The Southland Times. MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1869.

Southland Times, Issue 1136, 5 April 1869, Page 2

The Southland Times. MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1869.

Leasing of the Railway. — The lease for the Bluff Harbor and Invercargill Railway does not compel the lessee to make good any material damage by weather, or otherwise, to the line. The lessee's obligations only cover maintenance. Bishop Jeioteb. — It will be seen from our advertising columns that Messrs M'Culloch and Baker have been returned as memberß to represent the .district of Invercargill in the Diocesan Synod. BXiACK BaJiL. — Several inquiries have recently been made aa to whose duty it is to hoist the black ball on the flagstaff on the arrival of the English mail. It appears that both the Telegraph and Post Office authorities repudiate the obligation. ' Any one, according to the present arrangement inclined for a "lark" may hoist it about the tim 9 th.9 Bnglieh mail is expected to arrive, without /ear of punishment. This should not be. Some of the officials ought to be made responsible for the safe custody of the ball. REVIBION OP THE JUBY LIBT. — Only three Justices of the peace attended at the Courthouse on Friday hist, to revise the jury list. Their names are— H. M'Culloch, John Blacklock, and W. Marten, of Martendale. Floitb. — It will be seen from our advertising columns that Mr Osborne will hold a sale of ten tons of flour at the Railway station, at one o'clock to-morrow. Suppee to Me Jones. — A number of the friends of Mr Jones, of the Southland Club, assembled on Friday evening last at the Club to entertain that gentleman with a supper on the occasion of his departure from the Province. About 30. gentlemen sat. down. Mr Buchanan occupied' the chair, and Mr Mitchell the vicechair. After ample justice had been done to the good things provided, the usual loyal toaßts were given, after which the health of the guest of the evening was proposed by the Chairman in very flattering terms. Mr Jones acknowledged the compliment, and stated that it had always J been his desire to give satisfaction to the public in the discharge of his duties, and the generous support he had received testified that his efforts had been successful. He would not wholly sever his connection with Southland, as he would retain an interest in the Club, although residing in Dunedin. After some further remarks the speaker, concluded by thanking those present for the kindly way in which bis health had been received. After a number of other toasts had been proposed'andresponded to, a very pleasant evening was brought to a close. The Maoeies. — The ' Taranaki Herald' says :— " While the Maori has all the privileges of a British subject if he chooses to use them, he shirks the duties which that position involves. If it were not for indirect taxes he would entirely eßcape any contribution to the coat of Government. He pays no. road rates, although he is a great landed proprietor ; as a rule he objects to cut thistles; and if he violates the law and escape to some remote tribe, the law does not look him up with the same unerring instinct that it does the European. All this no doubt is wrong, and .although humanity-mongers always insist on the Maori, or other aboriginal, having hie full measure of privilege, we never on any occasion hear of their insisting that he shall perform his duties." TheDttke of Edinbuegh. — The * Daily Times,' of the 31st ult, says: — The following telegram from Mr Stafford regarding the Duke of Edinburgh's movements, was received by His Honor the Superintendent yesterday : — "Be. Duke of Edinburgh — In consequence of orders received from the Admirality to shorten his stay in New Zealand, H.R.H. must leave, the colony on the 15th May. It is impossible at present to lay down a certain programme, but in all probability his Btay in Otago will be from the 26th to the 29th or 30th April, both days inclusive. I will give further information as soon as possible." Sharp Peactice. — In a certain office of a certain town, " which," says the ' Bendigo Independent,' " shall be nameless, the following tragedy, comedy, farce, or melodrama — we scarcely know which — was lately performed with startling effect to one of the dramatis personce : — Scene, a lawyer's office : Oily Gammon, the lawyer, sitting at desk ; enter client (an Italian). Lawyer. — ' Good day ; pray be seated.' Client. — ' Me want file my — what — you-may-call-it.' Lawyer. — c Oh ! I know, your schedule.' Client. — c Yeß.' Lawyer. — ' What are your lli- r biiities, and who are your creditors ?' Client. — *My baker, my butcher, &c.' Lawyer. — ' What assets have you P' Client. — ' Me have a pud-dling-machine, a dam, &c.' Lawyer. — ' Have you no money ?' (A pause.) ' Come now, tell the truth.' Client (reluctantly). — 'Well, me have a little.' Lawyer. — ' How much ;' Client. — ' £53.' Lawyer. — ' Do you not know that you will have to go before the commissioner and swear that you have not got a penny in cash ? You had better give me the money, and I will arrange about your schedule.' Client. — • Oh, yeß, that will do ; you Mr , give me the £53 again when me get my certificate.' Lawyer (with a grin). — 'Oh, certainly.' — (Client hands over the ' needful,' and makes his exit.) End of Act 1. [A lapse of one month is supposed to have occurred, during which time the client had called — and called again — on the lawyer for his certificate, but did not — though wishing sincerely that ho might — get it.] Act 2 — scene as before. — Client (getting tired of calling.) — ' Mr , you give me my £53 and keep certificate.' Lawyer (with virtuous indignation.) — ' Get out of my office, or I will have you prosecuted for fraudulent insolvency. I will call a policeman.' (Rises to call a constable.) Exit client in haste. Grand tableau." A Rich Ntjqget — Our own correspondent writing from Shortland last evening says : — " The most splendid specimen yet found on the field has been met with ia the Long Drive Claim this morning, in the shape of a solid mass of gold and quartz — over 18 inches long and half as thick. It is impossible at present to give an idea of its value." We learned from a passenger by the ' Royal Alfred ' laßt night that the nugget 1 is eaid to weigh 381 b., and to consist for the most i part of gold. — " Southern Cross," March 17. A Feast foe the Maoeies. — "We notice in the Wellington papers an advertisement , calling for tenders to supply about 200 natives with rations during the time that the Duke of Edinburgh's visit extends. The daily rations are to consist of lib each of meat and bread, 21bs potatoes^ 20z3 sugar and ioz tea.

