The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1868.

Southland Times, Issue 1034, 7 October 1868, Page 2

The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1868.

In consequence of pressure on our columns, occasioned by the arrival of the EngUsh mail, we are obliged to hold over leader, correspondence, and proceedings of the Provincial Council. The tampering with the tenders for the completion of the Winton Line of, RaUway is a great scandal. There can be no doubt, with the information in our possession, that a grave crime has been committed, but it is not at aU certain that the principal party accused — the Clerk to the Superintendent — is the chief offender. That unfortunate gentleman, we hope, is more " sinned against than sinning." It was his duty, certainly, to have seen to the safety of the documents ; it was his duty to so guard the tenders that no particle of suspicion could attach to him, but this he did not do. On the contrary, by his indiscreet conduct, he placed himself in a position to be imposed Upon by interested parties. We trust that the Government wiU use every exertion to bring the offenders to justice. One of them, it is reported, has recently left the Province. The case wiU also be watched by Mr Commissioner Weldon, whose known vigilance is a guarantee that no efforts wiU be spared to serve the ends o£ justice. In the meantime, as the subject is under investigation, it is not the province of the journalist to influence the pubUc mind by any comments b'kely to prejudice the case. The ' DaUy Times,' of the 28th ult., sayß with reference to the expected visit of the Duke of | Edinburgh to New Zealand, announced in the { last Suez telegrams, a private letter received j yesterday from Sydney remarks : — The statements in the EngUsh news received by the July mail to the effect that the Duke of Edinburgh is about to visit New Zealand, are not credited here in weU-informed quarters. Letters receired from tbe Duke by the maU to hand to-day (7th inst.) do not mention a word of it j nor does Lord Newry aUuded to it in his correspondence. The Governor and Ministry here do not credit it. StiU it is just possible there may be some truth in it. Since the above was written, another mail has arrived confirming previous statements. A meeting of the Committe of the Southland Horticultural Society took place on Monday evening at the Princess Hotel, N. J. E. Stewart in the chair. The preliminary arrangements for the Annual Exhibition having been settled, it was resolved to dispense with the ordinary monthly meetings during the remaining part of this year. The next meeting therefore wiU not take place until the first Monday in January, 1869. Mr Basstian, on Friday evening in the Provincial Council, called the attention of the Speaker to some mistakes which appeared in this journal having reference to a motion for a return of sheep crossing the Otago borders to Southland. These motions read as foUows : — " 1. Infected Sheep. — Mr Basstian asked what steps had been taken to prevent infected sheep from coming into the^-ovince. 2. Mr Basstian asked for a return of all infected sheep imported into the Province." The above should have read as foUows : — " Mr Basstian asked for a return of aU sheep having passed into the Province from Otago during the past three years ;" also, ■' to ask the Government if they were in possession of the nature of the restrictions on sheep passed from Southland into Otago." We regret that the mistakes have occurred, and take the present opportunity of rectifying them. In the Provincial CouncU, on Monday night, very Uttle business of importance was got through with. In answer to Mr Steuart, the Provincial Treasurer explained the present state of the Sheep Assessment, &c, and Mr Clerke obtained a return of aU works executed without being open to tender, since May last. In answer to the same gentleman, the Provincial Treasurer said the Government stiU intended to proceed with the railway when finances would allow it. Leave of absence was granted for the ! remainder of the session to Messrs Hodgkinson and Calder. Mr Clerke's motion censuring the I Government in the matter of the raUway tenders, I was much modified, and ultimately withdrawn, ! the Government having stated that a vigorous I enquiry was being made. Mr Steuarfc was in- ! formed that the Government bad not countermanded the order for railway plant, and did not intend doing so. Mr Pratt obtained a select committee to enquire into fche works of the Bluff RaUway with a view to reducing expenditure, &c. Mr Dalrymple's motion relative to Cattle Trespass was withdrawn. The same member's series of resolutions regarding the mode ol electing Superintendent were carried without discussion. Mr Pearson's Immigration resolutions were also carried. The Sale of Reserves and Ferry Leasing Ordinances were postponed, and the Tolls Ordinance "was read a second time. We learn that a settler near Winton sold in town a few days ago 600 bushels of barley, of exceUent quahty, at 4s 6d per bushel, the produce of two bushels sown two years ago. Surely thi3 speaks weU for the character of our soil and cUmate, remembering that last year was reckoned a very unfavorable one for grain crops. A fire occurred. on Monday, fche sth October, in a shed on the Bluff Road, the property of John CampbeU. It would appear that the fire originated from a youth of about 7 years striking matches, which ignited the ferns and the building was burnt to the ground. The dwelling house md farming implements were fortunately saved.

At last night's sitting ofthe Council the Notices of Motion and Orders of the Day were proposed and carried seriatim. A full report of tho proceedings will be given in our next. At the Resident Magistrate - !- Courts before H. M-Culloeh, Esq., R.M., Capt. Elles, R.M., and "F. Nutter, Esq., J.P., MrW.H. Aylmer, and Mr Ales. Sayera, were charged with conspiracy in the matter of the tenders for the completion of the Oreti Railway. The case was remanded until this morning, bail being allowed. A meeting ofthe Committee of the Acclimatisation Society was held in the Government Buildings, on Tuesday, tbe 6th Oct. Present — Messrs D. M'Arthur (in the chair), Pearson, Crouch, W. Russell, 0. Basstian, Butler^ Steuart, F. H. Moore, and E. D. Butts. A letter was read from His Honor tbe Superintendent of Otago. The question of an application to the Provincial Couucil for an annual grant ih either money or land was discussed. It was stated that an apphcation had been made to the Government, but * no definite answer received. It was finally re- \ solved to " make application to the Government for a grant of £1,600, or 2,000 acres of land." It was stated that over 600 of the ova has been hatched, and about 250 more in a healthy condition. Some financial matters were then discussed, and the business terminated. The crops in Tasmania appear to promise well. « According to the ' Launceston Examiner,' the weather continues all that farmers can desire, i Copious showers have been succeeded by warm, bright days, highly favorable to vegetation. Erom all quarters the most cheering reports reach us as to the prospects. The following Melbourne telegrams were, says the * Daily Times ' (Otago), published in Sydney on the 12th ult. : — " It appears from communications received by the mail, that her Majesty is likely to confer the honor of knighthood on the Mayors of the principal cities and boroughs of the colonies. The commander of the Imperial war steamer Dorade, now at Wellington, is said to hold a commission from the Erench Government to negotiate with the New Zealand Government to get the Panama mail steamers to call at Tahiti, or to establish a branch line between there and Wellington," Mr Stephen Hutchison, lessee of the Dunedin Gas Works, has been declared a bankrupt.