Horbincial News.

Southland Times, Issue 1105, 6 August 1869, Page 2

Horbincial News.

A short time since the Acclimatzation Society by advertisement, cau'ioned the public against molesting or destroying a couple of black swans belonging to them, which had taken up their habitat in the Mataura Biver. A day or Iwo Bgo a pair of the same, birds, probably the same pair, were seen by a settler, desporting themselves j in the New River, near where it debouches into the Waihopia estuary. Either foolishly desirous of possessing them, dead or alive, or more probably instinctively acting under the impulse of that latent love of destruction and ferocity towards strange objects, inherent in most animals, and which is rarely thoroughly subdued by even the highest civilisation, the person in question tried to shoot the harmless and valuable creatures but fortunately was unsuccessful. It may be as well to intimate, for the benefit of persons similarly tempted to wantonly destroy birds, animals, or other property of. the Society, that by doing so, or even trying to do so, they render themselves liable to penalties ranging from £5 upwards, with the alternative of imprisonment for periods of from one to six or more months, according to the circumstances of the case. Nor is it ecessary that the Society should give notice or warning of any kind, with regard to the nature of, or the locality, where j their property may be. The cose is simply this : the birds, animals, &c, introduced by their, or similar means, with their increase, are protected by enactment, throughout the whole of New Zealand, and any person taking, destroying, or hunting, or attempting to take, kill, destroy, or hunt, &c, &c, any such birds or animals, witht out having previously obtained a license for tha purpose, are guilty of a breach of the law, and punishable accordingly, without reference to the ownership of the property destroyed, or of the ground upon which it may have been taken. This provision also applies to native game. In the case of the native wild duck, it ought to be stringently enforced, or they will soon be killed out. An interesting addition has just been made to the property, under the care of the Curator at Walkcetown, in the shape of four pheasants, presented to the Society by Mr George Smith, of the Prince of Wales Hotel, who imported them. The ' Daily Times,' of the 21st inst., says t — Captain Harold of the schooner Margaret, which arrived yesterday from Stewart's Island informs us that the goldfields on the Island are progressing favourably. On Mason's Beach and Raggedy Ranges, the poorest of the miners were making wages. Provisions are easily got to the Bcene of operations from Invercargill, and a plentiful supply of good fish can be caught in close proximity to the mines. The gold on Mason's Beach is very fine, while in the range 3 gold in quartz predominates. The great drawback on the Island is want of roads or proper tracks ; as an instance of this, a farmer named Frederick Wallshlager went out in search of cattle about four weeks ago, and has never since been heard of. Te Kooti's object in visiting King Tawhiao, is referred to by the ' Auckland Herald ' in the following terms: — That he came attended by only some 30 followers, shewed clearly enough that his errand was not one of violence but of diplomacy ; that he came through the special personal intervention of Rewi, shows that his object is likely to be successful. That object it appears is neither more nor less than to persuade Tawhiao to abdicate his sovereignty and the King party to accept himself in the stead of Tawhiao as King of Maoridom. That Tawhiao will make any great stand against this proposal is hardly likely. He has never been more than a puppet iv the hands of Buck men as Tamati, Ngapora and Bewi, and now that Te Kooti, flushed with success, and coming in the name, and as the chosen vessel of the Hauhau god, calls upon him to abdicate in his favor, 'IWhiao is scarcely likely to do more than it is reported he has done, namely, to caution his people to hold no intercourse with Te Kooti, more especially if the demand be backed up by the fanaticism of the Hauhau party. The Committee appointed at a prevfous meeting for the purpose of encouraging some scheme of gold prospecting in the province, met at the Prince of Waleß Hotel, on Wednesday evening, Mr J. W. Mitchell, in the chair. The number of gentlemen composing the committee had in the interim been considerably augmented, and a thorough interest tn the vitality of the undertaking was manifested by those present. Proceedings partook chiefly of a conversational character, and various suggestions having been discussed, it was ultimately agreed that the basis of operations on a principle of 40 members, subscribing each a sum of five pounds, should be drawn up by Messrs James Blacklock and W. H. Pearson. The neighbourhood of the old Wakatip diggings, it was resolved, should be visited by Messrs Blacklock, Shearer and Kingsland, previous to auy definite sinking being inaugurated, and we learn that a deputation, consisting of Messrs Pearson and Kingsland, have been subsequently favourably received by His Honor the o. lrver ;T,tf.Tia lent.1 ent. regarding a mining reserve. The feeling that it is imperative some ;.cnon should be taken to test our golden resources at lower le\el than has hitherto been attempted seemed to be gaining ground