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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2270, 16 August 1870, Page 2

Erratum. —In our report of proceedings in the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, the name “ Hopcraft ” was printed as defendant in an action brought by Levy’s trustees. It should have been “ Hobcraft. ” Waitaki Bridge. reaches us (Vamnru Times) from Wellington that an arrangement has been entered into between the Governments of Otago and Canterbury for the early commencement of this work.

Inquest, The City Coroner (Mr Hockeu) held an inquiry yesterday after- i noon touching the death of the young man, Henry Lawrence, who..was found dead in his >ed on Sunday. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence to the effect that the deceased died from serous apoplexy. Port Chalmers. —At tho Port Chalmers Police Court to-day, Thomas Brown and Thomas Lovaok, seamen on board the barque Vanguard, wore sentenced to seven days imprisonment, for asaauling the Chief officer. Thomas Steward, for assaulting the second officer was discharged. oamaru Dock. —We ( Oamaru 'Tunes) have been shown certain correspondence, which evidences that those members of both the Upper and Lower House who are connected with this district are sparing no pains to ensure the carrying on of the Oamaru Dock works. Hopes are entertained that the Government will allow L 20,000 for this purpose to be included in their loan scheme. Foot Pace. —lt will be seen by the advertisement that A. Austin, who holds the champion b It of New South V ales as a pedestrian, has arrange 1 for a run of a mile, to come off on August 27 ; the prize is a handsome silver enp, valued at ten guineas, and tho race on the specified conditions is open to all comers. We have seen the cup, which is elegantly made and ornamented. It is a prize worth winning. Bills.—Tho following bills, passed during the present session have received the Governor’s assent :—The Otago Education Reserves Abandonment Bill; Canterbury Northern Railway Bill; Provincial Reserved Ordinances Bill; Vexatious Indictments Bill; Larceny Bill; District Courts Criminal Jurisdiction Extension Bill; Post Office Act Amendment Bill; Deceased P rsons Estate Partition Bill; Treasury Bills Bill. Death. —The local papers announce the death of Air James Livingstone Henderson, who for some years resided at Alexandra, and occupied tho position of Town Clerk. Mr Henderson had been in a delicate state of health for some time, and, on Saturday evening last succumbed to the ravaging disease that bad afflicted him for many years. The deceased gentlemen was universally esteemed and respected L r his strict integrity and the kindlincs of his disposition. Masonic Hall. —■ There was a very fair attendance at this place of amusement last evening, when the programme of Saturday evening was repeated with equal success. The mysterious medicines and the silver rings are about the best things Air Heller has yet done, and must be seen to be appreciated. Of the instrumental part of the entertainment it is impossible to speak too highly. Ho is as much at home on the orgne melodique, an instrument capable of producing most delicious music, as on the piano. The same programme will be repeated this evening. Flax.—ln the House of Representatives Mr Hall asked the Hon, the Premier whether the Government has yet decided upon the expediency of ascertaining by actual experiment, conducted under the the auspices of the Government or otherwise,’ the best method of dressing New Zealand flax. Mr Fox said the Government were i very desirous of seeing the largest amount of information on this subject collected, and and had communicated with the Commissioners at home on the unit ter. The Government would be prepared, when the committee ‘ on native industries brought up their report, to take steps in the direction pointed out by tho hon. member, and he adv.oe.atcd the granting of liberal assistance towards the development of this industry. Ministerial Allowances. 'Pie Colonial Treasurer, in laying on the table of ; the House of Representatives a return of the expenditure under the civil list, took occasion to explain the allowances received ,by Ministers during the recess. They had all drawn their sM&rioa. Mr Fox had a residence, and Mr Gisborne drew up ifllowancc in lieu thereof. Air Al‘Lean did not draw residence allowance, but received L2 2s a day while absent from Wellington. For himself, his position Was that of resident Minister at Auckland, and while there he only drew the usual salary; when absent I frpm Auckland he drew L2 2s a day travelling n?p.e?jses, and during his mission to Australia, L 4 is $ day, Recent Rumours, —For sQiqe jflnic past various rumors have appeared in the papers respecting alleged appointments made by the Government under the new financial scheme. During tho discussion, in the House of Representatives on Thursday last, of a nuffjon tabled by Mr Gillies, which proposed to flja/maljfy any member of the House from accepting a# office $ einwlufr f ent under the Government until h 4 e had ceased to be it member of the House, Air O’Rorke took occasion to point out the bad effects of this part of the motion. As an illustration i of this, he referred to a rumor which was current, that a certain hon. member had been appointed to go to England in connection with tho financial scheme of the Government, and argued that ii would be greatly against tbe interests of the Colony were it deprived of the valuable services of that ho». gentleman. Mr Stafford—to whom, of course, the rumor referred—took the opportunity to emphatically d.ony fho truth of the rumors which had been so industriously circulated, and said he did not think"it right that the Colony should he deprived of the services of m»u whp might be eminently useful. Air Fox corroborated whaf had fallen from Mr Stafford, and also said that several other rumors peppering appointments made were totally unfounded, Tito Kowaru. The Wellington Bren in;/ Post says : — “lt is commonly supposed. that the whereabouts of Tito Kowaru is uo mystery to a number of people, both European and Alaori, on the Wegt Coast, He is living, as it is said, quietly in the Upper Waitara, with a small number of adherents, not being able in his present reduced circumstances, to maintain a large retinue ; while, since the withdrawal of the Ng&tiporous from Waihi, fears are beginning to be entertained that he may draw together the straggling Haulums now hanging about the outskirts of the settled country, and again commence murdering and pillaging, At the same time wo have a highly salaried Native Commissioner residing »t no great distance, who professes (to have gre it influence over the natives, for the exercise of which we pay him. Why cannot he prove his influence, either by inducing tlie professed friendlies in Tito Kowaru’s neighborhood to give him up, or go himself and secure him before be gathers strength ?”

