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Southland Times, Issue 639, 4 March 1867, Page 2

There is nothing definite known as to the Gl-overnor's visit to this Province. The latest intelligence (27 ult) to hand as to his movements records his Excellency receiving addresses, attending dejeuners, balls, &c, at Oamaru, and his departure for the Waitaki. Nothing definitely since has been ascertained as to his whereabouts. The rumors floating about his expected arrival on Friday have not been corroborated up to late on Saturday evening. The telegraph wires to Dunediri have not been in working order since last Friday, between twelve and one o'clock. W© may, however, state on good authority that in the event of despatches from the North, which have been received by this time, proving satisfactorysuch as would not require the immediate attendance of His' Excellency at Wellington — there is every probability that the ministerial programme will be carried out, and Sir George pay a visit to Southland. There is, however, no information relative to the route to be taken by the Tice-regal party. Eebata. — Owing to a mistake .having occurred, in our report of the Church of England Parochial meeting, in a recent issue, we annex a corrected list of the names of the gentlemen elected as churchwardens and vestrymen. Vestry* men, Messrs Colyer, Hare, Moore, Kingsland, Scandrett, Wade, McCulloch, J. Smith, and Weldon; Churchwardens, Messrs Brodrick and Butts. It is a subject for comment that Southland is more destitute of fruit than any other Province in New Zealand. The question is often asked, can Southland grow fruit; is the climate and soil adaptable? It is. During the last few weeks we have inspected samples of Provincial fruit of various kinds, that for size and flavor could not be surpassed. Yesterday we were shown a sample of peaches grown by John Blacklock, Esq., quite equal to anything we have seen produced in the Australian colonies. There can be no qnestion but Southland has a soil, and a climate pre-eminently adapted for cultivation of every description. Population and energy is all that is required to make it acknowledged to De the garden of New Zealand. The delapidated state of the drains and gratings in the town is beginning to attract public attention. The old adage that " a stitch in tima saves nine" is daily becoming more fully recognised as a trueism. The caving in of the drains and the springing of the the gridiron footpaths offer evidence that unless some action is taken by the citizens the streets of Invercargill will soon be in as bad a condition as they were previous to the operations of the Town Board. It has been suggested, and we believe favorably received, that steps should be taken to procure a Municipal Ordinance for Invercargill. We are not in a position to state what steps are being taken, but one thing is certain, either the Government must take the matter in hand, or a Municipality be obtained — the latter is the most to be desired. Next Tuesday evening the Theatre will be opened. The performances will commence with the drama of " Love in Humble Life." Selections will be given from " Jeanie Deans " by Miss Juno, winding up with the exciting piece, entitled " Winning a Husband, or Seven's the Main. 11 From the^variety of the evening's entertainments, a full house may be expected. Judge Hargraves (says the " Sydney Morning Herald") has rather astonished the patrons of the ring, as well as the performers there, by sentencing two pugilists to a twelvemonths' imprisonment. Utterly disregardful of the morals of the muscular school, the learned Judge treated fighting as a breach of the peace, and as the combatants were warned by the police, and declined to go, the crime of disobedience to authority was added. The Judge did not seem to think that fights were any way more commendable because they were " prize " fights ; on the contrary, ho seemed to think they were less so, as they were got up and attended by rowdies. We are inclined to agree with his Honor. Many apprentices (says the " Wellington Evening Post") do not understand that strict obedience to their masters is, most essential to the utmost letter of the law, and at last a lad in Auckland has been punished as an example to others. Mr Holdship, a carpenter and builder, took one of his apprentices into the Resident Magistrate's Court for being insolent, and the Seech not only sent the lad to gaol for 48 hours, but told him that if ever his master- complained of his disobedience again he would get at least one month's imprisonment. The " Grey Biver Argus " says a rather novel match for no less than £100 a-side came off at BUgour's Union Hotel. It consisted of a real trial of skill in the art of tieing ginger beer corks, between one of the employees of Messrs Mace and JDisoa, of Hokjtita, and Mr John Strike, of