and judging from the names of those who at once volunteered their speculative donation we should anticipate there will be no trouble in getting the requisite number of shareholders. We trust before the capital thus named is expended such a prospect will be obtained, as to warrant these promoters in isvuing scrip to the general public, and thus reaping the fruits of their spirited enterprize. The anniversary of American independance was observed in a conspicuous manner on the West Coast. We notice that the first of the stores destroyed by the late fire has been re-built and occupied, Messrs Hamilton and Nichol having commenced business on their old site. Mr Dillion Bell, in moving in the House of Representatives recently for a detailed statement of the expenditure incurred in the conduct of the war since the 31st June last, said that the return furnished to the House stated it roughly a* £230.000 the sum appropriated being £241,000. He believed that every man in the field cost, when all the expenses connected with him were taken into consideration, £130 to £140 a-year ; and at that rate the force of 3000 men must be costing something like £450,000 a-year. Mr T. G. Tanton, for some time agent of the Panama Company at the Bluff, disposed of his interest in the All Nations Claim, at tbfe Thames, or the sum of £12,000. A public meeting was held recently in Christchurch, with the view ol forming a company to prospect for gold. One of the speakers gave rather a gloomy picture of the present depressed condition of Christchurch. He said : — " He thought they were all aware of this fact that for some time past Christchurch had been something like a sleepy hollow, and it was necessary, therefore, that something should be done to get out of that miserable state. It was quite useless to talk of importing immigrants unless they had got something for them to do in the province. It was a pity to see the streets pretty nearly empty — in which volunteers might practice rifle-firing without much chance of doing great injury — when they knew that there was bo much mineral under foot which only required to be developed by Btrong, willing, hearts and hands. He should.like to see the streets crowded, as he did in Hokitika, of men who knaw how to dispose of their money when thes got it. He thought it very necessary that they should go at once to work, and in his opinion it was desirable to form a company in this aim." Private advices from London, quoted by the Southern Cross, state that considerable excitement had been occasioned in the City by the receipt of a telegram to the effect that a mountain of silver had been discovered at the Thames Goldfield.

A letter from San Francisco, speaking of the richness of the White Pine mining districts of Nevada, says there is now in that city a middle-aged man, -who a year since waß at work by the month as a mechanic, and not worth a dollar. To-day he is worth at least 1,000,000 dollars in hard coin, and his income from one mine alone in White Pine is over 1600 a day. He is investing his money in real estate in San Francisco. The other day a friend was joking him on the subject of marriage, remarking that he could now marry any yonng lady in San Francisco, to which he replied, " well, I knew a gal out west who was willing to marry me when I hadn't a cent, and now I'm able I'm going to marry her." A boat accident, which was very nearly proving fatal, occurred at Riverton on the afternoon of Thursday last, 15th inst. It appears that at the time stated T>. S. Lawlor Esq., RM. had occasion to cross the "Fiver from his house, which is on the south side, to the town, when, while still some distance from the beach, his skiff was caught in the surf and capsized. Mr Lawlor is said to be an excellent swimmer and a mere plunge into the river would have done him little harm, as he could easily have gained the beach, but, unfortunately, he got hurt besides. Probably in going over the gunwale of the boat struck him, at all events he felt that he had lost the power of his right lea, and that to maintain himself above water was as much as he could manage under* the circumstances. In this predicament he was fortunately observed by the pilot of the port, Capt. Tall, who immediately stripped and went in with a line to his rescue. It was not however, without difficulty and danger both, that Mr Tall succeeded in his intrepid and praiseworthy attempt. By the time the line was marie fas>t Mr Lawlor had been twenty minutes in the water, and was becoming exhausted. He was however, ultimately brought safely ashore, and after recovering himself a little at the house of his rescuer, was able to be taken to his own home. This, we believe, is not the first time Capt. Tall has been instrumental in saving human life in the same way, and though, no doubt, the consciousness of having done a noble act in the way of duty is of itself the best reward, still public acknowledgement of such services is commendable, and must be gratifying alike to the recipient and to those conferring the merited honor. The Nelson * Evening Mail ' says : — We understand that an attempt is being made in this town to raise a small sum of money for the purpose of sending out two or three practical diggers to prospect, as far as practicable, the whole of the extensive country lying immediately behind the Dun Mountain over to the Devil's Arm Chair, and also all the