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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2083, 8 January 1870, Page 2

The General Assembly. The General Assembly has been prorogued till Tuesday, the 29th March, when it will meet for the despatch of business. The Mayor’s Court.—This Court was opened as usual this morning. The Clerk announced that there were no cases. His Worship the Mayor congratulated Ids brother magistrate, Mr W. H. Reynolds, upon the event of having “ a clean-sheet day,” and the Court adjourned. The Evangelist.— We are in receipt of the January number of this magazine. It fully maintains its high reputation as a lirstclass religious publication. The contents embrace an article on the Now Year, Mission Sketches, the Divine Authority of Christianity, the Missionary in the midst of Pestilence, Mission work in Madras, and a variety of other interesting matter. Gaol Return. —The following is the state of Her Majesty’s gaol, Dunedin, for tho week ending January 8 Awaiting trial, 0 men, 0 women; under remand, 0 men, 0 women ; penal servitude, 98 men, 0 women ; hard labor, 33 men, 14 women ; imprisonment, 2 men, 0 women ; in default of bail, 0 men, 0 women ; debtors, 3 men, 0 women ; total, 142 men, 14 women. Received during the week, 8 men, 3 women ; discharged, 10 men, I woman. The Middle District School.—We have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the debate gone through by the pupils of the History class, at the Middle District .School examination, on the 15th December last. The subject is—“ Is it probable that Now Zealand will become great in the scale of Nations.” The production bears the stamp of thought, and a. considerable acquaintance with the history of the Colony on the part of the writer, Mr Halliwell, Hoad M aster of tho Middle District School. He has evidently taken great pains to condense the information he has collated, and render it of a character which could bo understood and readily entered into bv the pupils who took part in it. We learn that this debate will be repeated at an entertainment to be given in tho New Masonic Hall, on Friday evening next. The Volunteers. —The annual inspection of the Otago Volunteers, before Colonel Harington, was continued yesterday. There were present No. 1 and No. 2 Companies. Tho attendance of officers and men was large and satisfactory, nearly all the commissioned and non-commissioned officers were present, and tho call of the muster-roll showed that but few privates were absent from the ranks. Both companies were marched to tho Reclaimed Ground, whore they underwent a searching test of efficiency by Col. Harington, who complimented them on their general bearing, although it was a little unsteady. He did not, however, express himself as perfectly satisfied with the efficiency of the noxi-com-missioned officers, who, he thought, did not sufficiently attend to their duty. He hoped to see them all at battalion drill on Thursday next. Deputation. —This morning a deputation from settlers at the West Trieri, headed by Captain G. F. Reid, waited on his Honor the Superintendent, and represented to him the urgent necessity for steps being taken at once to make good the approaches to the West Taicri Bridge, which had been destroyed by tho late floods, and, in consequence, traffic has been entirely suspended. Mr Barr, the Chief Engineer of Roads and Works, who was present, stated that instructions had been given to the foreman of works in the district to proceed with the work of fitting up and making good the approaches to the bridge as soon as possible, and that as soon as tho river wont down to allow of the work being proceeded with, it would be completed within four or live days. Everything that was practicable was being done, and extra shifts of men would be put on, and they would work from daylight to sunset. As to the suggestion that the old punt should be used temporarily, it had been carried down the river by the flood, and was not safe to use. Ihc deputation appeared to bo satisfied with the assurances made that the work would be proceeded with as rapidly as possible, and retired. Silver in Auckland. —A local paper states that an interesting discovery has been made in Auckland by an analysis of stone from a claim in Tararu. The quartz was impregnated with a substance believed to be antimony, and some of it was sent to a battery to be crushed, but no gold was obtainyl. Subsequently a portion of stone was snbnptted tp analysis, .and was found to contaii a largo propffi'tiofi of silver, We arc inforu&d that the silver'exists sufficient quality to warrant the expenditure of pioiby in getting machinery for separating it from the ore. Gold in North Canterbury.- A short time ago we ( Lyttelton Times, Ist inst.) announced that a prospecting claim had been taken up for a reef in the VVaikavi Valley. Two men have been at work on the reef, and on Thursday night a large quantity of the quartz was brought to Christchurch. Part of it was crushed yesterday morning, and wo are informed that from about 1/lbs of stone, a considerable quantity of fine-looking gold was washed out. There are other facts corroborative of tho aiuqferoas character of tho stone. The gentlemen who applied for the prospecting claim are now wailing till the crushing machine ordered by tho Peninsula Mining Company arrives. The Seat of Government,—The

