TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCHES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 470, 21 April 1871, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCHES.

(per grevilli! &c 0.,. reuter’s agent, Vv '■ “ Dunedim April 1 3,’3.30p.m. A smart earthquake shock occurred at 3.56 pan yesterday. Dr. Featherstone missed the Alhambra, but goes per Lord ashlev, and home by the Nevada. The Provincial Government have received intimation that an ct to amend and c<*mlidate the goldfie'ds laws, will be the ensuing session.

A mining conference meets in May. The landowners of the Clutha offer the Government fifteen miles of land free of charge, provided they go on with the construction of the line at both ends. V \

‘ \ The census s’hnw.s that there is a population of 2,57&, Chinese in the province, exclusive of those brought by the Whirlwind

A correspondent informs us'ifefi at Bald Hill Flat the harvest has all been gathered in, with satisfactory results generally. Several of the farmers in 'he district have commenced to plant trees on their holdings. Injmining matters there is a great improvement. The population is steadily increasing, fresh ground is being taken up, and some prospecting is going on." There arfe two new tail-races in course of construction.

A private in the Armed Constabulary has been committed for trial on a charge of murdering J. B. Gillillan, a br tber constable, at Rangiohia, on the 29th ultimo.

It is reported that the beach claims at Port Molyneux are turning out well, one yielding £2O per week per man. It has long been believed that payable gold wou’d bo found at New Caledonia, and the discovery of small quantities of the precious metal has from time to time been reported. It would seem from the fol owing paragraph, from the Hobart Town Mercury, that the anticipations of former prospectors have at last been realised, and a valuable gold-field discovered in the island : —“ Mr Feliingham, of Spring Bayp. who arrived lately by the s.s. City of Hobart, from Sydney, informs us that whil in Sydney be met with a miner named; Piper, who informed him that he i ad' recently arrived there from New Ca’edonia, where he had discovered a rich gold-field, both alllivial and quartz ; and that as a reward for the discovery, the French Government had presented him with £2OOO, and made him a grant of 02 acres of land. Our informant states that Mr Piper had in his possession about half a peck of alluvial gold , more or Rss pure,, and that he brought wiih him from New Caledonia to Sydney two tons of quaitz and rotten slate, whicli Qh Being crushed yielded 64ozs gold. Mr Piper had, in company with some Sydney capitalists, purchased the necessary crushing machinery at the factory of Mr Stephen, Piit-street, Sydney, and was about to return with it to New Caledonia. A schooner had also been chartered to take a number of experienced miners to the new gold-field. Mr Felingham had a small nugget ot the alluvial gold with him, which weighs four pennyweights, and appears of average quality. Mr Piper is siated to have had considerable experience at California, at Gympie, iu New South Wales, and other gold-fields, and he represents he newly discovered field as the richest he has ever seen.”

The road between Clyde and Queenstown is much improved, the repairs recently effected having put the bad places in a very fair condition. We hope that the system of metalling will be persevered iu, as it will cost in the long vuji inueh and will keep the road passabm in all seasons, thereby conferring a greai benefit on tbs residents of ihe Wakat pv and Dunstan districts.

We are informed that it is the intention of the postal authorities lo open a few more private boxes at the Clyde post-office. This step has not been decided upon before it was needed, as for a long time past the great inconvenience felt from the small number of private i oxe- has t een apparent to everyone but the “ powers that be ” No time ought to be Jost in Laving the boxes available.

A sharp earthquake shock was experienced in' Clyde at 3.59 p.m., on Wednesday last. Its course appeared from south to north, and it lasted about thirty seconds.

The Molyneux, which last week rose some little height, has now fallen to its usual level, and several of ihe dredges w ioh were compelled to discontinue, have recommenced operations.