ranges and gullies towards tha source of the Pelorus Biver, and the head of Aniseed Valley. It has long been believed that gold in payable quantities exists in this part of the province, which has never yet been thoroughly prospected, and we do not imagine that there will be the least difficulty in raising the very small sum required — thirty pounds — for which we are informed two practical and trustworthy diggers have undertaking to thoroughly examine the tract of country mentioned above. It would be needless to dwell upon the vast advantages which must accrue to Nelson from the discovery of a payable goldfield so close to the town, and we hope to hear that within a very fews days the subscription list has been closed and the prospectors despatched on an errand in which we most heartily wish them success. A very compact building, intended for use as both Church and Schoolhousc, has just been completed at Flint's Bush. It will comfortably ! accommodate 100 sitters, and for both purposes I will doubtless prove a great convenience to the settlers in the locality. We learn that it will be ' opened for public worship on Sabbath first, 25th inst., on which occasion the Eev. Mr M'Gillivray of Xiverton, will officiate. From the report of the Governor of the Dunedin Gaol, we learn that the establishment is self-supporting. The Canterbury ' Times says : — " We have received a sample of wool washed at Mr. John Grigg's station, where that gentleman has upwards of 18,000 sheep washed by the same process. Soft soap and ammonia formed the ingredients used in the process. The wool is very clean and elastic, and in good state for manufacture, and in our opinion fit for the home market. There is, however, more yoke in the sample than iv the scoured samples that have come under our notice." The • Wakatip Mail' states that the office of Mayor of Queenstown for ihe 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 qnestioa, 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 th« 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 Fu,nkton. Hence it is advisable to choose a disinterested man. A really disinterested man, 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 fol. ows : — 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 be 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 themselves 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' : — "A nugget weighing betwee 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. In the Queensland Assembly, on the 18th June, Mr Groom moved — " 1. That this House, recognising the great importance of manufacturing industries, is prepared to grant a cash bonus of £1,000 and one thousand acres of land for the first five thousand yards of woollen cloth, and £1,000 and one thousand acres of land for the first five thousand yards of cotton cloth, to be manufactured in any part of the colony of Queensland." The motion was carried. At an indignation meeting of Australian diggers, held at Natal, to protest against the means which had been used to induce them to proceed to the reported goidfield in that colony, and to arrange for the formation of a company to assist them in their efforts to prospect the country, one of the miners read some of the reports of Mauch and others, which he said ' he considered sufficient to attract anyone irom his grave, much less from Australia." Two Auckland tradesmen, a tobacconist and an oyster salesman, have been e&sh fined L 5 and coses, for keeping their ahops open on Sunday.

It is said that the appointment of Under Secretary, rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr. Gisborne, will be conferred upon Mr. O'Rorke, but not before the close of the session. The Wellington correspondent of the ' Oamaru Times' writes as follows : — " Of his suocess, so far, I have to-day informed you by telegraph. Whether his visit to Galilee, of which he is as fond of reminding us, has given him a fancy for Jews or not, I cannot sny, but certainly he is the only Premier in New Zealand who has endeavored to bring Mr Julius Yogel before us as a member of the Executive. A thorough political adventurer, a man without any status in the Colony, with some talent, but utterly wanting in influence ; he stands now as one of the Fox Ministry, and as an undeniable proof of the want of support which Mr Fox at present labors muler. In spite of a majority of eleven against the late Ministry, Mr Fox is unable to draw together men of standing willing to co-operate with him, and he has hacl an unpleasant truth told him by certain Canterbury members, whose assistance he applied for, when they said that they voted to get Col. Haultain out of office, and not to get him in. Aeainst Mr M'Lean there is no . objection, except the one that he would be more useful as Government Agent in Hawke's Bay, than as Native Minister. Perhaps bis acceptance of office has been influenced by the desire to hold a higher position now than that from which the Stafford Ministry ejected him. These two gentlemen are the only members of the House who have as yet joined Mr Fox, and their motives are different and plain. Mr Yogel. who it is believed, will act as Colonial Treasurer, has always considered himself to possess a talent for finance, but those who remember his schemes put forward some time ago, the one for payment of the New Zealand debt, and the other for the assumption by the Middle Island