NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 919, 10 July 1869, Page 14

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

A" crop of beetroot, weighin* r36r 36 ,tons to the acre, has been grown' on a farm on Inch Clutha. ' ' r • :, An attempt , is about tb be made, to rftorganise am Amateur Dramatic Club in Invercargill. Arrangements have been made, we believe, for the transfer of the Supreme Court offices to the new Post Office. The .Court, will occupy the central hall in that building. It is said that the Colonial Treasurer intends to resign office at the close of the present session. As it is expected to end in six weoke, Mr Fox's difficulties promise to increase instead of diminish. •< ' The contest for the Mayoralty promises to be a lively one. Mr Birch intends to- seek re-election, and he will, be opposed, we observe, by Mr Fieh, Mr Dods, MrWilkjnson, • Mr Millar, F.S A., and Mr E. M'Glashan. , Daring the late Uriwera campaign, provisions were so scarce that the Natives of Colonel Whitmore'a force are stated to have driven a flourishing trade by selling biscuits to the Europeans at the fate of three for half-a-crown. , ' A deposit of meerschaum is reported to have been diecovered between 30 and _ 40 miles from Auckland, but in what direction is not stated. The extent of the deposit | » estimated at about two aoreß, its depth being as yet-undetermined. Mr E. W. Humphrey, Hyde, and Mr W. A. Bews, Warepa, have been appointed Justices of the Peace for the colony. The resignation by Mr Henry Cable of his magsteriai appointment has been accepted by ms Excellency the Governor. The Speaker of the Provincial Counci having granted the use of the room known as the old Library of the Council to the Provisional Committee of the proposed Philosophical Institute, the first meeting of the Committee will be held there on Monday evening next.

By an arrangement made between the Governments of Otago and Southland, lunatics in the latter province are in future to be maintained in the Dunedin Asylum. Eight of them were brought up yesterday morning by the steamer Airedale, and lodged in the Asylum on their arrival.

The late rainy weather has materially retarded the progress of the flax rope manufactory on the Sand Spit inside of the Heads. Some fine specimens of 2£ and 3in. rope have recently been made at the works. Some of the home shipmasters have purchased a quantity for the purpose of giving it a trial.

We understand that the skeleton of the whale, recently captured by the Maoris, has been purchased from them for the sum of L4O ; and that it will ehortly be exhibited to the public in the Polytechnic Hall. We hope it will ultimately be secured for the Museum.

A land sale took place last week atthe Land Office, but little land was sold. Some of the teotions in the township of Kapiti, however, brought i.ood prices, there being a lime kiln on one of them. Section 2, block 3. was sold for LSI, and section 3, block 3, for Ll3.

During the quarter ending on the 30th June there were 20 births registered at Port Cha mers, 8 being males and 12 females. 2 mrtrriages and 2 deaths were registered during the same period. Of the deaths oue was th t of an adult, and the latter that of an infant, both being males.

We have received from Mr Coggins, of Oamaru, a sample of flax, dressed by a process of his own invention. It is exceedingly fine, so much so as to resemble silk. We understand that Mr Coggios is now making experiments in order to ascertain whether it jb possible to turn the gum to account.

The Corporation apparently intend to do something to improve the streets. An awkward pieco of pavement in Princes street has been asphalted, and in Cargill street we observe that tho quagmire in the roadway, which formerly was almost impassable in wot weather, has been filled up.

Tho Public Petitions Committee has reported on Mr Smythies's petition to the House of Ropreaentativoi, as woll aa upon the petitions for and against him from OUgo, Southland, and Auckland. The report of the Committee is to the effeot that they do not recommend tho House to t&ko any aotlon in the matter.

A yoith mmrd James Qilohrist was yea* terday fiucd 20* at the Police Court, for having thrown unme »au*ft&cs on tho atage at tht Theatre ©a the prcoeding evening. One of tho s»vonry parcels contained a poetical address to Mr Samuel Howard, calling upon him to " try our aplondid sausages, and toll us how fhey eat."

A meeting of gontlnmon favourable to the )re.elootion of Mr Birch as mayor, tm held at Wain's Hotel, laat ovoniog. Mr C. Burko presided. A oopy of tho rcquiaition forwarded to Mr Birch wm read, and abo that gentloman's roply, which expressed his willingnou to bo re-elected. A oonumttoe to secure hit return wm formed.

The manufacture of the eaaeno» of meat bai been begun »t Wanganui, for the tint time in Now Zealand, by Mr K» B. Roberta. According to the Wellington Independent, tho eucnoft ia contained in imftll oonapaaa, la in the form of » brown paito, Mid » spoonful of it makes oxonlleot brown aoup, Btrenntntnlag. but yet requiring av^fow vegetable* to gire greater Nweotneat mud flavour.

