LONDON GOSSIP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 161, 22 May 1862, Page 5

LONDON GOSSIP.

Once more we are, by the kindness of the gentleman to whom it is addressed, able io present our readers with a letter of London Gossip.

London, March, 18G2. My dear , On the pinch of my last, I announced the arrival of a paper from you, for which many thanks. It gave me a portrait of King, an account of his reception, his audience with Hany Barkly, the meeting with his sister, the ride home to St. Kilda in Big Don's carriage, and his examination before the Committee. Of course, I noticed too how your theatrical Coppin wanted to gobble him up all to himself. Before I make a long speecli and lose myself, let me impress upon you the actual necessity of giving my best compliments to King on the very first opportunity, and tell him that I shall consider that 1 am smoking a pipe with him, and drinking to his health, and to his honor and glory, aud his world-wide renown. Also, let me express a hone that lie has been well advised in his refusal of the, theatrical offer -that lie is not losing the substance in grasping at the fhndow. To you, my boy, my meaning is apparent. I have no great faith in the gratitude of one's country. Things are so easy when accomplished. Columbus is supposed, once upon a time, when annoyed at the want of appreciation of his wonders by' a vile set of envious Spanish courtiers, to have exhibited an egg, ami asked the

wretched lot, one and all, to set. it up on end. The spooneys looked at the interesting anicle, pulled it about, and liandwl it to one another, and tried all sorts of dodges with it, and ultimately handed it, back to the illustrious voyager, with the simple expression " It's impossible." You know t.he result. When he had clone it, it was unanimously declared, like his discoveries, a thing.w <asy. This was long ago. you may say, but it lias its mural nevertheless. And yet, another " once upon a time," our own dear Nelson, with glorious blood-stained victory on his brow, while sinking fast in bold Tom Hardy's arms, is supposed to have yielded up his heroic spirit, with these words, "I leave to a grateful country my daughter Horatia." You know the reward of Columbus, and you also too well know how a " grateful country " attended to the small reward asked lor by the dying hero of Trafalgar. With these specimens of gratitude before me, 1 am niost anxious about friend Kinir; but if your authorities do him justice there is nothing to regret in his refusing the first tempting offer, for surely it was tempting to a poor man. A cool thousand* is a sum, I expect, that was never dreamt oi'iu his philosophy, and yet, it would, of course, have heon a sorry spectacle to see such a mnn exhibit himself iv such a character. All honor, then, to your countrymen if they give this hero his deserts, and so shame the mother-country— ride Nelson. And now to the departed victims of jobbery.'

Burke, Wills, and Gray arc dead, and the critic must bo gentle with their manes; but what arc we to think about the ill-fated expedition? The chances are I shall never set foot on Australian soil, so I shall escape any personal chastisement my sentiments may apparently decree to me at the hands of some one to whom they may lie made known. Hut if lam wrong in the premises—if mine are the notions of an ignoramus merely, your v. rdict of guilty conveyed in your next letter, shall be to me punishment quantum suf. To my mind Burke was a hot headed Irishman, totally unfitted for the leadership of such a veiv important undertaking. What knew lie of such a tiling ns exploring ami its exigencies ? Surely your chairman. Sir W. S., ought well to have studied the mental character as well as physical ditto, in all its bearings, of a man to whom he entrusted this leadership, and with it the lives of all. I make out from cross-examination, &c, that the equipment* and the stores, in fiict, everything in any way connected with the expedition, was depending entirely on Biirke's approval. So that he was satisfied, the honorable chairman thought that every matter was most carefully considered and arranged. He had his instructions as far as Cooper's Creek, after which he was sole master of his own movements. Why, poor Burke does not appear even to have had sufficient penetration to understand his position (with all these explicit instructions) as far as the creek—for how is Wright's appointment by Burke explained ? The man is duly appointed to a command and is sent back to Menindic with instructions from the leader as to what ho is to do to ensure the safety of the expedition, and instead of doingauy thiug at nil lie sends off to Sir W. Stawel 1 for confirmation of his appointment, and wastes two months in absolute idleness, waiting ibr this precious confirmation, and thus destroying the possibility of being of any service. Could anything be more "absurd or more ruinous? Again,'look at the fact of Burke quarrelling with Landells, the only man of the party who knew the proper treatment for camels. Landells is sent home and the camels, thought to be of such vital importance, arc left to be cared for by a man totally wiihout experience in that line. Look again at