Local and General.

Southland Times, Issue 1066, 2 December 1868, Page 2

Local and General.

«» ■ ■ <Ehe Wesleyans held a tea meeting in their new ,-chapel, Leet-stoeet, unMonday evening 9th ult, in .celebration -of the anniversary of the opening of j&8 building for publio worship. Notwithatand* ;ing -the day being a holiday, and &6 numerous (attractions existing elsewhere, there was a very good muster of the congregation, and the evening passed off to the manifest enjoyment of all present, After tea the meeting was addressed by, ithe Ber. Mr Bunn, Mr W. Russell, and other friends, «od a financial statement read by the < sbeasurer. There was, throughout the building, a profusion of evergreens, flowers, and devices, which gave a pleasant appearance of fresh cool3aes3 to the scene. The ladies, under whose management the tables were laid out, deserve infinite credit for the manner in which they performed this most important part of the business, ibr whSe there was an abundance of the substantial article of refreshment, there was also a great variety of the lighter and more tempting delicacies, while aprevading air of elegance and comfort contributed largely to the success of the entertainment JL year ago & number of English sparrows were let loose in &c neighborhood of Eeathcote, and as "they "were not seen again for many months, it tow supposed that they had fallen victims to some of their many natural enemies. They have reappeared within the last few weeks, and have begun to build nests. No colonist (says the 'Argus') who claims London as the place of his birth will forget the donkeys and donkey-boys of Hampstead, or of the well-frequented Cockney watering-places, Eamsgate and Margate. A similar institution lias lately been introduced here by an enterprising individual named Rowland, whose stud of asses aas been the delight of the juveniles and visitors to St. Kilda for the paßt Saturday or two. At the breaking up of Mr E. Wilson's experimental faiffl, Mr Rowland purchased a dozen or more of the Egyptian and other asses. These he has had nicely fitted with small pads for the boys, sidesaddles for little girls, and even with wicker panniers for infants; and the Saturday afternoon donkey-ride is now looked forward to as a treat by children of all sizes. The 'Argus' says: — "Another opening presents itself in England for the introduction of Australian cured and preserved beef and mutton. The cost of feeding prisoners at the Clerkenwell prison is estimated at 3s 8d per head per week, and at the City of London Prison at Holloway the expense, is 2s 7id per head per week. By a late London paper we perceive that Mr Weatherhead, the governor of the latter establishment, has been requested by the Home Secretary to inquire into and report on the possibility of introducing Australian meat into the gaols, with a view to a reduction in the commissariat expenses." We (' Argus ') learn by letters received by the mail that Sir Charles Darling has been granted a pension of £1,000 a-year, by the Imperial Government. This is a pleasant ending of along and at one time threatening difficulty. The 'Age' (Melbourne) states the Government have recognised the auriferous character of the country in the vicinity of Mount Martha, in the county of Mornington, and have declared it to be a goldfield within the meaning of the Act. The result of this recognition is, that under the new regulations, Phillip Island will be brought within the area of selection of the 42nd section of the Amending Land Act. The Lands Department have surveyed the north-eastern portion of the island, and have subdivided the allotments into convenient sizes, varying from 40 to 165 acres. At the extreme north-eastern corner the allotments range in extent from 11 to 25 acres. But these are very few in number. There is, however, much valuable land available on the continent within a radius of thirty miles of the locality of the goldfield, which will be seized upon with aridity. The half-yearly meeting of the Bank of New Zealand was held at Auckland on Thursday last 29th October, when a dividend was declared at the rate of 15 per cent, per annum. A disgraceful scene took place in the Independent Methodißt Church, Christchurch. The minister, who it appears has recently become a Swedenborgian, took a public opportunity of defending his change of views. The church was densely crowded and at first the andience were pretty orderly. At the close of the first part of his address, however, they began to interrupt him, and at length, according to the Press, a large part of his hearers got into a state of almost frantic excitement, and abused their late pastor in no measured terms. The cause of this riotous conduct appears to have been their dissatisfaction with his conduct in transferring the building ; hut whenever he attempted to explain they refused to listen to him, and hooted him down in a most disgraceful manner. A letter regarding the Thames Goldfields, from an experienced miner who took part in the rush thither, is published in the ' Westport Times.' It says :-' I don't believe in the future of the Thames Goldfields. There are a few very good claims, but hundreds of duffers. There are hundreds of men walking the streets of Shortland every day in the week. Any man making £3 per week on the Coast should not come here with the view of making more. £2 per week is the wages here for diggers, or laboring men on the diggings, and there is little or no work to be had. Carpenters are getting 9s per day. You can generally tell what a new rush is by the rate of wages given. Tlie Gourlay family, well known both in Great Britain and Australia for their delineation of Scottish character, have arrived at Hokitika from Sydney, and purpose making a theatrical tour throughout the colony. The Melbourne Meat Preserving Company would appear to be fairly at work. It stated that by the ship Red Jacket, which will sa?' shortly for London, they are sending 50 tons of tallow and 850 boxes of meat of the value of £3500. The Company have also orders on hand at present that will occupy them for fully a month to come. During one week the production ■" «cached 8000 tins, and as the men employed get bettet acquainted with their duties, still greater ~~~-^pCTess wiU be-Taade. About £250 a week are a * r8 *| I^T**idaway in wago«, and it is anticipated that if the unoWking prospers as it Tbida fair to do, a still larger number of hands will be employed.

