now eight pence for the four pound loaf. The following Order in Council, dated July 16, is published in the Neto Zealand Gazette, prohibiting the importation of c.ittlo into Stewart's Island and Ruapuke Island, inFoveaux Straits: " Whereas by the ' Diseased Cattle Act 1861 * it is enacted that it shall be lawful for the Governor by Order in Council to make such regulations as to him shall seem fit for prohibiting the importation of cattle into the colony from districts infected with disease within the meaning of the said Act : Now, therefore, his Excellency the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, doth hereby order that from and after the date of this Order the several colo nies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria South Australia, Western Australia, and tho Cape of Good Hope, so far as relates to the importation of diseased cattle into the Southern or Stewart's Island aud the Island of Ruapuke and other Islands in, near to, and to the south of Eoveaux Straits, be deemed to be infected districts within , the meaning of the said Act, and the Governor with such advice and consent as aforesaid doth hereby make the following regulations, that is to say, — No cattle after the date hereof until further notice shall be imported from any such districts into the said Stewart's Island, Ruapuke and the' other Islands in, near to, and to the south of Foveaux Straits under a penalty for each ofionce not exceeding five hundred pounds (£500). E. L. Layard, for the Clerk of the Executive Qouncii." Dr. Buchanan of Chingford, North-East Valley Dunedin, has been summoned by the Governor to the Legislative Council of New Zealand. The appointment may be characterised as "killing two birds with one stone," giving a member to both Otago and Auckland at the same time — Dr. Buchanan having till lately been a resident in the latter Province. We believe -he lias not hitherto moved in public life, so that his political opinions are unknown. However, as the appointment is made by the late Fox Ministry, it will be de riyeur for him to support them. We observe that the .Benevolent Society are anxious to purcitase a site for the proposed Benevolent Asylum. They require from sto 10 acres of land, and it is a sine qua 71011, that it be situated within a mile and a-lialf of the Octagon. A ploughing match is to come off on Friday August 15, (this day) at Mr. Henry Clarke's farm, near the schoolhouse, East Taieri.

A billiard match for one thousand pounds a-side was played on Tuesday afternoon between two gentlemen amateur prayed—Mr. Noble and Ah-. Parker. The game was three hundred up. At the end of the second hundred, Mr. Parker was slightly ahead. Mr. Noble then caught him, and when he was two hundred an' l fifty, was about twenty points in advance of Mr. Parker. After this, there was no material alteration to the close, Mr. Noble winning by twenty-two points. The play on either side was not very remarkable. The game occupied about 2$ hours.

About forty gentlemen met on Tueeday eyeniu» at M'Cubbius Otago Hotel, for the purpose of takin<» I steps to inaugurate a Ca'edonian So, iety in Duuedin. This was the second meeting on the subject, a preliminary meetinar of a private character having previeusiy been held. Mr. Archibald Dick havia« been voted to the "hair, explained the objects of the me »ting, and the hon. Secretary, pro tern., Mr. Rankin, read several communications from similar societies in Melbourne ami elsewhere, relative to the rules, &c, for the management and formation of the proposed society. After some little discussion the following resolutions were moved and unanimously adopted Moved by Mr. M'Lean, seconded by Mr. Lani?'. "That considering the advantages which have arisen from the establishment of Caledonian Societies in the various Australian 3olonies, it iadesirable that a society of a kindred natiii c ;>3 established in Dunedin." Moved by Mr. M'Lean, becouded by Mr. Hepburn: "That for the purpo-c of . n-rying out the foregoing resolutions, a commitk-; ht .brined, consisting of the following members, fn Uie purpose of preparing a code > of rules to 0 submitted at a future meeting to be called by Ke Secretary pro tern. The following gentlemen were elected as a Committee •— Messrs. Alex. M'LeaD, Andrew M'lntosh, \V. Gr Lang, A. T. Campbell, Jas. Johnson, llobt. Campbell, John Price, Angus Sutherland, Alex. M'Credy, Campbell M'Leod, A, G. Allan, Colin M'Donald. Jame3 Murray, John M'Cubbin, Robert M 'Donald, Donald M'Master, James Kennedy, Dr. Hepburn, Archibald Dick, It. Rankin, J. C. Lorimer. The meeting then adjourned to Thursday evening, at haif-past 7. We are informed that a gang of scouudrels have lately been busily engaged in robbing passengers arriving iv Dunedin of their luggage and effects. When a steamer or vessel brings up at Port Chalmers, as a general rule, the passengers come to Dunedin by the small traffic boats, and all luggage and goods are forwarded in a day or two after by lighteis. These goods are landed on the wharf, and are invariably addressed to the parties to whom they belong. The depredations are effected in this way:— A quantity of luggage all with one address on it is selected. The name is called out along the wharf, when, if no person answers to it, the goods are placed on to a dray and carried off. Should the owner be present when his name is read out, one of the scoundrels will offer to carry the luggage to his lodgings, but ovades the offer of doing so by demanding a price he knows will .not be given. Several very cruel robberies of this description have been committed within the last few weeks. Females, with their young families, have landed, to find in a day or two, that they have been robbed of trunks and boxes.containing their own and children's clothing It is to be hoped the detectives will be successul in bringing the offenders to justice.

