The Dunstan Times SATURDAY, 6th JANUARY, 1866.

Dunstan Times, Issue 193, 6 January 1866, Page 2

The Dunstan Times

SATURDAY, 6th JANUARY, 1866.

rtene:itb the rule of men entirely just, tl pen is mightier than the swoku!”

The Post-office authorities appeal to understand but little of the wants of the up-country districts. The mail contracts for 18G6 arc a unsatisfactory as they -well could be—in iact had a trial ueen made to put everybody to the greatest possible inconvenience, it could not have been more succesful. Our means of communication with Dunedin is reduced to twice a week. We might in truth say once, were it not that the postmasters at Clyde and Alexandra had the good sense to depart from the usual spirit of routine, and make up a mail on Sunday afternoons ; otherwise answers to letters arriving at either place on Saturday night could not be despatched till the mail of the following Friday. With respect to Tuapeka and the Teviot, it is hard to speculate how long a letter might take going as all communications inthatdirectionmu9t pass through the Dunedin post-office, while a reply would be so long in coming back, that were it of any importance to the writer of the original epistle, it would cease to be so long before he re ceived it. The Kevis mail communication is restricted to once a week. Why the reduction from twice has been made we are not capable of comprehending. That goldfield contains a population of at least 600 persons which number is daily increasing. It is only a days' ride from Clyde, and we fully believe that a contract for carrying the mail twice a-week could have been obtained for a trifle more than what is paid now. The service to the Lakes appears to have been managed worst of all. The Postoffice department, not satisfied with reducing the number of communications, have stopped the coach traffic —the mail being now carried by packhorses. Only a week ago we had well-appointed coaches running between Clyde and the Boaring Meg, from whence passengers were conveyed at a small cost to Quecnstown. The journeys were made with the greatest punctuality, and without the slightest mishap whatever. Now, the travelling public must get on the best way it can. We will leave it to the people of Queenstown and the Arrow to show why their means of communication with this place and Dunedin should be so restricted —being assured that a district possessing the richest quartz and copper mines foundinNewZealand, will not tamely submit to be snubbed, or see itself a subject for experiments by wooden-headed officials in Wellington, who are ignorant of their business. ■ We should like to know what is the use of the Government spending thousands of pounds to open up a safe and easy means of direct communication between Queenstown if some encouragement is not given to coach traffic. We don't say that coach proprietors should D 9 subsidised, but when tenders are called for the conveanco of mail? to places where good road? exist, and where the population justifies it—a provision should be made that they should be conveyed by coach, and in alj cases, let tfie population be ever so small or scattered, a preference should be given to persons who would carry the mails by any vehicle capable of accommodating passengers.

In the Provincial Council, on Thursday the 29th ult., Mr Adams's motion—"That 1 this Council do not proceed with the ' Appropriation Bill, until the construction a of the Executive is such as to command \ the confidence of this Council," was carried by 1 13 votes against 10. At the 5 o'clock sitting f ;he following day, Mr Adam announced 1 .hat he had succeeded in the formation o' ' i Government, which consisted of Mr ! Miller, Provincial Secretary; Mr Haggit. Provincial Solicitor; Mr Moss, Provincial 1 Treasurer ; Messrs Street, Hughes and 1 himself, non-official members. The Govorro.' has appointed Mr James--1 Thompson to be Registrar of Births, | Deaths and Marriages for Manuherikia, '<■ John S. Hickson, for Blackstone Hill: ' Henry Stratfoid for Dunstan, and Henry ' Norman for Wanaka. The appointment:- 1 to take effect from Ist February next. ( New Year's Day was ushered in with the * usual honors bestowed upon such an x auspicious event, by the inhabitants oi l gddfields' townships, which signifies a 1 general sitting up to see the Old Year out f ond the new one in; then a serenade I (musical or otherwise) to the principal s personages of the community, the morning's ] diversions winding up with singing, • dancing and skylarking, including a few c innocent practical jokes upon persons who * did not participate in the fun, or who c manifested fet lings showing they did not * approve of what others did. £ The unfortunate man Richard Atkinson, 1 who was stabbed by one John Jones at £ Waipori, on Friday, the 22nd ult., died ' on the Friday succeeding. An inquest ] will be held upon the body. Mrs Dick- * son is recovering from her wounds. The assassin has been captured. The result of ! of a magisterial inquiry held after Jones's ' capture shows that there had been no quarrel or ill feeling between the parties ( —the miscreant having no other object but to rob the house, first having disabled the ' inmates. A mee'ing of miners resident at the ' Manorburn was held a few days since to ' receive the report of the deputation which waited upon his Honor the Superinten- ! tendent in Dune J in, for the purpose of ' procuring a subsidy towards the erection ' of the proposed foot-bridge across the Manuherikia River. The deputation reported that they were very favorably re- '' ceived, and that his Honor would cause 1 to be placed on the Estimates a sum of ' money, equal in proportion to the amount i subscribed. It was agreed that the ' bridge should be capable of bearing horse ' traffic. A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Simms for his assiduity in collecting subscription;- A similar vote was given to the deputation, also to the chairman, when the business coneluded"VVe are requested by Dr. Shaw, House i Surgeon to the Dunstan Hospital, to ac- ' knowledge the receipt, on Christmas-day, of a bag of vegetables, and on New Year's day of a similar quantity of green peas, for the use of the patients. The donor - declines having his name published. The donor, whoever he is, has set an example ' which we hope to see followed. A meeting was held on Tuesday evening ; at the Union Hotel, Clyde, by those inte- i rested in promoting the Dunstan and Manuherikia Race Meeting. Mr. David ' Jones occupied the chair. A committee ' was appointed. A subscription was ! opened, and upwards of one hundred pounds was raised It was determined that the races should come off on Thursday and Friday, the loth and lGth of February next. Nearly all the sporting ' men in the district have promised their support, and there exists but little doubt but that the meeting of 186G will excel that of the year previous. A second meeting was held last evening, when Stewards were appointed, after which a number of gentlemen formed themselves into a Jockey Club, We perceive that our old friend, Mr J. R. Rossiter, at one time the proprietor of a Dunstan journal, has, in connection with Mr Stanley, written a pantomime for i the Hokitika stage. It is entitled " The Maori Demon or the Geni (Jinny) of the ' Bar. It was announced to be performed ' on the opening day, (the 22nd ult.) of the '< new Theatre Royal. ' We are sorry to learn that the lad James 1 Brosnan, who rides the Tuapeka mail between Clyde and the Teviot, was thrown 1 violently from a horse, while riding a race * at the latter place on Boxing-day. The 1 poor little fellow is very much hurt, and 5 was insensible for three days. He is now, | however, in a fair way of recovery. An association called the Middle Island - Association has been established in Can 5 terbury, having for its object the promotion 1 of the Separation movement, and the col- ' lection ai?d dissemination of information on that subject.

