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Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 100, 12 October 1863, Page 2

The Fifth Session of the Provincial Coun: 1 was open od on Saturday without much excitement. Tae Mechanics' Jnstituto was the hall selected for the meeting of the august body. A long, bluecovere i lable running nearly the length of the principal room, was provided for the members. Blue books and packages tied with red tape, were scattered about in a pleasantly official way. About half a dozen members attended. The spectators were not numerous, but in the gallery were to be seen a number of ladies, who must have found the proceedings rather " slow." The Message of his Honor the Superintendent wa3 the only feature of importance in Saturdays sitting. Tuat over, and lunch time being almost at hand, the honorable members rushed through several notices of motion with wonderful speed and voted the Speaker out of the Chair in " no end" of a hurry. We find from the JSvtmiiiff Mail of a recent date that " A Bill is passing through Parliament, enabling the Queen in Council to declare gold coins made at the Branch Mint_. at Sydney, of designs approved by Her M ijesty, a legal tonder iv the U;iited Kingdom. The colony of New Sjuth Wales is prepared for the charge of the Branch M'nt, and to comply with the other conditions laid down by the Gjinmons' select committee of last session. The sovereigns will be eijual to those struck at the R)yal Mint in London, but they are to have a mint mark sufficient to indicate to Bankers and others the mint from which they issue. Tho charge (or coining at the Sydney Mint is to be fixed, in the first instance, at 3d. peroz., in addition to any charge incurred for assay and refining, and any duty imposed by colonial Act as the equivalent of an export Customs' duty." The Evening Services at tho C'anrch of England appear to take. There was yesterday a large attendance of every denomination. As we have said before, the -choii 1 deserves more attention than it receives. The pleasing marvel, a fine Sunday yesterday, enabled the inhabitants for once to "go out a walking." The suburban lanes were quite thronged with parasols or parachutes, (the difference is lost in obscurity), and the truth of the Scotch song that *' ilka lad has got his lass," was very observable. The growth of the "townish idea " was to be seen in the unwonted number of tall black h»ts. A meeting of those interested in the Church of England was held on the evening of Saturday last, within St John's Church, with a view to inaugurating amateur concerts for the benefit of the church. A number of gentlemen attended, and the business transacted was the appointing as a Committee, the Rev. Mr Tanner, and Messrs S. M. South, Whitton, Fenton, Marchant, Hamilton, Russell, Homer, H. Smith, South, jun., Callow, and Mr E. C. Aldis as managing secretary, to carry oufc active arrangements for the proposed musical fetes. A committee meeting will be held at Mr Souths office to-morrow, at 4.30 p.m., when it will be discussed who is to sing, and w liut

Ab mfc noon on Ft i lay lv, t an a larm of fire was raised in DoD-street. Tle chi nney of a house occupied by Mr William Cruickshink, turned out to be the cause of alarm. The neighbors and some members of the police force rendered^ every assistance, and the flame was ortinguished'before any material d imago was done Part of the mantelpiece was burnt, but nothing 1 more serious. The last escort which arrived in Dunedin brought • down the- following .quantitiffSof-g-Gldr—QueenS" town, 6057 oz dwt ; Arrow River, 1626 oz 10 dwt; Dunstan, 6441 oz 5 dwt ; Teviot, 425 o» 10 dwt ; Mmnt Tdn, 2152 oz 10 dwt; Tuapeka, 29 ls oz 10 dwt ; WaitahunaH>lß''O*-; WoolsheoV 242- oz*s= dwt; Nokomai, 46: oz ; ; Switzer.'s; 31. oz 5 dwt-; Total, 19,585 oz 8 dwt. We are informed that the Dunedin Committee for bringing over the All England Eleven to play a match in that town, have authorised Mr Herbert Smith (Messrs Maning and Whitton's offices), to; collect subscriptions for this purposo in the pro-' vin«e of Southland. It is^ to be hoped that no , only will the public freely contribute towards the; manliest of English sports, ,4mt also that the; cricketers of this province will, should the team j be induced to visit Dunedin, send up representa-l tives, who may show that even in athletic pas-! times, Southland is not inferior to her neighbors. It was reported yesterday that two men had ;. been drowned off Mokomoko ; but up to going to press no re'iable information reached ua. On Friflay evening tlio performances at the Criterion Theatre were for the benefit of the widows and family of the unfortunate men who were drowned the other day at the Bluff. A house crowded in every part spoke well for the sympathy of the public. The entertainment passed off very well. The whole company acquitted themselves spiritedly, and were warmly applauded in their respective performances. A new and amusing farce closed the evening. We noticed a fresh drop scene, painted with some power by Mr Holland, representing a ship in difficulties. In the Resident Magistrato's Court on Saturday, the following was the only civil case: — Mitchell v. Brockley — In tbis case Mr F. C. South, from the office of Mr South, solicitor, applied for a postponement till Moudaj-, which was granted. We are happy to bo in a positio i to inform our readers that the enterprising coach proprietors Of this town, Messrs Bray ton and Co., have com. pletod their arrangements for running a line of coaches to the Lake divings, and that the first coach will start on the 20ih of this month. We understand that Messrs Colo, Hoyt and Co. have resolved to discontinue their line to the Lake, and , hnve offered the refusal of their plant to Messrs ■ Brayton and Co. This new coach line will be found a great auxiliary in increasing that trade . with the Lake, upon which so many expectations are justifiably based. The Dunstan News of the 3rd inst, has the fol- ] lowing little Morning Post paragraph — "Pleasing Progress on tho Dunstan. — Our eyes were much plensed to witness the other day, two ladies dressed in riding habits, aud mounted upon prancing steefls, centering modestly through our main street towards the Lower Township, and also returning home. The fair ones evidently knew their saddles, and were no strangers in their position- As the Dunstan is destined te be a fashionable place, we would like to see other ladies following the same example." The state of military affairs in Hawke's Bay may be gleaned from the accompanying extract from the Herald of the 30th ult. : — " The stockade at Waipawa being, now nearly complete 1, will shortly be occupied by one of the companies of the detachment of the 14th, stationed in Napier — we believe that of Captain Vivian. We learn also that a troop of the Mounted Defence Force will pro3«?ed in a few days to the same locality. The object ot the authorities, wo need scarcely saj', is to have two centres in the province — two places of safety, around which the settlers could rally in time of emergency. The Militia and Volunteers of Napier are, we understand, to have fourteen days extra drill within three months; — to commence on Saturday next at three o'clock, and to be continued thereafter once a week, upon such day ns shall be recommended by the captains of the respeetivo companies."