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Southland Times, Issue 1075, 18 December 1868, Page 2

We have to acknowledge the receipt of a pamphlet entitled ' Strange Thoughts,' by SRichter. In the preface the writer says : — " This book has been written for the purpose of assisting the Ladies' Benevolent Society, and I hope that every one interested in this institution, will not only purchase the work but persuade others to do the same. Should this volumn meet with success I trust to bring another out for the same object." By a proclamation in the 'NeW Zealand Gazette' of the 23rd November, it is notified that on and after the Ist Janury next newspaper exchanges will be free of postage. It is also notified in the same Gazette that letters for members of the New Zealand Armed Constabulary, when directed from one place to another within the colony, will be transmitted to such re-directed address without charge. The ' Lyttelton Times,' sth Deo. says :— The Hon; John Hall, on the requisition of residents of the Heathcte district, attended at Prebble's store last night for the purpose of giving his opinions on the present condition of the colony. There were about 120 persons present. Mr Arthur C. Enight, M.P.C., was voted to the chair. Mr Hall commenced his address at a quarter to seven o'clock, and finished at ten. The following resolutions was unanimously agreed to : — " That the thanks of the meeting be accorded to the Hon. John "Hall, for his attendance here this evening, but this meeting does not I approve of the conduct of the Stafford Government." Information has reached Melbourne, from the best authority, that the new Victorian ironclad Cerberus was to be launched three weeks after the departure of the last mail from England. The ship is expected to be finished and ready to come out in ten months afterwards. The latest official verdict on the subject of her guns is that she will be capable of piercing with ease the strongest ironclads afloat. The following sad picture of the state of matters in the North is from a private lteter to a gentleman in Invercargill. Wellington, Dec. 8 1868 :— " We had a letter from J , and they are well, though much alarmed. They sleep every night with three loaded muskets at their head, and a tomahawk, jmd also a wild dog chained to give the alarm. The whole country is in terror around them, and most of the women and children have fled to Wanganui J won't leave as yet, we have asked, her to come to Wellington but she refuses in the meantime. Her jhusband is a lieutenant, and her brother R lis called out for drill. There seems not so much 'danger now about Turakina as before. The jMaories have been better dealt with lately on the 'East Coast by Mr M'Lean, and the lessons they are now receiving may tend to quiet them. How jsad the affair that happened at Poverty Bay. I wrote yesterday to — — -, in London to give him jthe sad news of the murder of his son, and nearly all his family. How wonderful the escape of Mrs Wilson and the little boy ; I hope God will soon bring these troubles to a close. li> is possible, however, that many lives will be lost before that be done. Many of the people about Wanganui have lost nearly all they had ; they are driven off their lands, their houses plundered and burnt down, their substance destroyed, tfieir cattle shot lie rotten on the plains, and themselves driven to desperation and ruin." The body of Mr Hart, the owner of the boat recently capsized, was recovered on Wednesday morning, 14th inst, floating between the Jetty and the Powder Magazine. The funeral took place yesterday and was largely attended, about forty of the members of the Loyal Shamrock, Rose and Thistle, and the Loyal St George Lodges of Odd Fellows attending. The body of the fifth man bas not yet been recovered. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Wedi nesday, 15th December, H. M'Culloch, Esq., R.M., presiding ; the remanded case of Burke v. Cahill, was heard. The defendant was charged with having, on the evening of Monday, 7th December, assaulted the plaintiff by striking him violently with a blunt instrument, and inflicting serious wounds on tho head. Mr T. M. Macdonald appeared for the prosecution, and Mr Harvey for the defence. The case occupied nearly the whole day. Three witnesses were examined for the prosocution, and five for the defence. The evidence throughout was most conflicting. It would appear that on the night in question, a party of men went to the Provincial Hotel ; a dispute arose between Burke and one Ford, who was in tho house at the time, which resulted in a general disturbance j Cahill endeavored to clear the house, in doing which a fight arose between himself and Burke, in which he used a life preserver, and three times knocked the prosecutor down. It was proved that before using this weapon, Cahill had sought the aid of the police, and endeavored to stop the disturbance without violence. His Worship, in giving his decision, stated that there could be no doubt an assault had been committed, but the ev.dence was so conflicting that it was difficult to come to a conclusion as to the amount of p.- > vocation the prisoner had received. It wis evide.it that provocation had been given, juil some latitude was allowed to a man if, attacked in his own house, he resorted, in self-defence, to force. The case was dismissed, with costs. We observed during yesterday that a number of men were employed in framing the box drains for Esk street. We may hope, therefore, that in a few days this much required work will be completed.