! Argentiferous copper ore is said to have' been discovered on the riVe-r Penguini on the north-west coast of Tasmania,'. ■ Steps, are to he taken to test the value of the disoovety. The lodeaof galena at the river Leven have yielded from 80 to 100 ounces of silver to the tori, ahd'a company has been formed to work them. ■ ' ' . The parties at work in the Longwood Ranges, Southland, are reported to have met with increasingly numerous indications of the auriferous character of the spurs on which they have been at work. Several specimens of quartz obtained by them are stated by competent judges to be as rich as almost any hitherto, found in the colony. A blacksmith and, a shoemaker, according to a correspondent who. has addressed us on the subject, are very much wanted in Lower Kaikorai, Brockville, and Waikari. If a Bettler in those districts wants any blacksmith's work done, half a day'a journey to town and back must be performed ; and no one can get a pair of boots repaired without a similar difficulty.

The* proposed conference between representatives, of the Governments of the various Australian Colonies, is stated by the Weilington Independent to have beea postponed to October, in consequenoe of the representatives of New Zealand being unable to attend on the date originally fixed, owing to their attendance being required in the Assembly. The conference will be held in Sydney.

A special general meeting of the Shareholders in the Dunedin Masonic Hall Company Limited, was held on Friday at the New Masonic Hall, Moray Place, when a statement of the affairs of the Company was submitted and adopted. Authority was given to borrow a sum ofLsooto liquidate liabilities, and the directors were instructed to sue shareholders for the balance of calls due.

A Christchurob. paper says that in consequence of the great slaughter of pheasants during the Galatea's stay at Auckland, these birds have become comparatively scarce there. Captain Thompson, who undertook to procure some birds for the Canterbury Acclimatisation Sooiety, writes that he could only obtain the offer of one live cook bird, at 30a, while hen birds could not bo obtained at any price.

Messrs Easton and Macgregor, engineers and boiler makers, at Port Chalmers, £ut out of their shop yesterday a donkey engine of four horse power, it being the first made by them ; the workmanship is everything that could be desired, and reflects credit on the firm. It has been made to the order of Messrs Turner, Gray, and Co, stevedore?, who intend to employ it in discharging ships' cargoes.

The following was the state of H.M. Gaol, Dunedin, during the week ending on Saturday last : — Awaiting trial, 3 men ; penal servitude, 24 men ; bard labour, 60 men and 19 women ; in default of bail, 1 man and 1 woman ; debtorß, 2 men ; total, 90 men and 20 women. Six men and 1 2 women were received during the week, and 12 men and 10 women were discharged during the same period.

During the month of June 205 persons were apprehended by the police inthe province. Of these 187 were convicted and variously dealt with ; 5 were committed for trial ; one man for using threatening language was bound over to keep the peace for three months ; 5 persons were sent to tho Lunatio Asylum ; and 7 were discharged. Of the 187 convictionß. 123 were for drunkenness (not including habitual drunkenness) and other minor offences. In his address at the quarterly meeting of tho Wellington Philosophical Institute, tho Chairman, Mr J. C. Crawford, made tho followina statement :— v Kxcepting tho extent of tho globe over which the Ln{(l«Ki language has spread by colonisation dunne tho last oentury «r two, and that over which Spanish is spoken — brought »bont by similar causes— the Maori tongue io used over by far a larger surfaco of the earth than any other language." During his late passage from Auckland to Wellington, His Excellency the Governor spent a short time at Napior. The inhabi. tanta of that town, however, appear not to have treated him with any great ceremony, as His Exoellenoy on taking his departure commented on the scanty attention which had been bestowed upon him by them. On arriving at Wellington, however, still wowe awaited him, aa, with the exoeptionof a solitary policeman, no one saluted him on landing.

Tho Ohriatohurch Gas Company uorno time Ago announced thoir intention of applying to the Assembly for a private Bill g.vuiß them incroased powert. On the 22nd ult. a wetition aakiog for auch a Bill was presented by Mr E. 0. Stevens, but on thd following day the Standing Ordort Committco reported that the- standing orders not harina boon compliod with in rogard to the mode of applying for the Bill in quostion, it oould not be brought in thia session.

The Brat velocipede manufactured in Southland apppeart to have been i anything but what ita naraa imports. Aooording to the Newt, neither ita notion nor appcaranoo created a favourable impression, for a oJunuierlooking and more unmanageable affair oould hardly have been put togother. The only tbiog it remind»d ono of waa the ancient Egyptian obariota travellers find deputed on the walla of the Pyramids. The machine neither drove nor steered, abow«4 a decided tendency to capniw, and w«nl beat when puihftd along by the boys attracted by the novel tptotaolo.