Population of Victoria. — The quarterly abstract of the estimated population of Victoria on the 31st December, 1868, published in the 'Gazette' shows 384,706 males, 299,271 females, making a total of 683,977 ; the increase during 1868 having been males 12,467, females 11,623, tot»l 24,090. The total gain to the population during the .year (24,090) has only been exceeded in two years of the last ten, viz., in 1859 (25,753) and in 1864 (31,170). In 1860 the increase amounted to 7,585, in 1861 to 3,953, in 1862 to 13.944, m 1863 to 18,587, in 1865 to 21,138, in 1866 to 17,273, and in 1867 to 15,975. The births during 1868 numbered 26,772, and the deaths 9,935. The gain by excess of the former was thus 16,837. During the same year 32,805 persons arrived in the colony, and 25,552 persona departed therefrom. The increase by excess of arrivals was therefore 7,253, and the whole increase was 24,090, as shown above. The marriages during the year numbered 4,514. Natal Diggings. — The ' Hokitika Newa' publishes fhe following letter received by a digger in Westland from his brother who had gone to try his fortune in Natal:— "Dear Brother — I arrived at Natal on the 12th December. To my great disgust, we found (I say ' we,' for I am along with iix) that all we have heard of the diggings has been almost all direct falsei hoods, the diggings have been opened twelve : months, and up to the present time there has jonly been three ounces of gold got. This ' was got by fourteen men in seven weeks. ;We went to a large merchant here, who as to a i large extent caused bo many lies to be circulated j about the quantities of gold got per ton. He ' Bhowed us some quartz from whch he said he j could get sixty ounces to the ton, I am sure it iwould not go a pennyweight to the dishful. Of ithe most likely looking Btone, there was not the ;color in it ; neither has a speck been seen by anyibody. So when people will do that, they are capable of doing anything. A great many people jhere think that the two specimens of gold sent Home came from Australia. At any rate no one ican find anything like M spoke about. ,The cost of going to the diggings will be at least £40 per man. A company has been formed at :home, which is expected to be here in two days. iThere are no provisions to be got for the last 400 imiles of the journey so its an impossibility to go a waggon and bullocks and provisions for a few months. The Mauritius is a wretchedly Unhealthy place ; of six of us, three got the fever. I escaped it by chance. Whatever you do, don't come here until you hear from mo some better accounts. Some old Otago diggers hava arrived here from home." [ Memorial.— s-The following has been handed to us for publication : — To the Eight Reverend the Lord Bishop of Christchurch, President of the Standing Committee of the General Synod of the Church of England in New Zealand. — This Memorial ot the undersigned members of the Church of England resident in Invercargill. — Humbly Bheweth — That the Church of England in Otago and Southland, through its Rural Deanery Board, which was allowed the powers of a Diocesan Synod, left the question of the formation of the new Diocese, and the appointment of its first Bishop, to be finally settled by the General Synod. That the General Synod, having determined on the formation of the new Diocese, while it allowed the appointment of the Bishop to remain unsettled appears to have left the most important question that it was asked to decide to the uncertain action of a popular election with a party cry. That it is not desirable that the Clergy and the Lay Representatives of the Church should be invited to repudiate a contract, while there have not been shown any justifiable grounds for cancelling it. We therefore pray — That the Standing Commission of the general Synod will at once honorably fulfil its part of the contract by acknowledging Bishop Jenner, who has been consecrated for the new See of Dunedin, to be the Bishop of the Diocese. We wish further to state — That we are sorry that Bishop Jenner should have been forbidden to preach or to officiate as an ordinary clergyman, since the inhibition, for which no reason has been offered, seems as unfair to us as it bad been unjust to the Bishop. That there should be some qualification for electors, and that such an important question as the acceptance or rejection of a Bishop should not be left for decision to the general body of those who are simply willing to call themselves members of the Chm-ch of England. That we are all of us painfully conscious that the management of the present ecclesiastical elections has been disgraceful to the Church.