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Dunstan Times, Issue 524, 3 May 1872, Page 2

From the return of the number of sheep in the Province of Otago for the year ending the 31st of September, 1871. We take the following particulars :—H. Campbell, Wan aka, 50,000; Campbell and Low, Bushy Park, 15,000 ; Campbell and Low, Bemnore Station, 45,195; Campbell and Low, Galloway and Omaka Stations, 80,000; J. G. G. Glassford, Matabanui Station, 38,000; Graham and Walton, Hawksbum Station, 12,000; Howell and Loughnan, Mt. Pisa Station, 41,000; Handiside and Roberts, Lauder Station, 16,402 ; JCLcan John and Allen, Morvera Hill and Redcastle, 10,000; M Lean and Allen, Oatnam, 100,000! M'Laren Gregg & Co., Jloutere Station, 16,500; R. M'Morran, Lake Wanaka, 2,800 : R. M‘Morran, Gold-fields, 1,000 ; New Zealand and Australian Land Company, Kawarau, 28,864 ; Stafford and Bell,(Ida Valley, 26,500 ; Strode hud Fraser, Earusclengh, 22,000.

We would specially draw the attention of miners and residents in the district generally, to the meeting con vend by the Dunstan District Miners Association, to be heldatHawthome’s Clyde' Hotel, on Saturday evening, the 4th inst. The ostensible object of the meeting is to obtain information as to the extent of auriferous ground within the Leaning Rock Survey District, and to petition the Government to withdraw the same from the operations of the agricultural lease operations, and further, to cancel the leases of areas known to be auriferous and already in occupation. Now, as many settled interests—the farmer, market gardener, dairy men and miner, are to be assailed, it would be as well for each class to be on the alert, and carefully watch the proceedings, and, that representatives of each interest contemplated being affected, should put in an appearance and give, the meeting the benefit of their knowledge of the locality ; nothing would be easier than to produce a wrong impression by an one sided view of the question, and, if there is to be a petition it must set forth facts incontrovertible. Gold, the great lever that has raised the Province, nay, the Colony indeed, to its present position of wealth and importance, must* perforce, take precedence of all other products, and the demands of its seekers for land be first satisfied. Admitting the ground contains sufficient of the precious metal to recoup the country for the loss of surface, and the miner for extraction, but yet justice must be done, and great care and trouble in deciding on which side justice must lean. The Leaning Rock Survey District may be better described as the Clyde Commonage, tins, we opine, will be sufficient to point ont the locality. Thursday, the 9th inst., is appointed a day of public-thanksgiving for the recovery of the Prince of Wales. All persons in the Colony are called upon to unite in the observance of the day.

In a decision given by A. C. Strode, Esq. R.M., Dunedin, it was laid down, that persons impounding cattle, debartbemselves from recovering by civil action, if they lodge a claim for damages with the poundkeeper. The Hon. Win. Fox delivered a public address under the'auspicea of the Christchurch Total Abstinence Society on the subject of Total Abstinence. Mr. Saunders, ex-Superintendent f of Nelson, occupied the chair. Before introducing Mr. Fox, lie said it was now more than forty years since he had adopted the principles of total abstinence from all intoxicating drinks, and be might add that no step be bad ever taken had caused him so little doubt as to its propriety. He had been surprised, and even amused, to find that people spoke and wrote against Mr. Fox for bis conduct in to total abstinence. Some had complained that lie (Mr. Fox) had spent some of his tnne_in addressing total abstinence meetings, aud he (tho Chairman) hoped that no Premier of New Zealand would ever have any greater complaint laid against him. They often heard that-teeto-talisra was not the proper means for removing the groat evil of intemperance, but when anyone could point to any other better course for bringing about thqt result, he should be ready to adopt it. From the Chief Inspector’s letter to tho Provincial Treasurer, under date the 11th inst., we learn that there were :in the united Province 3,111,439 sheep on the 30th of September last. In Otago proper there were 3,431,623 sheep above six mouths old—--1,777,782 being returned as depastured [on runs, 196,054 on gold-fields, and 20,699 on Hundreds. All are returned free from scab, and the Inspector certifies from actual observation that they have been so for the past year. The following arc the precise terms in which Messrs Brogden and Sons apply for a water-right license at Mikomri : —Name and address of applicants—Messrs. John Brogden and Sons (care of Mr. Geo. H. Tribe, Ross) Style under which it is intended to conduct the business of this race —The Mikonui Water Company. " Number of heads of water—Fortyjhcads from sourhe, together with all drainage and streams on the line, subject to existing rights. Length of race—Twenty one miles. Capital proposed to be expended—£4o,ooo. Term for which license is required—Fifty years. Precise local y —Commencing at the Mikonui River, above the second gorge, and cut along the Mikonui slopes of the Greenland Range to crest of Range at Sailor’s Gully. Further conditions—We require a space of tru chains wide, being five chains on each side of the race, conveyed to us . for the term of the lease, for the protection of the race and supply of timber: and a special claim, for mining purposes, five chains wide, the whole length of the race, along the lower side of the protected belt. Mr. Brogden arrived in Clyde on Monday last about 3, a.m., and proceeded direct to Dunedin by Cobb’s coach which started at 5, a.m.