The ' Daily Times,' of the 6th October, says i— " A private letter received from Taranaki Btates that during the recent earthquake there, the earth seemed convulsed by a perpetual pulsation for six hours, and for forty-eight hours after, wards 3leep -was hardly possible, as the constantly recurring shocks were very violent. It is supposed that there were no less than forty shocks, and some were felt even on the 21st, more than two days after the occurrence of the first," In reply to a numerously signed requisition from the inhabitants of Timaru, Mr Stafford has intimated his willingness to represent that district in the General Assembly. It ia said that no local candidate will contest the election with Mr Stafford. Pleuro-pneumonia is said to be very prevalent just now among the cattle in Canterbury. It is, however, not of a very virulent nature, and if taken in hand early, can be easily cured by veterinary treatment. The crops in Victoria are in a very unpromising condition. Owing to the want of rain, the grass is brown and stunted, and the hay-crops bid fair to prove a complete failure, while the root-crops, are also very poor. To add to the blackness of the prospect, moreover, not only has the dreaded take-all made its appearance, but great havoc has also been occasioned in several districts by the grub. A correspondent of the London 'Times,'writing on the subject of the Australian mail services remarks : — If mails could be despatched £.om Sydney and Melbourne each fortnight alternately by Suez and Panama, the colonies would enjoy a double communication with England at little more cost than is now incurred for an unsatisfactory and fluctuating monthly mail. The utmost speed and certainty would be insured for the transmission of letters, and travellers would, through the natural rivalry of two great companies, receive the utmost advantage of either route as might suit their local convenience. Mr James Roberts, of Connewarre, Victoria, states that he can point out a large goldfield in Tasmania; and the •Hobartowu Mercury' is in great hope that the reward now offered by the Government of that colony will induce him to do so. A new oyster-bed, of great fertility, has been discovered at Okehampton Bay, better known as Lord's Bay, on the east coast of Tasmania. We take the following extracts from the annual address of the Provincial G. M. of Otago, which will be read with interest by the Odd Fellows of this town : — " In the report from the last A.M.C., I find that on the first of January, 1868, the total number of members connected with the Order to be 417,422 ; showing an increase on the year of 12,290, and if we take this as an average in the year, the Order would number, on the Ist July last 453,567, nearly half a million strong. With reference to our own district it is also gratifying to see that we are on the increase. According to the last report that was submitted to you by my predecessor, this District numbered 13 Lodges, having 1011 members good on the books, with a total worth of Lodge funds £6449 19s 2£d. We now number 15 Lodges, having 1111 members, showing an increase of one hundred members good on the books ; while the total worth of the Lodges (not including the two new Lodges), is £7965 — being an increase of £1515 03 9Jd ia the year ending in June last. I issued a warrant in June last to enable several past officers to open the Loyal St. George Lodge, Invercargill, which was opened with the usual ceremonies ; and although a small Lodge at the present time, I believe it will soon be one of the largest in Southland. You will be pleased to hear that the District Bye Laws have been certified by the Revising Officer, and that the copy has been forwarded to the Registrar in Wellington to be registered in the Gazette. I . regret that the correspondence in reference to the proposed new Districts had to be referred back to define the names, instead of the Goldfields District to that of the Lawrence District, and the Southland District to that 0^ Invercargill District. This correspondence will be laid before you." Speaking of the present attitude of affairs at the ront, the Wauganui Chronicle says . — " Tito Kowaru is said to have no fewer than 800 men