Social and Domestic.

Southland Times, Issue 902, 19 February 1868, Page 5

Social and Domestic.

Wo learn that private advices have been re- | ceived from Sydney to the effect that a great rush had taken place to new diggings, situate on the Mary River, in Queensland. Two immense nuggets had been found in one day; one weighing 75 ozs., was picked up by the prospector. Upwards of 851 b. weight of gold was lodged by the same party in the Commercial Bank. Our Bluff correspondent under date the 18th inst., writes :— Last night about 11 p.m. an accident occurred to a passenger per Bangitoto, which might have been attended with more than a wet skin, as the night was very dark. In going down the wharf he stepped overboard, but was speedily rescued by those on the wharf, not much the worse of his ducking. He evidently had mistaken the side of the wharf on which the steamer was berthed, and instead of walking on board the steamer as he thought he was doing, walked overboard. By the Rangitoto Mr Tee* (one of the survivors of the General Grant), accompanied by divers, arrived at this port for the purpose of proceeding to the wreck of that unfortunate ship at Auckland Islands. Mr Teer ib under the Lnpression that it is very possible that the gold which she had onboard can be got at The p.s. Southland is expeted to arrive at the Bluff sometime during the week for the purpose of taking Mr Teer's company and appliances on board, and proceeding to the Auckland Islands. The following is the state of H.M.s G-aol at Invercargill for the month ending 13th February current : — Sentenced to penal servitude, 4 males ; sentenced to hard labor, 5 males, 1 female ; confined as a lunatic during the pleasure of the Governor-inCouncil, 1 male ; child of female prisoner, 1 male . total 11 males, 1 female. Discharged during the month, 1 male . decrease for the month, 1 male. The following is the score of the Invercargill Rifle Corps for the district prizes, on Tuesday last:—

The following is the score of the Rirerton RifU Corps at the firing for the district prizes on Thursday last :—

Messrs Clode and Robinson hating scored equal again competed, whet Robinson was declared the winner. It will thus be perceived that the Birerton Volunteers carried awaj all the prizes. Messrs M'Phee and Robinson scored the highest. A friendly match between eight married and eight single men of the Invercargill Rifle Corps came off at their range on Friday morning, when the married squad prored rictors. Fire. shots were fired at each distance, three, four, and fire hundred yards, the score being as follows ; — Mabried. '

Snrcna.

The Nelson Examiner informs us that Marlborough is, as a province, at her last gasp. The Provincial Government account is overdrawn by about £2000 ; about £1600 iB due to the General Government as interest ; the proceeds of the last land sale have been impounded, and the Superintendent has gone to Wellington to make arrange* naents, " or, ia other words, to hand over the long' coveted Provincial SeaL The General Government has now fairly to face the difficult question of provincial extinction, and to devise some means by which the Government of Marlborough, not necessarily as a province, but as a district of the the colony, may be carried on until the General Assembly meets. As far as Mwrlbowmgh is con-

