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Western Star, Issue 348, 15 May 1880, Page 2

Tho statutory annual meeting of the Town Council, for the purpose t»f assenting to the balance sheet, as also the usual fortnightly meeting, lapsed on Tuesday evening, u. quorum not being present. The members in attendance were Ur« Crockett, Petehell and Locke.

Messrs Daniel and Crockett', the local agents o* the Australian Mutual Provident Society, forward us a copy of the thirty-first annual report of that flourishing life assurance company, from which we gather that during the year ended 31st December last, 9,496 proposals have been received for sums amounting to £3,383,735, of which 3,361 were declined, withdrawn or not completed, amounting to £1,236,030. leaving 6,135 proposals accepted and completed, assuring £2,103.683. The Mayor received the following reply to His letter requesting special trains to be laid on between Invercargill and Riverton on holidays : —" General Manager's office, Invercargill, 10th May, 1880. To J. Heid Esq., Mayor of Riverton. Sir, —In reply to your Favor of 30th ult., requesting an extra train to be run between Invercargill and Rivert.on on holidays, 1 have the honor to inform you that I propose running a special -train from Invercargill to Riverton anil back on the occasion of the Queen's Birthday, on 24th inst., at suitable hours, of which due notice will be given ; but.l cannot promise to run in addition to tne ordinary service a special train on each holiday. I -shall, however, be glad at' any time when the department and the public will aliko be benefited, to ac.com n.odat«" the Riverton people so far lies in my power. —I am, &c, T. Arthur, General Manager." An Orepuki eorospondent sends the following copy of a. petition in course of signature there :—" To the Chairman and members of the Waste Lands Board, Invercargill. Gentlemen, —We, the undersigned residents of Orepuki, do hereby humbly pray—That the Waste Lands Board would cause sections 15, 16, 17, and 18, block 2, Longwood district, to be re-advertised as open for selection, they having been reserve I until railway survey wa3 completed, and your petitioners were notaware that they were open for selection until reading of their having been applied for in the newspapers of the day. We would further pray that the power of administering these lands be withdrawn from Warden Wood, as, in our opinion, lie has not hitherto administered thom in a just and impartial manner. Mr Warden Wood most unmistakably led the public here to believe that when the reserve was taken off due public notice would be given so that all would-be purchasers would have an equal chance. Trusting that you will accede to the Di'ayer of your petitioners who, us iu duty bound will ever pray." The annual grain show in connection with the Western District Agricultural and Pastoral Association, which takes place on 28th inst., bids fair to excel those of former years. The Secretary has already received intimation of a considerable variety of exhibits. It may not be generally known that the - committee invite exhibits of articles of interest not specially mentioned in the prize list, novelties and improvements in implements, &c., and they reserve to themselves the right to recommend additional prizes or certificates of merit for such exhibits. The past season has been so favorable to the growth of first-cliss cereals, grass seeds, &c, that fcbe quality and quantity of exhibits in these classes will doubtless be unusually good and large. The privileges in connection with the forthcoming Queen's Birthday races at Riverton were sold by auction by Messrs P. Grant and Co. on Saturday last. The amounts realised were as follows . —Refreshment booth, £lO, Mr Shields of the Wallace County Hotel; fruit stall, £2, Mr B. Boivin ; gate and cards, £2, Mr D. MeLeod. There is surely a lack of enterprise on the part of our local " pubs" in allowing so valuable a privilege to be disposed of at the paltry sum of £lO.

We notice by advertisement elsewhere tliafc Thompson's Great Confederate Diorama Company will visit Riverton on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, 27th, 28fn, and 29th inst. The troupe is a very large one and besides the panorama being a splendid work of art, extra attractions are offered by the performances of Lieutenant Herman, a ventriloquist of great merit; and last, but not least, there will be distributed to the audience a splendid collection of'useful and valuable presents, a speciality for which this company stand unrivalled. The exhibition has just arrived from Melbourne having been on view in the adjoining colonies for upwards of 1000 nights with immense success. The exhibition has never been in Riverton before, and it iB promised that the full entertainment with all its accessories will be produced in its entirety the same as in Melbourne. The gentleman who acts m the capacity of business courier is Mr H. J. Whittington, who was a resident of this town some years ago, since which time he has travelled nearlj all over the globe and has gained for himself a reputation as an agent of experience and ability, be ; ng highly spoken of by the press of the sister colonies.

A party of Chinese at Round Hill had thei* tail race robbed oh Sunday last. They had been working for two months, and from prospeots washed it various times they estimated that there was at least £SO worth of gold in the ra«e. They have no suspioion of any one in particular, but offer a reward for the discovery of the thief. The practice of robbing tailraces at Round Hill is becoming uncomfortably common. A suitable punishment awaits the guilty person w'»en caught. The conditions upon which grants-in-aid of prospecting, referred to in another column, will be published on Wednesday.

