PROVINCIAL MEMS.

Southland Times, Issue 698, 19 July 1867, Page 6

PROVINCIAL MEMS.

The " Southern Cross" gives a long and interesting report of. the proceedings of the Council of the Northern Separation and Reform League, at meetings held in Auckland on the 3rd' and 7th ult., and publishes a copy of the congratulatory address presented by the Gouncil to Sir G. Grey, and his reply. . Among other business, the following resolution was passed — Dr. Merrott moved, " That the people of the Province of Auckland recognise in the action taken by the people of Otago a determination to resist any encroachment by the General Grovernment upoii the present rights of Provincial Q-overn-ments, and will co-operate with the people of Otao-o in maintaining intact tho present rights j and™ powers of Provincial Governments." Tho ! motion was seconded by Dr Lee, and agreed to. ' According to the " Oamaru Times." "accounts from the Upper Waitaki relate that the present, winter is the severest that has been experienced . for many years. Some of 'the streams are bo frozen up, that at the crossing-places drays; go over without making the slighteßt.-impression on the ice. The Moiyneux " too,/ we ; leaiii, is, at present exceptionaUy low,, hut; the banks are frozen so hard that the piek : -bf the miner might } aa well be applied to piercing a bed of irp^. Orders for skates are to hand from the Waitaki, but we presume these. articles are not kept, in. .great supply." t . . . „., .. . The "Age" (Melbourne), says:— "An Adelaide telegram reports that. Duffield and Co.'s old Yictbria'Mili, at Gawler, has been totally destroyed by fire. Some ten thousand bushels of wheat aridr. onethousand t6ns t of flour, besides bran and pollard, weredestj-Qye^;. The property was insured for £12,000.. Tlie^insurances cover ; the'aotual loss of ateok, machinery and buildings.

-■ Mr D. F. Main; -Barrister,. has been J elected • member- of the. House of Assembly, for Port 1 Chahners, in the place v of tMr Thomas Dick, re- ! signed^' . , / ../.',. . \ '„- „-.*. •. ■ ■ ■-. ! 'At a reeehiWhibitiQn' of plants at the^Eloyal ; Horticultural Socie^a Garden's, 1 ; says th£ "New : Zealand "Examiner,"" feoine ; fine Bpecimenai^of; fid^eigjt, '-{plants* were ■ exhibited, amongst ' which ; ■vrere B6me;fin^.v?!^tieß/j-frbms;lfew;.;'Zealandi-;*M" ■ eluding .a specimen .ojF. the .Hippeastupi, a v.ory ' fiphly colored . apotted flower f of the'ljiy'teibe;. j. ,, ihe destructive fire' in the Octogan, Dunedin, : "which occurred a month^ or ..two ago, was'conBidered to have been caused by wilful . incendarism, and a Mr. Wilson, Ironinongigr,. was 'cnarged with I the crime. „ The • case-has been' triedi f We- learn jfroin the, Otago papers, -that a verdict , of "not guilty" has been given „ '....-.. ..*..; ;-j We notice, by Tasmanian papers, , that "Mr Ramsbottom has sent down to Hobarc Town a male trout, which, though only two, years old j measured nineteen inches in length" and" weighed three and, a half-pounds. The jnale .trout are in | the habit, during the spawning season, : pf fighting with much ferocity; and- from several marks, of injuries upon the specimen here spoken of, Messrs Allport and Ramsbottom entertain no doubt that it was in one of these contests that it lost its life. The fish was found^dead in the Eiver Plenty, close to its junction with the Derwent ; and as its size is believed to bo unprecedented for its age, it will be preserved in spirits as an object of interest to naturalists and pisciculturists." The Dunstan correspondent of the _ " Daily Times," writing under date Ist July, says :— -" A very favorable change has taken place in the weather during the last few days ; a succession of warm showers and sunshine has caused a thaw in the low lying country ; the water races are again running in their supply of the needful element, and' the sluicing parties have been enabled, to resume operations. The river has been but little affected by the change — a rise of a foot is all that has trken place. This is a .very fortunate circumstance, as, had a rise occurred,many hundreds of men who are making capital wages on the beaches would : have been knocked off work ; as it is, ah" interests have been advantaged. There is quite a rage for river workings, at present. . Miners from all parts are flocking to the banks of the Molyneus ; and I am pleased to relate that, as a rule, success has been very general, while many parties have succeeded beyond their most sanguine expectations." The Aryus of the 26th ult, says: — Three pictures by M. Chevalier are now on view in Messrs Wilkie and Webster's window, in Collins street. They are all sketches of New Zealand scenery. The largest, an oil-painting, is a 'view of -Akaroa Bay j but, althongh minutely finished, and showing clearness of detail and great firmness of touch, is too harsh in coloring and top crude in tone to be placed in, rank of M. Chevalier's productions. The other two ai'e water colors — Eagle's Neat,' and ' Puerua River.' The latter is delicately finished, and presents some fine rendering of shadow ; but the / Eagle's Nest,' is undoubtedly the finest picture of the ».- three. It represents a bare, jagged rock, upshooting, into a mass of .lowering, storm : driveri .cloud. ; below, a wild mountain path, hemmed in with dusky, firs, and shadowed by the behding.brancb.es 'of trees, winds along the edge of a precipice until it:isioat7 ; to: sight behind, the pinnacle/ from which the' iplctiire takes its name. Tnis. little t work, though iunpretantious -in size and appearance,'" is finely' 'executed. A : bold bredth of style and • breeziiiess / |of >handh'ng suited to the Babject replkces^the stippling which. M. Chevalier .sometimep has recourse to. Three, pictures_ have been painted ;on commisson." ;r .. . ;,. i. : The colony, of New South WjOes has recently . b^en visited by ;very heavy' storms of wind and rain.' We .take the subibined-Sydney Telegrams froni the " Argus"" • (Mcl bourne)^ 24th - "■' June : "Sydney, 21st June. — The rain . -and gale continues. ■ The City of Adelaide arrived last night; She encountered, fearful weather. A .purse, of soverigns and an address were presented to Captain Walker on his arrival for his seamanship in reaching the.port safely. The steamer Saxonia arrived to-day from Newcastle, after a two days': psasage, in a sinking condition., The water. rose : above the furnaces and put out: the . fires. ; N.o. vessel has been able to leave the' port." The floods are the highest ever known. ; The Nepeah at Penrith-is eight miles wide. The town is'•submerged^ ■ The new railway bridge ia coveredjarid, part of the approaches. carried, away. Telegrama to the Government for boats have bepn promptly., responded to, ' ; Nine have - been despatched. Windsor is submerged. Numbers 'of persons have been taken off trees and houses. „ A special train haa been despatched, and the Premier and tho Minister of Works have gone up the- railway. All communication is stopped, the telegraph lines being down". " Saturday 22nd June. — The rain and gale continue. The steamer Telegraph is still missing. The City of Adelaide goes in search of her to-day. The steam collier Woniora is missing. The Bulla Coal Company's pier has; been washed away, and four men drowned. More boats have been despatched to Penrith and Windsor. At the latter place the sheet of water is twenty miles wide-; only the tops of a few hills are visible There is no cessation of the rain. Great distress prevails. Such weather was never known here before! There i3 no news from the .Hunter River (Maitland and Newcastle) . Fears are entertained for Penrith railway bridge." -