Burkes supposed orders to Brahe, to wait at the creek three months, at the same time knowing the Gulf could not be reached in less than six weeks —Wills is supposed to have named four mouths. — Look again at Burked arrangementafor the unknown country trip — they were manifestly absurd; for it took two months to reach the Gulf, with every thing in their favor (no impediments mind) and the Gulf was supposed to be reached when they got to Albert river — Albert river, too, is only a supposition —no thought of exploring the Gulf itself seems to have entered the fertile brain of this sagacious leader; in fact they had no provisions for exploring, in the proper sense of the word ; they were put on short rations the moment they turned their faces homeward, and, to quote poor Wills' own words, "it began to tell on us all." Look again at Burkes treatment of poor Gray; why, its quite shocking to think that anyone man of such a party, (ba he leader or otherwise), could behave so brutally. Gray soon shewed symptoms of distress on the road home—he com plained "of headaches, pains in the legs, dyscntry, &c., but because none of the others yet Felt these symptoms, Gray was thought to he shamming; at lust "finding no notice is taken of his suffering, he helps himself to what lie thinks will relieve him, and is discovered eating the "forbidden fruit Wills tails him to report himself to Burke. Now, Bill, think ibr a moment of this poor devil's position 1 He is weak from want, and fasting, and long suffering (all occasioned recollect by the bud arrangements of his leader, and he knows it) and he is afraid of encountering this fiercrf Hibernian chief, so he gets his pal, King, to plead for him. Gray is ordered to the front—his leader makes a speech on "the enormity of his offence, and (is Wills says, he received a good thrashing. King says, Burke boxed his ears several times open handed ; whichever way it was done, it whs, to my mind, most inhuman. No doubt the man dill wrong, but Burke ought to have recollected it was an error in agony, and that agony brought about by bad conduct ot the expedition, for which Burke himself was absolutely respoa*>ible. A few days nficr poor Gray died, —don't you think he died as much broken hearted or more so, than from any other cause ? — why, of. course he did. What would you or I have done had cither of us been in Burkes place 1 I should (and so would you) iiave made a speech certainly, oil the occasion, and-wound it up something in this shape, "Go; and sin no more," but as for iil treating the poor wretch —my dear boy, it was wicked in the extreme. They could understand somewhat of poor Gray's sufferings afterwards, when they felt similar pains ; and now comes the moral, and every man may judge for himself—was there or was there not something like retribution in the fact, that had not Gray died, the whole party would have been saved, for we read that " had it not been for the time lost in Gray's burial, we should have arrived at Cooper's Creek before the relieving party had left." There is much that is awful iv all this, but what are we to say to such men as Brahe and Wright, who could find, it in their conscience to do bo little towards the relief of those they were sent to save*? I am afraid the rascals have too many friends at the Council Board for justice to be done. I should like to have the job of cross-examining the precious pair. I should have in mind the search I once made for a friend of mine in an uuknown country, one Sunday morning some two or three years ago (I recollect it as though it were yesterday). There was on that occasion some weather about—the very elements were at war —and 1, ill-clad for such a venture, and on a Sunday morning too, above all other days, a morning when all the intellect of a town is supposed to be in church, and when a sad wayfarer like myself was apt to be looked upon with a large amount of suspicion, in certain localities which I had to traverse, especially by certain officials of whom alone enquiries could be made, and I am bound to recollect (and so does some one else too, or I much mistake my man), that in spite of all these terrible obstacles, under which a Brahe or a Wright would have sunk (knee deep too) in less than no time, I traversed yet another wilderness and another, and"'found, ivy friend at last;. when all my troubles vanished 1 as with Harlequin's wand, and I was richly rewarded in famous Birkenhead for all my weary pilgrimage, and look at the reward awaiting B. and W. had they but done an atom of their duty. Suppose you or I had beui looking for oik ■■•nother, shouldn't we have succeeded ? I believe you, my boy. When I think of these two fellows and what they have omitted to do, I could almost forgive that arrant scoundrel, E. James, Esq., Q.C., if he would just transport himself to the antipodes and get a brief to cross-examine them. I think he'd get something out of them. My indignation is so strong, dear Bill, on this lamentable subject, that it will, I fear, lead me into sad disgrace, and my reiteration lay me open to your grammatical censure; but I cannot help it; and I must even yet go on grumbling at the authors and the actors and all concerned in so dire a tragedy—the