Professor Halford's remedy for snake-bite [Bays the ' Argus,') was successfully employed on Tuesday, Ist Dec. It appears that in the *< morning a brown snake had been wounded by a J* porter on the Brighton Railway, and, being b supposed to be dead, it was given to John Brown, the Stationoaaaster at Elsternwick, at his request. s rhe snake, however, had only been stunned, and <- s^hen handled bit^Brown on the third finger of « bhe left band. After a time the effects of the 3 bite became apparent, and ultimately Professor " Halford's hew remedy was tried with success. c Ammonia was injected into the veins early in the afternoon, and last night the sufferer was enjoy- T ing a sleep which, it was expected, would leave him so recovered a3 to be able to attend to his duties aa usual to-day." The ' Argus,' sth Deo. says:— "The examination of the statistics of the several Australian polonies, which the proposal to establish a Customs union has necessitated, has led to the « discovery that these colonial blue-books are 1 capable of considerable improvement. They are $ not prepared upon the same plan, information is t supplied in some which is wanting in others, and i the statistics of each colony have in most cases 1 some distinctive difference which renders a com* 1 parison of those of one colony with another not < at all easy, and exceedingly unreliable. In 1 none of their annual volumns, for instance, 1 is the annual consumption for a period of < years, of the chief dutiable articles, given ; ] indeed, only in two cases — those of New Zealand ] and South Australia. < A handsome testimonial in the shape of a silk i Pulpit Gown, was presented, on the 10th instant, j to the Rev. Andrew Stevens, Minister of the i Presbyterian Church, Wallacetown, "on behalf of a very numerous body of ladies — members and adherents representing the different localities under his charge— as a small testimony of their j affection and esteem for him in his public and | private capacity as pastor and friend, and praying \ to the supreme disposure of events that he may \ long be spared to wear the same, and to lead his flock in the way of all tru<h." A sufficient supply j of communion linen was obtained with the surplus funds subscribed. i The 'Evening Post,' (Wellington) says:— "ln ; tbe competition between the Otago papers, the ; ' Times ' and ' Sun,' the Northern war news has ; been telegraphed to both lately at an enormous expense. We have reason to know that a week's telegrams cost the ' Times ' £75, and the 'Sun' £56. This is a species of mild insanity." The workers for the Press of Melbourne (says tbe ' Age ') have at last bestirred themselves in the right direction, and are about adding to their Btores of knowledge by the formation of a Press library and reading room. The ' Southern Cross,' of Ist December, says : — " We believe that a definite arrangement has been come to respecting the Arawas. The fifty men now in Auckland considered that they Were too few to take the field — that a larger number of their tribe should be got, and that they should be officered by their own chiefs. Rewi Tereamuku and Henare Pukuatua have therefore been authorised to go to Maketu, and enlist 150 more of the Arawa tribe, and the body will be officered by their own chiefs." The scoring of tbe Victorian team, in the match with Otago, says tho « New Zealand Sun,' of the 12th inst., was received yesterday, and it shows that Otag© lias won by 70 points — 549 to 479. The ten men who fired for Otago were 1 selected by a competition which was so hastily got up— in order that Capt. Sargood might act as umpire for Victoria — that there was a good deal of complaint, and it was alleged, possibly with truth, that some very excellent shots could not have received notice of what was proposed. The following extract from the Imperial Customs Act is published in the Gazette for general information : — If any articles of foreign manufactures, and packages of such articles, bearing any names, brands or marks being or purporting to be the names, brands, or marks of manufacturers, resident in the United Kingdom, shall be imported in any of the British possessions abroad, the same shall be forfeited. The ' Daily Times,' of tho 12th inst., says : — "A number of the Volunteers in New South Waleß have offered to come oyer to New Zealand to aid in putting down the Maori rebellion;" The Riverton Penny Readings caule to a close for a short period on Tuesday last. They have been, on the whole, a great success, and a great source of innocent' pleasure to the community. The