gathered around him (although this number can be nothing more than a shrewd guess), whereas, thinned as the colonial force now is, there will probably not be more than 200 men at Patea. We need more men, and these men require to know and to trust each other. A correspondent of the ' Nelson Examiner,' writing from Pakawau, Golden Bay, regarding the effects of the late earthquake in that district, says : — On the Sandspit, near Cape Farewell, the large sand-hills present a curious appearance, many of them having been so shaken and split that one side has fallen many feet below the other. In several places inland the groufld is cracked for a considerable depth, and from one to three inches in width, down one of which a small stream of surface water was running without any appearance of filling it. Queensland is experiencing a severe drought. Several runs have been abandoned ; the sheep are dying ; no lambing. At a numerously attended meeting of miners held in Mr Docherty's Tuapeka Flat Hotel, Tuapeka, on Saturday evening, Mr Williams in the chair, the following resolutions were arrived at : — " That this meeting is of opinion that the whole of the 3,000 acres thrown open on Smith's run is auriferous, and should be reserved for mining purposes." 2. — " That a petition in terms of the above resolution should be drawn up for presentation to the Superintendent, and signed by the Chairman on behalf of the meeting." 3. — " That in the opinion of this meeting the whole of the three runs bordering on this Goldfield should be thrown open for mining, agricultural, and commonage purposes, one mile on each side of the Tuapeka Creek being held as a mining reserve." The shipment of flour and wheat for England has been recommenced at Adelaide on a considerable scale. The ship City of Adelaide takes 600 tons of flour, and the Georgiana a full cargo of wheat. We ('Argus') have been informed that a native shrub has just been discovered, both on Phillip Island and the opposite mainland, which is far better than even the mulbery for feeding silkworms. Silkworms raised upon it produce far more silk than those fed in any other manner.

A contemporary states that Mr Forsyth's flax manufactory at Tokornairoiro, is producing matting of excellent quality, the finer kinds of mats being dyed by means of Judson's Simple Dyes. The number of orders received is so great that the factory will be occupied for some monthß to come in completing them. The 'New Zealand Herald' says: — We received from Mr O'Keeffe a sample of ten ounces of Thames gold, by Mr Samuel Wells, a very old colonist, refiner, of William-street, Grahams Town ; and also a cake Of pure silver from a much larger parcel of gold. These samples may now be seen at our office. We would particularly draw the attention of miners to this matter. Indeed we remember having more than once done so since the opening 'of the goldfields. The loss to the miner in selling his gold in its natural or ( alloyed state is twofold. He looses the value of ten ounces of silver in every thirty ounces ef gold that he obtains, and he pays a gold duty of half-a- ! J crown an ounce on the ounce of silver, which he j never need pay. The loss of the ten ounces of i silver, at 6d per ounce, amounts to a sum of £3. The duty necessarily paid on ten ounces of silver amounts to £1 59, or altogether, £4 5s on every thirty ounces of gold in its natural state. The cost of saving this £4 5s is comparatively trifling-" Tofmeet the demand likely to arise for material used in the preparation of wool for the market, we observe that Mr M'Leod, of this town, has commenced the manufacture of a cheap quality of soap, eminently suited for the process of scouring, and yet produceable at a price which should obviate the necessity of importing. As their profits now depend more on the quality and get-up than on the quantity of their fleeces, flockowners will no doubt use the article to a very considerable extent. This being the anniversary of the birthday of His Royal Highness the Prince of Waleß, it will be observed as a general holiday by the Government, the banks, and the mercantile community. Excursion trains will leave the Xew Station at 9.15 a.m. and 1.30 p.m., returning from the Bluff