more so as it appears to me so clear that it could so easily have resulted in more good, infinitely more, without any of its harrowing catastrophe; and I must hope that such a thorough incapable as that humbugging Sir W. S. will no longer be allowed to preside over such momentous aftairs as explorations. Why should he allow Burkes cheques to be dishonored, and thus create a doubt in the mind of a leader of such a large party that there was a probability, of his being hampered in money matters ? Such a doubt must naturally cause fearful anxiety to any man in so hazardous and responsible a position. Why did he not, when Wright's messenger made him acquainted with the true condition of things at Jleniudie, instantly set about repairing any errors he liad committed, and so take immediate steps to ensure-the safety of the party his blunders had imperilled; it was not then too late. Any man with common sense could have seen that the whole expedition was disorganised, and it would have occurred to me to send forthwith trusty agents to go all over Burkes track well provided with every necessary to prevent >the possibility of disaster. It was only when too late to succour, that the exploration committee took the trouble to think about rectifying the gross mistakes that had been made. For God's sake, dear Bill, have the imbeciles punished if possible; but at all events, have them dismissed With, ignominy, and put it for ever out of their power to do further mischief. My compliments to Howitt and M'Kinlay on the very first opportunity ; there's a couple of men if you like, God bless 'em When I. think (as I often do) of that very easy voyage from Cooper's Creek to the Gulf, I fancy what a delightful journey Burke might have made it, instead of by life absurd, ar-

raugenients makingr itashe did,an actual race of life or death. Why did he not take more men, more beasts more grub, and more clothing'; Ho Jiail plenty at, command while at the Creek, nn<! from Monindic everything could have been forwarded to establish a permanent depot at the Crpck to wait for his return cither a twelvemonth, or even longer if necessary. There should have been no limit. This simple yet vital arrangement, would have given the explorers ample time to do whut they went for, i. v. to explore an unknown countiy ; and when they had reached the end of their journey, to rest a reasonable and proper time to recruit their strength. They could then have explored the Gulf itself, its tributaries, its rivers, its creeks, audits outlet!), and indeed the country around and about it This would, indeed, have been an Exploration ; and we should thus have been in possession of those important and highly interesting particulars which Burkes party had so "easily within grasp, but which, for want of. a good leader, are up to the present time lost, and which it will cost another exploring party to acquire for us. I hope, my dear boy, I have not been too prolix. I iJare say many of my sentiments and many of my suggestions have" already occurred to yourself and others in your country. I think I have now done for the present with this a'l.'exciting theme, except to present to you my great thanks for your kindness iv sending me all these interesting details, without which I should know no more about the Australian explorations than the large majority of my countrymen, and I can aratire you the majority is large, for. really nobody here knows anything about it, and very few people care much about it, so unless I talk about it. to you, my chance of jaw is poor indeed. And now, in conclusion, let me hope that the brave King shall receive at the hands of your good citizens and liberal Government that substantial reward so justly his due for his general good conduct throughout the whole of thnt severe and trying exploration, as also for the great humanity he showed to his dying leaders and his subsequent individual sufferings ; and let me hope also that his future conduct in this life shall render him every way worthy of the honors and rewards which he is bound to receive ; and now at last the long story's at an end, and if it serves no other purpose it will at least show yult how dangerous it sometimes is in this wicked world to do a kind action to a friend, for if you had not so kindly and promptly sent me the full particulars of the exploration I should not have inflicted on you such a trial of your patience as I fear you will think this prosy recital of my philosophical ideas or exploration ; bill do excuse me if you can, my boy, for I had no enlightened Hannibal to aid me, and now bean't you glad it's over ? What you'll say to me about, it remains to be seen. I shall dread to open your next letter. Bo merciful, O Bill ! ! ! Till you answer my former queries and let me know whether you see our European papers, &c, I shall bo slow to talk politics, for fsar of telling you much that you know; but 1 must chaiice it this time, to tell you what a grand mistake has been made at the Tuilerjes. Napoleon 111. thought he had all France under his thumb, and could aiibrd to grant some liberty to ilia Press and the Senate to talk about matters general) v. The Press are still obliged to behave'decently and keep within