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Southland Times, Issue 911, 6 March 1868, Page 2

Amongst Mr Gidney's shipment of liorse3 per the s.s. Auckland are a pair of the most diniinntiva representatives of the equine race we erer saw, standing only some thirty-two inches high. They are very well matched, both dark bay, and as quiet and docile as lambs. They are now on view at Mr Todd's yards, Dee-street, and are to be sold at auction on Saturday next, when the} will moHt likeiy elicit fioine spirited competition.

We observe from advertisment in another column, that the members of the Church of England at Eiverton, purpose holding a social reunion on the evening of Tuesday next. No doubt many of the friends in Invercargill will take advantage of the occasion, and be present. As the meeting is to partake of the character of both Soiree and Concert, the evening will be a very enjoyable one. The Eiverton choir we believe deserves the reputation it has gained, of being one of the most efficient in the province. The settlors of aonie districts in the province of Otago have again raised the cry that diseased stock is being imported from Australia, and seek to obtain a more complete inspection of the cattle before they are allowed to travel. A deputation from the settlers of Sawyers' Bay had an interview with his Honor the Superintendent on the 27th ult., when the subject was discussed, and the Bubjoined memorial presented, wliich was received and promised to be brought before the Executive • Council, It reads: — "That your memorialists are owners of cattle, principally of dairy cows and ' working bullocks, consequently high priced and valuable. That some year 3 ago, by the importsj tion of diseased cattle to this Port, from Australia, our cattle became infected with the disease called pleuro-pneumonia, whereby we suffered great loss. That importation about that time was stopped, and by careful measures, we succacded in completely eradicating the disease from our district. That, under the importation taking place at present, we have good reason to fear that disease is beiug again introduced to a considerable extent. That your memorialists are of opinion that the present mode of inspecting cattle on shipboard, even by the most vigilant inspector, is not sufficient to detect disease ; and, of course, to allow them to travel through this district in that doubtful state is, by your memorialists, regarded as an act of great injustice towards them. Your memorialists woiild venture to suggest the following as remedial measures: — Ist. That this district, as there has been no disease in it for over twelve months, should be declared clean. 2nd. That it be declared illegal to offer for sale diseased meat. 3rd. That an Inspector be appointed for Dunedin, and another for Port Cb aimers, whose duty it will be to examine every beast after it has been slaughtered, and in case of disease to have the beast immediately buried at the expense o£ the owner, and that only one slaughter-house be allowed at each of those places. 4th. That a quarantine ground be sot aside for all imported cattle to remain (unless those which are to be immediately slaughtered) for at least eight days, and then carefully inspected before a clean certificate be granted. Your memorialists have therefore to request that you will take this matter into your serious consideration, and adopt these or such other measures as will secure them against the danger complained of, and your memorialists, &c." Railways and their co3t appear to be the " fly in the ointment" to every ministry in every province that have anything to do with their construction. The province of Canterbury haa a ministerial crisis. The railway expenditure, unauthorised, has called forth the indignant censure of the Council. Mr Montgomery, after a debate upon this subject, proposed a " no confl - donee vote," which being carried, the ministry intimated its intention to resign. It is expected that Mr Montgomery will',form a new ministry. The "Lyttelton Times," 27th ult., says:— A short but animated debate took place last night on the estimates, or rather on that portion of them, which refers to the contract for the railway rolling stock. The G-overnment, some time since, ordered new engines for the Southern Railway, at a cost of ten thousand pounds. Within the last few days it confirmed another contract with Messrs Hohnes and Co. for rolling stock required for the Lyttelton and Chriatchurch Railway to the amount' of twenty thousand pounds. The final ratifications af this contract appeal's to have taken place three days after tho opening of the present session of the Council. And herein lies I the sting of the offence. The Council unanimously resented the expenditure of this money without their consent, and expressed their condemnation of the act by carrying a resolution tantamount to a vote of want of confidence, without a dissentient voice. (The question whether tho rolliug stock was really required was not considered. The Council took its stand upon constitutional ground, and declared very emphaticolly that the privilege of deciding how the public money was to be spent rested with itself alone." We take the following evidence of the progress of manufactures in Victoria, from the Melbourne "Herald," 25th Feb :— " The first "end" of cloth made in the colony was yesterday passed out of the Gt-eelong factory in a finished state, ready for the tailor's shears. The color is a mixed drab, and the fabric is 54in, wide, and of about the quality and thickness of a good light beaver. A large quantity of mixed tweeds are in course of manufacture, the price of which it is confidently expected will drive the Manchester rubbish, termed moleskin, completely out of the Victorian market. The works are well worth a visit — the whole of the operations connected with the cloth manufacture, from the time the wool leaves the sheep's back until it is fit for clothing the back of men, being carried on in the building. Cotton, shoddy, devil's dust, and every other I vile adulterating substance is entirely ignored in the factory j good wool, and wool only, is the only I staple that will be permitted to enter the premises. The directors intend presenting suits of the first piece made to the Governor, and some leading ip embers of the Ministry." The Landing Service Company at Timaru had iron surf boats recently built in Dunedin. A surf boat of a similar description has also been built for the Government service there. It was built at Mr Anderson's foundry, Christchurch, and was brought to Timaru by the Bteamer ComI erang. The " Herald " says : — " Its dimensions are 39ft keel ; breadth of beam, 9ft 2in ; depth amidships, 4ft 2in, with 2ft 7in sheer forward, and lft lin sheer aft. The frame is made of angle iron, l^in square, and 14in apart. The bottom plates are f of an inch thick, and the bilge and top sides are plated with f plates. It is strongly lined throughout with ltin timber, and there is a raised platform at each end for the men to stand on wheu working. The plates are rivetted together with counter Bunk rivets, finished off with a perfectly smooth surface. There are seven sheets of iron in the length, and three in the depth of die boat. The gunwale is timbered all round, and there are three thwarts, die centre one being of iroc, and the remainder of timber firmly bolted to the sides by Btrong iron

