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Southland Times, Issue 1062, 25 November 1868, Page 2

In consequence of the inclemency of the weather, the performance at the Theatre Royal, last evening, was postponed. It will be perceived from our advertising columns that this evening will be the occasion of the farewell appearance of the Nathan Troops. We trust to see a full house-. , Our advertising columns contains the announcement of an Amateur Concert, to take place on Thursday evening, at the Theatre lioyaL A petition of which the following is a copy has been presented by W. H. Pearson^ Esq., on behalf of the miners at Orepuki, to the Chief Postmaster. The grievance complained of being one which may be remedied at a trifling cost, it is very desirable that the petition should receive favorable consideration, and that early action should be taken upon it . — " Orepuki, 7th Ifovember, 1868— To E. D. Butts, Esq., Chief Postmaster, Southland. — Sir, — We, the inhabitants of the Orepulii G-oldfield, most respectfully call your attention to the want of this field in regard to postal communication. At present we are entirely dependant upon boats which come at intervals of from two to eight weeks. The population of this field at present is over (100) one hundred, and we think we are entitled to a weekly mail. The amount is very small which would do ifc— say fifty pounds per annnm — and as the gold revenue of this place is still greatly to its credit, we hope the petition will meet with your favorable consideration. — We are, Sir, yours respectfully — John Horr, James Taylor, Thomas M'G-ee, and sixty other miners at Orepuki j also by sixty-six inhabitants of Kiverton. It will be seen from our other columns that tenders for certain works in connection with the proposed diversion of the Bluff Railway are called for by the Provincial Government. The contracts now offered to the public embrace the construction of the earthworks and the sleepers, and will afford much needed employment; to a number of men who have lately been hanging about town half idle. Tenders are also called lor the formation of a portion of road in the Waianiwa districtl We observe that the Government have intimated that business will be suspended during to-morrow, in honor of the Grand Show of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association. i Everything of a preliminary character connec- , ted with the grand event of to-morrow — the Agricultural and Pastoral Society's Show — I promises a most successful result. The entries in all classes are numerous enough to give ample room for the exercise of judgment on the part of those appointed to decide the relative merits of the various exhibits. There are sixty entries in the' different classes for horses ; of cattle there , are over a hundred entered j sheep number about forty entries, each entry of course embracing a number of animals, there are also a large number of porkers on the books j while poultry, dairy produce, implements, and extra classes are also well represented. The whole, when collected upon the ground should form a spectacle well worth going a good distance to see. The yards, notwithstanding the hindrances offered by the weather, will be quite ready by the time for receiving stock, and all has been done that can be done for the interests of the exhibitors, not only are secure and comfortable stalls and pens provided, but a well is being sunk from which to supply the animals with water. For the accommodation of visitors a spacious booth is being put up by Mr Wilkinson of the British Hotel, who will no doubt take care to have on hand plenty of the requisites for refreshment. The success of the whole affair depends now on the weather, and on the weather alone. Nothing human could possibly make the turn out satisfactory in the teeth of such blasts of wind and hail as we had yesterday, but we may fairly hope that by now the elements have spent their fury, and that the second grand exhibition may be favored with as fine a day as was the first. There appears to be a favorable opening for a J medical gentlemen just now in the Five Elvers District. By an advertisement appearing elsewhere applications are invited for the appointment, the residents guaranteeing a bonus of £250, whila the probable additional income from fees are estimated at £300 more. £550 per annum seems an income sufficient to induce considerable competition for the situation and ought to secure a thoroughly competent and eligible practitioner.

j Impounding cattle seems to be vigorously prosecuted up-country just now as well as in town. ISo leBS than fifty beasts were placed in charge of the poundkeeper at Winton the other day, haring been driven down from a run higher up. The majority of them hare since been released by their owners, but five poor unfortunates still remain in durance, and will be sold on the tenth of next month, unless claimed in the interim. ''>■■■■