Justice.—About a ifortmght since a deputation waited upon his Honor the Deputy-Superintendent to represent to him the disadvantage under which the-Province labored through the prohibition, by our neighbors in Canterbury, to allow the cattle of Otago to cross the boundary, Through a mis-report in the Daily Times, the Oamaru Times, and following in its wake, the Bruce Standard, comment severely upon Mr Douglas, who stated the object of the deputation, for having suggested reprisals, should the Canterbury Government refuse to annul the prohibition, by the imposition of like restrictions on bringing sheep from Canterbury into Otago. Now, in justice to Mr Douglass, we may state no such suggestion was male by him, and although it was mentioned by another member of the deputation, it was not put forward as any part of the object they sought in the interview. In fact it was merely asked as an individual question, not as expressing any desire whatever on the part of the deputation for so extreme a measure. We do not feel it any part of our duty to correct the errors of the pai/y Times but feel pleasure in setting this matter right, and believe that neither of our up-courtfrry contemporaries will allow the false impression raised by the report in question to remain uncontradicted.

Timaru.—The Herald says:—“A matter of no little concern to the interests of Timaru has been brought forcibly to our notice by an extract, published below, from a letter received by tbe last mail from Melbourne, relative to the difficulty of insuring coal vessels when trading to this port. It is well known by the Insurance Companies that nearly all the wrecks that have occurred here have been through defective cables, and that there arc no moorings to which vessels with bad cables can make fast. Now, coal vessels as a rule are not of the first-class, and very often have cables which would scarcely hold a surfhoat. Consequently the Insurance Companies decline this risk. The writer we have referred to says :— ‘ Since the Layard was lost all the Melbourne underwriters have excluded Oamaru and Timaru from their policif s. It therefore becomes a risky matter with us. No doubt an extra amount of bad luck has la'e’y attended sliipping in. your roaT&totul, but bad luck must change some time, and as the present may be the turn’ng-point, we have decided to send you the Escort, schooner, carrying 190 tons coal. If wo can get the ship and cargo insured at a rate equal to 10s per ton on the coal we shall do so, but this is doubtful.’ It may be thought by the outside world that there arc no moorings in the Timaru roadstead, but this is a mistake, as there arc two sets ; but they have b on allowed to drop into the sea through carelessness and indifference, and for want of a trifling expenditure are now embedded in the sand.” Immigration. His Honor the Deputy-Superintendent visited the Immigration barracks this afternoon, and had an interview with those passengers by the E. P. Bouverie and Leucadia who could not obtain work. These are principally married men with families, and they naturally expressed themselves disappointed in not graving obtained employment. He enquired (jhto their circumstances and prospects. Wiere were various grounds of complaint. The principal spokesman commented upon the character of the offers made to his children. One, he said, had offer of a month’s employment to feed pigs, and do other drudgery about a farm. He considered this as unfair, as the dirty work wonld spoil his clothes, and he might then be turned adrift without means to replace them. He said that tha statistics presented to the immigrants at Home, led to the expectation that they would meet with immediate employment at Ss per day, but instead of that there was no prospect, whatever, of obtaining work. They bad come to a country where hundreds of men were walking about idle ; anil instead of finding immeniate employment, they ran the risk of being mobbed for coming to compete with those already here. They , could write Home—the whole batch of them ; _and tell that when they arrived no pre- ■ parpLjon was made for giving them work. They were not looking for extravagant earnings, but asked to be employed at a fair rate of wages. Another complained that two shipmates, after entering into an engagement with a settler up tbe country, and travelling thirty miles into tbe interior, the employer would not fulfil the terms of the contract, but engaged some who had previously had work from him, and they were obliged to oomo back. It was an expense they could ill afford. His Honor said that there could be no doubt that they had arrived at a most inopportune moment; that in another month employment wonlff be plentiful, and that the chief drawback to obtaining work was that men in Otago in two days could earn as much as kept them a week ; and in consequence of the high rate of wages, employers of Ipbof; gogln to pay for it. He himself at" a moderate rate 6f” wages could employ fifty men. If they w6nld' only wait patiently a 'fortnight, the Porp Chalmers Railway would be started, and aa tije season advanced a demand for labor would spring up. He had no doubt they would then all find employment. They were only experiencing the difficulty that all who were here had gone through before them. The Gold Robbery, —Writing on this subject, the Dunstan 'Times obseeves The robbery of treasure from the Camp, on the Ist iust., Las filled everybody with astonishment, not so much at the adroitness pf the thipves, but the manner with which the property was guarded, or n.pre correctly speaking, not guarded at all, pud from the fact that nothing but a common padlock existed between the treasqrc and the thievps. It is really a matter fqr wonder that gold was nob stolen Iqng si)ice. Such a temptation never before existed in any other country, Wc VvD'e at first induced to lay the whp’e blame npo,, the police, but however culpable they may be, the Provincial Government arc far more so. A poligefqan is hilt g man after all. He cannot perform more than oqo fluty <'fl fine time, and as our camp is insufficiently officered, it is clear that something must go neglected. That there should be no iron safe to place treasure in while under escort, and nothing between it and the thief but a few deal boards, shew culpable negligence. The most prdipary precautions for the security of the treasure weep npt pjflteji. With stone everywhere so abundant as is the cage at Clyde, wo ought to have had a stpn.e gaol long sinpe, as well as stpnc buildings fog the camp officers, ami afipve al| a good safe set in stope work. .Wh parsimoniousness is actually criminal, and the tax payer might have been called upon to pay L 14,000 and perhaps something more for expenses, in locking tho stable door after the

