DUNEDIN.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 209, 29 January 1866, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

Friday Evening. Arrived— Otago, from the North, with Lady Don. as a passenger j Struggles and Kate, from Jftyerton,

We ore requested to call attention to the auction sale of Jno. Munro at the stores of Morison, Law and Co., Esk-street, this day. We beg to call attention to the meeting of the Southland Agricultural and Horticultural Association, to be held at Colyer's Princess Hotel, this (Monday) evening, at half-past seven o'clock. The business is important, and we are pleased to learn that increased interest is feeing taken in this matter. We have recieved information whichgives hopes that Southland will yet have a good payable payable goldfield. We have never given up our belief that workable ground would be found in the Riverton district ; and from the description of the black Band on the beach between that port and the Bluff, we held them to be auriferous indications. The subjoined report, which has been, by the courtesy of the Commissioner, handed to us, we have reason to believe that .our impressions may soon prove to have been correct. It is as follows : — " Constabulary Station, Riverton, 24th January, 1866. — Sergeant-Major Chapman begs to state that a report has been in circulation here that Leonard's party have found payable gold near Colac's Bay; and are getting an ounce a man per day. The Sergeant-Major has not been able to trace this report to any reliable source — every person here believes it to be true." It is always satisfactory to hear of the suecess of scientific enterprise, especially when connected with undertakings which one calculated to lead to the rendering valuable land in the colony,^ which has hitherto been almost useless. The Press (Canterbury), says :— "Two artesian wells have just been completed by Mr. Ashford, on the Stanmore r,oad, on the premises respectively of Mr. Veel and Mr. Brunsden. The former was a great success, an unusually good flow of water being met with after the boring had penetrated to a depth of 108 feet. To show how expeditiously the process of boring these wells may be carried on, we may mention that the whole work was thoroughly finished on the fourth day from its commencement. Mr # Brunsden'^ well is of slightly less depth, and the supply not quite so abundant. In his case the work was delayed by coming upon a large quantity of wood at a considerable depth below the surface." From Canterbury papers we learn that Mr. Weld, late Premier of New Zealand, has retired from the political stage. The reason assigned is continued ill-health. We also perceive that Dr. Featherston has likewise given up colonial politics. A man has been found drowned in Parker's Creek, Waitaki. The Timaru Herald says : — " The body was found in water so shallow that when discovered the beard of the deceased man was above the surface. The body was identified as that of a man who had worked as a shearer for a short time at Mr. Parker's station. He was apparently suffering from the effects of drink when he commenced, and left the station, not being well enough to continue his work. The unfortunate man is supposed to have fallen into the creek in a fit, whi«h must have prevanted his rising till he was suffocated." DuEnra the last sitting of the Supreme Court, the want of adequate accomodatiod was most painfully experienced, and not a few anathematized the Provincial G-overmnent, in no measured terms for not providing better buildings, It is a consolattion to feel that other provinces are as neglectful of judicial requirements as Southland. We clip the following from the Otago Times 20th inst .- — " During the recent sitting in Banco, Mr. Cook called the attention of the Court to the inconvenience caused to the members of the profession by the windows at the back of the bench (which are of frusted glass). When the sun shone on the windows, any one addressing the Court could not see the faces of the Judges, and the ■ effect of the strong light was most painful to the eyes of the speaker. — Mr. Justice Richmond said that under the circumstances stated, he could not see the faces of the members of the bar. But the Judges had been constantly applying to the Provincial Government for alterations in the Court and hud got nothing done. — Mr. Justice Chapman : The G-overnment have never yet given me a private room. I suppose that it is the only instances in Her Majesty's dominions of Judges being left without private rooms. — Mr. Justice Richmond : Perhaps the Provincial Grovermnent think that the residence of two Judges here is not a desirable thing — that they desire to see one of the Judges removed. — Mr. Cook, thought the inconveniance of which he complained might be easily remedied by putting up a blind. — Mr. Justice Richmond. We are tired of applying to the Provincial Government, and shall not do it again. If the bar like to make an application for the necessaqy alterations, well and good. — Mr. Maccassey : Possibly, the members of the bar might subscibe for a blind, and so save the Provincial Grovernment the expense. — It is only fair that it should be added that the complaints of the Judges as to the want of private rooms will be remedied when the G-overnment Buildings are completed, and the Resident Magistrate and his clerks have removed there ; and that the remedy will be more effectual than could result from incurring the expense of adding rooms to the present agglomeration of wooden apartments. The Grovernment hare also called for tenders for alterations to the roof of the Court, so as to improve the lighting and ventilation." The Argus states : — " Complete success has attended the interesting experiment of stocking the Yarra with the noble Murray cod, as we are informed, on credible authority, that on Friday last several fish, varying in weight from three to five pounds, were taken from the Tarra, a few miles beyond Eltham." A statement of Receipts and Expenses of the ordinary revenue of If ew Zealand, for the quarter ending September 30th, appears in the " New Zealand G-azette" of January Bth. The total revenue received amounted to £201,520 8s 6d, which was made up as follows : — Customs Duties, £180,780 8s lOd; Fines, Seizures, &c, £92 10s 3d; Postal, including the Telegraph, £12,040 9s 2d ; Judicial, comprising fees and fines of the Supreme Court, Sheriff's Office, Resident Magistrate's Courts, and Petty Sessions, £4439 7s 3d ; Registration of Deeds, £2535 8s 6d; Registration of Births and Marriages, £151 3s ; Fees on issue . of Crown Grants, £254; Fees under Arms Act, £142 10s; Merchant Shipping Act, £95 16s j Fees under the Joint Stock Companies Ac,t Patent Act, Land Claims Settlements Act, and Marine Board Office, £104 8s j Incidental Receipts, Credit of Totes, &c, £884 6s 3d. Of the Customs Duties, Otago- contributed £47,949 18a 3dj Auckland, £44,904 19s 4d } Canterbury, £41,792 I9sl]4s Wellington, £20,185 Is odj Jfclwn,

