DUNSTAN.

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

DUNSTAN.

(fkom the daily times correspondent.) Dunstan, 26th August, The weather continues beautifully fine, with clear frosty nights, and bright sunshiny days. We hear of the rain you have Utely had in Dunedin, but not a drop has fallen here for the last four weeks. The river is a3 Jow as ever it was an 1 a'most every party working ou its banks ifi doing remarkably well. Still I would not advis.? anyone to come from a distance, tor the present low level cannot long be maintained, as the sun now i 3 getting considerable power ; and, judging by the rapid growth of the grass on the flats and other warm places, spring )a last setting in upon us. Mr Waymouth, the Secretary to the New Zealand Exhibition Committee, arrived from Dunedin on Tuesday last. It is a good job that he catae to stir up the local committee here, who, sinca their first formation, have done but very little. On Wednesday they held a meeting at M anuherikia, j when there were presedt, besides Mr Waymouth, Messrs Robinson, Brodie, Stratford, Lows, and Coates.

Mr Lowe occupied the ehai 1 ", It was proposed by Mr Stratford, and seconded by Mr Coates—" That while Mr Waymouth remaius in this district, it would be advisable to hold meetings at Clyde, Cromwell, and Alexandra. Carried.

Proposed by Mr Brodie seconded by Mr Coites— " That the meetings be held as follows : —Clyde, on the 26th ; Alexandra, on the 29th ; and Cromwell, on the 30th."- Carried. Mr Waymouth then explained that his intentions were to receive the names of parties that might with advantage be added to "the general committee; but as the list now numbered*l4o names it was not desirable to increase the number otherwise than with those of gentle nen able and willing to faithfully discharge the duties of com-mittee-men. Mr Robin=on proposed the following gentlemen, and who should be communicated with on the subject, viz., Messrs Hackett, Brown, Cope, Roberts, Badger, and Dr Corse. Seconded by Mr Coates, and carried.

Mr Robinson then proposed that Mr Stratford be requested to act as Treasurer. Seconded by Mr Brodie, and carried. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.

An inquest was held on Wednesday at the .Dunstan Hotel, inquiring into the death of a female infant born on the 16th inst., the daughter of one Margaret O'Brien. It appears that the child died in convulsions from which it had been suffering since its birth ; also, that while so afflicted it had been the practice of the mother to administer small doses of alcohol in the shape of gin.

Dr Jackson, who made the post mortem, examination, proved that the child had had administered to it an overdose of alcohol, but be* lieved it was the result of accident, which opinion wa3 also substantiated by other Verdict, " Death from an Overdose of Alcohol Accidentally Administered." A man named Sloane, a dairyman, met with a serious accident yesterday. He was riding along Sunderland at rather a brisk pace, when his horse fell over on its side and right on top of its rider. The poor fellow was picked up perfectly insensible, and to all appearances dead. He was at once carried into the Brian Bora Hotel, where Dr Jackson was immediately in attendance, who succeeded in so far recovering his patient, that he was able in the course of a few houra to walk home unassisted. On Tuesday evening last, a crowded meeting of the inhabitants of Clyde was held at the Dunstan Hotel, f6r the purpose of memorialising the Gold Fields Secretary, to secure to this Township a supply of water from the Keri Keri, or, Mutton-town Creek. Mr Samuel Jacobs was unanimously voted to the chair, said : «• That the present subject was of great importance to the inhabitants of this Township, and one wnich affected our interests very considerably. Some parties had lately taken np land on the Dunstan Fiat, and he believed intended cutting off oar present supply of water, aad

using it for the purposes of irrigation. He, the chairman, did not wish to damage the interests of the agricultarHts, but at the same time, that ol the townspeo le and miners was of far more importance, as without the race from MuttonTown Creek the coal pit could not be worked— there would >>c no water for turning the machinery, nor would there be a-iy for domesticpurpnsts, or for use in case of fire. He would call upon Mr James Hoi', who was the le*>ee of the coal pit as well as owner of tbe race, and who would explain to the meeting the quantity of water n quired for the use of the town, and also, to work the mine.

