LATEST FROM THE DUNSTAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 666, 3 September 1864, Page 10

LATEST FROM THE DUNSTAN.

(FROM THE DAILY TIMES CORRESPONDENT.)

DirNßTA.nr, 29fh August, A numerously attended public meeung was heM at the Punstan Hotel, on Friday la-t culled by the Conmittee for the New Zealand Exhibition. The business of the eveni g was to allow Mr Waymouth, the Secretary, who is now on a tour through the t- old fields, an opportunity of publicly explaining v the o^ joct3 of the Exhibition, as well as to enlist the co-operation of the inhabitants of Clyde in assisting those members of the Committee, resident in this district, in their endeavors tj have our products properly represented Mr Warden Robinson occupied the Chair. After a few introluctory remarks respecting the desirability ot having our mineral and other resourc 'S prominently displayed in the ■■xhibltion, Mr Robinson introduced Mr Waymouth to the meeting,

Who sni(l that he had beon sent up by the Commi'tee in Dunedin, to report upon the contributions likely to be sent down from ti e gold fields. The inhabitants of the Northern Provinces were making great efforts to be well represented, and he hoped that those of the South would not be behind them. There were some few people who believed this Exhibition to be premature, but he was sure that had not Otasto Brat taken the thing in hand, before this time, some of the other Provinces would. The holding of the exhibition here will make Otago woll known in England, and its capabilities as a field for emigration will, by those mean", be fully understo nl. At the time of the Exhibition at home, in 1851, people saiil that it would luin the^ English workmen by intro'ueing the competition of the foreigner, but such ha'i not ofoh the case. Jn fact, we had learnt much by being in direct acquaintance^ p with the products of other countries, an-l had profited by it, as findin.r," when we were wrong, like sensible m°n, we had taken a lesson, and it was found th->r, upon a second Fxhibition being held, the country tad improved in every resp°.ct, while trade had increased in valu^ from 65 millions to 150 millions per annum. In tw- Ive years hence, when, in nil probability, we shall be holding another Exhibition, it will be found that we hive ndraucel in a corresponding ratio, and that, eventu-iily, we must become the Great Britain of the Southern Hemisphere. Holding an Fxhibition was equivalent to a nation la 1 inur stock of itself, it could ca'calate thereby its rate ef progression or otherwise, ani com-Mered that if we did our best to make a proper display ot our \arir,u3 products, the New Zealand Exhibition must be a great sucre-s, notwithstanding the opinion of a few cynic 3to tie contrary . The manufacturers of Europe have taken up n large amount of space, and In^e actually applie 1 for more tb.au would fill up tlte whole buil :ina, which will show you the interest people take in us at home, while those her.; will have the advantage of having placed befora their eyes tie products of countiiea 16,000 raiks distant, without the trouble of travelling there to see them Thought that an exhibition would net as a far more powerful inducement in the promotioa of emigration than the sending home of an agent, and hoped that they would all make a push, ami be well reprc-ented. Was sure that the people of the Dunstan would not be behind tbo«e of other districts, in bringing its vatious resources prominently forward, and that they would all join in assisting to write the first page of New Zealand history. (Applause.)

A very warm discussion then ensued as to the small amount of energy the first-made members of the committee, resicleut on the Dunstao, had displayed since they had taken office, in M;>y last. Mr Brodio and Mr Robinson endeavoied to explain tlte matter, by stating that till the present visit of Mr Woyinouth they had not received any instructions how to act. But this did not entirely satisfy the meeting, who seemed to be under the impression that the appointment of a sub or local committee was something tantu mou'/t to the original committee finding that they were not competent to carry out the objects wh d> they hadundertaken.andrequiie 'assistance to perform those duties in which t'ley had failed or neglected to do. To a proposition for a subcommittee, an amendment wns well nigh being carried that those gentlemen whose names figure in the list of honor should be the men to f(o the work, and our parliamentary representative, the three Camp officials, and two squatters, comprising the committee here, got a pretty severp " jacketing." To make worse, it came out (hafc only one meeting since their first appointment had been held, and that was on the preceding day at Mr Lowe's station on the Mnnuherikia river, distant about tea miles from Clyde, which exclusive proceeding was far more than people were prepared for ; and it was only that the interests of the district should nor suffer through a misuudersticding that the amendment was withdrawn. In future it is to be h ipei that in any matters where the wellfare of every single individual is so intimately concerned as ia the present instance, that the general pub ie should be made acquainted with the subject at the eailiest possible opportunity. The loss of so much time is irreparable, and will without doubt prevent us making the display that we otherwise should.

A sub-committee, consisting of the following gentlemen, wa3 then formed :— Messrs Robinson, Hackett, pr Jackson, Coates, Isaaca, Cannon, Cope, Morice, Keene, and Staite.

In answer to a question put by a person in the body of the meeting, Mr Waymouth said that all ariiolea of New Zealand manuf.\cture would have preference over those of foreign make, and be separately classed, while all goods trom places out of New Zealand would be regarded as foreign. Tliu finished the business of the evening, and the meeting separated upon a vote of thanks to the chairman and Mr Waymouth j who left the following morning for the Lake district. The weather has been very severe these last few days, and a deal of saow has fallen on the ranges. The river is fully as low as ever, and keeps still going down very rapidly. On Saturday night I was shown tha greater part of a skull, having the right upper jaw perfect, which was found about a month since under a bed of silt, and ten feet below the surface, in the we?t bank of the Molyneux, about two miles above the Manuherikia Junction. It is that ot an herbiverous animal, and which must have been about twice the size of a sheep. With the por-

tion of skull was found several pieces of the shell > of the moa bird's egor, a large portion of the • brea-tpkte of probably that gigantic bird, also - two jaw bones, each about two inches long, in a hisrh stite of preservation, a?id which probably belongtxi to soiup member of the finny tribe. The relics will be tent to town for the New Zealand . Kx'aihit on.