THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." DUNEDIN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 281, 13 November 1862, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." DUNEDIN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13.

The publication ot the statistics of the neighboring colonies, has given the public press oi Australia an opportunity for indulging in well merited congratulation, and they point with pride to the evidences those statistics afford of a prosperous and progressive peop c. The colonists of New Zealand have, no less than their brethren in Australia, cau^e to be proud of the position this colony has attained during its short and somewhat chequered existence. Founded under difficulties, the northern portion of the colony has not only had to contend with the usual and inevitable difficulties which attend the early settlement of a new country, but its progress has been continually retarded by the complications which have arisen from time to time with a numerous and warlike race of savages. And yet, despite these disadvantages, the position realized by the Northern Island is one which affords a brilliant example of what can be accomplished by the indomitable energy and perseverance of British colonists.

The Middle Island has, happily for its people, been free from the millstone which hafor more than twenty years borne down the shoulders of the North. The Maori has not been a stumbling block in its march of advancement, and the result is shown in its present prosperity, a prosperity which may find a place by the brilliant history of older and more developed colonies.

It is little over twenty years ago since the authority of the British Crown was first established on anything like a permanent basis. At that time Auckland and Wellington were mere b; mitts containing a few scattered houses, and but few inhabitants. A year crlwo later and the settlements of Taranaki and Nelson were founded, and these for several years constituted tbe only settled, portions of the colony. Some six years- afterwards, the first body of settlers under Captain Cargill landed on the shores of Otago, and these were followed two years later by the first colonizers of Canterbury. The progress of the various settlements since their foundation,, has been truly marvellous, and save only in the very exceptional case of Taranaki, they have every year added to their prosperity in a rapidly increasing ratio. But it is more particularly in the Middle Island that these effects have been remarkable. In every

item—in population —revenue —commerce—and the developing of its natural resources, the Middle Island of New Zealand will bear comparison with any other colony under the British Crown.

We cannot better illustrate this than by the following comparative tables, commencing with the year 1854, as the official returns do not go further back than that period. Commencing with the population, we find the increase to have been as by the following table:— . ' ° North Island. Middle Island. Total !85i 20/244 12,310 32,554 JB6l 41,641 60,000 101,641 —the increase in population in the seven years being, for the whole colony, 69,037 ; or, for the North Island, 21,397; and for the Middle Island, 47,690. The increase in the quantity of cultivated land, and horse?, cattle, and sheep, is still more remarkable than the increase iv population, for instance— North Island. Acres in cultivation. Horses. Cattle. Sheep. 1854 ... 44,000 2,300 33,500 224,000 j 18G1 ..147,000 12,740 96,296 633,768 Middle Island. Acres in cultivation. Horses. Catt-e. Sheep. 1854 ... 17,000 2,700 27,500 442,000 1861 ..79,000 16,525 96,833 2,121,395 The increase in the quantity of land brought under cultivation in the seven years has been— for the whole colony, 165,000 acres; or, for the North Island, 103,000 ; and the Middle island, 62,000 acres. The increase in respect to the numbers of live stock for the whole colooy during the seven years is as follows :— Horses, 23,265 ; cattle, 126,134; sheep, 1,994,163, or comparing the North and Middle Islands, as under— • . ! ' Horses. Galtle. Increase for North Island 10,440 50.. 796 414,768 Increase for Middle Island 12,825 69,338 1,679,395 Turning to the commerce of the colony, the results are still more striking, as the following tables will show : — North Island. Middle Island. ' Imports. Imports. • Total. 1854 •. £.'300,226 £-230,972 £891,198 1861 1)37,385 1,550,423 2.40.3.811 Showing an increase in the value of imports "during the seven years —for the whole colony, of £1,602,613 ; or, for the North Island, £277,159 ; and the Middle Island, £1,325,454. The exporfc§ have increased in a still greater ratio, the return being as under— North Island. Middle Wand. h-xpon s. Exports. Total. 1854 .... £^77,907 £42,891 £3:20,858 18G1 .... 21-2,540 1,15/,7U7 1,370,247 The increase in the value of exports durin» the seven years thus appear?, for the whole colony £1,049,389; the whole of which is made up from the Middle Island, the North island showing a decreas-2 during the seven

