Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 568, 14 April 1858, Page 3

Colonial.

"OTAGO. ! By the Content we have Otago papers to last Saturday. There was little of interest in the columns, but we fiud the following general account of PEOGEESS. Our doings in the province are of that unassuming character which, however beneficial to the community, affords but little for comment. The harvest throughout the province has been generally secured in first-rate condition, and we are happy to learn. tlmt-tho-yicW-is estimated at a fair average. At the extreme South —Invercargill and Jacob's River—the settlers have for the present given up public meetings and petitions. The Branch Land Office1 has been established, and the difficulties with regard to runs there are settling down. Cargoes of several thousand sheep have been landed ! during the past few months, and the stocking of the country is progressing steadily. We are however sorry to hear that the importation of scabby sheep is much more general than is desirable. The importation of unclean sheep is a ruinous, speculation both to the importer and to the settlers. At Jacob's River the settlers are about to improve the road to the interior, for which purpose a sum of-money is to be placed at their disposal by the Government. The £500 hanc'el to the District Road Board of Invercargill is being expended by that body; and there is a probability of a very material improvement being made upon the roads of that district before the winter sets in. A new route from the south to the Clutha is said to have been discovered, which will have the effect of shortening the journey by about thirty miles. Within the surveyed districts but little progress has been made in roads for some time past. The efforts of the General Road Board; are too diffused to have a very telling effect ; and it is to be feared that the continuation of the south road beyond the point at which the Government have carried out the work will be delayed until it will be too late to effect much improvement. The road across the swamp is assuming a tangible shape, and bids fair to be the best piece of road-making throughout the province ;" and its continuation to the Dunedin Jetty Avill effect a vast improvement in that quarter of the town. We anticipate, however, that it will be found to be an expensive undertaking. What has been done is well done, and will serve as a gunge of what is likely to be the expense of effective road-making in this province. Very considerable improvements have been effected by the Town Board. The filling up the stagnant creek in the centre of the town and the building of a slr.no culvert has enMrely removed tho disgusting effluvia which used to pervade the High Street. This was a work as important, in a sanitary point of view ; as any other. The raising of the High Street lias also much increased the value of the property in that neighbourhood. Tho Board are now engaged in reducing the Church Hill, and making the ascent mow gradual. Rattruy and M;irlaggnn streets have been muoli immwod, and '.n.aiy i of the sections there have conseijuimih* luvn let ; upon building leases. A gveni improvement !

has been effected upon tlie Northeast Valley road, but the means of the Hoard are not such as to enable it to do most of its work otherwise than in a perfunctory style. Together with our first effort at a perfectly metalled road, we observe that that the faith in stone houses is becoming stronger: one is being built, arid we hear of others being projected. At the present rate of timber, it is stated that stone will be as cheap, or rather cheaper, when the quarry at Caveraliam has been thoroughly opened, which we are informed will shortly be the case—an experienced quarryman being about to devote his attention to the business. Northward, we hear of but little being done in road making. The shipping apparatus at Oamaru is shortly to be at work; a village is to be laid out there ; and already there have been many applications to the Government for liberty to erect wool stores within the new township. Since the publication of Mr. Thomson's, the chief surveyor's, report of the northern districts, between three or four millions of acres of land have been applied for as sheep and cattle runs. From the published applications both for town and rural lands there appears to be no abatement in the demand ; and we understand that the receipts at the land office for last quarter have been greater than in any preceding period of like duration, the gross receipts being about £6750, or at the rate of £27,000 per annum. The expenses of the department are very heavy, from the large surveying staff to be maintained, which, however, can scarcely keep pace with the demand upon it. On the whole, our material progress seems accelerating, and we have eveiy reason to be satisfied with our prospects for the ensuing year.— Witness, April The Alfred, from Geelong, arrived here la.it night, having left Geelong on the Ist instant. She brings a cargo of upwards of 2000 sheep. The voyage, though short, was stormy, with heavy gales from the north-west, causing a rather severe loss. We have been obligingly furnished by A. M'Master, Esq., the charterer, with a few Melbourne papers. They do not contain the market quotations, but we learn that they had undergone but little alteration since our last advices.— lbid. Drunkenness.—We have to notice with regret the apparent increase of cases of drunkenness which are now too frequently seen in our little community, and more especially those which occur on the Sabbath day. giving rise to such scenes upon the street as we reluctantly witnessed on a late Sabbath evening about 11 o'clock, viz., drunken men with their coats off fighting with each othe.r, thereby disturbing the sacred peace and quiet of the Sabbath evening. We have merely mentioned the above circumstance in the hope that precaution may be taken to prevent the recurrence of such a disgraceful scene as that we have alluded to. We also learn that on Sunday week some person was so drunk and noisy in the vicinity of Mr. Justice Gresson's lodgings ttiatTnTs Honor had to go out and give him in charge. Next morning his Honor had the drunkard brought before him and fined 20s. or 48 hours' imprisonment.. His Honor commented strongly upon the great want of stringency in the Licensing Ordinance of this province, and said that the law in Canterbury was such that if such scenes were to take place there the license of the publican who supplied the liquor to make a man drunk on Sunday would be suspended; and he hoped our provincial legislators would revise their present licensing laws at an early period. His Honor also expressed great astonishment when he found he could not a higher fine than 205., or 48 hours' imprisonment.— Ibid. # . ;. Tuesday last, being the tenth anniversary of tho foundation of the settlement, was observed' by a general cessation of business. There was some attempt at horse-racing in the neighbourhood of Dunedin, but we regret to hear that,' from the absence of any regulations for the protection of the public, and the reprehensible conduct of some of the parties concerned, several persons were injured, one so severely that he was conveyed to the hospital.— Colonist, March 26. Gold in Otago.—The 'Colonist' publishes the following letter : — Te Houka, Clutha River, March 23. Sj r> —l have the honour to inform you that, while' engaged in the survey of the Tuapeka country, one of the men belonging to my partydiscovered gold to be pretty plentifully distributed even among the surface gravel near to the mouth of that stream; having no sinking tools we did not examine any further, but there are indie;'[-.ions of its possibly turning out a workable sold held; and as I heard at Mr. Maitland's" station that it is known by other parties, I thought it best to take the first opportunity of sending you notice. The place is so accessible that a dray could take a ton, at least, from the Waihola Lake. Plenty of scrub for firewood, and a considerable extent of excellent agricultural land in the.neighbourhood. , ( ° I have the honor to be, sir, &c, Alex. Garviuj, Assistant Surveyor. J. T. Thomson, Esq.