Untitled

Southland Times, Issue 1058, 18 November 1868, Page 2

A meeting of the Directors of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, for the purpose of perfecting the arrangements for the forthcoming Show, is called for to-morrow (Thursday) at the Prince of Wales Hotel, at 2 o'clock. The Nathan Troupe, who so successfully performed at the Theatre Royal some months since, will re-appear before an Invercargill audience on Thursday evening. We believe their stay is limited to a few nights. The unquestionable talent of the Nathan family has already been acknowledged by the Southland public, and we doubt not their present visit will show that though absent, they have not been out of mind, and a hearty welcome will be awarded. We perceive that they are accompanied by Mr Chs. Young, a professional of high standing, whose performance will add materially to the success of the entertainments. We understand that during the stay of the Troupe several new peices will be produced, and from our advertising columns it will be seen that the charge for admission has been considerably reduced from what it was on a previous occasion. The half-day holiday, on Saturday's, system that has long been adopted at home and in Victoria, is gradually becoming appreciated in this colony. Tho banks and most of the commercial houses in Dunedin have for some time closed business at one o'clock, and we learn that the different trades are following suit. The ' Daily Mail,' of tne 13th inst., says : — " At a meeting of operative painters yesterday evening, it was reported that all their employers in town had agreed to their proposition for a Saturday half holiday ; they will, therefore, in future cease work at one o'clock on that day." The Melbourne 'Argus' thus concludes an epitome of New Zealand news: — "What with wars, tidal waves, and earthquakes, our neighbors in New Zealand seem to be somewhat un. happily situated."

An inquest was held at the Heathcote hotel, Heathcote, Victoria, recently, on the body i of an unfortunate man who was poisoned at the < Prince of Wales hotel in that locality, through taking a glass of cyanide of potassium, i Six witnesses gave very voluminous testimony, i and the jury returned the following : particularly mild verdict —'• We find i that about 10 o'clock p.m. on the 4th inst., the i deceased, George Wilson, came suddenly by his < death in the bar of the Prince of Wales hotel, ] Heathcote, from having taken a large dose of < cyanide of potassium, accidently administered to i him for whisky." The ' Bendigo Independent • adds: — "We should scarcely have imagined it ' required a jury to tell us this much, but we are I informed that they omitted mentioning the name of the landlord of the hotel, because he was only i an amateur photographer, "and ignorant of the fact that cyanide of potassium was a deadily poison. After making all allowance for his want of chemical knowledge, we cannot help thinking he should have been pretty certain this 1 vile stuff was not very good to drink, and we cannot so easily excuse him for leaving it in a bottle labelled ' Kirkliston whisky.' " We observe that Messrs Cochran, Granger and Blackwood, general merchants, have opened a branch establishment in Dee-street. The premises now entered upon by them being those lately iu possession of Messrs A. J. Smyth and Co, Auctioneers — formerly known Jas Monkman's City Auction Mart. With a little internal alterations, the building has been transformed into a very commodious warehouse, in which an extensive stock is already displayed to great advantage. The Board of Agriculture (Victoria,) we observe, has offered a prize of £50 for the best practical subject of " Takeall," dealing especially with its origin and cure. The Directors of the Panama Mail Steam Company, says the ' Argus,' have reduced their passenger rates very considerably. Saloon fares from Melbourne to Southampton are now lowered to £80 and £85, and second cabin to £50. Captain Middleton, of the barque Day-spring, which recently arrived in Victoria from Hong Kong with Chinese passengers, many of whom died on the voyage from scurvy, was brought to trial at the Criminal Sittings, on the charge of neglecting to supply the passengers with the provisions