' "Mr 'Bi'dw^Si'ib^kailAk^wliltS.jfii' said' Whave^greatly improved Bince he -last ran in Canterbury, had' a very narrow escape from being burned to death, about a fortnight ago, as the, stables adjoining the, biie .which he' occupied at the. time were completely gutted by fire. Fortunately the night was calm or, as the fire had gained a strong hold before it waa discovered, it is probable that not only Manuka but several pother valuable horaes would|have perished in^t. An accident occurred' in Queen street yes; terday morning, by which a man driving ,» dray was seriously injured. It appears that he was driving a three-horse >dray, r when, from some , unexplained, .cause, (Otfe of the horses kicked him. in the, head and on the arm. The poor fellow's 1 nose was split, and his arm much' bruised. ' Dr. Burns immediately afterwards dresspd his, wounds,, and Bent; him to the Hospital, where his hurts were, fortunately, found to be only of a superficial charaoter. To extend the advantages of the telegraph throughout the interior, the Government of New South Wales have recently authorised postmasters at places where there are no telegraph stations, to,receiv.e and forward messages by post to the nearest telegraph stations. A fee of tenpence is to be charged for each message so forwarded, in addition to the ordinary wire chargeß, for the purpose of defraying tne cost of postage and remuneration to the postmasters.

A meeting of the supporters of Mr H. S. Fish, junr , who is a candidate for the office of Mayor in the ensuing municipal election, was held last evening at the Empire HoteL A'lout 30 gentlemen were present. Mr E. Nathan was voted to the chair. After some discussion it was carried unanimously, " That Mr Fish is a fit and proper person to fill the office of Mayor of Dunedin for the ensuing year." The meeting then resolved themselves into a committee to secure hitf election, and sub- committees were appointed to canvass the various Wards.

A paragraph is going the round of the New Zealand papers to the effect that there are eighty newspapers published in that group of colonies, or double the number issued from the pr<-89 in Victoria. For the purpose of Betting our insular friends right upon this poiut, we (ArgUß)( ArgUß) may mention that there are ninety-four periodicals published in this colony, of which eighteen are morning or evening newspapers. Nevertheless, we are far behind" California, which numbers twentyseven daily, 162 weekly, and six monthly periodicals.

The great improvement which has taken place during the present Session of the Assembly in the Hansard reports, has been evident to all who have perused them. This fact appears to be reoognißed by hon. members themselves, for, on the 22nd ult., Mr Carleton, in correcting a slight error which crept into one of his speeches, said :— "lt was, perhaps, his own fault, because the proofs were handed to him for correction ; but the fact was, the reports were so much improved in quality that he had got careless in correcting them."

The pnblio meeting which was held at the Athenteutn on Saturday, to take initiatory stops for the formation of a Society, having for its object the promotion of art, science, literature, and philosophy, was well attended. The chair waa occupiod by His Honour Mr Justice Ward. A resolution, affirming the desirability of forming a Society in Otago, to bo incorporated with the Now Zealand Institute, was adopted. A Provisional Committee was aho appointed. Mr W. D. Mufison was elected hon. treasurer, and Mr J. S. Webb hon secretary, pro. tern.

Tho annual meeting of the Chapter of Otago, E. C, was hold on Monday, for the installation of principals and investiture of officers. E. Comp. Nathan, P.L., aoted as installing ofSoer, assisted by E. Comps. S. James. J. Hyraan, James Mills, W. Caldwell, — Saunders, P.L.s ; and the following Companions wero invested :— E. Comp. Fish, H. ;E. Comp. G. Smith, J. ; Comp, Wilkinson, Treasurer ; Comp. Levien, E, ; Comp. Do Longuovillo Graham, B. ; Comp. Lowry. PL ; Comp. Low, Janitor. After tho ceremony tho Chapter oelobrated their annual banquet at thePior HoteL

A mooting of the Council of the Otago Riflo Association was held yesterday evening, when it was resolved to hold the next mooting on the iirat Friday and Saturday iv December. It waa also decided that a match, to be confined to mongers of following companies, viz , PortChalmera Naval ßrigado Eaut and W.at Taiari, Bruce, Oamaru, and Waikonaiti Rifles, be held in the ennuing weok, to bo oompoted for by mombort of the Association belonging to the a'ovo com* p»me* ; the raatoh to bo simultaneous Member* of the above companies, prize' taker* in tho othor matchoa, exoludod. Mr J. L. Gillies, who is at present making an official tour through the goldnolds of the province, is stated to have boon unable to viait Tapaaui, though, in company with Mr Warden Wood of Switsora, he viaitod tho goldfield on tho Waikaka rivor. The result of hii enquirioa there hat not yet been fully aseorUined, bat it is believed that be promised to havo a portion of Mr Aintlio'a run declared a goldfield.— At Switeors MrGMioi had an Interview with a deputation from tho minors on the aubject of a commonage. Hu answers ta their representations, though ne> oeaaarily indefinite, appear to have gtvon general satinfnotion, a correspondent of tho Bruoe Herald aUting that, " from whivt littlo m havo aeon of him on Switiwra, we ar* in« dined to boliove thai he I* the right stamp to legislate for tht working olaaa, and tho proipftrity of the country."