Mr J. I). Ferand, thn occupier of one of theagricultural areas, here interposed : S«d that it was not his intention to deprive the township of a supply of water ; he merely requested, Mr Holt t ) grnnt him permission to take water occasionally from his (Mr H-lt's) race, but was refused, as none could be .'pare i, and it was not till then that he promised to go up the creek and cut a raoe for himself- He always understood from the Government that the water from the Mutton Tjwq Creek was reserved for agricultural purpose*; he had taken up his land knowing such to be the case. To work the machinery at the coal pit, Mr Hot could procure the services of a steam engine, and which he coul lget a party in Dunedin to supply for a share in the mine. Mr Holt then explained that in the height of summer there was scarcely enough water running do-.vn his race to keep the machinery going. Hehad expended over L6OO on the mine, and it would be very unjust to deprive him of the water, and if the wheel once stopped the mine would' get flooded. Mr Bladier, who had also taken upsome giound, used water in a moat extravagant manner, and was sure that, when he was allowed to take his supply from the race, he (Mr Bladier> would require every drop. The ground th3t gentleman had t iken up was of so open and' porous a nature as to absorb any amount of water.

Mr Cope saH that a definito understanding should be come to, and the rights of the inhabitants of the township, as well as the agriculturists-, definitely settled. Was of opinion that a cessation of the water supply, and a stoppage of the works, at the coal-pit, would drive one-half of the population away, as without firing the place would not be habitable. There had been 12,000 acres of ' land set aside for agricultural purposes in the Mia Kiri Kiri Valley, but were Mr Ferand to carry out his threat of cutting a race and turning the water on to' his land, which was not situate in the course cf the creek, but a very little portion of that large area of agricultural ground could be occupied, as all those taking up lam below the head of Mr Ferand'a race could obtain no water at all, and the only satisfaction they would have would be the seeing it run past their doora. He never, in the dourse of his experience in the Australian colonies, ever heard of agriculturists turning the course of a creek, or by any mean* diverting its waters from their natural channel. If the firms were bordering atone; the edge of the creek, and the water mcd in a bona fide manner he would offer no objection, even if none came to the town. But if parties chose to speculate ia huge Chinese cabbage garden*, whii-b. system of agriculture he very much questioned would in this climate be of much benefio either to its introducers or the country itself. A.nd as things were now, a. permanent supply of cheap vegetables and errapea in two or three years' time would hardly compensate us for the loss of firing let alone the advantages of a supply of water tor domestic and sanitary purposes. Thought that as a neverfailing supply ot water was obtainable at a depth of 35 feet, aud as the farms of Messrs Ferand, Bladier and 00, were not nlong the line of the creek, that they should sink a well. Was certain that Mr Pyke never contemplated the turning of the course of the creek when he reserved its waters for agricultural parpose3 Taero was plenty of water in the creek for the use of the Township a* well as for the cultivators of the soil, that is if the latter used it legitimately, but from what he, the speaker, knew, of Mr Bladier'a system of farming in Victoria, there conld but be some three or four such farms out of the whole 12,000 acres. ( The proper place for an extensive system of irrigation, such m was proposed to be introtuced, was near the banks of a goodly sized nrer. He proposed, " That tha Government be memorali<ed to definitely settle the amount of water to be set aside for the use of the inhabitants of Clyde, and also that for agricultural purposes." Seconded by Mr Greeves. Mr Stuite said that Mr Cope's proposition was not sufficiently explicit, as he, Mr Stalte, considered that the object of the meeting was to in-iire a supply of water for the town as well as for the working of the coal pit, and proposed as. an amendment,

That a memorial be drawn up and forwarded to the Gold Fields Secretary, praying him to ensure to the inhabitants of this township a supply of water necessary to work the machinery at the coal pit, so aa to ensure ug a steady supply of fuel, and also for domestic purposes and for use in ca<=e of fire. Seconded by Mr Barlow. The amendment and resolution were put to the meeting, the former being carried by a large majority. -* Proposed by Mr Barlow, that a committee, consisting of Messrs Staite, Greeves, and Cope, be empowered to draw up the memorial. Seconded by Mr Wmstanley, and oarried. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings. _ Judgment in the case of Jack v. Wetherley was given, on Saturday hat, at the Police Court* Alexandra, by S. S. Hickaon, Esq , R.M. The amount of damages awarded was L 2 23.

Mr Charles Seahfield, the American author and popular novel writer, died at an advanced age on the 26th May at Solothum, in Switzerland. Sealsfield, whose works are written^ German was, for a certain time, in his branch, the "Great Unknown," of German literature, owing to the mystery with which he knew howto surround the authorship of his books. He had made himself a fortune with his pßn, and had settled, for about 20 years, in Switzerland. A physician of Massachusetts asserts that an attack of scarlet fever may ba prevented by wearing a tarred string about the neck. The pauperism of the cotton manufacturing districts decreased last week by 1940. The ou£ door relief amounted to L 5436, or Ll6l less than it waa in the second week of the present month. Nearly 800 of the adult able-bodied went off the relief lists ; leaving the large number, looking u> the season and the improving circumstances of the district, of 23.000 bMJ dependent on the Poorrate,—Manchester Quardian.