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Southland Times, Issue 1081, 30 December 1868, Page 2

Every subscriber to the 'Southland Times/ will receive a copy of the * Southland Tim ea Sheet Almanac,' gratuitously. It will be perceived from our other columns that Messrs A. J. Smyth & Co., Auctioneers, Dee-street, will sell to-morrow the right to collect and retain admission money to the Caledonian [•Games on New Year's Day. j. A musical and dramatic entertainment is announced to take place on New Year's Night at the Theatre Koyal. We understand that several welT known amateurs have consented to lend their assistance. We have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of " Reynolds and Co's Southland Almanac and Directory for 1869." It contains a great deal of useful and valuable information, including returns 'of depasturing licenses, land sold, area of hun. dreds, &c, to the latest date, and may be relied ; upon as a correct record. This description of information will no doubt prove acceptable to squatters, settlers, &c, whilst to the citizens of Invereargill, the street and professional directory containing the names of all persons residing wLhin. the town boundary, supplies a want long felt. The work i 3 neatly executed* The.'Wakatip Mail' furnishes the following information regarding the harvest prospects in the Lake district: —"The wheat and oat croj-s .have come on wonderfully well, and though still a little backward, are in far more luxuriant condition than this time last year. The previous harvest, with its average of forty-five bnshels to the acre, was considered good; but the forthcoming one promises to excel this, arid then all doubts about the fertility of the Wakatip must cease." The last 'Australasian' says: —"A serious offence has been brought to light a month after its commission, and unlikely as at the first blush the chance of discovering the offender appeared, the police would seem to have got on to the right -track at once. Some four weeks ago a cheque for £1,500, purporting to bear the signature of Laridale Brothers, was presented at the National Bank, ani no suspicion of the genuineness of the autograph being aroused was at once cash«d. Payment was made in eighteen dSSO-notes of the bank and 600 sovereigns. It was not till the end of last week that it became known that the signature was an admirably executed forgery, and as the teller had little recollection of the description of person to whom the money was paid {detection of the forger seemed to be in the last degree improbable. Curiously enough, however, the detectives found out that on the afternoon of the day on which the cheque was cashed, a man named Q-eorge Fearn had deposited in the Oriental Bank £L,150, £900 of which consisted of eighteen £50-notes of the National Bank. Fearn, who was on assistant workman in the smeltiug department of the Bank of Victoria, has been arrested, and the case now awaits further evil dence." James Rowley, a well known member of the Victorian and Otago Detective forces, has bean onricted at Westport of stealing a pocketbook. He jras sentenced to six months imprisonment .with hard labor. Later news fro-n the Fiji Islands has been received at Sydney, through the arrival of the • schooner Magellan there. We gather from the SydneY papers tliafc gold was discovered on the Island of Vitu Lsvu, at the Navua. River, in the mmthof September, and coal on the Island of Kandai'u. The cotton crop had suffered from rlwavy, showers in sonw parts of fcha group, but in others the planters had done well and collected large quantities iv excellent order. At Nadroga, Messrs Burt ani Cnlel'woad haj gathered sixtyone tons of Sea Island, principsriy with Fijian and Santo labor. By the arrival of the Sea Wioh at Levuki, planters hal received their aacount sales of their pro luce, and the • News' says that Dr Brewer's consignment realised in Loniou 33 ltd per lb, and Mdssra R/der's (Mango) 43 per lb. The Natives had planted a large number of acres for themselves, and were receiving large returns for their industry. The conduct of Commodore Lambert iv attacking the Natives on the Rewa during the late visit ot the Challenger is much discussed, ani that unfavorably. The schooner Thane of Fife, 121 -tons register, George Frost, master, arrived atLevuka, vfrom Melbourne, on the. 18th September, and le't-Levuka on the sth October for Samea, exiling on the way at Taviuni for a cargo of yjuris. She took in about 48,000 at M'Kiasack Brother*, Wairiki, and dually sailed on the 17.t1i, but while sailing through L mcaU passage, she struck pn.one of the shoals, and shortly, after became a total wreck.

