The Sonthland Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1868.

Southland Times, Issue 1031, 2 October 1868, Page 2

The Sonthland Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1868.

.' Wejearn ifeom; Mr s. Ho*s*cl, Curator of thef Acclimatisation Socdetrjr, that about four hundred of tiie recently imported trout ova has been successfully hatched and are now loose in the ponds. __ A Bteamer was sighted at the Bluff yesterday-, evening, supposad to be the Tararua, from Melhouiais,, „ «,^«v t...»^t.t . ,:...««.•«-*.•»»*«._-•-«' <•■■'-' ■■- Two very sej-ious^-aocidents occurred •on Wednesday lasi. Mr j^qmson, foreman to Mr Eraser, of Clyde-street, unfortunetely got his arm entangled in the gear of the saw mill, and the j limb was fearfully mutilated. . He was taken to I the Hospital when it was found that amputation was'-n&eeesary. operation? wassuccessfullj performed by Drs Greigor and M'Clure.' I^he^ other was that-:;, of Mrs M'lvor. Wa^rivi. It would appear that this lady in passing a thrashing machine Jthat ws| at work, went too near when her dress caught in the machinery, and before the horse's could be stopped sheihad been thrown o down and dragged beneath; the machine, ffacturing the thigh bone, and receiving other injuries. From-enquiries made last evening, we 4earn that both patients ares doing well. } The question of opening .the Railway Tenders will come on for debate in the Provincial Council this evening. ...•■•■ : ... It will be seen from our advertising columns, that a Stallion Horse Show, under the auspices of the Southland Agricultural . and Pastoral Association, will be held on Friday, the 16th inst., at the, Invercargill, Sale Yard. The following is the report of the select committee of the Legislative Council the Auckland Islands :—" legislative Cduncil Chamber, September, 186&, Your Committee carefully considered the subject remitted to them for report, and .having taken such evidence as was readily available, have to report the result of their inquiries 5-^-1. That . considering the great advantages which would arise to vessels ; coming to New Zealand, Great Britain, or the Continents of America or Europe, from the erection of .a,Lighthouse on the Snares, rather than on the Auckland Islands, and that the latter idea could not be, according to evidence, effectively , [carried- out without placing two lights on the Islands in question, - your. Committee are of opinion that no time, should be lost in ascertaining the adaptability of the Island for such . erection, and, if found suitable, that immediate steps should be taken to proceed with the erection. 2. • Tour Committee are of opinion that the expenses incurred by the Provincial Council of Southland in immediately despatching a vessel' to' search for and rescue the missing men of the General Grant, winch. 1 vessel was wreoked on the Auckland Islands, should be borne by the Colonial Treasury, as also, the expense incurred in the measures adopted for the relief of any persons who may be shipwrecked in the vicinity. 8. Your Committee desire- also' ~to : record their opinion that the thanka of the Colony are due, and should be expressed t» the Provincial Government of Southland, for their promptitude of action on the late occasion ; to- the owners, officers, and crew of the Amherst for their self-denying exertions to aid in the rescue of the shipwrecked men, accompanied by a grant of money, as a suitable additional testimony to the value of their services ; and to Mr Armstrong for the readiness with which he placed himielf at the disposal of the "Provincial Government," at a time when such succour as he -could render was most valuable. 4. Your Committee recommend that the .-cooperation: of the Australian Colonies be requested in the erection of the lighthouse in question, and that such arrangement should be -made' by ithe Executive Government as will enable prompt action *tp be ordered "tiy ' local authorities when such emergencies arise." A meeting of the "tenderers for the completion of the^ Oreti, Eailway was held at the Prince of Wales Hotel yesterday, the Ist inst., at eleven a.m. The following gentlemen were present: — Messrs S^hearer, Packham,:M'Kenzie, Proud "oot, Wilson, Moffatt, M'Minamin, Hazlemore, Eoebuck, Frederic, M'Eie, Aldrich, and Irvine. The object of the meeting: was, to arrange some common basis forjfche guidance of the contractors in their interview with the Provincial Government on the question of the opening of the tenders. A variety of opinions were expressed on the subject at issue, and the following resolution, after some discussion, was passed : — "That a [cash- deposit' ? be, paid by all the contractors present in Invercargill before the tenders are opened : the said deposit to be a guarantee as to proceeding with the works when required by the Government at anyt ime within Ifotir imoriths from date — say the sum of £100^--6h the Ihverc&rgill dontractj and the sum of £200 on the Winton contract, "the same amounts to be absolutelyforfeited should the contractor fail -to proceed .with the works when requested ; and j should the Government not be in a position to. go on with the works at the expiration of four months, the above amounts to be "returned, with £50 added to the £100, and £100 added to the £200. 2. That the tenders be opened by theGoyernment : in the presence of the contractors, and the lowest only be declared, but not necessarily accepted. : 3. That in the event of its being decided not to accept any tenders at present, tenders' to be returned unopened, the Government to^ be requested,' when prepared to go on with the, works, to' give Hue public notice of the same. — (Signed) Abbot and Packham, David Proudfoot, Henry Wilson, James MTCenzie, G. M. Aldrich, William Moffatfc Tohn M'Minamin, and Shearer." Mr [rvine did not agree with the resolution, and left the room. — This terminated the pro-' ceedings. Shortly afterwards, the same gentlemen as named above waited on the Executive, to submit the resolutions and ascertain the views of the Government on the subject. The members of the Executive present, were — His Honor the Deputy Superintendent, the Provincial Secretary and Treasurer, and J. M'Clure, Esq. After the resolutions had been read over, a desultory conversation ensued, which ended in His Honor the Deputy Superintendent stating that the Government would submit the resolutions to the council, when it would rest, to a certain extent, t^ h^°^7» as to. what course should be pur*T^s^J*^enzie believed that the contractsj*^}wi&w& t§!fcavej*he matter set at rest as soon as^ss^.^^|han?^g^Uike to see the tenW^flWV*J^iWWll» expense

