The Invercargill Times. MONDAY, DECEMBER 21. 1863.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 19, 21 December 1863, Page 2

The Invercargill Times. MONDAY, DECEMBER 21. 1863.

Our attention has been otteii called of late to the extraordinary apaihy displayed by the Government as regards road-making. Go in which direction one may, utter listlessness and neglect are apparent; except where some old contract is being finished, not even an attempt to keep in repair the roads, if such tiiey may be called, is visible. Time, which treats even Governments as it does ordinary mortals, makes no allowance (or sloth, and passes rapidly on the even tpnor of its way. Spring has passed, summer is iroinjr, and yet the Delphic oracle has not spoken — the ukase lias not been iss\ied. A dull, sombre cloud of slothfulness hangs over the offices honored by the presence of the Roads Department, There seems to be a mystery about, them : occasionally a contractor enters — however bright his face before, whew he liaves, a hopeless expression is stamped upon it; he can evidently make mulling of it. Occasionally the Department sauniers ont in twos or threes — pipe in mouth, the gay iau»h resoundin«r, an expression of " how not to do ie " beaming bright) v from lheir fai es. Happy heinus! {Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof, they enjoy the sunshine, and the public pays £2525 for their innocent amusements. Their noises meanwhile eat the bread of idleless at the Government expense. Last year the summer was allowed to'pass in a similar manner. On the eve of winter the Government asked the Provincial Council to sanction an unauthorised expenditure of L 20,000 to make the North Road thoroughly viable. Tne Council trusted them. The money wasmis-spent in wooden baulkways, &c, and the drin»erous Sakes covering the North Road from the Waihopai Bridge to Wailacetown may be looked upon as the skeletons of the wasted ! money — a mournful warning of what we may expect during the ensuing winter. £71,850 has been voted for roads in the following proportions: — Great North Road, £12,600 ; Mataura Road. £l0,0()0 ; Invercargill to Campbelltown, £7000; Wailacetown to Hiverion, £2000 ; Riverton to Otautau, £4500 ; luvercargill to Itiverton by New Kiver Perry, £3500, &c. ; for j unenumerated roads, £11,000. Not I iong since we had occasion to j praise the Government for its energy ! in the matter of the Northern Railway',; ! the spirit in which that undertaking was conceived, the energy with which it was executed seemed to hold out promise of future vitality ; alas, no sootier was the first sod turned thau the viial spark vanished, a species of paral\Ki.-> has succeeded ; evidently, the undertaking lias overtasked its sfengfch, the reaction has taken place, and the body corporate is in a state of prostration. December is nearly over, and what has been done to our roads ? The j North road from Invercargill, via I Wallacetown to Winton, is in precisely the same condition, as far as regards repairs, that is has been . last winter; we beg pardon, we are wrong, ; we have been credibly informed, and j we can place implicit confidence in our imformant, that no less than eight new fascines of brushwood have been laid down ou th<} road in the Wikivi Bush cuttings, whether by private enterprise, or a lavish expenditure on the part of a paternal Government, our informant cannot depone ; further that two men are employed keeping in repair the entire lenylh of road, some twenty-two miles. Why is it that our roads are neglected ? Is it th*t there are no Engineers in the Province? Surely not ; on the contrary, we quite bristle with Engineers. A chevaux-de.-jrise of Engineers surround the Government offices;; go , \?licn : you will to therij^you, are sure to fall foul of -an:* Engineer, they seem

to haunt every corner, yon. tumble against one in every dark passage. First and foremost, in the Railway Department, we have a Consulting Engineer; nexr. a Rail way Engineer ; and lastly, Inspectors of Railways, a species of sucking enirin^ers ; next an Engineer. of Public Works, and next, come-; the Roads Department. We have a Roads Engineer,, also an Assistant Roads Engineer ; further three Inspectors of Roads, engineers in lon<r clothes, we suppose, b^iny brought up by hand; and lastly, four District Overseers of Roads, the ov=i of future Engineers. Here we have every gradation ; the spawn, tbe tadpole;, the bullfrog. We pay. not including horses and fnragfi, £4ISO per annum for our Engineering staff, and there has positively nothing been done even to keep in repair the two main roads of the Province. At the last Session of the Provincial Council, We were surprised to see that the office of the Provincial Engineer had been abolished, and two new ones created, — those of Engineer of Public Works, and Engineer of Roads ; at an extra cost to the Province of £400 per annum. The reasons for this division, we have never heen able to comprehend. It could not have arisen from any want of confidence in the. iibi ity of the late Provincial Engineer, for the only decent road through a bush cutting in the Province, is the one through the Hay huh, on the lliverton road, made, we are informed, under his instructions, without hdi-rlorcnce from other quarters. ]t could not have arisen from the fuct that the work of both depa-tments was too much for one mortal to compass ; for further than planning an occasional police stable, or working out the intricate calculation of how many feet of timber were required for a portico over some office door, we are not aware that there is an y thing more important to occupy the Engineer's time or attention ; and when it is taken into consideration that he has a