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Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 3, 16 November 1863, Page 2

On the subject of the recent- highway robbery near Switzer's, we sco that the Otago Dally Times takes the opportunity of felicitating the authorities of that province on the favorable measures taken for searching after fche alleged guilty parties. Without altogether doubting that fact, it will be recollected at the time, we stated, that had the police regulations allowed the information to have been forwarded through this province — the offence being committed close to the border — the Southland police would have earlier hud a better opportunity of taking steps to arrest the men, supposing them to have taken this route. Aa it was, we may be allowed — in oi'der that the Southland authorities should obfcoin an equal raced of praise for their exertions — to state what steps t icy took in order to arrest the men. Upon receipt of the intelligence of the robbery, Mr Commissioner Weldon forwarded full particulars to all the police-stations in the Province by mounted trooper| ; aud immediately Detective Thomson and several members of the police force commenced a thorough search of the town aud suburbs, overhauling all suspicious strangers they fell in with. Ou Sunday, the B*h inst. Scrgants Walker and Bullcn, of the Otago police force, arrived in Jnvercargill in pursuit, as they believed from report that the three bu hrangors had come into Southland, and would try and get to Dunedin by sea. They were accompanied by Air Acton, the man who had been robbed, who came with them in order to identify the men if they were traced. On Monday mottling, aftet thofougly scrutinising all passen* gers by the steamers, they proceeded in company with Betecbive Thomson to Carnpbelltown by the Titania ,for the purpose of intercepting the men, had they purposed shipping by the steamer at the ! Bluff or any intermediate place. Being still unsuccessful, they returned to town, diligently continuing their enquiries all along the road as they returned by way of the Jlokomoko the following day. The two following days search about Invcrcargill bringing no successful results, on Friday Mr Acton and the two Otago police officers rofurned to Switzcr's fully under the impression the men had not come in this direction, an opinion coincided in by the authorities here. Previous to Mr Acton leaving town, three men were brought in by the police at Daere, where they were arrested on suspicion of being the men, but, aa would have been seen by our Police Court on Friday, they were not identified by Mr Acton. The police authorities here deserve every credit for the cordial way in which they co-operated with the men from Otago: In another portion of our columns will be found a very interesting account of a two years' whaling cruise in the South Seas, and which also contains some later items of news from the West Coast. We understand that there returned ro Invercargill by the Miskin and Titania, on Saturday, a I number of miners who had been seduced away by j the Jack o' Lanthorn, that gleams fitfully about the district of West Taieri. They had gone to this goldfiekl, given it a fair trial, and come to the snd conclusion that they bad spent time and money only in the illusive work of grasping at shadows. "We have Qucenstown files to the 11th. It li as been found that the very edges of the Lake are impregnated with gold. About two wiles from" Queenstown, a pavty are at work) apparently profitably. Tvo miners brought into the township the , other day, about fiOlbs. of very heavy, smooth water-worn gold, seemingly of a high quality. The place where tho find was made was supposed *o be in the vicinity of M.oke Creo.k, or Moonlight. Tho news from the Arrow is cheering, good hopes are entertained of the amount of auriferous dovelopmenfc to be effected by the Arrow Sluieiig and Alining Company. A rather novel idea in fluming is being carrie I out at the Twelve-mile creek. Hunter and party have succeeded in placing a strong hempen cable, nearly 30b Feet in length, from bank to bank, across tho stream, afc an elevation of about one hundred feet. This is kept strained by a windlass, and also steadiod by supports from each bank ; from this rope it is intended to suspend an equal length of canvas hoso through which a continual stream of water will be carded down to the Company's claim on the oreek The population at Bracken's Gully has gono down in consequence of some of the miners clearing out fur the Taieri Rush. At tho Shotover, mining affairs seem to be confined to a juste miliou. An addition to tho colonial press will shortly be made in the form of an Auckland weekly, tho JVtfto Zealand Herald. Tho promoters are Messr ß Wilson and Burn, who wero receutly connected with tho New Zealander.

