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Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 47, 21 April 1863, Page 2

The " oldest inhabitant " has informed us, in confidence, that, in the whole of his Southland experience he has seen nothing to come up to the succession of gales which we have been favored with during the past week. We hope he is telling the truth, for a 5 further continuance of such weather is likely to induce all " new chums " (and their name is legion down here) to write warnings to their friends. On Sunday it blew a perfect hurricane, accompanied hy hail and rain. We ourselves saw no fewer than seven large trees, on some of the unclaimed sections in the back parts of the town, levelled by I, the fury of the tempest. Tirough the incessant rain almost all the street s are rendered nearly impassible, both for pedestrians and vehicles. Wo witnessed a rather amusing sight last night in Tay-street. A man, bent on crossing the roadway, became lamentably impounded up to his knees in the crab-holes so hmdably contracted for by the'Town Board ; whilst in that predicament, the sou'wester relieved him of his " tile," but he viewed the loss with stoical indifference, and, having finally succeeded in extricating his limbs from their confinement, left the hat to its fate, considering it preferable to invest in a new one than to run the risk of being bogged

a second time.

We regret that an error crept into our report of Mr M'Donald's remarks at the interview which the Jetty deputation had with His Honor the Superintendent. The report

says, " there was a heavy tax on consumers amounting to 25 per cent, caused by the present Jetty arrangements," It should have- been "heavy tax on consumers, caused by the want of proper Jetty arrangements, hail advanced freiyhts 2~> per cent." The same gentleman is also made to say that the rate of freight had risen " from L4O to 160." It should have read "from 40s. to Ijs. and it will soon be 605."

An accident, fortunately not atte.ided with serious consequences, happened to one of Messrs. Cobb and Co."s Bluff line of coaches on Friday night last. The coacli was an extra one put on the line, the driver now to the road, and the night pitch dark, and the result was that he drove ovex the side of one of the terraces on the track. There were two passengers in the coach, one of whom, and the driver, received a few bruises, the second escaping unhurt. The horses were also uninjured, the principle damage being done to the coach.

The Dunstan people have established a Dramatic Club. The first pieces to be performed are "Still Waters Run Deep," and the well known burlesque of "The Lady of Lyons." Could not Invcrcargill folk take a leaf out of their book, and initiate some little amusement for the long winter evenings ?

The Otagn Daih/ Times of the ISth inst. has the following : — " Charles D'Arcy, alias Gilbert, who has for some time past been in the hands of the police authorities here, having been arrested on suspicion of committing a robbery under arms on the Lachlan escort in June last, was yesterday brought up at. the Resident Magistrate's Court, and identified by Detective Lyons, who has been specially sent from Sydney for that purpose. The prisoner, who, during the progress of the c.iso evinced the utmost indifference to his position, admitted his guilt, and will be remanded to Sydney, where he will be tried for the offence. It was stated by Detective Lyons, in the course of his evidence, that the prisoner's companion in crime, Manus, had been found guilty of the robbery under arms, for which offence he had lately been executed in Sydney."

The Otar/o Daily Times of the 18th says : — " A new and peculiar disease has made its appearance in herds in the Cape colony, the symptoms being weakness in the hind-quarters, followed by total prostration and death. One of the diseased oxen was opened, and the lungs were found grown to its side, and in one of the lungs was a hard lump, which proved to be full of a watery fluid. "

The escorts from the Lake to Dunctlin for the month have amounted to £33,410 ozs. 10 dwt., says the Daily Times.

The Alhambra, on her recent passage from Dunedin to the Bluff, after being two days at sea and burning 80 tons of coal, had to put back. On her making the attempt the second time, she took five days to accomplish the trip. The William Miskin, which left Dunedin on Tuesday last, has not yet bean heard of. It is presumed that she has had to run for shelter. The late heavy gales, will, we fear, cause a number of disasters on the coast.

We perceive that Mr Harry Houdin has found his way to Canterbury, and is drawing moderately good houses in Christehurch.

There is a lamentable falling off in the yield of the diggings in Victoria. The gold exported in 1856 was valued at £11,943,458 sterling; in 1862 at £6.045,0.58.

Our Ocago friends appear to have their attention attracted to the West Coast. The Daily Times says: — " There are now at Port Chalmers two small vessels receiving the necessary outfit for an expedition thither— the Courier and the Matilda Hayes— the latter to convey to the coast Dr Hector, Provincial Geologist, and his party of scientific explorers."

The 'JTaiche's Bay Herald says it is in contemplation to form an Agricultural Society in that province: It has been proposed to hold the annual exhibition alternately at Havclock or

Clivc.

Our readers may not be aware that under the Canterbury " Public House Ordinance,' ' 1862, an habitual drunkard may have his or her grog stopped in a very summary manner. We subjoin the following "nofice," taken from the Canterbury papers, as a specimen of hew the thing is done :— " Notice to the Public. — Province of Canterbury, Colony of New Zealand, to wit. — Whereas it has this day been proved to the satisfaction of us, the undersigned, b ins three of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace, acting in and for the Colony of New Zealand, and sitting at the Resident Magistrate's Court, at Christchurch, in the said Provir.ee and Colony, that one Mary Ann Robertson, of Christehurch who is described at the foot of this notice, lias become an habitual drunkard, and is injuring her health, by excessive drinking, we hereby, under the provisions of the 33rd clause of the 'Public House Ordinance, 1862,' give notice that we prohibit all persons from supplying the said Mary Ann Robertson with any spirituous or fermented liquor whatever, for the space of two years, from the date hereof. And we also give notice that any person who shall knowingly supply, or cause to be supplied to the said Mary Ann Robertson any spirituous or fermented liquors whatever during the said space of two years from the date hereof is liable to a penalty of twenty pounds (£2O) sterling, or to be imprisoned, with or -without hard labor, for the term of three calendar months. Given under our hands at Christehurch, this 26th day of March, 18G3. — John- Hall, R.M. ; James EdWAUD FITZGEUAT.n, J.P. • JOSEPH PALMER, J.P. Description of the above-named Mary Ann Robertson.— -Mary Ann Robertson lives in Christehurch, has no calling, is about 32 years of age, sft 4 or 5 inches high, slender build, fresh complexion, dark eyes, dark brown hair, rather round features, snub nose, prominent forehead ; a native of Edinburgh, which dialect she speaks."