MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

North Otago Times, Volume III, Issue 46, 5 January 1865, Page 1 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

The " New Zealand Gazette " notifies that the Governor having accepted the resignation of the hon. Frederick Whitaker, Attorney-Geneial, the hon. William Fox, Colonial Secretary, the hon Reader Gilson Wood, Colonial Treasurer and Commissioner of Customs, the hon. Thomas Bannatyne Gillies, Postmaster General, and the hon. Thomas Russell, Minister for Colonial Defence; has been pleased to appoint the hon. Frederick Aloysius Weld to be Colonial Secretary; the hon. Henij , Sewell to bo Attoiney-Geneial; the hon Win, Fitzherbei t to be Colonial Tieasurcr and CommV-aoner of Customs ; the hon. John Larkms Cheese Richai dson to be Postmaster-General; the hon. Harry Albeit Atkinson to be Minister for Colonial Defence—and severally members of the Executive Council.

The " Wanganui Chronicle " lias the following :— •' We lately alluded to a rumored move noi thwards on the part of the troops, who, il was said, were going to Waitotara. Ifc turned out that the preparations weie merely for a field day at the Westmere, which came off on the Bth inst. As'the troops maiched out thej r Avsre seen by some natives, who at onco galloped off to Waitotara with the news that the soldieis were advancing, and it was of couiso sent flying down the coast. The effect is that a very laige number of Nngatiruanui, Waikato, and Taranaki natives, and even some from Waitaia, aie already at Waitotara. prepared for fighting, and more are daily arriving. Aheady they have commenced making themselves troublesome to the load party, entering the tents, and helping themselves to food and anything eLe that takps their fancy, as well as endeavouring to coax or bully the men into selling them everything convertible into a weapon. They have been particularly anxious to buj , the blasting powder, of which a good deal has been employed in forming the road, and the men have been consideiably alaimed lest the natives should rush it. It is even said they aie buying up the camp ovens aid saucepans of the men, and breaking them into slugs. The head of the soldier killed at Taranaki has been diied, and brought to Waitotara, and a crusade under it similar to that under Captain Lloyd's is being pleached. Fiom up the river we learn that the friendly natives are on the alort, and everything remains as it was last week. It is, however, reported that some-Piphiki natives have gone acioss to Waitotaia, and that a large number of Waikatos have crossed towaids Waitara by the Taumatamaho path.

The "Wairau Record" says :—" Diays with wool from stations up the the country, aro coming in daily, and it is rapidly shipped away. The Lyttelton and the Supply wili take a laige quantity to Nelson and Wellington during the next two or three months. The steamei Wallaby may be expected heie bhoi tly, and will, in all probability, load with wool.

The " Southland News" of the 21st ult. says—"The Provincial Government offices were yesterday entered by the officers of the sheriff, and an execution levied at the suit of Mr Mackenzie, the contractor. Officers have also seized the whole of the railway stock botu in town and at the Bluff. The amount of the execution which has been enforced is £15,067 17s 11 "We undeistand that to-day the goveinment offices will be closed, the duty of the sheriff being imperative. This circumstance will probably have the effect of bringing matters to a cribis. No doubt when the news of what has occurred reaches Auckland, the General Government will come at once to the relief of the Piovince. We n,ny indulge this hope the more confidently fiorn the fact that the new Ministry have already despatched an agent to report upon the financi.il necessities of the Piovince."

The "Dunstan Times" of the 27th ult. says—" An accident happened at Wethorston's on Wednesday last which threatened to he of seiious consequence both to the lives and property of the residents there. Ahout one o'clock on that day the largo dam, known as Gascoigne's, burst, and an immense quantity of water founl its way into tlie town with a rapidity that threatened desti uction to all in its path. Several people had a very narrow escape, but fortunately no lives were lost. Much damage to property has resulted. Sir Filch is reported to be the greatest suffeier, his loss being estimated at something over £500. The side of his store wrs diiven in and his veiandah forced away, with a great quantity of valuable goods, by the foice with which an adjoining store, known as the Melbourne House, was swept against the premises by the flood. Had the dam buist during the night it is most probable that considerable loss of life would have been the result."

Curious Calculation. —There has been enough already slain to encircle our State, if their dead bodies wpre laid in one continuous line. If laid in a wall 25 ft thick and 30 ft high, it would be over mile in length. If sft thick and 10 ft high, the pile would reach across the State. If piled up in alO acre lot, they would be neaily 200 ft high. And if laid upon the ground, they would cover every foot of ground in Jeffei son Countj\ 75,000 tons of human blood have been spilled in Dixie's soil—enough to turn every spindle in Lowell; and if the tears were added to the flood, it would turn the machinery of the continent; and the unavailing sighs would fill every ocean sail. The one half has not been told. The millions of wounded and maimed for life must bo taken into account in summing up the grciDd total of evils incident to this bloody and fanatical war. And the end is not yet. "We shudder at the news of the death of twenty persons killed by the accidental breaking of a rail, or the sinking of a steamboat; and if two hundred are lost by any means, we are fairly horrorstricken, and are ready to wi eak vengeance on any one who has been negligent or cai eless in the matter. But when tens of thousands are cut down in one day by the procurement of designing demagogues, we shout "Hallelujah," and can hardly contain our&elves for joy, when, we thank heaven for the human slaughter.—American paper. Another Nugget prom the Lyell.—A handsome nugget of very pure gold, weighing 26 ozs., which had been obtained at the Lyell. was pin chased of a digger, on Wednesday last, by the Bank of New Zealand. This nugget is precisely of the same character as the nuggets found in the Lyell last year, i esemblmg the shape of a large pebble. The lucky finder had also in his possession a small lob of coarse gold, the largest nuggets of which weighed nearly 1 oz. We did not leai n the time which had been spent in procuring this gold ; but we have heard of a party of three men, lately returned fi om the Lyell, who, after paying expenses, shared among them, for about six months' laUor, £900. % A sloi'e, we perceive, is to be opened at Lyell, which will i ender the cost of living there moderate, as provisions can be convevc d up the Buller river in. canoes from Weslport. —Nelson Examiner.

Diving Apparatus.—The New Zealand Insurance Company have imported one of Heinke's patent diving apparatus complete for two divers. It will not only be of great use io the Company in tho recovery of propeity from wrecks and the examination of the bottoms of vessels, but as it is to be secured by other persons on certain conditions, may be made of considerable pxiblic use in the harbour and elsewhere. The apparatus is in charge of the agent of the Company at Auckland, and can be procured by application tdanj' of the agents of the New Zealand Insurance Company.