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Southland Times, Issue 1114, 16 August 1869, Page 2

We are to state that in consequence of the necessity for making arrangements for the opening and management of the Stewart's Island Gold Fields, previous to the departure of the Warden, the meeting of the Provincial Council has been postponed till 2 o'clock p.m. to-m orrow (Tuesday.) A meeting of the Volunteer Band Committee, took place on Saturday evening. We understand that the arrangements for the forthcoming BaH are nearly concluded. Wednesday, September 20fcb, being the evening agreed upon. It will be observed from our advertising columns that another schooner, the Mary Ana, has been laid on for Stewart's Island. She is announced to sail on Wednesday, should she fill tip by that time. Reference to our shipping columns will show that no less than three boats cleared at the customs on Friday afternoon, for Stewart's Island. They all sailed with Saturday morning's tide, each loaded with stores and passengers for the scene of the newly discovered quartz reefs. Most of the men who have gone are the representatives of companies which have been formed within the last day or two, and when arrived there will make a population on the ground, including those who | went by the James Paxton, of about sixty souls. It is to be hoped tiie vigorous steps now taken may result in complete success. The Amateur Dramatic Club give their first performance at the Theatre Royal this evening. The programme, which ia a very suitable one, will be found in our other columns. That the several pieces will bo well put upon the stage, and well played, there can be no doubt. Mr Wotton, who acts as manager, is well qualified to superintcndt the mysteries of the side-wings and green-room and will take care that their first entertainment ia carefully got up. Most of the amateurs, also, are gentlemen who have had some experience in the histroDic boards. Several of them gave a sample of their powers on Friday evening last, as Leading participators in the concerted (reading.

The usual weekly popular entertainment on 1 Friday evening last, was, so far as the attendance i it least was concerned, as successful as «ver. The i programme was also a good one, but owing to one or two slight disarrangements the first part ; did not go off quite so spiritedly as usual. In the first place one of the instrumentalists did not put in an appearance until aft3r the first piece had been played, his absence marring its effect very considerably. The second hitch was occasioned by the "ndisposition of an intended reader, whose place had to be filled up at a moment's notice by one of the committee. The second part was comprised entirely of the concerted reading from the Pickwick papers, the trial seene — Bardell versus Pickwick — given a second time at the expi-ess request of a large number of patrons, it of course formed the feature of the evening, aud a very marked feature too. It was nore elaborately got up and placed on the stage than on the first occasion, several additional charac'";rs being introduced. A little bye-play was also indulged in by one or two of the readers, one of the hits being a happy allusion to the Stewart's Island Goldfields. The other was the impromptu performance of the policemau, Mr N. Fergusaoa, who seized a large mastiff, which had got upon the stage accidentally, and made a most minu*e examination of his collar, with an eye to a registration fee. The incident, from the genuine air of officialism with which it was done, gave groat fun, and secured No. 113 X a perfect burst of applause. Having noticed at length the rendering of Bardell v. Pickwick, on its first representation, it ia unnecessary to say more now than that the various parts were as admirable given as on that occasion, so well, in fact, did every individual perform his part that it would be difficult to suggest where : nprovement might be effected. The Committee of the Acclimatisation Society held its usual monthly meeting, at the Government Buildings, on Friday last, 13th inst. Owing t » there being one or two other meet' jgs connected with quartz mining, sitting at the same time the attendance was rather limited, only the following members being present, viz. — Messrs M'Culloch (in the chair) Butts (Treasurer and Secretary)" Blacklock, M' Arthur, Fielder, Crouch and Gilmour. The minutes of the former meeting were read and confirmed, including a supplemental y minute, notifying that during the interval since previous meeting, the Secretory had received a telegram from the Hon. W. H. Nurse, Wellington, requesting that four names might be given to be inserted as trustees in the bill for the proposed grant of land by the General Government, and that, having consulted individually the town members of Committee, the Secretarj had far warded the names of the Hor Dr Menzies, the Hon. W. H. Nurse, Alexandei M'Neil, Esq., and Duncan M'Arthur, Esq. The Secretary next stated that he had seen Mr Clifford the agent for the Otago Society, at the Bluff, ai he passed on his way to Tasmania for a furthei supply of trout ova for Otago and Southland Information had also been received by letter fron Mr Mortin of Allport, that only about 503 OVB could be spared for this province. This intelligence had been confirmed by Mr Basstian, whe had just returned from Tasmania. His Hono: 1 the Superintendent, as President of the Associa tion, had since writtea to Dr Officer, the Chair m»H of tli« Salmon Commission "a'ins bi» »t tantion to a statement made in that Society 1 ! report some years ago, to the effect that South land alone of all the New Zealand provinces hac contributed towards the object of introducing fish before it was known whether the experiment wa feasible or not, she has furnished the very hand some sum of £200, and submitting that this fac should have some influence in her favor now especial'y as she had been a year behind the othe provinces in getting her first supply. It w« hoped that this reminder might have the effect o obtaining some consideration of our claim in th< distribution of the ova by the Tasmanian Society The Secretary also intimate dthat he had beer informed that the Bill for the grant of 2000 acre: of land for the use of the Society wa3 progressing favorably. It had been introduced by Mr Dillon Bell on the 3rd of August, and was likely to pass both houses without opposition. The thanks oi the committee wete passed to Mr George Smith of the Prince of Wales Hotel, for his very valuabk present of four pheasants, as also lor his having procured four New Zealand wood-pigeons which, it was thought, would be very suitable foi exchanging with some other society. The subject of a suitable locality for turning the pheasants loose in was discussed at considerable length, and ultimately lefc to the judgment of the Secretarj and Curator. The Secretary stated he had written to the Societies at Canterbury, Nelson, and Auckland, soliciting assistance in the shape of a sitting or two of eggs, pheasants or quails, and that he was in hopes a favorable reply would be received f 'om one or other of them. The trout were reported as still doing well, some seen recently, both in the rill, and in the stream outside, were nice plump fish of 6or 7 inches in length. The frogs hatched had also done well, many had already attained mature proportions, and might frequently be heard croaking away most lustily of an evening. The'Da^y Times, of 9th inßt., Bays : — We understand that Mr St. John Branigan's services will be reqnired permanently in the North, in connection with the re-organised Police Force. A collision between Te Kooti and Tawhiao, during the recent visit of the former to Tokan^amatu, seems to have been rather imminent. The Alexandra correspondent of the ' Southern Cross,' writing on the 27th ult., says : — " The King steadfastly refused to see Te Koot", in spite of the repeated attempts of the latter to obtain an interview. Te Kooti left Tokangamatu on Sunday morning at sunrise, with about 250 men, the King party — numbering only about 600 men — being under arms on his departure. He decidedly refused to return the way he came, by Taupo, but told them that he should proceed to Mokau, by way of Kareo and Mangawhanga, see I Wetere and Tikaokao, and if he succeeded ; n ' raising his men to the number of 600 he would return, depose Tawhiao, and be King himself, establish his religion, and then clear the Waikato of the Pakehas. All the natives I have conversed with appear to think that this is so empty boast, and are expecting his return in a week. Te Kooti publicly, on his departure, expressed his intention of being King and ruler at Tokangamatu, the Waikatos firing off their guns derisively. Kewi accompanied Te Kooti ; the Ngatimamopoto say that he is mad, and 100 of them start d after him yesterday, saying they intended to brag him

