Untitled

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 39, 30 August 1864, Page 2

As will be seen from our Bluff telegram last night, the sanguine anticipations regarding the raising of the Scotia have received a sudden check. On receipt of a telegram yesterday forenoon, Mr. . Smith proceeded to the' Bluff, j,for the; purpose of inspecting the state of the vessel. Until his report, wliich may be received in town to-day, their intentions will not be disclosed as to what further steps may be resolved upon. We sincerely hope affairs may not turn out bo unfavorably as they now indicate. The locomotivel engine for the Oreti "'Railway having been found to answer every purpose to complete satisfaction, there will be immediately set about the permanent adjustment and levelling of the line, so that it may be opened for traffic, as presently contemplated, on the Ist .of October. One of the railway carriages has now received its last finishing touch at the .hands of the painters, and really looks -admirably .well..;' We may state that His Honor the Superintendent, accompanied by a party of ladies, paid a_ visit of inspection yesterday to the railway station, "carriages, &c. We have received later intelligence -from the Northern Provinces, but itis devoid of importance. The next ofthe course bf wiriter evening lectures will be delivered in the Hall of the Mechanics' Institute, to-night, by the Rev. J. Shaw. Subject — " The History of Astronomy ; " with illusr' trations. The programme at the Theatre Royal last : night. underwent a change, the entertainment consisting of comic songs, plantation melodies, dances, &c. The attendance was very meagre, notwithstanding a great reduction ih the prices of 'admission. ...... Shortly after eight o'clock last night, the alarming cry of "Fire" was raised in Tay-street, and • large numbers of people took up the cry, so that in the space of a feAv minutes the whole town was in a ferment bf excitement. On making enquiries, jwe discovered the scene of the disaster to bea detached Corrugated iron store belonging to ' Mr. Gr. M. K Clarke, chemist, and situated at the.rear of his shop iv Tay-street. The ' flames were observed issuing from the eaves of the building, and ! giving evidence of having been for sometime burnjino- before the discovery was made. ' Oh the first alarm being given, Mr. Commissioner Weldon and a body of constabulary were promptly on the spot, aiid went energetically to work to ...extinguish the flames: Everything was in their favor, the night being calm and water in good supply close at hand. In the space of half an hour all danger of a further spread of the conflagration . was averted, and within the hour every spark was extinguished. The real cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained. No one had been near the plaice for -some' time. "Itis suspectedby some that combustion must have been-causedby the gnawing or nibbling of rats or mice inside the store; and matches ;were*--known to be in the place where" the fire occurred, contiguous toa large lot of paper bags, which were found in a smouldering state. The store contained a) considerable quantity of chemicals of all descriptions, and the damage done must have ;been considerable. . The loss, we understand, is fully covered by insurance. Mr. Clarke is at present Out of town, and' Mr:' Ai'tkinson was the only party left hi charge of the business* As circumstances are as yet quite unexplained, .and give ground for suspicion, we should recommend a strict investigation ixito. the affair. ; ■ \ We observe tha*; that old favorite of the Invercargill publi«, Mr. R. B. Dale, takes his farewell benefit at' the Theatre Royal on the - evening 1 'bf Wednesday. We feel certain, even although benefits of late have been so frequent, that Mr. Dale's appeal to thoso whom he has delighted and amused for such a length of timo, will bo most heartily and substantially responded to. Mr. Dale's abilities as an actor are now so well knpjvn that it is quite unnecessary to repeat them here.' His standing in tho profession is a high one, and very deservedly -so,.- for we believe . he.hasOfew,. compeers on the Nev Zealand stage in his own ; peculiar lino. •In comedy he revels ; in the broades humor; and evory- word and a^tito we buttht signs for bursts of laughter. v He possesses. on une common play offeatoo^andtotaste in the "got.: up " is wolf known to be peculiarly liis own. .O-; late Mr. Dale has., b^coi,.. entrusted , with. T thet management of the Thea&b' under'ifitf'proprietor--6f M^P^fel^ - tlloßo duties (which are*#pißinooj^eX^ everyone concerned. As times became moro and moro depreaied, and the treasury receipts j