bounds ; bub the Senators have been flaring up most audaciously, and I expect our dear Ally will soon find it necessary again to put the gag on their mugs. His old comrade Montauban has come home from the Chinese caper, was duly made a Count of the Empire, and Nap. asked for ;i paltry £2000 a-ycar to keep up the Count's diguily. Tim once obsequious Senators refused this grant to their master's pal, and the Emperor wrote a letter which has been published, wherein he states that lie considers the refusal a personal insult, and "thereupon issue is joined." Hammer and tongs was the order (qy.) of the day for more than a week ; but you must read and judge for yourself what Mr. Emperor thinks of it and what he moans to do. I think your opinion is mine—that he won't stand much of this nonsense. Why, it's an insult tothedeararmy—thatwont do, Bill. It is said in our papers to be the work of the Clergy in revenge for the Emperor refusing to uphold the Pope in ids stupid obstinacy. Friend Shakespeare says, " Uneasy lies the head that wears a Crown." We shall sea whether this crowned head is lons enough for meddling priests and opposition Senators. I think it is ; don't you, Bill 'I They've insulted the army; what cheek ! I long to have a jaw with you about Mexico; but nothing has come off yet. L)evilish slow there. The accounts from America lately are all in favor of Abe Lincoln, but it's dangerous to speculate on American politics just now, so I shall leave you to find it all out yourself. The Southerners are getting linked, and another great battle expected. We have had another dreadful colliery explosion, this time at Merthyr Tydvil, from firedamp, support to be caused by the workmen's carelessness—pipe smoking, &c.; fifty killed. _Is it not shocking to think that the splendid inventions of Humphrey Davy & Co. should not prevent these casualties. You see by our papei*s how the noble Thames is being crossed by bridges old, and bridges new. Thu new Western bridge is expected to be complete in May or June next. Old Blackfriars bridge is to come down and be superseded with one of Page's best. A new bridge is being thrown across from Lambeth Palace to Horse Ferry, and three or four or more railway bridges will, in addition to all the others, be shortly completed ; and then what will old London look like "! It will be a fine opportunity for your friend Blondin; but no, that's too dangerous a topic, I shall have you dropping on to me again, so I shan't finish the sentence. I wonder what you thought of that presentation to the very mysterious Ex-Queen of Naples from our high born British dames. Of course you've read all about it, and duly made your comments. Above-£70,000 has been subscribed for Hartley Colliery accident, and we nil hope a part of this large sum will find its way to Merthyr, as it will not be so easy to get up subscription No. 2. ' You will read of the derangement in the Italian Ministry. Hicasoli was fool enough to ride the high horse too soon. Cavour was lofty enough in his aspirations for Italian liberty, but had discretion to wait the favorably opportunity to strike the hot iron. Poor 11. offended one and all in turn. For him the King was not fast enough. The priests he snubbed for jawing too much. There were continual rows in his cabinet, &c, but his biggest offence was presuming to disapprove of the Napoleonic idea. N. 111. hinted to Victor Emanuel that Hicasoli was a nuisance, and of course he was kicked out neck and crop. Depend on it what I have told you before is true enough, th it Bonaparte can do as he likes in Italy, and means to do it in his own way. "Tell me if you can who dares oppose he."' While I write, some angry rumors are coming Irom France. They may end in smoke or otherwise, but don't forget I have mentioned it. There's no doubt about the fact of the people generally beinc much distressed. If the Emperor has sense enough to look after the people, he's safe, but they are beginning to assemble, &c. Shall we look out for squalls or not? Louder and louder the Revolutionists roar —read French, news. Even while I write Ratazzi (Nap.'s tool) has been appointed by V. E. successor to Hicasoli at Turin. This means much. Watch it, and you shall, —yea, verily, you shall learn something. Telegraphic news arrived here on the 7th instant that our crack eleven had won their first match. I suppose your next paper will give me the details. Our bonny cricketers are destined to live in history ; but I expect before these lines reach you, the Stephensons, Csesara, & Co. will be on their road home. One Golding Smith has, I see, been spouting lately about Australian secession. Surely you don't want to cut the connection, Bill, and turn foreigners. Oh, no, we can do each other much good service yet, so don't let the people be led away by them 'ere mountebanks. Colonial defence has lately been the subject of argument in our House of Commons. The idea seems to be that the mother country has done her part in bringing up all of you properly, and that yon must now take your own part like men, and the principal question was as to withdrawing our troops from those colonial children who are now supposed to be big enough to take care of thems.elves; and