THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1872.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 196, 29 November 1872, Page 4

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1872.

The weather here for some time past has been something approaching tropical, and the heat such as to dry up almost entirely the water supply, causing the greater part of the miners to become idle. Should the present weather much longer continue, and we confess we can at present discover no prospect of a change, there can be no doubt that a considerable portion of our population will be compelled to leave to seek employment and earn a livelihood elsewhere. A better opportunity than the present could not by any possibility occur for commencing the promised works, as labor —we might say, skilled labor, for it would be the labor of practical miners—would be at once at command, and to an almost unlimited extent, thus rendering, the importation of special labor for the works-superfluous, if not altogether unnecessary. Having once left, and we confess that they (the miners) have had sufficient to dishearten and disgust them, it would not be a v< ry easy matter to induce them to return should their services be subsequently required. As we have said, and have, over and over again repeated, the great > drawback of the district is the great scarcity of water for sluicing purposes, and. the late dry summer, hard winter, and present hot, dry weather have militated much against the sue *ess and prosperity of the miner, compelling him, in many instances, to have recourse to his little- hard-earned and well-husbanded store for an existence. No- wonder, then, that their spirits should begin to flag and their hearts to afffrPth'em, when they have again the prospect of another long summer and a short supply of water before them. There is no doubt that many of our best men have already left the' district j disheartened a d disgusted. At the same time,, there are others still among us made of sterner stuffy who have faith in the auriferous character of the ground and the elasticity of the resources of the district. These hav* been sustained by the hope that the, promise* from time to time made by the Government, that the waiter- sup*, ply should be increased and made-per-manent, and that a channeE to facilV tate the discharge of tailings, would eventually be fulfilled,. There has hitherto always bee.i some hitch which has delayed the. commencement of these works. One professional gentleman after another has visited the localiti«s,. surveyed the ground, and reported thereon, until the shelves of the Government offices actually groan under t!:e weight ot their reports. T<;e> cry, or rather the excuse, of t\\& (*o-' vernmenr has always been tbnr, before proceeding with these works, they required still "further information.'* That " further information " has. been most amply supplied by the very able and exhaustive reports of Mr. Simpson, C.E., on the construction of the Sludge Channel and the introduction of water supply, which clearly show both of these works to be practicable and workable, the latter at a far less co*t than was generally anticipated. Assurances are constantly given us at the present time, from good authorities, that these works are to be proceeded with at once, and yet week after week and month after monthelapses without auv move becoming discernible. J f the Government know their duty, and are aKve ro.their own interests and that of the Colon v, which is at present entrusted to their care to govern, there will be no further hanging back in the matter, but tenders, will be at ouce called for, far both works at the same time. As we have said, the time is auspicious, seeing that labor can be had in abunla and there is little doubt but that good and substantial contractors will be found m our midst—men of practical knowledge and known energy and ability. Had these works been constructed, as they should have been, years since, the

district would have been in a far better position than it is this day, and the Government would have been deriving therefrom a very much larger amount of revenue than it has done for years past. Of the practicability, utility, and reproductive character of these works there cannot, after the reports which one after the other have reached them, exist any doubt whatever on the mind of the Government. If the district is to be put in a position to retain, nay, to augment three or fourfold its population, thereby the revenue derived from it in an exactly similar ratio, then no time should be lost in setting the machine in motion. In all honesty and good faith the Government are pledged to these works, and the sooner they redeem that pledge the better for the district and the better for themselves. " Hope deferred " makes the heart grow sick," is an old and true proverb, and one which is applicable to the case before us, as between the miners of Mount Ida and the Government with respect to these works. We tru<t that there may he no further delay on the part of the Government in calling for tenders, and in prosecuting these works alike with energy and vigor.

