The Southland Times. MONDAY, MARCH 9, 1868.

Southland Times, Issue 913, 9 March 1868, Page 2

The Southland Times. MONDAY, MARCH 9, 1868.

In order to present to our readers an unbroken narrative of the debate on the question of Local Self- Government, we reprint a portion of Mr Pearson's speech. It is gratifying to find that the fears that have been frequently expressed that this season's harvest would be almost a total failure were premature. It is true that it will not compare favorably to that of last yearj but with very few exceptions, it -will not fall far short of it. The severe thunder and hailstorm that was experienced last month certainly partially destroyed pom-y fields of far advanced oats j but it was ahnos* . • nthvly confined to a small portion of the Wtiiivi district. The settlers for the most part appear to be satisfied with the result of the harvesting, as far as it has gone ; affirming that, considering the unusual ( severity of the season, the crops aro Jic^vier than < ffiH l^ h»T? £? en . expected. """ .

I Upwards of 5,000 acres of land has been sold since the commencement of the month. We have to acknowledge the receipt of the first number of anew illustrated journal, entitled " The New Zealand Herald," published in Dunedin. It is very creditably got up. We trust it will prove a success. Whatever may have been the apparent inactivity of the Government in the matter of roads in times past, no charge of a want of energy can now be fairly made. The rapidity with which the works on the North and the East Boads are being proceded with is quite refreshing. From Invercargill to Wallacetown is approaching completion ; also the road to the New Biver Bridge ; and that from town to the Waihopai Bridge (Sutherland's) is almost equally far advanced. In driving over them during the last few days, the contrast between what they are andwhat they were a year since waa almost startling. Then it was a difficult labor for both man or beast to travel to either place in less than half a day's struggling through mud and mire, now 't is in both instances a pleasant drive of less than a couple of hours. While highly approving of the deep draining and high crowning system of road formation adopted, we cannot but think that a mistake has been made in the width of the road. It wuu)d be absurd to expect that with limited funds any government could at once make a road the full exent from drain to drain, but a gauge should have been adopted that would have allowed conveyances to pass without danger. The roads now being made are so narrow that in those parts that require considerable elevation, it is scarcely possible for one vehicle to pass another without a great risk of accident. With the strict instructions in steady economy received by the Boad Engineer perhaps he has done all in his power to secure the longest kngth of interior communication at the least possible cost. Still we think that if a two feet wide gauge hacl been adopted the extra cost would not have been much, and the roads vaßtly increased in durability. However much money may have been uselessly applied in the construction of railways it is certain that the advantages for the obtainance of metal afforded by the Bluff Harbor and Invercargill Bailway goes a long way towards compensating for it. ' Without this line had been in work many years would have elapsed before such substantial roads as are now being constructed could have been formed. ■ The "Wakatip Mail" states that farm labor rules very high at present, and men are not obtainable, although the current rate of wages is 10s per day and found. Tea ad libitum is supplied, but in many instances beer is demanded. Of course this demand for labor will cease after harvesting operations. We ("Daily Times") learn that the Lunceston Champion Cup, 500 soys., with a sweepstake of 30 soys. added, was run for on the 18th February. Six horses started. "Tim Whiffler being the favorite, two to one on him being laid just before the start. The Cup was, hjwever, won by Mr John Tait's b c " Fireworks," which was not mentioned in the betting; £ 'Tim Whiffler" being second, and described by the "Australasian" as being " severely punished ;" " Strop " was third, the "Barb" fourth, and "Cora" fifth; the sixth horse, "Saxby," not being mentioned. The distance was three miles, and the winner's time, smin, 48sec. The "Perth Gazette" says :— " The voyage of the Hougomont is stated to have been a very quiet one, the Fenian prisoners, of -whom there are fifty- seven, having been especially well behaved and amenable to ttfe regulations of tho ship. A newspaper, conducted by two of the political prisoners, was well got up, and contributed greatly towards ameliorating the monotony of the voyage." The Wellington "Independent" has "the most reliable authority for stating that the Royal Mail Company have definitely decided on abandoning a call at St. Thomas, and that the decision will be carried oat so soon as the necessary arrangements, now in progress, are completed. This will be very satisfactory to those who take a prejudice against making acquaintance with yellow fever, earthquakes, cyclones, and such like, and none the less satisfactory to those who, like ourselves, take a deep interest in the succes3 of the Panama communication with England. The Hawke's Bay " Herald" of February 11th says : — The steam boiling down establishment is now completed, and is expected to be open in a fortnight. Several lots of sheep are known to be ready for the ' pot,' so that, in a short time, tallow may be expected to be added to our local exports. Should the yield be small for the fb st lets operated upon, the extraordinary dry season will sufficiently account for the fact. The results will be anxiously looked for by sheep breeders generally. The shareholders, we understand, contemplate, as soon as possible, adding a meat preserving branch to their works, The two outlots for the superfluous stock of the district will, no doubt, work well together. We only hope the problem of how best to preserve meat for exporc will speedily be solved. Until then, it would be hazardous to begin operations, but oar go-ahead friends of Victoria will, we feel convinced, very | soon settle tho question. It will be a good thing for this district when the stock -ownera can, by either process, turn their suplus stock into money. May the time not be far distant. The second — or, rather, the original boiling-down company — received their, plant on Saturday by the Stormbird, the same having been transhipped ex O'rneo from Melbourne. It is from the Langlands foundry, and is said by those who have seen it to be a very good plant. The works of this company will be at the Meanee. Miss Eloise Juno has taken her farewell benefit at the Prince of Wales Opora House, Hokitika. It is announced to bo Miss Juno's intention, to proceed to San Francisco. The "Argus" of the 21st ult., says:— "A letter has just been received by a gentlemen in Adelaide from one of the officers of the Galatea, stating "that His Royal Fli»hns93 the Duke of Edinburgh is to go from ifnw Zsaland to Tahiti, Honolulu, Callao, Valparaiso, Falkland Islands, Monte Video, Rio, Duinerara, Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada, and Barbadoes, an I thence home to Portsmouth, where he 13 to arrive in January, 1869. This is no yachting voyage, considering the Galatea must round Capo Horn in September." William Weaver, Esq., has been apointed telegraph engineerfor the colony,and Mr Alfred Sheath district inspector of telegraphs for the northern, district of the colony.

