The Southland Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1868.

Southland Times, Issue 1007, 21 August 1868, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1868.

We have been requested to call attention to Mr H. E. Osborne's sale of furniture &c, which takes place tius day at 12 o'clock, at his new mart Esk-streefc. This sale, we understand, will be one of the most extensive farniture sales which has orcurred for a long time 3 amongst the lots are some very handsome articles of plenishing, and also a small organ, suitable for a school or private room. We have been shown a nugget of gold weighing 3oz sdwt, that was somtime since found by a prospecting party in the Longwood Banges. The discoverers of the auriferous ground failed for want of adequate appliances to fairly test the ground, and abandoned itin favor of a chance ' hit ' iv the North. Since that, others have bsen prospecting and heavy gold has been obtained iv the vicinity of the place in which the 'nugget' was found. It is the opinion of experienced miners that quartz reefs of equal value to the best discovered in the Auckland province exist in the Longwood Banges, and that they must sooner or latter be discovered. The " Hokitika Evening Star" says : — We are informed by a gentleman lately arrived from the Wanganui Inlet that a large and extensive coal mine is now in course of being opened up at that place, by Messrs Batty & Co., of Nelson. There are, he says, a large number of coal seams visible, cropping out of the various terraces, all of which, with a very small outlay, might be profitably turned to account." Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Eoyal Mail Company. — The meeting was held to-day. The report is a gloomy one. It shows a total deficit on the past year of nearly L 65,000. The losses are primarily attributed to the prevalence of yellow fever, the peculiar and depressed state of trade, and excessive competition. But while the circumstances which have caused the disapointment are considered exceptional, the directors say that their ' confidence in the ultimate success of the undertaking is unabated,' and they refer in congratulatory terms to the regularity with which the Panama service continues to be performed, and to the superior footing on which the Panama line has been placed through the recent alteration made hy tbe Eoyal Mail Steam Packet Company in the working of their service. This change, whereby any transhipment in the East Indies of passengers for the Australian Colonies will be entirely obviated, the danger of sickness removed, and "the time for the through voyage materially shortened, is now in operation, and the directors " confidently anticipate it will have a most favorable effect on the company's interests." The directors, in conclusion, having regard to the latest accounts, " express the opinion that not only has the maximum loss been fully ascertained, but 'that the company's fleet is now being worked with results which will tend to compensate for past losses, and insure a remunerative return on the capital invested." Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company. — A 3 per cant, dividend has been declared for the half-year ending the 31st March. Although the accounts are reported to contrast favorably with those of the same half of the previous year, they do not exhibit profits equal to those of former years. The bulky cargoes are profitable but there is still a lack of freights in specie and costly materials. The "Australasian."