From-the Census vetnrn, of the Maori population in Otago, compiled by A. C. Strode, Esq., it appears that in December 1861, the Natives in this Province numbered in all 612. Of this number 64 were settled at Moeraki, 120 at Waikouaiti, 80 at Otakou (Otago Heads), 30 at Maitapapa (East Taieri), 19 at Molyneux, 33 at New River, 70 at Jacob's River, 65 at Oranga and neighborhood, 98 on the Island of Ruapuke, and 33 on Stewarts Island. These Natives occupied 15,316 acres of land, of ;rhich 579 were fenced, and 480 acres were in cultivation. They owned 177horses, 672 homed cattle, and 440 pigs. Mr. Strode, in his report to the Government stated, that the Natives are very peaceable and tractable their sentiments towards the Government of a very loyal character, and their disposition aud conduct towards Europeans, of a most friendly nature. Their allegiance was some time since tested slightly, by the arrival of an emissary from Waikato, who exhorted the inhabitants to repair to Waikato and take part against the Governorthis they steadily refused to do, declaring thenloyal sentiments and attachment to British authority. A meeting of the inhabitants of Porb Chalmers and district, was held at the Court-house there on Tuesday evening, when several resolutions were adopted in connection with tho subject of road improvement between Dunedin and the Port. The first resolution, which was proposed by Mr." Ritchie, was—" That this meeting express their disappointment that no action has been taken in widening and improving the Tort Chalmers end of the main line of road from Dunediu." On the motion of Mr. Millor, it was also resolved that the meeting " request the Government to call for tenders, and have the work immediately proceeded with, beginning at Port Chalmers," Mr M'Dermid, who was in the chair, Mr. Dickie, Mr* Kilgour, and others present supported the motion* condemning the plan of employing men at the Government rate of watjes as being unfair both to the public and to labor. >3. They held that L4OOO had been set aside fo- the improvement of the road, but by the plan a opted in its expenditure they considered it pre wble that the amount would be squandered wi h., tt t Port Chalmers »nd its district receiving the slightest" benefit, • m L Q ™ h JW«»m, Tould, in that way, be robbed by the Government of that to which they were justly entitled. They had reason to believe that some of the members of the Executive were v quite unaware of the fashion in which the money was being expended, and ttioy held, moreover, that it was a regular understanding that all such - work should be executed by contract. The manner in which Port Chalmers had throughout • been treated in this matter they considered to be , the most unjust to the place and discreditable to those in power. After other remarks, similar in tone, it was proposed by Mr. D. Mains, that -a deputation, representing the feelings of the meeting, should wait upon the Deputy Superintendent" ■ on the following day, and report the result of their* interview to a meeting, -which should beconse-' quently called if necessary. • < . -\- . A special meeting of thQDun'edih>Buiiainff and