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Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 99, 9 October 1863, Page 4

About a quarfei--past two this morning, an alarm of fire was got up in Tay -street. It appeal that a quantity of shavings lying in the entrance to Messrs Maning and Wkitton'a premises had become ignited, and at one time threatened fclie surrounding buildings. By the exertions of those who were attracted to the spot, among whom were the Police and a number of our employes, the flames were fortunately soon subdued. ■ Our attention has been drawn by several inhabitants of Dee-street to the dangerous obstructions permitted to remain week after "E/eek on the , " proclaimed footpaths,'" more particularly to tho heavy castings, baulks of timber, &c, in front of premises in course of erection. Admitting that it may be exceedingly inconvenient for persons who ' hare buildings in course of construction to at all ; times avoid encroaching on the footpaths, we think it but due to the public safety to recommend the eredfiofrof 'lamps to be Jkept .burning over such mantrap?. A meeting of those interested in the well being of the Church of Eagland was to have taken place yesterday afternoon, at the schoolhouse, Tayslreet, with a view to oi'ganisinjj amateur concerts for the benefit 01 the Building Fund. A sufficient number did not attend, so the meeting lapsed. If those who belong to this form of belief take no interest in the same, who else will? We are requested by the S.'cratary to announce that a positively for the last time meeting will take place at -1 o'clock on Sator lay afternoon, when it is hoped 'fiat there will bo loss iukewarmness in the cause. They arc doing; their best to amuse themselves in Dunedin — so much so that the plethora of usual entertainments has palled upon them. They have become blase, and are trying to recruit their jaded appotite with ghosts and other stimulant pastimes. The last thing out in tonics is nncnIcrtainmcnt exhibited in George-street, which is much patronised under the great name of a " Biolotypo Scenorama," consisting of scenes of the American war, prepared in Dunedin. From a Parliamentary return we observe that the numbers thatemigrated from the United Kingdom to New Zealand and the Australian colonies for the year from 1825 to 18G3, are estimated at 502,152. In a Wellington paper it is mentioned that Mr Lockhart, of Fife, has manufactured twine from Now Zealand hVix.wuieh has been found to answer well. Mr Lockhart, of Nelson, is about to send home ten tons of undressed Has to further test the nature of the article. Mr and Mrs Cliarles Kean, and Mr Cathcart, have arrived in Melbourne by the Champion of the Sons. T bey have taken up their residence at St. Kilda. [Residents in Invercargill cannot but be acquainted with the engaging 1 institution known as " shouting." Tuis widely prevailing cusiom is thus noticed by a correspondent of the M. A. Mail : — " Of all the follies that ever beset a community that of ' shouting ' has held its ground 1 mgest, and is the most absurd. Nine times out of ten, the individual invited to drink (if he is a sober man of course) has not tho slightest wish to do so, but dare not refuse, for he will certainly o/Fend the landlord by ' taking a shingle off the house,' and will probably offend the ' shoutor,' who very likely cares no more to drink than his friend. But it is a custom of no earthly benefit to any oue but the seller, and for that reason encouraged in spite of common sense. What can be more'degradinsr and disgusting to a bystander than to see a half-drunken man, with a pound or two in his possession, flattered and coaxed until he is cleared out by shouting all round P When his money 13 gone, he may go too, as soon as he likes, unlil then every one in his vicinity, landlord,: barmaid, customers, and spectators, are expected to submit quietly to and without a murmur to his insults, bounce and brutality. There is a law in Paris that punishes with a heavy fiao any one that places temptation in the way of postmen by enclosing articles of value in ordinary letters. It is a pity that there is no similar law here to punish those who tempt people to drink. Another case of too frequent occurrence is, to see half a dozen loafers hanging about a public house or shanty, waiting for the brewers' or wine merchants' travellers, bounce a shout out of them, and then rush off to so'ne other plaM, whore the same absurdity is repeated, and of the two I don't know which is tho worst. Jt, must tie admitted that the system of ' shouting ' is not carried to the same extent as in former times, but there is still ample room for improvement and abatement of the social nuisance." The following is the state of the gaol for the week ending Bth October: — Sentenced to hard labor, 17; imprisonment only,l; committed for trial, 1 ; debtors. 