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Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 10, 30 November 1863, Page 2

In consequence of the arrivnil of the '"Gothenburg with tbe Melbourne mail we are compelled to hold over a number of articles oflocal interest, until our next issue. We have to acknowledge the courtesy of "Captain Mackie, of the Gothenburg 'vr. putting us "in possession of Melbourne papers to the 24th inst. In our lio'tice of'tha AmEteCir ; Concert, in Friday's Times, it appeara that a few errors were made in not distinguishing (by name) some of the ladies and gentlemen who performed on the occasion. In the second part part of the concert, it was Mrs Thomas Wright, who sang- "Ah! che la Morte," while tho duet " When rolling waves divide us," was sung by Mr and Miss ■Peel. The name of the pianist who performed on the occasion, sho ;ld have been " Herz," and not Hurst. By the arrival of the Alhambra from Dunedin we are in receipt of our Otago files of papers to Saturday. With the exception of matters of local interest, they contain little of general importance. We have to direct the attention of the ratepayers to tbe public meeting which is convened by tb.e<Cuairraart of the Town Board, to be held in the Mechanics 1 Institute to-night. The subject, which is the considerationof the cfaes'tioaot pet itioningthe General Government to establish a municipality in Invercargill, is of such vital importance to every ratepayer, that we fully expect a large meeting. Tbe present system -of Town Boards is so nniverI sally acknowledged to be defective and unsatistac* , tory, that we believe it only requires an unanimous expression of the persons most interested, viz., the ratepayers, to get it-altered. Within the last few days, the complaints of a number of the housewives living in the neighbourhood of Esk-street have been frequent, on finding their clothes lines in the morning stripped of the family linen. It is to be hoped that the petty scoundrels will soon be in custody. In the meantime, the intimation may act as a caution to people to bomorccareful to remove the temptation overnight.

W* have henrait Stated often that gold is the best colonizer, as 'far nstemparffry occupation of a country goes ; it certainly is the moftt 'rapid ; unfortunate the tide flows otft'as fast as Vt flows in, leaving nothing but desolation behind-; a high state of fever is produced 'by a goldfields rush in I every department of life, and when that fever subsides, the pat.ieht is left in a -thoroughly exhausted sfecfte, so exhausted that $fes recovery is a thing of time. Tbe steam -plough, on the other hand, if a much slower, is a much surer colonizer. In all new countries, the want of capital, to enjoy t all that luxuriant -nature Iras "placed at our dis- ' posal, the arm thing- needfub; -the first espense — tihe "purchase 'ef the land— is t'hu faast ; with the i labor market insufficiently supplied, and conse- j qucntTy high, the bona fide -agriculturist finds ' himself unable to reap the advantage of coming to -a new country.; feeling that his -one or two, hundred acres of land can yield liiin an income, such, as in hie wildest dreams at'bdme, 'he never aspired io, be finds, Tantalus like, tffaa cup presented to his lips, nnd yet be is unable to sip from it, and realizes the fitct thatcapituTis a great institution,- capital which will enable "him to take advantage of the science of tbe nineteenth century, and bring to bear on agriculture, steam power. We have now in the Province three steam ploughs, a benefit which we owe to tlie spirit, energy and enterprise of Mr Matthew -Holme?, the owner of a large tract of freehold country in the Oteramika Hundreds and twotbousand-acre blocks When Mr Holmes fiMfr effected his purchases, he was looked upon as instiling but aland-shark ; time has proved bow erroneous that opinion was — not only 'b«s he expended a "very large sam •of money in substantial improvements at Seaward Downs, employed labor to a large extent, imported from the mother counts;' first-class stock, and been the means of instigating other men of capital to do so al- o, b»t he has -now benefitted the Province by importing the stoam plough, and has set it to work at Seaward Down?, so soon as the state of the roads enabled it to be taken there. His energy and enterprise has been rewarded, as we are glad to learn, it has proved a great success. It is estimated that the steam plough will plough up an acre per hour, of virgin soil; thus, taking tiie day of ten hours, a hundred acres of land will bo turned up in -ten 'days. A man with a pair of horses, can only manage, we believe, from half to three-quarters of an acre a day, a very ■marked difference in time, not to mention the ho se feed, in a country where oats and hay are so largely imported, ami at sueb cost transported inland. Sowing so large a breadth of land, as can be turned up by the steam plough, necessitates machinery for reaping and thrashing it. This Mr Holmes, we are given to understand, has already provided or purposes doing so. "We believe he has on board one ot the vessels at the Bluff, one oj M Cornv.