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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1917, 28 June 1869, Page 2

The New Ministry. —lt will be seen by our Wellington correspondent’s telegram, that Mr Fox has been partly successful in foimjng a (Government; and that Mr Vogel has joined him as Colonial Treasurer, and Air Al’Lean as Minister for Native Affair’s and Commissioner of Customs. The other offices have not yet been filled, but rumor lias been busy as to their probable occupants. Air John Cargill is freely mentioned as the likely Postmaster General, and the names of Dr Feather-don, Mr E. J. C. Stevens, Mr Ormond, and Mr Eolleston, as members who will probably be non-official members of the Government.

Princess Theatre.—The burlesque of the “(loth of Gold ” requires elaborate scenery, splendid appointments, and goodly dressed performers to be successful; but as produced at the Princess Theatre on Saturday evening, it only possessed one of these adjuncts, viz , the last one. True it is, that one or two nicely painted scenes by Mr Willis were exhibited ; but that was all. Although well cast, the burlesque was not, on the whole, played so well as it should have been, Darnley is not a part that suits Miss Porde,

and all she did was to sing well. She sang “Good-bye at the Door’’with much taste, and was deservedly encored. Miss Nye, as Lady Constance, dressed and acted well; and Mrs Howard was a French dandy par excellence. Miss Matthews’ Queen Catherine is a sterling impersonation, and her make-up as the “girl of the period,” though not quite correct, is very good. Mr Joyce makes a good King Henry, and Mr Forde has done nothing better since he has been here than as King Francis. The other characters do not call for notice. The burlesque was preceded by the drama of the “ Dream at Sea,” in which Mr Rayner sustained the character of Lance Lynnwood very creditably. “A Strange Disclosure.”—Under this and two other sensational headings—viz., “The Superintendent and the Land Question” and “ Win Governs Otago?” the Tuapeka Times publishes a letter from Mr H. Driver to Mr Treweek, of Bellamy Station. Tiie epistle has given rise tojso much deal of surmise and absurd rumor that we reprint it:—“Dunedin, 19th Nov., 1867. John Treweek, Esq., Bellamy Station. My Dear Treweek —I have your note of 16th inst., and can quite understand that you must be in trouble about M'Kinnon and others ; for, being absent, you cannot know how things go on at the head. You know I have my own way in managing these things, and if you will keep to my advice, we will yet beat the lot: and that is, just keep quiet a little longer, however hard it may seem. The Government and I fully understand each other, and there is no fear of their getting any of the run ; so pray just be guided by me, and do not mmd what Chalmers or any one else says to you ; it is people bke him that do all the harm. If Smith had not impounded those cattle, there would not have been a noise about his run, particularly as he is using a large portion of the Golddelds, The result will be that he, Murray and others, will have to take their sheep off the goldfields, and then there will be plenty of room for the small fry. This is Macandrew’s intention. He and I intend to go up together as soon as he can get away and put all thi* matter to rights; but mhid you do not, by any chance, say a word of what I am writing you, for it would upset the whole affair and break faith with Macandrew. Keep your own counsel, vmd I wid let you know when we are com ng which wIU be as soon as he can leave. In the meantime, just let matters rest as they are ; you will see that we will learn M'Kinnon and wife a thing or two. As for old Crokcr, his time is short, I think ; and if nothing else can be done, we will sue him on those bills you hold, which send down to me, properly endorsed by you, by return post ; but keep all this to yourself also — in fact, trust to me, and I will see it right. Hoping that I will be with you in a few days, and tind yon all well, and stock all right.—l am, yours very truly, Henry Driver.”

Mining at the Dunstan.—The river Molyneux is gradually falling, and with it the beaches begin to assume a lively aspect from the numbers of Chinese who are daily arriving and setting to work thereon. There

is every mb cation of the river being very low th ; s winter, on account of so very little snow having fallen up country. The quantity of gold obtained by those working on the beaches must be satisfactory, for all have left the bank workings ; but this would not be the case if there was the quantity of water necessary for sluicing purposes. 'J here is not the slightest doubt that, if the river continues to fall, there will be a vast increase in the number of Chinese miners, which will benefit the district greatly, as those who are now working on the Nevis and e 1 sewn ere will soon be compelled to leave on account of the severity of the weather,— Dunslan Times.