at 11.15 a.m. and 4.15 p.m. Return tickets being issued at a charge of five shillings. The SouthliAUD Times Medal will be shot for by the members of the Volunteer Company, and in the evening the grand Amateur Concert will take place at the Theatre Royal. Several pic-nics are to take place on the Ocean Beach, and should the weather prove favorable, all kinds of enjoyment may be anticipated. We learn from the Director of Meteorological Stations (C. R. Marten, Esq.,) that last Wednesday the standard insulated thermometer, exposed to the sun's rajs, indicated the extraordinary temperature of 146 deg. ; although the heat in shade at the Bame time was only 70 deg. l?he weather for the last few weeks has been highly favorable to the agriculturists, and we have received reports from various districts to the effect that the grain crops are most promising, while garden produce is showing a rapidity of growth scarcely ever before known. The farmers in the New River district, however, complain that the rabbit pest is becoming intolerable — whole fields of growing crops being destroyed in a single night. The Pilot establishment at the New River Heads is to be discontinued after the first week in January, 1869. A correspondent, signed "Horse Shoer," suggests that the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, should give a prize for the best set of horse shoes, manufactured on the ground, on the occasion of the next Show. As the erection of a portable forge would be inexpensive, the suggestion is worthy of consideration. The Bankers' Magazine in an articleonNew Zea land Banking gays : — The branch banks of the colony have from their own resources been able to transact large operations in gold, and to stimulate pastoral and agricultural pursuits. They have not been without losses, sometimes indeed heavy and disastrous, but the long experience in the other colonies and great ability of management have carried them successfully through all trying epoch of New Zealand, by enabling them to establish a business, which with highly remunertive rates, justified certain risks which are almost inevitable to the position they occupy. There has been a great decline in sheep farming, not only from the fall in wool, but the super-abund-ant BTpply of animals for the markets of the colony, which have especially affected some of the largest customers of banks. A correspondent of the l Australasian,' writing on the subject of station-made soap for woolwashing purposes, says : — It is highly important that soap for such purposes should be chemically neutral, for if the article contains an excess of caustic alkali, although the wool appears to be well scoured, an action will be constantly going on in the bale which will cause the wool to turn out harsh, when opened in England. On the other hand, if there be an excess of grease left in the soap, the wool will mat together and turn out heavy. The 'West Coast Times' of the 22nd inst., states : — " The assent of the Governor has been given to the new Westland County Act, the first County Council of Westland has ceased to exist. The election of the new Council is fixed to take place not later than the first week in December' The names of Mr Bonar, Mr Shaw, and Mr Mowafct are mentioned as probable candidates for Hokitika. Mr Prosser, it is understood, will offer himself as a candidate, but whether for the town or for one of the country districts, we are unable to learn. Mr Reeves' name is also mentioned as a probable candidate. Other rumours are to the effect that Mr Swale will offer himself for a seat in the Council." A correspondent of the 'Taranaki Herald' stages that the Kaitaki ranges, in that Province, in which gold was recently discovered, closely resemble the ranges at the Thames, and that the quartz found in them is also very simil&r. The Melbourne 'Herald' states that Mrs Kinder, whose name was so unpleasantly associated with a notorious case in Sydney a, short time ago, has recently arrived in this colony, and is now keeping a hotel in Colling wood. The average weekly returns of the Victorian Railways since the commencement of the present year have amounted to £10,837, as compared with £9,992 the corresponding period of last year.