it seems pretty clear that if you all adopt the Volunteer system and go well into training, you can easily do without our red coats They are beginning to talk seriously about these matters, so make haste and get ready, and while we keep an-eye upon you as well, he must indeed be a bold buccaneer who would dare to molest old England's babbies. Whilst on this subject I must tell you that young • has joined the Volunteers: indeed the system seems more popular than ever. -They have cadet corps now, and hundreds of kids of fourteen and fifteen years old may be seen daily in London streets with muskets bigger than themselves, and otherwise armed cap & pie ; in fact, we are now something more than a_ nation of shopkeepers. London don't look much like it used, with all these warriors, little and big. running up against one at every turning; but, I suppose its all for the best. Certain it is that as youth grows up to manhood, it might employ spare time to worse purposes, so God bless the Volunteers, and down with the enemy, whoever he be ! At Easter, on Brighton Downs, we are to have another grand Volunteer review. Lord Clyde is to command. There'a been a fuss made about Lord Ranelagh being superseded on the occasion, but Government determined to have a military man in command, and, to put aside all ill feeling,: Colin Campbell was nominated, and however much the Volunteers felt disposed to grumble about Government interference, that name was quantum sitfficit. "Wind and weather .permitting," I think of going to see it. You'll see in the Dispatch^ something about Blondin and Leotard^ and'of course will think what you "please on:those interesting subjects. * : ■ There is also the French students' song of the Quartier Latin, and, for. your information, I just hint that friend Nap. don't approve much of its popularity. As before noticed," the storm if} brewing.'1

MILITARY HYGIKNB UNDER CANVAS IN "THE STATES." ( Coinin unica ted.) Previous to the assembling of the Federal !North American Anui', a Commission was appointed by the Government, with the llevd. Dr. Bellow? as its' President, to examine, and report on the health of the troops. iThat Commission had received, before February l;i*f, 400 reports from its subordinate officers, each containing 300 questions and answers; it had sent 4 i reports of its own to the Government, ahd distributed 1500 copies of its ]iii)i]iuiitions throughout the loyal States. J-.verything about the troops is recounted with the greatest minuteness and accuracy, so that a mass of information of singularly valuable character has been obtained, worthy of the most attentive consideration by all who have to care for large bodies of troops. Amidst this is much that is very useful even to a community like ours in Otago, with so many of its members living under conditions of life more nearly approaching to those of an army in the field, than the settled dwellers in cities. We learn from the report that in 76£ per cent of all the battalion?, the native Americans constituted the majority, and in 5 or 6 per cent only was the majority formed of Irish or Germans. The average age of the men was a little below 25. In 5S per cent of the regiments, no preliminary examination whatever was made of the recruits, consequently, when a wholesale discharge took place in October, it was found that half the non-effectives discharged ought never to have been enlisted at all. The Commissioners pronounce as emphatictlly against the admission of incorrigibly vicious characters, as against the enrolment of infirm and debilitated Volunteers. In six regiments only, out of the 200, was intoxication notoriously common, while in 163, as the Inspectors were assured, and ''had no reason to doubt," it wits " very rare." In .57 per cunt of the regiments, the men were in the habit of sending home from half to threefourths of their pay. They were great writers. In some regiments of 1,000 men, as many as GOO posted a letter a day each, for weeks together, which the Commissioners accept as '• a delightful indication of a fact which should remove nil fear of a permanent military despotism in this country." Probably when they fought more, they wrote less. In the months of August, September, and October, the average constant number of sick was 77 per 1000, invaliding being considerably greater in W'esttrn Virginia than on the Potomac. In the latter position the average mortality through the summer is computed at B{ r per cent., or at 5 per cent, if the remoter cumps arc- included in the reckoning. The chief evil was occa>ioned by the injudicious choice of sites''for encampments, which were " often formed on unhealthy ground, insufficimtly piovidcd with drainage, and kept on the same spot too long." The tents, too," were seldom tolerably ventilated at night, and, though the daily removal of refuse was pretty well attended to, the troops in general had not such habits of personal cleanliness as we nii<jht expect from men of their stamp. The commissioners observe, however, that " slovenliness is onr characteristic national vice." The tents, besides being, in many cases indifferently adapted for ventilation, were very variously supplied with flooring. The men slept sometimes on