Referring to" the 'late /public' meeting' in Dunedin, /on the ?su%ot<?ffcthe new loan for Defence -purposes, tHe Welling, ton Independent says :— ltwould thus appear that, it is the. .intention of the .citizens of ' Otago to* abandon 1 th'o'Northeri. Island to its fate. It is' certainly very patriotic, after having obtained the bulk of the public estate of .the colony, and, by the advocacy of their members in j former sessions plunged the colony into war, that ihej[ should now turn round and repudiate, their liability to pay their fair share of thenbost of the war.

Mr FitzQerald, the umpire in the arbitration relative to the apportionment of the debt between ' Canterbury and Westland, has given his award, which has been laid before the House of Representatives. According to the Independent, he finds that the total debt of , Canterbury at the time of the separation of Westland amounted to £672, 867, taking into account the reductions effected by the operation of the Loans Consolidation Act. This sum Mr FitzG-erald apportions between' the province and the county in the ratio of nine to four, Canterbury thus , having £465,831 laid on its shoulders, and Westland having to bear £207,036.

As illustrating the impeouniosity of the Provincial Government of Wellington, a correspondent of .the Independent relates the following : — "A friend of mine was standing at his front door on a rainy night lately, and a policeman had taken shelter in the next doorway. A man-of-war's man, evidently absent without leave; went rolling up the street. Says the policeman, preparing to follow him, 'I mußt look after that chap.' My friend remarked that he supposed the police did look pretty sharp after such characters. The policeman feimply replied, 'My w*ordwe do ; we get L 2 for every man we take aboard, and it is all we have to depend on for a,ljving, for we have [had no pay for the last four months.' "

The General Government have agreed to continue Messrs. M'Meckanandßlaokwood's tender for the mail service for a farther term of Bix months, ending with the present year, at the rate of Ll 1,000 per annum. The original tender by the same firm was at the rate of L6OO per month, or L 7,200 per annum, \ The increased sub. sidy is intended to provide, we hope, for a direct service via the Bluß, in addition to the present service via Hokitika. It will be recollected that a resolution was passed by the House on the 11th ult., authorising the Government to continue the present service for Bix months, in order to allow a full consideration of the subject.

Inthe House of Representatives on the 16th ult, Major Heaphy asked if any steps had been taken by the Government to carry out the suggestion of Colonel Whitmore in his despatch of March 14th, 1869, that some Australian black trackers should be engaged for the pursuit of t rebel murderers. Colonel Haultain, iri reply, said th'it the Government had not yet taken any steps in the matter, as they had not recognised the urgent necessity for the employment of men of that character, but they had not overlooked the suggestion. The Australian trackers were, no doubt, excellent men to follow up criminals, but at present we rather required scouts than trackers, and tho well-known timidity of those blacks would rend, t them quite incompetent to act in that capacity.

The squatters in the Province are now paying some attention to the importance of preserving meat for export, efforts in that direction being made in several quarters. We have already recorded the measures whioh have been adopted by the runho'dew at Clyde and Oamaru. and we now learn from the Bruce Standard that Mr Murray, of Mount Stewart, is trying the old system of curine by salting and smoking with success. The same journal states that Mr Walter Miller, of Roxburgh Station, is making arrangements to follow out the system of the Me bourne Meat Preserving Co., by means of tinning; he has lately been experimentalising as to the best method, and wo believe that, as the result, he has deoided upon adopting the process pursuod by the company alluded to.

The Blue Spur correspondent of the Bruce Herald reports regarding mining matters in that district flfl follows :— The long period of wot woathor we have had has an abundant supply of water for sluicing purposes, and for somo time back the large water oompanies havo had more water available than they could sell. It is now qnito evident that the supply of water brought on to tho Blue Spur is sufficient for proaent rrquitvmonts throughout tho greater portion oi the yoar in average seasons. Morrison and Co have washed away noarly all their Jooae cement, and will soon i<e wash, ing up,' The Perseverance Company have an abundant supply both of water and cement, and are working with thoir usual energy. Livingston and Co are being muoh deUved, on aooount of the lumpy character of the cement brought down by their laat blast, whioh require* muoh, manual labour in breaking up before it can bo waahod away. Fife and Co are pawing enormoua quantities of debris down their raoe with apparently a« good results aa ever. The Blue Spur Company's Tribntera havo washed up, and as tho term for whioh they hold tho ground has expired, new arrangementa may probably be entered into. Tho Great Extended Company have noarly waahod away the ground brought down by their last blast, whioh haa proved to be by far the beat shot fired by them for a long time ; the oement being not only broken up fine, but a'ao coming down f roily under the lotion of. water.