The climate of Southland is proverbially variable. Those vrho have been resident in the ] province for any length of time get accustomed to sudden changes of temperature, and are not easily alarmed by atmospheric disturbances, but the extremes to •which we have been subjected during the present season have been bo sudden and severe, and have extended over so long a period, that the most indifferent begin to express feeling's of anxiety touching the coming harvest. October of this year will long be remembered for its bitterly cold storms and high tides. November set in with better promise — the first fortnight being bright and warm, doing much to obliterate the effects on vegeta^ tion of the tempests of the previous months and the young crops .were beginning to grow rapidly, giving promise of an early and abundant harvest. The weather has again broken, however, and for the past three or four days we have been experiencing such squalls of wind and hail as makes one think winter has come again. Already the , blighting effects of these bitter blasts are every- j where visible ; the young corn looks cankered and stunted, while potatoes exhibit the appearance of : having been severely frosted ; nor is this to be wondered at, when we consider that within a fortnight the mercury has been rapidly alternating between freezing point and fever heat, with accompanying gales of great violence. It is to be hoped that a few months of settled, seasonable weather may now ensue, otherwise our recently expressed hopeful anticipations will be lamentably disappointed, and we will have to chronicle instead a result, anything but encouraging to the agriculturists. The 'Timaru Herald' gave recently the following extracts from a private letter written in Christchurch, which furnishes a gloomy picture of affairs in that city : — " The general tendency is towards a large pauperism. * * * The most appalling articles are written in the newspapers, and ' that scoundrel Stafford ' is denounced with such ponderous solemnity — it is a wonder how Mr Stafford survives I People here seem to have a down on Hall, but Hall is liable to. chronic attacks of unpopularity. * * * Things are really stagnant. We often talk of a month of Sundays, now we can see such a phenomenon. The streets seem quite deserted at times : hard cash invisible. * * * Even the weather is vile. We have had whooping cough all the winter, and now a sort of croupy sore throat that knocks the poor little wretches about sadly. They want a change. Take them to Lyttelton says one. Why the fares are prohibitive ! Four shillings return first-class* and second-class is not fit for children's company. * * * In fact the times are out of joint. The Auckland diggings are progressing, and it is to be hoped will clear out some of the surplus people here. Perhaps I had better leave off." The following account of the earthquake-wave at Torero, a settlement about twelve miles westward of Opotiki, is published in the ' Daily Southern Cross/ and will be of interest to our readers : — " Torere, August 15, 1868. This is a proclamation that all men of this Island of New Zealand may know of a great sign from God, which appeared at Torere, at Tokaputa. That place is a rocky promontory, which is hidden when the tide ia in, but when the tide is out it is visiblei On the 15fch of August, 1868, at ten o'clock in the morning, the whole people — the men, the women, and the children, also the Europeans — saw that the tide had ebbed, and that all the rocks of that point of Tokaputu were visible. In two minutes the tide was full, on a level with the cliffs. Two minutes, and it had ebbed again, and all the rocks of the sea were seen. Two minutes, it was full again, and not a rock of the sea could be seen. The tide ebbed and flowed twelve times in the one day. till the night. The day was very fine, with a south wind, and the sea was perfectly ealni. Enough. This great sign must be pondered over by us [by the persons to whom the letter comes, as well as by those who saw the wave at Torero]. — Hehake Kabaka." '■ We are requested by the G-overnor of the Gaol, to state that he has received a donation of books from Edmund Eogera, Esq., towards the gaol library. One of our wealthiest colonists, the Hon. W. J. T. Glarke (aaya the correspondent of a Victorian paper), has just been mulcted in damages to an unusually large amount for injuries resulting from a fire which Mr Clarke's servants had lighted, and were unable to prevent from spreading until it had reached the properties occupied by ten or eleven other settlers. The accident occurred at Mr Clarke's Mount Schanck property on the other side of the South Australian border, and the actions had, therefore, to be tried in the Supreme Court at Adelaide. The aggregate of damages assessed in tea of the actions was £1926 2s 9d. The coats of all these actions will probably exceed the amount of the damages. It is rather an odd coincidence that at this moment I am told Mr Clarke is pressing a claim of his own | against the Railway Department, for damage 1 resulting from a fire on one of his runs near the Sandhurst line, occasioned by a railway locomotive some time ago. , We ('Argus'), have received the following extraordinary production. What it is all about we do not pretend to say ; but, as a specimen of servant galism in Victoria, it may afford some amusement to our readers : — " November 2 1868 To the Editor of the Argus as a old resident in Victoria for 23 years I now wish to have it published for a Lady to enlighten the Public how Ladys is crushed by the long tailed Coats and dragged up women that which now would like to call themselves Ladys or not from the Public from two ounces of tea lb of sugar Butchers meat 16 Baker 16 Kent — wood Is I ask you a fair question in Victoria or in the united world were a Lady is to get her Clothing from her shoe Leather or Doctor* bill or drugust fee or sny good kind woman to attend on her with-