We have been requested, to publish aletter by Mr William Steel, and comply with his ■wish^" '-because our readers will be glad to learn therefrom . 'that an old acquaintance is still in full possession "of his senses, and the la- ' will scarcoly deal hardly with us, though the scribe be much enraged when he sees his production in print. Enraged he probiibly will foe, and we ; recommend to his very serious consideration Pope's Hues, " " True ease in writing' comes trom art, not chance, As those move easiest who have learned to dance." The following is a correct copy of the letter :— (To the Editor of the Invercarjill Times.) — Sir,— As I had an 'Oucassion the other day to enter into a Cirtion little house., on entering. .1 was followed by a Certin Young Man.*, who . Cftme. v . taking «nd fessining. the Dore. flrmely with Cords and.loggs. of wood then taking a large Sticke tumbling"the Office up^qjftd: down up and , down, .fora little time then went^iaway leaving - Me tied up in Prisson.*. h'eere i wa'ss; anumber of letters to deliever it was about wone acolock;. and i had. ..to be at Myerses box at 1J aclock A Melburn Mail Closing at that time... heeir i was in a prity away you may suppose ."." , Catling ootr loudley when a Germen friend came '. to my resqu and he Called oufc who closed The Woman in the 01 isset but behold when he oppened the door it was Willie Steol the Letter Carrier . . : Now laying all jocks Aside' it is not thy way to treet any of Hir Majesties Officers they very meenest of Them ... Deecervers . Cevility, Honour and Respect.'. Seeing i have got very Teadious and Responssable Dutties to Perform Aitho i am Possesed of rather a ncrvious Desposheon i am not to be trampeld on but i must get a Chance for my Life and Every right thinking Man will say the Same however i feel i have the Majority on my Side .'.I moan the respeciible People both Of the Hoddangray and also Of tho Jfobility. i rusting You Will do me the fnviour Byinsearting this ,\ in Your Valuable Papper. WslHam Steel Letter Carrier, Invercargill, October 30th, 18G3. theßampbert Lion with its Mootoes ••. or the Mark of the British Crowen in front of the Letter Carriers Capes would be very Desirable." We have Canterbury files to the 7th. The following items of intelligence are gleaned from the Lyttleton Times of fthat date — "A statement is made that the Superintendent had, previous to the conclusion of the late session of the Provincial Council, decided upon retiring from his office, and that his resignation was actually written and shown to one of the Executive early in the month of October. Recent events, and certain matters of public convenience alone delay this arrangement. The Superintendent has appointed the following gentlemen members of the Board of Education for Canterbury . Hon. H. J. Tancred, Esq. (chairman), Rev. John Lillie, D.D., W. Roileston. Esq., and S. L. Sanders, Esq . The same Gazette notifies the appointment of W. S. Moovhouse, Esq., as a member of the Executive Council. In connection with tho District of Akaroa, now that machinery hns been introduced, driven both by steam nnd water power, it is found that the mach inery also drives its owners, fcr when once men find themselves in possession of such large l.itent powers, they can no longer falter, but o necessity nccclerate their steps,- and thus march pari passu along, driving and driven by the times. It is stated that quite one hundred and fifty thousand feet, of timbpr are awaiting shipment; while heretofore the tonnage regularly visiting the Port of Akaroa has sufficed for the transport of the timber, ii now appears to accumulate faster than its producers con find conveyance for if- to a market. An ordinance passed during the last session of the Provincial Council, which has been assented to by His Honor the 'Superintendent, makes all bush fires illegal between " the first day of November in any one year, and .the thirty-first day of March in the next succeeding year," under a penalty of not less than forty shillings, nor more than twenty pounds for every such offence. It was SO wet on Saturday night, that Miss Beaumont and Professor Pavkor had not that crowded house which they might otherwise have expected, at Mr Sullivan's Newmnrket Concert Hall. Those who attended were, however, appieciative, and the manly feats of the stalwart guardsman, and the pretty ballads of the fair vocalist, were warmly applauded . The Herald of the 9th, states that Capta-in R.jlls, of the steamship Edina, has been fined by the City Bench, to the extent of £125 for two distinct breaches of the Custom's Act. The