The time for receiving tenders for the construction of the Oreti Eailway has been extended to the 80th September. The thirteenth of the Penny Eeadings takes place this evening at the Theatre Boyal. A new feature in the entertainment will be the exhibition of a magio lantern— a very superior one — which has been kindly placed at the disppsal of the committee for this night only. It willnq doubt prove a source of infinite enjoyment to the juvenile portion ofthe audience, and also afford amusement to the " children of larger growth." It will also be observe! that admission to the upper part of the house- will be by ticket, and by the box door. This arrangement, whioh entails a great deal of extra work on the members of Committee, ha 3 been made to avoid the crushing which occasionally takes place through one entrance door only being open. The programme for the evening appears qilite as good as any of its forerunners. The Imperial Government have arranged with the Government of New South Wales to send out to that Colony a shipment of bronze coin, of the nominal value of LIO.OOC. The ' S. M. Herald' publishes, on authority, the following information with regard to it :— ' This coin will be issued to the public at its nominal value — that is to say — two hundred and forty pennies for the poun I sterling, and will be conveyed by the Deputy Master of the Mint to any part of the Golonyj, when required, free of cost to the purchaser. With respect to the old Imperial copper coin (il it be approved of by the Deputy- Master), its full nominal value will be paid, either in money or in bronze coin, as desired by the sender — the cost of conveying the old coin to the Mint falling upon the consignor. With respect to * private tokens,' they also will be accepted by the Mint, at their nominal value to a certain amount, and for a limited period after arrival of the new coin (amount and period not yet defined) provided these tokens have been actually in circulation, — are of good copper, and are of proper weight. No advice has yet been received by the Government of the actual shipment of the bronze coin, but it was ready for shipment in April last. We understand that a movement is being made in favor of the holding a horse show in Invercargill about the latter end of September or the beginning of October. Them can be no question as to Southland possessing stock of a superior description, and although the exhibits of horses form a feature in the programme of the Annual Show of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, that show is held at a period of the year when one particular description of stock — entire horses — cannot be conveniently brought into town. The object of the promoters of this movement, we understand , is to give the settlers the opportunity of estimating fairly, at an early date, the quality of the various horses that will travel during the ensuing spring. The following items appear in the telegrams of the *" Sydney Weekly Herald ': — The directors of the Launceston and Deloraine Eailway Company opened on Tuesday the tenders for the construction of 45 miles of railway for which they . have made arrangements. There were nine tenders in all. That of Messrs Overend and Bobb, of Melbourne, was considered the most ■ -cßftib»a f and ifc.. »ftn^fcl* Ai-AfnrA. n/y*flptf>rl, the amount being £200.671. Messrs Overend and Bobb have paid the required deposit, and are to proceed with their undertaking with the least possible delay. — Instructions have been received from the Admiralty, for all H.M.S. vessels on the Australian station, to visit the Auckland Islands periodically, to render any assistance that may be called for to save hfe or property. The business at the Besident Magistrate's Court has been, during the week, next to nothing. With the exception ot a case or two of- ' drunk and disorderly,' and allowing goats to stray, no cases have been brought forward. We take the following from the " Daily Times" 13th August. It says: — New South Wales people seem bent upon settling the question of how best to preserve meat, so as profitably to dispose of the surplus stock of that Colony. Mr Mort freezes, Mr Tooth condenses an extract — and now Mr E. W. Lang proposes to send out beef and mutton uncooked, which shall retain all the appearance of perfectly fresh meat from a butchers shop, and shall taste like such meat, the only thing necessarj before ceoking bring a washing in cold water. All that we have heard as to the process of preserving is, that chemicals, which are prfectly harmless, and which are soluble in cold water, are employed to " act on the air," in the hermetically sealed tins in which the meat is placed. The result is said to be that of " absorbing all the oxygen, thus removing the gas, which gives vitality to fermentation ; and where no fermentation can take place, no decomposition can set in." We do not profess an opinion as to the process thus stated ; but our reporter yesterday ate some beef, out of a can which is said to have been one of the first packed by Mr Lang, when he commenced operations, five or six months ago. Capt. Mailler, of the paddle steamer Comerang, had three or four guests at dinner, on board his vessel, yesterday j and one of the dishes was a haricot of the preserved beef. It was certainly good ; and no one eating it would have been likely to think that the meat was " preserved " six months ago, and that the tin from which it came had been open for a couple of days. The tin, nearly half-full, was subse- 1 quently shown to the guests. The contents, taken out of the can, would pass anywhere for fresh steaks wliich hadl am in water for an hour or two ; and, cooked as steaks, the meat is said to taste as steaks should do. It is also said that, in 71b tins, * Lang's Preserved Fresh uncooked Beef can be sold in New Zealand at 7d per lb ' free of bone.' The Invercargill Eifle Corps has been more than a year in existence, and may '"now be looked upon as a permanent institution. It has not, however, received that public recognition that is usually awarded to similar bodies. There have been, it is true, several rifle matches, and in each the firing of the Invercargili men has been above the aver- ge, but the greater portion of the community has not given, even by their presence, the encouragement to persevere that in other places is granted, and which has a powerful influence upon members to aim at efficiency. The basis of a good band has been formed, but public support is wanted to render it a credit to the town. The proprietors of thiß paper have followed the example of Captain Harvey, and Lieut. Geisow, and presented a silver medal to be shot for by the members of the company. Il is . to be hoped that others will also display a similar interest in I the progress of the volunteer movement. i

Those of our readers enterested in the breeding of horses will learn with much regret of the death of "Secundus," Mr Howell's beautiful little thoroughbred sire — winner of the first prize for blood horses at the Agricultural association's show last year-^-which took plaoe on Thursday morning last rather suddenly. The disease is supposed to have been Bheumatio Fever, and it is said that quite a number of valuable horses have died recently from the same cause. The * Daily Times ' ofthe 15th August, says :— « It would appear that the season of the year has fairly set in for the capture of frost fish, as on our banks and beaches they are being caught daily, not only by professional fishermen but others. On Thursday last, three were caught on the Port Chalmers beaches— one of them in Mussel Bay, by the hands of three ladies. Whilst walking along the shingle, they observed one dart on shore j wondering what it was, they advanced cautiously, and killed it with stones. On being measured it proved to be four-and-a--half feet in length.' The Wellington correspondent of the ' Daily Times,' under date 14th August, telegraphs that Mr Macandrew has tabled the following notice of motion for Wednesday, the 16th inst., viz. : — • That, in the opinion of this House, the attempt to capture the Maoris who escaped from the Chatham Islands was, in the first place, impolitic, and that it is inexpedient further to prosecute the attempt. That this House is also of opinion that experience has proved that the Native policy hitherto pursued has been mistaken policy, destructive to the interests of both races, and ought now to be abandoned ; with which view the House recommends — First. That Native and Colonial Defence Officers be abolished. Second — That the cost of maintenance of peace, order, and -good government among the Natives and Europeans ahke, shall be locally charged and devolve upon the respective Local Governments. Third — That in consideration of the prejudicial ) effect upon the North Island, which has resulted .from the Native policy of the Imperial and Colonial Governments, and in consideration of the colony being relieved from further indefinite liability for Native wars, the interest and sinking fund of the three million loan shall ■■ be borne exclusively by the Middle Island, until such time as the Customs Eevenue of the North Island shall exceed that of the Middle Island, whereupon the said interest, &c, shall again be charged on the Consolidated Eevenue ; also, that an annual sum, not exceeding £50,000, forthe next three years, shall be charged against the Consolidated Colonial Eevenue, and paid over to the Local Authorities of the Northern Island, to be expended io the employment of the Native population on public works : such annual payment to be distributed in such proportion as the Governor shall see fit.'