earned, this may perhaps not be difficult, for one good officer would probably be able to do all the work that is reqnieed ; but when Auckland also reaches the goal, the difficulty will be greatly increased, and some system will hare to be inaugurated to meet that and similar contingencies. We should hardly think that the Government will care to undertake an affair of such magnitude on their own responsibility, and without any expression of opinion from the House. If, therefore, the northern province gives up the battle in the next month or two, we Bhall not be surprised if the House is summoned earlier than usual for the purpose of dealing with the complication." We learn that the population of the province, according to the last census, is estimated at about 7000 souls. We extract the following from the Timaru Rerald of the Bth inst :— " The account* we publish to-day of the floods and gales in various parts of this and the neighboring Province, exceed in their seriousness anything that the Colony has ever before witnessed. At present, it ia quite out of the power of anyone to estimate the damage done with anything like accuracy. Perhaps the detraction of which we have already heard may be put down between half a millio t and a million of money. In our own district, the loss has been variously calculated from fifty thousand to a hundred thousand pounds. Coming just at the present period, the floods have graatly crippled the Titnaru district. With the heavy losses of sheep caused by tho snow storm in the spring, and the present low price of wool, the squatting interests were not of the most flourishing nature. But now they have received a farther blow, by the drowning of thousands of sheep The farmers, a month ago, were thought to be likely to make up their losses of the previous year, and confidence in their operations had been entirely restored. Now, in nine cases out of ten, they hare no crops, and in many instances no homes. The roads and bridges have likewise suffered severely, and much money must be expended on them before they are again in a condition to permit traffic to be resumed. The public appear so paralysed that they have as yet taken no action to make provision for the opening of dray communication. The Boad Boards have no money to do the work, but a deputation from the various Boards should immediately proceed to Christchurch and obtain from the Government funds to make temporary provisions for carrying on the trade of the district. Scarcely one-half of the season's wool has reached town, and another bale cannot be brought in until repairs have been effected, In Otago the Government has most energetically faced the difficulties of its position, and gangs 01 men have been put to work in all parts of the Province, to open up communication again. We do not for a moment doubt that the Government of this Province would at once take action were the matter represented to them. Indeed, they should do so without any communication from the Boad Boards at all. At whatever cost, there can be no doubt that traffic must be again opened." It is stated by the Wellington Independent tha His Excellency the Governor will leave for Auckland durirg the first week in March, for the purpose of receiving the Prince, who is expected to arrive there on the 20th of that month.

300 400 500 TL Mr F. Campbell ... ... 12 17 6—35 „S. Henderson ... ... 16 6 11—33 „F. Henderson... ... 12 13 3—28 „A. Dunlop 12 15 0—27 „P. Murphy 4 15 3—22 „ —Bailey ... „. 10 11 o—2l „ J.M'Arthur 9 3 9—21 „B. Taylor 7 7 o—l4

300 400 500 Tl. MrG.Keese 16 11 10—37 „A. Brown 15 13 8—36 „C. Brown 16 9 10—35 „J. Dalgleish ... ... 14 8 4— 26' „J. Harvey 13 — B—2l „W. Praser 5 7 9—21 „L. Moeller 14 4 o—lß „F.W.Wade 10 7 o—l7

PIBST CLAS9. SECOND OI<ASS. Captain Instone 32 Ser. Maj. Paxtoa 18 Lieut. Austin ... 19 Pr. Cassels ... 28 Ensign Reed ... 30 „ Whittington ... 5 Pr. M'Donald ... 25 „ Crisp 46 „ Wilson 32 „ Lee 13 „ Clulee 32 „ MUls 29 „ Bell 20 „ Aldred ... 20 „ Smith 34 „ Mackie ... 24 „ Clode „ 40 „ M'Phee .. 48 „ Bobinson ... 40

Ist Class 300 400 500 Tl. Captain Harvey 10 10 2—22 Lieutenant Geisovr 7 2 o—9 Ensign Wade 8 6 3—17 Sergeant Dunlop 12 0 4 — 16 Pr. Frank Henderson ... 13 6 o—l9 „ John M f Arthur 11 10 o—2l „ Samuel Henderson ... 14 7 2—23 „ Colin Brown 1111 5—27 „ James Kobertson ... 6 2 12—20 „ 0-eorge Reese 17 7 6-30 „ Cowan Bayley 7 10 3—20 „ John Dalgliesh .13 3 8—24 2ndClas§ 300 400 500 TL Corporal M'Kellar 14 7 3—24 Pr. George Mitchell ... 4 x x— 4 „ Patrick Murphy 13 5 6—24 „W. Smith 0 0 2—2 „ Edward Humphreys ... 8 0 2 — lo „A. Brown ... ... 15 10 7—32 „ Frederick Worsley ... 8 0 o—B „ James Taylor 14 8 0—22 „ Andrew M'Donald ... 0 6 o—6 „T. Miller... ... ... 11 7 2—20 „A. Sinclair 2 4 2—B „W. Fraser ... ... 6 4 o—lo „ Eobert Taylor 17 0 o—l7 „ James Dunlop 8 4 o—l20 — 12 „ Frank Campbell 15 14 11-40