A firing match by the members of the Inve*» cavgill Rifle Volunteers, for the prize medal pre> j sented by the proprietors of the SotrcHLMtD i Times, came off on Monday, the 9th Nov., at the company's butts. The visitors on the ground were numerous. Captain Harvey and Lieut. Geisow were present during the whole of the fireing. From the subjoined it will be seen | that the sooring was above the average, " three shots at each range being the regulations for the match. From the ten best shots on this occasion, we understand, will be selected representatives for the forthcoming match with the Riverton company, which will take place in a few weeks. The following is the score : —

" A certain solicitor, well known to frequenters of the police court," says the ' Ballarat Courier,' " appeared in a vagrancy case brought on Wednesday before the police magistrate. He announced that he appeared for the defence, adding also, 'We plead guilty, your worships.' Mr Clissold— ' Which of you ? Do you plead jointly or severally ?" The remark of the police magistrate was not without effect, and to many the ready rejoinder was very appreciable. Monday, the 9th November, being the anniversary of the birthday of the Prince of Wales, was observed as a strict holiday. The Government Offices, the banks, and in facb all business premises were closed, and the whole town seemed to have given itself up to pleasure seeking. The day proved most propitious, and pic-nics to the ocean beach and other suburban retreats were numerous, every available trap in the town being monopolised at an early hour of the day. At the government flagstaff, and over the buildings of the principal houses in town flags of every kind and description might have been seen flauntiug with the breeze, and the night was remarkable for the demonstrative loyalty of the Southlanders. Rifle matches, railway excursions, pic-nics, and friendly gatherings, occupied the attention of the whole population, and the Grand Amateur Concert, at the Theatre Royal, in the evening, terminated the programme for the day. The moat noticeable events are more particularly reported elsewhere. The ' Canterbury Press' says : — " Chief Justice Arney has decided, at the hearing of an important case, ' Anderson v. Graham,' at Auckland, that whenever a defendant's body has been taken and kept in gaol for four months, under committal for a judgment debt, his goods could not be taken in execution for the same debt." ! From the Australian papers we learn the cost to the Government of the colony of New South Wales, for the reception of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh. The accounts have been made up, and the total is found to be £24,787, exclusive of municipal and individual expenditure. The Government expenditure of Victoria, upon the occasion.of his Royul Highness' visit to that colony has not yet been made public, but there can be no doubt that it far exceeded that of the sister colony. This should serve as a caution to New Zealand in its preparations for the reception of Prince Alfred when he visits this colony. He does not desire fulsome ovations, and constant demonstrations, a reception evidencing loyalty without " pinchback" ostentatious demonstrations is what he most values, and we hope that in every province he will receive this and nothing more. We ( 'Argus,' 30th Oct.,) regret to observe that three ladies have been summoned to appear before the magistrates at Sandhurst for having raffled some articles at a bazaar there. The case was heard yesterday, and resulted in a verdict (received with applause) for the ladies. We were shown says the 'S. A. Register,' "a specimen of native cinnabar of apparently rich quality, which we understand has been found lately, in some quantity at a short distance from Adelaide. A company is being formed for the purpose of working the ore, .which is on purchased land leased to the discoverers." We ('Ai'gus,') have files from HobartTown to the 29th ult. The ' Mercury,' we observe, is again discussing the question of annexation to Victoria and also how best to diminish the distance between the two colonies in point of travelling time. A very old colonist — Mr Anthony Fenn Kernp — has died at Sandy Bay, in the ninetyfifth year of his age. It iB stated that he arrived in New South Wales, early in the present century as an officer in a regiment of Buffs, and was concerned in many of the unfortunate events which marked the early history of that colony. He was of the party who arrested Governor Blight on the declaration of his intention to try certain officers for treasonable practices, a proceeding which led to that officer removing to Hobart Town. The ' Argus ' of the 3rd Nov., says :— " It was semi-officially announced yesterday that • a sweeping reduction ' had been made in the Government printing-office, not less than sixty men having been discharged. The public were left to infer that this retrenchment was the first fruits j! of the reforming policy of the new Government. Something of the same kind, however, occurs annually when Parliament having been prorogued, there are no members' speeches to print, and no useless though expensive returns to produce, and when the electoral rolls have.passed through the official press." We learn from the ' Dunstan Times ' that the honorable W. J. Clarke, or Big Clarke as he is generally termed, has, since he be^srtie the proprietor of Chalmer's Moa Flat Ski: -on, increased the charge to residents in the l\:viot District for running cattle, from ten abilities to one pound per head per annam. Great indignation is expressed at this proceedings, and a monster meeting was advertised in the Tuapeka papers to come off on Wednesday last, for the purpose of taking into consideration whether Runholders are justified under the Act in charging for running cattle on Goldfields. The meeting was also to urge upon the Government the necessity of throwing open the valley of the Molyneux for grazing and agricultural purposes.

