DUNEDIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 648, 15 March 1870, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

. (PROM ■ OVB OWN CORREgPOTTOENT.) March s. Tilings have been very dull during the Ja,sfc few days, and credit in couiniercial circles, has been rather shaky. The hardest is pretty well overj and cm the whole, , ihjoiighout the province, the average yield willbe a light one. Wheat has snf- ' fered, heavily in some districts: from -disease — both rust and blight ■ being present to an unprecedented extent ; while -Jatterly the weather has been very tantalising, delaying the leading-in of the cut crop, and almost totally preventing thrashing. Very little new grain is yet offering in the markets. 1 The Supreme Court sat on Tuesday for the transaction of criminal business, Mr Justice Ward on th* bench. There were v^ery few absentees among the jurors sumjnoned — all the grand jury answering to their names, while one or two of the common jury sent valid excuses. After nia Honor had made the usual address to ,4he grand jury they retired, and true bills were found against all the prisoners but • pne M'Grath, accused of horsestealing at .Oamarti, who was discharged. There then remained nine prisoners to be tried> on eight indictment?. There were three i><caSes of enlbezzlement, one of laiceny, " ime of stealing from the person; one of yidecent assault, one of forgery, and one ,o£ uttering a forged cheque. All of these, except the one for assault, have been found guilty, and sentenced to various , terms of imprisonment. George Hagerty, for assault, had also hied to commit suicide, but was rescued, and the count in the indictment was not. pressed. At the plose of the trial for assault the jury could jiot agree, were locked up all night without food, and when brought into court in the morning, not having found a verdict, were, discharged, and a new trial ordered. This new trial takes place to-day, before a new jury, the Crown having challenged all those who had been on the former trial. The civil cases came on for trial about the, middle of next week. There are a good many this session, and some which will create a good deal of excitement. TheXkmedin Presbytery met this week, and considerable anxiety is expressed as to their dealing with the Rev. Mr Scrimgedur, of St. Andrew's, rather grave pforiea running about as, to something rather vindictive, having been done in the matter,. The quarterly licensing meeting was held in the Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. There is not, as a rule, v yery much business done.at this particular 1 meeting; and none of the items call for* remark. T,he new applications were mostly postponed. It came out during the meeting that the owner of the Provincial Hotel (Mr Sibbald) was in treaty with Borne persons as to the opening of that establishment. There are rumors of the Theatre being opened shortly, so that there is ar chance of the old concern being jn full swing again before the winter sets in. A bazaar in.aid of the! building fund of the new Wesleyan Church, Stuart street, Has been held during the week in the hall of the New Post Oftice. As a means of getting money the affair has been pretty successful, and. has afforded the ladies . connected with the church, a grand opportunity of making themselves useful. An itnme.nse quantity of goods yet remain to be disposed of, so it is likely to remain open, fora few days in next week, it being quite impossible to make a clearance tonight. The church in question is nearly ?eady for occupation, and looks very well, , , being built of bluestone, with Oaraaru *tqne, dressings. j , Amid the present turmoil of mail coni-

mnnicatio:i with the old country, one has cropped up here in a very quiet way, and which seems so feasible that one wonders why it has not been mooted long ago. It is simply to run a Hue of steamers from Port Chalmers across the Pacific to Magellan's Strait, then to communicate with the line which leave 3 Liverpool monthly for Valparaiso, and vice versa. By adopting this line the distance between Otago and; Liverpool could be accomplished in 40 days, and the reti m trip in ithont 44, the difference being caused by tha prevailing westerly winds, which liow up to a certain parallel of latitude. There is an opportunity for onr little province distinguishing itself. With regard to this project the 'Daily Times of the 3rd inst. says : — " We learn that a company is projected to run a lino of mail steamers between Otago and England, via the Straits of Magellau. The passage between Otago and the Straits is calculated to pecupy 15 days, while the passage from the Straits' to England, calling at th-j River Plate, is estimated at 25 days, the whole distance thus being performed in the short space of 40 days. The s'. earners for this route from Otago will be of 2000 tons register, and will meet the western South Ameripau steamers, of 3000 tons register, in the Straits, where, at a coal depot already established, the mails and passengers will be transhipped. The 3300 ton steamers now on the line from Valparaiso to Liverpool make the passage on an average in 29 days. If such a route were adopted and subsidised by the Australian and. New Zealand Govern metits, we see no reason why the line should not pay well. Of course the time occupied on the return passage will be a few days longer. In consequence of the prevailing westerly winds, the steamers would have to stretch away north to about la 1 . 30 south, where favorable weather may be met with. We believe that Capt. Duncan, of Port Chalmers, lias been offered tho command of the first steamer of the .projected line, -and that Capt. Thomson, of the . William Cargill, now lying at Wellington, has been offered the charge of the second vessel."