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Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 49, 28 April 1863, Page 2

The s.s . William Miskin, Captain Wilson, arrived here on Saturday evening, after a passage of twelve days from Dunedin, which place she left on the 14th inst. When off Cape Sounders, a heavy gale set in from the S. W., and she was obliged to return to the Otago Heads. Next morning th 2 weather moderated a little, when she again put to sea ) but by mid-day the gale so increased in violence that she was obliged to put back a sacond time. S'ae left again the same evening. A strong head wind and heavy sea wero experienced to the Nuggets, which were reached by daylight on Thursday morning. Owing te the increasing violence of the gale, Capt. Wilson deemed it advisable to shelter thereuntil Saturday, when, the gale moderating and the barometer rising, the passage was again attempted, but towards midnight, when off Long Point, it blew a perfect hurricane, and he stood off and on, under canvas and steam, until noon on Sunday, when, the weather showing no sign of improvement, he had again to take shelter under the Nuggets. On Friday evening last, the gale having somewhat abated, he put to sea, and reached the Bluff on Saturday morning. The passengers speak very highly of the performances of the Miskin during the gales, which were the heaviest that have been known on this coast for some years, and express their approval of the conduct of the captain and his officers in the following testimonial, which was presented on the arrival of the vessel here : —

Steamer William Miskin, Saturday, 25th April, 18G3. Dear Sir,— Having been twelve days at sea since leaving Dunedin, and during that time in a heavy and continuous gale of wind, compelling you to put back five times, we feel that under divine providence our safety lias been owing to your prudence and skill ; we, therefore, think it incumbent on us thus to record our thanks to you and your officers for your unceasing exertions in such a trying emergency, as well as our confidence in. the sea-going qualities of this vessel. We remain, with our best wishes, Truly yours, Mrs C. A. "Ross, Miss Keefe, Miss Evans, Mrs Lyon, S. M. South, Charles B. JCingman, Thomas A. Lascell, Alexander Sayers, John Buckley, John Dunn, Jas. Pitherick, W. 11. Quelch, J. Madden, Jcnkin Cole, John Peters, Thomas Hall, A. Kennedy, George Angus, Finlay i Carrie, Charles Itoss, James Hackett, William Lyon. To F. J. Wilson, Commander s.s. William Miskin. The Tokomairiro correspondent of the Otaijo Daily Tunes has the following :— " In the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Monday, a man named John Robertson was fully committed'to take his trial attho Supreme Court on a charge of wilful arson. The evidence adduced for the prosecution was such as to make the police apply for a warrant for the apprehension, of a well-known settler in Tokomairiro, on the charge of inciting and procuring the commission of the crirre. For the present it will be advisable to withhold the name and particulars. As soon as the charge against the person alluded to is investigated, I will forward a statement of tho circum--1 Btances."

Yesterday the Eesident' Magistrate was engaged in trying a case which excited a considerable amount of interest. A policeman -was charged with an attempt at rape, but after hearing evidence the more serious portion of the accusation was set aside, and being convicted of a common assault only, he was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, with hard labor. At first sight this seems a harsh judgment, particularly when the offender's character is said to have been irreproachable hitherto, but viewed iv the light which the Magistrate took, the offence is itot so very slight. Respectable young women do not relish being kissed in the street by strangers. Though we believe the man was guilty of no more serious crime than indiscretion, still, considering his position, we do not think the Magistrate took advantage of his powers in passing the sentence he did As he truly remarked, "policemen ought to be the special guardians, not the assaulters, in any sense, of our female population." The Otago miners have elected Captain Baldwin and Mr Brodie to seats in the House of Representatives. The Daily Telegraph has a leading article on the subject, headed with the pathetic inquiry—" Where are we drifting ? " We think the answer may-proba-bly be, as far as the Telegraph is concerned— into the Supreme Court, as defendant in an action for defamation of Mr, Brodie's character. The following are a few of the expressions used : — " One of the rampant place-hunting politicians of Victoria." "We do not hesitate placing Mr. Brodie among the blackest of the black sheep. " And again, " the Heales ministry, at this time, had vacancies -which they had a difficulty in filling, and this gentleman was offered one of the vacant posts. Scarcely was the ink on the document appointing him dry, before circumstances took place in a court of law which called for severe comments in the Argus, and led to a debate in Parliament which induced his being thrown overboard by his colleagues ; and, in a very brief period, as a politician, he collapsed, retiring into obscurity a disgraced man." Some of our readers are doubtless unacquainted 1 with the facts to which the last quoted sentence refers, nor is it accessary we should enlighten them. Let it suffice that there were in this case, as in every other, two sides to the question, and that a large section of the Victorian community believe Mr. Brodie to have been thrown overboard by his colleagues from Motives of political expediency. Mr. Brodie's resignation of his seat in the Victorian Legislative Assembly was

voluntary

"We would direct the attention of our musical readers to an advertisement in another column regarding the formation of a Choral Society. We feel certain an association of this description will prove a valuable acquisition to our slender list of social enjoyments, and cordially wish it all success.

The Otago Daily Times expresses great dissatisfaction at the reception the passengers by the Silistria met Avith from the Custom House authorities in Dunedin. After alluding to another ship, the immigrants by which were treated in a somewhat similar manner, the writer says : — " There was a partial repetition of the grievance on Monday, when the two hundred passengers by the Silistria, including a hundred girls, were landed at the wharf. This vessel was two days at the Heads, and twenty-four hours at Port Chalmers, before her passengers left her, but though ample time was thus afforded for an examination of their luggage, instead of the Custom House officers going to the luggage, as is done elsewhere, the Custom House officers waited until the luggage came to them, and when it came it was past their stipulated time ; and as there was no knowing what amount of contraband goods these hundred poor girh might be attempting to introduce, their luggage was not allowed to be landod that day."

There are evidently some very lightfingered gentry resident in Invercargill at the present time. Petty thefts are getting too common in some of the more thinly populated streets. As instances, we may mention a tool chest, and other articles taken from the outside of a cottage, and in another place a clothes' line entirely stripped of its " hangings." A few nights since an attempt was made to effect an entrance into a private dwelling by forcing open the window, but the inmates were aroused by the noise, and the would-b3 burglar succeeded in effecting his escape.

We see the Dunedin Town Board advertise a quarterly meeting of that body to be held for the purpose of hearing complaints, or receiving information as to the condition of the roads, bridges, footpaths, drains &c, in the town. Should the Invercargill Board follow in the footsteps of their Dunedin brethren, we fear they would find their work " cut out for them. ' '

It is with great satisfaction we are able to record a very agreeable change in the weather. The wind and rain appear to have worn th emselves out, the streets are rapidly drying up, and business in consequence is assuming something of its usual aspect. The Daily Times of the 22nd says the escort of the previous day brought into town the following quantities of gold : — ozs. dwfcs. Wakatip 7,173 15 Dunstan 3,289 0 Tuapeka 2,265 10 Total 12,728 5 The Wakatip gold escort consisted of 4,098 ozs 15 dwt from Queenstown, and 3,075 oz from the Arrow township. None has been brought from Waitaliuna or the Woolshed.