on the Duke of Edinburgh's tour through these colonies, after bharabterising his visit to New Zealand as- " apolitical mistake," goes on to say :-J-There!W«w ; aj want iof ' eonsiderationrra something approaching, to an insult to New^ Zealand H -in sending there, one of the finest specimens of the British Navy, fully equipped in nW'and material, to lie idly in their waters in holiday trim with a holiday crew, while' witbin'a few miles of her the colonists" were probably engaged in a hand-to-hand 'figh| with the ferocious savages. The money spent in a raree show on their waters.' while not one penny is spent in aiding them in the deadly struggle, with the contrast between the condition of the Colony's forces and that of, the Galatea's crew, are too marked to.be pleasant or gratifying to the colonists.

Mr Samuel Goldston, ©f the Arrow River, writes to us as follows •—•" Sir— With no small consternation t observed in a late issue, of * our paper that the Executive ia again occupied" with a Railway Scheme. Not only is the way they have taken up the question to be condemned, and ought to be put a stop to, but the idea itself may now be looked upon as antiquated,, since- something better, cheaper, and also more expeditious, can be provided. Sir, I can without boasting state, that my efforts to construct a flying maohine are about to be crowned with success. The construction of the machine is so cheap, and the plan so simple, that I may well be excused from going into the particulars thus publioly. Naturally averse to boasting, I may briefly inform your readers and the wor d at large, that the maohine is fast approaohing completion, and that iv the course of next month this grand problem will be satisf actorily solved by me. "

A party of gentlemen in Nelson have been endeavouring of late to raise the stun of L3O to send out a body of four men to explore the country at th« head waters of the Pelorus And Wairoa, and back toward* the mountain known as the Devil's Arm-chair, which overlooks the Wairau, According to a local paper, several of the streams which flow from these ranges are known to be auriferous the famous Wakamarina, for instancewhile gold in quartz has been found in higher localities . The country can scarcely be said to have ever been prospected, owing to the great difficulty in getting through it, the hills being covered with timber and exceedingly ragged. It is intended to employ two men In cutting a track, while the other two prospect, and by this means it is hoped something may bo discovered that will lead to further researches. Every practical dieger wjio has looked over it from the top of the Dun Mountain has expressed hinuelf in favour of its likely.lookmg appearance for cold, and scientific testimony is not wanting in support of this opinion. The recent frosty weather, says the Tuapeka Times, has rendered the Molynoux beaob.es workable, and hundreds of Chinese are busily engaged in taking, advantage of the opportunity. Some parties are making splendid wages— from three to ten ounces per week. From Horseshoe Bend to the Teviot the beaoh is lined with Celestials, busily cradling ; and a couple of Germans have made quite a pile by starting a ferry to the island. All the storekeepers are doing well, for John is a cash customer, and fond of living well, when he is getting "mucbee gold." Should the river fall a foot or two lower, the return of gold from Monnt Benger and Teviot will be largely increased. — In opposition to this statement, the Dunstan Times asserts that the dredges at the Teviot are not doing well, there being but one that is on pold. Two have been prospecting below the Dumbarton Rock, but without success, and they are now making their way back up the river. Henry Gaaon wishes to express* through our columns, his sincere thanks to the inhabitants of Dunedin for the interest they have taken in himself and in his family. He says :— " I arrived here from- the Chatham Islands in April last, with a wife and six children. Since then I have lef t nothing undone to procure even a day's work, but in vain. The Benevolent lustitutdon took up our case, and allowed us temporary support, for which we feel extremely grateful. During the last week • lady, Mrs Fitzmaurioe, heard of our situation, and has left nothing undone to raise funds to procure clothes, food, and money to pay our rent, from friends in town who ha*e come forward most liberally, besides being the means of getting mo employment. Tho neighbours in my locality also have supplied us with everything noedful. I trust that, by expressing our sincere thanks through your paper, those who have contributed to help us will accept the thanks that we should have returned personally." Early on the morning of the 24th ult., tho side wall of tho Mechanics' Restaurant situated in Bourfee-atreet, fell in wjth * great crash. The accident was caused by tho «• oavations being made for the foundations of the new arcade, the contractor not having taken proper moasurts to support the wall The proprietor of the establishment, suspecting something of the sort would happen, cave notioe to the contractor on Monday last that he would hold him responsible for any damage done. On Wednesday evening the vr%\\ Wan to crack in a very dangwras Manner, and shortly after tire o'olook yoiterday morning, after giving a very short notioe a large portion of the wall o&tne down bodily, the greater part of it luoktly falling outward*. This is the stoond accident of the kind that has happened of late in Melbourne through removing the support of an adjoining build, ing, Tho ttftto of AJta'i <$n Pafe* in