it L> stated tU-.s.- the funi.3 raise. t i i U.j.wi£j's lay for the relief of the refugees from Pover y " 1 Jay, had, on the 12th instant, reached the hand- 1 omo sum of £418 9s 3d. . i In the 'New Zealand Gazette,' of December 14, Hr Edward Denham, Eogistar of Joint Stock Companies in Canterbury, notifies that he has •egisterod a memorandum of assocation establishug a company, with limited liability, intituled 'The Selwyn Flax Company (limited)." The jbjects for which the company is established are ;he cultivation of the plant known as New Zealand las, or Phormium Fenas, and of the separation )f the fibre of the same plant from its cortical and >ther vegetable tissues, so as to render the said ibre fit. for m-inufacture into cordage and woven ibricsj and the manufacture and weaving of such :ordage and woven fabrics respectively, and of he utilisation of the substance of the said plant, ad the doing all suoh other things as are cacidental or conduceve to the attainment of the Above objects. j The '•Southern Cross, 14th inst says :•— " The | distriot of Foxton has beeen in a great state of I excitement, the out-lying settlera having come in on the recommendation of Governor Hunia, (a Loyal-Chief we presume) who apprehended a possibility of an attack from Titoko. The redoubt, which is built of timber, with rifle apertures, is cow completed, and will resist a force of 500' \faoris. There have been patrols during the fast'fortnight. The Rangianes are building a stockade for the protection of their women and children at Poetratotara. The niilitia and volunteers will bo called out as soon as arms arrive. A native meeting was held at Tupupuru, near Car. terton on December 4. The two Kingite chiefs, Ngairo and Wi Waka, who both, by the way, have taken the oath of allegiance, addressed the meeting. The decision come to was that the Wairarapa was not to be disturbed." Colonel Lyon3, who has been lately appoints d commanding officer in the Wanganui district, is reported to be a man of experience and courage, having served in India and the Crimea. The • Auckland Evening News ' says :— " He did good service at the last Maori war, especially on the West Coast, where the natives called him * onearmed Rangatiras' and . ' Taipo' (the Devil), in consequence of the wholesome dread in which they stood of him." The hundred and fifty Maories who recently arrived at Taranaki from the Chatham Islands, are thus described by the * Herald :-?-" The itaoris from the Chatham Islands were dressed in European clothing, speak English tolerably well, and are not without money, which .they spend pretty frea'y in articles they require. The Collingwood brought about 150 souls — men, w>inen, and children— and from their dress and manner it is gratifying in the extreme to witness the progress they have made in civilisation. They brought with them over 80 tons of luggage ; amongst which we noticed several articles of upholstery aud general household furniture ; aho four whale-boats, and several drays. During the waole of the week they have been passing in parties through the town for their settlement, which has caused the place to be much busier than usual. There are between 40 aud 50 more ex- | peated shortly — a few who are left behind to "wind'' : -~up"aTict ~Betfcl^ affaire in the Chatham. Islands, and who, when they come, will bring the agricultural implements belonging to the whole tribe. As they have disposed of their stock and produce to some Dunedin settler foe cash, w? believe that they are, as a whole, pretty wealthy. Some of this money they have circulated in thf> town, so we think the settlers have nothing to complain of in this addition to our po pulation. The first section of the natives, who came some tjn months since, have their ground in a splendid state of cultivation, and the settlers round about them speak in favorable terms of their neighbors." The ' Lyttelton Times,' in writing upon the progress of acclimatisation, saya : — " The English birds brought out by Dr MacJonald and recently I set at liberty in the gardens, have been seen in I several places, some mles from Christchurch, [busily engaged in building their nests. The i number originally shipped was 1000, but the ! survivors were about 60. The ' Age,' 12th December, says : — " We underi stand that, in reply to the invitation of the New Zealand authorities, Mr M'Oulloch has expressed the willingness of the Victorian Government to co-operate in the proposed Intercolonial Conference. As the Victorian Legislature will re-as- . semble in February, however, our representatives can scarcely b« expected to attend