The Southland Times WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1867.

Southland Times, Issue 652, 3 April 1867, Page 2

The Southland Times WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1867.

W<J haw.again the melancholy duty imposed upon -U9' of, announcing to ouv readers the occurrence of one of those terrible calamities from which the capital of the sister province has lately suffered so frequently. A fire, which, from particulars to hand, appears to have been' the most disastrous that has hitherto occurred in TSevr Zealand, broke out in Dunodin ou Monday night about 11 o'clock, and spread with fearful rapidity, destroying in ouo hour upwards of twenty of the most oxtonsivo warohouses in the town, ; besidos other property. Such scanty particulars as wo havo yet received will be fouud in our other columns, under tho' head of " Telegraphic Despatches." Wo will, ou arrival of first mail from Dunodin, give full particulars. The Hospital Committeo mot on Monday morning at 10 o'clock to tako formal possession of tho Hospital, and adjourned at 2 p.m., and mofc again it 6 p.m. On Saturday they engaged tho married conplo who havd been for somo timo employed as cook and matron to continue, but found on Monday that they had altered their minds. Temporary provision was then made. The female lunatic; was. removed by the Superintendent from the Hospital in the charge of Dr Monckton.. There were eleven indoor patients in the Hospital. | By last European mail we notice the following items amongst "English Commercial Intelli- . genee," under date London, Jan 20:— The directors of the Bank of Otago have issued a circular to the shareholders, stating the net profits at £13,157 115.,. and declaring a dividend at the rate of six per cent, per annum for the six months. £5,958 18s. lOd. is carried to new account. The debt of the Southland Gi-overnmentto the Bank is reduced from £159,852 to £85,007, aiid the whole amount is to be repaid on or before the 31st of December, 1368. The report of tho position of the Union Bank of Australia, presented on the 14th inst., showed an available total of £107,248, and recommended a dividend of £2 2s 6d per share, or ■at the rate of eight and "a'half per cent, for the half year, which wiU absorb £106,250. The recent failures in the colonies have entailed some losses ;" hut the directors believe ample provision has been made for tho whole of them, The depooita of tko-bankiu-B; £3,519,927, and the acceptances, &c, £857,778. The paid up capital is £464,068, and the reserve £250,000. The state of affairs seems to hava given complete satisfaction. — A special meeting of the New Zealand Trust and Loan Company was held on the 16th inst., when an interim dividend at the rate of ten percent, was declared. The chairman spoke in favorable terms of the present position and future prospects of the company. — The directors of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company have issued their report, in anticipation of their meeting called for the 4th February. The sum ava'lable for dividend is £6,225 Is Bd, and- the directors propose for the half-year a dividend at the rate of twelve per cant, per annum, carrying to new account £1,200 Is Bd. From the " Westport Times " we extract the following concerning tho supposed discovery of the remains of the late Superintendent of Kelson : — " It w. ; ll no doubt be remembered that some two years ago John Perry Robinson, Esq., Superintendent of this Province, was unfortunately drowned with too others whilst- crossing this bar in ; a boat from the Wallaby. Although every search was made for the bodies, and large rewards offered for the'r recovery, nothing was ever seen of tbein, and they were supposed to have been carried out to sea. During the last week, however, a discovery has been made which is thought by many wi'l throw some light on the matter. Some diggers from the Karamea started on a. prospecting tour to the Heaphy, and from there crossed to the Big .River, about thirty miles ±roni the Karamea. They there came to a sort of bight, whers were some large l'oeks, under a high ciitf or bluff. Here they found the skeleton of a. man lying, and iv the vicinity two pistols, Tery rusty, and a tin biliy. Close to the skeleton was a bundle of letters and papers, which had evidently been saturated for a length of timo in water, and which had also been torn to pieces by rats. The water had rendered the writing wholly or quite illegible, but on one piece the words "William Kobinson " could be distinctly -made out. The clothes were all gone, with the exception of part of the trousers and the boats. The trousers were of dark-tweed, and the boots were Napoleons, but both were of a superior kind, and not like those usually worn by miners or prospectors. In a day or two we shall know more, and in the meanwlr'.o if any one here or elsewhere can inform the police as to how the ill-fated gentleman was dressed on the morning when he met his death, it will materially assist them, and at least aid Jn determining whether the. remains are his or not." As an instance of the rapid changes taking place in inland districts of-. Victoria, which were unknown six or seven years ago, it may be mentioned that a public-house is about to be erected at: Cooper's Creek, near to where Burke and Wills perished through starvation, and where John Eing eked out a miserable existence for months after his leaders breathed their last — depending solely on the hospitality of the aborigines to prevent him meeting with, a similar fate. The following memorial against Chinese immigrating to Hokitika is being signed by large numbers of diggers on the West Coast : — " His Honor W. S. Moorehouse, 'Esq., Superintendent of the Province of Canterbury. Your memorialists beg respectfu'ly . to. represent to your Honor that the recent arrival of Chinese immigrants upon the West Coast is viewed with very great alarm and apprehension by the population of the miniig districts, and beg your Honor to take such steps as may be lfcgally employed to deter the further immigration of such an objectionable class of men. You 1 ? memorialists beg further to represent that the introduction of the Chinese into the Australian and other colonies has been seriously detrimental to the mining interests more particularly, and that their presence in the midst of a large mining population is not productive of any good to any class of European colonists. Your memorialists are likewise of opinion that the general and almost proverbial thieving propensities, and the well known depravity of the Chinese, render them a. most un* desirable clasa of colonists, ; -Yoj&r memorialists

would therefore beg respectfully to urge upon your Honor the necessity which exists for taking immediate action in the matter. And your memorialists, as in duty bound, will ever pray."