entertainment was opened by a pretty musical introduction, at the close of which Mr Hare read a piece entitled ' Goodie Grim, v. Lapstone,' or some such title. He shewed himself possessed of a good voice. and clear enunciation, and gave evidence of having been thoroughly well instructed. A song, by Mr Wilson, 'My Boyhoods Home,' followed. The lion of the evening, if we may use a pun, was most certainly ' a Young Man from the Country,' of that name, who followed, and showed a courage worthy of his name, by defying all the signs of impatience manifested by the audience, who long endured his almost inaudible description of hard bargains driven over ' wliuskey,' by hard headed Highlandmen. Had it been better heard and much curtailed, it would have been worth listening to. The next reader was Mr Cameron — a great favorite. He possesses a strong clear voice, well modulated. He is, however, not a good mimic, and therefore hardly does justice to the transatlantic characteristics of ' Sam Slick.' The pretty song, 'I'd choose to be a Daisy,' was then sweetly sung by the young amateurs who generally assist, and the interval followed. Afterwards Mr James Hood recited 'The Spanish Champion,' with his usual energetic action, which might have made Mr Phelps or Macready jealous. He was encored of course, and was then followed ! by Mr Nicholson, who gave a specimen of genuine native to lent in an original song entitled 'The Reading Society,' which contained some good hits. The next reader not being up to time, Mr Hare read a second time, giving the trial scene of ' Bardell v. Picwick.' The song of ' The Slave,' by Mr Aldred, followed, and was encored. A very pretty duet, sung by two of the young people, entittlod ' Come soft and lovely Evening,' and with their usual success, closed the entertainment, saving, of course, the loyal finale of ' God save the Queen.' We have to acknowledge the receipt of the firat number of a new colonial daily journal— 'The Times and Thames Miners' Advocate,' — published in Shortland (Auckland). It is a remarkably '• well got up paper, of a full double demy sheet, ; and the matter is varied and extensive. Mr W. : Shaw is the publisher. 1

Becent telegrams from thi _lTortK:i^^^W*P (ToodalTs redoubt was abandoned, Tito KawsaW-... onowew derisively cried, "Hook it! H^ftr^^ 'ourteen of the Constabulary were b& '!4 • lock-house adjoining. A portion . lonstabulary force returned to the redout* «^v nnday, and are occupying' it at preeTOk^xß* Sharybdis has sailed for Wanganui, and mergency will land 100 blue - jackets* 0 mariners, and an Armatrdng gtiri; ?he utinoßt indignation is expressed from one nd of the East Coast to the other, at Colonel Vhitmore's command, The most insulting JUI« touncements are chalked np on the walls, while he newspapers are full of deprecatory statecients ; and a memorial to the Governor, which tas already been signed by hundreds, ias been got up, pointing out the pro* table consequences off this step. Napier* December 11. By t&e Sturt, which v has arrived from Poverty Bay, we ' learn that tha Sgatiporou and the Wairoa^ natives, haw all rone home, and that the Ahuriri natives will do he same by the next Bteainer. Colonel "Wbiti nore could not induce them to remain, and he is eft alone with his European force at Turahganui. Che result of the late fighting is absolutely niL Colonel Whitmore is now waiting for matrnction* iow to act. The Ahuriri has arrived iHttt JQfo jody of Karauria and 312 Friendly^ natives. joffinwas escorted to the Maori Club :by> the Militia band, playing a funeral march, and' the proceedings were wound up with a grand war* lance. Mr M'Lean addressed the assembled natives in a complimentary speech,. ; .-HfttWM greeted with enthusiastic cheers six ; times repeated. Dr Irvine has been elected member of ' thj» Provincial Council for the city of Ifelsdn., _ „ ._.,. ... The Taranaki 'Herald' has beck i copy of the following asSay'6f ' th'e'qharti mm the Raitake ranges forwarded to Auckiahdto tfc tested. The samples No! 6, % and JJ.a&njlß^y the casing of a reef which was filled; Jriffi'lfirter, but the party are now making continue their work.— -*' Assay- Office, Banl or New Zealand, Auckland, Nov? 23, 18§8. The samples of quartz submitted-rifer fesfingtby Mr Robert Hughes have been carefully assayed . r by|. me with the undermentioned, results •— Sample marked i and 2j no trace of gold j 3,^ 3f and 5, no* trace of gold ; 6, 7 and 8, very faint trace of g«^ say 10 grains per ton. 'F. C. : Sinithi^Assayor, Bank of New Zfealand." : f ' : f '" "' ! /'