years of L0'5,427. But these favorable results bid fair to be exceeded vary much during the current year, as we find from the Customs' returns lor the first three quarters of this year that the, imports and exports have been as follows:— North Island. Middle Island. Imports ....£621,174 1,070,013 Exports 189,811 1,522.899 . We think we are justified in saving that no other colony with the same area and population can show more cheering evidences of a state of prosperity.

It is a very odd thing that the Government does not seem to consider it equally invportam to offer facilities for inland as for coastal communication. The principle approved by the House of Representatives is that steam ship contracts shall be made as far as possible to include freight and passenger advantages. Thus, instead of rapidity being made the first consideration, the contracts stipulate for certain detentions to admit of the receipt or discharge of passengers and freight. Without considering whether the General Government should allow these elements to enter into their contracts for postal services, there can be no question that as far as the provinces are individually concerned, the plan is a sound one, and that it is acted on in regard tQ water communication. Thus the contracts for steamers to Oamaru, and on the Molyncux, contain stipulations concerning the prices of passage and freight, and the character of the boats to be used. But when we come to the inland postal contracts, the stipulations simply concern the carriage of the mails. Other considerations are left entirely out of view. We speak under this head ol Oiago alone, as in Canterbury we believe -£0,000 is put on the Estimate?, a portion oi which will go towards supplementing the postal grants for inland service, and in Southland we understand a similar course is to be adopted. But for Otago, tenders are being called for the Mail Service for the ensuing year, which, besides being inadequate in regard to postal facilities, contain absolutely no provisions for "passenger carriage. One of the great secrets of the rapid manner in which the Victorian Gold fields were opened up is the lines of coaches that were placed on between them and the capital, all through tiit inducements oi mail subsidies. But in Otago, the authorities totally ignore the advantages of coaching communication. The contract which now exists for a daily mail to Xuapeka did not stipulate for the use of coaches, and for a considerable portion of the time the contractors have had recourse to pack horses. We must not be understood to blame them; on the contrary, they have done more than could have been expected for the miserable subsidy they receive—some £1,000 a year.

Now that it is proved that gold digging is practicable in the winter as well as thrsiimmer months it is in the highest degree important that arrangements should be made for keeping the lines of communication open to passengers the whole year through. The difficulties in regard to the roads are trifling in comparison with those overcome in other places. From California they run daily mails across the eternally-snow-covered Rocky Mountains,tothe Atlantic States. In Victoria, years ago, before the roads were made or the Railways thought of, they ran night coaches through' the bush.' Compared with undertakiugs of this, kind, a day coach to the

Dunatan and Tuapeka diggings is insignificant in point of difficulty or expense. The tenders called for by the Postmaster, on behalf of the General Government, include a daily mail to Tokomairiro. Waitabuna, and Tuapeka ; a weekly mail to the Dunstan, and a twice a week mail to the Clutha Ferry. In not one of these cases is the use of a coach stipulated for, and contractors intending to use packhorscs will probably be able to offer, the lowest tenders. Would it not be well for the Provincial Government to communicate with the Postmaster, and arrange with him to call for tenders jfor* the conveyance of these mails hy coaches, and also; instead of a weekly, a three times a week mail to the Dunstan and Molyneux Ferry? The extra cost would not be so much as might be supposed, whilst the advantages of the coaching communication would be invaluable to the residents on the gold fields, and to those having busiuess connections with them in town. If coach proprietors in Otago cannot procure mail subsidies in the Province, they will be driven to look for them elsewhere. Southland is already in communication with the leading coaching firm in Otago, and a proposal is on foot, we nave reason to know, to establish a line of coaches from In vercargill to the Dimstau through the Nokomaj[ diggings. We are certain that the Provincial Council will recognise the expediency of the expenditure wepropose,aiidthe tendorsneed not be decided on until that body has met. But if in the meanwhile pack horse tenders are accepted, so much money towards coaching subsidies will be thrown away. We earnestly direct the attention of the Executive to the subject. No time is to be lost, as the tenders called for by the Postmaster are to be" sent in by the 20th inst. Amended tenders might be immediately called for, or there would °be no objection to ask for alternative tenders, viz., for the services as designed by the Postmaster' and for those which we have advocated in their stead.

