SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC.

Southland Times, Issue 620, 18 January 1867, Page 5

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC.

At a meeting of the Waste Land Board, held Tuesday, the Bth January, the following block was sold : — Waimumu district, Mr Davies, 926 acres. It -would appear that His Excellency the Governor is really going to pay a visit to the South. Prom a telegram in the " Daily Times," 14th inst., we learn that he would leave Wellington for the South on Sunday last. Great preparations are being made at Christchurch and Dunedin for his reception. As it is almost certain that he will come to Invercargill, it is fitting that like preparations for his reception should be made. The Council is to be asked to vote a sum to be expended on the occasion. Can not a citizens committee be got up to give popularity to the event, and a special train put on to bring him up from the Bluff. The following is the state of H.M's Gaol for the week ending Tuesday, the 15th inst:— Sen, tenced to penal servitude, 5 males ; to hard labor 6 males and 2 females; debtors, 2 males ; committed for trial, 1. Total, 14 males and 2 females. Received during the week, 3 males. Discharged during the week, 1 male. Increase for the week, 2 males. From a letter from a settler at Spoer Bush, we learn, that the harvest is expected to prove satisfactory. He says:— "l have cut'fivo acres of good ripe oats on the Bth instant. They are cutting well, and I believe this is the first crop of the season cut in Southland." The opening performance at the Theatre Royal Wedneeday evening last, the I6th instant, attracted a very numerous audience, by whom Miss Juno was received with a cordial welcome. The curtain rose to Bayle Bernard's petite comedy, "The Four Sistera." A young lady, Miss Caroline Morton (Miss Juno), in the gratification of a feminine caprice, personates, to the confusion of a suitor, Mr Bsauchamp (Mr Roberts), three widely different characters — Diana, the atnazon, Eugenia, the sentimental, and Ellen, the domesticated— all supposed to be sisters of the aforesaid Caroline. Beauchamp, a highly impulsive young gentleman, of course falls captive to the charms of each, makes consecutive proposals and is as often on the point of being accepted or rejected. The inopportune arrival of his man "Snaffle" (Mr Wotton) invariably frustrates the amorous intention. A complete and highly satisfactory eclaircissement of course succeeds., ,We regret that our space will not permit us to notice particularly the various parts. Miss Juno looked and acted charmingly as ever, and was ably supported. In the "Bonny Fishwife," we need not say that a complete success was attained. Messrs Searle and Roberts rendered their parts well^and. " Gaiters," as we expectedTdrew down the house. The actors were loudly called for at the fall of the curtain. We should not omit mention of the character song by Mr Roberts (Finnigan's Wake), which was encored. On Friday evening will be presented "The Maid with the Milking Pail," " A Pair of Pigeons," and " Happy Man, or the Soldier of Fortune." From a report of the meeting of the Synod of Otago and Southland publisheD in the Daily Times, 11th January, we learn that, the balance Bheet showed that during the year 1866 the sum of £i,680 Os 4d was contributed towards the sustentation fund, it was resolved. "That application be made for six additional ministers, and that the matter be remitted to the Church Extension Committee ; and that the first collection recommenced be for the payment of their passage-money." The Clerk read; a reference from the Presbytery of Southland, asking for a minister for the pastoral districts. It was reBolved that the matter be referred to the Church i Extension Committee, with instructions to carry but the object r sought by .the Presbytery of Southland, under the remit atoadr made tb the cZartVmi." V , : ,..r ■ . o

