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Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 87, 4 September 1863, Page 2

It will be perceived from our advertising columns, that Mr John Munro, the well-known bookseller and stationer, in Dee-street, intends publishing shortly a very useful and necessary work, entitled "The Invercargill and liiverton Directory and Provincial "Alumnae." A work of this description deserves to be well supported, espnc ally, when originated by a fellow townsman. \V r e believe Messrs Han ctt and Co, of Dunerlin, also purpose publishing a work of a somewhat similar nature in connection with the Dunedin Directory.

Messrs Mueller anrl Gcisow's auction room was brilliantly illuminated on tbe occasion of the M^afc Meeting on Tuesday, night with a long row of footlights, paradoxically placed close to the ceiling 1 At one end of the room a stamp-platform was reared high upon huge casks; and at another was disposed for the sitting convenience of the meeting a number of small barrels, empty cases, and a skeleton four-poster. The Committee of the Chamber of Commerce were first upon the ground> and after them dropped in, in twos and threes' enthusiastic votaries of cheap beef, till by a quarter to eight, there had assembled quite a throng, and then the oratory began. The proceedings were characterised by the utmost order, though occasionally interrupted by witticisms and forcible allusions from the crowd. About nine o'clock the business was over, the meeting dispersed, the footlights were extinguished, and the barrels and four" posters left to lonely and gloomy communion. The fetling of all who were present appeared to be unanimous in regard to removing the importation restrictions. Such is the used up financial condition of the Town Board, that at the general meeting on Wednesday, when the accounts were laid upon the table to be passed, it was obliged to be moved that they lie over till such time as the Board should be able to raise the wind. There appears to be a considerable and apparently unnecessary delay in the preparation of the bond which will enable the Board once more to meet its liabilities. At each meeting ths same enquiry is made — Is the bond ready? with the unvarying answer — No; but it is in thohandsof the solicitors. When the solicitors are interrogated upon the subject, they know nothing further than that somebody else has got it. And so by the interruption, of the sources whence the Board in carrying out improvements must draw, the public are material sufferers. Surely by a little putting on of steam and abandonment of easy going nonchalance, the Board might in a couple of clays place itself financially in a position somewhat less ridiculous than that in which it at present stands.

A very pretty little theatre, at the back of the Criterion Hotel, was opened last night with a Ball. Before the dancing proceedings commenced, we had the opportunity of making a visit of inspection. Upon entering, the coup d'eeil was very pleasing. In the distance were presented, an elevated stage with orthodox proscenium, and a picturesque garden scene, painted by Mr Holland, with a crys-tal-palace fountain in front. The hall is spacious, 50 feet in length, and lofty to the tune of 20 feet. It was last night brightly lighted with kerosene chandeliers, and, its smooth floor, and the notes of a piano, at the far end^ hinting at the "Fern Leaves Waltz," were strong temptations to indulge in " just one round." The Theatre will be opened for dramatic and other entertainments on Saturday night; Miss Emma Stanley, and two additional artistes have been engaged for the occasion. The proprietor of the Theatre is Mr Hoskins, of the Criterion Hotel; the builder, MrH.ali; and the artistic decorator, Mr Holland. We may mention that the supper which last night formed part of the ball was excellently-aerved and passed off with "^infinite jest."