Certain enterprising American newspaper pro* prietors are said to be making arrangement* fo* « fitting up a composing room, and a small stereo 1 foundry on board some of tbe mail packets, so as ' to have the English news all set up and cast I into columns ready for use as soon as the vessel '■> arrives in port. The 'Herald* (Auckland), 31st October, : ga y 8 . — "We understand that several alterations, ; additions, and improvements are being made at Government House, for the reception of Lady Bowen, "who is expected to arrive here about the 2nd of December, from Wellington. A neat and compact building, consisting of a four-stall stable, coach-house, and harness-room, is to be erected in rear of the house, on the site occupied by the old one whioh -was burned down, and a further communication between the servants' quarters and Lady Bowen's suite of rooms is also being effected. We also learn that it is in contemplation to render the ball room, built in anticipation of the visit of his Eoyal Highness the Duke of f Edinburgh, a permanent structure, by removing • the present roof, shingling it, and generally strengthening it; and by internal fittings and decorations to convert it into a handsome and convenient private ball or concert room." The following remarks were made by Mr Stafford in reply to Mr Fox's resume of the proceedings of the sessibn :—" There are two Provinces still — Otago and Canterbury — which have yet a right to expect a revenue from their land. I call Nelson only half a Province, as it has no land revenue, although it has a fictitious revenue^ regarded in a permanent sense, from its gold. Nelson was a little quiet sleepy humdrum place until gold was discovered there. Its population was only being increased by the number of births which exceeded the deaths. There is no immigration into the province and no life ; in fact, it was proverbially the Sleepy Hollow of New Zealand. It was not a province in the proper sense of the word, and was simply a town, because the one country district traded with Christchurch from first to last, as it will always continue to do. It is no more a part of Nelson than the Channel Islands are a part of France, although the people there speak more French than English." A correspondent writes to the Australasian, and and says that his merino sheep are all that can be desired, but complains that they'want the blask tipping at the end of the wool produced by an accumulation of the grease combined with dirt. The Editor makes the following sensible remarks upon the complaint : — " When sheep have been previously shorn late, there is of course less time for the formation of the hard black tips. In warm weather the jolk rises most, "and none of it is then washed out, aB happens in wet weather. For these reasons clothing the sheep would tend to increase the collection of hard gummy matter at the outside of the fleece, and this mode is followed by the Americans in tne | production of " brag" fleeces ; but these black tips add greatly to the difficulty of properly cleansing the wool, and the quality of the wool may be quite as good without them. In fact, the tendency of the true Australian merino is to become almost entirely free from them." In the vineyards near Albury (Victoria) the Brown Muscatel and the Malbec vines are loaded with grapes, and there is a general prospect of a good grape crop. A lode of copper is reported to have been found near Tass, (New South Wales) by a Government official. One specimen is estimated to contain at least 90 per cent of copper. The Grand Annual Show of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, says the • Daily Telegraph' which has been so judiciously held this year at Leicester, may be considered as one of the most successful on record, 96,653 persons having paid £6,740, Is 5d for admission. The field trials of tillage implements lasted a week, under scorching weather all the time, and watched by large numbers of agricultural and other spectators. A letter appears in the ' Sydney Morning Herald,' /'giving an account of fresh hostilities which had occurred at Fiji, between the settlers and the mountaineers occupying the country on the Upper Rewa, not many miles distant from where poor Mr Baker was killed. About 41 natives were killed, including a chief, and also a settler, named Creelman. A considerable amount of property is in the hands of the natives, including a large quantity of ammunition. The plantations of Messrs Pfluger, Lukes, Eidsdale, Kinross, Stanley and Fisher, are supposed to be entirely destroyed, and the total loss cannot be less than £5000 or £6000. A deputation was appointed to consider what steps were advisable to be taken in this emergency, and Messrs Livesey and Bentley, waited upon the Commodore on board the Challenger, and elicited hiß opinion that the settlers must be prepared to defend themselves, and that there was not the slightest probability that the Government would ever make Fiji a British colony, as it ' had quite enough to do with the colonies they already possessed.' The Charybdis was at Levuka, at the disposal of the British Consul. The Canterbury 'Press,' of the 27th ult., reports : — " On some stations rapid progress is being made in shearing — in instance of which, at Glenmark, on last Wednesday, over 7000 sheep were shorn, and the following days, from the number of men it was intended to employ, even a larger than this number would be daily disposed of." The ' Sydney Morning Herald ' gives the following movements of the vessels composing the Australian squadron : — " We understand that H.M.S. Challenger, Commodore Lambert, is about proceeding to Melbourne, and her cruise will probably extend to Adelaide and Hobartown. H.M.S. Blanche will proceed to New Zealand, on completion of refit ; the Rosario, at present on that station, returning to Sydney. H.M.S. Charybdis is ready for sea, and will sail for the Pacific on or before the arrival of the next English mail. H.M.S. Virago is now absent on a cruise." Censure has been cast upon the General Government for not having engaged the Rangatira steamer instead of the Wuipara, to convey troops to Poverty Bay, on the landing of Hau-haus. The manager of the N.S.N. Company has published a letter in the Wellington ' Independent,' contradicting the Treasurer's statement that the Government tried to get the steamer. It is said that had the Rangatira been engaged our forces would have reached the scene of action before the fight with Captain Westrupp, and a victory would have been the result.

