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Southland Times, Volume VI, Issue 493, 13 June 1866, Page 2

j Ifc will bo perceived from our other columns that tha debt of tho Province is rapidly decreasing. Wo less than £1536 was realised by the sale of land yesterday. This Bpeaks hopefully for the future of the Province. It will bo perceived from our advertising columns that the Airedale does not sail until 10 o'clock on Thursday (to-morrow) morning, and that slio goes via the West Coast, taking passengers for England by the Panama line. A meeting o£ the Chumber of Commerce was held yesterday. The attendance was numerous. Dr Menzies, and Mr Wood, tho representative for the Town, were in attendance. The Eangitoto is advertised to sail on the 13th for Melbourne. "We are indebted to Mr Charles TRous Marten, Director of Meteorological Station, Southland, for the following:— A smart shock of earthquake occurred last SaturJay morning at 17 minutes to 9. I& was preceded by the usual subterranean rumbling* j The movement was from e; % .3t to west, it lsßtsd vei*y few seconds, although the shock itself was very nearly as sharp as that of June sth/ 1863' and more so than those of Juue 12th, 1562, ami November 20th, 1863, tho next in force. The barometer had fallen two days previously, and had been stationary for 24 hours, at 29.381 inches. It rained heavily from dawn until 8.40 a,.m., when it suddenly cleared, and the sky and clouds assumed a very peculiar appearance. Directly afterwards the earthquake took place. There were the same meteorological pheonomon which have attended other earthquakes in very high temperature, frequent hygromatic variations, sudden changes of wind, much thunder and lightning, great magnetic disturbance, and compact masses of thick vapour moving about near the surface ef the ground. On the following day the barometer rose rapidly to 30.Q19 inches, and has remained ai that point undisturbed by the boigteroua "weather of tb.9 la^t thsw d,&ys,

"We take the following from the newly-starigd Penny Journal, published!] in Auckland: — "Wo ore glad to see that the effort lately made to spread what is called provincialism in this colony, is working its own euro. "What has this so-called provincialism done for us? Is it any good, or can it by any possibility do goodP We reply in the negative. The whole thing 'is radically and thoroughly bad. But why is it badP " To begin with : We have now nine petty and independent sovereignties, and a mere handful of people. We are split up just like Italy — and should we enjoy this state of things long enough, we should be cursed like Italy. The very cost of our petty governments is enormous — not so much for the vast amount of money spent, because there ia little to spend — as because the greater part of the N little money that there is to be spent, is swallowed up io. the cost of administration. We do not argue that these great tracts of unoccupied country which are now called provinces, and which bear a strong resemblance to Martin Chuzzlewitt's Yankee villages— should be left without government ; but we do argue that we do not want nine petty legislatures, passing laws that are disallowed, laws that 'are mischievous ; borrowing money, and generally playing at t\ o game of beggar-my-neighbor. We do Bay that the state of things that now exists will only get worse the_.longerjt continues-rthe opinion ofDr Featherston, or any other Superintendent of a province to the contrary-r-the sooner the whole System is swept away the better." The G-overnment is frequently called upon to do things which is beyond their power, and censured for not doing them. There are some little things which they can do with credit to themselves and great advantage to the public, if done at the right time. For instance a few days ago, the horse crossing in Esk and Dee streets was in a dangerous condition, and in a few hours the prisoners put it in good order, but in doing so they heaped up two mounds of mud which have proved far more inconvenient and even dangerous to foot passengers than the road ever was . j to animals. - This nuisance could be cleared away | at a cost of ouly a few shillings at the most, or for literally nothing, if ths prisoners and the police dray was employed. Why is this not done ? The Zephyr, schooner, has been successfully floated, and is now moored at the Mokomoko jettyMessrs Spencer and Livesey arrived in. town on Monday, having left Stewart's Island on Sunday last. These gentlemen were for three weeks a^ tlie scene of the wreck, and by hard work for a week, succeeded in floating her ; but soon discovered that there was a necessity to re-beach her, inasmuch as it was found that she was leaking to an extent that rendered it a risk to take her to eea. .After another week's labor she was again afloat, but did not put to sea until Sunday, and then made the run across iv splendid style . Our informant states that for the first week the weather was most favorablo for their operations ; but during the last two weeks south-east gales rendered the work tedious and laborious. We understand that the vessel has not been seriously strained, tlie principle dint causing the leak, being two planks on the port side. The vessel will have a thyruugu ovefnauling, and then wo understand it is the intention of the ownor3 to keep her as a Southland trader. The following is the state of H. M. Gaol for the week ending Tuesday, the 12fch current: — - Sentenced to penal servitude, 6 males ; sentenced to hard labor, 8 males; lunatics, 5 males and 1 female; debtors, 1 male; total, 20 male 3 and 1 female ; discharged during the week, 1 female ; Decrease for the week, 1 female. The Chinese are gradually increasing in ©tago. For some months passed a large number have been at work on old ground in the vicinity of Gabrial's Gully, and we have not heard of any crimes having been committed by them. From the Dunstan Times, 2nd June, we learn they have made their appearance in the Dunstan district. It says :— " John Chinaman has at last paid a visit to the Dunstan. Ten interesting specimens of the Flowery Land arrived at Clyde, by wag gon, from Dunedin, on Monday last. They have already com menced washing the gravelly beaches of the Molyneux , and appear satisfied with their prospects. The pen is generally supposed to bo a poor instrument for carving out a fortune. If the following be correct it not appear to be so in America. The profits of the Kew York newspapers during the past- year have been unprecedented. The ' Herald' has yielded about 300,000 dols. ; the ' Tribune,' 165,000 dols. ; the ' Times, over 100,000 dols. ; the ' World,' nearly 100,000 dols. : 'Express,' 'Journal of Commerce,' • Commercial,' and ' Evening Post,' from 40,000 dola. to 85,000 dola. each. The award of the prizes fir the best essay on Southland as a field for Emigration will be made* to-day. We understand that four have been received, and that, the writer of the "one bearing' the signature "of "Live and Lei; Live'^is the successful competitor. We are informed that sorno of the others display much ability, and are deserving of publication. Some, time since a ■ sample of the petroleum' found at, the Sugar Loaves were sent to Dr. . Sydney .Gibbons/ of Melbourne, for analysis. A letter from Dr. Gibbon 3 on the subject was re* ceived by the Phoebe, of which' tho following i an extract :— l&lboitrne, May 12th, 1866. Goa S tlemen, — I find the^speciuc gravity of the sample, to be 0.955,757. - It yields on distilation a fine clear oil, much of which coincs over at a comparatively low temperature. The amount of nonvolatile residue is .very triOing, 'and tho crystalizable products, paraffins and napfcbaline, are small in amount. Even without submitting it to any purifying process, the first portion of the distillate was nearly colorless, and* the products coming over below 600° F., which amounted to nearly 4*o per cent., was at first only of a pale straw color, but in thno acquired a sherry wine color. This product wa s perfectly sweet, and by no means unpleasant in smell, in fact, almost fragrant. The nest products were all taken together ; they amounted to 526 per cent., and were of .a darker color. They have now, after several days, the color of very dark sherry, or of malt vinegar. This product will need purifying. But I intend to experiment further on thJ3-mat-ter, and sliall advise you of the results. This petroleum is one of the finest, ii\at has come into my hands. I congratulate) you Heartily on your " strike," and hope that the jield will be abundant, and tlie enterprise successful, — I am, &c, Sydney Gasßoi<-3, Analysist, The Alpha, Petroleum Company,

