THE Otago Daily Times.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 321, 30 December 1862, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times.

" Inveniam viam aut faciam."

DUNEDIN, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30.

Thb Government, during the late session of the Council, found the members so much under their control, that, in many of the most important matters they brought forward, they scarcely volunteered the barest explanation. Certainly, there was little encouragement for them to do so, seeing that explanations were generally regarded a bore; and that, with the exception of ..one or two questions which involved personal considerations, the members were quite content to assent to anything, so long as the business was briefly dispatched. But there is a public beyond the Council, and that public takes more interest in the affairs of the Province, than the gen-, tlemen' whom the force of circumstances elevated to the position of Provincial representatives; and that public finds that the intentions of the Government on many points, are as. little known as the mysteries of the Rosier ucians.

It is not a little source of anxiety to many persons to know how the Government propose to raise, during the period ending March 31st, the £200,000 deficiency between the amount authorised to be expended and that which it is estimated will be received. Whether the Banks will lend the money is to be considered somewhat; doubtful,, seeing that the Loan Ordinance, on which they will have to depend for repayment, is sd framed as not to offer great attractions to the home capitalists. Then, amongst other mysteries, comes the question, how the land revenue is to be kept up to the estimated amount, coupled with the policy the Government have proclaimed themselves favorable to, of withholding of the lands from sale. The plans upon which the roads are to be constructed, and the way in which the amounts on the estimates are to be expended, are also amongst the unexplained intentions locked in that capacious sanctuary, the Government bosom. Is the Dunstan to be treated as a gold field of its importance deserves ? are any, and which, of the amounts on the estimates,, included under the head of the Gold Fields Department, to be devoted to its purposes ? are other questions the public is not incurious to kuowi Then we come to a question which is more particularly the subject of the present remarks, the Telegraph policy of the Government. We know that it is intended to connect the various Provinces of the Middle Island together, but nothing has been said concerning internal telegraphic communication. To any persons but the members of a Government a century behind the age, it would hardly be necessary to point out the advantages of openi ing up a line of telegraph with the interior. We can assure them that experience has proved that the telegraph carries in its wake the elements" of progress and civilisation, more than all the artificial nostrums themselves, or any other approvedauthoritiesonpolitical economy, have, of ever can devise. If for a fancied benefit they are content to allow the value! of the public estate to be deteriorated by their restrictive clauses^ they may surely incur a reasonable expense for a work,-the advantages of which are beyond a doubt, "' It is proposed to carry a line of telegraph to the borders of Southland, there to join on with a Uf.e from the Bluff. But if the shortest; route from Dimedin to Southland be employed, the line will pass through, scarcely any of ths important- townships "7 of the in^QrAor of Otago. 'I On the other hm<k * adopting a route, circuitous \v§ j> " through TokomairirpirTuap^ j}k *^ mit; ' stan, and on to the boun.da.ry t* ' , U. n" liake v: Strict, Otsgo wiU w',. aroUsh thf advantage iv a felegr^- alise aß.T ch 9 f^ .c Qommumcation

\vith the rising districts we have mentioned, Qs it will from the Inter-proyihieial communication. It may be said that it would be better to make a branch line to these places; but branch lines have to be separately worked, and they consume a great deal of the attention of the operator, to the exclusion of that which he should give the main line. All stations on amain line can be commuuicated with at one time,* but a branch line has specially to be placed in communication when its use is required. In Victoria, the main lines have made considerable detours, in order to take in the various towns requiring the use of the telegraph, and branch lines have been avoided as much as possible. The facility for keeping a line in repair, is also the greater in proportion to the proximity and frequency of the station^? We do not know what the extra expense would be; but when it is considered that it would place not only Dunedin, but the other chief towns of the Island, in direct communication with the gold fields, the wisdom of incurring it can hardly be questioned. There is scarcely a gold field in Victoria to which the telegraphic wires have not been extended. Sooner or later, there must be a telegraph to the Dunstan; and surely it would be a wise economy to. include it in the line to Southland, at an extra expense moderate in comparison vyiththat which would be required for the construction of a distinct line. We trust the subject will not be lost sight of, and that, if the Government require stimulating, some public agitation will be taken. The merchants and tradesmen of Dunedin, equally -with the residents on the gold fields, will benefit by telegraphic communication.

