The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1868.

Southland Times, Issue 942, 29 April 1868, Page 2

The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1868.

It will be amusing to learn that the meeting of the Southland Association, a body which suddenly springs into existence whenever Mr Peter Dalrymple visits the Long Bush, was attended, on the occasion of its laEt gathering, by the large number of SIX individuals, whose names are as follows : — Peter Dairy mple (Chairman), T. M. Clerke, Warner, Philips, Kinross, and M'lvor. How Messrs Dalrymple or Kinross could muster sufficient courage to talk mild thunder to bo limited an audience on a very cold and disagreeable day is rather surprising, but we suppose "disinterested" patriotism carries its own reward. The "Can'erbury Press" of the 21st says— " The first Native Lands Court which has ever been held in this Province, sat yesterday in the old Town Hall. The Court was crowded with Maoris of both sexes, and the proceedings were watched with considerable interest. The Court opened at ten o'clock, before F. D. Fenton, Esq., chief judge, and Henare Pukuatua, an Araws chief, native assessor. Several cases were heard, and others postponed. Mr Brodrick kindly furnishes us with the following information, which was received as a telegram by Capt. Vine Hall, of the Claud Hamilton, just before sailing from Melbourne. Sydney, April 21st, 1868. — O'Farrell was hanged this morning at 9 a.m. His demeaneour up to the hour of the execution was quiet and resigned ; at the foot of the ladder he prayed fervently with Father Dwyer, and at the hour appointed, walked with a firm quick step on to the scaffold. He did not address the pub ie at all, and died without a struggle. He sent a letter yesterday to the honorable Mr Parkes, which was to be opened after his death, but the contents of it are not yet made public. The convict Swale was executed in Lyttelton Gaol, on Thursday, 16th inst. From the " Press " we learn that on the evening previous to his execution, he confessed to the Rev E. A. Lingard, that " without thought or care " he set fire to his house, " thereby causing the death of a poor man," and endangering the lives of his neighbors. He first made the attempt Co set fire to the house in June last, by inserting a candle in a bundle of papers. His object was to get the value of the stock and to leave the place. He did not make another attempt until the 7th February, when he remembered lighting the " canvas and paper" of the wall near the window of the leanto. He then went and lay down in bed, stupefied with drink, but was roused by a sense of suffocation from smoke, and got op. He saw Bankin in bed asleep, but made no effort to save him, but carried some things away that had been prepared for removal. He scarcely struggled after the falVng of the drop. Newspaper proprietors appear to be in a flourishing condition in America. The " Cosmopolitan " gives the following return of income of the different owners of newspapers throughout New York :— Horace Gtreeley, 87,000 dollars ; H. J. Raymond, 45,000 dollars; Erastus Brooks, 26,000 dollars ; William C. Bryant, 81,000 dollars; C. Nordhoff, 6,100 dollars; Thurlow Weed, 62,01)0 dollars; Robert Bonner, 200,000 dollars ; Frank Leslie, 91,000 dollars ; John R. Young, 23,700 dollars ; William Swinton, 18,000 dollars; Moses Beach, 71,000 dollars; William C. Prime, 32,000 dollars ; James Gordon Bennett, 292.000 dollars ; James Q-ordon Bennett, junr., 7,500 dollars; John D. Stockton, 18,000 dollars; G. W. Smalley, B.OCO dollars; Theo. Tilton, 11,000 dollars; Kane O'Donnell, 9,400 dollars; Jas. M'Connell, 6,400 dollars; Benjamin Wood, 186,000 dollars; E. J. Ottarson, J 9,000 dollars ; C. P. Dewey, 800 dollars ; Frank Fellow, 2,800 dollars ; G. A. Townsend, 1,175 dollars ; C. G. Hapline, 61,000 dollars ; Manton Marble, 10,000 dollars ; William G. Hurlbort, 1,250 dollars ; C. A. Dana, 72,000 dollars ; G. W. Curtis, 14,000 dollars,

Mr Deck will lecture this evening, in the j Exchange Building, Dee-street, on the subject of Ritualism. See advertisement in other columns. The Chamber of Commerce is to meet this afternoon, principally for the purpose of discussing a question of the utmost importance, to the commercial" community, viz., the law as at present in force with reference to bills of 6ale and i the interpretation which has been given to it in j several Courts of the Colony. Shortly after the I passing of the present Bankruptcy Act we pointed out several glaring imperfections in it, especially in the clauses hearing upon bills of sale, showing that the construction of the statute was such as to offer a positive inducement to the dishonest debtor to defraud his unsuspecting creditors, as also being a strong temptation to the honestly disposed but weak-minded tradesman iv difficulties, to take advantage of its provisions. The same views seem to have obtained elsewhere ; and in Canterbury energetic means are being taken to have the obnoxious clauses of the Act rectified, or the interests of the creditor protected by further legislation op the subject. The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, in November last, appointed a committee to enquire searchingly into the subject, and the result is that a lengthy and comprehensive report has been prepared and laid before the various Chambers of the colony. It is to consider this report that the meeting fo^^day is called, and our merchants, will, no doubt, see it both their duty and interest to giva it their hearty support. After most lucidly stating the matter as it now stands, the report concludes thus : — The practical recommendations, therefore, which your committee would submit for the consideration of the Chamber are the following — Ist. In addition to the registration of bills of sale, as at present required, notice of every bill of sale shall forthwith be gazetted. 2. Bills of sale, within the meaning of the Registration Act, shall not b e valid as to goods which, at the time of their execution, are not the property of the person giving them. 3. Bills of sale comprising station property only, shall still require registration, but shall be exempted from the second article and also from the operation of the 145 th clause in the New Bankruptcy Act, which enacts the law of reputed ownership. The letter from the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, accompanying the copy of the report sent to the Chamber of Commerce here, states that a committee has been appointed to "prepare the draft of a bill embodying the suggestions contained in the report, with a view to moving the Legislature on the subject," and that they " will be glad to receive an expression of the views held by the Invercargill Chamber previous to any steps being taken." The tea meeting in aid of the funds of the Ladies' Benevolent Society came off last evening most successfully. The hall in which it was held, the premises recently occupied by Moeller Bros., proved to be admirably adapted for the occasion, and, draped as it was with a variety of flags, looked at once spacious and cheerful. The Superintendent found it impossible to be present to occupy the position of honor. The chair was therefore taken by Thos. Watson, Esq. Messrs Calder, Macdonald, Tanner, Perkins, Dr Deck, Mr Crouch, and Mr Cuthbertson addressed the meeting at considerable length, in the order named, in support of resolutions brought forward. A very lengthy and highly satisfactory report of the operations of I the society for the past year, was read by the Rev Mr Stobo. A number of musical volunteers did good service in making the evening pass pleasantly. Our next publication will contain a more detailed report of the meeting, .as we are precluded by pressure of other matter from giving it in this issue.