THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1718, 27 August 1862, Page 4

THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

TARANAKI

The death of Captain G. R. Burton, Speaker of the Provinci.il Council, took place on the 4th inst. The Herald of the 9th contains the following:— “ The sudden removal from amongst us of our esteemed fellow-settler. Captain G. 11. Burton, is deeply felt by all the inhabitants of New Plymouth. His funeral, which took place last Thursday, was attended by a large number of his friends. He was buried at the new cemetery at the Henui.” The omission, on the part of Sir George Grey, i n his opening speech to the House of Assembly, of all allusion to the critical position of the Province of Taranaki with regard to its native population, has been a severe grief to the “ vigorous prosecutionists” there, and has afforded an occasion for the passing of a resolution of the Provincial Council, memorialising His F.xcellency on that subject. NELSON, Nelson Board ov Works.— There has been a smart contest for civic honors this month, there being no leas than ten candidates for the four vacancies in the Board of Works. At the nomination speeches were as plentiful as blackberries, and the pent-up ire found vent from many a mouth. A three-farthing rate was adopted, and reporters of the press admitted to the weekly meetings of the Board, The report is an improvement on its predecessors, being about half their dimensions. A resolution was passed to the effect that the city should be divided into districts, so that there would be a better chance of the town being more efficiently represented than hitherto, with the majority of the members living directly in the town, and as a natural or imputed consequence most of the money being spent in their immediate neighbourhood. The income for last year amounted to £3742 15s. 4d. The Lighthouse. —The Lighthouse, erected on the Boulder-bank, is now complete, and on Monday night last- the light was exhibited seawards, in which position it will henceforward be continued. The light can be seen, in ordinary weather, at a distance of twelve miles and a-half, and will be of great service to coasters and steam vessels. Sale of Imported ISaxon Merino Rams. —The eight Saxon Merino rams, imported to Nelson in May last, in the ship Ardencraig, were offered for sale by Mr. D. Moore, on Saturday Inst. Four of these rams were selected by Swaine and Co., of Hamburg, from a Saxon Electoral Negretti flock, which had several times obtained prizes at agricultural exhibitions at Berlin, Dresden, Munich, Leipsig, and other places in Germany, and the remaining four were out of a Saxon Escurial Negretti flock, belonging to his Excellency the President of Crosigk, and descendents of the celebrated Sheep of Rothschonberg, and of the royal flock of Lohman. As none of the biddings reached the reserved price for these valuable animals, they were all bought in by the agents of the importer, and were subsequently disposed of in a lot to Mr, C. Elliott. The Chamber of Commerce, at a special meeting passed the following resolutions respecting the recovery of sums over £IOO s That a committee be appointed to address the General Assembly on the necessity of providing the inhabitants of Nelson with a court for the recovery of debts up to £IOO, without the nscessity of appealing to the Supreme Court; such committee to consist of .Messrs. O. Curtis, Sinclair, Bennett, and C. Elliot. MARLBOROUGH. The first of the Provincial elections for Marlborough took place at Picton on the 4th instant. The candidates were—Messrs. A. Seymour, J. Godfrey, and Fuller. Shortly after ten o’clock Mr. Fuller retired from the contest, and Messrs. Seymour and Godfrey were declared to be elected. At Blenheim, on the 9th of August, Messrs. Bowler and Nosworthy were returned without opposition. For the Tua Marina district, Mr. Gouland was returned without opposition, as were also Messrs, Eyes and Bridge for the Lower Wairau. For some of the other districts there are likely to be severe contests. WELLINGTON. The following extract from the Wellington Advertiser of the 12th instant, will really be s piece op

news for our Auckland citizens, and at the motives whence it emanated they can well afford to smile■ The Cbromanderdiggings have turned out a failure, so far as individual enterprise is Concerned,' though companies for quartz-crushing may turn out successful. But the news received by the Queen and the Lord Worsley, as well as that brought this afternoon by the Airedale, must be posponed until Thursday. So welcome a bonne louche for Wellington palates would no doubt prove an expiatory offering to his subscribers for the Advertiser’s delay. In the Chamber of Commerce it was moved and carried —

“ That the “ Bill for Imprisonment for Debt,” the “ Steam Navigation Bill,” or any other measure now before the General Assembly, be referred to the Committee for its consideration. And if it should be of opinion that it is desirable to petition the Legislature, that they are hereby empowered to do so on behalf of the Chamber.”

In the absence of any Otago mail by the Lord Worsley wo extract the following Otago nows via Melbourne:—

Dunedin, August 6th.—Little to report in gold mining. Weather intensely cold. The billiard match, Lamb v. Townsend, was won by Lamb, who took the lead and kept it. His opponent onco reached within eight points. At the conclusion, Townsend had marked 915. Two painful tragedies have occurred. Hardy’s express coach was precipitated over the slope at Saddle Hill. Two women, named Mackenzie and Walsh, were killed. The driver, who is much blamed, jumped off.

Captain Tibbetts, a squatter in the Matawra district, who recently sold his station to Switzer, shot one of Switzer’s men, and afterwards attacked the inmates of the hut. Charles Tibbetts, his brother, was sent for, and waylaid the captain with the police. In the scuffle, Charles Tibbetts shot Captain Tibbetts dead, and in his remorse attempted to commit suicide. Mr. Cargill is elected to the Assembly by a majority of twenty votes over Baldwin. News from Coromandel had discouraged further movements of miners.

Gold exports for the month amount to 17,568 ounces.

MELBOURNE,

By the Lord Ashley wo have received Melbourne files to the 13th instant:— The President of the Board of Trade has declared the names of eighty-five agricultural areas. Much ridicule has followed in consequence of such names as Hcnty, Hirst, Garrick, O’Shannasy, Silene, Sullivan, and others; native names being generally ignored. At the sugar sale the price of crystals was well sustained; low class sugars were still easier. Good grocery sorts advanced from £ I to £2 on yesterday. Some split amongst the importers has caused great excitement amongst them. The colonial steamer Victoria has sailed for Gabo Islaud, with a commission to inspect the new light, and ascertain the proper bearings. The City of Hobart brings news from Otago to 7th August. Reports arc more favourable respecting the gold diggings. A valuable lend has been discovered at Yokodailioo, with quartz reefs. Heavy rains and frosts had damaged the prospects considerably. A kidnapping case at Sandridgo has caused much excitement. At the time of the election of chairman of the municipality of Sandridge, Mr. Pickles, a councillor, was decoyed on board a boat and kept out in the Bay, without food, until the election was over. Meantime Mr. {Pickles was elected chairman by the casting vote of the temporary chairman. Warrants are out against the two boatmen engaged, who were emdloyed by other persons in the Town Council. The case was under investigation, and complicity in the affair will in all probability bo proved against two of Mr. Pickles’ fcllow-council-men.