dwindled down to something merely nominal, h* talents in more ways than- one /were caded into ,_ requisition. With a company greatly ?e&ii%dMAo numbers, it had been a task of no common dl ™J culty to place nightly on the stage pieces calculated to draw houses— if it were at all possible to draw houses of any sort. Moreover in consequence cf the paucity of the dramatis persona, Mr. Dale hasTvery frequently heen compelled to- appear in parts in wliich he was not at all suited— and -this not because be is deficient in.versatility^pf talent, but because he was not seen to so much advantage. His audience is always prepared to see or hear him do or jsay something which will have the effect of exciting their risible faculties; and it may be very well fancied ' that, When he toofc ft part in a piece which allowed him. no Bcope for fun or comieaiitv, it must have been rather disconcerting (even to an old stager) to hear the tittering of the, audience at times -when, the Mtor was attempting to produce a very different ettect. However, on Thursday night, we observe he as to appear in one of his old characters, and wih_ be certain to be in a glorious vein of humour. .Tbat favorite comedy bf Colman's— " The Heir-at Law, will be. played,' and Mr. Dale will appear as Dr. Pangloss, L.L.D. A.S.Si Several amateurs are to lend their assistance on the occasion, and tlie Provincial Brass Band will likewise appear, form* ing on their way, to the theatre, a, torch-li^ ht pro* cession. In addition to the unusual attra ction of the evening,"' Mr. Lockyer will perform Prof. Parker's celebrated feats— such as cutting a sheep in two, &c. &c.; aiid on the whole the evening s entertainments may be looked forward to as one of the most successful of the season. -We have received five: days later intelligence from the Australian Colonies, by the arrival, of the s.s. Albion. The City of Hobart left three days after the ' Albion, i.e., on the' 23rd, but m consequence of her not calling at the Bluff, we are thus deprived, at present, of relating the new* she brings. The files brought to hand per. the Albioii contain little matter of interest for the majority of our readers. , We give elsewhere the latest telegrams, and' will here briefiy epitomise a few ofthe most striking items of intelligence. Lady Don is achieving fresh laurels in Melbourne as Camilla D'Alcasada, in the " Black Domino, at the Haymarket Theatrel At Ballaarat, Roberts the champion billiard player, has sustained a d«* feat at the hands.of a Mr. Wright, whom^he allowed 500 but of 1,000 poihts. Wright made out his 1000 when .Udberts-: liadV .succeeded j- in scoring 876. Messrs. Grut and Dowling, the heroes bf ' the Bank robbery, at Collingwood, have been publicly presented with I a purse of forty sovereigns each. The death of Dr. Patterson of H. M. C. S. Victoria, winch f served with j credit in the New Zealand war, is announced. The Talbot Leader reports' a. daring attempt to murder the son of a pohce magistrate. The desperado was at first thought to be the notorious Morgan, but he does not f appear to answer the description of that gentleman of the road, The Argus grows eloquent on the bright prospects and go-a-head-ativeness of Queensland. Governor Darling laid the foundation stone of a new Wesleyan Church, at Prahran, on the 16th ' instant. ; The first instance of a "Chinaman pro- : ciiring af publican's license, in Victoria took, place at Castlemaine a few days ago. Our Tasmanian files, -which are to the 13th ' inst., contain no news of interest. . . ' The last Otago gold escort conveyed the following quantities of gold to Dunedih from the goldfields, viz.: — Queenstown,. 2,1020z5.,; .Arrow River, 4870z5. ; Dunstan, * 3,0410z5. lOdwts. ; Manuherikia, 2,9350z5. lOdwts. ; Mount Benger, 5570z5. sdwts. ; ; Hamilton's, l;811oz"8. lOdwts, ; ; Tuapeka, 2,5460z5. ; Waitahuna, 3210z5. ,* Wooli shed, 286035 l 16dwts ; total, 14,0880z5. lldwfcs. •It is proposed ito - establish, in Dunedin, in October -next,- a-Preshyterian Magazine, for the dissemination of rehgious. intelligence, and the . advocacy of the various schemes of the Presby- | terian Church. A- detailed prospectus is to be issued shortly. - - . ... .. ..