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Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 219, 21 February 1866, Page 2

The mode of conducting the business of the General Government Telegraph is a continuous scource of annoyance to all who have occasion to use it. Instead of being a great public convenience, it is next to useless — an uncertain luxury. As an instance in pomt — on Sunday last the Otago, with the English mail, arrived at the Pilot Station BlufF, at 8 o'clock, and yet no intimation of it was received until Monday morning. We, in anticipation of its arrival, had our staff in readiness to make the news public upon the shortest notice, and had the information reached us at the time it should, our rea ders would havereceivedit on Monday morning. There is a degree of mismanagement which should not be tolerated. It is not for us at present to say to whom the blame should positively be attached, but *one thing is certain, the conduct of the chief controllers of the linehas from the first been as bad as bad could be— -they have cramped the liberty of local operators, despised the wants or wishes of the public, and rendered the department throughout the whole of the colony 'a by- word and a reproach. We maintain that the public were entitled to have received the English news immediately it arrived. We Were in a position to disseminate it, and used the legitimate means to obtain it. but could not. On Monday, \ upon learning that the mail had arrived early on the evening of the previous day,

we endeavored to ascertain how it was that no intimation was giyeh> and sent a telegram, to our agent at the Bluff, which we subjoin with the answer received, and leave the public to decide whether it is satisfactory, or not. We believe the local officers areless to blame than';the framers of the unintelligible regulations under which they act. The telegrams were under date Monday morning 19th. To the Bluff—" "What hour did the English Mail arrive ? Was the Telegraph Office open ? Was a message presented for transmission ? " Eeplt — " Mail arrived at the Pilot Station at eight o'clock last night. Telegraph Office was not open." We have further news from Riverton and Jackson's Bay. Although it might be premature to give a positive opinion as yet, there is a probability of gold-fields of a payable description being opened at various localities on the coast line, from Riverton to Jackson's Bay. At Lohgwood and Colac Bay, the reports "are good, the population in both places is steadidly increasing, and still no dissatisfaction is expressed at the yields which are being obtained. It is also given as an opinion of several who have been at the West Coast beach workings, that the coasts line is auriferous and only requires time and perseverance to develope its character. The irregularity of the P. & O. Company, in carrying out their mail service, has at length been acknowledged as undurable by all the colonies interested. A project has been, put forward in South Australia for the establishment of a purely Colonial Steamship Company, to take up this contract. The project has been favorably viewed in Victoria and South Wales, and is likely to be spiritedly carried out. It is reported that the A.S.N. Company are not indisposed to enlarge their association and perform the work at a lesser cost than is now paid. It is high time that such a movement should be initiated. The "Southland" steamer which has been for some time laid up, has commenced running to and from Dunedin, we understand under the management of the Harbor Master. It is to be hoped this experiment will prove profitable, jt is patent that the boat should either be used or sold; its cost has been too great for it to be kept as a useless toy to multiply its loss by being shown at the jetty as a monument of Governmental folly. It is to be hoped that something definite will be done in the matter when the Council meets. It is with much satisfaction that we learn- the progress of the newly formed Horticultural and Floriculture! Society surpasses the most sanguine expectation of its promoters. The Committee have entered upon their labors in right earnest, and the first Competitive Exhibition will be held in the Theatre Royal, on the 14th of March. There is every reason to believe that it will be a complete success. We have been favored with a sample of Floriculture of the town by a member of the society, who is earnest in the pursuit of his object : — the cultivation of a taste for Flori- ! culture — and for variety and richness of tinges the Dalhias surpassed anything we have seen in New Zealand. j The General Government have entered into a contract with the Provincial Government of j Auckland, which, if not illegal and unconstitutional, is a stretching of authority which has never before been attempted. It appears to be ; this : — All the confiscated lands in the Auckland Province are to be handed over to the Auckland Provincial Council, and a loan of £250,000 for the purpose of colonising the same, is promised — nay, pledged to be granted with tbe General Government guarantee. But this is not all, the Government have given Auckland £100,000 out of the £3,000,000 loan fund in advance. The transaction appears, as yet, to be strange and unjust to the other provinces. The presß of , Canterbury denounce it as illegal and unjust, while the Daily Times views it with a lenient eye. It is impossible to debate the question fairly with the information now befora us, therefore we simply state the facts ; one thing is certain, the treatment which Auckland and Southland has received at the hands of the General Government has been diametrically opposite. "* " The Lyttelton Times of the 13th inst. says : — A match has taken -place between the Dunedin Artillery Company and No. 6 Company, C.R.V., Christchurch, who fired at Hillsborough, on Saturday. The match was at 300, 400, and 500 yards, five rounds at each range, fifteen men on a side, Government prize regulations. The following was the score of No. 6 Company : — A* 300 yards, 214, at 400, 166, and at 500, 146. Total, 526. The above Bcore was surpassed by the Dunedin Artillery, who made at 300 yards 284, at 400, 206, and at 500, 163. Total, 603. The following is the state of H.M. Gaol for the week ending Tuesday, the 20th inst. Sentenced to penal servitude, 7 males ; sentenced to hard labor, 7 males, 5 females. Lunatics 5 males, 1 female ; debtor, 1. Total 20 males, 6 females. Discharged during the week, 2 males, and 1 female. Decrease for the week, 3.