" Faint Heart never won Fair Lady," admirably played, was the first piece at the Theatre Royal, last evening. The tableaux which were received with so much lavor on Monday evening were repeated; that of " The Death of Nelson" being especially good in ar range mo nt. Miss Harriet Gordon sang, the accompanying songs with even greater power and effect tha'a on Monday; and the round of applause with which each was rewarded, was simply a deserved acknowledgement of ihe skill of the vocalist. Mr Herbert Lake made his lirst appearance as a comic ringer, and gave one song about Duneuki generally, and another on " The Fall of Bell Hill," Ihe allusions in the latter appearing perfectly to please the occupants of the pit. The burlesque of " Camaralzarnan" concluded" the enleruiinnients. To-morrow evening, Miss Gordon takes her benefit, the pieces being " The Creole," and '' Massaniello."

With reference to the issue of money orders in New Zealand, it is notified in the " Gazette" that commission will be-charged on- money orders at the following rates: —.Not exceeding £f> -Is. ; above £5, and not exceeding £10-2s. No single order will be issued for v greater amount than jfio. The sale of sections in Hawkcsbury township i.s fixed to take place at the Police station, ilawkesbury, on Tuesday next, the 18th November. We are glad to observe that the Town Hoard passed a resolution yesterday tl 1;l t the contractors for laying the pipes for the Gas Company should aot be allowed to open more that G6 feet at once of any one street, and that the portion so opened should be properly fenced-in and lighted at night. The Town Board agreed yesterday to invite the Gas Company to tender lor the supply and lighting of 150 lamps for tlia town. They also adopted a call for plans and specifications for the belltower and new building for the fire-engine, the cost not to exceed LSOO. A premium of L 7 103. for the best and L 5 for the second best desigu were agreed to be offered.

The Registration of the "Dunedin Gas Light and Coke Company, Limited," is duly gazetted in the " Provincial Government Gazette" of yesterday.

The following appointments are officially notified in the " Gazette "of yesterday. :—To be Justices of the Peace, Andrew Todd, Esq., Easfc Taicri; Frederick Wuyne, Esq., Upper Taieri Lake ; Jackson Keddell, Esq., Dunstun. To be Resident Magistrates, Vincent Pyke, Esq., J.P. . John Wallace Murdoch, Esq., J.P., Otago ;' Jackson Kcddcil, Esq., J.P., Dunstan; St. John Brannigan, Esq., J.P., Otugo. To be an Inspector of Weights and Measures, Dudley W. M\Donald. To be an inspector under the Diseased Cattle Act, 1861.. for Dunediu and other ports of Olago Mr Henry Campbell. To be an Inspector of Diseased Cattle for all parts of the Province of Otago, Wm. Logic, Esq. To be sub-Collector of Customs at the port of Taieri, Air Alexander Wm. Logic. To be Postmaster at Otakia, Frederick John Wilson, To be Postamtter at Waipori, Donald Kesson Campbell. To be one ot the Judges of the Supreme Court of New Zealand Christopher William Richmond, Esq. '