of the liabilities of the Colony. in the event of a separation being brought about, will scarcely be glad to see him standing in the shoes of Mr Fitzlierbert. And it is scarcely probable that the House which has, on more than one occasion, decidedly j evinced its objections to his taking the stand of a leader, will quietly permit him to enjoy long the honor of a seat on the Treasury benches. Look at the matter how one will, the change of Minis- j ters has been for the worst, and cannot be ex- i pected to be lasting. In Mr Fox we have no substitute for Mr Stafford ; Mr Vogel's claim to support are simply ridiculous, beside those of Mr Fitzherbert ; while Mr M'Lean, though good, does not nearly make up for the deficiency of his colleagues and the want of Mr Hall." In the Auckland Supreme Court, the case Hall v. Heir, an action for damages by a manager of a theatre against a" star" actress for a breach of agreement, has been heard. The plaintiff claimed £200 for damage sustained by breach of agreemtnt by Mrs. Heir ; £100 for loss sustained by being compelled to remove his whole company to another market; £150 by loss on estimated receipts' during Mrs. Heir's term of agreement. The case lasted over two days, and resulted with a verdict for the plaintiff, damages £150. On Friday, 23rd July, a young man, a half caste was admitted to the Hospital in consequence of having received a gunshot wound in the leg From what we have been able to learn, it would appear that he came by the injury in a very peculiar manner. On the Monday previous, the lad Leech by name, and a man named Manuel by whom he had been brought up, were out on in a boat fishing, in the vicinity of their home at Stewart's Island. Thinking they might combine shooting with fishing, they had taken with them their only firearm, a dilapidated fowlin" piece. It likewise happened that their stock of ammunition did not include percussion caps to remedy which deficiency they determined to try matches. After proceeding for some distance, and while Leech was rowing leisurely along, Manuel, sitting in the stem of the boat, proceeded to experiment with the lucifers. Having loaded the gun, he cut the ignitable end from a vesta, placed it on the nipple, and drew back the hammer to full cock. One of the defects of the old piece consisted in the spring being unable to retain the doghead in this position, and it consequently required to be held back with the hand until the moment for firing arrived. By accident, while Manuel was raising the gun to a level, the hammer slipped, the matchhead answered only too well, and the consequence was the poor lad received the full charge in the knee joint. Immediately the disaster took place the boat was of course directed for home, where everything that could be done for the youth was attended to. To make matters worse, the boisterous state of the weather rendered it impossible for the following few days, either to bring the sufferer across, or send to Invercargill for surgical assistance, so that it was lour lull days after the event ere the sufferer reached town, where his wound could be attended to. Ou his arrival at the Hospital it was at once seen that amputation would have to oe resorted to. The operation was accordingly shortly afterwards performed by Drs Grigor, Deck, and M'Clure, with wbat will, we learn, be a successful result, as, notwithstanding the evil effects consequent on the long time elapsing before proper remedies were applied, the patient is in a hopeful state, although low from exhaustion. The most pleasant and social gathering ever known at the Bluff was held on Friday, 23rd July, in the schoolroom. The objects of the soiree were principally to furnish the scholars with a treat, and by gathering together the parents and friends in a social way to promote the interest already taken in the school, and incidentally to form a fund for the purchase of rewards for the deserving. The whole of these objects were most satisfactorily accomplished. About ninety persons sat down to tables beautifully decorated, and not only amply but luxuriously furnished. The wonder on evei/ hand was, how so many people could have been got together, and " the oldest inhabitant " had, until then, been dubious as to the existence of such a multitude in the locality. After tea and the clearing of the tables, Mr Waddle was called on to preside, and introduced the juvenile contributors to the evening's amusement. Three or four of the little girl pupils, of ages apparently about twelve years, made their first appearance in public, performing piano selections in a very creditable manner, and boys and girls in recitations grave and gay showed their understanding of the subjects and their ability to do justice. One little fellow, for whom a chair was specially provided, was remarkably happy in the part allotted him. Four boys gave a rendering of a scene from " the Knights of the Round Table," which was much applauded. The juvenile portion of the entei tainment concluded, the ordinary caterers for public amusement at the Bluff took their respective parts, and with humorous readings by Messrs O'Toole, Waddel, and Nichol — singing by Messrs Burrows and Stevens — interspersed with instrumental music, the long Drogramme was satisfactorily disposed of. Happiness and good humour beamed on every face, and it is hard to say whether the young actors in the evening's