The news brought by the, San Francisco mail of the peace negotijjtiohs between France and Germany}. abjmtgh it was generally expected tfejt such -would be the case, caused a feeling of gratification that the sanguinary struggle which has deluged the “ pleasant land of Fiance” with the blood of two great nations, had at last come to an ei d. The terms exacted by the conquerors were hard, but the conquered had no alternative. They had fought well and I ravely to preserve intact their country, but foiled and beaten on every side they were finally compelled, through sheer exhaustion, to lay down their arms. A brilliant page has been added to the his ory of Prussia, but at a fearful cost of life and treasure, while the humiliating terms her antagonists have been compelled to accept, have engendered iteep feelings of hatred and revenge which only wails opportunity to break forth, and make it almost certain that, at a future day she will ha ve to battle again for her dearly laurels. France seems to be in tlte tllktes 'of anWher revolution, and it strife will plStjo !Woris th A for in of government is finally The Bourbon and Orleans family are hard at work urging their claims ; the Man of Destiny is coming to the front again, while the Red Republicans are arming for the impending struggle. The results of the six months war has been to consolidate the German unity; to elevate Frederick William of Prussia into the position of Emperor of Germany ; to give Rome to the King of Italy, and the throne of Spam to one of his family ; to almost undo what the British and French destroyed Sebastopol for ; and- to cause all Europe to turn its attention to the invention and construction of the mhst deadly weapons of destruction. Whei^ v wif( 'ho horrible butchery which men {furious war, be considered too barbarous fttf civilised nations to indulge in. \

A very clever invention has lately been patented in California for the purpose of working sewing-machines by machinery. A strong spiral spring on an upright shaft is wou (1 up, an'i, commui icating with simple clockwork, performs all the work that is now done by the foot. A break regulates the spcc'd, or stops the machine instanter. It i» very ‘ixnple, and avoids the injurious action 'necessary to work the treadle. One of these improved machines found its way to Auckland by the Wonga Wonga on her last trip. \ By our telegraphic inteligonce it will be seen that a meeting of mining delegates is to be held in May. The meeting is to take place in Dunedin, and the Dunstan, Wakatip, Teviot, Switzer’s, Mount. Ida, and Tuapeka districts are each to send one delegate, to be elected on May 4th,

By au advertisement -which appears in another column, it will bo seen that Mr

Robert Barlow of this town, has gone into the photographic business. Mr Barlow has excellent apparatus,[and a good studio, and we have little doubt but (hat his portraits will be fully equal to any taken in Otago.

Mr Horace Bent’s “Historic Mirror” of the Franco-Prussian War, was exhibited in the Town Hall, Clyde, for the first time last evening. It consists of a number of well executed paintings (similar to tboso of the panorama of the AVnerican War), illustrating many of the principal incidents in the late war between France and Prussia. The different episodes are represented in a mpst Vivid and life-like manner. Commencing with the Declaration of the War in Berlin (abeautifully illuminated scene), and depicting in succession each batde and bombardment—the firing of guns, bursting of shells, and general effects—serve to give an appearance of reality to the picture before you. The moonliglP scenes are extremely naturd, especially die scene representing the encampment of the army of the Loire with rising moon, twinkling stars, beacon lights, and other effects. A bettci informant concerning this most disastrous war could not he presented. The Diorama is accompanied by an exceedingly well delivered leqtmfi, vavorsd occasionally by humorous by Mr. Horace Bent, and appropriate music by an excellent pianist: Atogetlier, this is one of the most enjoyable a'hd interesting entertainments we have ever witnessed ; and, as this is positively the last night in Clyde, we advise all those who have not witnessed it to attend this evening. The Diorama will be exhibited at Cromwell on Saturday evening. We are informed that a waggon and six horses’ fed over a sidling at the Gentle Creek on Monday last. Onr informant did not give us f 11 particulars, but states that the waggoner narrowly escaped with hrlife.

A man named John Hamilton diet’ very suddenly, at Ida Valley, on Monday last. Deceased, who was a miner, residing at the Serpentine, was an out patient of the Dunstan District Hospital in January last, being treated for a pulmonary affection, and was advised by the Reside t Surgeon, if he did not get better, to come into the Hospital. On Monday last, on his way to the Hospital, he stopped at cinnamon's Ida Valley Hotel. While there he helped a waggoner to draw some water, and, while doing so, burst a blood-vessel. He complained of having hurt himself, and went to laydown. A few minutes afterwards blood was seen gushinn cut of his mquth and nostrils, and he almost immediately expired. Dr. Niven was applie 'kfcp \d b old a Magisterial Inquiry, but ffSclined to do so, on the groun 1 that postmortem exqimina'ion was require I. The Distric* Coronerwas then communicated with, and, after becoming acquainted with the facts, decided that an inquest was nut necessarv.