Alluding to the death of Mr. James Tweed, the " Grey River Argus" says:— "We are sorry to have to record the disappearance and supposed loss of one who t. was very much respected by all who knew T him. We allude to Mr. James Tweed, c formerly of the firm of Hazlett and Tweed, t Dunstan, Otago. Mr. Tweed left town on g Saturday afternoon, the 9th December,with a his two horses and dray, taking a load to a ohe Ballarat hotel, at the Three.mile Creek, p Fr >m the time of leaving there on his way o b ick, beyond having been passed by several r persons who knew him, he has not since f ;>een heard of, and as his hat has been v picked up on the beach, and rumor also adds that his horse, dead, has been cast up d north of the the township, we are afraid t that we must submit to the certainty of v his untimely fate. As marks of the wheels v of a dray were traced to the extremity of o the South Spit, and lost sight of on the verge of the river bank, where the river a rolls deep and swiftly, the supposition v prevails that in the dark the horses, in- £ stead of keeping on by Blaketown, had s gone forward along the beach, and been I suddenly precipitated over the steep bank p into the sea. Mr. Tweed was long and a favorably known to all old Victorians, and especially Bendigonian residents, and both j there and in Otago, and throughout the 1 different localities where he has been, his i kindness of heart, gentleness of bearing, t and thorough integrity and honor of pur- t pose in all his transactions made each and c all like him, and now, alas, they mourn his i loss. He was a native of Glenarm, in the p north of Ireland, but had been resident in the colonies for the last ten years-" The same newspaper, of a later date, says : —We learn that the body of Mr James Tweed has been found beyond Port Elizabeth Point, and near to him was one of the drowned horses. Several of his trieuds started off to carry the body to ( town. c A new goldfield (Okaaita) to the south j of Hokitika. has beeu opened. Writing * upon the subject, the "Hokitika Ad-L vertiser" says :—" Okarita is stated by|, those who have ')aid the place a viszt to be! a remarkably fine district, possessing many , inducements for a permanent settlement, ( The country is described as tolerably open, , well-grassed and sheltered ; the river abounds with the finest of fish, and there are areas admirably adapted for - agricultural and grazing purposes. It is ; said to possess many advantages which we j do not enjoy. The great drawback, however, is the narrow entrance to the channel '. which will only allow small craft to enter it without danger of being driven on one or other of its numerous shoals. About a - thousand miners are already on the ground with the usual proportion of store and grog-shanty keepers. More of both classes are following, or are about to follow. Of the extent of auriferous country we arc unable to speak with certainty, - but those who have set into work and have bottomed, their claims are all doing well, and express themselves satisfied with their prospects of a good golden harvest. The population is orderly in the extreme, , and although police protection is on the ground it is in little request. We regret to learn that a fatal accident happened at Low's erossing-place, Manuherikia river, by which a young man, a son-in-law of Mr. M'Gill, of the Raggedy , Ridge, lost his life. We understand that the gentlemen who i were some time ago gazetted as trustees for the Clyde Cemetery have not received any direct official communication, and hesitate 1 to act until such is received. , We are informed by the Secretary to the Dunstan Hyspital that' the usual monthly meeting of the Committee will be held on Monday evening next, at the Clyde Hotel. The New_Year's Ball at the Royal Mail Hotel, Alexandra, was a great success. The large concert hall attached to the hotel was tastefully decorated for the occasion, and a first-rate band was in attendance. The votaries of Terpsichore assembled in goodly numbers, some thirty couples standing up at one time to dance. The arrangeI mentswere admirably carried out. Host Terry acquitted himself in a most satisfactory manner. We were yesterday shown by Mr J. E. Staite, photographer, of Clyde, some charming views of the Dunstan and its neighborhood. They are taken carte de visite size, so as to readily pass through 3 the Post-office. The price is two shillings and sixpence, thus enabling persons ) having friends at a distance, to give them a correct idea of New Zealand scenery. 1 Horse-racing and other sport were held at Hill's Creek on Tuesday last, at which a considerable number of visitors were Q present. Mr. Kinross's Market Gardener '- won the Publicans' Purse, and Mr. Glassi ford's Tippoo the race for a. new hogskin saddle, with bridlo.