2 : lunatics, 1 ; t0ta1, 22. Received during the week, 3 ; discharged during the week 4The Telegrams in the Argus of the 2Otb) which number of that journal we received late last night,) announce that Gilbert and bis gang are causing great apprehensions in the Baf hurst district. Op. the ni^ht of the 23rd, they robbed Stephen's store, at Caloola, taking away a quantity of goods-, and destroying the remainder of the stock. The police have discovered a plant containing 2)00 notes belonging to the Joint Stock B ink, which Lowry took from the Mudgcc mail The Eoekhampton pap rs treat the reported gold-fields as a hoax. A thorough row took place yesterday afternoon, about 5 o'clock, in Dec-street. Two violent individual?, who ti&d been drinking not wisely but t^o well, took into their heads that after all there was nothing so jolly as a good fight; so they went at it, pommelling each other bravely, and were just drawing breath for the second round, when Ihe constable on the beat, Davidson by name, came up and joincfl i>sue with the fiercest of the combatants. The other belligerent, upon espying the well-known uniform, at once espoused theicause of his foe against the common enemy. Tho unfortunate constable, between two roughs, came to the ground, and his lot would have been kiik s strongly preponderating over halfpence, had not the bystanders, of whom a c msiderable crowd were assembled, come to the rescue. P. II. primus was secured, whilst P.R. secundus was held back by the mob. No. 1 kicked out like a Briton who never shall be a slave, but vainly. Davidson, with some assistance, bound him in fetters of ropa, lifted him into a convenient cart, mounted, held him down and gave tho word to the driver. As chey started, No. 2 made a tipsy dash at the horse's head, but was arrested in mid course by the stalwart arm of a geutleman rushing out from the Prince of Wales Hotel. The cart moved on, trailing behind it a long rope, part of the Mtevs, which, winding itself about ihe legs of several all-absorbed spectators — brought them to the ground, with an uncalculated-for force. Uo. 2 was meantime collared by a Sergeant who had 1 turned up, and the procession had got as far as Esk-strcet, wliem a wholo posse of constables came rushing up at full speed, the alarm that a desperate affray was taking place, having been ffiven. The mob enjoyed the fun of the turn out immensely, and accompanied the prisoners and the police to tho look-up, where they saw the last ol tho latter.

We extract from the Southern Gross the follo,wv 'eg description of the -death of tbe ; 'gallant Captain Swift," who 'died id "action : >bn th« 7lh 'ultjitibv^ " Gjlor-SeageatitE. ; did- not : : see -Captain Swift fall, but immediatelj^ after getting riieVt. Butler removed to the:reaV,-and|JwhileJinjtheiact6 .preparing to; loadj with a cartridgojn r .hia..Bandj ! h('L saw his •captain lying stretched-by hiftside'.'>W£xe : you wounded,, he asked :-'yeß severely,? replied the Captain, 'never mind loading, take .my revolver and lead the men on.' Inhere was airexample of a •true British, soldier., Although mortally winded; a sense of his duty to his country^ was paramount. Immediately that the men knew that their Capj tnlin was trounded they cliatgedvfuriously with 1 a shout, and it was then the enemy' was- driven back. Captain Swift, it appears, Was sensible up '-to the time of his death. Placed under the shelter of a tree, he passed the last moments of his existence in the presence of Corporal Ryan, and the -men who were left as guard* That they might' notsbe detected he would noi allow, a moan to ; escape from his lips, and he put his hand to his face in agony to prevent it. Shortly before his death he : asked Hyan to give him his hand, which he did, and immediately afterwards the gallant soldier breathed his last. Captain Richard Swift was born in Keohtown, County Westmeath, on the 9th of April, 1830, and he was consequently 33 years 6f age last April. Captain S .rift's remains ' were interred on the 13th of September* in the Auckland Cametry, with Military and Masonic honors — His Excellency the Governor attending as a mourner. ! It is stated in Northern Journals that the General C )vex % nment are borrowing at the rate of £12,000 per month from the Imperial treasury. The Age has the following with reference to the cotton operatives already arrived in Melbourne : — "Employers of labor are 'earnestly requested ' to do what they can to provide occupation for the immigrants awaiting engagement at the depot in Melbourne. The list shows about thirty different occupations amongst some eighty men— many of these, we apprehend, will be found available at present in this country. ' From inquiries at the dep >t, we learn that there I are upwards of two hundred immigrants re- ] maining undistributed of f!he;L&ncasnire opera- ■ tives, and others forwarded under Mr. Knight's auspices. The statistics of these Lancashire importations are the following : — By the Queen of the South, 20 married couples, with 14 children and 6 infants, and 1 single male were ; received. The Southern Ocean brought sf? married couples, 50 children, 4 infants, 4: single men, and 2 single females. The former vessel reached the port about I2th August, the latter on the 24th. Of the entire number received at the depot six couples have gone into hired service, and four couples have left on their own account, leaving, as will be seer., a large number still in receipt of Government rations and accommodation. As an inducement to parties up country, who may require servants, the Government have decided to convey free, by railway, any of tho3e immigrants to their destination, provided it lies on the lrncs. We need hardly ndd that many of the immigrants themselves are growing impatient, as they left England with the expectation that the demand for labor was so urgent that they would eb almost immediately engaged on landing." ;