The Southland Times. MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1869.

Southland Times, Issue 1116, 1 March 1869, Page 2

The Southland Times. MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1869.

Presbyterian Soiree. — The annual '■onurogationa 1 mt-etins of the members of tlu? Presbyteriiin Church here w;is hAd in the church, Tay-street, on Thuratlay evening last. The meeting was numerously attended. Alt r tea had been disposed of, Hie Chairman (the Key A. H. tStob") opened the prooee ■inns with some introductory remarks, briefly reviewing tin-hi-tory of the co'i^reuation durint; the p >sr. yen 1 , an 1 urging upon the members gr- aU-r earnestness, cll'orts, an ' pnvvei'. I'or the year to eu:m;. Hie Tivfi-uer (Mr* Warson) ihen r m.l the annual financial stHtement, from which it appeared that t ho revenuo and t'xpfiulirtire liv I been imu-h the came as m ihe previous ye :r, or considerably over iSb )O T->e adoption of tinnport was moved by Mr Brthune, and unanimously agreed t>. i'he tiabbath School Keport ;vaa then read by Mr Erskine, from wliich it. appeared that the number in attendance had ionsiderablv incrpa=e i over f he prpfeding year. Mr Toshack, in a lew ju iicious rein irks, moved the adoption of tins report. Thereafter nmsr. interesting and instructive a idress- s were delivere-l by the Hey W. Eiinnertnan on the " Mem bersliip of the Church ;" by -Mr Findliy on •' Altsions ;" by .vtr Wearcn on the " 6iibhath School ;" M.V Porter on " Progression •," Mr undrew Smith on "This imp -rtance of Personal »nd F-nuily Keligiou," by Mr M-iir, and the Key. J MNau^hton on the importance of (.'ongrfgiitiond Psalmody. At iiitoraln t)je i-lloir gave several anthems in a very creditable and etl'eciivo m inner. Altogether the even in.: was a most enjoyable one, and we hope productive of profit to ail who had the happiness to be present. Boat Accident. — Two youths, Thomson and Orrant, Uet-irous of enjoying a sail on ■•SMurdav, 27th ult., took a dingy to reach a boat moored in the stream olf the Jetty. On thenway they simultaneously ovule a dart, to citch something floating past the side of the dingy, when, of .-ourse, over the went, and left them ilouuderiug iv tiitf water. Thomson swam lv Uie i

