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New Zealand Mail, Issue 32, 2 September 1871, Page 3

Railways in Otago.—We have had an opportunity of inspecting plans prepared by Mr Millar, F.S.A., Dunedin, for railways in the province of Otago occupying thirty sheets. They are most beautifully and elaborately executed, and professional gentlemen assure us they are as useful as they are artistic. Iu addition to what we are accustomed to see in such plans, on one of the sheets there "is a schedule of gradients, ascending and descending, lengths and rate of inclination, lengths and radius of curvatures, &c, &c, and on another we have a plan and vertical sections of the borings made in the bed of the Waitaki river with a view of testing the same for the foundation of the railway bridge. This last is most tastefully executed and beautifully colored. Sheet No. 13 will puzzle most critics. It looks like an engraving of the township of Oamaru and surrounding country, and on close inspection it will be found that it is an ingenious appropriation of a lithographic plan by one of the Provincial Government surveyors colored to show the railway reserves. Every sheet, in short, is a triumph of ingenuity and artistic skill. The expenditure of time and money on these plans we observed with .some misgivings. They seemed to indicate that the Minister of Works was not imbued with the opinions of the Colonial Treasurer with regard to cheapness in railway construction, as set forth in his able letter on rail ways written at New York. We were soon undeceived, however, by learning that this lavish expenditure of time and embellishment is not paid for out of colonial revenue, and only bears testimony to the abandon with which Mr Millar has devoted himself to his duty. It satisfies the exacting requirements of his own taste, and is paid for out of his own pocket. We believe these sheets are alto gether unique, and Mr Miliar, by affixing his bold autograph to each of them, seems to challenge, if not to defy, all competitors.

Colonial Defence.—The well-known correspondent of the Melbourne "Argus,' writing by the last Suez mail, says :—Mr Vogel has been exerting himself to good effect on behalf of the colonies generally in the matter of colonial protection, by sea. He has obtained a promise from the Government that the Australian squadron shall be increased, by at least one ship, as soon as possible. It is a pity that all other colonial agents at Home are not equally well employed in seeking the permanent interests of the colonies*