The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1869.

Southland Times, Issue 1194, 16 July 1869, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1869.

The following immigration and emigration j statistics, for the port of Bluff Harbor, for the June quarter, have been kindly supplied to us by the Sub-Collector of Customs : — Immigration — Victoria, 35 j Coastwise, 127; total, 162. Emigration — To the United King, dom, 3 ; to Victoria, 83 ; Coastwise, 137 ; total, 228. Showing a debit against immigration of 66 souls. The Invercargill Rifle Volunteers met on Wednesday evening for the usual parade, Captain Harvey and Ensign Surman being present. The Commanding Officer haying put his company through some evolutions, directed the Color and Senior Sergeants to drill the corps, various move, ments and exercise followed, the company dismissing shortly after nine o'clock. The attention of the police might be profitably drawn to the practice of parties taking horses to water at Puni Creek. Instead of following the track opposite the Bank of New Zealand, the pathway in Clyde-street is the favorite riding ground, to the discomfort and danger of pedestrians. The Southland Building and Land Investment Society has certainly prospered thus far most wonderfully. The projectors modestly calculated on a minimum of four hundred shares as necessary to be taken up before operations could be commenced with a prospect of euccew, and did not anticipate '

a list extending much, if any, beyond that number ; whereas no less than 1400 shares have in reality been taken up. On Monday evening la9t the prosperity of the Society was further established by the result of the fiwfe^ale of funds. On that evening the sum of £13(k> was offered to the competition of the members, aud was taken up »t an average premium of £3 10s per share — £25 — or amounting on the whole to the addition of a bonus of 2s 6d per share to the total number of shares. The competition for the money was very fair, and the rate of premium such as must be satisfactory to the Shareholders of the Society. The s. s. Omeo, due from Melbourne yesterday had not arrived up to the time of our going to press. We understand that the Provincial Council will meet on the 3rd of next month. A velocipede of the new description has been introduced in the streets of Wellington. I A party of gentlemen in Nelson, says the ' Examiner,' are interesting themselves to raise the small sum of £30 to send out a body of four men to explore the country at the head waters of the Pelorus and Wairoa, and back towards the mountain known as the Devil's Arm-Chair, which overlooks the Wairau. Several of the streams which flow from these ranges are known to be auriferous. We learn from the ' Press ' that the flax movement in Canterbury is assuming broader dimensions every day. Mr R. Thomson, who has flaxworks in the Ferry Road, employs, according to that journal, from 15 to 20 hands, and about 80 tons have already beon prepared, and about half this weight sent home by various routes. The great drawback to the development of this branch of industry appears to be the exorbitan t freights, though Mr Thomson has made arrangements to transmit his produce by through rate 3to Sydney thereby effecting a slight saving. As to the cost of getting up flax ready for transhipment, he considers that in a small undertaking, where only one or two machines are at work it is at the rate of £14 per ton , though of course in a larger affair, where more economy could be used, this figure would be materially reduced. According to advertisement a number of persons favorable to some action being taken to develop the auriferous resources of the province, met on Wednesday afternoon at the Prince of Wales Hotel. The various interests of Invercargill were fully represented, about forty being present, and before the close of the meeting a few miners entered an appearance. Mr J. W. Mitchell, on being voted to the chair, made a few introductory remarks, stating why he had called them together, and urging that the present depression imperatively called for some energy being thrown into matters of new enterprise, which would have such universal benefit as the opening up of a goldfield. After some few remarks from one of those present, Mr Kingsland placed before his audience the various courses open foi them to pursue, dwelling considerably on the probabilities of payable gold being obtained at greater depth, which could be most economically and satisfactorily tested by means of boring, and recounting the experience which he had on the best Victorian Goldfields, to the effect that the only derivable benefit from prospecting at the expense of public money was the ascertaining of localities where gold did not exist. Mr Wrieht followed in a few pertinent remarks regarding dis. tricts in Victoria in which he had at one time a large stake, and though willing to give his mite towards the movement, strongly discouraged the equipment of prospecting parties. After a few remarks from Mr James Blacklock, in favor of the subject being fully encouraged and ventilated, Mr Surman gave some interesting details of the interest which had been taken in the subject by the residents of Eiverton, and the favorable prospects existing, not only of alluvial deposit, but payable quartz reefs, in the Longwood Ranges. Mr Pearson then strongly advocated the immediate endeavor to promote the encouragement of mining by public companies, and gave his reasons for thinking that it was worth while each risking a few pounds to bottom ground in the neighborhood of the old Wakatip diggings, on the Gienquoich. run, aud stated his opinion that it would be the interest of any government to grant an extended claim for such a purpose. Mr Wright considered if deep sinking were encouraged, there was little doubt a distinct lead would be discovered nearer home, and stated his conviction that a payable field existed in the district of Waihopai. Mr Kingsland supplemented his previous remarks by reference to geological indications tending to foster the opinion that Southland possessed a gold field yet undiscovered, second to none of the famed Australian Districts, and instanced the description of Btrata through which the labourer had to dig in working at some excavations at the Hospital. Mr Macrorie hoped the meeting would not lose sight of the recommendation which had been given to make use of boring appliances, and related a time of depression on Ararat when it was feared that rich field was nearly worked out. The attention of some w»b directed to the flat below the town where, undaunted by water, boring r>ds were procured, and in a few weeks, speculators from other parts poured in, and the country was taken up for miles. He was afraid prospecting at the head of the gullies might result in the throwing back for yearß of an enterprise demanding immediate attention. Mr Tapper was in favor of the commencement, taking "Victoria, for its example, and not entering into extravagant search for deep leads not known to exist, when shallow workings might be safely encouraged. He strongly favored the starting of co-operative stores among the commercial community and having a good mauager who would soon know what miner to trust and whom to avoid. After a few remarks from Mr Buchanan, discouraging prospecting equipment and relating Otago antecedents, Mr Pearson to test the meeting proposed, and Mr Kingsland seconded, the following resolution. — •' That the following gentlemen — viz., Messrs Kingsland, Jas. Blacklock, Buchanan, Tapper, Bain, Wade, Mitchel, and the mover — be appointed a committee, to meet on Tuesday evening next, at 7.30, at the Masonic Hall, to discuss the question of boring for the discovery of a goldfield, and report to a public meeting to be thereafter convened." This being unanimously carried, a vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the proceedings. The ' Wanganui Times' contains the following remarks on the bast method of terminating the Alajri war : — lt is useless to Say that the colony (

