OTAGO.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 36, 29 January 1864, Page 2

OTAGO.

(from: our ows cokrespomxent.). Dttkjedi3T, January 25. Pleuro-piieurncmia continues to spread among our cattle. Three districts arc infected — Waikouaiti, East Taieri, and Tokomarriro. It is difficult at present to foresee -when the calamity will end. The Government hare adopted the most prompt and stringent mca- - surcs, by proclaiming the infected districts and sending a competent inspector into each of them, armed "with powers to examine and destroy all infected herds. A cordon is drawn round these districts, beyond which no cattle may? pass and more enter. I>roclainations have also been issued, forbidding the importation of cattle from Victoria, excepting only the Gipps Land and Mornington districts. There are many who urge the Gfpycrnment to. shut out Victoria altogethci* from our markets ; but the Executive fear that-doing this would cause a rise in the price of meat, which would be severely fait just now by nil . classes, I mentioned in any. "last that the Town Board had summarily dismissed the City Engineer from office. I do not recollect whether the delay of the post allowed me to supplement my intelligence by informing you that the next-' any Mr SEiUwaomd tho wmv hen of. the Board with notice of action fen? wrongful clisniicfßfsJj lflyii?s ; Ins tlu»mgcß ut Ijiie tiypcftjrg to EaVc taken soino of the 'members yaitc. bmiikt fw there wji^ it vague impression itpon tile iaiuds of these ' •,rortliics trurt, by some cxtmordinarj-. tirist in tlie Evj ps some prooeB» which they t&M natfovcHco ov ox^km} they personally and e>Ut -^ of flwiy own jtockuts iKight b» let in foy tits excises incurred, in the ftctioh. A sjiocittl metitiJtg Of tiicfitsai'd vras called} tilers. ml a girsitfc; deal of distitte&ioiij .and. tho wlioie ; resiJltcd;iu« I ffidjorjtyof tho laeoibers stuUi* r ? fving their previous act, by reinstating the City Engineer in office, »ud the ininoritjtheir e«fttßT Mr HillavM-us Rt firety incluiedJuot; tq Ucoepl; hia ro'ttppomfciucntrbyt . eventuo^y conaccliatp it. So the city is ; once inwo l)WJt\cid 6ytr'- to the englnee?, vli? ji^orti !us iius t$ ;t0 be iutjetiwcU "^ilfljj ".

the city' improvements earned out. In two Laths, tlie Town Board is to be: superseded by »ftul fledged Corporation, with Mayor, Ajdernien and Councillors, who will be invested with much larger powers than the present body possesses. . . " \ 1 am inclined to think that cricket is infectious, like pleuro-pneumonia, measles, ! hooping-cough, cholera, and the like. A i cricket fever is at present raging with /groat '' violence in Otago, which has also extended to ' the adjoining Provinces. .It showed itselt >iw)utthe same time as pleuro-pueumonia at O-'okomariro, and the complaint was only relieved when, the Eleven came to Diuiedin, : and }iad it thrashed out of them in one innings. 2fow, we find, it has brokeu out at Inyercargill, and you^ have. sent, down your to wliich we promise to administer a "perfect I cure .» On Saturday, the match between Southland v Otago commenced on our cricket : ground, and when the stumps were drawn in ' the evening, ' Otago had scored for < its first : innings, 202. The Southlander3 go in this ■ morning at eleven o'clock sharp, in order 1 that they ; may retrieve their" lost honors in"' time to leave by the William. Miskin, i which steams away about five o'clock : this afternoon. Canterbury has sent a picked : team down here. The Eleven arrived on ; . Saturday afternoon, and the match comes off on Wednesday. The team looks to be made of good and it is said there are some excellent/players among them, but they will be well thrashed nevertheless. ] Otago, from the City to its suburbs, and from ; the 'suburbs to the sea-board, and all through the interior, is very much affected indeed. ; Cricket matches are breaking out everywhere. Clubs are being formed, having Superintendents at their head, with government promises of grants of land in aid. Nothing scarcely is talked of by the youth and middle aged of our day but of matches which have gone and those to come. How we shall contain ourselves when the great " Old England Eleven" come amongst us, I do not know I am sure. Where we are to get a sufficiency of grey horses which are to draw the carnages in : tcam3 of fours, sixes, and eights, is puzzling everybody. The number of places and occasions at or on which the immortal cricketers are to stop and partake of champagne certainly i presupposes that All England and champagne j are closely allied in indissoluble bonds, I: although it may be difficult to explain on I what grounds. Barring accidents the English team will land at Port Chalmers on Saturday j next, when the following is the programme cut out to inaugurate the occasion : — The Old : : Englanders. being deposited on the Port Chalmers Jetty, in good order and sound condition, mil bo received by the various provincial clubs. On leaving the Jetty the whole are to be champagned at the leading hotel, at the public expense, by general subscription. Then grey horses, attached to carnages, will take all on to Dunedin, where they are to champagne at at Shadracli Jones' Provincial. Then once more into conveyances and on to the cricket ground, where there is to be more champagne. The All-Englanders will then have some practice with bat and ball and wicket among themselves. Afterwards follows a spread, attended with further supplies of champagne. Then the whole return to " mine host" of the Provincial, and being Saturday night, it is arranged that the preliminaries, so fur proceeded with, shall be washed up in champagne. Nov.- it just possible that you may tliink I am exaggerating this programme, but I assure you Ido nothing of the kind. These tilings and many more are on the card. The cricketers will dine with His Honor the Superintendent ; a lafourcltette with the elite of Otago, and be proclaimed free of the city. As our escort does not come in until Tuesday evening, there is very little intelligence to forward you touching our goldficlds. No new rushes ; no fresh discoveries, or great finds. . TJie neAvs to hand is that everything is quiet, r and the goldfields showing a disposition to ' decrease. These may probably pick up again. Such is the general hope, if not the general *sectation.5 ec tation. We had a very successful Horticultural Exhibition here on Wednesday. I had not the least idea we could produce such magnificent fruit, vegetables and ilowers as was displayed on the occasion. Nothing but the finest soil, genial climate, and great attention could have •produced what was exhibited on this occasion. I have no doubt that this Province will vie with Victoria in the quality of its fruit and Tcgetable production. The various prizes offered by the Society were very liberal, and the competition among the exhibitor* very spirited. There is, I am pleased to observe, a decline in the rates ruling for cottages and dwellings, as also for business premises in Dunedin. It is thought that a commercial crisis is 'at hand ; but I do not think that such is the case. Should this be so, far from doing harm, it will result in great good. The disease working below the surface will break out and effect its own cure. The large population centred in our city will have, in part, to disperse, when the natural resources of the Province will stand a better chance of becoming dcvcloj>ed. So think those who have had a past experience to guide them in forming an opinion. The weather with us is very unsettled ; business languid, and the markets generally overstocked ; but overstocked markets offers tliis advantage : — Poor people get the benefit of cheap supplies. No further political action has been takcji respecting the seat of Government question, but a Bcttled feeling exists that Wellington will not be our political capital. Auckland will not have it, and Otago will bring all its influence to bear in resisting the measure. English mail anxiously looked for.