POLITICAL—PROVINCIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 1049, 2 November 1868, Page 5

PO LITIC AL— PROVINCIAL.

The Council is now in recess, the session having terminated on Friday the 9th October. A good deal of work was got through in a very short time, although two very important debates, viz., Immigration and Bailway extension, were discussed at length. The financial statement was unexpectedly satisfactory. Retrenchment, to some extent it waß shown, had been made, and the Budget, in addition to arranging for all the work- j ing expenses of the Government, and | contributing liberally to education and other public institutions, provided for the continuance of immigration, and £13,000 for the construction of roads. Besolutions in favor of the Superintendent being elected by the people instead of, as at present, by the Council, were passed and other business transacted. Had it not been for an unfortunate circumstance connected with the completion of the Oreti Bailway, the session would have been one of the most business like ever held in Southland. At a previous session it was resolved that the line mentioned should be proceeded with, and during the recess the Provincial Government called for tenders for its completion, but upon meeting the : Council, the Provincial Treasurer, Mr Blacklock, informed the House to the effect that negotiations with the General Government not having been - perfected, the Provincial Government was not in a position to proceed with the work at once. Having placed the box containing the tenders on the table of the Council, he left it in the hands of the House to decide whetherthey should bethen opened, or left until further arrangements hadbeen made for cash payments. After some discussion the question was postponed until the next sitting. The box containing the tenders-was then returned to its usual custo^Eafiytrac Clerk Jbo the Superintendent. Previous to the next sitting it was reported that the tender box and the tenders had been tampered with. The Government announced to the Council the particulars, stating that from examinations made it appeared the reports were not without foundation. An angry discussion ensued, some members charging the Government with a want of vigilance, but upon the Government stating that the whole matter should be amply investigated the subject was allowed to drop. An investigation was immediately made, which resulted in the arrest of the Clerk to the Superintendent, a commission agent, and a contractor, on a charge of conspiracy, all of whom have , been committed to take their trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court. It was feared that this mishap would lead to much delay in commencing the desired work. This, howi ever, it appears will not be tht case, fresh tenders having been called for to be opened on the 13th inst, and there every probability that in our next summary we shall be in a position to state that the works are in progress. One of the most important votes of the session was that of a reward of £1000 for the discovery of a payable goldfield within the bounds of the Province, or £500 it on its borders. This has given an impetus to mining enterprise, and several parties are now prospecting likely localities with good hopes of success. One discovery has already been made, upon which the subjoined is an official report : — Police Station, Eiverton, 29th October, 1868. Sergeant Shury reports that, having heard that gold had been found in payable quantities on the Waiau, he proceeded thither on the 25th instant, for the purpose of ascertaining particulars. On his arrival he found six persons employed — two in each party — viz., Bates, and Chin, Clapp and Green, and Mendith and Matheson. The two first -named parties have claims on a small beach on the Otago Bide of the river, and are well satisfied with the results of their labor. . On the 14th instant, Bates and Chin sold abount seven ounces of coarse water-worn gold to the Bank. of Otago, Eiverton, said to be the result of. a week's work, and up to the 26th instant had obtained about six ounces : more, but had not lately been working the best of the ground, owing to the rising of the river. They expect to have about four month's work in their claim. ; Clapp and Green have the next claim, and have obtained similar prospects to those got by Bates and Chin. They are erecting a hut and making their sluice boxes. Mendith and Matheson intend to work a creek which runs down to the before-mentioned claims (supply them with water for sluicing) as soon as their sluice boxes are ready. They were working on a small beach on the Southland side with a cradle, until flooded out by the. rising of the river, and obtained eleven pounds worth of gold for five days work.

Two parties are back in the Bainges prospecting ; their smoke can be seen by the parties working on the river, but the result of their prospecting is not yetknown. The ground in the immediate neighborhood has been prospected by the parties working on the river beach, and fair prospects obtained; but the creek, running down to where they are working offered greater facilities for setting in. The gold is obtained amongst loose sand gravel and boulders, and the bottom is a blue reef — stone. The same formation exists all along Taylor's Creek, which runs for some miles, from the Takitimos, through a large flat, into the Waiu. He believes the gold will be principally obtained on the Otago side of the Waiau, as the river on that side is backed up, within a short distance, by magnificent ranges. ! The banks of the river are very precipij tons, and composed of loose stones and ! gravel, and the river (which is very rapid) together with forests, bring down large masses of them, and the water flowing over, acts as a large ground sluice, and wherever there is a beach, the gold is deposited. He does not think- it advisable for any extensive ' rush' to be made to the place at present, as any person going there would have to prospect before he would find a suitable spot. Provisions, &c, are very scarce, andhave to be taken from Eiverton. The workings are situated about two miles from Sunnyside Station, 60 miles from Riverton, close to the junction of Taylor's Creek with the Waiau, and 5 miles from Blackmount Station, and the road to them via Eastern Bush and Wairaki. The river has been crossed at the Sunnyside Station by means of a boat belonging to Sunnyside, the manager of which station (Mr M'Kay,) at considerable labor and loss of time, kindly takes people across whenever he sees a smoke made on the terrace. If the diggings should become extensive a boat wilkbe put on the river by Mr Green of thlTilastern Bush to ferry people over.