Tho pilots, by order of the Superintendent, are soon to figure in blue and gold, or rather , serge and.brass. This regulation, of course entailsupoh themSfexlvfl expense." Surely a beneficent govern^ ment ought to keep its servants in liveries. The Colonial journals, like their London * contemporaries, abound, in their advertising columns, with touching appeals from forlorn " Marianas." The Sydney Morning Herald has .for sometime. had.xhefoUowing. standing .ad^eptisement—" Mr Herbert, Lydia leaves for-Mel-bourne next week, longs to see you before she goes " .■.'-..'•: ■•• ....• .-, = .' ■:-■-. '•'•./•. : >A .young .lady :^j a^^v.CTnessj^by, iV< name,;-,:,Miis Emily Harrison, ,was.A»rou.iht up the other day before the Melbourne City" Court, on a charge; of theft. It appeared that a go\d chain and several other articles belonging to one of her pupils.were found in her possession. It was alleged in defence that she, had been suffering from hysterical niania, during which site was ia the habit of »unintention. ally appropriating other people's property. Tne charge was not pressed, so the unfortunate^victim of kleptomania was discharged, upon her friends Gmling sureties for her proper behaviour. This is not the only province in which restrictions upon the importation of cattle from Australia are felt as a grievance. The Nelson Colonist has the following upon the subject : — " Respecting tliis important question, to which Mr Redwood lately referred in the Council, we find several of the New Zealand papers .taking the questioa up. The facts of increase in the prioe of our butchers' meat, and the generally inferior character of our beef, which is so frequently stri.gy and. tough, point to the necessity of a larger and better supply. Last week beef and mutton advanced a penny per pound in price, and without a better supply and cheaper beeves, there does not appear any prospect of a decline." The subject of Marriage with a deceased wife's sister, which has so long been a vexed questioa in Ecclesiastical, legal, and local circles in the home country, has lately engaged the attention of the legislature of South Australia. They have determined to add to the list of persons whom it is possible to marry the sisters of departed wives, j The following is the enactment: — "Whereas doubts have arisen as to validity in the province of South Australia, of the marriage of a man with the sister of his deceased wife, and it is expedient to remove such doubt : Be it thereforo enacted by the Governor-in-Chief of the Province cf South Australia, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and House of Assembly of the said province, in this present Parliament assembled, as follows: •1. All marriages which have been heretofore, or which shall be hereafter duly solemnisod, within the said province, between any person and his deceased wife's sister shall be deemed, and are hereby declared valid, and of full force and effect, any law orcustom to the contrary notwithstanding^ " I We observe that the Alharabra Cafe, Kelvin- ! street, has changed hands. An advertisement | informs tho public that the com f ort of frequenters of this rest turant will be well attended to by the new jbroprietor. T.ie colonial storekeeper, Sydney, has, in com- ' pliance with an application from the New Zealand Government, been directed to let them have a thousand stand of rifles, and 200 breach-loading carbines for the service of the war. In our advertising columns will be seen the prospectus of the Australian Mutual Provident Society, to which society as an insurance medium of repute we would call attention. It appears that the annual revenue is L 66 .000, the accumulated and invested funds amount to upwards of L 175.000; new premiums received from January to 30th June, 1863, to X9,104 ; new assurances effected from January to 30th June, 1863, to L 201.728. During the same period 498 new policies have bGen issued. We may mention that Messrs Maning and Whitton have been appointed agents in Invercargill for the society, and W. G. M'Clure, Esq, M.D., medical referee. In refereuce to a paragraph which has already appeared in this journal, with regard to disease in Horses, we would refer to an article from the Age, reprinted in the supplement' of this day's issue, , which appears to bear out our views. In the Southland Provincial Government Gazette, there are several modifications and appointments. Mr W. H. Aylmer, to be Clerk to to the Superintendent, vice Giller resigned. Mr John Callow to be be Wharfinger of the jetty *>£ | Invercargill. Mr Alexander Reid to be Assistant Harbor Master at the port of Invercargill. Theophilus Heale, Esq., to act as Commissioner of Crown Lands, in the absence of W. H Pearson, Esq. For sheep, a quarantine ground is announced, bounded by the Ocean, the New j River Estuary, the River Oreti, and by a line drawn from the south boundary of the ferry I reserve at the Oreti ferry, westward to the Ocean. The members of the new Town Board, whose names were mentioned in our last issue, are gazetted. Slaughter-house districts ar<» proclaimed; and accepted, and not accepted tenders notified. The Wakmtip Mail of the 29th reports that the rumor of loss of life at Serpentine Gully, by the fall of an avalanche of snow has been exaggerated. The only suffering experienced has been from frost bites. The El Dorado Hotel, Queenstown was on fire on tho night of the' 26th ult;, but by timely exertion no great damage was sustained. At the Shotover, mining prospects have consider* ably improved; shares in claims are fetching good prices. At the Arrow the weather has been very fine, and the snow gradually disappearing, sluicing on a large scale is about to be commenced on the terraces, with the probability of, at any rate, an ounce a day per man. ..•*!* „.. Mr J. S. Youl, writing to the Field, says, that the natural salmon grounds of th.is hemisphere will be the So,uth ; Coast of Tasmania, |and the cool streams and coast seas of Southern New Zealand. In regard to the Nelson gold fields, the local; papers state, that though the winter season interferes a good deal with digging, gold continues to come into town (Nelson) chiefly from the West Coast. They anticipate, a share in the Spring rush from Melbourne. '■■ Forty miners arrived the other day from Otago by the Airedale, and they are said to have written South for their mates to join them. . : . The Manchester Examiner narrates the following extraordinary discovery in an Australian ship : — " A very remarkable discovery has just been made in one of Messrs Green's 1 ships recently^ arrived in the port of London from, Australia. The ship, the Result, from Melbourne, was being overhauled a day or two ago in the London docks, when the skeleton of a man was found standing upright. He Was dressed, .but all his flesh j had dried up on his bones and his clothes therefore hung loosely about him. On searching him, a sum of twelve shillings in silver was found in his pocket, but no other property of any kind. It is supposed ■ that the man 5 had pot the means to pay for his passage, and secreted himself -in sbme'part of the vessel, and was either suffocated, or "that, in .icon' sequence of the manner in iyhich the cargo was packed, he found it impossible to escape from hi I*place1 *- place of confinement." \ We understand that, the O^ago Government are constructing a powder magazine to contain 600 or 700 kegs; in the cliff at Andersons Bay. It is .tjbube a cavern fit for the habitation of a Guy Fawkes and will be closed with iron doorsi ■-;'■-■,' The price of gold just now. on Bendigo i s L 3 17s. Bel., alluvial, and L 3 los. Bd. perjpunce for tandard twenty-two carats fineness.

Two Melbourne barristers -have, we njm " k frpm"a law .Gazette, receivjecl patents ' as", q J§ Counsel. Messrs Archibald Michigan*! via I>. Ireland are'the^fajoredjgentleijnen.^ • > H -Referring ""to. a'f 'tne-J New gJ| Chiefs to England, the '2(ew Zealand StaM (London) says: — " Ther£.,is "a^rdmor j| which we afc.present disbelieve, thattthe Ji visitors from New Zealand are to be>e&ykyH very much the same manner as the almoetjfi lete travelling menagerie. We should depj| f such,, a proceeding, as _ much on account offs parties ' under whose guidance' they are honJi us' With their presence, as on account of tfoffl Zealanders themselves. Tho degradation (JI quent on an English gentleman allowing ya to assume an inferior pmition for the sakffe flight, pecuniary advantage, would not belesls that brought on the natives, who, members J^ English' Church, and holding a high rank Ji their own eountrymtn, would be looked j|| more as zoological curiosities than hon/fl guests. ' The aim of the English people s\<&§ to show them, the grandeur and greatness (*|| land, and not the half-educated curiosity!^ unfortunately pervades a numerous class |Jj| countrymen." ||