SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC.

Southland Times, Issue 672, 20 May 1867, Page 3

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC.

The winter has certainly fairly set in. We learn from a gentleman who has arrived from the Lake District that snow, hail, and rain has fallen to a larger extent than has been experienced at the commencement of winter for years. The usual monthly meeting of the Invercargill Total Abstinence Society was held in the hall at the rear of the Newmarket Hotel, Deestreet, on Tuesday evening last, Mr J. H. Perkniß in the chair. Interesting and spirited addresses were delivered in favor of the principles by Captain Stewart, of the schooner Dunedin, and Messrs Watt and Burns. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather the attendance was most encouraging, and great interest manifested in the various propositions and suggestions placed before the meeting by the speakers. The members of the Band of Hope were present in good force, and sang several temperance melodies. A meeting of the Southland Horticultural and Floricultural Society was held on the 10th, at Colyer's Princess Hotel, Dee-street. There was a fair muster of members, although the inclemency of the weather doubtless prevented many from attending. Mr J. Morton in the chair. The first business was the consideration of the balance sheet which showed that after! all expenses of fne past season had been defrayed there remained a Bmall available surplus. The election of officers for the ensuing year was next proceeded ' with, and the following gentlemen were nominated: — Pre■ident :• Mr John Blacklock. Vice-Presidents : Dr Grigor and Mr W. Cochran. Treasurer : Mr W. H. Calder. Secretary : Mr W. B. Scandrett. Committee : Messrs D. M'Arthur, E. Hamilton, Wm. Wood, J. E. Stewart, James Cooper, J. Morton, Jas. Waddell, E. Miller, D. Webster, T. Swale, O. Broad, C. Boss. On the motion of Mr Waddell, seconded by Mr Cooper, it was resolved to alter the name of the Society to the f Southland Horticultural and Agricultural." The Secretary was instructed to request the patronage of the following gentlemen, viz.:— His Honor the Superintendent, J. P, Taylor, Esq., the Hon. Dr Menzies, Capt. EUes, Messrs J. Harvey, A.Campbell, D. M'Donald, K. Watson, A, Adnmeon, H. Law, H. M'Cullocb, J. Macphereon, F. H. Moore, — Macintosh, I. N, Watt, T. M. Macdonald, E. D. Butts, J, Dalgleish, 0. Cowan, W. H. Pearson, H. Rogers, H. H. Butler, and L. I<onguet. ! It is reported that Pleuro>Pnsumonia has broken out in Oamaru. In a report of a public meeting held in that town on Wednesday, the Ist May, the subject was brought under the notice of the public. From the " Times" report we take the following :*-" Mr Hassell introduced this sub« ject to the notice of the meeting. It was only a day or two before that he heard that this disease had broken out in this district, and he thought ill would agree with him that in 60 serious a matter something ought at once to be done to ltftO«t . its progress. Fprtuastely the i»fect§d tattle T?eja at such a. distance iron* oshejf i that freje ppt juueh. to few if prompt slops were ifcen., He be fc&ppy te bear his sh&i?© of toy expsai $ inouw^cJ, M? Muwsott %M he had. m& informed thst % shepherd had tajwa g> Qmm m& vm the mm* ftett Shag V^iw m to the