On Alt that Mr Warden Wood intends to enter an action for libel against certain residents at Orepuki- for statements contained in a petition to the Waste Land Board, attributing to him partial conduct in connection with the administration of certain Crown lands at Orepuki. The petition, we understand, insinuates that Mr Wood received an application from one farore 1 individual for sections 15, 16, 17, and 18, block 2, Longwood district, reserved for completion of railway survey, before it had been publicly notified that the reserve had been taken off and the lands re-opened for application. It is stated that the application in question was not received by Mr Wood—that ho refined to receive it, in fact, and that the application was ma le direct to and received by the Land Board itself. If the latter statements arc correct, very good cause has been disclosed for the charue of libel. It is certainly very desirable that purity should characterise the administration of Crown land.*, a 9 well as the whole of tho official service, but for that same reason it is highly imperative that charges of mala Iminstration should be made only after due preliminary enquiry, which couW not possibly have been done in the instance under notice, otherwise, a to'ully different conclusion would have been come to. The Rev. Father Kehoo will celebrate mass in St. Uoluinbkille Citurch, South Riverton, to-morrow, at 11 a.m.

Tho following tenders were reeeivpj by the County Council on Saturday last for maintenance of Otautau and Riverton road : —J. Stewart (accepted), £45; J. Boniface, £•>&; J. Glynn, £75. The tenders of Bole and Malloy (£3O) and R. M'Williams (£l9 10s) were informal.

The heavy rain at Orepuki on Tuesday and Wednesday caused a sudden rise in the Waimcamea Creek, which injured the approaches to the recently erootod bridge the»o. The water is said to have been higher than has been known for many years. With commendable promptitude the county authorities took immediate steps to get the damages repaired.

The " surprise " visit to the Riverton School of Mr Goyen, the Southland Education Board's Inspector, took place on Thursday. As will be seen by the subjoined report, a copy of which has been furnished us by Mr Jas. Reid, Chairman of the School Committee, the school continues to maintain its wellearned reputation for excellence in everv department,—a fact redounding with credit to the staff, and should be highly satisfactory to the parents c-f children attending the school. The Inspector's report is as follows : —" This school continues to be conducted in a manner that is highly creditable to Mr Webber and all his staff. The discipline of the children and the tone of the school are all excellent. Records made up to date and properly kept. The requirements of the syllabus are fully complied with." The Rev. Mr Ferguson, the recently elected assistant to Mr Stobo, of the First Church, Invercargill, is expected to preach in the Presbyterian Church, Rivertcn, on Sunday evening next. A son of Mr James McN;iy, of Limestone Plains, died very suddenly at Ins father's residence on Sunday last. Deceased was twenty years of age and was subject to epileptic fits. During last we«k he was seized with several very severe fits, from which however, he rallied ; but on Sunday he was again attacked, and death ensued during the puroxtams of a fit. Deceased was a promising young mau, and great sympathy was felt with his parents in their bereavement, as is attested by the large attendance of settlers at. the funeral on Thursday. A meeting of the sub-committee of the Western District Agricultural and Pastoral Association Grain Show was held yesterday afternoon. Present: Messrs Hamilton (chair), W. K. ILizlett, Fullarton, and Murchio. The business was t.o receive reply from judges appointed at latst meeting and opening tenders for annual dinner. Two of the gentlemen r quested to uct as judges declined and others were appointed in their phice. Four teuders were received for catering for the dinner, as follows : —L. F. Clapp, 7s 6d: J. Pattison, 7s 61; M. Shields, 6s (> 1; F. Clode, 6s (accepted). Messrs Whil.linghaiu Bros and Insione wrote offering a valuable cup to the highest aggregate money prize taker at the forthcoming show. The Secretary was instructed to write accepting the offer with thanks, also to advertise tho prize. Mr G. O. Cassels, the Secretary of the Wallace and Fiord Hospital, de>ires i>s to acknowledge the receipt from Mr 0. H. Tusou as a Jonation to tho Hospital library of a very handsome illustrated Family Bible in numbers.

The Volunteer bal. to be held on Thursday next, 201 h inst., promises to I>l* a brilliant success. Preparations for the event, are well forward, and the decoration of the hall is entrusted to artistic hands.