"We are requested todraw public attention io an advertisement in another column, to the efllefc that families in town and in country requiring domestic servants are requested to call at the Immigration Barracks, and apply to the matron in charge. We may remind our readers that the Pladda has brought 193 female immigrants. A Grand Ball in aid of the funds of the Widows and Orphans' Institution, M.U.1.0 0.X., is to take place in Murphy's New Assembly Room, Rattray-street, on Tuesday, the 6th January. The Ball is given under the patronage of the leading inhabitants of the town, and promises to be a brilliant affair. Full particulars of the arrangements are given in the advertisement in another column. The Princess Theatre was filled last evening ; and the pantomime, "The Babes in the Wood,^' . seemed to give satisfaction to every one present. We were glad to see one of the private boxes filled with the best <;if not the only possible) judges of the merits of a pantomime—we menu, children. We grown folks may coldly criticise, and calmly watch for the next pun in order to* dissect it, but to a child sitting out a good pantomime is really a season of mystery, magic, ar iC i fun; [and if children laugh heartily iv \l theatre, during the reign of Harleqi\j n Aye hold that the success of the pant^ jra i m ' e j 3 not open to question. And \&p' b even i ng> the childred at the Princess'?, did lau^h' as only children can. The- brr, ad burlesquc'otthe sleep-walking scene of. I , ady Macbeth, was received with loud laugh*?;, an d applause; and the spirit and skill wit h Av hi c h Mrs Holt danced . the succeeding..hornpipe, met with deserved encores. M>. ss Neville as the Dmndreary whiskered sw^ the cruel uncle, sang very finely ; she "^s in first-rate voice. The transformation ■scr. ne -now works thoroughly well, and the tricks also go smoothly. There was a somewhat better attendance at the Theatre Uoyal last evening ; and, in consequence, : we may fairly presume, the pantomime," The Maid and the Magpie," went off more effectually than on either of the previous representations. There is a good deal of broad fun in the hade^ quinade, although it is not very rich in " tricks," properly so called. We should not be surprised to see the pantomime begin to grow in favor ; and, if it does, it will certainly be better played 'and, therefore, be the more agreeable to all who' attend. , The Quoit Match, for £20 a-side— William .Strachan and William Smith against William " Turkell and Henry Smith—was played last evening, ia the yard of the Commercial Hotel. The conditions were, as we stated yesterday, 21 yard.-; „ 31 points up. Tixe following sjums the score, as made :— t« } 2 '2>3A2. . 4,3. 2. 2,2. I AS . Turkell } H. Smith } l >2' 2 > 2 MThe match was thus won in 19 ends, the losers scoring only 9, when their opponents had made their 31. The play was very good, and several capital ends were made. Some scratch matches were subsequently played. We understand that it was a condition amongst the players on Boxing Day, that the Silver Cup offered by Mr Jones was not to be the reward of the best scorer unless there were at least 15 entries ; and as there were ■' #orily twelve, the men played simply for the - entrance, money. Quoit-players seem ta be particularly British in their ignorance of when they are beaten ; and the non-content disposition of the vanquished last evening has led to another arrangement to play for the Cup on New Year's Day. There are, we believe, already ten entries ; but the only names we have heard, in addition to those of the four players last evening, are S.. Jones, H. Wissenden, and D. Clark. The annual banquet of the Lodge of Otago took ,-place last evening, in the Lodge Room at the Shamrock Hotel, Ttattray-street. Forty-five c f the brethren, presided over by the W.M. Brothc r C. W. C. Webb, sat down to partake of a capital dinner provided by Brother Murphy. ' Everything, was of the best, and was set out in the mo^t recherche manner, and the brethren did not fail to do it full justice. The usual loyal and mosouk. toasts were drunk with enthusiasm, introduw" " they were by the speeches of the jj ent i e _ men to whom they were entrr ■J' . very pleasant evening was passed /. ' r- ; , ■, ■i,. h .„ , the utmost .fraternal good feeling prevail!?' ' ~ , threri separated shortly afte- %™<\ : pleased with their entertaK "*' ™*™&ht> h'SW . ■.: . ament. According to tho ', * ~ ~ c Vi o •«.» Argus, the weekly escorts from the various go ,•_■■* . . . J i a-~ ~ «fields in Yictona, for the week ending 1 r , . ,' ■ ; t» o*q 'o»» jfcn wstant, amounted only to i/.oiy oz« j , ' . i field was »ie largest quantity from any one 1' l> « , 4,224 oz. 10 dwt". from Sandhurst, 9W* v Produced. v 3,589 oz., and Castleraaine ■£ 9 j oz. The smallest escort was lfrl oz. from i j r ; Wo are given sto understand, on the authority of the Lyliclton Times tliatTJeginald Brought»n", 1 jEsq., M.A.i>qf Ballial; Cpllege, Oxford, and at presentt>^Principal.of the Nelsoa College, has J ibeea ;eiedted:;'Head Master of Christs' College 1 Grammar School, Canterbury ; Uio appointment ito co ence from the Ist July, 1868,