£8343 16s 2d; Southland, £6679 11s lOd ; Hawke's Bay, £4791 3s sd ; Taranaki. £4559 16s. The expenditure fov the quarter amounts to £149,767 13s 7d, as follows -.—Civil List, £3426 6s lOd ; Interest and Sinking Fund, £7438 8s sd ; permanent charges under Acts of the General Assembly, £2333 4s Id ; Appropriations — Executive, £1410 6s 9d ; Legislature, £3647 17s sd ; Judicial, £7203 4s lid ; [Registration of Land, £109 13s 2d ; [Registration of deeds, births, &c, £1732 Is 6d ; Electoral, £641 3s Od ; Customs, £7078 13s 3d; Postal, £25,484 16s 9d; Militia, £2099 6s Id ; Native Department, £3040 0s 5d j Miscellaneous Services, £6768 13s 4d; Eefunds of Eevenue, £2849 6s lid; Supplementary, £15,345 3s 8d ; 3-Sths Customs paid to Provinces, £59, 109 7s Id. The Queensland mail experiment will now be fairly tested. The first mail from Brisbane via Torres Straits started on the 6th instant. The Seucnags, a fine boat, has been specially chartered for the service, and after calling at the Northern Ports, will make for the new settlement at Cape York, from whence she will proceed to Coepang or Batavia, there to place the mails on board of the Dutch, mail steamship, for conveyance to Singapore, where they will be transferred to the P. & O. Company's vessel from China, en route to G-alle and Suez. The Argus says : — " The voyage of the Sonchays is purely of an experimental character. She carries neither cargo nor passengers. She is not timed to meet any particular vessel. She is a pioneer, sent out to traverse a new route, and to show how expeditiously and safely Torres Straits — once the terror of mariners — can be voyaged through. The new route, there is no doubt, will put us ot once in possession of a fortnightly mail service with England, although it may not do so for the present, with the exact division of the month, which would bes^ please and serve those who are interested in rapid and frequent communication. The time of the departure of the Sonchays has been calculated, no doudt, to enable her mails to be placed on board the fortnightly steamer from China in connexion with the Indian, but not with the Australian steamer ; and on her return she will bring mails a fortnight later than those despatched direct to Australia via Gralle. We shall thus, commencing with. February, receive monthly mails via Brisbane, alternating with the service via King G-eorge's Sound, and so practically obtain the boon for which the public has so long asked — a fortnightly mail from England."