Tune following telegram, having reference to the sale of a certain block of land at Maerewhenua to the Hon. Mr. Campbell, will show to the residents of that place that the Provincial Government has not been, nor is, indifferent to the prayer of the memorialists upon the subject. The names of the gentlemen appointed to enquire into the matter should be a sufficient guarantee of the desire of the Government to act fairly and honestly. Mr. Shepherd is well knowu to be a firm aud unflKKjhkig supporter of tie mining interest, ss-Jule the name of Mr. MkKerrow should in itself suffice to prova to the miners that what has to be done will be well done. The telegram is brief, nor docs it say whether the gentlemen are a Commission, with full powers to take evident e on oath, and call for all (if any) papers having reference to the subject. We presume, however, such to b».s the case, otherwise the enquiry woull lose much of its virtue. ;

The question of the alienation of ground known, or oven, supposed, to be payably auriferous is a grave one, not only to the miners, but to the Province itself, -so far, at least, as its revenue is -concerned. The importance of the mining interest is, we aj prehend, fully established, and, for the sake of a small and insignificant temporary gain, to dispose of land which would afford profitable employment to a large portion of the community is manifestly a most suicidal policy, and .one which the public should strain every nerve to prevent". The sale, or rather the alleged sa, e, to Mr. Campbell of 10,000 acres of land at Maerewhenua, known to be partially, if not entirely of a gold-beariug character, is unfortunately not an isolated case, and we are only too glad to find that our Maerewhenua friends are alive to their own interests, and resolved to defend, so for as their power goes, their rights and liberties. From what we hear from persons upon whose op: -ia we can safely rely, there is not the slightest question as to the auriferous nature of the land referred to, and v\e have not the least doubt in our own mind that the report of the Commission will result (if it be possible so to do) in the Government's declining to complete the sale to Mr. Campbell. The very fact that the land alleged to have been sold, or under sale, to Mr. Campbell being ascertained to be auriferous, would and should in itself be a sufficient ground, on the part of the Government, for a withdrawal from negociations, at least until the result of the forthcoming investigation be made known. We trust that the example set by the Maerewhenuaites may be followed by all the districts whtrjin efforts may hereafter be made to s ill gold-bearing ground. The thanks of the mining community throughout the Province are due to them for the efforts they have made in this matter, and in the name of the Mount Ida miners we thank them, and cordially wish those efforts success.

3?he following is tb,e telegram above

referred to :—" Dunedin, Tuesday, 4.30 p.m.— Tell the memorialists that Mr. Shepherd, M.P.C., and Mr. M'Kerrow will be at Oamaru on Tuesday and Wednesday next, on their way to report on the block at Maerewhenua sought to be purchased by Mr. Campbell. —A. Willis, Under Secretary."

The stamp on newspapers, on and after the Ist January, 1873, will be one halfpenny, instead of one penny, as at present. We would remind all interested that after Ist December next the stamps on cheques and receipts will be one penny, instead of twopence, as at present. Holders of twopenny stamps can get them exchanged for penny ones up till the 31st of December, upon application to the postmaster. We are informed that Mr. Simpson's final report, with plans and detailed estimate* on the subject of the bringing in of water from the Manuherikia, will be completed and in the hands of the Government within a fortnight from this date. Jn giving the names in our last issue of those ladies who presided at the stalls, and took an active part on the occasion of the late Church of England bazaar, those of Mrs. King and Mrs. Kirby were unintentionally omitted, for which, omission we desire to express our regret.

A meeting of the Mount Ida Jockey Club took place at George's Victo: ia Hotel on the evening of Wednesday last, when the handicaps for the forthcoming races were declared. The list of nominations will be found elsewhere, which, it will be seen, includes the names of some of the best horses not only in this but in the neighboring Provinces. RtraiOß has it that Mr. Simpson, 0.K., has been appo : nted P ovincial Engineer, vice G-. M. Burr, CE , resigned. It i, also rumored that Mr. James Oliver has resigned his appointment of District Road Engineer, and that these two gentlemen will carry on business on their own account as surveyors and engineers.

A new morning paper, to be called the 1 Morning Star,' will appear for the first time on Monday next. The 'Morning Star' will be published in connection with the ' Evening Star,' of which paper it will, in fact, be a morning edition. The price of the ' Morning Star' will be one penny "per copy in Dunedin, and three half-pence by p>st. Os and t\i'U.r the Ist January, 1872, the duty on gold, will be reduced from 2s. 6d. to 2s. per ounce.

