MARLBOROUGH.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 41, 10 February 1864, Page 3

M ARLBOROUGH.

(PHOII OITE OWX COEKESPOXDKNT.; Blenheim, 11th January, ISG-t I\ew Year's Day was this year celebrated with more than the usual amount of sports — there were racing, leaping, and jumping matches, and a shooting match took place between the Pieton and Blenheim Volunteers, the latter winning by eight points. The distances were 200, 300, and 400 yards ; The lowest score was eight, and the highest, forty on the Pieton side. The weather was fine and very warm. The pleasures of the day were greatly enhanced by the Pieton band playing at intervals lively airs Set-. The number of drays loaded with wool arriving at Blenheim (averaging ten per day) is so large daily as to attract attention, and shows what a large wool producing country j the Wairau is. The wool^however, is shipped chiefly to Wellington, by sailing A'essels, and J to Nelson, by steamer Lyttloton. Last month 600 bales arrived at Blenheim. Gold, as in other provinces, has been found recently in tlio vicinity of Gonland's Ferry, in the gizzard of a duck. There were several specs, weighing about three grains. The subscriptions for the Marlborough races this year do not appear 1o bo very many or large. In noticing the fact the Marlborough Press observes : — " It may be mentioned, in connection with this subject, that, as a moans of getting subscriptions, at a meeting held at Invcrcargill, the following resolution was passed — ' That j each gentleman present guarantee to collect j the sum of £20 towards the Invercargill Race I Fund, 1564, and that subscription lists be j provided to facilitate the furtherance of the above purpose.' " » Honi Pokike, the Maori who was recently convicted at the Criminal sittings of the Nelson Supreme Court, of the murder of Grant, a settler iv the Peloms, and sentenced to be hung, has had his sentence commuted to transportation for life. There is considerable surprise at this change in the punishment, the general opinion coinciding with that of the jury that the prisoner was guilty of the murder, and almost everybody expected he would be hung. An individual in this place had actually volunteered his services for the occasion, and had fixed his price at about £15. Being an old and not revj well-off individual, what a blow must this commutation of sentence have been to him. But enough of this. The vessel I previously mentioned to arrive at Pieton on Boxing Day did not come, but the match between the Pieton cricket club and Pieton volunteers took place, resulting largely in favor of the former, and a grand dinner was held in the evening, which passed off very satisfactorily. I have to send an important political item, viz., that there is a vacancy for M.P.C. for the Clarence District, numbering fifteen electors. The Blenheim and Pieton Volunteers, numbering in all about forty soids, have recently paraded for inspection of arms, when the vesidt was highly satisfactory. The English mail only arrived here per steamer Lyttelton, on Tuesday last, from Nelson. . Two men, named Ward and Bartlett, (each leaving a wife and lai*ge family, and for whom subscriptions have been opened,) were drowned very recently in the Wairau — a river in which deaths of this nature are of frequent occurrence. The Press of Jan. 9th contains the following local items : — "We understand that arrangements are now pending to fire the return firing match between the Pieton and Blenheim divisions of j the Marlborough Volunteers either the day before or the day after the Inter-Provincial Cricket Match." " A general meeting of the members of the Pieton Cricket Chib' was cbnvened for Wednesday evening last, (January 6th,) at the Biflemari' Hotel, in order to take initiatory steps towards arranging a .return '"match between the provinces of Nelson and Marl- j borough, during the second week in February. A letter was read from the Secretary of the Nelson Cricket Club, intimating their desire i to come- here at the above-mentioned time, should it prove convenient to the Marlborough players, to which Mr. Pickering had, in the j ■ absence of thY Secretary; iv>turhed an immeMiate answer, accepting, most cordially, their ! proposal." !» . I The same paper, now published bi-weekly, in its Summary of. News from; Southern Proi vinces,. published on the. 9th inst., under the ! head. of. "Southland;" thus, briefly bears j testimony ; to its' ,pyer the files of , : papers^^froifi .this'Pi^ylacc )Ve find "abundant' evidence' of J W fkf& ' WogW