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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 80, 8 January 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

Eitkc'js of Duofght.—The Sydney Herald of the Bth of Deer., thus alludes (o the disastrous effects of the prevailing dearth of rain:—“The cmntry shows a scene of dreary desolation. Tie gardens burnt up, the grass stunted and withered, the cattle moving in languid leanness, large dairies showing only a mere family supply of their precious produce. The accounts from the pastoral d’stricls are in many cases hardly less disastrous. Cattle stations are peculiarly bare, and the effect on the stock of all kinds has been to reduce its market value—in some places to a song. "We have a reappearance of that state of things which ended in the great monetary overthrow of 1822-4. The effect of the immediate condition of the people is of course most disastrous. The farmer owes rent, and he is a debtor to the storekeeper ; the country storekeeper owes to the wholesale dealer, and he to the importer, and the last to the foreign house. The Banks have lent moie.’tothe sheep owner, and have a lien on the wool. Such is the state of things looming before us—not now unmanageable or universal, and with many compensations and alleviations. We can get over the difficulties of one season without any general derangement, but wo cannot wholly forget what it was some years ago. The I.C.R.M Co. have purchased the s.s. Paulet. She will sail in all January, and may be looked lor in .April. The second, or inter-provincial boat, may be expected in June. The Prince Alfred made the run from Picton in the extraordinary short space of four and a-half hours. Mr. Gladstone had made a speech on American affairs, which had created a sensation. He said that the South had created an army, and was creating a nation. He explained that this was only his individual opinion. The Hew Zealander says —“ H.M.S.S. Pioneer, which has been expected here for some time back, was in the Fitzroy Dry Dock when the Lord Ashley left Sydney ; and, as we have been informed, so eaten up with dry rot as to render her repair a matter of the utmost doubt. Dr. Langley, Archbishop of York, had been translated to the See of Canterbury. Ships loading for New Zealand. —For Wellington, 1 ; 5 for Auckland ; 2 for Otago ; 2 for Nelson : and 3 for Canterbury. It is reparted that General M’Clellan’s army will immediately cross into Virginia and commence offensive operations. The Southern journals acknowledge the defeat the Confederates at Corinth, and intimate their loss at 5000. Nashville is reported to be surrounded by the Confederates. The Federal General Dumont has captured two pieces of artillery, and 150 Confederates at Versailles, Kentucky.