OTAGO.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 28, 13 February 1863, Page 2

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The following items of news are gleaned from the Otaqn Daily Times of the 6th and 7th iast. '.— During the intense mid-day heat of yesterday the asphalt pavement in. MaeLiggan-s.treet became so soft as to take the size and pattern of every footmark. We ob«erv d a number of lads wilfully engaged in manufacturing gigantic cribbage boards on the pavement, by swinging round on their iron • heeled boots, and making holes about two in (-lies in diameter and of the same depth. Such wholesale destruction of our footpaths should not escape the notice of the police. Mr Thomas Morland Hocken has been appointed Coroner of the City of Dunedin, in the room of Henry Howorth resigned. We ■jeliove that Dr. Flocken is to be sworn in before Mr. Justice Richmond to-day. A notice appears in another column to the effect, that on and after the 16th instant, the Post Office at Punstan will be opened as a Money Order Office, for the issue and paympjit of money orders. Sheridan Knovles's fine play, the "The Hunchback," was produced at the Princess Theatre last evpning, in a very gratifying way, and evidently much enjoyed by the audience, which ought to have been more numerous, if paying goes by merit. A public meeting to consider the distress in the cotton manufacturing districts of England and Scotland, will be held in Dr Burns's church on Wednesday evening next, at 7 o'clock. His Honor the Superintendent will be requested to take the chair. The halves of the Victoria, screw steamer, intended for Lake Wakatip, remained at the top of the slope behind Mr. Cargill's residence ; and yesterday, bags of flour and rice, apparently, were being stowed in them. , We saw yesterday two more sailing boats mounted, and doubtless intended for the Lake, where there will soon be a perfect miniature fleet. The Taieri Agricultural Society held a show of cattle, sheep, horses, ant) produce yesterday in a paddock adjoining the Springbank Inn, East Taireri. The society was formed in 18K0, and was inaugurated with a prize ploughing match, a similar meeting being heldlast year. There have been got up. - under its auspices, a goodly number of triendly ploughing matches, for the purpose of mutual help in preparing ground for crops, but yesterday was the first occasion on which, anything like a show was attempted. The settlers have, apparently, been forced into go-a-headism by the rapid pi'ogress made in other directions throughout the Province, under the stimulus of our wonderful gold discoveries f and in truth it has made a most creditabie stait, as will be seen from the simple fact that no less than £175 were offered as prizes. A meeting of the. Provisional Directors of the Dunedin Water Company was held in M' Combe's office, on Wednesday, sth instant, at which a report by the Engineer wa-s read, and plans exhibited. From the report it appears that the sour.ces of supply are within three miles distance from the General Post Office, and the altitudes of the sources are 508 feet, 487 feet, and 426 feet, above the level of the sea. It is proposed to construct a settling reservoir from whence the water will be brought tothe borders of the city with a service reservoir the elevation of which will be about 354 feet above the same level. The proximity of the source of supply is more than ordinarily favorable, and tlii? altitude at,which the water may be brought within the city border secures a high pressure, which circumstance wiil not only be most advantageous in conveying a plentiful supply over all the eminences of the city, but will afford immense* facilities for extinguishing fires and watering the streets. The quantity of water thus obtained is mote than, the present wants of the city require, and therefoie it will be unnecessary to collect the flood waters, or to erect large reservoirs for settling, or filtering beds for purifying. The estimate of expense has been fully treated on, and the capacity of the pipes and reservoirs is double what the present supply would call for. The total cost is stated at £34,587, and by charging 15s per annum for each inhabitant, the shareholders will derive a net profit of 17A- per cent, exclusive of G per cent to be ga'u ran teed by the Provincial Government, and without taking into consideration the large income which will be derived from the Government for watering streets, baths, and other public purposes ; extinguishing fires, and supply to the shipping in the harbor. The meeting adjourned till Saturday, at one o'clock, for the purpose of finally deciding on throwing open the share list to the public