Canixrbmy Press of November 6th, says — •' The conflicting views in the Executive not having been reconciled, the resignation of the Ministry was finally tendfired »to the Governor last night about five o'clock ; vond Mr Domett's colleagues only hold office until ckeir successors have been appointed. The Cross op. this date says Domett dreaded to meet the Assembly to account for his past career, and thal^-Dr. STeatherston, Mr John j Williamson, and Dr«»Pollen have no chance of succeeding him, nor even Mr. Fox> but, however, time will eventually tell; he will not, whoevir he may be, have a bed of toses at present to lie on." The Hobart Town Mercury says^ in reference to the acclimatisation of salmon in the colonies: — " Mr F. Buckland acknowledges a letter from Mr TJamsbottom, a gentleman whose name is wel" known to many here, on this subject, which is deserving of attention. An Irish bog has, it seems, been converted into a salmon fishery, where not a single salmon had previously ever existed. The fishery is at Doohulla, seven miles west of Ballinahineh, Connemata, and is the property of Mr Thomas Glover, who obtained a few ova, which were hatched in gravel rills, and protected in a pond, from Mr Ashwoith, of Gal way, about four years ago. Mr R imsbottom's account of the success of the experiment is this: — ' Each year the quantity has been increased, and successfully batched and liberated at the usual times for migration to the sea. On the 25th April, 18G2, about tOO smolts were taken from this pond, and marked by cutting oft" the dead fin ; and from the 2nd to the 24th June last, eleven of these marked fish (grilse) have been caught, eight of which were so marked the other three having escaped from the ponds unmarked-. Now you may be surprised to hear that the river at Doohulla.passes from the lowest Take into the sea, over a bog, and in less than half a mile in length, and what may appeav still more interesting, this river is not more than four to ten feet in width, and is within a few miles of another' large salmon river; yet we sec these fish, having been artificially bred in this small stream, return to itqngain after a residence in the sea for fourteen months ) clearly proving that any person may safely breed salmon in any river, with a moral certainty that they will return "to the place of their birth. These eleven salmon were not two ounces in woighfc when we turned them oub, and the largest of them when caught, was seven and a quarter jaoands, and the others ! smaller, averaging about five pounds each — having increased forty limes their previous weight in fourteen months, and not having cost one farthing for their keep, nnd after another migration havo no doubt they will return ten pounds weight each, nnd still have cost nothing for their mainten- ■ anco.' All tends to make us wish more intensely for tbo nrrival of our salmon ova, which cannot now, wo suppose, bo much longer delayed. A vast addition would then bo made to the quantity of our nutritious food, and in tho course of a few years, we chould not only havo enough for ourselves, but it would become a coneidorablo article of export with us/

We observe that the old favorite, Bfr J. Small, tateshis farewell benefit^ to-morrow evening, at , the Criterion Concert Hall. A full house ought to Toward the exertions*of this, vocalist, to whom not b 'little of the «harm"ofour whiter night's -entertainments has" been~dae. As a delineator Of Irish character, and composer and singer of burlesque songs, Mr Small has made a considerable name. His no any friends will of course attend on Tuesday evening. We observed that on Saturday, the Town Board had put'a number of men to work, in completing the theoretical "improvements of the Engineer on the gratings of Tay street, by effectually scraping off all the clay which had been deposited thereon. The departure of the Himalaya from Melbourne f or^ewZealand, v with" British reinforcements, gave rise to an expression of »gauantry on the pnrt of the numerous " ypun<y and brave Dunoia^ unusual since the days of Wilfred of IvahhoeThe Argjts'oi the 9th says :— " After a brief stay of barely a week in Port Philip Bay, the Hima. laya is now' rapidly proceeding on her way to New Zealand,, haying- sailed about half-past 1 o'clock on Saturday afternoon. The Himalaya has been an object of g*e*t interest since her arrival here on Monday last, and a large number of people assembled on the Pier, and instearaers and boats, to see her off. Two tug-boats, one of them having on board a laraje party of ladies, accompanied the 'leviathan' so far on her way down the