An American exchange says :—“lt is a great mistake to suppose that Editor’s keep

public reading rooms ;that they have plenty of time to talk to all and everybody ; that they are delighted to get anything to fill up the paper; that they have plenty of time to correct bad manuscript; that they are in duty bound to puff everybody ; that they should know everything, whether informed of it or not; that they have plenty of money ; that they should notice every scalawag that travels ; that they should have news when there is not any news ; that they should print every man’s name who attends a dog fight, and should keep every man’s name out of the paper who comes before the police court.”

The new Court House at Cromwell is being rapidly proceeded with; when finished it will be one of the handsomest structures in the Dunstan District. It is admirably situated on the terrace at the rear of the town, and vtfll be seen to atlvantage.

Crown Grants in favor of the undersigned, are notified in the Provincial Government Gazette as ready for uplifting. Broughton Ellen, section 7, block 3. B. E. Bail'd, sections 7, 9, 10* block 7, Gladstone. We have received a letter from Mr. James Cheesoman, of Black’s, in which he takes exception to that portiop of our Black’s correspondent’s letter in our last issue, referring to the amount of gold obtained by his party, he says, instead of getting sixteen to twenty ounces to the paddock, the party is dissolved, some having left in disgust, while those remaining are only prospecting, he says as reports of rich finds are likely to mislead many, he feels it but his duty to contradict them when false.. The “Planting of Forest Trees Act,” which came in force on Wednesday last, contains the following clause to which we draw the attention of our readers. “If any person shall plant any land not being less than one acre in extent with fruit trees, he shall be entitled to receive in respect of every|acre of land so planted, a free grant of two acres of rural land of the .Waste Lands of the Crown, which may be open for sale within the Province in which the trees are planted.- Provided that no Crown Grant shall be issued unti/it be satisfactorily shewn that the land has been devoted to purposes of planting only for at least two years, that the trees are in a vigorous and healthy state, and, that the land is securely fenced against o both], sleep and cattle.”

We are requested to correct a typographical error that-crept into our Alexandra correspondent letter of.the 12th ult refering to the Sale of Mr. Knowles, miningiProperty at Alexandra as instead of “One half” it should have read one third of the-Water ■Races known as Oliver and Knowles realized 50(M Mr. Oliver being the purchaser. West Coast Papers to hand state that at the Supreme Court Hokitika William Potham was found guilty of Cattle Stealing on three Charges and remanded for sentence. We understand that Mr. Hickey the member for Cromwell quietly stepped off by Coach to Dunedin, without giviu" his constituents the benefit of his experience as a Provincial Councillor. The report of Mr. T. L. Shepherd’s meeting at Clyde appearsin another column. The gentleman held meetings at Cromwe 1 and Alexandra, but as they were a repetition of what was said at Clyde, we offer this as an apology for excluding them.