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Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 236, 2 April 1866, Page 2

We understand that the Commissioner of Crown Lands intends visiting the Paihi diggings during the early part of this week, for the purpose of granting protection tickets to such parties as may desire them. Mr. W. H. Aylmer, who for some three years has held the joint offices of Clerk to the Superintendent and Clerk to the Provincial Council, has resigned the latter office. The iucreased business in the Superintendent's department, we understand, has led this gentleman to take the step he has. During the time Mr. Aylmer has held the position as Clerk of the Council he has gained the respect of att with whom he has been thrown in contact for the efficient manner in which he has discharged the duties devolving upon him. The hon. the Postmaster- General (James Paterson, Esq.,) has paid Invercargill a visit. He arrived on Friday evening, and, we understand, will ieave for the North this day. The precise object of the hon. gentleman's visit has not transpired. It is a pity his visit Bhould be so thoroughly a ** flying " one, as there are many matters of importance that should be brought under his immediate notice, which cannot now be done, inasmuch as it is scarcely known that he is amongst us, before he is away again. We are in receipt of communications from the Otago Daily Times and Australian journals complaing that they do not receive the exchange copies of this paper with any degree of regularity. We can simply say that they are posted every pubheation morning and „that with whom the blame rests has yet to be determined. It will be our endeavour to find out. We have received the first number of a new bi-weekly West Coast paper, the Okarita Times, which, both from the matter and the style in which it is printed, seems likely to command success. It would appear that Auckland is in a similar position to Southland, — it has a railway difficulty. The 7f eekly News, of the 17th March, says : — " Yesterday we printed the preliminary report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the manner in wliich the railway works have been executed. We refrain from comment upon this document until the report of the Railway Engineers, in reply, shall have been published. The members of the Board of Railway Commissioners asked until Monday, to enable- Mr. Stewart to prepare his reply ; and, as the delay was agreed to by -;he Council, we deem it right not to prejudice the case." The Wettington papers are quarrelling over Mr Paterson. The Independent, which is antiministerial, persists in considering Mr Paterson's a ministerial statement, and finds in it food for embarrassing the Government. The Advertiser, which is veering round to the Government, denies Mr Paterson's right to make a ministerial statement, since, it contends, he has only a temporary position . in the Government, and that he has shown, by remaining ungazetted, he was aware such was the case. Our Wellington correspondent, it wttl be observed, who is generally well informed on what is occurring, seems to consider Mr Paterson is not likely to remain in the Government. A new rush is reported in the Okarita Times, respecting which that paper says : — " Now, as we do not wish to be accused of misleading, we may candidly state that though a lead of gold has unquestionably - been found that will be of the greatest benefit to the community, it is not of such an extensive nature as to justify the fuss that was made about it ; we speciaUy mention 'this that persons at a distance may not insanely come here en masse. At present, without doubt, a further access of miners would be rather an evil than a good j if circumstacces justify it, we shaU too gladly publish such welcome news as will attract thousands. At present this is not the case, and in referring to the present rush, we wish distinctly to be understood as' not in the sUghtest degree holding out any inducement to those settled in other places." The Nelson Fvening Mail, 20th March, thus comments upon the Completion of the telegraph Unefrom the most Southern end of the Island (the Bluff to the Northern extremity (Nelson), it says: — "In our columns of yesterday appeared the first telegraphic despatch which has been roceived in Nelson, thus announcing that the great national work of connecting all parts of New Zealand by means of the telegraphic wire had been thus far completed, by the connection of all the provhices of the Middle Island. It is impossible to overrate the importance of this work. We are no longer divided by great distances from our southern neighbors ; we need no longer be in ignorance of what is going on among them; the miahty agent of civilization that has just been brought to our doors, wiil literally annihilate time and space in the interchange of ideas, in the conveyance of counsel or direction. -It will unite us more as" a people ; it will bind us more together as a nation ; the petty ideas which an ultra provincialism has engendered among our small, scattered communities, will disappear before the > national feeling which will be fostered by its J means."

The Argus states that petroleum in a crude form has been found in quantity on the Cooxong, in South Australia. We 'find from the Hawke's Bay papers, that some 'seventy of the native prisoners had left Napier in th«* s.s. St. Kilda for the Chatham Islands. This is the first instalment, and it is the first trial of an experiment made by the present Ministry to overcome what has hitherto proved an almost in,sur mountable difficulty. We betteve that the scheme originated with Mr. Stafford, and, should it prove successful, he will certainly be entiled to aU praise for having reUeved the country from continual annoyance and a very heavy expense. It is to be hoped that those men charged with being impUcated or concerned in the Volkner and Fulloon tragedies, but against whom there may be a difficulty in proving direct participation in the capital offence, wttl also be furnished with quarters at the Chathams, while those of their comrades who are found guilty of the capital offence suffer the extreme penalty of the law. We understand that the prisoners thus banished for a term to this model Siberia wttl be permitted to take with ~ them their wives and famines, if they desire to do so, and that the period of their banishment wttl mainly depend upon the course of events in the Northern Island of New Zealand. The accounts from Auckland stttl show the prevalence of great distress in that Province. The men of Waikato Regiments would appear to be almost in a starving condition, and the Southern Cross, speaking on the subject, makes these observations : — " We say the time has come — has more than come — for action on the part of this Province. There are many things we could do for these unfortunate people. There is one thing, at all events, which ought to be done speedily, and that is to lessen the cost of supplies by opening , up means of communication. With freights at the present rates, it will be impossible to do much in developing the resources of the country. What is produced must be sold at nominal rates to those having the monopoly of trade; and, in the meantime, thousands are UteraUy in a starving condition. Can this be aUowed to last ? We extract the foUowing from the Okarita Timse of the 17th inst : — " Yesterday morning, it may be said, there was famine in Okarita, for meat was unattainable : even good hams or salt meat were almost so j fish, of which there is usuaUy so good a supply, was nrtto be had, and altogether things looked very blue indeed. A greater proof of the necessity for caterers providing a con tinuous supply of the necessaries of life could not be given. In order that those at a distance may form an estimate of the cost of Hying, we submit a few of the retail prices. What is called the 4 lb loaf is 2s ; meat, beef or mutton, Is 9d per lb (when attainable) ; tea, sugar, and other necessaries are at an adlance of about 20 per cent, on Hokitika prices. The cause of a deficient supply of meat may be traced to the sudden influx of population, with with the butchers have not kept up their meat supply. The prices charged are ridiculous too, for, unUke Hokitika, where animals can find no food for twenty mttes, there is abundant feed within a very short distance, enough indeed not only to keep, but to fatten stock in abundance. By importing in excess of the immediate wants of the people, the supplus sheep or cattle would be im proving instead of falling off in weight, and the quality of the meat would be increased in a great degree." Every item of New Zealand produce is of general importance. Every fresh article of export is so much added to the development of the resources of colony, and should lead to the advancement of every part of the colony. What can be done in one Province can be done in another ; therefore we call the attention of Southland to the foUowing' paragraph, which we cttp from the Weekly News (Auckland,) viz. : — " Some time ago we caUed attention to the fact that lambswool mats, of any color, and superior to any imported mats of a similar description, were being manufactured by Mr. William Fleming, an old Auckland settler, at his house, Franklyn Road, Freeman's Bay. We are glad to say that the publicity thus given has been of great service in laying the foundation of what, we h6pe, will yet prove to be an extensive "and creditable local industry. Mr. Fleming has had his hands full of orders ; and our suggestion to tbe butchers to assist him in. a choice of skins has been met in the spirit in which it was tendered. Mr. Fleming informs us that he now has every facttity given him for securing the best skins for bis purpose.