amusement or their parents and friends were most pleased. The meeting was so decidedly a success as to lead every one .to wish for its recurrence. To W. Fordham, as the working bee in the details of the fete, too much praise cannot be given. Certainly he achieved success, and what is more he deserved it. Telegraphing across the Atlantic has become comparatively cheap. On the Ist ofJun6 the tariff on Atlantic cable messages was to be reduced from £3 7b 6d for 10 words, and 6s 9d for each additional word, to £2 for 10 words, charging for addresß and signature, aud to for each additional word j that an imuortant reduction would also be made for newspaper press messages, and that all political and general news would be conveyed from either side of the Atlantic at half rates. This would practically reduce London press messages from 6s 9d to 2a a word. 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 stating why he had called them' together, and nrging that the present depression imperatively called for some energy being thrown into matters of new enterprise. Winch would have such i universal benefit as the opening up of a goldfieid. After some few remarks (rotn one of those;/ present, Mr Kingsland placed i before his audience the various courses open for them to pursue, dwelling considerably on the probabilities of payable gold being obtained ; at greater d?pth, whi^h could be most economi. cally 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 Wright i followed in a few pertinent remarks regarding dis- : tricts in Victoria in which he had at one time a i large stake, and though willing to give his mite i towards the movement, strongly discouraged the equipment of prospecting parties. After a i few remarks from Mr James Blacklock, in favor • , of the subject being fully encouraged and venti- J ( lated, Mr Surraan gave some interesting details | : of the interest which had been taken in the , subject by the residents of Riverton, 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 j worth while each risking a few pounds to bottom ground in the neighborhood of the old Wakatip disgings, on the Glenquoich run, and stated his J 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 strata 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 was 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 years 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 manager 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, Buchanau, Tapper, Bain, Wade, Mitchel, and the mover— be appointed a committee. to meet on Tuesday evening next, at , .30, at the Masonic Hall, to discuss the question Of borlnsr for the disscovery 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 best method of terminating the Maori 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 home for a fire-engine. No :we should at once determine to make use of the material at hand. Call 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 i fighting men. With them a select force of 500 picked Europeans and there you have a force 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 reserved as an endowment fund for the university ot Otago, namely, 50,000 acres, more or less, being Run 304 and part of 300 b ; and 30,000 acres, more or less, being Run 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. The Southern Cross publishes the following extracts from private letters received by the last mail from H. Troup, Major General, to his son, J. H. Troup : — " I see by the New Zealand papers that my friend Cracroft Wilson is recommending 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 argament'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 10,000 men, and half oi these so-called Ghoorkas are aimply half common hill men, and nearly worthless as soldiers. No : if the Sikh from the Punjaub could be got to settle as a kind of immigrant, he is the man, either as a soldier or agriculturist, being possessed of physical strength and martial spirit j 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 Committee of the Popular Entertainments may be congratulated on the success of their effort on behalf of the Ragged School on Friday 23rd July. The programme issued for tha t occasion was probably the best that has yet been placed by an amateur company before an Invercargill audience, and when first announced, gave rise to doubts in the minds of many, as to whether it would be carried through without a break down. The acknowledged difficulty of execution characterizing Mozart's compositions generally, seemed to afford more than sufficient grounds for those fears, and doubt was increased almost to certainty, when it was observed that the firet part consisted of six selections — five choruses, one quartette, and one tenor solo, from the 12th mass, and Handel's magnificent " Hallelujah." When it is remembered that the amateur performers are but few in number, that they have not long been organised as a body, that their practices are frequently interrupted — some of the members, from distance, being able to attend only very occasionally — and that their powers are heavily taxed to carry out the ordinary weekly entertainments, it will be better understood how great the exertions must have been to get up, and carry through most triumphantly, such a programme as that now under discussion. Certainly, short intervals of rest were afforded, during the performance of several pieces given by new friends, but from the time the curtain first rose, until the last strain of the National Anthem, the weight of the