The "Daily Times " says: — "By advices received from Mr Young, "by tie Panama mail, we nre glad to learn that the ice-house on board the Celestial Queen "was quite completed, and 20,000 ova of the 100,000 it was proposed to Bend, were Bafely stowed in it. The remaining ova were expected during the next ten days which would elapee before the vessel's final departure. As the Celestial Queen is a clipper ship, her arrival may be looked for early in April." The " Lyttetom Times" of tbe 2nd gives the following account of the movements of "the travelling Commissioners of the Royal Commission on Prisons, Messrs Haughton and O'Neill, who have now nearly completed their investigations at Lyttelton and Christchurch. They have been daily occupied since their arrival in taking evidence, most of which, from the position and experience of the witnesses, can hardly fail to be of great value. We refer more especially to such witnesses as the Resident Magistrate, Mr C. C. Bowen, and Dr Donald, Resident Magistrate at Lyttleton, and other gentlemen who must have long deplored the want of proper prison accommodation for the due punishment of offenders, and the possible reclamation of the compatatively innocent. We understand that his Honor the Superintendent will be examined to-day, and that the Commissioners contemplate departing by tomorrow morning's coach for Hokitika, to pursue their enquiries on the West Coast. We hear further, that as soon as the investigation is brought to a close, a consultation of the Commissioners, ' and the Acting Chief Justice and puisne Judges, will take place at Wellington, in order that a comprehensive report may be prepared in time for presentation during the next session of the G-eneral Assembly. .With regard to the locale of the General Penal Establishment, we hear it is probable that in all likelihood Taranaki will be the place decided on." The arrival of a new steamer, the John Perm, intended for the New Zealand trade, is noticed in the Melbourne papers. She has been built by the well-known firm, the name of whose senior partner she bears, and she is intended for Mr Johnson, of Mewburn-park, who will employ her in the fat cattle trade on the New Zealand Coast. Her head-quarters will be Nelson, near which Mr Johnson hns secured very extensive paddocks. The cattle will be conveyed thither by Mr .Johnson's sailing ships, and the John Perm will^afterwards carry them to the coast markets for the supply of the diggers. The John Perm is a vessel of some 400 tons register, specially constructed for the trade in which she is to be employed.