The Chairman of the County Council has received intimation from the Minister of Pub lie Works that the sum of £SOO asked for by the me'inbpr for the district out of the vo e for opening up Crown lands passed Inst ses sion, has been placed at the disposal of the County Council for the purpose of cutting a track from Orepuki to the Waiau. This will doubtless be a sad disappointment to one or two cavillers, who thought that the member for the district hud not been active enough in following up the claim for the expenditure of thiß sum, and tried to make political capital thereby ; but we feel sure that this one more proof of their member's zeal will be duly appreciated by all but those of his constituents who are actuated by a feeling of personal antagonism. It is stated on very reliable information that tenders will shortly be invited for the next and last section of the Orepuki railway. Mr P. K. M'Caughau, the member for Rivert-m, announces that he will address his constituents at the Oddfellows' Hall, Ri vert on: on Wednesday evening. Probably no professional concert company in the colonies has enjoyed forsich a length of tirao the popularity of the Carandini Company. The sterling quality of *-he performances given by the company is no d jubt the primary cause of this lasting popularity. It will be observed that the company is how making another tour of the colony, and that they intend giving two performances in Rivrton on 2lst and 22nd inst. The company comprises Madame Carandini, Miss Marie Carandini, Miss Josephine Deakin, Mr Walter Sberwin, aud Mr H. Gordon G->ooh. At the ordinary weekly meeting of the Waste Land Board on Thursday we observe that a very proper snuobiiig was unanimously adniinisiered to those who signed a petition praying the Board to take out of the hands of MrWarden Wood the administration of certain lands at Orepuki. From the " News" we learn that the discussion on t.ie petition ended in a resolution to advertise the. sections to which the petition referred, open|for application throe months hence. The subject came before the Board in the form of a petition on the subject, in which those signing it prayed that the administration of those lands might be taken from Mr Warden Wood, who, it was alleged, had dealt with them in an improper manner. In reference to this, the Board unanimously held that Mr Wood was blameless—if anyone was at fault it was the Waste Lands Board or its chairman, Mr Wood merely acting on his instructions. It was agreed that the petitioners be informed the animadversions on Mr Wood were entirely uncalled for. On Monday and Tuesday evenings Mr and Mrs Hart gave their entertainment in the Oddfellows' Hall to very fair houses. The entertainment is appropriately named," Happy Hours," and was certainly one of the most pleasant that has visited Rierton for some time. Tho performance comprised two operettas, " Diamond Cut Diamond" and "My Wife's Relations," interspersed with character singing, dancing, &c. Mr and Mrs Hart divided the applause fairly between them, with their rollicking fun and humor entirely free from vulgarity. The marvellously swift changes in the characters impersonated made it appear as if there were a dozen performers instead of two. The Highland Fling and skipping rope dances by Mrs Hart were most rapturously applauded, and a similar feeling was evinced at Mr Hart's performance on the " smallest banjo in the world." Miss L. Hart and R. F. Koper also sana several songs in a vary pleasing manner. The complimentary benefit last evening to Mr R. F. Haybittle, leader of the R.R.V. Band, was an unqualified success. We regret that owing to the lateness of the hour at which thj entertainment terminated, and a preoccupation of this issue'6 space, we are compelled to hold over until Wednesday a detailed report of the performance. We may mention that the Invercargill Band were.present in compliment to Mr Haybittle, and that Captain Hankinson, on behalf of the members of the Band, presented Mr S. Q-. Instone with a silver-mounted conductor's baton, in appreciation of his services as hon. conductor.

A meeting of the Committee of the Queen's Birthday R;iees w»j hell at Callajrlian'sHaveloek Hotel lust evening. Tiiero were present: Messrs Robertson (chuir), Newton, Murchie, Callaghan, and Taylor (lion, secy.). Nominations as follows were received :—Hurdle Race —W. J. M' Lean's or in Bride, aged; J. Henderson's br m May Day, aged ; .T. Smith's g g Waiau; J. Bonar's Both well; Kenneth Prassr'e b h Charlie, aged. Maiden Plate - M. Haves' eh h Paddy, ti years ; \V. Ward's g h Stormbird, 4. years'; J. Henderson's blk g Little Bobby, ;"> years; R. Anderson's b h Darkey, 6 years; I). Brei.cbley's ch c Hastings, 3 years; C. Wyett's blk c M ullatto. Riverton Han.Heap —1. C. White's b g Atlas, nged ; J. Smith's b g Hornpipe, fi year* ; R. Andersoa's bli Darkey, 6 years; G. Mason's b m Zenobia, aged; J. Bonar's Bothwell, aged; D. Breuchley'a ch c Hastings, 3 years '• C. Wyett's blk c Mullatto, 3 years. Wallace Stakes—J. M'Leau's br m Bride, aged; J. Henderson's br m May Day, aged; J. Smith's b g Hornpipe, 6 years; K. ITraser's ch. g Charlie. The Secretary was instructed to write soliciting the services of the Rifle Volunteer Band on - the day of the races. Persons who have subscription lists are requested to return the same to the Secretary with the amounts collected on or before 22nd instant.