The Earthquake. The severest shock of earthquake that within our memory has been experienced in the Province was felt yesterday morjrng at about 11.23 a.m. From Alexandria, Cromwell, the Lakes, and odier places, we hear that the vibration of the earth was most painfully perceptible, and created great consternation. At Clyde the whole of the wooden buildings rocked and swayed to a great extent, in a number of instances shaking the crockery and bottles off the shelves, and otherwise doing damage. The workmen on one of the dredges on the Molyneux represented the shock as being very severe, the vessel swaying and straining at her anchors in a most evtraordinary manrer. The workmen at the new stone Town-hall, which is in course of erection, heard merely a rumbling sound ; they express the ; r belief that the building has not been in the least injured. We have not heard of any material injury to property being occasioned. —Dunstan Times. Ruffiaxism ox the West Coast.— The Greenstone correspondent of the IVest Coast Times writes Kowdyism has not yet subsided here, notwithstanding his tlonor Judge .Richmond's admonition to the pugilistic ti-ibe of the inhabitants of the Greenstone. A most disgraceful attack was recently made upon a woman. Three men, who had been previously fighting ju the town, proceeded at a late hour to the hut of one Miss 11. Boyle, with whom they commenced to take liberties, which she at once resented ; and, shame to humanity, one man then held her, while the others attempted a criminal assault. The woman being strong and determined, they did not succeed ; but so diabolical were their intentions, that, finding they were unable to effect the deed, they beat her about the face and body, jumped upon her, and absolutely used boitles as weapons, cutting the poor creature in a shameful manner ; in fact, had not the door been broken in at this moment by a neighbor, who heard screams, the woman would undoubtedly have been murdered. The perpetrator’s are known to the police, who are in hot pursuit of them, and the general wish of the district is that they may he brought to justice.”

The G-hoorkas. —The A rgus devotes a leader to this subject, it says:—As the Imperial author.ties are about to reduce their Australasian garrisons, and obstinately refuse to take part in the New Zealand war, the Indian press is recommending the Government in Wellington to bring to the aid of the colonial levies employed against the Maoris, some bodies of Ghoorkas or Nepaulese mountaineers, of whom, since the time of the Sepoy mutiny, there are many regiments in the Indian service. This advice, now echoed in India, was lir-t tendered in the columns of the New Z aland newspapers by some retired officers of the Indian army resident there. We think that the suggestion is a mistake, and we trust that there is no likelihood of its being adopted. The expediency is not apparent, and the unfavorable im-

pression which would be created by calling in foreign help for such a purpose is manifest enough. It would have a bad effect on the Maori mind, it would have a bad effect abroad, and it would put forward in a very disagrees de light the modern weakness of British colonists in dealing with warlike barbarians The bulk of the

Maori population soldiers against the insurgents, or is willing to do s®, while the colonial constabulary have been drilled into military shape by the active duty of the last six months. There is no longer any lack of trained troops, and if the war still lingers, it is entirely due to the extent of the fastnesses, and the want of a general sufficiently experienced in such irregular operations. New Zealand must ask the Government in Calcutta to send her some captains bred in the school of Edwardes and Jacobs.

Arrow Town. —The correspondent of the Dunutan Times, writing under date the 21st inst., says :—“ There has been a tremendous fall of snow upon the ranges during the last few days, but on the Hats we have only experienced a few showers of rain, the weather upon the whole being exceedingly mild. Out of-dooo operations have not at all been interrupted. The rivers and lakes are low, but 1 have every reason to believe, judging from experience of former years, that July will bring floods; a warm rain will melt the snow wholesale, and then good-bye to river dredging and beach claim workings, The parties who have lately set in to work the bed of the Arrow River are all doing well. Three men last week obtained fourteen ounces of gold in two days, and in no case have I heard that less thaa what is denominated as ‘ wages ’ has been obtained. Cheap living is all the rage here just now. Mutton is 2d and 3d per pound ; beef, 4d and 6d ; and bread, Sd and JOd. So we have nothing to complain of in respect to the ‘ Knights of the Cleaver’ and ‘Dougbeys.’ The bakers are even civil now, and will deliver bread at the doors of their customers. lam informed, and it may be a useful hint to your squatters that think of boiling down, that since the fall in the price of meat, the consumption of meat in Arrowtown alone has enormously increased. Fifteen sheep per week was the number consumed under the old prices, now two butchers are killing seventy each per week, the third being too aristocratic to deal in mutton. With respect to beef, the consumption has increased almost in proportion to that of mutton. The low price given for wheat at the Mill, 4s 6d per bushel, is giving very general dissatisfaction t the growers of grain, and the result is that there will not be so much grown in future. A considerable number of farmers intend laying down their land with grass, and will coniine themselves more to the breeding of stock and dairy farming. People are viewing the combination of Messrs Robertson and Hallenstein, the proprietors of the flour mill, as little short of a giant monopoly ; it is of course nothing more than business-like to buy in the cheapest market and sell in the dearest, but even that may be carried too far, more especially in a small community, and where people do not approve of benefits being only on one side. It requires a considerable amount of logic to convoice everybody that they should sell cheap, while yon practise exactly an opposite course yourself. There is no question but that a flour mill somewhere at the Dunstan would be largely supported from here ; and, were such the case, a very great deal of the trade of the Lakes would find its way to Clyde and Cromwell. ”