clerk to assist him in the discharge of these onerous duties, it seems to us he will i robably have a little span; time on his hands. Nor can .it have arisen from there having been too much work for the Roads Engineer to do, for since his appointment, there has been absolutely nothing done. Last, year Under one officer, the Provincial Engineer, a great deal more work was done during the spring than has been done this year; indeed, it is our belief that had that officer been left alone as he ought to have been, instead of being interfered with by amateur engineering in high places, lie would have made a good road to the north as far as Wallacetown before the hist winter had set ir>. Why therefore, has the Province been saddled with an. extra £.400 n-year? I\o:n what we ca» learn there seems to have been some irregularity in making the appointment ; something a. little unconstitutional. One member of the Executive has resigned already, alleging this as his reason, and we hear that the other t\VO members are only waiting the return of His Honor from the Nonh, to tender t)>eir resignations, on tile same grounds. Thus, while it would appear we are not likely to derive any benefit from this appointment, there is every probability of the whole machinery of Government being stopped by its creation ; the Province having the satisfaction of payiny £4^o per annum for the same. Of Mr Dundas's qualifications for the important office of Roads Engineer, we are not in a position to speak ; of his antecedents we know nothing, an-'i although he has been appointed some six weeks, he has t:ot given us an opportunity of forming an opinion, having seemingly confined his attention to the study of that important art of "how n t to do it. 1 ' Perhaps he belongs to that order of beings, who, like the violet, prefer exhaling their fragrance iv retired and remote places. Now while We admire I modesty, more particularly in younj; men, we really thiuk a Roads Engineer ought, say occasionally, W show himself about the country, if ouly to keep up appearances. In new, and by consequence, democralical places, the noble science of " how not to do it,'' when practised by Government officials is not properly appreciated ; it would be good policy, therefore, to pretend every now and then that you really weredoiug it. We are informed that the young gentleman at the head of the Roads Department is organising it, we sincerely trust that he will have finished that interesting operation a little before winter sets in, and so enable us to judge of the horrid results. Ever since the abolition of the appointment of Provincial Engineer, it has appeared t3 us that the Roads Department required organising ; directly it was made a distinct depaitment, a suddtn stupor seemed to have seiz'd all connected with it ; a wild desire " how not to do if On rare occasions, we have noticed an inspector or overseer of roads, or whatever he may he called, trying apparently " to do it." Struck with his appearance, we travelled a few days afterwards the same road, to ascertain what had been the results of this visit; nothing came of it ; " how not to do it 7 ' was intelligibly written along the whole line of road ; ten fascines and four crawlers to ten miles of road spoke volumes for the thorough efficiency of the department. Staggered by the results of personal inspection, we inquired in the proper quarter whether the gentleman we had noticed was really qualified for his position ? We were told, " Oh, yes ! he is a civil Engineer — .. one of our best men.'' We went away, if wiser — sadder ; the word Engineer sounded distastefully. Suddenly the idea of putting a capitation tax on Engineers presented itself to our mind as the only way of saving the Province from ruin ; and this we would recom j mend to the members of the Council a the next sittings.

Amongst the arrivals by the City of Ffobart. on Saturday, we wsre'glact to see Madivne" Yitelli and Mr. C. R. Thatcher. We an? not aware whether it is Mr. Thatcher's intention to nccept any professional engagement here, hat wo believe that should he be induced to do so. the public will h»> greatly amused. A 1 ? a comic popt and satirist, Mr. Tiiatcher if un-ipproaohable in the colonies. Madame V)h;Ui's accomplishments nsa vocalist are too well known to require us to refer to them, and we can only hope to have again the pleasure of hearing her in this part of the world. It will be seen by advertisement, in our issue of to.day, that a public meeting is callpd on Friday, the 25th, for the purpose of establishing a " Debating Club nnd Literary Association." It appears that already some gentlemen have been taking active measures to carry out th<* object in view. A provisional committee has been formed, and, a* an inducement for the public to support the action, we cannot do better than quote the opinions they enunciate in the following circular: " The provisional co Mini it tee of the above association finding that no provision has as yet been made in tin's town for young men to meet together tor menta' culture, have felt .it their duty so inaugurate an institution for that, purpose; and the committee trust that all who feel an interest in I the same will promptly avail themselves of the opportunity thus afforded. The provisional committee have resolved that there shall be nn religious matter, or party politics permitted as subjects for discussion ; that- the subjects for discussion shall be duly advertised in the loenl journals. The services of <'ompek-nfc gentlemen will be secured for the delivery of Lectures, etc., ou scientific-ami other subjects." The Wakatip Mail states: — From Butcher's Point, Upper Sbotover, we learn that the «'lnimholdprs on that -.part of tho