should appeal to the home Government for Imperial troops. As well might a man with a house burning over his head talk of sending b orae for a fire-engine. No :we should at once determine to make use of the material at hand. Cal out every friendly native npon the East. Coast under the direction of Mr. McLean, and under the command of efficient European officers : we can there muster fully 2,000 fighting men. With them a select force of 500 picked Europeans and there you have a foroe of 2,500. Pursue the same course here upon the West Coast, and then launch the whole against his Maori Majesty, taking care to abolish the Native Department and dismiss all Civil Commissioners before starting. In compliance with the recent resolution of the Otago Provincial Council, his Honor the Superintendent has issued a notice in the 'Gazette of that province, that certain lands have been reserred as an endowment fund for the university of Otago, namely, 50,000 acres, gmore or less, being Run 304 and part of 300 b j and 30,000 acres, more or less, being Eun 79. The formar area is situated in the Te Anau Downs, adjoining the northern boundary of Southland, and the latter lies between the Taeiri aed its tributary, the Deep Stream. fThe Southern Cross publishes the following extracts from private letters received by the last mail from H. Troup, Major General, to his son, J. 11. Troup: — "I see by the New Zealand papers that my friend Cracroft Wilson is recom- | mending the introduction of Ghoorkas for military defence. Having, as you know, organised and commanded a regiment of them, I must say that I cannot approve of his suggestion. They would be as expensive as Europeans, and not half so efficient, being physically much inferior to the Maori. They are also turbulent and mutinous, and, like all hill men, so attached to their homes, that I am sure they would never be induced to go to New Zealand ; and supposing, even for argument's sake, that they were constantly recruiting, and at the end of the campaign again returning them to India would prove an expensive hobby. The whole real Ghoorka tribe does not consist of more than IG.OOO men, and half of these so-called Ghoorkas are simply half common hill men, and nearly worthless as soldiers. No : if the Sikh from the Punjaub could be got to settle aB a kind of immigrant, he is the man, either as a soldier or agriculturist, being possessed of physical strength and martial spirit ; and the climate of the Northern Island comes very near his own. The Sikh has but few prejudices, either religious or social, and is, if properly treated, easily managed." The ' Wakatip Mail ' states that the office of Mayor of Queenstown for the ensuing municipal year is likely to be contested. There are three probable candidates. All are good men and true, and the only difficulty will simply consist in choosing one of them. Probably the private meetings will solve the question, but it appears ' that a contest will take place. Mr Robertson, who has held the office for three years, we understand, will retire. While upon the subject, we may point out that though the Mayor receives no salary, his expression of opinion carries great weight with the Government, both of the province and the colony, and that he has, like the present Mayor, an active deciding voice affecting not only the well-being of Queenstown but of the district — as witness the land question at ITrankton. Hence it is advisable to choose a disinterested man. A really disinterested rn»n, and one of unbiassed opinions, should be supported. During the sittings in bankruptcy of the Supreme Court, Auckland, on the 10th inst., his Honor the Chief Justice addressed the bar as follows : — I may take this opportunity of stating that there is now some prospect that courts of justice and public officers will no longer be employed in winding up bankrupt estates • There is, I observe, a Bill before the House of Commons, introduced by the Attorney- General, wherein it is laid down as a principle that there shall in future be no such thing as a voluntary bankruptcy, but that any creditor who has sufficient interest in the matter, and thinks it worth his while to do so, may proceed to act. It will no longer b c in the power of a person to say, " I will throw myself through the Court," and by merely petitioning get discharged from his debts. Looking at the statistics of bankruptcy, out of 8000 cases that were heard, fully 6000 of them were cases of persons who came before the Court to make selves bankrupts without having one farthing of assets. There was some reason, therefore, to believe that would be put a stop to, and the whole question at issue would be between the bankrupt and his creditors. To show the difference between the rate of mining fees in Scotland and New Zealand, the following paragraph has been extracted from the ' Arbroath Guide 1 : — "A nugget weighing betwe< n two and three ounces has been found at the Sutherlandshire gold diggings. Licenses, to which detailed conditions are attached, are now issued to the miners by the Duke of Sutherland. The license is granted for a month, and the miner pays £1 to the duke, besides a royalty to the Crown of 10 per cent on the value of the gold.