ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 78, 4 August 1863, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

WE DO NOT 'HOXID OUKSEI.-VES ItESPONSIBIE , FOB THE OPINTONS EXPRESSED BY OUB COIIKESPO.VDENTS. " i" v ■

To the Editor of the Invercargill Times

Str, — Asa well wisher to theprogress of South land, l would askyour assistance to remedyagrievance of no small magnitude to the public generally and to those interested in shipping particti** larly, Feeling sure that when /acts like the ,fol-> lowing are laid before you you will not hesitate to bring them under public notice. On Friday 24th inst., between 4 arid s p.m. the brie Australia being outside the |Ne.w River Heads, with light airs and calms from the, Eastward, the -steam tug-Aphra«a hove in sight, when the signal was made to her .from' the brig " want to be towed in," ; the reply from the; steamer was "lam fullofpassepgers and cank^ be delayed" and passed on for Invercargill. The brig then tacked and stood, clcise tp her with the view of detaining him as short a time as possible running close enough to her to distinctly count? nine (9) people on her deck, and two (2) on the b« idge — in consequence of being thjis-deserted, Captain Hughes was compelled tb stand out again for the. night. , The brig w» as close, in and. it was almost high water at..the j time. She entered the River the next, morning and only then got as far up as the " Bombay jßock"— -the; Pilot being compelled to anchor her-in-a--very dangerous position, and the vessel was detained there, not being able to reach the proper anchorage, until the 27th., ) Another caso is that of the barque Star of Vie? toria, which arrived off the Heads [on the 28th inst, and spoke the Aphrasia<iTri<i king the water of the tug an offer of £35, if *he would tow, that vessel into the Horse. Shoe. ,bend— he distinctly refused unless he was paidj £40. i'Thissum (anxious as the Master and owners of the*' jst ck on bowd to get the vessel in might be,,fpr,she, had some valuable live 'stock on-bpard) they considered exorbitant andrefused.wjien the steamer deliberately steamed away, leaving the vessel .outside, in a. very critical., and -j dangler ous place, and with. the probability : of hot getting>ih:ifp"r( several days * - . | . I, world Sir, of what service is, this vessels to the Port, or why is she so liberally- subsidized by the Government (£loo.per,mpnth 1 believe), if she can never be depended upon; for towing ; or .masters i of ships', despite thq . a J dvertis'e*d • charges fixed by the owner, compelled to pay any exorbitant amount they may feel disposed to ask— cir. forego the'ass^starieeVreqiiired. , ■•" YPurs' Truly- -. „ , , ' ,v ' 'A..AA' AAA N^uTictis. '* Monday; August 3rd, 1 883 « ? i