$purke£tee| t is;^e*ginyng;fe^»Q>, notice, , and many persons, prefer walking in the street to passingalong the footpath, notwithstanding the strong supports to the front of tho building. , (, , ' :• ; ! The usual monthly meeting of 1 the Danedin Volunteer Fire Brigade was held at the Engine Station on Monday, Captain Wain occupyingthe chair. The Secretary read the minutes of the last meeting, which were confirmed.; Leave of absence was granted for one month to Mr 0. Bellman. A donation of books to, the library, was, received from Mr G. V. Westropp ; and the Seoretary was requested to acknowledge the same by a letter of thanks. Messrs Alex. M'lntyre and Ebenezer Glass were elected working menders. Captain' Wain urged the members to "* keep up their practices in order to perfect the number of new members lately joined, and said be hoped to see a good muster on Wednesday evening next . In answer to a question , by a member, Captain Wain stated, that ho had nbt as yet reoeived a reply to the .last letter from the Brigade to the City Counoil, in reference to a eecond supply of books, but he had heard indireotly that the matter had been referred to the ' Finance Committee. Mr James Lawlor was proposed »s a working member. The meeting then closed.

At an adjourned meeting of the Porb Chalmers School Committee, held in the School- house on Monday, all the menbera being present, and Capt. Thomson preaidine, it was resolved " that application be made in terms of Clause 2, of the Grammar Sohools Ordinance, 1869, to the .Education Board to constitute the Bchool into a grammar school." Mr Peacock moved, and Mr Meuelaus seconded, that Mr Reid the present master be not recommended to the position of Head Master. An amendment was proSDsed by Mr Shanks, seconded by Mr amphell. that Mr Reid be recommended to the Head Mastership of the School. On the amendment being put four voted for it, and the Chairman declared the original motion carried. It was then resolved that an addition to the sohoo should be made, also that Mr Moason act as interim secretary, and that he be authorised to forward the above resolutions to the Education Board. D iring the meeting, a large number of the public were present, and seemed to take great interest in the proceedings.

Mr Maoandrew, in a letter to Captain Fraser, offers the following explanation on a snbject which has recently occupied some attention :—"I: — "I note your remarks about Driver and his letter to Treweek. and am at a loss to conceive to what he alludes, as I have never had any dealings with either Driver or Treweek, with respeot to which they could have broken faith, or which may not be proclaimed upon the house-top The only matter to which there can be any possible reference must be the attempt which. I made to get the Government out of aßorape, in respect of some agricultural leases which it had received applications for upon Treweek's run, without having taken the necessary step to acquire the right to grant suoh applications. In order to get over the difficulty in the case of a Highlandman at the Beaumont, Treweek and Driver offered to compensate the man if he made off. I strongly recommended him to do so uuon the strength of theoffar. Snbsequently, I believe there was some hitch in the compensation, and I imagine that it must have been in reference to this that Driver had written to Treweek that he would be breaking faith with me if he did not pay the sum agreed upon."

The first goneral meeting of the shareholders of tho Meat Export Company recently established in Christchurch, was held on the Ist inst. The report of the interim directors, which was read, stated that they had thought it advisable to combine at once the preserving of meat with the boiling down process. With this objeot, they had completed the purchase, on iavoorable terms, of » preserving plant recently imported by Mr Tooth, and secured the services of a very oompetont expert in the preserving process, who came out under engagement to Mr Tooth. Tbis apparatus it was estimated would, with a few slight alterat o,as, bo capable of tinning down from 2000 to 2500 sheep weekly. It was also stated that a site of 42 acres in the old bed of the Waimakariri,' about seven miles from Chrisfcchnrqh, had been selootod for the erection of tho works. The numbor of shares pubtoribed for up to date was 844, which tho directors considered quite insufficient for the purposes of the company. Two gentlemen promised to remedy this to the best of their ability by taking more share*, and persuading others to follow their example. The report vu then unanimously adopted, s>{tor which directors wore elected for tho ensuing year, and the moeting separated. An inquest was hold on Monday afternoon at the Golden Ago Hotel, Stafford street, before the City Coroner, Mr T. ML Hooken.and • jury. Q P° a tQ9 k^y ot Q* 0^ 0 Hiokmaa, a slater, residing in Stafford street, who committed suioide on Saturday. Tho following evidenoe was taken : — Harriot Margaret Parkos step-daughter of deoouod, stated that she last saw the deoeasod alive on Saturday afternoon about 4 o'olook. He was then in tho back yard. He then proceeded to his bedroom, Mid about ten mlnutea afterwards she went there after him, and found turn hanging by the neck by a rope, the end of which was fastened to the handle, and pasted over tho top of the bedroom door. Witness immediately nntiod the rope, and with the assistance of a woman named Nolan, lifted him on his bed. Doooasod was then dead. Thewitnosi Also rt*t*d thai dftMMfd h*d, about six