The Cosmopolitan Troupe (O'Brien's) pave entertainments in the Masonic Hall on\he evenings of Friday, Saturday, an I Monday last, on all of which occasions the houses were mu.-h poorer than they shjuld have been considering the excellence of the different programmes, and the ability with which they were carried out. Three of the members of our Amateur Dramatic Club (Mr. and Mrs. Money and Mr. G. Raven) took pnrt in the performance on Monday evening, when the favorable opinion which we have always entertained of Mr. Haven's powor as an amateur actor was amply confirmed. As Reuben Rags, in Ben Bolt, Mr. Raven was very.successful, playing with taste and eifeit, and was ably seconded by Mrs. Money, who took the part o! Alice. We cannot refrain from expressing our opiuion that fhe troupe had, in a great measure, themselves to blame for their houses, the prices having been made far too high to suit the times. Had the charge been 3s. for front and Is. for back seats, we feel sure that peeuniarly the troupe would have fared inm-h better than we fear they did. A from the Superintendent to J. P. Armstrong, M.P.C., dated 23rd instant, conveys to us the gratifying intelligence that the Minister of Public Works has given as sura:,ce to his Honor that, not a moment will be lost after the receipt of Mr. Simpson's final report, in commencing the works in connection with this place. Mr. Simpson's final report will be in the hands of the Government in the course of a few days. It is therelore reasonable to expect, that we shall have these works entered upon in the course of a few weeks at the latest.

The ' New Zealand Government Gazette ' says:—The Governor has been pleased to accept the resignation by William Pile Gordon Esq. of Strathtaieri, Macraes, of his appointment as a Justice of the Peace for the Colony. An advertisement in another column announces that the Rev. Mr. Dasent will conduct divine service in the Union Church, Naseby, on Sunday evening next, at the usual hour.

A meeting of the Union Church Committee was held in the Union Church, on Wednesday evening last. Present: Mr C. A. de Latour in the chair, Messrs. Busch, W. Currie, Moore, Lory, W. J. Cooper, M. N. Cooper, and Wilson. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.—Mr Busch stated that Mr Moore agreed to prepare and arrange the church, for preliminary meetings, at half the usual terms. The Chairman read correspondence and telegrams to and from the Superintendent, and Waste Land Board, relative to the Church reserve and title thereto; the combination of building as a Church and Athehtaum, and the subsidy of £2OO, passed by resolution of the last Provincial Council. The correspondence resulted in the present area of ground on which the Union Church is situate, being re erved for an Athenaeum, and the subsidy of £2OO being also granted on the application of the committee. A building committee consisting of Messrs Busch, W. J. Cooper, and the Chairman, was then appointed to peg out a site, prepare plans, and obtain tenders, for such alterations as may be necessary.

The Committee to report as soon as posble..

It is anticipated that the Provincial Council will be called together at an early date, there being several subjects which demand immediate attention. It is not expected that the session will be a long one. We hear with pleasure that the Kakanui Water Race Company (Registered), Maerewhenua, are setting to work in real earnest, and had, at the end of last week, fully eight miles of their race surveyed. This, from the names of the gentlemen who comprise the Company, was nothing more than weexpected. In fact, there can be no doubt that the enterprise will be well, energetically, and, we tiust, satisfactorily and successfully carried through.

i Our readers will learn with regret the re- ! moval of Mr C. E. Gudgeon, accountant of the Bank of New Zealand, Naseby, to Cromwell. Mr Gudgeon was much esteemed and a great favorite alike in private and in public life by all classes of the community during a period of nearly' four years during which he has resided among us. While however regretting his removal we beg to congatulate that gentleman upon his well merited advancement—exchanging, as we are informed he does, the office of accountant, for the higher one of agent. Mr. D. L. Simpson, C.E., has been telegraphed for to proceed forthwith to Dunedin. He left by Cobb and Co's coach on Friday last. The presence of the Hon. Mr Richardson, Minister of Public Works, who is at present in Dunedin, suggests the idea that Mr Simpson's presence is required in connection with the water supply and Sludge Channel question. In mining matters we have little to report, seeing that the present dry weather has thrown a very large number of miners out of employment, by almost drying up the entire water supply. But little water is coming into some of the dams, while others are perfectly dry. Great restlessness prevails in consequence of the non-commencement of the works, and it is anticipated that, unless there be a speedy change in the weather, or tenders are called for the works, there cannot fail to be a considerable exodus of miners. Despite the dry season, the crops are looking healthy and promise well; while the fruit trees and bushes are literally loaded with fruit. What effect a continuation of the present drought may have on the prosperity of our farmers and gardeners, it is not difficult to foresee. Still we trust that we may yet have rain and that in abundance before long, An Act intituled "An Act for the Incorporation and Winding up of Mining Companies, " was passed by the General Assembly during the last session. The Act is a most important one for Mining Companies, but its extreme length, containing 134 clauses, renders it out <>f our power to give anything like an attempt at the description of its provisions. Full particulars with schedules are given showing the procedure to be adopted in the formations, carrying on, and the winding up of Companies. By it the former Acts relating to Mining Companies, are repealed. The Act is in fact a Consolidation Act and should be in the hands of every Mining Company throughout the Colony. Such an Act has long been wanted, and from what we have seen of the provisions, by a mere glance, is one which should work well.