river have hMd a meeting and passed resolutions to the effect that all parties turning t.he river into tho race there, should join together and put in the head dam, and also keep the whole race in vepa'r. This being the chief object, they confirmed the matter by signing their names, and appointed William Gascoyne manager of the work, uidor whose skilful direction it- is is.osfc satisfactorily progressing, and is expected to be completed this week, when all parties will start sinking. £9"> was offered (or a share in the elaiiu known as G-lccson and party's bufc was refused. The Princess' Theatre «-ns ro-opnned on Friday night, tho principal attraction being the ghostly effects introduced in a scene fr«m the " B ceding Nun," and the third act of the " Cn-sican Brothers." In the former, the illusion was complete ; but in tli-j littler, for some nreounrahlo reason, the " double; " of the nvon<rod Do Franchi refused to be accessory to the deception. A little more practice will no doubt enable the operators to be more successful in deceiving the audience. A correspondent writing from Hawkosbury on the loth instant, sends us the following information- " A rush hns jusfc broken out on Lax lon's Run, between thirty and fnrtv miles from here. Numbers arc leaving the Hogburn for there, and several hundreds of tents wore pitched on the ground on Sunday last, linking from fifteen feet and upwards. The news wns brought in this day by one of Loxton's drivers, v ho could not say as to t.he nature of the finds." It will he seen liv our advertising columns, that nost Saturday (B >xing day) will be observed by all the Bank-.; as a holiday. A private forresponchint of the Daily Telegrayh. writing- from W.tnafanui, says: — '" The natives here are terribly disheartened by the defeat at R.ingiriri. I havp boon visiting some of the pahs \» it-nan old friend (who figures as " Harry" in MaJioe leaves), and great is the lamentation. It is said, on native authority, that while flags (of Iruce) are. waving- nil over the country. Thomas Williams was brought' up on remand,' before the Ivcsidcut Magistrate, Dunedin, on suspicion of attacking and robbing Mr Acton at Sivilzer's diggings. William Acton, a storekeeper residing upon Switzcr's diggings, was called, and when confronted wilh the prisoner, said he resembled in build, complexion, and general expression one of tho men who stuck him up, but he was positive prisoner was not the man. The prisoner was consequently discharged. It may be of importance to miners and packers of the Upucr Shotover to learn that the track to the Arrow is ngain declared open for tra/lic. We have to call attention to the fortnightly meeting of the Volunteer Fire Brigade Committee io-night, at the Union Hotel, at eight o'clock. A p r eliminary meeting of persons interested in the formation of a Regatta Club, was held at Lee's, Provincial Cafe Hotel, on Saturday evening, whein a Committee was appointed to draw up rules for the guidance of the Club, and a second meeting arranged for to-morrow evening. It 1-; intended to have a liegatta about the commencement of the year. From the number of nautica men who are taking an interest in the affair, we may augur favorably of the success of the new Club. An inquost was held on Saturday at Pilling's Accommodation-house, Wallace town, on the body of a man named James Creighton, which was found iv the jOreti River on the previous dayTho man, it will be remembered, was drowned while trying to swim a young horse across the river, since which time the body hal not been recovered. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death. Last Thursday, a meeting of the settlers in the Wikivi Plains was held at the Junction Hotel, to call the attention of the Government to the state of the roads as far as the Junction Hotel, and thence on through, the Makerewa Bush Cutting. The meeting was well attended by fomo of the oldest and most respectable settlers in the district ; Mr W. H. Pearson in the chair. The first resolution urged on the Government the necessity of at once making the road through the Wikivi Bush Cutting thoroughly viable ; the second that a sufficient sum might be spent on the Cutting through the Makorewa Bush to enable the settlors on the north side of the Bash to get. their drays to town. A deputation was appointed to wait- on His Honor the Deputy Superintendent on the following Saturday. At 1 p.m. on Saturday the deputation was received by His Honor; the Chairmau subm'tted the resolutions, anH urge I the necessity of immediate actio lon the part of tho Government. His Honor stated that tenders would' bn called at once to metal the road through Wikivi Bush, and as to the M ikorewa Bu4i Cutting, the E.jads Engineer would be instructed to report at once what sum would bo required, and if not too large, attention would be paid to it. After thanking His Honor or his urbanity, and evident desire to meet their views, the deputation withdrew.' A very serious accident, through the careless use of fire arms, occurred yesterday to a man belonging to the lighter Hannah, lying in the New itiver. It appears that, accompanied by another man, ho h;ul gone into the Basil on Iho opposite side of the River, with a gun, for the purpose of shooting, and while carrying the loaded piece through the scrub, the dog-head got caught, was raised, and falling on the cap, exploded. Tho man carrying the gun in a perpendicular position by his side, the contents of tho charge took him in the cheek, along which they tore a severe wound, carrying away a portion of the- eyebrow, but very fortunately he escaped receiving the contents in his head. Tue man who was with him procured ' assistance, and had lii a cvuvpyb.l ty the Hospital.