back. Te Kooti expressed his intention of burn- ai ing down the large runanga house, but he burnt h a small house belonging to the King instead, o He disposed of a great lnany^ of his horses li previous to his departure. A Crimean snirl wa9 paid for more than one, and a bar-o||Boap bought C another. He tried to pass the tHe; s||tries to get an interview with Tawhiao^and^ also with a Manuhiri Ngapora ; but Manuiri told TawlTao 8 be would shoot Te Kooti if he continued to B annoy him. He was, however, dissuaded on a Tawhiao asking him if he thonjht.it was right for -j him to strike the first blow. Major Atkinson of Taranaki, who was Defence i Minister in Mr Weld's Government, and who is i now in England, has written a letter to the i Taranaki settlers, which is published in the local ] journal. In the course of this letter, he says : — 1 " Since my arrival here I have endeavored as far 1 as possible to ascertain how colonial questions ' generally, but more especially those relating to 1 New Zealand, were looked upon by the Eng : sh public. The results of my enquiries are, I regret to say, most unsatisfactory ; for although I was prepared to find the ' Salutary Neglect Policy ' generally advocated, I was not prepared for the all but total indifference show j by all classes to all colonial questions, except those which migh cause the expenditure of British money. The great difficulties with which we aro contending, i and the enormous sacrifices we have made, and are making, are practically unknown and unacknowledged here. There are not, I believe, a dozen members of the House of Commons who know — or care to know — our real position at the present time. Nor is it against indifference only that we have to contend, for there) is prevailing a very general feeling that we wish to be protected by British troops and British money,' upon land which wo have either obtained by fraud from the Maoris, or wrongfully taken •from them. I have said that I think we have but a poor chance of obtaining help from England, I have, however, some hope, although it is but fair, that upon proper representation we might get some pecuniary assistance, if we can only get the English Government and people to believe in our honesty and truthfulness, which they certainly have not much faith in at present. The great difficulty in the way of our getting any help is that they don't believe in us here. Can we overcome this feeling ? I believe we can, but I fear it may take years to do bo. Our only plan is to follow on to the end the manly course we have adopted, without falter' lg or without shrinking." The • Nelson Examiner,' speaking of thedis covery of coal in the Upper Buller, says :— " A good sample of coal may bo seen :*i the Superintendent's office, obtained from the Upper Buller. A coalfield opened anywhere near the water shed of that portion of the province would be a valuable item in the consideration of the proposed railway, which could be constructed so that loaded trucks, by mere force of gravitation, would run into Nelson with very little assistance from steam power, and thus the carriage be reduced to alqpost a nominal cost.