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Southland Times, Issue 977, 29 June 1868, Page 2

Improvement to property seems to be still the order of the day in our leading thoroughfare. We observe that the Messrs Sloan, having taken the premises formerly occupied by the late Mr E Cowper, ironmonger, next the Union Bank, have had them renovated and opened as a very handsome and commodious boot and shoe warehouse, into which they have removed both pre-existing branches of their business. The old store of Messrs Spence Bros, is also being thoroughly remodelled, and having a handsome new front, put up. When finished it will be occupied by Mr. H. Wilson, successor to the late E* Cowper, as an ironmongery establishment. These warehouses, being contiguous, will, when completed, add greatly to the architectural' appearance of the very centre of the city. Further on, the Newmarket Hotel, in the hands of its new proprietor, Mr M'Minaman, is also in process of improvement. The unBightly swamp by which it was surrounded is being filled up, and the street in front raised to the level of the footpath. It would be .well if many other proprietors in the same neighborhood were to follow his example. •----'-'- r !J" '

The court for the revision of the Wallace Electoral Roll was held on Friday last, by H. M'Culloch, Esq., Revising Officer. Jfo private objections were lodged ; four names were removed from the roll at the instance of the Registration Officered. R> Marten, Esq.), one. being dead, and the remainder not in the district. There were twenty-five new claims, of which twentyfour were admitted, one being disalldwed^on the objection of the Registration Officer, as "not in district." - ' Our Bluff correspondent", under date the 276E insfc., says : — " That part of the town known as the General Government Reserve, on which are erected the Customs and Post Offices, and which. ha 3 been an eyesore to the inhabitants as pre'sentirig a most desert-like appearance, is now undergoing a process of reclamation. The ground is being filled up and levelled, and we understand that a roadway is to connect the wharf with Gorestreet. The footpaths . in . Gore-street are also f having a brush up, and it is rumored that they* f are to have a coating of gravel over them. This ! will be a great acquisition to pedestrians who have hitherto had to walk over the; boot tops in loose sand, The large box drain is now all but com: pleted ; speculation runs high as to whether it will be serviceable, butitis.to be -trusted it will accomplish the end for which it was made. . By the" s.s. Omeo from Melbourne, on her recent trip,,tfcere arrived a very valuable addition to our provincial herds. 'The importation we allude to consists of three cows^ a yearling bull and a calf. The lot were selected from the renowned herd of Messrs Morton and Leach, for Messrs Holmes and Barnhill, of Castle Rock. We had the pleasure of viewing the cattle at the Club Stables; on Saturday afternoon, and certainly finer animals ithas never- been our lot to look upon. The young bull is a most promising animal, while the cows are all that could be de&ired for grazing purposes. They are, Jassamine 9th, Jassamine 13th, aud Buttercup 6th, all cows of pedigree and prize winners. , The first named one especially is a perfect type of her class and obtained the highest awards at the Victorian shows. We should feel obliged to" our New Zaaland contemporaries, if instead, of sending loose files of papers by thesteamera, they would enclose them in a. wrapper, addressed to the Shipping Reporter of the Southland Times, Bluff Harbor. For sometime past our file 3of Northern papers have come to hand very irregularly, although files of this journal are punctually placed on board the out-going steamers. We hare received communications. from the proprietors of various journals stating that full file 3 were regularly sent by -each steamor for this office. If any of our contemporaries fail to receive, complete files of this journal; we should 1 be glfid to be informed of , the same,, with the name of the steamer that should have delivered them. The Invercargill Rifle Volunteers met for drill, and the inspection of arms, on Friday night, at the commodious .room in the Exchange Buildings, kindly lent to- the Company by the proprietor, 'Mr Tulloch. The" muster Was good, between forty and fifty members, including the band,- being present.- They went through >the ordinary evolutions most creditably, and were complimented by Captain Harvey, who expressed a hope that as a' drill room had. been obtained, every member would make it a duty to attend. He also stated that in order, to be perfect in' their drill for .the' inspecting parade, upon the arrival of the Hon. Colonel Haultain, Defence Minister, nightly drill had .been ordered. We heard on Saturday that Colonel Haultain had found it necessary to return to head quarters at once, and would therefore not be able to visit Southland. While on , volunteer matters we may mention that the formation. of a .light horse cavalry company is contemplated, and that a sufficient number of gentlemen have expressed their intention of joining in the movement to renderthe project successful ; " The accounts from the Cape diggings," says the " Rockhampton Bulletin," " are encouraging: The great drawback >to these diggings has been the want of water. Those who have been able to hold out during the long, spell of fine weather will how probably profit by the plentiful supply of' water* 1 . The quantity brought down by the Boomerang — 1607 ounces — is not a bad indication of the richness of this goldfield, even under the most unfavorable circumstances. No doubt reefs will be soon discovered in the' neighborhood/ andwe may hope to see a large mining population permanently settled at the Cape. The class of diggers wanted them are men with some capital who can afford to wait for rain. It is madness for a poor digger to face the dangers and privations of so long a journey. The existing regulations are notoriously defective. Following, blindly, the regulations of New South Wales, bur Government have paid no regard to the peculiar and exceptional circumstances of our goldfields The gold in Queensland is found in patches, the. reefs are scattered in thin veins, and yet the regulations give no more extended claims than in New South Wales. The whole subject requires reexamination, and a new set of gold regulations should be framed founded on broader principles and with more liberal terms."" • - Our files from Queensland are to the 10th insfc. The reports from the new goldfield at Yabber were unfavorable ; but gold has been discovered within fourteen miles of* Warwick; on the Canning Downs run. Mr J. Macdonald reports that the returns already sent "in to him, under the section of the Polynesian Laborers' Act, requiring employers of that description of j labor to inform the Government of the number of such laborers ,in their employ, comprise 705 South Sea Islanders, who are employed by about seventy different, persons. Several returns hare yet to be Bent in, some from largo employers ; and it is estimated that there are at least 1500 of* the islanders in the colony. Those already received show that the islanders ' are. scat- • tered nearly all over the colony. ■ • There are some on the Maranoa, the Comet, the Barcooi the Upper Burdekin, the Warrego, the Balonne, andmany other places. There will soon be some at the Gulf, as a vessel is about being -laid on for. there direct from the islands. "An instance of the durability of colonial wood," the "Hobart Town Mercury" reports, "has been witnessed at Mr Robert Walker's mill. . A water-wheel, constructed of Huon pine, which has been ,at work on this , gentleman's premises for nearly fifty years, has recently undergone 'examination, and has been .found to. have suffered little from its,lengthy service, being almost as sound as on the day offts ereotion." '