An innuesfc was hold ad the Hospital, oil "Wednesday and Thursday last, before tlio C>roner, on the body of Francis Lang, who died in the Institution cm the 9tii inst. It will be remembered that about three weeks since we mentioned that the deceased was accidentnlly shot afc the Bluff by a m:in named James M'Kenzie, in consequence of the gun, which the latter was carrying, going ofF, nnd lodging the ball in the thigh of the decensed. After hia removal to the Hospital, it was found necessary to perform an operation in order to extract the ball, but although every attention that medical skill could' suggest, was bestowed oil him, the man never recovered, and died on the date referred' to. It appeared that after the ordinary registration and other forma hurl been observed, the body was bun'ed, but the police authorities subsequently thought- it would be necessary to hold an enquiry, and the body was exhu nod for that purpose. .Evidence of the circumstances connected with the nccidenfc — already reported in the Times— and also the medical evidence, was adduced to the jury, who returned a verdict that the death of deceased was caused by "Accidental Homicide." The following information has been received : — "Two men left Switzer's diggings en route for Campbell's Creek <jti Friday lash, Hie 4th inst. On Sunday, the 6th, they were lost in a snow storm, nnd missed one of their mates, Lewis Harris; they had no tucker then. The poor men crossed the ranges, arriving at the Wakaia river on Weduf sday the 9th, when Henry Camming? endeavored to cross the river, nnri was 'drowned within half a mile of the Police Camp. The Sergeant, hearing the men cooey, immediately proceeded to the spot, and saw the three men in an exhausted state, not being able to stand on their feet. Tne river being high and over/lowing 1 its banks, the sergeant took efF his clothes and crossed on his horse with bread and meat. Finding the men had no blankets, the sergeant crossed a second time with blankets ; the men then camped for the night. On next day, the 10th instant, the rergeant, in company with Mr J Shand, a settler, started in search of the missing I man. Searched all day ; camped in the ranges at riisrht. Nest day, about two o'clock, found the missing man on the bank of. the Wakaia in a very weak state, not having had any food for five days. After giving him some refreshment the sergeant had him conveyed to the camp. The sergeant begs to add Mint Mr Shand, knowing flic country well, gave him every assistance. All hough search has boon made for the drowned man he has not bren found up to the present time. The Art/us of December sth has thr> following account of a mysterious death in the Yurra : — An inquest, partly held yesterday by the district coro ncr, upon the body of a man found drowned in the river, near the lunatic asylum,- presents some features of mystery which require further investigation. A young girl stared that on tne previous Monday she saw three men fighting on the banks of the Yarra, near the place where the bod? was found. She watched two of these men tie the third hand-nnd-foot, and throw htm into the Yarra. She heard the biuly splash in the water, and saw that it sank : and although she continued at the place for I half an hoar afterwards, it never ro?e again. She remarked that the man thrown into the river wore spectacles, and the body recovered had spectacles on when found. There are, indeed, marks of violence found on the. body — a contused wound on the forehead, and a congestion of one of the eyps. But these had been done during life, .ir.d the injury to the eye oouJd not have been done while tho spectacles were worn without breaking- -them. Yet tho spectacles were unbroken, and not displaced. The wound? were not sufficient to cause death, and one of them might have been inflicted some time previously. Tiie medical gentleman examined, considered, f. ora the state of decomposition in which he found the body, that it had been in the' water a week. Had it not been for the evidence of the young girl, there vas nothing to distinguish tho present caso frqnunany in which a simple verdict is returned of " Fouud drowned. The girl is about ten years of age, and although unacquainted with the nature of an oath> seemed to give her evidence in a manner not deficient in intelligence. Taking her evidenec as strie'ly correct, the question of its applicability to the body found may he open to serious doubt, in spite of the identity of place; for the deceased was a week in the water, instead of less than two days, the time from when she saw the occurrence to the discovery of the body. She saw them, she says, tie the man's hands and feet, bufc no cords wwre visible on the deceased — no sign of such having been used. But then the man that she saw had spectacles, as the deceased had. Under all these conflict ing and dubious circumstances, the inquest wns adjourned fill Thursday next, to give opportunity for further inquiry into this mysterious affair. From a gentleman who arrived in town recently, from Switzers, wo learn that within the last few weeks a great number of miners who had been induced to join the Taieri Rush, have returned to the old workings, wiser but poorer men. la most instances, he states, their return has attended with better fortune, in the way of finding g od spots of ground, than their ingratitude for deserting the place deserved.