wooden boards, sometimes on india-rubber cloth, sometimes on boughs or straw, and sometimes on the bare ground, and the liabilities attaching to each of these are curiously noted. Those who slept on wooden boards suffered in the largest proportion from rheumatism and throat affections, those on india-rubber blankets from fever, those on the bare ground from malaria, whilst those who slept on boughs or straw suffered least of any from fever, rheumatism, or malaria. It is worthy of notice by our tented population here that experience on a large scale in America, points out boards as the most unhealthy, then india-rubber blankets, and next the bare ground, whilst straw or boughs, as defending or raising the sleepers from the ground, and also affording the means for both dryness and ventilation by day or night, are decidedly the most healthy materials on which men can sleep in tents. Typhus fever, on the approach of winter, instead of vanishing was, we are told, decidtflly on the increase." The commissioners rightly explain that as cold drives the men to " burrow or seal themselves in their lodgings," the atmosphere of the tent becomes vitiated from the careful exclusion of the air without, and typhus follows. This point too, is very worthy of the most serious attention by all dwellers under canvas now that the winter is setting in, for they are but too apt to forget that by raising the temperature of the air within the tent at the expence of its purity, they are subjecting themselves to a far more deadly influence than any that cold, except of the most extraordinary severity, could produce. Let them gain warmth by using as much bedcovering as they please, but not by entirely excluding the air. Small pox creates a little, uneasiness, but the commissioners have improved the occasion .by vaccinating, in the way of military duty, upwards of twenty thousand citizens, who would otherwise have dispensed with the operation. May not we here also take example ? In the matter of clothing, the soldiers bore inspection to the satisfaction of the commissioners, lv ninety-four per cent, of the regiments the men had two shirts each ;in eighty-two per cent, they had good overcoats; in seventy-five per cent they had good body coats, and to a similar extent they had one good blanket each. The rations were abundant and of a satisfactory quality, nor ;was the cooking complained of. Such are a few facts culled from these very valuable reports, which have been described by the Times as so " exhaustive " that never before, except in a French " act of accusation" was so complete a compilation of facts attempted. It should be remembered that these are not opinions, but fact most carefully collected on a large scale in an army so quickly improvised from civilians, that in organization, it at the time much more nearly resembled •the population under canvas here than any Tegular old established army would. It adds another proof to the evidejice that in no quarter of the globe is neglect of sanitary laws by communities attended, with impunity; whilst the commission reflects great credit on the Federal Government. GOLD. FIELDS. TUAPEKA. r ■ , (from our own correspondent.) ■„•■' „ *.. . , , Tuapeka, May 20. New Rush.—A rush has takeii place to the high ran^o that divides the head of Gabriel's from*Monroe's. For some time past a party have been working here -without much success, but on Monday last they 'struck payable gold at a depth of 60 feet from the sur- '■. face. The ground has in consequence been rushed, and it is to be hoped will receive a fair trial. This discovery is, in my opinion, but the prelude to many more of a similar kind. I believe that if men could be induced boldly to set in on the tops of these ranges now untried, (and they are immeasurable) large quantities of payable ground would be discovered. ■■ ■** .■.,',.,-.. ■ :;,,:. ;.,;, MINJNCrJBOAKD.' ; *\" *f-': ;'.'. -_■'■' ■.:""; ;; , ; ."o '*.'■'^:'' May/20; i 862:' i:/ Propciit :—Messrs. /Clarke, Savage, . M'Masters, Whyte, M'lntyre, Caples, and the Chairman. The minutes 0/ last meeting were read'and confirmed. A letter was then read from Mr. Dick, Provincial Secretary, acknowledging, on behalf of the Superintendent/ a communication from the Board, and in-

forming it that, as his Honor was absent in the north, the sulyeota referred to could not be dealt with until his return. Ordered to lie on the table. An application was then read -from'■ Henry Brown and party, for an extended claim on the red spur, at tliti-head of Gabriel's, and permission to bring in water from the Tuapeka river, distant about six miles. . The Chairman explained that the Board had unfortunately no jurisdiction, and that, in. consequence, the application could not be entertained. _ All the Board could do was to frame bye-laws affecting such matters as those referred to in the letter. The functions of the Board were legislative, rather than executive, and in consequence the applicants would have to wait until the bye-lftws were gazetted. These, if the Government would not throw any unnecessary obstacles in the way, would, he was sure, from the anxiety ('ippl'iyH by the Board to get to work, be formed without delay. Mr. M'lntyre then niovcl, and Mr. M'Masters seconded, " That the Board hereby expresses its disapprobation of the conduct of the Government, in not at once complying with the very reasonable request of the Board ; and that the Chairman be requested to call the attention of the authorities to the damage likely to be done to the district by any further delay." Both mover and seconder dwelt at considerable length on the want of courtesy, to say the least of it. displayed by the Government towards the Board. There surely could be very little difficulty in providing them with a few Gold Fields' Acts, with printed copies of their Standing Orders, and the necessary alerieal assisfcanc."