stipulated, and also with ill-using them on the voyage. He was convicted of misdemeonour on both accounts, and received the sentence of twelve months' imprisonment with hard labor. The new Attorney-General of Victoria has determined to put a stop to little raffles and games of chance, which are frequently got up by the ladies as a source of mirth and money in connection with bazaars and fancy fairs held for the benefit of charitable and religious purposes. But ifc appears that, as yet, the fair sex have come off victorious, and have very adroitly turned his proceedings into a source of profit at the very bazaars he sought to put down. We quote from the ' Bendigo Advertiser' the following remarks upon the recent prosecution of the Sandhurst ladies : — " As the caae Tvaa opened, however, it became evident that it had little or nothing in it ; for whereas the law, under which the summons against the first defendant (Mrs Buckley) was taken out, specially states that the offence against the said law consists in any alleged defendant disposing of tickets for a lottery, in which he or she is ' beneficially' interested, it could not be otherwise than proved that not only was the defendant not beneficially interested, but like all parties similarly circumstanced, derived no benefit, and was wholly disinterested, except in tho general interest in the success of the bazaar. The Bench, of course, adopted such a sensible and just reading of the Act. The case was dismissed, and the prosecutors, instead of the prosecuted, were mulcted in a heavy penalty by having to pay a considerable amount of costs." The 'Argus,' of the 10th Nov., says:— "The races yesterday were attended by a very great concourse of people, the delightful weather inducing many to spend their holiday on the course who never did so before. The Maiden Plate was won by Mr Clarke's Palmerston j the Railway Stakes by Mr Fisher's Blondin ; the Melbourne Cup by Mr Tait's Glencoe ; the Hurdle Race bv the Sydney horse, Fausrh-a-ballagh ; and Blondin was again victorious in the Darling Stakes. With one exception all the prizes were carried off by Sydney horses. Very few members looked in at the subscription-room in the evening, and there was no betting on future events." It is reported in Adelaide that " Captain Thunderbolt," the notorious New South Wales bushranger, has made his appearance in the neighborhood of Culgoa, and within a short distance of Burke, where he shot a police-trooper who attempted to arrest him. We observe from Mauritius news received in Melbourne that serious flood had been experienced in Natal in the month of August last. Although a considerable amount of property was destroyed there does not appear to have been any loss of life. A new gold-field, it is reported, has been discovered about thirfcy-two mile* from Kilmore, and within, six miles of Tabilk Vineyard. The sinking is sixty feet, and ten pennyweights to the tin-dish of washdirt have been obtained. The Tasmanian papers are discussing the subject of the annexation of that colony to Victoria, but the idea as yet has not 'been favorably received. The 'Mercury' writes — Were our possession of free institutions under the British Crown an obstacle to our commercial and individual prosperity, Victoria's laws and administration are scarcely the refuge to which we would flee. They are a beacon to warn us off the quicksands of democracy gone mad, rather than a sheet anchor for our State barque. At the Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, 17th inst., the man Smith, who sometime since escaped from tho Lunatic Asylum, was brought up on a charge of arson, he having, during the time he was at large, set on fi.-o a hut in the neighborhood of Riverton. The .Magistrate did nof, however, seein to think thi case ono to be sent to the Supreme Court, the prisoner being a well-known confirmed lunatic Having already effected his escape twice from our very insecure asylum, and having recently manifested symptoms of increasing violence, the unfortunate man was sent to gaol for safe custody. By proclamation, signed by His Honor the Superintendent, the Fifth Session of the Provincial Council, is to be held on Monday, the 30th Nov., at 12 o'clock noon, for the dispatch of business.

