TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCHES

Dunstan Times, Issue 474, 19 May 1871, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCHES

(Per Greville ami Co., Router’s Agents,)

Dunedin, Thursday afternoon. Sailed, Agnes Mull 1 with six passengers., 15,000 ounces of gold and a large cargo. An interesting letter from Mr. Vogel has been published here. He recommends as guiding rules of our railway system, that the first lines shall bo constructed to meet actual traffic demands. Secondly, that the people should be sufficiently intelligent to protect themselves "against accidents, thus saving continuous fencing along the lines and costly crossings. Flour has advanced 205., and is now saletble ab £l4. Milling wheat is ss. 3d. ; Oats. 2s. 3t to 2s. 5d.. The dinner to ;)r. Featherston at Wellington was attei ided b - 400 persona. Dr. Featherston was p-esented with an address. The beach Workings at Port Molyneux are turning out well. One party obtained 200 ounces in three weeks.

The Assembly is prorogued until June 22. Mr. Mouat has been elected Chairman of the Mining Commission. In the Commission them is a general feeling that in any consolidation of the Goldfields legislation’thatall matters notimmediately mining should be dealt with by separate special Acts. All waste lands should come under the"provisions of the Goldfields’ Act without a proclamation being necessary. Ihe Victorian statute on this matter was considered applicable. The delegates were of opinion that if native lands were dealt with specially, no difficulty would arise. It was not the duty of the Commission to consider the consequence but the duty of the Government to adapt general legislation as far as possible in this direction. It was considered desirable to render the tenure of mining property more secure, and to adopt the Victorian system of issuing rights for a term of years, and [of issuing consolidated miner’s rights. Opinions seem that the restrictionjfexcepting two heads of water in favor of bank claims will only operate as a restriction’on the original grant, and ought not to have any effect to deprive owners of water rights of any portion of the right originally granted. A general opinion was expressed in favor of limiting the powers of Wardens to those expressly conferred by law, and annulling their discretionary power. It was 'suggested that it would be desirable to give administrative power to local boards. The Commission is r expected to last ten days, and then to adjourn till after the meeting of the Assembly,

A Court for the revision of the list of voters for the Dunstan district will be held at the Court-house, Clyde on Tuesday next the 2.’lrd instant at 10 o’clock. Mr. M. W. Hodgkins is Revising Officer. We understand that the arrangements for the establishment of a public Library, at Black’s are progressing favorably. The subscription has been fixed at £1 Is. p"r annum, and 12s. Gd. for half year. The Committee expect catalouges and price lists in a few days.

In another column will ho found a report of a meeting held on Tuesday night last for the purpose of establishing a building Society in Clyde. Very great intesest was taken in the movement, and over one hundred shares were taken up in the room. Within a fortnight it is expected that over five hundred shares will be taken up.

A sad accident occurred at Butcher’s Gully on Friday lost, resulting in the death of a young man named Honcyman, who [was in the employ of Mr. O'Regan, butcher, of Alexandra. The deceased met Mr. King, butcher of Golden Beach a few hundred yards from Nieper’s store and, both being on horseback, they raced to Nieper’s store. On arriving at that place, the girths of deceased’s saddle broke, and ho was thrown violently against a horse post that stood at the door of the store. Ho went into the store and lay down apparently in pain, and was shortly afterwards put to bed. On the following day he was taken to Alexandra and died upon arriving at the Boatman’s Arms Hotel. An inquest was held on the body on Monday, before Mr. Pyke. when the above facts were elicited. Dr. Thomson stated that death was caused by rupture of the liver. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

We are informed that on the Queen's Birthday there will be a grand picnic, and that in the eveninga per'Ormatloeby Christy Minstrels will be given irt the Town Hall, On Monday last the MolyHeilx fell sufficiently to allow the dredges to resume work. It has since however risen considerably. Messrs. Bennet and party have Applied for a lease of four acres at Conroy’s Gully, on a new reef. They struck a leader on the surface which gave an excellent prospect and several good specimens have been picked up.

We understand that Mr. Pyke is making arrangements to hold courts Weekly at Cromwell and Alexandra,after the Slat inst, At the last meeting of the 'Town Council it was resolved to proceed with the Water Scheme, and to caU for tenders for the construction of a new race. An advertisement calling for tenders appears in another column.

The Rev. S. T. Nevill, the bishop elect of Dunedin, will be consecrated in Dunedin on the 30th instant.

Mr. G. Pacho will sell by public auction, at noon tomorrow, at the Dunstan Sale Yards, horses, kc. A Government sale of town sections was held at Alexandra, on Tuesday last, but none were disposed of A number of sections in the town of Cromwell will bo offered for sale to-day. by Mr. J. C. Chappie, „ Government auctioneer.

“ Agricola’s” letter arrived too late for insertion in our present issue. It will appear in our ncxl.

By advert ismont which appears in another column, Captain Baldwin, Deputy SubCommissioner of the Government Annuities and Life Assurance Department, announces his intention of delivering a public lecture on “ Life Assurance, ” its history, principles and advantages. Captain Baldwin had crowded audiences at Queenstown, Arrowtown and Cromwell, and has been highly successful in his mission up country. We understand he received over eighty proposals in the localities we have named; Mr. J. C. Chappie sold six sections of land in Clyde on Wedensday. The bidding was not very spirited as very few people knew when the sale was to take place and what land was to be sold. One section which had been twice granted to the local Masonic Lodge, and for which that body had offered the Waste Lands Board £l2 10s, was sold for £3 ! While on this subject we may mention'that a gentleman inquired at the at the District' Survey office the locality of the sections to bo sold and was informed t ha* the local officers'did not know, as the Waste Lands Board were not in the habit of communicating with'them on the'subject. The sluicing parties between the 'Half Way House and Cromwell are anxious to work’the ground underneath the road having proved it highly auriferous. Butthe Govern ment Engineer will not shift it further back. Elliott and party offered "to shift the road at their own expense but the Engineer refused to give them permission fo do so. Surety if the royd can be altered without interfering with the traffic. The miners should be allowed to do it.

Readers of the London Journo, 1 , “Low Bells,”?and similar publications will be in- < crested in the new regulation of the British Postal authorities regulation o' Magazines and Periodicals, which consequently are now subject to Book Post rates. The past age ou the London Journal is £J., rod on JBovl Bells, Is., so thatjtheir cost in the colonies will be largely increased. Tins throwing impediments in the way of a large and important branch of export trade savors more of Chinese stupidity than British enlightenment. Byadvertis-m.enfc which appears in another column, the Chief Commissioner of Waste Lands announces that the sale of the township of Ophir, Black’s, fixed for the 20. hj instant has been postponed until further notice.

The Court Pride of Alexandra, Ancient Order of Foresters intend celebrating their second-anniversary by a grand supper to take place at Jack’s Criterion Hotel, Alexandra, on the evening of Friday the 26th instant. Tickets, 10s. 6d. each may be procured from the Secretary, Mr. Rivers.