whole affair fell upon what ire may term the | permanent musical staff of the society. j Fortunately for the funds of the charity on ' behalf of which the concert was given, the night ' was most favorable, being clear moonlight, with ' tolerably dry roads. By the time advertised a ] goodly crowd had gathered round the Theatre J and the doors were not long open before the | whole of the upper part of the house was crowded, while downstairs the attendance was also very g6od j Shortly after eight the curtain rose, and; -a sceen was presented to the audience worth a good deal only to 'ook at. A great improvement in the 1 stage arrangements had been made by the erection of a dais for the rear rank of performers, which , had a fine effect, by throwing into a mass, and ( showing to the best advantage, the whole strength | of the choir, which was seen in position, ready to begin, when the inter- J vening screen was rolled up. A very audible murmur of admiration ran round the house at the moment the stsige was exposed to the gaze of the audience, but it was quickly suppressed as the talented conductor, Mr J. Kingsland, raised his baton as the signal for < attention. From beginning to end the whole pro* i gramme, as we have already said, was well rendered, every one engaged seemingly being determined that no flaw should occur, ior energy and spirit flag. It is contrary to recognised etiquette to criticise amateur performances, and we have no wish to make a breach in the rule, still we may be allowed to mention a few of the pieces which, of superior excellence, merited more than mere general remark. Passing over the choruses and instrumental parts, which were all admirably rendered, the first in order calling for special notice, was the duet " Oh, ye Voices Gone," beautifully sung by two ladies, one of whom made her first, but; we hope not her last, appearance on this occasion, possessed of rich melodious voices, of that exact difference in tone which tells so charmingly when blended. " The Blind Girl to her Harp," by a lady who has long been a great favorite, was the next gem, and but for the determination announced by the chairman — J. Blacklock, Esq., at the commencement — " That no encores would be alldwed," would have had to be repeated. A duet " I "Would that my Love," from Mendelsshon, was the next on the list. Sung by the lady who took soprar.a in the first duet, and another whose musical talents have long been acknowledged as of a high order, it fairly delighted the audience, as was manifested by the warmth of their applause. The grand duo, " Ah se de Mali," Rossini, by Mr Marten, and a lady, an old favorite, was well given, and received due acknowledgment. The next song was so exquisitely rendered that it is difficult to refrain from naming the charming songstress. It mast, however, suffice to say that she is one whose aid has frequently been given in similar circumstances, and whose presence is ever welcome to an intelligent audience. On this occasion, however, she fairly eclipsed herself, and in " Molly Asthore," fairly entranced the house. The duet, " .Mira O Norma," followed, and when it is said that the ladies who sung it were two of the best tried of the regular staff it will be understood that it was worthy of the admiration itelicited. j "By the Sad Sea Waves," by a young lady who has greatly improved since she sung it at a former entertainment, was deservedly applauded, and was the last solo of the evening. A chorus and the Queen's Anthem, brought to a termination, at about 11 o'clock, a most successful and pleasant evening's entertainment. We understand that something over £12 will be the amount to be handed over to the School Committee. Of course the gross proceeds were considerably over this, but the terms under which the committee undertook to give this entertainment were that the amount of their usual prices should be deducted from the total taken, the excess only going to the charity. Considering the position in which the committee were at starting, and the difficulties they have had to contend with since, it must be acknowledged this was a very fair and equitable arrangement. It is also but right to mention that the house was generously giver, by Mrs Puettelkow for that night free of charge, a circumstance which will not be overlooked on future occasions, and which allows of a considerable addition being made to the amount accruing to the Bagged School. The Wellington 'Evening Post' has been served with a notice of action for libel, for publishing a telegram from Dunedin, in which it was stated that Mr Driver, a lately elected Otago member of the Assembly, had been guilty of political jobbery. Seventeen new J.P.s have been created by Mr Stafford, principally gentlemen residing in the Auckland Province, and on the East Coast. Mr C. E. Button, Mayor of Hokitika, has also been gazetted a J.P. The ' Wanganui Chronicle,' says : — Not much more than a week ago Mr Fox upbraided the Stafford Ministry for not executing Tauroa and his tribe. To quote his own words, every one of them should be hung ! People were inclined to pat him on the back and applaud him for this bold infusion of justice, and to entertain some hope of uncompromising measures when he should oust the Stafford