monthsago, tried tohanghimself. The,woman j Nolan corroborated the evidence of the previous witness. This being all the evidenoe, the Coroner stated that there was not the slightest doubt that deceased committed the act, and, the jury returned the following verdict :—-" That the deceased committed suioide while in a state of temporary insanity." , .....*./■ ! An assault, committed under somewhat unusual circumstances, and, as was alleged without provocation, formed the subject of an action in the Ressident Magistrate's Court the other day. The complainant, Mr O. Townsend, and. the defendant, Mr 8. Webb, are painters and paperhangera. The complainant was indebted to the defendant, and the former, a few days ago, called a meeting of bis creditors at Ware's South Australian Hotel, and offered a composition, which was accepted by five out of eight of the | creditors, defendant being amongst the minority. Before the meeting separated, he pat some questions to the complainant about some payments which he appeared to regard as fraudulent preferences. Respecting theße payments and other dealings, the defendant alleged that the complainant gave different accounts at various times, and said he struck him at the meeting of creditors, because he was under the impression > that on that occasion the complainant impugned his statements with a view of inducing' the other creditors 'to believe that they were unreliable. The presiding Magistrate said the evidenoe adduced convinced him that an ' unprovoked assault had been committed, and lie ordered the defendant to pay a fine of LlO, with costs.

The Cromwell correspondent of the Dunstan Times writes regarding th« state of mining affairs in that district as follows :— From one end of the district to the other, accounts from the mines are most satisfactory, there being » plentiful supply of water, and consequently a proportionate quantity of gold is offering ; but of all the yields none can compare with that from the. Quartz Reef at Bendigo Gully. Messrs Goodger, Garret, and Logan are now deservedly reaping a rich harvest for their perseverance and iadustry. They have had lately several breakages to their battery, causing great delay and inconvenience ; but withal they are produoing » large amount of gold During the past week between 400 and 500 ounces of the precious metal have t<een sold by this party, and appearances indicate a continuance of the like good' fortune.- Messrs Bartlett and party, who have a claim on the same line of reef, are raising some good looking stone. 1 hear that Mr W. J. Barry, of Cromwell, who is interested, with tbis party, has purchased the plant of the old Criterion Quartz Mining Company,' Arrow, and intends erecting it close to the reef j great things are looked for from these) claims, and there is not a dou^t. if the present favourable prospects continue, the Cromwell Mining District will be the centre of attraction for Otagonian capitalists and miners.

Mr Fox's Ministry, says the Wellington Independent, is a very weak Ministry indeed, and those persons who based their opinion of Mr Pox's real power to form a strong Government on the large majority which he recently obtained for nis no confidence vote, will probably experience a 'eeliog of disappointment that he should not have been able to form a stronger Government than ibis during the many days that h»ve been afforded him for negotiation. Many of those who voted for his no confidence resolution, did «o simply with the view of ousting the Stafford Ministry — some members of which they thought incompetent —and establishing a new basis of operations, which would result in the formation of a new and powerful Ministry, possessing the confidence of tin H/uae, and supported by a large working majority. Somehow or other, there seems to be a gonoral feeling of doubt whether Mr Fox can form suoh a Ministry from the ranks of those gentlemen who are the special supporters of his supposed policy as shadowed forth last yoar. Of course, we do not know what modifications may have taken place in Mr Fox's views since that time, because as yet, he has made no fresh revelation of his intentions. But this much we do know, that if he comes before tho Hooso with his present colleagues and states his adherence to tho polioy of last session, ho he will fail to find adequate support ; while, if, abandoning former opinions, ho aoonpte the main features of Mr Stafford's polioy, ho will lose many of his special supporters who helped to sooure him a triumph in the rocout division.

The Roldficld lately roportod to hwo boen discovered in Canterbury seems, after all, to be a " duffor." Messrs (toorgo Long and E«lmund Ford, two of tho throo persons by whom tho reward of L2OO offered by the Provincial Government was claimed, write to tho Superintendent of Canterbury as follow* :•— " On I'cholf of ourselves and mates, who are working for gold in the Malvorn Hills, on whose behalf a claim for tho reward was sent in to you, wo wish to stato w* are not desirous of claiming tho reward of L2OO. as wo do not consider it to bo suffioicntly remunerative," Mr Arthur Dobson writes to tho Lyttelton Times on the same subject as follows :— M Returning home from Lake Coleridge, I called at Soowden, a station owned by Mr Gerard, and in oorapany with that gentleman rode somo three miles off the road, to soe the new rash, situated some seven miles from Wind Whistle Homo, and within half a-milo of Mr J. O. Wilson's station, rented by the Messrs Maxwell, and in obargo of Mr Upton, Thji it the locality wJtart Mr Long m 4 hi*

two mates' have beeri working for the last three weeks., Mr Upton told us that there never had, to his knowledge, any gold been found there, only the colour. The men admitted to me that they had never struck any, and were only prospecting. As the most extraordinary reports, ate all over, the ,'cbnntry ' concerning this said goldfield, allow' me through the medium of your columns distinctly to say that there is - no goldfield and no quartz reef found. No gold that can be seen with the naked eye has been found by Long and his mates. All I who were on the ground besides Mr Gerard and self were tome ten men, who arrived from Christchurch soon after We got there. There may be any quantity of gold in the Malvern Hills, but for any but prospecting parties at present, a greater sell never ' existed." ™