Fire at Hampdex.—A correspondent of the Oamaru Times relates that “A tire took place on Monday the 14th instant. Mr Wil'iam Murcott having occasion to go outside his house about 11 o’clock on the night mentioned, discovered that his stacks were on fire. An alarm was immediately given, and a number of people turned out, and everyone did his best to stop the progress of the flames. On arriving at the stacks, it was found that a stack of grass hay was on fjre at the windward comer, and as the wind was consequently Lowing the fire inwards, it was deemed wiser to let this one go, in order to save other two stacks, one of winch was only three feet distant from the one on fire. Fortunately the cffnt was successful, a ! though there would have been no possibility of saving either had it not been that the wind was blowing the flames away from them. Had the wind been in the opposite direction, all three stacks must have been burned, and probably also an adjoining cow-shed. As the outside of the stack was wet, no doubt is entertained that the fire was the work of an incendiary, for the discovery of whom Mr Murcott has offered a reward of LIO. Great crulit is due to Constable O’Neil, the police officer star tioned there, and to many others, for the untiring way in which they labored until the fire was subdued.”

Waitahuxa. On Thursday evening, as Mr Tauton, land'ord of the Golden Age Hotel, was returning home from Havelock, his horse turned rather shoit, about two hundred yards beyond the Inverness Hotel, throwing him heavily on the road. I believe he has a severe cut on the forehead, and another over the right eye, besides bruises and a fearful shaking, which confined him to his bed for a few daj's. lam glad to learn that he is recovering, and can now ait up for a little while. On Sunday, according to my promise, I paid a visit to the new rush I spoke about in my last, and I must say I think very little of it. My opinion about it is that it is simply a patch in a kind of half-basin, on the top of a pretty high spur. The gullies on all sides of it have been well worked, and numbers of holes have been sunk both before this bit of a rush and since. There are about five parties getting a little gold. I tned a pro-pect from Mr Carr’s claim, and 1 should judge the washdirt would average between two and three dwts. to the load. The washdirt is from eight inches te three feet thick, and appears to be of a loamy burnt red nature, and mixed with floating clay boulders. The bottom is a decomposed metamorphosed slate and sandy stone. I should not'at all bo surprised to hear of a few nuggets being got, although Mr M'Leud gave me to understand that he had not got a 240z. n-'g.'et, as was rumoured last week ; that the gold he was getting was scaly gold and very fine. There is a race running round the spur, and no doubt, with the thickness of wash, it will pay those few who have struck gold very well. The depth of sinking averages from 9ft to 20 feet, so that it will pay better to paddock the shallow ground than sink holes and drive it out. It appears to run from east to west, and rice versa.—Correspondent of the Tuapeka Times.

Naval. —Intelligence has been received from England that H.M.S, Clio (sister sWip to the Challenger) has been brought

forward for commission, to relieve the Challenger on this station. Commodore Lambert will remain here with the Clio, the captain of that vessel taking the Challenger home. The Clio may be expected here about October next. —Evening Pont.

The steamer Golden Age is announced to leave Dunedin for Port Chalmers to-morrow (Tuesday) at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to take visitors to view the whale now lying in the Floating Dock.