Ministry. He was then in opposition ; he is now in power, and listen to the Minister who was so indignant at anything short of hanging ! He now roars as gently as Ja sucking dove. In the course of his ministerial statement on Tuesday, he said, on this subjefit : " While the Ministry would be no party to anything which would savour in the least degree of barbarism or a disregard of civilised usage, they would not allow any trifling with the natives. The late Government had announced their intention of bringing down a bill for the establishment of a tribunal to treat with rebel natives should it be found necessary to put such tribunal into operation. Perhaps the existing law would be found sufficient, but if not, the Ministry could carry out the intentions of the late Government in this respect." The indignation baa subsided, and it will be well if he does not outdo the former ministers in trifling with the Maoris — the whole tenor of his policy only favors this too much. Those who know Mr Fox will not be surprised at this or at something stranger still. Some interesting particulars regarding cheap railways, (says the ' Daily Times,') were given at a recent meeting of the Railway Construction Committee, held in Melbourne. Mr Lloyd, agent for Mr Page, gave a description of that gentleman's patent, and explained its adaptability for branch lines. The estimated cost of construction, without rolling stock, would be about £2000 per mile, and carriages could be so constructed as to run both on the present rails and the new line. Mr Griffin, the engineer to the Ballarat Shire Council, who had had some connexion with the Great Western line, and had also been connected with railways in Turkey, said that the Varna line, which was on an incline of one in forty-two, cost but £5000 per mile, including rolling stock and stations. Fifty pound rails were used, and the engine weighed thirty tons. Mr Thomson, who had been employed on some of the Scottish lines — though not as an engineer — stated that a Fife line, upon which there was a heavy coal traffic, was originally constructed for £5200 per mile. It had since been improved out of the profits, which have averaged twelve and a half per cent.' per annum. Mr Clapp was examined as to his knowledge of the American railway system. He said that nearly all lines in the United States were single lines, although provision was mads for their being eventually made double. The rails varied from 451 bto 60lb, and were spiked to the sleepers, the ends, however, resting in chain, and no one joint being opposite another. The engines, as a rule, did not exceed thirty tons in weight. The sleepers were of chesnut wood, and when dressed with coal tar, lasted about seven years. The ballast generally used was gravel, bluestone being far too dear. The speed attained was about the same as in Victoria, but the express trains travelled at the rate of forty miles an hour. There was less, shaking in the American cars than in the colaniaL This was in consequence of their greater length, and the difference in construction. Accidents chiefly arose from collisions, caused by so many Unas

srossuut each other. The great cost of munwpt ing the American lines aroßft.;/rora,thj^w^gr|£gs hosts and rapid thaws. There was three^^^iP^fi much traffic on some of the American einglraliiß^* as on the Sandhurst and many double line|». "*^ Light engines were used for express and ligwp:^. goods trains. Mr Collier, the late contractor fli|&| 1 the Echuca line, estimated the cost of; that lirte-|p£| f Bfty-three miles— at about and said hej| ; considered no lighter one should be; constructed *' -yi for a main trunk line. .*£. •4-;# / K "^^m^W^ A velocipede of the new description has bew§2?^ introduced in the streets of Wellington. 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-Ohair, 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 move^ ment in Canterbury is assuming broader dimensions every day. Mr K. Thomson, Who has flit* worts in the Ferry Road, employs, according to that journal, from 15 to 20 hands, and about 80 tons have already been 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 exorbitant freights, though Mr Thomson has made arrangements to transmit his produce by through rates to 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 rato of £14 per ton, though of coarse in a larger affair, where more economy could be used, this figure would be materially reduced. Th? Z' Melbourne Age' has the following:— " Collisions between the Judiciary and the Press are so rare in British communities, where, updti the whole, the liberty of journalism is recognised as one of the best safeguards of the public interest, that no little surprise will be created by a decision of the Supreme Court in Sydney, 25th June. Our telegram announces that criminal informations filed against the ' Bydney Herald ' and Dr Steel, for having published comments upon the trial of Captain Hovell and Rangi prior to a decision upon the law points reserved in their cases, came before their Honors on the 25th June, that the « Herald ' was fined £100 and costs, and that Dr. Steel was reprimanded and ordered to pay the costs of the proceedings. Had the comments been made while the cases were sub i judice so as to influence the verdict of. a jury, *»c j could understand this ; but surely it is not to be supposed that the publication was likely to