The Thames Advertiser, in its iijstie of the 19th ult, asserts that "the last quarterly returns of gold exported from New Zealand showed that this locality had produced more than from all the Goldfielis of Otaao." This statement is not correct. The Tasfc quarterly returns issued show that the valua of the gold exported from Otago during that period was L 143.596, while the value of that exported from Auckland was Li 131,273, being a difference of L 12.323 ., The number of ounces of gold exported from Auckland, however, is greater, being 41,674 against 35 908 cuncea from Otago. But the Auckland gold •son ly worth 1.3 3a per ounce, being 17a per ounets less than the value of he Otago uold ; hence the number of ounces is a false standard of comparison, though some of the Auckland members in the Assembly have studiously k-pt this fact in the 1 * background Here, also, we may point out the very f mlty way in which these returns have been compiled. In the return published in the. JNew Zealand Gazette of the 11th ult., of the value of the exports from the colony during the quart-r ending on the 31at March, the number of ounces of gold exported from Otago is put down at 35.9<>8. the value of whioh is computed to be L 143.447 instead of L 143.632; the correct amount. Thin amount, however, is set down in a return pnblishedin the Gazette of the > 3th May at L 143 ,596, an already stated. Worse still, the number of ounces exported from Auckland during the same period is stated in the Gazette of June 1 >th, to be 41, 674. the value of whioh is put down at LI 17,440, instead of L131.v!73, being an error of no less than L 13.833. That the number of ounces as stated in this return is correct, is shown by the amount in the return issued in the Gazette of May I3tb, tallying with it, consequently the value Btated in the later return is incorrectly calculated. If this is a fair sample of tha rest of these returns, they are worse thaa useless, being calculated onl- to mislead. We have frequently had to point out errors of this kind, and we hope that steps will be. taken by the authorities to render the returns in future more reliable than they now are.

Some tables, regarding the proposed steam mail services and their probable annual ooathave been recently issued by the Government. From these tables, it appears ihat the annual cost of the present arrangement would be L 21,700. By the arrangement proposed by the Auckland Cham, ber of Commerce — viz., one intercolonial servioe from Melbourne to Hokitika via the Bluff and Wellington, and vice vend ; one intercolonial servioe between Sydney and Auckland ; one inter provincial service ; and a Napier service, the annual cost would be L 25.800. By a third pl«n, of one intercolonial service from Melbourne to the Bluff, via Hokitika and Wellington, and vice vend ; one interprovinmal service between the Munukau and Wellington ; and a Napier service, the annual cost would be L' 5.350. The time occupied in the transmission of a letter from. Southampton to Port Chalmers by each route' would be 64, 61, and 66 days napeotively. Another table shows the date of ar« rival at the difforenfc ports of New ZoaUnd of a mail from Southampton, via Melbourneand Hokitika (as at present), via Singapore and Auckland, and via San Frano sco and Auckland. In the first of these routes a blunder erf six days is committed, all through. For iustanoe, a mail leaving Southampton on Jnne 12th, and reaching Port Chalmers on August' 15th in estimated to occupy 5S days in transit, instead of 64 days, as oan be soon at onpe by the veriest tyro iv arithmetic Tho time . . occupied by the Singapore and Auckland roato to Pork Chalmers is sot down/ at 75 days ; and by tbo B*n Francisco and Auckland routo at 47 days. Those latter calculations aro based, tho ono on the P. and U. Company's time table, and the tables peparud for tho Melbourno Conference ; and tho other "on tho rest information which can be procured." The annual amount which would be paid per annum in gratuities, supposing the mails for and from h ngtand, Ac, were oonveyed between New Ze Aland and Australia by unsu sidised stoatners is estimated at L 3638 Is 4d. In oonohuion, we may point out that the t mo oooupiod by the present arrangement between Melbourno and Port Chalm«rs is put down at 10 di»y», tbo fact being that the pamge between the two ports — with oae exception, whin the time was 11 days— has nevor oooupicd lens than 12 days.

Door mats made of New Zealand fl»x deservo to come into fashion. Mr Joseph Forsyth of this oity is now engaged in making them, and judging from a specimen shown to us, is likely to xneot with some suooom. It is a handsome arttole, decidedly better than the ordinary imported mat, and At tho iftme time tonally oh***,