A correspondent from Hyde, sends us the following copy of a resolution passed at a meeting of the School Committee on th 3 occasion of the resignation of the Schoolmaster, Mr. Seymour H. Saunders :—" The Committee, in expressing its unanimous regret, that Mr Seymour H. Saunders has resigned the appointment of Teacher of the Hyde School, trust that every success will attend him in his future sphere of life, and have great pleasure in testifying to his character as an honest, honorable, straightforward, and steady man" Our correspondent adds, that he has nothing further of any momant lo report, except the want of water which hinders the miners from washing up, in consequence of which the circulating medium is very scarce. It would appear from this, as well as from the local journals of the various districts, that a general drought prevails through the whole of this province. A veby unut-ual occurrence took place in Nasi by yesterdry, and one which, we confess, never io have witnessed before during our resi- ! dence of nearly four years, We allude to two funerals having taken place on the same day —both of very young children, and both from the same neighbourhood—HomeGrully. One was that of the child of whose melancholy death we have recorded elsewhere, the second a child of Mr. and Mrs. Flannacan. i Bo:h funerals were largely attended. ! At the Re ident Magistrate's Court, on the 23rd, the case of Police v Daniel (adjourned from Macraes) for cruelty to animals, was heard. Fined in the mitigated penalty of 2Us and 5s 6d costs.

We draw attention to the remarks of the jury in the case of the inquest upon the accidental poisoning case reported elsewhere It is lobe feared that too frequently persons leave dangerous substances about their premises with but little, if any, precaution against dange:-. It would be well that all substances which, under any circumstai.ee?>, might have a poisonous effect, should be carefully labelled and put out of the reach of children. Had there been a Libel upon the bottle that contained th-- caustic potash in this case it would most probably have attrar-ted the attention of some member of the family, and not have bet-n left lying about the floor of the back room to b? handled and tasted by an inquisitive child.

Mr Be veridg k, G rand M aster of the Masons, writes to the ' Southern Cross' of the 13th inst. contradicting Father Norris, and says Mr Freer told him twelve mouths ago that

in consequence of his refusing to renounce Freemasonry and opposing the priest in re-' gard to education, the priest said he wouldhave the death of a dog. Mr Freer then requested Mr Beveridge, if he survived to see that he had a Masonic funeral. Shortly before his death Mr Freer complained to Mr Beveridge that the priests continually annoyed him, and urgsd him to renounce FreeMasonry. Mr Freer expressed himself bitterly against the priests, and requested them not to visit him, which they insisted ondoing. On the day of his death Father Norris was coming to administer extreme unction, when Mr Freer sent for Mr Beveridge to remain during the service, fearing that the priests would renew the request to renounce Freemasonry. Mr Beveridge did so, and when the priest was gone, he asked Mr Freer how, still being a Mason, the priest administered the Last Sacrament; wherenpon Mr Freer replied, "They have stretched a point for me; but mind the Masons bury me." This happened shortly before Mr Freer's death.

Tub Caledonian Co. is again on gold. So. also is the Golden Crown G'<h y and the Boyaji Standard Co. at Coroinandel.

The Prussian police have prohibited the of photographs of Napoleon 111. in his. Imperial robes.