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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1387, 29 July 1872, Page 2

A Greville telegram in the Auckland Evening Star slates that Mr John Hall's appointment to the Upper House is not expected to strengthen the Ministry. The fable of the goose that laid the golden eggs seems likely to be partially realised in New Zealand. The Temuka correspondent of the Timaru Herald writes as follows:—"I have been shown a sample of rough gold, weighing one and a-half grains, which has been tested, and valued as worth £3 10s per ounce. Mr H. Pratt, of this town, a few days ago, when cleaning a goose, found in. the gizzard a number of small pieces of gold, weighing as above. The largest piece, f should say, weighs about three quarters of a grain, and the other pieces are of various sizes; the whole shows signs of the action of the water, there being no sharp edges. There must evidently be gold in the district, and payable, from the size of the samples." The Lake Wakatip Marl of the 3rd instant devotes three columns to the report ot the proceedings connected with the opening of the fine new Town Hall, Queenstown. The ceremony took place on the 27th June, and was followed by a grand concert and ball. The Mayor, B. Hallenstein, Esq., m the comse of his opening address, made the following remarks:—"This fine building is the halting place from whence we can look back at the scenes we have passed, and at the difficulties we have already surmounted. Civilization in this district, even in its rudest form, dates buck but very few years—yet how wonder r ul and how pleasing the change in those years. Since first the magic power of gold drew us hither scarcely ten years have passed—the vikl sea birds, the duck and the diver, who for ages past held undisturbed possession of our waters are now scared away by a busy fleet of boats and steameis. On the old survey ground stands the first hut—a memento of bygone days —built by Mr Rees, the pioneer of the distiicr. Little did our respected friend dream, when fixing his humble habitation on our beautiful and romantic shore, that he was laying the foundation ot a prosperous town. Since that day has arisen the present City of the Lakes, after undergoing many changes, I am happy to say, for the better. The dwellings of calico disappeared comparatively long ago, wooden structures have taken their plac:, and now we aie building more substantial places still—of brick and stone —such as that we are now inaugurating. The fate of Queenstown hangs upon that of the "Wakatipu, with its rivers and terraces yielding their golden treasure, as of yoie,—with fertile valleys, waving corn-fields, grassy mountain ranges teeming with herds of cattle and flocks, and with a climate unsurpassed in the world. The district thus bountifully blessed v.ill progress, and if we are prudent we shall prosper." At Timaru, on the 17th inst, the brig Princess Alice parted her cables, and was towed out a short distance to sea by the s.s. Tararua. The life boat upset when returning to shore. The crew were all saved. A party of English capitalist? have offered three million dollars for 600,000 acres of swamp land near San Francisco. The ex-Emperor Eugenie still seems anxious to turn all her effects into hard cash ; she is not only selling her jewels, hut all her Spanish estates.