NELSON.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 19, 13 January 1863, Page 3

NELSON.

the Otago Daily Times vwnaponuent.) :N*- Son Wednesday last we had two fires in the 'mm one of which entirely consumed both lj mu<e and contents, leaving the inmates but latXre time to escape without saving an article ; Me other was fortunately perceived in time, nC Id extinguished after doing but slight damlelA c I know not how you in Mtago are situnMsd but here our insurance offices have proT^fed us an engine that may be considered a -i- l^ftfoate sized garden squirt, and it is about '« m useful ns the fifth wheel of a coach. TH The Nelson and Marlboiough Coast Steam . Kavi^ntion Company is now a fact. Shares lJ !ave C been allotted, directors chosen, and, I WJ&iliJeve, the purchase of a steamboat sometrhiMhere in the Australian waters is now being r Seated for; this is in addition to the one ftme time sincp ordered from England by the lev ßastees of the Nelson Trust Funds, and gl*hich will also, I presume, be taken up by fifcis company. , 16 -••■The two Mailborough Superintendents are d /Hiving that province the means of a full apen ■reciation of the benefit of local self governj'Bicnt An appeal has been made to Judge ■bhnston to decide who is Superintendent — ) siajo one who had resigned his office, and who c But held it till bis successor was elected : or * Hie one who was elected by a Provincial ra rrB ounC ii after the then existing Superintendent ir <&(! prorogued it. It is so pretty a fix that thfloth partes have determined, on which side m, e vet the favorable decision may attach, to tt ■npeal to the whole of the judges when they n PP icfit in Court of Appeal. Is it not almost idin ime that the long string of Superintendents, t n d their still longer string of well-paid " fficers should be set aside ? 1 regard them ;i es« s a .species of New Zealand blight, and think mill hat unless a something be speedily attempted rhich shall give to the Southern Island jne 18 8 trong government, and relieve its several pro- "*&■? inces from their " Brentford Kings," we ■rse hall al be so eaten up with salaries as to S3 wke our present political life intolerable — , Suture wealth impossible. 1(1 »H The Dun Mountain Copper Mining ComioijSjany are now getting upon their property, l nJliear the chrome deposits, limestone of a vety Superior quality, and practically illimitable in 1 t&uantity. They will, I believe, erect kilns 3 IhjWor the manufacture of lime, and then, proi\\ Sided that the steamboat company do not reJnuire too heavy a freight, export it at a price ■phic-h will shut all other competitors out of ca^fthe market. They also obtain at their mines '•0 sfilate in immense slabs, and are about to have gL lar^e one laid down in one of our principal 'Ehorousrhfares. pajH Qf our gold-fields I cannot say much. \v c hoftelieve that they are decidedly rich, and that , Rhey have paid well a " wno hitherto have I&orked upon them ; yet there remains about P ai ffhem such a degree of lassitude that, let what tosd&eports reach us about this and that valuable ii*Jp nd < n° tm '"S sccnis U) be tlono b >' our Kxecu - Bpve to promote their development. But this -wegh ay we receive news that six men have ob>zs.Rained, as the result of one week's labor, eight cjfoounds of gold, and this on a spot long since gfieserted by the early gold-seekers. Other of parties are" doing well; and well they may, ponevhen they can lease square miles of auriferous fdfc round - Ot tlic S eilera ' popularity of our ', glroUl-iields, I cannot say much, though I ber ISiieve that they maintain their present very ' friiuiot state b.'C mse no iinlueemeiu is' offered to ov fi£ nv person to divulge the whereabout-* of our Iheficnown gold deposits ; indeed I almost fear idejihat our days of gold export will remain at in[ii neir present low ebb until a man of somo .•fdßnergv wields our local power,— until a man . ■ Eritlf some idea of progress receives the Super'"jindental £600 a year, am] does something JK" return for it. You will remember our ' eai ®iavin<r a public meeting some months since, € * »F which the Superintendent was asked to a reward to whomsoever should discover Irai §P nc^ tnat wuu 'd yield, within a certain tiniP, .claE given amount of gold. Xo reward has yet cuKpen offered. In fact, I doubt if the ExecuVj jitive have yet finished dreaming about those ; 'a^mnnoying people who will call public meetings .-.•'Hand get resolutions unanimously adop'ed by c r "r"<>ur or five hundred p'ople, with a view • dS* 0 P ourin S a '' ct ' e healthful activity into .\vwwhat, hitherto, has been most torpid blood. l lnft i a similar manner I might speak of what '"tß^s been done to secure a water supply for our 16 fiff° wn • w *'h wattr m abundance running to tyttvaste all around us; with two large-sized rldAJstreams running within the town boundary, nftre are as badly off as an}" place can well be, t V wither for a wholesome pure drink or for d' (Mwater with which to extinguish a fire. Two v, e ]Byears since a scheme -was recommended to the f li«r Jrov " lc ' a^ C° unc 'l f° r supplying the town .Jfivvith water, but, at the tail end of the session, members decided on rejecting what c JnP r eviously had been unanimously adopted, and '* 'finothing was done : nothing, I believe, would "Kiave been done but for a tire which occurred « 31 & nd somewhat alarmed folks. A publicmeeting seoflnra* then called, which, presieed over by the TOjHßupenntendent, unanimously adopted certain c ofSresolutir ns. As a consequence, his Honor jHsßssuei] a commission — a commission composed, Djljin its majority, of men who had opposed the scheme — and it has but just given in vmlii's report in favor of the almost identical thUs me wmcn ' two years since, naa been rellili eCted " _______——