out food payment or raiment or any anmervation from any one, is this woman to be called the Lady I shall eerfcainly Leave it to Editor of the Printers the Ladies never ounce enters the door were thia small portion is slowed bat which stands a lady aa my aelro which the Lady ought to have the same bj Law and justice as under long tailed women would the wish to be served the same I shall have nothing to say at the present with a empty stomach only like a Loubria without clothing my name is Q-enny mist but is better known by marry bare for some yeara I am your humble faithfull Servant."

The steamers Alhambra, and Lord Ashley — the latter with the Panama Mails on board— were both due at the Bluff yesterday, but had not left Dunedin at the time of closing the Telegraph Office last evening, probably on accdtint of the boisterous weather vrnicn has prevailed for the last few days. It is to be hoped they will turn up this morning, An illicit still wa9 seized by the Custom authorities in Auckland on the 27th ultimo, in the out premises of a man named Steenson, residing in Cabbage Tree Swamp -road, close to Mount Albert. Steenson was fined £150, and in default of payment would receive eight months' imprisonment with hard labor. We learn from the ' Advertiser,' that a number of the provincial contractors in Wellington have sent notice to the Provincial Secretary, that unless they receive some kind of guarantee with regard to money long overdue, they would stop supplies at the end of last month. The formal expulsion of the Bey J. Beer from his pastorate Was registered at a meeting of the East Melbourne Congregational Church on Wednesday, the 28th uit., when a motion waa carried "that the resignation of the late pastor, Bey J. Beer, had not been accepted by the Church ; and that, since his resignation was tendered, the Church have come to the knowledge that his conduct has been so utterly opposed to his position as a minister of the gospel) and so outrageous to society at large, that his resignation be not received, but that he be expelled from his office as pastor?' This resolution waa ordered to be entered in the Church book: A correspondent, under the signature of "H. C. B." has been taking a part in the discussion on marriage and celibacy in the columns of the 'Daily telegraph' (London), and has got himself into trouble. A Victorian colonist himself, he naturally enough recommended his colony as a suitable field ior married atid celibate alike, so long a 9 they were honest and industrious ; and, as a consequence* lie has been perfectly inundated with correspondence. In a subsequent letter to the same journal of the 28th July, he Baya: — "My correspondents are all readers of the ' Daily Telegraph,' and, doubtless, in their circumstances and designs, represent a large class of persons. I have among correspondents people who describe themselves as sailors, shopmen, gardeners, maltsters, farmers, engineers (civil and mechanical), clerks, gasfitters> painters, retired officers of her Majesty's and the East India Company's servide, bakers', drapers, schoolmasters, printers, carpenters, joiners, tutors, ladies and gentlemen, besides others who apeak of themselves as of 'no occupation,' but ' willing to turn their hands to anything.' Most of them are without capital, some without any prospect of ever getting any ; seventeen of them describe their capital as ranging from £6 up to £150, flleven from £150 to £300, and six from £300 to £3000 All of them are desirous of making a change ; very few of them know what steps to take in order to change for the better."