The Wellington Press, in glowing terms congratulate the Province upon the sale of about three thousand acres of land, at fire shillings an acre. If this is a matter for congratulation to the Empire City, they must feel rather as tonished at the fact, that little Southland is Belling land at the rato of twenty thousand acres per month, at one pound per acre. The 2feio Zealand, Advertiser, Ist June, says : — " A sale of land which toot place at the Grown Lands Office yesterday, proveß pretty clearly the wisdom of the great five shillings land scheme ! Over 3161 acres were offered for sale, all of which was bought up, and the lowest price was abore the upset price, while the highest reached a guinea an acre. This land is in the Eangitumau Block, Wairarapa, and the entire lot was subdivided into twelve sections, and disposed oL If land can be sold at such prices, surely it would have been better to hare fixed a higher up»t price, and by excluding the mere epeculators to whom tho Superintendent is bo suddenly averse, encourage the early settlement of the country by farmers whoj would buy the land to till it." The General Government Gazette of Wednesday last contains a notice of ihe infceiifcian to grant the following gold mining leases : — William Bringezn, Charles Benge, and John Boir; German Reef, G-erman G-ullyj Arrow River ; 1 acre 5 perches. — Charles Edward Haughton, James Cornish, and Henry C. Richmond ; German Chilly, Arrow River, about two and a half miles from Arrowtown (adjoining the prospectors' claim on the north) ; 16 acres 2 roods, and 4 perches. — James Cornish, Henry Corning Richmond, Charles Edward Eaughton, Ritchie Young, George Charles Bowman, and Michael Hunt, German Gully, Arrow River, about two and a half miles from Arrowtown (adjoining the prospectors' claim on the south) ; 16 acres, 2 roods, and 4 perches. — Alexander Menziea and Robert 3?aulds Williamson, German Reef, German Gully. Arrow River; 16 acres, 2 roods and 4 perches.