-. < jr-s -.. '»— f.We learn from Dunedin journals : that Mr. : Williamson, Warden at the Upper Shotover, has been committed to take his . trial before 4he ; 3u- • preme Court for a criminal assault on a female • named Eliza Emma Poepek, in the Camp^ Hotel i there. "He was admitted to bail, himself m&LpO, • and two sureties in £50 each. -V A- ' Mr. John Simpson; tobacco and snuff manufaer turer, Duuedin, writes to the editor of the Otago Daily Tinies in the following terms, to which Jfe r, would invite attention :— " I enclose a sample }of • tobacco leaf grown in this colony, as proof that, the same can be done, and I woiild also request you to call the attention of oiir' small farmers to the fact that no crop would pay them better than . tobacco leaf, if they could procure a ready market • for the same. I could easily take at the present time about two thousand pounds a year at Is. per - pound ; I have still a small quantity of seed to . give away to those desirous of trying the same." It may Berve to dissipate some degree of mis- ! apprehension which appears to' obtain a footing • here, regarding exhibits at the forthcoming New ' Zefiland- Exhibition, if w;e state that the"' produce and njauufactures of other countries, as well as '„ those of New Zealand, may be exhibited, provided ■ they" are duly entered and classified as such. Under these 'circumstances it is reasonable to'ex- ** pect that Southland may yet be represented by a ' goodly number, of, exhibits, as much of the..excuse. ' , for inaction is thrown overboard., . It is likewise ; to be earnestly hoped' that the Exhibition Committee, now that it has got an accession of new members, will., take < immediate active steps in the ' important work before them, so that all advantage *■ of theshort period left them for preparation may ** be taken, for examining into, and securing for ex---5 - liibition, specimens of the resources of Southland, ' whether mineral or vegetable, or na,tural or artifi--1 cial. It will not do to sit and merely talk over • the matter, which apparently has been jail -the -"- committee has, hitherto attempted. _ Tlie , mem- ' bers, each and all' of them, must work, and that *• most diligently. It, might be interesting to these ' gentlemen to learn how their Otago brethren ' went to work. For the v first six weeks or so they l , went on' in miich the same manner as we have 1 :been doing — meeting from time to time, and doing '.- • nothing. At last, howeverr they hit upon and 1 adopted the plan of a personalcanyass of the town. Ten days after the canvassing committee had been 1 in harness, the applications for space rose from AIA7 : to something like 110 ! Their report was a most 1 favorable, and at the same time a most interesting and (to our committee, We' hope) instructive one. '.. They found, on calling on the various tradesmen, ' kc, that almost every one bf them held biack from L . the project of sending-anything for exhibition — i "Theyxhd not think," to use their own expres- '"- sion, "they had anything good enough.". The members of the canvassing committee did hot rest : satisfied with; such . a reply. : They, talked them ; >into it ;. they inspected their stocks,. and r found many articles worthy a place oh the tables which 1 otherwise would never .have been, thought of. Our 1 committee, then, must work ; and we advise them to bear constantly in mind the old but no less true saying—" Whatever is worth doing, . is worth doing well." The work before theni is surely such an one. Our committee might also with 1 profit i take a lesson from.the doings of the committees in Auckland and some; other 'northern "provinces, which offer prizes for the hest essay in t the various characteristics of the province — on it» : soil, salubrity, resources, capabilities" for "settlement, &c, &c. Such a system of essay writing .on tliis province—the particular subjects being de - -. fined by the committee— could not fail to be pro - ' ductiye; of much; good. The essays; , of- course , would besent to the Exhibition, .and-adjudicated, •;- on according, to their respective merits. We re-commend-'rnstant action in tliis : and-in' every other matter in .with" the general subject of V the New Zealand -Exhibition, to the 'earnest atten-;. ' tion of bur local committee.* Let' them ; io&KSAfhe most' of the time ' at their command— they have ' not a day to 'spare. *, , .......... „ „-- -\ An action against ft Hobart.. 3town journalist - has been commeh'cod, in which, the damages are ■ laid atNtho m6doTOto?sum ; of £li#o/X>o.l The jHobari Town Mercury^Boys.: — " Itappears that the action entered"- aTgamist AsixftMxiri&y to recover penalties for breaches^i^P-^^ 011111 and Nei f a " paper Acts, is a friendly suit to prevent hostile informers from recovering." » I j