For some time past complaints have been « made by tbe settlers as to the rapid and un- 1 checked growth of the most destructive of all < weeds— the Scotch Thistle. In some districts, we { are informed, it is spreading with great rapidity, I and we are asked -why the " Thistle Ordinance, ' 1862," has not been enforced. The reason -why < it was not enforced in past years we are unable to < state, but by a Proclamation in the ' Provincial i Government Gazette,' of the 6th November, it ap- < pears that after the lßtDec., 1868, it will be rigidly enforced in the districts of Invercargill, Kiverton, Campbelltown, and Jacob's River. For the information of our readers we subjoin an abstract of the Act, viz.:— ''lt shaU be lawful for the Superintendent, from time to time, by proclamation in the 'Provincial Government Gazette,' to declare that this Ordinance shall come into operation within any district, and thereby to proclaim the limits of the district. Any person who shall fail to cut down and use every possible means to eradicate and destroy any noxious Thistles grow- i ing on land belonging to him, or in his occupa" J tion, situate within any district within which the j said Superintendent shall by any such proclamation as aforesaid declare that this Ordinance shall come into operation, after he shall have received seven days' notice in writing shall be liable to be fined any sum not less than ten shillings or more than thirty shillings for every day that such Thistles shall be permitted to grow. The occupier or owner of any land abutting on a road, who shall after notice as aforesaid, permit the said Thistles to grow on the half of such road adjacent to his land and bounded by the middle line of the road, shall be liable to the like penalty as if he had suffered the said Thistles to grow on land in his tenure or possession. It shall be lawful for the owner or occupier of any land within any Buch dis trict, or for any person to be appointed by the said Superintendent for that purpose, to serve a notice in the form or to the effect of the Schedule. In case any such Thistles shall be growing upon any unoccupied land, or upon land the ownership of which cannot be ascertained, then it shall be lawful for the owner or occupier of any land within such district, or for any person who shall be appointed by the satd Superintendent for that purpose, to cause a notice to be published in two consecutive numbers of at least one newspaper published within the Province of Southland. If the Thistles upon any such land as last mentioned shall not be cut down and as far as possible eradicated and destroyed within ten days from the date of the last publication of such notice, it shall be lawful for any Resident Magistrate or two Justices of the Peace having jurisdiction within the district, to make an order authorising any person or persons, to be therein named, to enter into or upon such land and eradicate or destroy all noxious Thistles growing thereon : And in case it shall be proved on Oath to the satisfaction of any such Resident Magistrate or any two such Justices that any costs have been incurred in eradicating or destroying such Thistles, it shall be lawful for the said Eeaident Magistrate or Justices to make an order for the repayment of such costs to t he person or persons who shall have incurred the same. The occupier of any land upon which may be found any noxious Thistles which shall have run to .seed, shall be liable to a penalty of not less than £5, and not more than. £20. During the month, says the ' Argus,' there has been an election for the return of a representative to the Legislative Council for the Worth Western Province, at which the retiring member, Dr Wilkie (the chairman of committees) stood for re-election, but was opposed by Mr Francis Robertson (a local man, who formerly sat iu Parliament) who was returned by a large majority. In the election for the Eastern Province Mr B. Williams, the retiring member, was more fortunate, as he was returned after a pretty close contest. (There have also been two elections for the Legislative Assembly, one at Castiemaine for the seat vacated by the retirement of Mr Bindon, in which Mr Kitto was victorious over the Loyal Liberal candidate, Mr Tucker. The vacancy in the representation of (xeelong, caused by the death of Mr Nicholas Foott, has been filled by the return of Mr Graham Berry. From the Melbourne papers to hand, we learn that His Excellency Sir H. Manners Sutton and Lady Sutton have been through the Western Districts of Victoria, and have returned from their trip, having visited Mr Robertson, at Colac j Mr Neil Black, at Gienormiston j Mr R. Henty, at Caramut ; Mr Learmonth, at Ercildoun, and other old colonists. The journey extended as far westward as Warrnambool, and from thence the plains were crossed to Ararat and Pleasant Creek, while Ballarat was visited on the return journey. , The party were everywhere received in the most hospitable manner. The facilities for acquiring land for actual cultivation now offered oy the government, are liberal to a degree. The ' Argus,' a journal that j has for many year* opposed the land policy of tne M'Culloch Ministry, in its issue of the 9th inst., says : — " The current month has witnessed the introduction of a startling novelty in the management of our great public estate. On Monday, the 2nd instant, a considerable area of 1 land was thrown open for selection, to be held under licence, for agricultural purposes, at a yearly rent of two shillings an acre ; and the opportunity thus afforded for acquiring land on easy terms was not neglected. The extent of land which one person might select was 160 acres ; though few succeeded in securing so much,, the land thrown open being for the most part laid off in allotments of eighty acres or less, and there being more applicants than there were lots. That the land obtained in this way was acquired on very easy terms will be obvious when we say that much of it was worth several pounds an acre — na d been proved to be worth so much by the sale of similar lands, in the same localities, by public auction — and that the new selectors are almost sure to obtain the fee-simple of their holdings, sooner or later, on payment of the usual upset price of £1 an acre. Their present tenure will consist of a yearly licence, but experience shows that when the lands of this colony pass into private hands, no matter on what terms or under what conditions, the holders become the purchasers in the end, and at tho minimum upset price." The ' Argus,' Nov., 9th says : — " A new Yarra graving-dock, constructed by Captains Sinnott and Hughes, was opened on Saturday morning, when the Taßmanian Steam Navigation Company's s.s. Southern Cross was successfully docked j and the dock pumped dry to the sill before ten a.m.,

about two and a- half hours after the pump oom* menced pumping. This dock haß been in course of erection for the last two years, and will be of great benefit to the shipping of the port. Th« length of the dock is 250ft., breadth at top, 66ft., and at bottom, 40ft. ; and it is 16ft. deep in th* dock, and has 13ft 3in. of water on the sill at ordinary tides. The pumping machinery consistß of a twenty inch centrifugal pump, capable of raising 5,000 gallons per minute."