plac* as advertise! On }it /kottu^i tifiA coniideriiig the »uu of thd w»*ther cam* off well. First race Wai for saddle, £10 iOii t won by M'Donald's Maoris black • gelding ; three started. Second race for FarnierY . Purse, £16; won by W. B. Kingswell's grey gelding, Rob Boy; four started. Third race for Publican's Put-so, £10; won by Douglass and Blythe's Norval ; seven started. Fourth race, Trotting Match, £10 ; won by Mr J. Mitchell's Straggler; three started. Fifth race, Hurry Scurry, £5 ; won by Mr Laurie's Eclipse ; seven started- - ; The Melbourne Champion Races appear to hare been a brilliant afiairl The Argus in coinimenting upon the event spoaksr iv glowing language of the speed of the winner Sarb. The fol-r lowingis an extract front the article: — "-The conqueror of 'the best. blood of Victoria oa the Randwick course, the winner of the MelbourneGup; of 1866, and the victor yesterday in a; race '■ which for fleetness has ;had. no. parallel in .th» colonies., ; vThe Barb has .'established \ nis reputation beyond cavil oridispute. Tho weuther was intensely hot, ' The;rays of the .sun struck the 'sKd with scorching severity: and, though the t breeze which sprang up from the sea, on the o'nahtiiid, acted as a. relief; it on the other hand stilted up the dust,'? '■ which: became an almost , intolerable^ nuisance. ■ By noon, a largo oongrega- • doff had aseemblod upon. ; the 'ground,' and still the people came streaming in from every direction. His Ekcellenby tlisr 'Governor, 'Sir Henry Manner* . ■Suttoni with 'his faraiiy >id suite, took up his position on the Grand Stanrl eft tweuty minute* past twelve, "and shortly .afterwarrte the sports commenced. The concourse of spectator? continued to received additions to the time when, the Champion Race was run, and at that period the number of persons present could not have been less than from 15,000 to 20,000." From the 3ST6rthern journals we learn that Mr Fitzgerald has received the permanent appointment of the non-political office of the comptroller of public revenues. He has consequently resigned his seat in the General Assembly. The emolument attached to the office is stated to £800 a-year. The LyUetton ftmes, 4th January in speaking upon this subject says :— No man connected with.Canterbury, we might say with New Zealand, has, been more prominently before the public eye, or exercised a wider influence on public affairs. And assuredly no one has maintained* higher character for all that is upright honorable and chivafrous than Mr Fitzgerald. He has sometimes stood alone in his opinions, and has perhaps more frequently stood on the side' of the minority than of the majority in political strife. But his speeches were always istened to with interest, both from the weighty his authority, and the brilliancy of his eloquence*. Often spoken of, both in jest and earnest, as " the first orator of lew Zealand," he seldom, if ever disappointed the expectations of his friends, or of the strangers who were attracted by curiosity to hear him. The private character of Mr FitzGerald is beyond the limit of our remarks. But it is permissable to say that it presents no grounds for secret reproaches, and requires the exercise of no reticence in public. "We hare often had occasion to oppose him both in matter* of provincial and colonial politics, but we can heartily apply to him, on the limited field of Hew Zealand partizanßhip, the expression once used by Sir Bobert Peelin regard to Lord Pahnerston. We* hare usually differed from him in opinion, and. have often regarded his policy with suspicion, but we can join with our fellow-colonists in saying, " ; We are all proud of him." After all, Mr FiteGeraia will not be wholly lost to Canterbury by his removal. He only goes to .Wellington." The Age, 4th January, says :— " The heat of the weather during the last two days has been almost unbearable. On Wednesday the thermometer registered from 89 deg. to 90 deg. in the shade in Collins-street ; and in Adelaide, we learn that in tke sun it went up as high as 149 deg Oh last Sunday, at Yape»n, a most unusual illustration of. the intensity _ of jfoe^hoat occurred. Mr Hohnefji a gardner has several hives of-, bees, and one of them was so placed as to receive the full rays of the sun, which melted the comb, and it fell to the bottom of . the hive, smothering the busy inma&B in their own food. On Tuesday, at Ballarat, the heat was also excessive, and bush fires were burning at various quarters of the horiaon. Mount Cole was on fire, and there is some ground for apprehending serious disasters to the farmers at this critical juncture in their industrial affairs. As showing the intense heat during the day, the Ballarat Star quotes the following readings, of the thermometer :— " At two o'clock to-day the thermometer stood at 158 deg. near the west inside wall of the Orphan Asylum, exposed to the sun direct. In the middle of the yard 135 deg. On the ground, exposed to the sun in the field, outside the building, 127 deg. Under the verandah facing eastwards, 103 deg. In the dining-room, with all the wire blinds down, 102 deg. The water standing in the pipe, exposed to the sun, 101 deg. The minimum temperature of water in the pipes, 72 deg." - « • We take the following commercial article from the Daily Times, 7th January : — So much more attention has been given to amusement than to business, that, as is usual at this holiday season, transactions have boen small, and more for the •upply of actual requirements than anything else ; however, it may be expected that the coming week will open with activity in all branches of trade. The flour market wears a better appearance, though no heavy operations or alterations in small quantity of imported coming forward, are necesßarilly very moderate, and holders are Bpecu- ; lating on .the probability of an advance. In malt liquors but little has been doing. English bulk ales in condition are scarce, and but little, if any, in the hands of importers, and probably not a hogshead will be on hand by the tune the new brew arrives. The auction sale of sugars on the 4th prevented any previous private transactions, nor has there been anything of moment doing since. Buyers remain fairly supplied. The demand for teas has been fair, but only for town trade. Enquiry for cornsacks has been checked by advices from Melbourne. We are also advised of ' a large increase in the price of malt. In spirits the demand has been, for immediate delivery, small; 'but there has been enquiry, for parcels of brandies coming forward. Holders, however, consider themselves justified, in the l present state of the market, in rejecting wny-