The “Cleveland Herald” makes the following truthful observations concerning country newspapers:—“ The local paper is an absolute necessity to the country community where it is published. All the city papers cannot supply the place of the local paper. That should be the first love of every man and woman, for with the paper is the locality identified. The paper gives the country and town where printed much more prominence and importance in the world, and gives tn detail more local naws than can be gained by any other source Every week’s issue of the paper is so much local history, and the rise, growth and development of the town bountry can be measured and recorded only, hy, the local newspaper that constantly,!!) gathering its items. People do not properly appreciate their home newspaper. They measure the value of a newspaper too much by the number of columns it contains. The home paper at any price is the cheapest one can take, fo- -in it is found the information to be obtained from no other source. Another thingto be taken into consideration : Every country district has one or more nevvsp pers. Hence, circulation of each paper must be limited. There is therefore the greatest need of activity and interest on the part of the people to give their own good paper, vigorous, and substantial support.”

The “Otago Doily Times” understands that the Provincial Council will not be called togethc" foArtho transaction of business until tW-S2iid May. This delay is owing to the'backward state of the Executive business can eel by the recent elections.

The other day at Nelson, Judge Richmond, on the subject of oaths, remarked that he hoped he should see tee time when such oaths as were used in a court of justice would he done away with. He considered that they were nothing more than a superstition, and their use was liko assuming that the Supreme Reing would be better pleased with a man’s adherence to to the truth because he went through a certain formula, than if he used none. Perhaps, said his Honour, he was not called upon to make such a statement as an English Judge, but he was quite entitled to say so as an English gentlfimaii —a sensible one too. .. \ x V We understand that Mr. Jeremiah TJrummy intends to applythe current of the Manuherikia to work the ground applied for by him on Tucker Hill, near Alexandra. He proposes to use an unde shot wheel as motive power to work pumps to bring the water on to his claim.

The arrival of a number of Chinese at the Lakes, who eame direct from the Flowery Land per the Whirlwind, has induced oue of the leading Chinese merchants to erect a new store in Queenstown for the especial behoof of his countrymen. Mr. Shepherd, school teacher at the Teviot suddenly dropped down dead at Moa Flat on Monday. Death was caused by apoplexy.

A correspondent sends the' following .tol the Auckland Herald :—During my business career in Auckland, it has been a common practice with mo to deal with tboso who patronise my own shop. Thus my grocer's, baker’s, butcher’s, shoemaker’s bills, have been usually settled by contras. I thought, however, I was going far enough when I found myself obliged to become the unwi’ling owner of a cumbrous piece of furniture, for which I had no use ; but will you believe it, that a man has just had the coolness to propose the liquidation of his debt by “ supplying myself or any of my friends with coffins.” This appeared to me like dying to live with a vengeance.

Mr George Fache informs ns that he sold by auction yesterday, at Black’s, one-eiirhth share in the Perseverance Water Race, Dryhread, for £2lO A number of interesting mining cases were heard at the Warden’s Court, Black’s, yesterday. We regret that the lateness of the hour at which our report of the proceedings came to hand precludes us fr >m publishing it.

A meeting of gentlemen favorable to the establishment of a Public Lihraty was held at Newcastle on the 10th of April—Mr Ellaoot, in the chair. The fol'owing gentlemen were elected a committee to carry out the object of the meeting Messrs Farquhar, Smith, Thomas, Russell, Ellacott, Massing, Thomson, .and Norman. Mr W. W hon. sec., librarian, and treasnflf. According to rnespatebes received by Viscount Canterbury, the American filibustering expedition was to leave America in February, arid yvoVld visit Melbourne, Sydney, and Duiwdin. \ # We are gla 1 to notieo\ that steps have been taken to form, an Antfeur Dramatic Club in Clyde- A meeting was held last week, at which preliminaries were arranged, and it was rnsolved to give a performance to the Queen’s Birthday. On the night of April the 15th, the mate and a sailor belonging to the brigantine Ottawa lying at Tiraarn, went to the Bea tiful Star to take oft' their captain who was supposed to be on board. He was not there, how ve", and the men put off to return to their vessel. Next morning the boat was found three miles down th,e coast emptv, and with spots of blood on it. It is supposed that the men quarrelled, and that both were drowned.