horse was stolen, because of a little official cheese-paring on the part of the Provincial Authorities. As Clyde from its central position must always be a stopping place for the escort, an increase of the Police Force until more suitable buildings are erected for the safe custody of treasure, and We may add prisoners (there being really nothing to prevent their escape), absolutely necessary. An up-country station must be made some- " where, and the sooner we have sufficiently strong gaol buildings erected, the sooner will public coincidence return in tha matter of the safe keeping of gold and bank notes under escort. However, we may be inclined to blame the police in this matter, the Provincial Government are the really guilty persons, and will be held accountable for their negligence.

Port Chalmers Town Council. — A regular meeting of the Town Council was held last evening. Present—-the Mayor and the whole Council. The minutes were read and confirmed. Some correspondence was read, when the Mayor said Mr Toms had offered to submit the dispute between lu n and the Council to Mr Smith, the legal adviser of the City Council. Mr I'ernic moved, and Mr Gordon seconded, that this plan be adopted ; the losing party to pay the expenses. Mr M 1 Kinnon moved as an amendment, and hir Clai’k seconded, that the law take its course. The amendment was carried. A letter from the Colonial Secretary, acknowledging the election of Mr ADDermid as Mayor, and also a letter from Mr Mansford, claiming money he had paid for witnesses in the action Crawshaw and Another, offering to accept LlO if paid at once in full of all demands were read. The Clerk was instructed to acknowledge the receipt of the letter, and to lay the papers on the table at the next meeting. A letter, asking to be allowed to quarry on tho Town Belt, was ordered to stand oyer for the present. A letter was read asking permission to sublet part of section leased by Francis Sherry ; the request was granted. The Post Office pathway and Cemetery road were left to the Public Works Committee to deal with. Mr Law moved that a plan of Ajax road ho produced be received. He said the plan and specifications would cost L 3 3s. The motion was secon3ed by Mr M'Cullam. and ea.ried. On a motion by Mr Miller, for a committee to report on the best plan and cost of water supply, he said it was only a question for the Council or a private company to take the matter in hand. Mr Law seconded the motion. Mr Clark said two gentlemen wore down, and offered to survey the ground for nothing if two laborers were given them by the Council, and all the lino of water conveyance would be defined to the Council. Mr Femio thought five or six years time would do to bring water in, and moved that no action betaken in the matter. Air M‘Kinnon seconded the amendment. The Mayor explained that Air Ross only wanted the assistance of the men for three days, and he thought water of the greatest consequence to the town. 'Die undertaking would be self-supporting. Mr A'lilb r said he only wanted a committee, and lie hoped no v that we hj id a surveyor the water supply might be managed ; for water caught on the roofs of houses, now that so much coal was used, was not fit for drinking; and in case of fire a great calamity might be prevented. The motion was carried by the casting vote of the Mayor, A ballot was then taken, and Messrs M‘Kinnon, I-aw, M‘Cullam, Clark, and the mover, were elected. The Mayor said, with respect to finance, an overdraft of L3OO would be allowed for the present; and when tho Provincial Manager of tire Bank returned from another Colony, they might make other terms With respect to a section of Air Fleming’s, the consideration was ordered to stand over until next meeting. The Surveyor laid on the table amended plans of Constitution and Cross street, with specifications. A motion previously adopted was rescinded on the motion by Air Pernio, seconded by Air Clark, and the specifications were read. Tenders were ordered to be called for Mary and Constitution streets before the next regular meeting, 29th August. The motion of Air Aliller, seconded by Air Time s , was carnal.’ The Clerk was instructed to take proceedings at once against all parties who had not paid their rates. A number of accounts were passed lor payment, : ( nd ifie Council adjourned until the 29th August, at 7 o’clock.