Untitled

Southland Times, Issue 1074, 16 December 1868, Page 2

A meeting was held yesterday at Wallacetown, in favor of retrenchment, separation, &c. About thirty per ons were present. A Mr William Russell, after some dispute as to his fitness for the , position, was ultimately elected Chairman. Mr ( P. Dalrymple, we are informed, quoted 'Adam i Smith ' at considerable length, and amongst the j other speakers Mr Thomson took a prominent j part. • • 1 A number of people assembled at the Eesident I Magistrate's Court on Tuesday last, expecting to ' hear the continuation of the adjourned case of \ Burke T. Cahill. The Resident Magistrate being J absent at the Bluff, the case was further adjourned j until 12 o'clock this day. \

Our longwood correspondent ■writes: — "The whole of the miners are making preparations to waßh tip just before Christmas, so as to come in then and enjoy themselves. You will hear of about 250 ozs. being brought down then, and perhaps more. VvTiat we are wanting now is a track cut to connect Eiverton with Longwood, viz — by boat to Moa Oreek^fehd at the landing a track from thence through or near where the workings are at present, thence on direct to the nearest part of the main line now cutting — the distance is about five miles. Fryett would do it for £13. It is a dreadful piece of road and the diggers at present have to swag th n ir provisions tip weekly. If this track was cut it would open up the whole of the Longwood Ranges, and if good finds are struck there would he no trouble if a rush takes place to get into it at once. It is much wanted, and the benefit would he very great compared with the small expense. Can you agitate the matter 66 &a to get it done for us." The bodies of two more of the . Unfortunate men who lost their life by the capsising of a boat on the Ist December, have been recovered. That of Mr Bryson was found floating near the jetty, on Sunday morning last, and removed to the Hospital. Yesterday morning another body was found near the same place, which is proved to be that of a Mr. Wm. Naylon, who had a short time before come from the Groldfields with the intention of going to England. He, it is said, stated he had saved over £200. TJpon the deceased was found a pocket-book, containing a Bank of Kew Zealand beposit Receipt for £90 ; £9, in gold, some silver , and other valuables. The other two missing men, Hart and M'Culloch, have not yet been recovered. A meeting of the committee of the Caledonian Society was held on Monday evening last. The only business of importance was the drawing up of a prize list, which will be found in our j advertising columns. It was stated by the j Secretary that about £80 had been promised ; j that it had been arranged to hold the Gathering ! in the yards of the Agricultural and Pastoral j Association, on New Year's Day. Great interest j in the event was shown by all present, and confidence in its success expressed. We learn by telegram that the election of members of the County Council of Westland, took place at Hokitika, on Wednesday, the 10th inst., with the following result :— The numbers polled were i— Bonar, 225 5 Sale, 197 j grosser, 189 ; Boyle, 86 ; Shaw, 37. The two first were elected. It is "slated in the Northern papers that a letter has been received by His Excellency the G-overnor from Prince Alfred, saying he will be in New Zealand in the Gralatea, about December, 6, 1869. We (Lyttelton Times') understand that his Excellency the Governor has postponed his proposed visit until the middle of January, in order that he may be present at the Christchurch races. A letter has been received- by His Honor the Superintendent announcing that Sir George Bowen will come to Canterbury on the 10th January. Lady Bowen being absent in the North, will not accompany the Governor, who will travel only with a small suite. The ' Geelong Advertiser* calculates that altogether, by means of traps and by the closing up of wombat holes, 349,000 rabbits have been killed on one-hhlf of Dr Stoddart's run within the last few months. A correspondent, signing "New Comer," throws out a good suggestion for the improvement of the streets. Being evidently a working man his letter is hardly up to the mark for publication, but the common sense view he takes is worthy of consideration. He says : — " Now that it is becoming known in the other provinces that Vjut railway works are to be gone on with, ee\eral like myself have determined to try our fortune in Southland, and many others will do so I think. In company with my mates I have come overland from Otago, but we have not yet found employment. We are not ' loafers,' but j want work. In walking round the streets we find the drains and other parts in a fearful state. It has struck us that all these streets would be well made by the adoption of the following plan, at a very small cost, viz : — By the Government offering the unemployed, say four shillings a day, during the time they are waiting for more profitable work. This is a small wage, but many would be willing to take it instead of being compelled to wander about the town day after day in idleness, I think from what I have seen done iv Victoria, and even Otago b/ the adoption of this plan that all the improvements of tlio town could be done by degrees for rery little money, and the laborer kept from becoming a ' loafer.' " The suggestion is worthy of the attention of the Government. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Monday, the 14th Dec, a case of some importance was tried, viz., Warren v. Eraser. The plaintiff sued defendant for loss of sheep, and expenses arising from the impounding of a mob of sheep in the Invercargill pound. From the evidence adduced, ifc appeared that plaintiff's sheep got into defendant's paddock, and he drove them to Wallacetown to be impounded, but upon reaching there he found that Peiling's Yards had not been proclaimed a pound, and therefore took them on to Invercargill, in doing which it was ascertained that several sheep had been lost, and expenses incurred. It was shown that Fraser had only taken the sheep to Invercargill after ascertaining that the supposed pound at Wallacetown had never been Gazetted, and therefore the nearest pound was the one to which he took the stock, viz., Invercargill. Plaintiff was nonsuited. The latest news from the front is not of a startling character. On the East Coast — at Poverty Bay — the local forces and friendly natives have succeeded in defeating the enemy in several engagements, and driving them back into the the interior, the advent of Colonel Whitmoro on the scene seems, however, to have had a bad effect owing to his extreme unpopularity with the friendlies, who have almost withdrawn from a -tive operation since his arrival. The Govern j;-, with the advice of the Ministry, declines to apply to tha Governors of Australia for troops. The intrenchnient of Wanganui is bei-s.; proceeded with, a ttumber of tlie women and t iiuJren have been sent bo Wellington, but apparently more as a precaution than for increased fears of immediate attack. Hie Maori king advises the sword to be sheathed. &f t- M'Lean reports upwards of 100 of the enemy killed in his district. The Wairarapa residents ire oposed to the erection of stockades, as likely bo create dissaffection.