!. Without information as to the powers vested in the Board they wore brought to a standstill; j and, as a matter of course, the interests of the miners suffered in consequence. Mr. Dick's letter was then taken into consideration, and its contents subjected to a large amount of criticism; an especial reference being made to the, want of sequence in the declaration of the first portion of the letter, that his Honor had instructed certain things to be done at once, while the latter portion was to the effect, that certain other thincp could not be done because Major Richardson was absent in the North. The letter was ordered to be acknowledged. Mr. M'Masters proposed, and Mr. Savage seconded, "That the Board adjourn, from time to time, until the Government forward the necessary papers, and also provide the clerical assistance required by the Board. Mr. M'Masters stated that he, for one, would not be fooled by the Government. Did lh?y imagine that when they gave the miners the right to legislate for themselves, that they were only giving them a toy to play with —that they would be pleaded with having a Board, as a child might be with a rattle. They would be rather violently disabused of that idea, unless they paid more attention to the requirements of tlie miners. What had made the country but the gold 1 and yet, when men were found willing to make it more prosperous, by retaining the population hero, they were treated with contempt and neglect. Was lie seeking to his own advantage when lie gave up a portion of his time to frame bye-laws ; and he could tell the Government that, unless those I bye-laws were in existence, and that soon, there would be very little population left to take advantage of them. Such weather a.l; they had had lately would very soon frighten the miners away, unless they had more inducements than at present to remain. An amendment was then proposed by Mr. M'lntyre, and seconded by Mr. Caples, " That the bye-law No. 2, for regulating alluvial mining be read for the first time." Mr. M'lntyre cordially agreed with all that Mr. M'Mnsters had stated, but thought they were only reasons why they should proceed to form bye-laws nfc ouco, and lot the Government sleep on if they chose. He was prepared with a bye-law, regulating sinking- in alluvial ground, and lie would now ask that it be rend for a first time. There should be no delay in getting something: done, for he was sure that even after the bye-laws left the Board there would still be further delay in Dunediu. Perhaps in the interim the necessary requirements of the Board as to clerical assisi a ice, &c, would be attended to. In the meantime they coul.l read and amend the bye-law he submitted, and at the next day of meeting, the clauses, 40 in number, could be taken in detail. On the motion being put, the original question was carried and the amendment lost. On the motion for adjournment to Tuesday next, an amendment was moved by Mr. M'lntyre, that they adjourn for a fortnight. It was useless he thought icoming there unless they were prepared to do some work, and if they were to wait for the Gc. vernnient, by all means let them have sufficient time. 1 The amendment was not seconded, and the board accordingly adjourned to Tuesday next at 2 o'clock. Captain-Judkins, of the Cunard steamship Persia, has been presented with the sum of £0000 by the British Government for his exploit of landing troops conveyed in that magnificent ship from England, at Eiviere dv Loup, in mid-winter. — Court Journal. [Too good news to be true. Captain Judkins received £100 for distribution among the crew.]— Albion.

Failure op Street Tramways in the Metropolis.—On Thursday, a number of workmen were employed in lifting the iron rails and sleepers formina the street tramway in Victoria-street, Westminster, and restoring the thoroughfare to its original condition, pursuant to orders received by Mr. Train from the parochial authorities of St. Margaret's and St. John's, to remove it within the present month, under a penalty of having appropriated by the said authorities whatever sum may be considered needful for its proper removal from an amount of £1,000 deposited in their hands as security for the due performance on the part of Mr. Train of the agreement entered into for this line as an experiment. The cause of this unconditional . order of removal is on account of the numerous accidents and general obstruction of the public traffic alleged to have been occasioned by the tramway, and the consequent failure of this novel mode for street transit. - Dispatch.