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Southland Times, Issue 613, 2 January 1867, Page 2

The Christmaß week has been far from satisfactory. During the last few days the intense heat that was experienced, has changed into intense cold. Dnring this time there has been hail, rain, and strong gales of wind, that has marred the pleasurable expectations of many. A pubUc meeting wUI be held this evening (2nd January, 1867), at the Theatre Royal, Mr J. M. M'Clure wUI propose a resolution relative to the obtaining a dissolution of the Provincial CouncU. From an advertisement in another column, it wiU be seen that the meeting of the Provincial CouncU has been fixed for Monday, the 14th January, 1867. We would remind intending tenderers for the lease of the InvercargUl Jetty that their tenders must be sent in before noon this day. We learn that the Colonial Treasurer (the Hon. Mr Fitzherbert) is at present in Otago. The object of his visit or the length of his stay is unknown. There is Uttle doubt that pubUc business has been the cause of his trip South. It is more than probable that he wUI visit InvercargUl. We learn from a return laid before the Provincial CouncU of Canterbury, that Mr Doyne, C.E., has received from the Provincial Government no less than £11,696 ior professional services, chiefly as consulting engineer, since October 4th, 1864. On this the Lyttelton Times remarks: — We, think it may be said that Mr Doyne has not found Canterbury a bad mUch cow. We do not wish to pry too closely into his personal movements, but at the same time we should like to know whether Mr Doyne was actuaUy present in the settlement during the whole time of the carrying on of the works for which he was, in our opinion, paid so liberally. If he made a further profit of sixty pounds per mUe for his plans and estimates of the Tasmanian raUway during the same period, we can only congratulate him on meeting with such simpleminded, easy going people as our own Bealey Government must have been. The estimates for pubUc works under the Provincial Engineer's superintendence for the current year amounted to £105,000. On Mr Doyne's terms of six and ahalf per cent., and in accordance with the idea started by the Press, the cost of plans and superintendence would amount to £6825." This statement out " Herod's ; Herod ' Marchant's claims on the Southland Government, extravagent as they were, did not even approximate to a comparison to this. We would like to know what the present supervision of the raUways costs the Southland Government. We take the foUowing account of the progress of the Buller, Nelson Province, from the Nelson Examiner, 25th December. It says : — " Hitherto the chief centres of population on the West Coast have been the ports of Hokitika and Greymouth, besides which, Okarita, a township on a emaU river farther south, has also put forward claims to be the port of an important mining district. Each of these townships has its newspaper — Hokitika, its daUy morning and evening journals ; but now rival towns are springing up to the northward, and Westport, at the BnUer, has its Times, the first number of which, pubUshed on Saturday laßt, is lying before us ; whUe the port of Brighton, at Fox's River, has its Times also, quotations from which are given in the other West Coast papers, but the paper itself we have not seen. The establishment of these journals, and the advance that has taken place at Westport, are attributable to the discovery recently made of good paying ground at Pakihi, which induced further prospecting in that neighbourhood, and led to the discovery of gold at Fox's River. Theße discoveries will prove, no doubt, of great service to this province, and we therefore gladly welcome the first number of a newspaper published in the district. Hitherto we have had to trust for information from the Buller and its neighbourhood to very uncertain channels of communication, but now, with two newspapers pubUshed in the district, we hope to be kept far better informed with respect to what is taking place in a neighborheod in which we are so deeply interested. Thers is reason for thinking this wiU be the case.