Iv yesterday's "Provincial Gazette" appears an order in Council for the regulation of convict prisons in the Province of Otago. The order con - tains a number of provisions for the classification of persons sentenced to penal .servitude, fur the punishment of insubordination, and for the regulation of the duties of the overseers and wardens; also for the arrangements respecting labor', clothing, the reception of visits, and other measures of prison discipline. The regulations are too lengthy for us to quote them in full; but as some of our readers may be curious to Know how prisoners live, we quote for their information the dietary ccales for the two classes. We should mention th.-st the classification is according to good conduct, the first class consisting of convicts whose behavior, for a teim of not Jess than six months, shall have been euch as to merit indulgence. The daily scale of rations is as follow s-~ •' For No. 1 class : 1 lb fresh meat, 2 lbs potatoes, 1 lb bread, £ oz soap, \ oz tea, $• oz salt, and 2 czs sugar, 6 czs oatmeal or 4 ozs cocoa, also 2 sticks of tobacco weekly. If or No. 2 class • llb bread, 1 lb potatoes, 1 lb fresh meat, \ oz soap * oz salt, 4 ozs of flour. Prisoners in solitary conSnement • \\ lb bread, water ad libitum. Prisoners bf the first class will be allowed to smoke for fifteen minutes during the time set apart for breakfast and dinner, but at no other time. Prisoners of the second class will not be allowed to smoke at any time."

It is stated in the " Geelong Advertiser" tha during the first three quarters of the present year thirty thousand people have left Victoria, while the arrivals have only been twenty thousand. The " Advertiser*' estimates the amount paid by the outgoers, in passage money alone at a quarter of a million sterling, ' ,; :