The Philharmonic Society has, we are happy to observe, been resuscitated. The members of the reconstructed company met for their first practice "' on Thursday, in the Theatre Eoyal, when, con- . sidering the state of the weather and roads, I there was a very good muster, about thirty p being present. "We have to congratulate Mr C. E. Marten on his being as successful in set- • ting the Society fairly on its feet on this occasion • as Hon Sco, as he was last year when Choral i Director. We understand the Society intends i giving a concert some time in June. This seems a very short time to allow for practice, but under the able conductorship of Mr Kingsland, we ' have no doubt a very good concert may be got up, oven in a few weeks. We learn that protection has been granted by the Goldfields Warden for a prospecting claim — beach workings between the mouth of the New Eiver and the Bluff Harbor. The prospectors report no room on known ground for more than 20 men, water being scarce. The ground applied for by the prospecting party is on the ocean beach, and can be reached by an old track about two hundred yards on the Invercargill side of Eoss and Aldrich's house near the railway, below the G-reenhills— - distance about two miles from there to the beach. The prospect is^about £1 a day per man in the prospectors' claim. There is another beach adjoining nearly half a mile long, with two or three small creeks running into it. The stripping is deeper here than in the prospectors' claim, and neither the beach nor the creeks have been well prospected. There appears a good chance here for a few men acquainted with beach working — not more than perhaps o dozen — but with no absolute certainty of remuneration. Another party are working some miles nearer the New Eiver in the bush, and have obtained coarser gold, but the ground generally has not been prospected, and there is no inducement, from what is known, for more than a few men. Stores and tools must be taken as none can be obtained on the ground. The Wesleyans and their friends held a social tea-meeting in their place of worship on the 2nd inst, for the purpose of according a welcome to the Eev Mr Bunn, the minister who has been appointed by the Conference to succeed the Eev Mr Shaw in Invercargill, and who has just recently arrived from Nelson. The chapel was well filled by an audience which seemed to fesl itsplf thoroughly comfortable. After tea^ (which, by the way, was first-rate) and the singing of v a hymn, the chairman, Wm. Eussell, Esq., in a few remarks introduced Mr Bunn, who waa most cordially received bj the meeting, which he addressed at considerable length. Mr Perkins, Mr Burns, and several other gentlemen followed. Altogether, the meeting was a decidedly social one, and must have been highly gratifying to Mr and Mrs Bunn. By the Witch of the Tees, our enterprising townsman Mr Eraser, sends to the London market several samples of native timber, the most noteworthy, perhaps, being a quantity of Ironwood from his Saw Mulb at the Grreenhills, where, we understand, this very valuable species of wood grows to great perfection, and in immense quantities. This beautiful timber possases qualities which ought to command the attention of cabinet, and pianoforte makers, combining as it does the best qualities of the woods now in use for the higher branches of their manufacture, viz : — great strength, richness of color, beauty and variety of grain, and susceptible of a polish equal, if not superior, to the finest specimens of rosewood. If appreciated as it merits, it may yet form an important item in our exports. At the Eesident Magistrate's Court on the 7th Lawrence Brown was brought up charged with embezzlement. From the evidence it appeared that prisoner had received payment from Mr Eussell, a carter, for some oats belonging to his employer, Mr John Eoss, of Eoslyn, and failed to account for the same. He was committed for trial. The " Melbourne Argus " of April 22nd informs us that a lady well-known to playgoers in this city (Miss Eloise Juno), has achieved a decided success at the Theatre Eoyal, in the dual oharacter of Miss Thistledown and Maggie Macfarlane, in the farce of the " Bonnie Kshwife." We observe in the Bame' paper that the nautical drama " True to the Core," which gained the prize bequeathed by the late T. P. Cooke, as the best production of its kind, has been produced for the first time in the colonies at the Princess Theatre. Mr J. H. Allen, who played an engagement in this city recently enacted the principal character in the drama, but judging from the criticism upon the performance, he failed to impress the audience very favorably. j The "New Zealand Gazette" of the 80th ult contains a return of the Customs Eevenue collected at the various ports of New Zealand, for the quarter ending March 31st. The total amount was £220,053 as against £209,010 during the corresponding quarter of 1866, thus showing an increase of £11,043. A comparison of the items in the return shews that the revenue of the North Island is diminishing, the amount collected being £65,652, against £68,951 in 1866 ; the deficiency is therefore £3,299. The falling off has been principally at Auckland, where £31,340 has been collected, while last year, the amount was £37,089. There is a slight increase at New Plymouth, and in Wellington the increase is £2,226. In the Middle Island, the total revenue collected during the quarter was £154,451 ; and during the corresponding period of 1866, £140,079, shewing an increase of £14,322. With the exception of Havelock and Akaroa, the revenue of each port has been larger than in 1866 ; but the greatest increase was at Hokitika and Dunedin, the revenue of Hokitika being £30,182, against £25,274 in 1868 ; and Dunedin, £53,168, against£4B,4ll. AtLyttelton,therevenue collected was £28,021 ; and in 1866 it amounted to £27,606. At Greymouth there has been a falling off, the revenue for 1867 being £14,493 $ and that of 1866, £15,292. The " New Zealand Advertiser" says : — " We understand that Captain Benson has received information from the Directors of the P.N.Z. and A.E.M. Company, that the negotiations which have been carried on for the purpose of enabling passengers to be booked through from New Zeialand and Australia to England, via New York, have been completed, so that henceforth any passengers wishing to proceed by that route can obtain tickets from the agents at any port in these colonies, which will frank them right through. Arrangements have also been made by which the E.M. Co.'s steamers, which take Australian and New Zealand passengers from Colon to Southampton will cease to call at St. Thomas, and will in future call at one of the Virgin Islands. We congratulate the company on both those alterations, which will be found a great boon by those travelling by the Panama route." A serious disease is spreading among the nooks about Auckland, which, as yet, has defied the intelligence of Burgical investigation. The sheep, says the "Herald," auffer evidently from pain in the head, whioh causes them to batter their heads against any hard substance, until indeed they render themselves perfeotly blind with repeated bruises. They refuse food, and ultimately pine away till they die* In the flock of one gentleman some three oi four diseased subjects have been killed and dissected by a medical man, but no cause of the disease has been discovered! The etomaoh in every instance is perfeotly healthy, but the livers and lungs are affected, and, in the case of those which" died of the disease, were quite rotten, It was expected that as in the case of grubs in the brain, which disease has before now caused sheep to knock their head about in the same way, through excess of pain, i% tpquW be. found that entezoa of some kind h&cl been the oauie, No trues of worm or grub has, ko.w?ey, been, founq $ith.er in the br&ia c? ettw? organs of. the head* - W& hrn the* Ms. t&wafc £&a, has been div *§?ns& ls. $Qn*9<pnw el that gentian, folks