influence the court itself, which would be the sole essence of the offence. Our contemporary distinctly repudiated any intention of ' saying anything that could influence those in whose power it now is either'to enforce or restrain the law in the final disposal of these men,' and merely commented upon the abominable traffic their connection with which had been established. When the court itself sentenced them to death, in accordance with the verdict of the jury, how can it have been wrong for a public journalist to express what he deemed the verdict of public opinion ? So far as we can at present judge, in punishing the • Sydney Herald ' the court appeals to have taken a stop which it will hare to retract at a serious loss of dignity. We understand that it is the intention of the Australian and New Zealand Agricultural Com* pany to erect a boiling-down establishment in the Eastern District. It is to be hoped that the Government will offer every facility by setting aside a block of land for the formation of roads in this district, and encourage in every way in it* power the operations of a company which h&a already expended so much capital in the provinM* In urging the necessity for a dissolution, the Canterbury Press remarks t—»Carlyle, in. his history of the French Revolution, describes » cartoon thai appeared in Paris when, the States General were summoned, representing ' a man surrounded by poultry, and addressing I; them thus :—" My dear creatures, I have called you together to ask with what sauce I shall eat you.' To which a pert young cock answering, " But* we don't want to be eaten," is checked with' the reply, *'You are wandering from the point." That is very much the situation of the Middle Island at this moment. The representatives of the South are summoned to the Assembly to be consulted as to what additional funds can be squeezed out of the Island for the prosecution of the war. Any objection that we would rather not be squeezed at all is set aside as irrelevant. That is wandering from the point. The Middle Island has to be eaten; the only choice allowed it is whether it shall be served up' a I* Stafford or a la Fox. The Bullionist of April 3rd, in noticing the usual general meeting in London of tbe Bank of Australasia, states that the general trade of the colonies has exhibited an improvement in 1868, as compared with the previous year, though remaining less active than in former years. This faling off in volume is, however, compensated in some measure by increased security to banking institutions. The pastoral interests are depressed from the low price of wool injLondon, and the consequent absence of demand for surplus stock in the colonies ; and upon the back of this trial follows the natural visitation of a drought of great severity. Gold mining, both in Victoria' and New Zealand, is in a condition of steady progress. Referring to the business of the Bank, it appears that, notwithstanding the adverse character of the times in recent years, the business of the Bank has continued to make progress, the deposits having increased from £2,199,777, in 1863, to £2,881,724, in 1868. In his address, the Chairman observed :— " In the colony of Victoria they held a position inferior to one local bank only It was superior to every non-local bank, and the directors saw no reason to doubt that their position would be maintained there against all competition. In regard to New Zealand, which if he passed over they might suppose that there was something unfavourable to be concealed, the directors were still sanguine that eventually a good and profitable position would be secured in that thriving colony." The following immigration and emigration 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; Coastwise, 127; total, 162. Emigration — To the United Kingdom, 3 ; to Victoria, 88); Coastwise, 137 ; total, 228. Showing a debit against immigration of 66 souls. The ' Daily Times' of the sth inst., says : — " The General .Government have agreed to continue Messrs M'Meckan and Blackwood's tender for the mail service for a further term of six months, ending with the present year, at the rato of £11,000 per annum. The original tender by the same firm was at the rate of £600 per month, or £7,200 per annum. The increased subsidy is intended to provide, we hope, for a direct service via the Bluff, in addition to the present service via Hokitika. It will be recollected that a resolution was passed by the House on the 11th ult., authorising the Government to continue the present service for six months, in order to allow a full consideration of the subject." The Public Petitions Committee has reported on Mr Smythie's petition ta the House of Representatives, as well as upon the petitions for and against him from Otago, Southland, and Auckland. The report of the Committee is to the effect that they do not recommend the House to take any action in the matter. The 'Wellington Independent ' says :—" It would thus appear that it is the intention of the citizens of Otago to abandon the Northern Island to its fate. It is certainly very patriotic, ' alter having obtained the bulk of the public estate of i the colo»y, and by the advocacy of their members in former sessions plunged the polony into war, - that they should now "turn round and "repudiate their liabihty to pay their fair share of the cost of the war. ■-■'•■ - >- !? »■••■•'- -■?"■".■:• .