Another case of ,sudden death has occurred-in < Canterbury. A few days ago Mr Fulton, of 1 Avonside, was seized with illness, and after a few j minutes expired. The deceased had long suffered i from disease of the heart, which is supposed to '. have been the cause of his death. i A meeting of gentlemen favorable to the ] formation of an Otago Rifle Association was held 1 last evening, in the Club Room of the Shamrock { Hotel. Mr Hcnningham having been requested ( to occupy the chair, it was proposed by Mr J. * O'Meagher, seconded by Mr J. Vircoe, " That it * is desirable to form an Association, to be called ( the ' Otago Rifle Association,' to be conducted ( on the same principles as the National Rifle Association of England." Proposed by Mr C. C« Calder, seconded by Mr A. H. Telfer, "ThatJ. H. Harris, Esq., be requested to accept the Presidency of the Association." Proposed by Mr '* W. Irvine, seconded by Mr A. Deore, «That ! Jolm Cargill, Esquire, be requested to t accept the Vice- Presidency of the i association." The Resolutions having been i unanimously adopted, the Chairman and Mr Vircoe were requested to wait upon the above < named gentlemen, to ascertain if they would r accept the offices mentioned. A vote of thanks g to the Chairman terminated the business, in which considerable interest was taken by those * present, it being understood that a public meeting would be held in a few days for the further formation of the association. We are given to understand that Mr Farley, the spirited proprietor of Vauxhall Gardens, intends converting apart of the ground included ' r in the Vauxhall Gardens into a private pic-nic f garden, where pleasure-seekers can enjoy all the I conventional appliances of al fresco dinners* without being intruded on by the general com- , pany in the gardens. We believe Mr Farley has j selected the most picturesque spot on the ground, and this is to be fenced off, and walks laid out in such a manner as the visitors may not be annoyed by being overlooked or in any way interfered with. This portion of the ground is to be fitted with rustic t bowers and seats, and every arrangement rnnde to I constitute it essentially for the amusement of the o more respectable classes, and more particularly E ladies and children. The contemplated altera- lj tions are expected to be completed in about a f fortnight. We may also mention that Mr Fttrley J is in treaty for a steamer to ply to the gardens at a frequent intervals every day, hu^.object being } c not only to promote the healthy amusement of I the community, but also to offer inducements to j the other side of the harbour becoming a favorite c place of residence for merchants and others. A meeting of the Caledonian Society was held last evening at Moir's Hotel, for the purpose of making final arrangements for the ensuing games.; I The grand stand was reported as having been com- I pleted in a substantial and efficient manner ; the dimensions of which are 126 feet long by 24 feet deep. It is constructed to accommodate 1,000 s persons. The judges for the various games were 6 appointed, as also eight directors to call round to- \ day to collect subscriptions towards defraying j the cost of the grand stand. We understand i that arrangements have been made for preserving ] the utmost decorum and order at the forth- ] coming festival. ] It is stated in the Lyltclton Times that a con- ] aiderable number of the immigrants on board the k Echunga refused to be lanied at Timaru, in opposition to the wishes of the Resident Magistrate, who appears to have stood in the place of the Go- < vernment on this occasion. On the part of the immigrants it is said that there was no adequate accommodation provided, and that their contract tickets were made out for Canterbury, and did not bind them to be landed at Timaru. It is stated j that the barracks, which were supposed to have 1 been provided for these same immigrants months ' ago, had only risen about three feet from the ' ground ; that tents were being put up only after