bank sU. the other side, nnd Grant stuck to rhe capsized dingy. lie v.a* taken off speedily by si passing boat, :>iul thus, with the exception of a ducking and fijht. which shou! i nmke then ltiore cautious hereafter, both escaped without injury. Accident. — One of the laborers engased at tho Ktiil«;iv works nut with an ;uvi.lenf. on Saturday last, 27th ult., which sliould teach him to be more cautious in future, when en^ii^ed about railway trains. It app-. urs that a-* tin 1 ballast train -was grttinjr into motion the man, wishing to hand It is billy of tea into one of ;he waggons, put, his lb.»l on tho rail jast in ir-nH o; one of the wheels, fortunaielv thi' foot di 1 not I'idlv r«st on the melai or tho damage woul-l hay.> been serious, but as i was the timls of two of tiu> j toes wore torn olf. Tin- man was ..or nto v tr.ip as so-'U as possibl ■, mid sent to the iiospital. Tauanakc Ik-ox Samj. — Tho Gene- ; -al Government appear to be abour :o '-lit i Tannaki inn sand to a practical te.-t. The W.i- j lingtou ' K veiling Post' says: — A qii.-m;irv of, ['arauaki steel sand, p roe 'a re a by C^loaei Haul tai'i, arrived by the Start yesterd-iv. lr is j intended to be smelted at Me Government iinnourv, and the stivl (inployed in fh- ecm-tr v. t.ion of breeehloeks for the riiles which are bein_' converted into Sniders. Mart/borough" Diggixcis. — The Lord Ashley brings intelligence of a fresh rush to the Marl borough digaiuu r s, It:ive!oek beiaj; the poi.il of attraction. All the r.tf.ir. nation yet to hand U that three ounces of goid has been washed out oi' one cl:sh of dir:. Reception of the Governor in' the Wairakal'a. — We copy the following from the ' Wellirgtou Evening Post': — Mis E < eel en>-y the Governor appears to have met with anythiu.: but an enthusiastic recent-'on in tl™ Wuir-n-cK.. The inhabitants of the Valley are i^oing o;i wilii their usual avocations or amusement-;, utterly indifferent to the Vice- U-gal presence, with the except ion of the Maoris, who, of course, are only too happy to seize on any opportunity of uratifying their inordinate fondness for speechifying an 1 display. We scarcely think our frien Is in the Wu.iiMr.ipa have acted either well or consistently. They were anxious for the Governor's visit, and urged him to come, and, however much tie may lack tho qualities which command popularity, or however strongly he may contrast with his predecessor, their sense of hospitality to him as a guest, and the respect due to the representative of the Queen of England (whose allegiance we have not vet quite slviken olf) should hnve induced them to alford him tlif. warmest wel -om • in their power, George Bowen wn! e\i lenUy never make his mark on tho pa_:e of our id-tc-v as a grcu'. ruler, and tho policy oi ea:i;ious ' trinnning ' which he pursuca will <loul>tieseveiitiuite in yre t unpopularity iis a Gov< imh; , requiring, as we do, an ei.ergetic man who \vi 1 I take a decide. l line ; but, as a private in livi ;ua.. apart from all political ronsi ieraiions, hi-; urbanity and ircnd-iness of demeanor entitle, him to a better ivcep'ion than ho has received. AcCLniATIZATIOX. — The whitebait forw&vded lo Jiobart 'Town, ; n elpirgi* ofOmv. 'Ihoinaon of the Southern Cross, have, says the 'Inttelt-'ii Times,' reached th-ir tlcstinatii.n in -i lively and healthy condition, and with a liss <;f only three lish out of about 150. '1 he appar.i u> employe;! for their transit was simila 1 t > th-il used lour years ago by Mr Johns m. ii (he attempted introduction to this province of live salmon and trout from England. Ie consists 1 of a wooden tank fitted \vith a perlorated sliie division, and a false bottom of the same materiid. iioth «ere so coiriived as to eau<e. by every motin of the vessel a continued circulation or aeration of the water, whilst the outlet, being from the bo:tam, provided lor die easy ivrnjvn. of deleterious deposits. The credit oi' this successful ex|jocfcitiioti is, however, due in a, gre it measure to the care taken in the experiment by Capt. Thomson. Bishop Jenjter at Oa.mak.tt. — The ' Oarnaru Times' of the 23rd, publishes the report of what passed at t lie O maru meeting. after Bishop Jenner's add ess In reply to a question the Bishop said that he had received an inhibition, or quasi.inhibittou ; the Bishop of Clnistchurch had request, d him to abstain from ail attempts at ofliciating in any of the churches in the Diocese, either as a bishop or as a clergyman, lie had never intended to otiiciate until ihe present d.tlicultii's had been remove , and should, of cour-e, abide by the words of the Bishop of (Jhristehurch, who was at present his ecclesiastical supeior, and would not attempt to odiciate in any way without, his permission, as Bishop of the Diocese. He might, however, state that he had received a letter from Bish .p Harper, in which he gave his approval to his (Dr Jenner's) going round the Diocese, and ascertaining the opinion of the people with regard to his claims. He was, therefore, present at that m-eting with the sanction oi' the UUhop o! Christchurch, but he had not as yet received the Bishop's sanction to officiate in any of the Churches, Colonial Debts. — Mr "Westgarth's circular contains some intereaanit particulars relative to the public debts of the various Australasian colonies. The statement purport.-; to be corrected to December, 18(58. Tho total authorised debt of Sew .-outh Waies is £9,31-5, 330, of which £514,200 has been paid oft', leaving an outstanding indebtedness of £5.83L,13J. Victoria, uulhoriseu, £1u.753. 100 ; paid orl', £1,i20,n: 0; outstanding, £9 6- ; 3 : 100. South Australia, authorised, £2.430 300; paid, £-K>1,309 ; not issued, £411,U(J0: outstanding, £1.56^,000. Qiectis land, authorised, £0,72i,168 — all outsiaiivhng. Tasmania, £1,373,9)0; paid off, £300.UU0 ; outstanding, £1,073,9 '0. jSew Zealand, authorised, £10,6rj{).i.iOu ; paid off, £3,2i13,9JU; out-stan-iinsr, £6,101,200; exclusive oi nearly £70U,' 100 outstanding debts due by the several provinces.