South Channel, and on taking leave of the fine ship and her gallant freight, there was abundance of cheering and waving of handkerchiefs, these expressions of good will and kindly feeling oping cordially returned by the officers on board the Himalaya. An additional and interesting effect was given to the farewell of the latter to the party of ladies alluded to, from the fact that after the cheering had subsided, they cast thrir white handkerchiefs to the winds, ;> as if to -waft to the fair freight of the little steamer the words that might have been spoken on the one part; but could not possibly be/ heard cjii the other. From her well-known sailing qualities the Himalaya is expected to miake a rapid\ run to Auckland, and beToTe^ng we may eipectHo hear that the ' Fighting Fifti.etb: f are" agaim where they have so often been before-r-in sight of an enemy. A battexy ofsix Armstrong gnus, with ammunition and. storey was despatched to New Zealand in the Himalaya." The Otago Times state?— " An inquest was held before Dr Samuels, coroner "of 6;->ldfietds,.._on Tuesday, the 3rd instant; at the Waipori Hof p\ Waipori, on the remains of a male skeleton^ found in a water race near the Lamwerlaw IRanges. It is supposed to bo the remains of €aptainS'icpllß, v who wa»lost in June, 1862. With;the skeleton was found a purso containing thirteen pounds hv gold and several shillings in silver, two silver guard chains, some keys, and a seal with the impression of a stag on it. After a short delib era. tion the jury returned an. open verdict.". The ladies of Melbourne have presented the late Mayor, (Mir C>hen) with a full length portrait of " his noble self," in testimony of their gracious approval, and as a slight for tKe magnificent/etc which te g&ve them in the latter days of his Mayoralty. The progress of the Postal service in this and other provinces is thus narrated by the Daily Times:—" At the date of Mr WardV last report, the only inland communication in Southland consisted of a mail between Invercargill, Biverton, and the Bluff, which was maintained at an. annual cost of £\DS. There are now ten suboffices besides the chiet office in that province, and the annual cost oftlie several mails running amounts to £4700. In Canterbury there are no no lessthan thirteen different contracts inforce for the conveyance of inland mails. The number of miles travelled by the contractors was hi 1861-2, 23,386; in 1862-3, 44,054; in 1863-4, 79,328 In the first year the rate paid per- mile, was Is 2Ad, making a total of £1745; in, the second year, Is, making a total of £2224 ; in the last year lO'fd, making a total of £3562. In the -province of Wellington there are three contracts for the conveyance of inland mails in force ; in Nelson five ; in Wellington four. Here we are told the inland communication is very complete. There are eight offices on the West Coast between Wellington *nd Wanganui; nin« on the line of road between Wellington and Castle Point. At liawkes Bay there are ten different contracts in operation, and twenty-four offices independently of the chief office at Napier. Taranaki holds a dismally exceptional place in the list* It has " but one office— the one in the town." , A correspondent writing to a Dunedin paper from the West .Taiferi goldfield, i*e*cribes the population on file ground to be about 5000 men, ; half of whom are engaged in the old Micawber profession, of wailing for something to turnup. In no instance was anything better than wa-^es being ma'tlc. Living was high. Flour, ia especial, dear; selling for £60 and £#§ per ton, to arrive.; The children of Israel were described as mustering in great strength. ' The colonisation of New Zealand ia to he fcided by Victoria in other ways than simply by military settlers. The Age of the 10th says.— ;" A preliminary meeting was held at Scott's Hotel, Collins street, yesterday evening, for the purpose^ of taking "stpps to form a settlement on the West Coast of New Zealand. It wns decided, after s >me little desultory conversation, to form an association to be called tlie Martin's Kive* Association, to consist of one hundred shares of £10 each, power being reserved to increase the number if necessary. The objects of the' society are to equip and dispatch ia vessel to the spot to select a. site for a settlement in the new harbor, and to lake tip land A proviskrtinl committee was appointed and the meeting then adjourned until Wednesday next. . ■■■.