knees. There are two pulleys at each end of the hoat for working on the rope. The hoat will carry from 60 to HO bales of pressed wool, or about 20 tons of general cargo. The. cost of the boat was about £500." "threat and most beneficial results," the " Lyttelton Times" thinks, " may be expected from the appointment of Bishop Selwyin to the Bishopric of Lichfield." " The Colonial Church," our contemporary says, " owes something to the Christain world, an atonement for the injuries inflicted by the defection of Dr Colenso. New Zealand may be proud that it is able, even at great sacrifice, to make good the losses, whatever they may have been. And we may reasonably anticipate lasting benefits to the causes of Home evangelization, Church Reform, and missionary enterprise, from the efforts of Bishop Selwyn should his days be spared. He has had the experience of many years in almost every depart- ; ment of eccelestical duty, He has lived and preached amongst heathens, as their missionary, i H« has labored as a military chaplain. He has j discharged all the ordinary duties of the pastorate j and the episcopate. He has organised a Church when the question of Church organisation was one of tho most important and most perplexing questions of the day. He has a full knowledge o, j the great work which it is given to the Church to do, and he confessedly subordinates all to that. He will bo better ablo than those who have spentall their lives, surrounded by the trammels and the peculiar circumstances of the Church of England, to look above and beyond these to the great end 3 for which the Church itself exists. His clear, vigorous sense, and exfcraordinay energy, tempered by the experience of many years, will often enable him to cut the Gordian knot which other men might spend their lives in vainly puzzling over. And we do not believe that the interests of Colonial Churches will suffer by hie removal. He will exert only a more central influence, and over a wider sphere. New Zealand must hold a first place in his regard through life, and will assuredly retain the record of hi 3 name and labors in the early annals of her history." Sir D. Daly, Governor of South Australia, died on Wednesday, the 19th ult. He had been in ill-health for some time, but no immediate danger was anticipated. On the morning of the 19th ult., serious symptoms were shown, and he expired on the afternoon of the same day. The •' Argus " telegraphic correspondent, Adelaide, under date 23rd Eeb. says: — "No business was done to-day, it being observed as a close holiday, owing to the funeral of Sir D. Daly. The body was removed privately to the Boraan . Catholic Cathedral, at nine o'clock this morning, only the chief mourners and the Ministry being present, and at two the public funeral at West-terrace Ceraetry took place. Seventeen minute guns were fired after the body left the cathedral. The procession was a very large one, and was composed of volunteers — cavalry, foot, and artillery — all of the 50th Begiment in garrison here, the members of the Legislative Council and Assembly, the judges, the clergy, the civil servants, and some seven hundred citizens. The coffin was placed on a gun carriage, drawn by six horses. At the grave seventeen minute guns were fired, besides the usual volleys by the volunteers. An immense crowd of people witnessed the funeral, and followed in the wake of the procession. The " Gazette " proclaims one month's mourning." After noticing the recent disasters at N apier, Timaru, and Oamaru, the "Lyttelton Times" writes : — " In the face of such events, it matters little what local or Colonial opinions may be expressed. Underwriters in London and elsewhere, will act upon the experience thus gained, and we fear that for some time there will be little encouragement given to send vessels to these places. It becomes, then, a matter of immediate and pressing importance, to have the internal communications of the province opened up with all available speed. We trust that the Provincial Conncil will take prompt action in this matter; and laying aside ail local jealousies, endeavor to open up complete lines of communication for travellers and for the conveyance of produce, from one end to the other of this settlement.