unless the C&nfferehce is held in Melbourne, or deferred till a later period of the year than has been suggested." The question of payment of members of Parliament is being seriously considered in Victoria. We learn from the ' Laader,' 12th instant, that the Government hare appointed a " Royal Commission to inquire into and report generally, upon the practice of paying or compensating members of the Legislature in all countries where the practice prevails, and with a special view of ascertaining in each case the rate of payment or compensation, the condition or limitations, if any. under which it is made, and the form of legislative enactment by which it has been authorised." The necessity for some steps being taken to obtain a Municipal Council for Invercargill, or to induce the Government to do something towards improving the streets, especially the foot-paths, is absolutely necessary. The wooden gratings have become dangerous ; in every direction planks have sprung, and spikes and nails protrude above the wood worV. On the occasion of the concert on Christmas eve, we are informed that several ladies dresses were caught on nails or points of brokon patterns, causing considerable damage and inconvenience. These side paths have baen constructed by the town at a considerable cost, and it is a reproach that steps have not been taken to keep them in a passable condition. A couple of men, with a dozen pounds of spike nails would materially improve them, and prevent a much larger expenditure, at no distant period. Excursion Trains to the Bluff from the Kew station, will be despatched on Nev Tear's Day. Leaving at 9.15 a.m., and 8 p.m., returning at LI.IS a.m., and 4.30 p.m. ' The eighteenth anniversary of the settlement of Canterbury was celebrated with greac display on Jaturday, the 16th December.

From ou- advertHi^^lumns it will be seen ;hat a Grand Handicap Rifle Match, between:: t ihe members of the InTercargill Bine Volun||ias£ "I svill be fired at the company's butts on New c fear's Dny. The firing' is announced to com- I tnence at six o*clock a.m in order to finish the i match at an hour which will enable the competitors/and visitors, to'be presentjatthe other sports J providedjor-tlje occasion. ' The preparations for the Caledonian Gathering ' on Friday the Ist -January, 1869, are being carried out with great.Bpirit. In addition to the « two refreshment booths, belonging to the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, a grand ' Btand, for ladies, capable of seating over one ■ hundred is deing erected by the lessee* Mr George Smith Every effort appears to be made to . make the gatherings success. The following account of the result of the Dunedin Tradesman's Races, which took place on the 26th December, has been received by telegram. | Maiden Plate, Mainsail, Ist; Hurdle Eace, Nigger, Ist; Handicap, Mainsail, Ist; Selling Race, Banjo, Ist ; Trotting Match, Flora Semple, Ist. The number ou the course was large. A correspondent of the ' Press,' alluding to the newspaper critics in the North, writes as fo'lowe : — Major Herrick is wrong — Colonel Whitmore is wrong — Major Frraser is wrong — Everyone is wrong who does not fall in with every new view op opinion which eve^y shifting writer iv these papers, at the Seat {of War, chooses to promul. gate. It is a harsh thing to say, but it really seems to be a pity that the whole district East and West,, is not placed under Martial Law, and that the Commanding Officer has not power to bail up iaen|who shall write and publish .bo indiscreetly^ Every movement of Colonel Wbi'^ more is oroolaimed to the world. Almost his unspoken thoughts are conned oAer and published and iits alleged scheme of defence or attack made known, as if there were no enemy alive to his strategy. Is this fair ? Is it just or prudent ? A meeting of the Committee of the " Caledonian G-ames " vra.% held last evening, at which there was a lar^e attendance. Judges for the different games were nominated and agreed upon and after considerable discussion the Prize Iflßt, with trifling alterations a3 already advertised, was agreed to. Several other prizes than those quoted in the programme were added. The amount subscribed and the imprest shown by so many of our citizens is sufficient for us almost to guarantee ■- the labors of the Committee • great success. A meeting of the Eegatta committee, and others, will be held at the Clarendon Hotel this evening, at 8 p.m. -,v A public meeting of parties interested in the Orepuki and Longwood Diggings, will be held at the Ode-fellows' Hall, Riverton, on Saturday evening, the 2nd January. *