-: ■ , • : A new rush in the neighborhood J of Waitahuna is reported, but nothing definite knowa as yet. A Mr Donaldson;, writing to the Canterbury Press, makes the following sanguine statement with regard to that much vexed plant, New Zealand flaxv;-r" The time is not far distant when the ' clip ' from the flax will be calculated upon as regularly as the clip from the sheep, without risk of scab, and then what with wool, oil, flax fibre, and New Zealand paper, what can stay our future prosperity as a people ?It is really" and truly to the hitherto neglected flux plant that we must now turn our attention. I could say much more regarding the profits likely to accrue from, the cultivation' of this plant, as to its improvement in length, strength, and quality, by transplanting and regular cropping ; but I- defer these for the present." ' The tendency of colusial Bishops of the Church' of England to pass the season in Lsndon rather than in the remote dioceses over which some of them spiritually rule, is thus commented upon by an English paper :—•" How is it that one-half .of the colonial episcopate are always in this country, or travelling from or to it? There are six colonial Bishops now in London, unmely— Dr Barker, Bishop ■of Sydney ;■■, Dr Perry, Bishop' of Melbourne; Dr Fulford, .Bishop of Montreal; Dr , Russell Nixon, late Bishop of Tasmania; 'Dr Culenso, Bishop of <Natal ; Dr Twells, Bishop of Orange River -Territory; Dr Hills, Bishop of Columbia; and Dr Ryan, " Bishop of Mauritius. Dr Gray, Bishop of G«po Town, has recently fcft." • - -

I 'The" Delf&G&zoite of 3rd September man«J4 that the following regiment* are,*under ordenSfif; If ew Zealand t— Her Majesty's 48rd, 68tb;fiS^ Rangoon, and the-SOth finm Ceylon. Thel^M?^ regiment will .be taken to its destination by^B|i 'Himalaya, which will call at Ceylon ibtSl' purpose. ~ • ' y *#*• ' j| TOWN BOARDS . l| Friday, Not. Hth, 1863. ' B A special meeting was held at half three o'clock. .Present— The Chairman, «H ""- Messrs Jaggers, Garthwaite; Reynolds, idrM sey, and M'lvor. v . .c• •. ' *ORMA.TtO!C o* r otiß A«D CrfDß STRKBTS. ■ - The Chairman gaveji verbal- report of qM . result of the interview which the deputatiikl ... had witfi the Deputy-Superintendent on iM subject of the formation of Dee and CljjM - Streets. • The Deputy-Superintendent h^K stated that at present, the Government w^Bnot prepared to give a iy other assistance nM cept the metal which wou^d be required. B The subject elicited considerable dfocussiJhH in the course of which ths majority of dX Board expressed a disinclination* to tak* i^m< charge of the streets, being of opinion that w ' would be unjust to other portions ol tkX < town to expend so much mo"«y on the t«i streets referred to. The Board were sq unanimous as to the conditions of the Ordt< nance -whether it was compulsory- on tin Board to, take -the 'charge of, and form the streets; inside the Town Belt, although, as q the case under consideration, "those streets being usedas main, or M trunk roads," the* were more used by the Government. Tfe following motion was ultimately moved K Mr Jaggers, and seconded by Mr M'lvor :^ " That the Board decline to- take any actioiK towards the "making of. Clyde-street, Tweed.B street from" the junction, of Clyde-street t$H the Jetty, and Dee-street from Tajr-street \Jm the Town Belt." J ' -' '4 K Mr Reynolds moved as aa amendment-*™ " That the question lie over for consideration m fir a week." H Mr Livesey seconded the amendment* botiK membefs agreeing that the- actual respond V bility of the Board in the matter should b«K more clearly ascertained -~ s m The motion was carried 'by the votes ofß Messrs Jaggers, Oar Lh write, and. M'lvor, H Messrs Reynolds and Li vesey voting a'gainstitK . THE TOWN BOARD ESbINEEB.* ' * \ The Board took into .consideration f\« letter received fro n tKe Engineer at the meeting on Wednesday last, published in tilt Times of Friday. Mr Jaggers, referring to the letter,- said v he had been the mover of the resolution to instruct the Clerk in the manner spoken of by the Engineer in bis letter,, he wished, to make a few remarks. With regard to the necessity of taking prompt steps to remove the mud fiom the gratings r in : Deej-stfeet, rfo I! believed that' anybody could see— -no matter ■< whether engineer or not — that- it was a-greatlf mistake, and "because the Boaid had thought ■! it advisable to correct that mistake, they were Ml I to be insulted with such a letter from their ■} i Engineer. In fact, he looked on it as a most B contemptible insult. He told them he would K protest against any improvements being H made because he had made an error. , ;ft;w»}B riot, in his opinion, treating the Board in die B maniier'which they deserved. In referring to ■< ..the letter; he saw that Mr Marchant spoke of ■! being relieved from all responsibility. Why, V he would ask, had he ever been responsible? I; He had neVer any responsibility -for theH matter of- that. If anything went wrong, ■, was it not to the Board that the public K looked ?