and iti'conveniencd in delaying the opening of the teriS^. By stipulating; that the sum of £300 should belodged with tuo Q-orarnnient, it protected hona fide tendSX'ew, and it likewise was calculated to prevent " dummiea ;'• from appearing in the list of cdntfactors, ?3?he r Provincial Secretary . pre» :B\imed-.all the contractors were not present. , Mr believed riot, but --he would imagine that those who had tendered would be represented when the proper time arrived. Mr M'Clure wished it distinctly to be understood that the JJovernment^did not bind itself to accept the re- ; solutions, but simply received die suggestions and explanations of the contractors. The Provincial Secretary stated: that the Got eminent would do everything in its power to facilitate the matter, j and np doubt the successful tenderer would be declared to,-mprr«iw, at the meeting of the Prqvin- ' cial Council."' Before tHe deputation withdrew, Mfrvlrvine ianded in the following protest t— " Invercargill, October Ist, 1868. — We, the under- ■ signed,' t&iderersfor the contract for the completion of the Oreti Railway, beg respectfully to inform the Provincial Government that we . are adverse to any change whatever -being now made in respect of the conditions' of tenders, as published by advertisement, and we protest against any alteration being made until said tenders are opened. — Charles D. Irvine, J. E. Davies, iun.; N. Campbell, Samuel Hazlemore, W. Eoebuck." The Pro.vincjal Secretary stated that the Government would append this document to the other resolutions, and submit them to the Council. The Fijis, it appears, have arrived at that stage of importance which is marked by the advent of a local newspaper. The ' News and Planters' Journal ' is the title of a modest hebdomadal published at Levuka, Ovalau. The introductory notice urges the necessity of a news- ! paper from the rapidly growing importance of - the group, in order to make the settlement and its capabilities better known. The 'Melbourne^ Herald* states that as soon as -it was known- that the local journals at Castlemaine Had amalgamated, two fresh competitors appeared in the field — a daily and an evening paper, which were promised strong support. ; ■■■■-■■•