We observe by an advertisement that a meeting j of subscribers to the Lancashire llelief Fund is to i be held this afternoon, afc the Commercial Hotel, afc four pm. It is understood that this is to be the final meeting. . The amount of the subscription for the unfort nnate passengers by the Tamar, was satisfactorily ' increased yesterday ; hut we are unable this morning to publish the complete list of subscribers up to lasf. evening. Daring yesterday, Messrs M'Leod Hepburn, and M'Landress visited ( the sufferers at the Immigrant depot, and distributed Ll2O amongst them, to enable them to | supply their most pressing wants. 3 We publish elsewhere, from the "New Zealand Gazette," of August 20, orders under the hand of ' his Excellency the Governor, appointing limits fur the Port of Dunedin, and also appointing , legal quays. Tiie Volunteer Fire Brigade had an engine i practice last evening, and tested, for the first time, the powers of supply of the tanks erected adjoin- ■ ing the offices of the Town Board, and fed from the spring in High-street. The two engines were > abundantly supplied, and there was plenty of ■water to spare. Oiily two common jury causes were disposed of during ycifcrday's sitting of the Supreme Court, and they posseted no interest whatever. The first case tit in :?:orning is to be Edwards v. M'Lachlan; Phillips v. Patidlo, and Alcock v. Moeller, being n.'Xt in order. In another part of our present issue will be i found two proclamations, re-printed from the j '•xsV.r Ze-.Uand Gazette" of 22nd October, the one bringing the Weights and Measures Ordinance Amendment Act, 18G1, into operation, and the other extending the same to the Tuapeka dis- A trict. £ t In addition to those horses already mentioned r as having been entered for the Champion Race, j we have to notice the entry of one Victorian "1 horse, Mr P. J. Keighran's brown horse Mormon s aged, by .Premier—Delaware Girl. At a meeting t oF hhe Otago Jockey Club Committee held on ' Tue.vky evening, the entry of Mormon, and that •* of olielilagh, previously received, were passed as \ coircct. A letter was received nominating Bar- \ won, but the en: ry being informal could not be v received. c In <i:e '• Otago Provincial Gazette" of vester- T day appears the proclamation of a new gold field c under the title of the Mount Bcnger gold field The boundaries of the new field are described as follows : —All that land bounded towards the * 2v;: iii by thcDuustan gold field, on the cast by a line parallel to the cast bank of the Clutha Itivcr * at twenty chains distance from that river, and extending from the Dunstan gold-fields to the Scrub Burn, towards the South by the Scrub Burn, a/id an East and West line from thejunction of the Scrub Burn ami Cluiha River aforesaid, avid towards the West by a line parallel to the Clutha liiver at twenty chains distauee from the f banks of that river, and extending from the East and West line aforesaid to the Dunstan gold field. The Victorian Government have been prompt in taking steps to prevent the exportation of diseased cattle from Gipps' Land, and haveaa- t pointed Mr. Charles Nay lor Henderson to be a Commissioner for the prevention of pleuro-pneu- , moniu in Gipps Land District, without salary or fees. This appointment has been made in consequence of the attempts to transmit cattle to that. • distinct in order to avail of the clean bill of health * possessed there, and the favorable market opened fromthencewith New Zealand. The Commissioner of course will be paid by the settlers, the appoint- j, merit being a measure of protection. There is •, every probability of the introduction of a bill next session rendering the inoculation of cattle +■ compulsory. It is being extensively practised, i and bids fair to be generally adopted by extensive (i proprietors, without the intervention of any act. While on this Btibject,"we may state that we have reason to believe that the statement in Messrs. * Wright, Robertson and Co-s report that cattle l could not be shipped at Gipt>s Land for less than r L 8 or LO per head is exaggerated. " The Victorian Government have notified in the . " Public Lands Circular " that, "in order to com- '. pensate in ootne measure for the want of more • available agricultural lands in the immediate , neighborhood of some of the gold-fields it is in_ tended to survey for sale the slopes of the hills within sight of those towns into allotments from five to twenty acres, suitable for villa and' cottage residences, with vineyards and gardens. As a similar want may be felt in other gold-field townships, the district surveyors are directed to submit designs of suburban surveys wherever the land is non-auriferous, and its sale is desired by the inhabitants." -. The following bit of gossip is from the " Gee- I long Advertiser": —"It is reported that the s charges preferred by the proprietor of the " Wrddy Review" against a theatrical critic 1 latch' connected with a metropolitan journal rest 1 upon the discovery, amongst the papers of the i late Sir Wm, Don, of an obligation to the extent < of £100, for which a quid pro quo was given. ■ This discovery has, it is said, altered the aspect : of the affair, and the action said to have been ; instituted against Mr David Blair is now said to be only pending." Advices have been received by the City of Hobart of the trial trip in HoDson's Bay, of the new steamer Golden Age, intended for the harbor trade here. Everything went off satisfactorily both n point of the working of the machinery and the speed of the vessel. Captain Ferguson, the harbor master wna on board, and kept time. She was found'to attain a speed of eighteen knots against the tide, under easy steam, the wind blowing rathe r heavy at tin1 time. The engines wox:ked well in every way, and any amount of steam can be got to work them. All on board were highly pleaded with the performance of the vessel, her beautiful model and her ample accommodation for passergers. She may be expected here any day this week. She will run in conjunction with the steamers Samson, and Pride of the Yarra, the Samson confining herself in future to tlie traffic between the Heads and the Port, and the Golden Age and Pride of the Yarra running six times daily between the Port and town. The monopoly hitherto arbitrarily exercised by the boatmen in town will he broken up, as these steamers will in future employ their own boats free of expense to the public. The Golden Age only draws twentytwo inches, with machinery, coals, &c, on board, which will enable her to come in to the Jetty, at almost any state of the tide, except unusually low. (Communicated.) With reference tv this vessel ■we find the following in the "Argus" of Novemfcer 6- It will be observed that there is a discrepancy as to the speed attained :—"The steamer Golden Age, recently launched from the building yard of Messrs W. and G. White, of Williamstown, and intended for the New Zealand trade, yesterday made her tvial trip, for the purpose of testing her engines, which are on the high pressure principle. She attained th rate of "teii and a quarter miles per hour."