— - and was" it not "the Board whj had I] to pay for any wrong that .was done. If he ■> recollected rightly, Mr Marchant Jiad toW I; them that Mr Burgoyne was' • to- pap* for depositing the clay on the gratings^S as it formed a part of his contract? ■ He had spoken to Mr Burgoyne on the*l subject, and he had informed Urn .thaU*v would notpay for anything of theJrin'd. -^Jrwß Engineer also referred to the Clerk, who, he U thought, should have refused to obey the' l instructions of the Board. It would, he I thought,- have been a very "unpleasant! position " for the C'erk to have been placed I in, if he had refused' to carry out the instrucvß tions of the Board. Altogether, he-consi-' dered the remarks the greatest piece of impertinence he ever knew. - Another re*' ference made by the Engineer^was where he nsked the Board to specify „ any. particular occasion?- where the interests ot the Board could have been better looked after by another engineer, devoting himself „ solely to the business of the Board; aad added, that he. had often to pay the people but.bf his own? pocket, to do' the work" of the.Board. Now^ he thought, Mr Marchant., in that, condemned .himself. He just showed that- byV him having to employ another "/man, the. Board required all the services of one man tot do their work, properly.^ But the Board did r not acknowledge the' Engineer's right to employ other, men, to take « levels and 'such like work. If he had too much to do, let" him acquaint 'the B >af3 of it, ant) let theBoa- d employ other engineers to assist hiov as the Board had to take the responsibility ofc the work being done right. The real fact of~ the matter was that the Board" paid the En>» gineer a very handsome sum, to do their. 1 wtrk, while he, by employing others, got it; done for half. If those parties whom heemployed made any error 1.1. levelling. hack. street* or the like, the Board derived no* benefit from the work being -done 1 by them, 7 " but, on the contrary) would have to pay for. any errors they might make. He considered \ Mr Marchant's letter a piece of impudence,aud a contemptible insult altogether. " ' Mr Livesey thought the Board was 'a little? to blame, as well as the Evgineer, in theeourse they had adopted. He Relieved if the. Board saw • that a mistake had been' made, it was their duty first to .have asked, the" (Engineer for an explanation, without taking*; it upon themselves to alter" the work. 3».>tj but that he considered the Board should have the entire, services of their Engineer. Mr Garthwaite said the work referred to* had never in the first- instance, f been author rised by the Board, the Engineer had under-|; taken it on his own responsibility, ' *-~ r Mr Reynolds, also looking at the fact that, the work had -neyrebeen^ authorised by the Board> thought thijHpre not to be denied thap right of ordering 1 ipPpbe altered. 1 Besides, oo^ the day the Board ordered the work to 6e altered,. the whole town was complaining ofthe state of the footpaths in the principal^ street. * . '\| The Chairman said, the mere fact of thi< Engineer putting the clay on the grating, was in direct opposition to the minutes of the Board. - - ~ -^ j After some, further desultory' discussion^ Mr Jaggers moved and Mr M'lvor secondeo±he following resolution t— That the Board^ does not acknowledge the right j^the Erigi*" neer to dictate to the BoaidJiw^ui^way, seeing that the Enginer is its- paid servant ' and at all times' amenable to criticism. The , Board at the same time cannot Bee what.' benefit the public have gained, by the 1 : Engineer's interference with' the original con.*'" tract taken by Mr. Burgoyne." , No amendment being proposed, the Chair-; man declared the motion carried. ' BMPIOTMEST OV DAT IABOB BT IHB ISGISE^IjKi As it appeared the Engineer .was continue ing the practice of employing labor, contrary; to the previous agreement of the Board, Mff Garthwaite proposed the following resolution, which being seconded by Mr M'lvor. wai, adopted—" That the clerk be instructed to, give notice to all day men employed by the/ Engineer that -the Board 'would not'be re* sponsibile for their payment, iii accordance, with a previous resolution of the Board.'* NOTICE OF MOTION lO* IfBXT XBBTIXO. •".'£ By Mrlteynold*— «* That the salary of thY Town Clerk beincreased.*' The Board then tidjourned '