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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2787, 23 January 1872, Page 2

Police Court. —Tlie business transacted to-day was unimportant. Thomas Morgan and James Smith were each fined 5s for drunkenness, Morgan was also fined 20s and forty-eight hours’ imprisonment. The Suez Mail.—The telegraphic news via Galle, which will be up to December 26, will in all probability be brought on by the Alhambra, but as that vessel was announced to come via Melford Sound, bei arrival at the Bluff can ha’dly be looked for before Thursday. Old Colonists.—Mr Alfred Saunders, formerly Superintendent of Nelson, who has been absent in England for about five years, returned to Nelson, accompanied by bis eldest son, last week. Mr Saunders purposes settling in the South ; bis son, Mr W. Saunders, will proceed' to Canterbury, as the ,New Zealand partner in a new firm of Bennett'and Saunders, merchants, the other partner remaining in England. Chicago Fire.—The Now York correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald writes 'The people of Chicago accept the situation with characteristic heroism. One “ true story ” about the fire shows the temper with which they again begin the world. A friend of mine, a newspaper correspondent, was wandering among the smoking ruins, when he met an old merchant, whose hospitality he had frequently received. The old man —over sixty—had screwed up his hard featured western face to an expression of philanthropic fortitude and was actively employed in squirting tobacco juice on the blackened bricks. “ Here’s where my store was,” said he. “Ah,” said my friend, “ when are you going to build it up again ? “Waal” viciously expectorating in a new pl ace _«‘ that’s what I’m waiting here for now. Just as soon as I can spit on a brick without hearing it hiss I’m goan to work again.” Picton and Blenheim Railway.— The Marlborough Express of January 6th says;—“ His Honor Mr Seymour returned from his mission to Wellington yesterday by the Phoebe, and by the same opportunity we have information confirming our telegrams on the subject. Upon his arrival in Wellington Mr Seymour found the entire scheme literally shelved and set aside, and the Hon. Mr Vogel but waiting his arrival at his request prior to sailing to Auckland eu route for Australia. However, nothing daunted by the untoward aspect of affairs, our Superintendent waited on the Minister of Public Works the same day, and pertinaciously urged the reduction of the estimate in various ways, as making a lighter line and fewer stations. But the Minister was obdurate to this kind of argument, as interfering with"the prerogative of the Assembly. Mr Seymour then offered, on behalf of the Province, to take the responsibility of the LIOjOOO excess over the vote, and so made an impression that resulted in a meeting of the Cabinet on the following day. when the proposal was accepted. The terms a r e to be the annual payment of LISOO, and the reservation of 35,000 acres of land somewhere in the Province, as a security, and to cover the balance. Of course the Provincial Council will be shortly called together and asked to ratify the bargain, which we hare no doubt they wid readily do. We have only to add that Mr Seymour saw the specifications commenced, which, will occupy about a fortnight ; aftar these are completed, certain legal documents and their signature will take perhaps another week, when his Excellency Governor Bowen will come over and turn the first sod at the Picton end, as we have before stated. Immigration. —lt is now, we presume, pretty generally known that the General Government have undertaken the entire charge and management of immigration for the whole Colony, under the provisions of the Immigration and Public Works Act, 1870, Amendment Act, 1871. This Province has not escaped their attention, and the Hon. W. Beeves, Resident Minister for the Middle Island, with the assistance of Mr J, E. March, Chief Immigration Officer of Canterbury, have been inspecting the Immigration Barracks here and the Quarantine station. Our readers will not be surprised to learn that both are condemned as unsuitable. We are glad to learn that it is not intended to bring persons into the Colony without making arrangements adapted in every respect for the preservation of health, order, and discipline on their landing. And to this cud it is thought desirable to place the Immigration Barracks in such a position as to insure proper conveniencies until the immigrants are placed in suitable situations. We neel not say that in common with the general opinion of Dunedin, the present barracks are condemned as altogether unfit for the purpose, and the site is considered too valuable and too limited in extent to justify the construction of new ones upon it. We learn that it is designed to obtain a suitable site, convenient to the town, on the line of the Port Chalmers Railway, and to erect Immigration Barracks, so arranged as to afford means of classification with separate compartments for each sex. It is intended to utilize the present barracks on Quarantine Island, and so to alter and add to them as to make them suitable for preserving and restoring the health of any immigrants who may be obliged to be placed there, It is also proposed to establish an Immigration Office in Dunedin for the purpose of facilitating communication between the immigrants and employe s of labour and generally to look after the welfare of the new arrivals. We venture to express the opinion that the arrangements proposed to be adopted by the General Government, an outline of which we have had laid before us, will prove a great boon to all classes, and will tend in an eminent degree, to facilitate settlement on a healthy and permanent basis. New Zealand Hot Springs.—A correspondent of the Australasian writes as follows :—Observing that excursion steamers are leaving this port for places in New Zealand, more particularly in the Middle Island, and knowing that the hale and hearty are the usual passengers on such trips, I wish to draw the attention of those who are afflicted in health to the renovating properties of the mineral springs of the Northern Island of

New Zealand. These springs range from cold to boiling heat (the natives cooking their food in the latter), and are particularly efficacious in cases of rheumatism, cutaneous eruptions, scrofula, and indiscretions arising from excess and fast living. Having derived incalculable benefit from them, I should he ungrateful were I not to make known their blessings to suffering humanity. Hitherto they have been nearly unknown, as their position in an inaccessible country precluded invalids from visiting them ; now the roads are made, and they are rendered easy of access. Situate halfway between Auckland and Napier arrangements could easily be made to visit them from either place ; the time occupied would be about 14 days there and back. 1 will merely mention two instances of their virtue that came under my notice. A man engaged in ei’ecting the telegraph poles was nearly double with rheumatism; ashe reached the springs he availed himself of them, and on passing him a fortnight ago, he was erect and working hard, A young man from England, with the effect of diseaae contracted there, joined the constabulary force ; in a short time, through marching and exposure he became so bad that be was literally “ weary of life he obtained a week’s pass, took the baths, and came back a new creatture, and is now with the field force, able to do his duty with any of his comrades. To fast young men who have drunk the dregs of the cup of pleasure, the springs are indeed a blessing, and I seriously beg to draw their most earnest attention to them ; better spend their holidays there and return new men, than patch up and never get well. An English nobleman well known in these colonies, so thoroughly appreciated them that, when pronounced incurable in England, he purchased a yacht and returned to New Zealand, and entirely recovered. 1 have left that part and have no personal interest in the island, but I deemed it a duty to draw attention to their marvellous benefits. The botanist would be lost in admiration at the splendid specimens of ferns ; the finest I have seen here are literally trash to those found in the Lake Districts, not here and there one, but gorge after goi’ge almost impassable with them. Should the steamboat company so arrange that passengers could avail themselves of this part of the country, they would reap a rich harvest in ensuing seasons, as invalids would flock there on the results being known.