\ck'B reaping machines, which took the price at the Great Exhibition of 1862. This macuine reaps five feet three inches in width, laying ihe corn or oats in sheaves. Ho has also sent for a Steam thrashing machine, which thrashes the wheat, separates the bran, and shoots the corn into sacks at one operation. Such a machine can be taken about from one farm to another, and tbe benefit -be distributed. With sueb appliances i l will bo strange if we are compelled to import from Australia Victorian oats and hay — the latter impregnated with thistles. We wish every success to Mr Holmes, and gratefully acknowledge hi* energy and enterprise. An adjourned meeting of the Town Board was held on Friday evening, for the purpose of temporarily appointing an Engineer, until tho permanent appointment of one, at the expiration of the term of Mr Marchant's services A selection of two applicants from a number sent in o& the previous ilay bad been triatlo, and the two gentlemen, Messrs Dawson and Richardson, attended the meeting for the purpose of being questioned relative to their qualifications for the office. At the conclusion of the examination, the appointment was decided by tho votes, which we c in favor of Mr Richardson, who was accordingly elected. We understand that the contract. for the erection of Mie telegraph posts from the Bluff to Invercargill has been taken, and tViat they will be completed for having the wires attached in two months. ; The Melbourne Herald says :— " A case of fish poisoninjj occurred at Richmond two or three days ago, which, but for the prompt measures that were adopted, might have resulted in very serious consequences. The fish in question was some smoked " trumpeter," which was purchased by the landlord of the Sir Henry Barkly hotel from a hawker. All those of the family who partook of the " delicacy" were in a short time seized with distressing symptoms. Their faces became intensely flushed, the skin hot, pulse feverish, and a general feeling of unpleasant all-overishness attacked them, which, not having experienced, we cannot describe. Mustard-and-water emetics were administered nil round, and, producing the desired effect, the household were soon in a fair way to recovery. There can be no doubt that the poisonous fish was the cause of this constitutional derangement, as it wis ascertained on inquiry that a person not living at the hotel, and who bad purchased some of the same fish, was similarly affected after partaking of it. The Australian Gazette of the 2Gth September says : — "A battery of the improved Armstrong twelve-pounders, which were sliortened a foot at the muzzle, hnd had a strong coil placed in front of the trunnions, and bad been provided with thicker vent-pieces and different pattern breechs'rews, sights, and fittings, is to be forwarded to New -Zealand with all despatch." The remainder of the cargo and wreck of the Lochinvar was sold last week. The principal portion of the cargo, which consisted of fio-sr, more or less y n a damaged state, realised prices varying from £13 10s to £16" per ton. The hull, spars, &c, about £15i. The total aero trot- of 'the -sale was brought £3,100. The 'charge sheet "at 'the Magistrate's Court '<m Saturday comprised only two cases of drunkenness, the offenders being fined by the Bench. One of the persons, who had been misconducting himself at the Oddfellows Ball, on the preyious evening, was lectured by the Bench on the impropriety of his behavior. During the last week, the frequenters of tbe Criterion Concert Hall have beea much amused by tbe addition of little farces, which the company is well adapted to play. A few of the more prominent ■local events of the week have afforded materials for new songs to Mr Small- In a pasquinade on tbe Kailway Inauguration, he lias very happily hit off one or two of tire distinguished actors in the i opening ceremony. The arrangements for the [ extension of the Concert Hall will be finished by' Wednesday, tbe first night being devoted to the Ghost, who will make its mysterious appearance in a new piece, which the company has been rehearsing for some little time past. The name of the Criterion Concert Hall will be altered to the Royal Princess Theatre.