G-reymouth, Considerable interest was taken in the match, and the friends of the respective com« petitors backed their favorite freely. The match was commenced by Mr Strike's opponent who in one hour succeeded in tieing eighty-two dozen and eight bottles. This was considered such a wonderful work that the betting became decidedly against Mr Strike, but when he set to work, and the rapidity with which he could perform his task became evident, the confidence of the backers of the opposite party considerably decreased. Mr Strike signally eclipsed his antagonist, his number being eithty-five dozen, and two bottles, with fifteen seconds to spare. This shows the most wonderful proficiency, the average being more than seventeen bottles per minu*e. "When it is borne in mind that each eork had to be well tied, and the ends of the twine cut neatly off, the remarkable celerity displayed on the occaseion may be understood. We had no idea that such a display of manipulation was possible. It appears that the Waste Lands Board of Ofcago will sell on the 25th inst.. about 100,000 acres of unsurveyed land within the Hundreds of Dunedin, East and West Taieri, Waihola, North and South Tokomairiro, and East and West Clutha, at an upset price of 10s. an acre. The sale will take place in the Provincial Government Buildings, Dunedin. Another fire is reported in last Auckland advices. It took place at Freeman's Bay, and was fortunately discovered before any serious damage was done. A clerk in the railway department — a man occupying a good position in society — has just absconded from Sydney — leaving defalcations to a large amount. He took a passage on board the American schooner Woodland, bound from Newcastle to San Francisco, and must have sailed on Friday night or Saturday morning (the 25th or 26th ult). The Empire points out the use of the Panama service in enabling the defaulter to be caught on landing, and says: — It is obvious that if our costly police display sufficient diligence and intelligence, this man may be caught by means of the Panama line, as the telegraph wires were said to have caught John Tawell. The Woodland, being loaded with coal, is not likely to make a very brisk passage to San Francisco. In the meantime, the Kaikoura, which leaves Sydney this evening, may be expected to be surely at Panama in from thirty to thirfy-eight days. The passage thence bj steamer to San Francisco occupies about fourteen days — in all about six or seven weeks : so that, supposing all things to be reasonably favorable, the warrant for the arrest of the defaulter, and duly certified by the American consul, might be at San Francisco before the arrival of the collier, or very close upon her heels. Certainly this is not one of the services which we had anticipated from the Panama line, and it might be very disagreeable to the runaway, but it might be useful, not only to the colony that he has left, but also to " the land of his adoption." The first of the Tasmanian-born salmon have returned from the sea to fresh water. The " Mercury" of the 15th ult. says :— " Mr Kamsbottom was right in fixing on all January and February as the months in which the salmon let loose at the Plenty last year would be back from the sea. We had no doubt whatever that the large fish seen jumping out of the water at New Norfolk, a fortnight or three weeks ago,. were some of these sabnon, but they were not then seen by persons who could identify them. Now, however, Dr Officer, one of the salmon commissioners, has handed us a letter from Dr Houston, of New Norfolk, in which the thing appears to be put beyond all doubt. Dr Murphy, the Boman Catholic bishop, was up at the salmon ponds, with j3ome of his clergy, on Wednesday, and on their return, two of them, Father Dunne, Vicar-Q-ene-ral, and Dean Hayes, distinctly saw a fish leap out of the water at the Dry Creek. Dean Hayes did not know what it was, but Father Dunne, whose residence in the neighborhood of a salmon fishery in Ireland had familiarised him with the 'subject, at once pronouueed it a sahnon. It may therefore, be safely concluded that the salmon are getting back from the sea, and that some of them are now within two miles of the place at which they were hatched. Dr Officer informs us of another large fish seen by two gentlemen in the Derwent so close to the banks of the river as to be distinctly recognised as a sahnon. This is good news, and Mr Eamsbottom has, we understand, been put in possession of it. We shall, doubtless hear from that gentleman further on the subject in the course of a few day." The Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition was to close on the 23rd ult. The jurors sent in their awards on the 14th, on which occasion there was a grand ceremonial, in which his Excellency the Governor and all the leading public functionaries took part. There seems every probability of the building being retained for a "Victorian Industrial Museum, after the model of the South Kensington institution. The attendance of the public during the month (says the " Illustrated Post") was very large, the price of admission being reduced to allow an opportunity to all classes of colonists to visit the Exhibition. On the occasion of making known the awards of the jurors to the successful exhibitors, the following particulars were stated in an address presented to the Q-overnor : — " The exhibits were ranged under six classes — ' Mineral Products,' 'Animal Products,' 'Agricultural, 'Horticultural, and Indigenous Vegetable Products/ 'Manufactures and the Useful Arts,' ' The Ornamental Arts,' and • Machinery.' These were divided into thirty-six sections and sub - sections. The number of jurors engaged in the investigation of the objects belonging to these divisions amounted to 224, several acting on more than one jury. The jurors have already prepared, or have in course of preparation, reports full of interesting matter concerning the objects of their several sections. These will be published and issued to the public as quickly as possible, and then collected into a volume. This will be the proper occasion for doing justice to the works of individuals, which, though good in many respects, were yet not deemed worthy of the highest distinction. Some idea of the extent of the honorary labors undertaken by the furors may be formed when it is known that they commenced their work of examination on the 20th of December, and have continued if without intermission up to the present day. Helving upon the accumulated experience of the authorities connected with the Great Exhibition of 1862, it was decided that only one description of medal should be awarded for excellence ■wherever it was found, without reference to competitioiL betaeea .exhibitor* j and in cases .where

i it was ascertained that articles possessed excel* ■ lencG of a kind which deserved a special mention, L without, however, being up to the standard^hioh i would entitle them to a medal, it was decided to l award them certificates under the title of ' honor- , able mention.' The number of medals voted by ■ the jurors amount at present to 615, and the honorable mentions to 674. From the opening i of the Exhibition on the 23rd of October last , there have been 242,892 admissions registered at the doors, and the gross receipts, including 4674 season-ticket holders, amount up to date to £9120." In the list of exhibitors to whom medals are awarded, we find those of R. Hamilton (New Zealand) for wool. For resins, gums, &c, John Scott. For cereals, Hay Bros, and W. H. B. Junor. For fabrics in silk, wool, cotton, &o. John Scott, Invercargill.