the landing of the first batch, which took place i during heavy rain ; that no drains had Leen dug i round these tents, to carry off the surplus water' ' that no firewood had been provided ; and that there was not even a proper supply of dry straw for the people to lay down and rest upon. It appears that though the authorities knew as far back as May last that a large batch of immigrant would be landed at Timaru, they were caught on the IGth December almost totally unprepared. The Lyttelton Times makes the following remarks respecting the gold field alleged to have been discovered on the west coast of the Canterbury Province :—" No donbt there is gold in the bed of the Taramakau. The question now to be determined is whether a paying gold field has been discovered on that river. That there was gold in the neighborhood has been known for some time; it was reported that the Maories who accompanied Mr Leonard Harper on his trip to the west coast three or four years ago brought back specimens of gold with them. The specimens now lodged in the Provincial Secretary's Office are said to resemble those obtained on the Grey and Buller Rivers ; and it now appears probable that the geological strata in which gold is found extend in a south-westerly direction from Massacre Bay along the west coast of this province, and that they do not strike inland until they approach the boundaries of Otago. However this may be, the changed formation is apparent instantly on crossing the saddle that divides the watershed between Lake Sumner and the Taramakau ; while as yet no discovery of gold in paying quantities has been made on the eastern slopes of the snow-clad ranges within this province. It is not yet known what route the chain of auriferous formation takes between the Taramakau and the Lindis, and it is possible that gold fields may yet be found in the southern part of this province, easily accessible from the east coast. But in any case we may look on the Taramakau gold field (if it proves to be a gold field) as a West Coast-field, unconnected for all practical purposes with any future gold fields that may be discovered east of the snowy ranges." Tho Southland News, in an article urging the necessity for the appointment of a Registrar and Sheriff for Southland, give 3 the following picture of the existing state of things there:—"For example —an adventurer finds his way into our midst, and by dint of liberal orders and sackcloth-and-ashes pretensions, manages to get into his possession a considerable amount of the goods and chattels of our local merchants, on the usual credit arrangement. For the most part, these worthies are pretty good at casting up figures ; so, after running up an account of the gross amount realised irom the sale of such goods, he becomes painfully convinced that by remitting the whole sum to his pockets, the profit derived by him will be heavier than if he were to perform this process of transformation, after deducting the account furnished by the seller along with the goods. Some of the movements of this customer appear yather suspicious to our merchant, and accordingly Jie makes application to his very liberal patron for payment. On doing so, he finds him all packed itp and ready to start off for Melbourne or any other place where he is not likely easilj to be found, The first burst of surprise at th«

open audacity ,6f.the proceeding overi the creditor flies to'his solicitor for protection, v/hen that gentleman informs him that under the existing arrangements .application 'must''be made; at Dunedin; before; any active measures can be adopted ; and such an application will, of course, incur a delay of at least ten days.,. Meantime, the debtor gains the Bluff Harbor ; get 3on board someone of our crack mail steamers ; ; and unieo contexto with, the arrival of the necessary process from Dunedin, the debtor arrives at Melbourne, and soon disappears from view among the motley crowds that throng the streets of that large city." ■■■■■'■ • ■■'■■'■■ :■:.:■■■ ■■~■■. • ■ .