There was not a very good house at the Princess' Theatre last evening, despite the attraction of the really excellent sensation drama " The I'oor of London," which is now played "with finish, and accuracy throughout. This evening the house ought to .be crowded* for Mr George -Fawcett takes his benefit ; and he has assuredly enough of genuine and hearty admirers to more than fill every inch of space within the building. The burlesque of " Puss in Poots" is to be produced specially for the occasion. It is notified in the " Provincial Government Gazette" of yesterday, that the election of one member of the Port Chalmers Town Board, in the room of Mr Kiigour, who has resigned, will take place on the 25 th inst. ■ We notice that the departure of the Rangatira for Sydney> via Lyttelton, Wellingtos, and Nelson, has been postponed to Saturday, the 15th instant. We have to acknowledge receipt of the following amounts as subscriptions to the fund for the relief of the shipwrecked passengers by the Tamar :—

A meeting of the Dunedin Rifle Volunteers is is called for Friday evening, at half-past 6, inthe yard behind the Immigration Barracks. An amusing incident occurred lately at Green Island. A boy who is none of the most acute was travelling in the bush, and observing a man striking at something dark, hastened home and told his mother " there is a man killing another man down the bush." She lost no time in raising an alarm; and ran to a neighbor, a pensioner, i With an alacrity which showed the aged soldier still possessed a portion of his former fire, he took down his large horse pistol and sallied forth. ■ Then the veteran who had crossed bayonets with the Sikhs at Aliwal and Sobraon, and polished olf not a few Burmese in the late war, went tearing madly through bush and brake with two women acting as scouts in the rear, to the scene of the supposed murder. There indeed, was the man at his diabolical work, and without loss of time the veterau in a stentorian voice cried out "Halt! or you shall receive this," and suiting the action tj the word, presented the pistol. The bushman turned sharply round, and to his great dismay, saw the formidable weapon within a few yards of him, helU by an angry old man. Fortunately for the bush-cutter the pistol wanted both charge and lock, or the consequences might have been serious. The pensioner as well as the boy, had been deceived by the appearance—the bushman's coat lying at full length on a blackened stump at which he was cutting with all his might. The affair terminated with a few scratches inflicted by the bush lawyers, torn trousers, and hearty laughter.—Communicated.

The " Sugar and Flour " policy, in dealing with the Natives, appeal's still to be persisted in. The Wairarapa correspondent of the " New Zealand Advertiser says:—" A sugar and flour meeting of the loyal natives was held on Friday atMastcrton, when it was intended to inaugurate the " New Instructions" by conferring appointments upon those chiefs willing to become the recipients of public money, but owing to the absence of several influential chiefs, the meeting had to be adjourned, though incredible quantities of victuals had been provided at the Government expense, for their accommodation and entertainment. I have not heard when the uext treat is to come off, but when it does, there would be numerous loyal natives gathered together, if they could not entertain themselves at equally as cheap a rate, without being indebted to the, Government for their « feed."

We notice that the attention of the Town Board was, yesterday, called by the Inspector of Nuisances to varions cases ot nuisance which had resulted from the occupiers, of certain houses discharging filthy water into the streets opposite their premises. There can be no doubt that this is becoming a crying evil, and although the Inspector does all he can in summoning the oiFend- j ing parties, yet the nuisance is not much abated. ! This, in many cases, proceeds from the absolute inability of the householders to get rid of their, refuse water otherwise than by allowing it to run on to the street. We could name several instances where, owing to the fall of the ground, and the utter absence of drains in the street, there can be no other possible outlet for filthy water than the street itself; and it is impossible for the occupiers of the houses in question to effect a remedy until the street itself is provided with amain sewer For instance, in die newly-formed portion of Moray-place, it would have bean a very easy and simple thing to have constructed a proper drain while the formation of the street was going on, but, as it is, the occupants of the houses on the high gi*ound cannot prevent their drainage running down the slope on the street. If they dig cesspools and try to get rid of the difficulty that way, they are equally liable to be fined. It is right that the inhabitants should be compelled to adopt proper sanitary measures, but it is equally reasonable to expect that the authorities of the town should afford them proper facilities for so doing.

B. JJe Carle i 3. L. Farjeon John Solomon 3arker«ind Co. W. HiJdreth David Drake >oc Basil Itout, Junr £1 1 1 1 0 10 1 0 0 10 0 10 0 fc 10 1 0 u 0 0 0 6 0 0 0