The Southland Times. MONDAY, APRIL 1, 1867.

Southland Times, Issue 651, 1 April 1867, Page 2

The Southland Times. MONDAY, APRIL 1, 1867.

A meeting of the Hospital Committee was held in the Government buildings on Saturday last, noon, at which it was arranged that the Committee Bhould meet at the Hospital this morning, at 10 o'clock, for the purpose of formally taking over the management from the Provincial Government. The institution may therefore he considered to he now in the possession of the public, and we trust its efficiency may he in nowise impaired, or its usefulness circumscribed by the change. We call the attention of our readers to the sale of the "Jolly Waggoners," which takes place on the premises on Wednesday first. Tha house is situated at the summit of the Dome Pass, on the Lake road, and is far-famed amongst the carriers, who are, and have been, on the road. It also occupies a good position with regard to neighboring stations. The property comprises a good accommodation house, a blacksmith's forge,, small mill, and cultivated farm of some 50 acres. i Altogether, we should say the above sale offers a first rate opening for an industrious settler. Mr Todd is the Auctioneer. On every hand we hear congratulations on the extremely fine weather which has prevailed for the last eight or nine months. An unexceptionably fine seed-time was succeeded by an equally fine summer, which, in due course, gave place to a harvest season o'- which none could complain; and jui* *s the necessity for rain was beginning to be felt, we have had a week of moderate moisture, sufficient to molify the Boil, and make it cut sweetly to the plough ; and again we have promise of another fine " tid." We might almost believe that we are already feeling the ameliorating influences which extensive cultivation is known to exert on the most rigorous climates. This must be highly gratifying to our industrious settlers, who have had so many difficulties to contend with in the shape of bad roads and bad seasons. The long summer, just drawing to a close, combined with the excellent crops which they have this year garnered, and the exertions befrg made by the Government in improving the roads, must convince many who were beginning to despair, that there is reality in the motto wreathed on Mr Stewart's floral device, at the recent flower show — " Labor overcomes all." The "New Zealand Herald," in a recent article, says :— " The taxation of the Colony is indeed the question of the day> and one that will have to be unflinchingly faced in the next session of the Assembly. An average taxation of £6 per annum paid by each man, woman, and child in the Colony, say £30 by each family, is so monstrous a state of things, that it cannot pass unheeded. And for what purpose is the money thus raised expended ? Setting aside the permanent charges, we find it spent to maintain an army of some 1500 officials required to administer thegovernment of some 30,000 colonists. Talk, indeed, of European aristocracies living by the oppression of the working classes. What have we in New Zealand but the most irksome of ola§» oppression — the whole public tithed and tax«d for the support of a privileged caste, the governing families of New Zealand north and south, and their parasites and relations, some fifteen hundred in number." From the " West Coaet Times" we take the following report of a brutal outrage committed at Hokitika, and capture of the perpetrator : — " Aman of color, Vincent, cruelly stabbed his fellow servant at the Provincial Hotel, a young woman named Keleen. He was remanded until the 20th instant, when it was hoped the victim of his violence will be in a position to give evidence against him. Miss Keleen is progressing very favorably towards recovery. She avers that, after locking the doors, i Vincent advanced knife in hand and threatened to kill her if she screamed. She, naturally ' alarmed at his menacing attitude, uttered a loud I exclamation, upon which he stabbed her in the 1 breast, and then she closed with him in selfdefence. Of what afterwards occurred she has but a faint recollection, but from the fact of the narrow passage being covered with blood, it is inferred that one or more of the wounds were inflicted there. It appears that Vincent became infuriated on being found fault with for neglect in the preparation of the breakfast. He would probably have killed the girl, had it not been for a butcher named Skeen, at whom he also made a desperate stab. He escaped from the house towards the beach pursued by a crowd of persons, and being hardly pressed, plunged into the surf, and absolutely Bwam outside the break, and there remained apparently quite at home in the water. Information of what had taken place having been i conveyed to the camp, several constables were | despatched to the scene, who, keeping Vincent in" view, followed him as he swam, and was carried northward* by the current. Arriving ; abreast of the Montezuma (a distance of nearly a mile), he showed signs of exhaustion, and made for the shore ; but seeing the beach covered with people all eager for his capture, he hesitated in his approach, and appeared inclined to put to sea again. At this juncture of affairs, Constable Rice (the Polioe Court orderly) volunteered to swim after him, and a long line being fortunately at hand, was attached to the constable's waist, ! who thereupon dashed into the surf, and being a i strong swimmer, soon reaohed Vincent. A des- [ perate struggle ensued — Rice clinging to bis man i with bulldog tenacity, the other as desperately j struggling to free himself, both men being several times covered by the surf as it roiled in. . Seeing that the constable had secured the man, those on shore commenced hauling in the line, which, ! being old and rotten, broke, but fortunately a little distance only from the first man holding it. A young fellow named Morgan, observing the mishap, made a dash at the end, which he caught just as it was disappearing in the aurf, and being j aided by a score or so of willing hands, succeeded in hauling the two men ashore." The "New Zealand Herald" o&ys :„•— The present commercial depression in Auckland is mainly the effect of a cause which ought to be clear to every one. And it is simply this, that, the town has overgrown itself, and is too large for the ordinary requirements of the country. The bounds to the increase and expansion of our trade we very easily passed. They are so now, for the number of tyadera in town, men who deal in property oreated by others, is too great for the trade created by the producer of wealth among u&

A correspondent of the "West Coast Time*" at the Haast river, state* that numbers of the storekeepers are leaving, and matters generally were assuming a sombre aspect. Rumors as to new ground were constantly being circulated, but all had proved incorrect or exaggerations. At the Four-mile diggings things are somewhat more cheering, W'inost of the claimholders are now busy washing up, and in some cases the ground has been worked with>great advantage, two claims yielding as much as from £25 to £30 per week cash. The establishment of a post office in the district had given universal satißfacton. Two men were crossing the river the other day, and the current carried one off his feet and out to sea. It is believed that he was seized with an epileptic fit while in the stream, and became powerlesß to save himself. A public meeting' of persons desirous to proceed to California has been held at Auckland. It was resolved to take the names of all persons desirous of securing passages, and leave the list with the Chairman for submission to the American Consul, with a view of having a vessel placed at their disposal without delay. The list was then handed round, and signed by more than half the number present. A correspondent of the " New Zealand Herald," writing from New Plymouth, says : — " A man by the name of Brady, formerly of the 65tb, and lately a military settler, was murdered by the "Han-haus" about four miles beyond Warea, and about thirty miles from New Plymouth. He was supposed to have from £50 to £100 in his possession at the time. He was shot through the stomach, and his head smashed in. When found, all the flesh was off his face, supposed to have been eaten off by rats. He was shot on the 27th ultimo, and his body recovered and brought into Warea on the sth instant. The Magistrates of New Plymouth were to hold a meeting on the Bth instant, in order to ascertain what course to pursue to bring the murderers to justice. It is supposed that 150 or 200 men will be sent out."