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Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 51, 5 May 1863, Page 2

Switzer's Diggings appear to supply food for a considerable amount of newspaper " small talk " at present, in consequence of some of the inhabitants having the presumption to seek for adequate protection for their property. It appears that there are no police at Switzer's, and that no provision has been made for the transmission of the gold to Dunedin ; in consequence of which, a a number of storekeepers residing there addressed two letters on the subject to the Commissioner of Police in Otago. To neither of these communications was any answer returned, and therefore the parties interested deputed Mr M'Kay (a storekeeper) who was proceeding to Invercargill on business, to wait on the Chief Inspector of Police here, and inquire if be could provide what the people of Switzer's could not obtain elsewhere. Mr Weldon informed Mr M'Kay that, Switzer's Diggings not being in this province, he had really no authority in ithe matter ; hut that, until arrangements were made by the Otago Police department, he would instruct some of the Southland force to patrol in the neighborhood, and also receive and transmit any gold committed to their charge. These are the simple facts cf the case, and we leave those of our readers who have read the various reports of the case whicb have appeared in print to judge for themselves. From the advertisement in another column, it will bo seen that at last an effort is about to 'be made to raise an efficient Fire Brigade. Among the names attached to the requisition will be observed the ageuts of the leading Insurance Companies in town. This promises well for the proposed movement, as none should be more interested in its success than the Insurance Companies. We hope the meeting will not separate till some sort of protection from a general conflagration has been organised. On Sunday morning, at an early hour, Invercargill was visited by a terrific storm of wind, hail, and rain, accompanied bv tbunder and lightning. So heavy was the thunder that it seemed to shake the houses to their foundation, the sensation experienced being very similar to that caused by an earthquake. Yesterday the weather moderated, and whilst we write there is every appearance of its continuing fair. "VYe would direct the attention of such of our readers who may have any spare cash to invest, to the sale of the Windsor Estate, to take place on Wednesday next, Gth inst., at the rooms of MessrsMueller and Geisow, Tay-street. Wo have been favored with the inspection of the plans for Mr. Hughes's new building, the Criterion Hotel, to be erected on the site of tha present restaurant of that name in Tay-street. As far as we can judge from its appearance on paper, this hotel will go some way to supply a want which is severely felt in town. The rooms are lofty and large, and the bar part of the business will be quite distinct from the portion occupied by boarders aud visitors. The complaints of insufficient hotel accommodation are daily becoming more numerous. The opening of a house with Mr. Hughes as landlord, affords a pretty strong guarantee that it will be creditably conducted, if wc may judge from his preseut establishment at the Bluff. In another column will be feund a report of tte Town Board elections. The nomination of some of the gentleman proposed appeared to afford a considerable amount of amusement to the bystanders. The Returning Officer was scarcely up to the mark. As the president of the meeting, it was bis duty to endeavoi' to repress the absurdities which took place. He did show some spirit at the close, but it would have been more seemly had he exercised his prerogative at an earlier stage of the proceedings. The City of Hobart, from Dunedin, arrived at Bluff Harbor on Saturday morning, bringing a portion of the English mail, consisting of newspapers only. The letters were despatched from Dunedin by the overland mail. The reason for this apparently eccentric manoeuvre was that previously to the departure of the overland mail, no steamer was advertised to call at the Bluff; ac cordingly the Dunedin Postmaster sent the lighter portion of the mall, viz., the letters, overland, as that presented the first opportunity, reserving the newspapers for the first steam-ship calling at the Bluff, which proved to be the City of Hobart. We beg leave to call the attention of the authorities to the state of the road between Invercargill and the Bluff Harbor. Unless some improvement is very quickly made the communication between the two places will be soon put an end to. On Saturday evening one of Cobb's coaches, having "on board" the mail by the City of Hobart, and three passengers, left the Bluff for town. A good team pulled them safely through the mud as far as the Mokomoko, but between the latter place and West's (a portion of the route where at present conveyances are obliged to run on the beach), the coach got " bogged" so firmly that it was found neecssary to take the horses out and remove the mails to as safe a place as practicable. Information of th-? circumstance was sent to Messrs Brayton and Co., of Invereargill, and Mr Brayton and Mr Galop at once started for the spot. In the meantime the tide had risen, and when those gentlemen got to the neighborhood of the mishap, nothing could be seen of either coach or mails. They then went into the water in search of the mail boxes, their task being rendered more unenviable by a terrific storm of hail and rain which lasted for some hours without iutermission. Notwithstanding the state of the weather they continued their exertions throughout the night; and as day was breaking succeeded in recovering the boxes and bags, all of them, of course, thoroughly saturated. The coach was completely covered by the sea during the whole of the night, bnt was got out as soon as the tide permitted it. A correspondent writing from Queenstown says — " Affairs are very dull up this way ; the supply of gold is evidently influenced by the incoming of bleak winter. The beauty of tha scenery in this vicinity is much enhanced by the mountain tops being clothed with snow. The transition from summer has been very rapid. The feed for cattle, which used to be plentiful, is diminishing apace, and the poor packhorses exhibit in their collapsed state an appearance indicating a near approach to starvation. Some of the poor brutes have perished, not being able to find enough grass. This, however, does not prevent the generality of packers and miners from overloading their horses. The enforcement of Martin's Act would be attended with satisfactory results. The building of a Church of England is in progress, and I believe a hospital is in contemplation by the Government at Frankton. The lay reader of the former institution has officiated latterly in the commodious quarters of the Southland Camp, and will continue until a building for the purpose is erected. Thatcher, the singer, has given some offence hero by his per- . sonalities ; there is a rnmor that he is likely to visit Invercargill "shortly."

The fourth and last of the bodies which were,, wrecked from the pilot boat near Riverton, was' ;■; recovered . on Sunday; the bodies were scarcely : identifiable. An inquest was held yesterday by D, S. Lawler, Esq., J. P., at the Marine Hotel, ■ ■ Riverton. - >- 1