Be this as it may, it was under this land law that the first large estates in Otago were formed. •

We remind the members of the Bal clutha Athenaeum Committee of the monthly meeting this eveniug. Mr Black, sometime accountant in the Balclutha. branch of the National Bank and latterly of the lleefton branch has been appointed to succeed Mr M'Lean as manager of the Tapa nui branch of the same bunk. Many of Mr Black's old friends here will be glad to hear of. hss promotion. The third of a seriea of articles upon " Tlie Prevention of Pauperism " will bo found on our third page. The article will be found a very interesting one and affords ample food for the serious consideration of all who seek fcbe re moval of some of the dark blots that so disfigure society here and elsewhere. It woull be well that all classes of the comma utv sho<iU ponder the startling facts and figuves adduced by the able writer of the articles referred to. On the occasion of his leaving BalcHitha for Christchurch, Roy. W, F. Knowles was on Monday afternoon presented by the congregation of St. Mark's with a purse of sovereigns as a parting token of their esteem. Mr Knowles was also the recipient of a similar compliment from his Clinton congregation. A social meeting was held in the Athenaeum hall on Monday evening to bid the rev. gentleman farewell. The first quarterly inspection of the Clutha Rifles under the new regulations was held in Barr's Hall on Wednesday evening, Captain Gordon being the inspecting officer. There were present — Captain Parmenter, Lieut. Stewart, Sub-lieut. Watt, 1 colour-sergeant, 3 sergeants, and 24 rank and file ; total, 31. Two membars of the corps were absent, the full strensth being 33. The new rifles were issued during the evening, the pattern of which the men seemed well pleased with. The Returning Officer gives in our advertising columns the resulb of the recent poll regarding the proposal to levy a special rate iv various districts within the County to meet payments of loan applied for under the Roads und Bridges Construction Act. In all the dis tricts except Pomahaka the votes and values were virtually a unanimoug one in favour of the proposal. In Pomahaka the majority of votes was against, although the values were for the proposal. 