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Southland Times, Issue 706, 7 August 1867, Page 2

Daring the last four days a gale has raged of the greatest violence. There has been a succession of hail, rain and wind of an intensity that has seldom been experienced, accompanied by vivid lightning and thunder. The storm, up to the time of our going to press, had, however, somewhat abated. On Saturday evening, about six o'clock, the town was thrown into a state of excitement by the ringing of the fire tell. The alarm was caused by a chimney having caught fire at the residence of His Honor the 'Superintendent. For a time it burn with great brilliancy, but assistance being near at hand, it was soch extinguished. Several members of the ITire Brigade were promptly on the ground, and in less than ten minutes from the first alarm, the hose and laider-carriage reached the scene. Fortunately aU danger was over before they arrived. On Friday last, that portion of the embankment of the Bluff Harbor and Invercargi 11 railway, situated about two miles from the Bluff, suffered some damage during a gale from a rush of water, and a report was circulated during the morning of Saturday that traffic was to be suspended. Tbis was proved to be incorrect. A. portion of the earthwork was earned away, but a few hours sufficed to repair the damage, and the trains ran as usual during the day, and notwithstanding that the gale- has increased in violence from that time to this, the traffic on the line has not been impeded. The question of privileges arising out of the Provincial Council of Ofcas;o, having fined and ' imprisoned two Gold Fields officials, who obeyed the instructions of the General Government, in preference to those of the Provincial Government, f is now being argued in the Supreme Court of Otago. The case is Robinson against W. H. Reynolds, Speaker of the Provincial Council. During the dispute between the General and Provincial Government, as to the delegation, the plaintiff refused to acknowledge the Provincial authorities, and held possession of certain documents on behalf of the General Government that were claimed as Provincial property. Th 13 resulted on bs being summoned to the bar of the house, and not appearing, he was brought up by warrant. He still re fused to answer any questions, maintaining his position tobe that of a General Government servant, and was | fined for " contempt" in the sum of £19, or to be imprisoned duringthepleasure of the House. After remaining a short time in durance vile, the fine was paiil, and Mr Rob'nson '-oimneneed an action for false imprisonment, laying damages at £5000, against the Speaker of the Otago Provincial Council. From the Dunedin papers we learn that the argument pro and con already advanced have occupied the Court four days. The verdict has not yet been given. In describing the condition of trade at Westport, a correspondent of the " Grey River Argiis " says : — " In Weatport, business seems very quiet, except when a shower of steam-boats arrive, then you would fansy the place was doing a ' ripping ' trade. In the hotel business they seeai quiet, with the exception of a few— viz., the Empire, kept by Tonka and Hughes, which is doing a roaring trade ; T. Horey, G. White; and Blair's. As there are some forty-seven hotels in full working order, we have them of every kind ; three dance-rooms, and a theatre, which is being fitted up at apparently a large expense, by Mr /ones, well known in Greymouth and Hokitika. Several large hotels are in course of erection ; Mr Gilmer, of Sweeney's Hotel, Greymouth, and Mr Trimble, of Nelson, having the two largest, which, when completed, w ;i l vie with any on the coast." The " Argus," of the 27th ult. says : — " In anticipation of the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to Adelaide, Deputy Commissary-General Ross, on behalf of the South Australian Government, telegraphed a few days ago to Deputy Commis-sary-General Home, to purchase for them the most elegant carriage to be found in Melbourne for the use of His Royal Highness dc-ing his stay in Adelaide. Commissary Home visited the establishment of Messrs Stevenson and Elliot, King-street, and after examining their stock, selected the C-spring barouche carriage, which received so much admiration when shown in the late Intercolonial Exhibition. — We may mention that tiie carriage took a first-class prize medal, and the special award made on behalf of the commissioners, for excellence of design and workmanship, and eleganfife of finish." The " Lake Wakatip Mail" of the 24th July says : — « Xhe late and present broken weather has brought about quite a change in the state of affairs generally. The lake, which in the beginning of last week was lower than ever known by the oldest resident, is now nearly a couple of feet higher ; and its uniform placidity for some months past is succeeded by heavy swells occasioned by the boisterous wiuds that prevail. Sluicing parties throughout the district are now fully employed, and have abundance of water. The Scandinavian and Otago quartz mining companies are also crushing away with the whole of their avilable machinery — the latter working 16 and the former 15 stampers. The Scandinavian had a slight breakage on Monday, in consequence of which operations were suspended for a few hours." The " Argu3 " (Melbourne) 27th ult., says : — " Ihe award of the arbitrators in the case between the representatives of Messrs Cornish and Bruce and the Government was given in a week ago. The sum claimed in the action tried at bar before tie Supreme Court was £30 !-,ouo ; but on goin^ to trial the cltim was modified by the omission of certain itemd, and thus reiuced to £^00,000. The v.-rliCi of the jury, corrccte i by the judges on legal points raised, was for £155,000, which carried the petitioners' costs, amounting to £10,000. Ultimately, in lieu of an appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, an arrangement was come to by which the contractors agreed to accept £107,500 as a settlement of their claims under the verdict, to pay their own costs of action, to admit against the sum. of £27,000 (cash deposit and per oentagea) held by the Go-

vernment, a claim of £9,400 for engines and waggons lent to the contractors, and to refer to arbitration a question of over-payment for ballast, on account of which the Government claimed to retain £17,000, being the balance of the £27,000 held by it. The award of the arbitrators was, that an over-payment had been made of £9,700 The final settlement of this important claim wi'l thus be effected, by the payment by the G-ovem-ment to the contractors of £115,400, inclusive of the cash deposit of £10,000 lodged in the Treasury by the contractors." The red deer is now known to thrive admirably in Victoria; The " Kynton Observer" states that, under the fostering care of Mr T. Chirnside, Werribee, Wyndbam, the few that he procured a few years back have increased to twenty-four. They are enclosed within a fence of about fourteen feet in height, and wander undisturbed in a large paddock devoted to their sole use. They live chiefly on the native grasses, and are at present in the healthiest condition possible. A strip of plantation, consisting of blue gums, wattles, and light wood, runs through the paddock and affords them shelter from the severity of ths weather, as well as an agreeable shade from the summer's heat. A sunken tank, so situated that the surface water flows into it, supplies them with water. There will probably be an increase of about fifteen this season ; and should they continue to multiply at this rate, the herd of red deer at "Werribee will in a few years be one, of " the sights" of the Colony.