Wellington correspondent of the Wisipart Times says : The rumor respecting the seat of Government being removed back to Auckland is again going round Now that Wellington is no longer the port of call for the English mail stcama-s, the groat argument in favor of its being the scat of Government is removed. It is well known that his Excellency, Lady Bowen, anil more than one of the Ministers would gladly see the change, and, indeed, when once Auckland is in telegraphic communication with the Middle Island, there will lie no argument to use against its being the seat of Government. The Weather at Waikouaiti. — We (,7c eh}) ,lo not remember to have -witnessed a more stormy or boisterous day than Sunday last was. From early in the morning to past midnight the rain MI incessantly with a cold, strong sou’wester blowing, _ and forebodings were entertained of a repetition of the memorable February floods of ISCS. The quantity of rain which fell must have been immense, and almost equal to that which fell on that occasion. Creeks, rivulets and gutters rapidly filled and overflowed and largo sheets of water were observable where a few hours before everything was dry. The Waikouaiti River towards evening was reported to be higher than it has been known since the February flood referred to, and the bridge at one time ran an Imminent danger of sharing a similar fate to that which befcl it before, the water having risen to within two or three feet of the top. As wo have not yet heard of any damage being done beyond the unpleasantness which was experienced by many residents in the township from the rain heating through windows and under doors, or wherever a crevice presented itself, threatening to inmclato the occupants, whose ingenuity was sorely put to the test to mitigate their disagreeable situation. The sea was also very "high, and notwithstanding the severity of the weather several of the townspeople were induced to visit the beach to witness the unusual spectacle. The waves looked fierce and angry, and were running mountains high, and dadied with impetuous fury on the beach, scattering the spray far and wide. A schooner riding at anchor in the Bay gallantly weathered the storm. !Somo uneasiness, however, was experienced with regard to her by the inhabitants, which fortunately proved groundless. — The Waitati is reported to have been very high, so much so that the toll keeper had to clear out of the tollhouse. Logs, fallen timber, and other debris, washed down by the force of the current, had formed a strong and almost impenetrable dam at the bridge, and the water was forced to seek an outlet over the hanks of the river, rendering the buildings near it untenable. Had the bridge been built of wood, it is believed nothing would have saved it. The Port Wolyncux correspondent of the Bruce Herald , writing under date the 3rd inst., says i “The weather hero has been remarkably tine and dry up to an early hour on Sunday morning, -when a southerly wind sot in, "bringing with it a continuous pour of rain. This being the period of flood tides, and the wind blowing from the S.E., a heavy sea sot in, and this morning the good folks of the Port were astonished to see the flat covered with water, Pendcnnis street being the only dry land on tho flat. Heaps of sawn timber which had been piled on the hanks of the river were floating away, luckily inland; barrels, cases, firewood, changed pi acts at tho will of tho wind and water. Nothing serious has, so far, occurred further than the drowning of a few fowls. Mr Wylie, an old resident here, states tho flood has been higher by five inches than he has ever seen it before.” Flax. —Judging from the number of flax mills which are rushing into existence in all parts of the Province, it would appear that flax dressing must be a most profitable industry. Seven mills already exist in the Clutha district, one of which, it is reported, purposes to employ 12 machines. Two of these mills are in operation at Balclutha, one at Port Molyneux, two in South Glutha, and two at Kaitangata, where one of them purposes to employ the large number of machines mentioned. Some half-dozen at least, we believe, are busy at work in the Kaikqrai Valley alone, and two or three neap Tokpmairiro. There are now also live at work in tho Taieri, the latest being at Mr Calling's flour mill, in the North Taieri, which has been constructed by tho new lessess, Messrs Aitken and M'Leod, for the nonce to suit the now industry, the staff of life being at a discount there at present. Mr Joseph Robertson has erected a steam mill at Oamaru. near the flour mill, and another is also at work in Outranr, while Maungatua and Waipori each possess ono. Messrs Aitken and M ‘Leod inform us that their machine is the 30th manufactured hy Mr Wilson, of Dunedin. Mr Robertson’s has been made by Mr Chisholm, at Outram, and has given such satisfaction that he has received orders to construct ono for Kakanui, and is now busy at work upon it. One thing is evident, and that is that at the present rate of consumption hy so many mills the existing suppl} r must speedily disappear, and the plant will then have to be extensively cultivated. _ -A s it is, we understand that farmers having it on their lands are now making a charge for the right of clearing it. We have in our possession beautiful samples, received by last English mail, of stuffs manufactured therefrom, and a copious report by the manufacturer, which we trust shortly to reprint. The inventor is reported to havo spent 30 years in bringing the saidclqths to the present state of perfection arrived at, and to have spent as many thousands of pounds on machinery and premises, wh unfortunately were destroyed hy fire, However, we shall shortly return to a fulh of the textures, samples of v-Fb may be seen at our office by those inA’i'CKb'U, Bruce Herald. —The seventy-second meeting of the Now Zealand Building and Mutual Investment Society will he held at its office, Princes street, on Monday evening at seven o’clock. We notice hy advertisement that a meeting of the Catholic community, and of tho committee of St. Joseph’s School, will ho hold at tho school-room on Monday next, the 10th inst., at 7 p.m., -when a full attendance is requested. The third fortnightly meeting of tho Commercial Building and Mutual Investment Society, for receiving subscriptions and applications for shares, is announced to bo held at tho offices of the Society, Princes street, on Monday next from six to eight o’clock. Is another column it will be seen that tho brethren of the M.U.1.0.0.P. aro invited to attend the funeral of their late brother, T. K. Haslic, to whose melancholy death by

drowning at th# West Taieri we called attention a few days since. It appears that he waa elective Secretary of the Hand and .Heart Lodge, having, only a few days before his death, been nominated to this office. The funeral will leave his late residence, York Place, above tho Robin Hood Hotel, to-morrow, at three o’clock.