Our Bluff oomipondent witting untte tti% Sate, Bluff 10th HToTember, >oyi »— *«•*•**•? being Prince of Wales birthday, the day wif «£ served by the Bluffites 63 a semi holiday '■ and « good deal of bunting was exhibited from tevailX flagataffs. By the arrival of the train tr&ct ' Invercargill, and the Om'eo from Melbourne, Ihtf number of pleasure seekers was greately au'gme&fcd* several picnio parties were formed who Blade fti* ttfii ocean beach (Foveaux Straits), whilst others were employed fishing, &c. The day -was Tery hot but a light breeze from the east kept the sand flies from becoming troublesome, A meeting of the Waste Land Board was held at the Land Office onTuesday, the 10th Nov«mbor,> when 441 acres were sold. •■'</: The question of the right of women to vote at Parliamentary elections has been raised at home in a curious way. Under the Aot of 1832 the franchise was restricted to f male persons," but ' in the new act of 1867 the term "man** has been substituted for "male person," The House of Commons would not have either '5 person," as proposed by Mr Mill, or '• male person," as proposed byMrPowelL Now, there is a measure' passed for the purpose of shortening the language' '■ used in acts of Parliament, called Lord Somilly'i Act which enacts " that in all acts words importing the masculine gender shall be deemed and taken ' to include females, unless the contrary is expretsfy - provided." It is maintained by the advocate! ftf female suffrage that the effect of this act upon' the Keform Act is to confer the franchise upon women. To this it is replied, on the other ride, that the word " man" does not stand alone in th» clause in question, but is accompanied and qualified by the words, "not subject to any legal incapacity," and that women are incapacitated from ' voting for members of Parliament Tinder thfloia common law. The text-books are rid dcWfetdfl : the side incapacity, but the authorities qdbtedtire ' not altogether satisfactory. We learn from the : latest telegrams the revising barristers decided against the claim, but have granted a case for (bY ' superior courts. Matters in the newspaper world at Castlemaine . seem to have arrived at a fine pitch. The •Advertiser,' a Loyal Liberal organ, confesses in a late number to have been " much pleased, to . see" a cab-driver, who had been engaged by Mr , Tucker, "walk into the reporter of the 'Mafl.' with a horsewhip." The c Advertiser^. remark?, with guesto that the cab-driver "did it in style.",. What a pity some adept in horsewhipping on the other side has not retorted lit kind on the miserable creature who wrote the paragraph in h»fd :..,; just referred to There should be a belter spirit amongst journalists than that one should rejoice" , in personal violence being done to another merely because he happened, in following his business, t0..,---be on the other side of a political question or in a local controversy. .: - r

100 200 300 400 500 Tl. Sergt. Henderson 12 12 10 10 7—51 Pr. J. D. M'Arthur ... 10 9 31 6 10—46 Sergt. Brown ..12 11 10 9 2—44 „ J. L. Thomson ... 11 11 8 10 3—43 „ Dunlop 12 11 9 4 7—43 Corp. Brown 11 8 6 9 9—43 Pr. Miller 10 7 8 5 9—39 „ Huffodine 11 9 11 2 0—33 „ Scott 12 10 5 3 2—32 „ Campbell 12 8 9 0 3—32 „ Robertson 12 7 3 6 3—31 „ S. T. Henderson 10 2 7 2 3—24 „ J. Grant 12 5 2 2 o—2l „ A. Burna 7 9 4 0 0-20 „ R.8urn5........... 11 5 4 0 o—2o