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Southland Times, Issue 1151, 22 October 1869, Page 2

Yesterday, 21sfc inst., reports of an encouraging nature reached town from Longwood. It is said that a well-defined reef — of limited dimensions, but having every appearance of being auriferous — has at last been discovered, and that an extended claim has been granted to the prospectors. In the course of a few days the rumor will be either confirmed or refuted, and the particulars duly made public. In the meantime, there is little danger of our citizens having a second attack of quartzonia. The ninth anniversary of the Shamrock, Rose, and Thistle Lodge of Oddfellowa will be celebrated by a grand ball in the Theatre Royal this evening. As considerable trouble has been taken to perfect the various arrangements, it is confidently expected that the affair will pass ofl' successfully. Qeo. M. Bell, Esq., of Waimea, was returned to the Provincial Council by the Oteramika constituency, on Wednesday, 20th inst., without opposition. Mr Bell is a gentleman of liberal and progressive opinions. He enterß the Council pledged to no party policy, is favorable to the continuation of our independent political existence, but would not refuse re- union if satisfied with the conditions. Our correspondent, " Philaleme," is naturally annoyed because we reproduced from the European Mail the extracts from continental newspapers describing the sufferings of " The Nun of Cracow." The article which he encloses from the Tablet, a Roman Catholic newspaper, likewise came winder our notice, and as we desire to act on the principle of hearing both Bides, it "was our intention to give it publicity at the earliest opportunity. Correspondence has been carried on for some time past between the Hospital Committee and the Q-eneral Government, relative to the payment by the latter of a Bubsidy on account of native and half-caste patients treated in the Southland Hospital. The following telegram conveying the decision of the General Government in the matter, was received yesterday by the Secretary :— " Mr-Thomas Perkins, Secretary, Provincial Hospital, Invercargill . — Your letter respecting expense of treating half-caste patients ' received. A letter written to you by the Native Under Secretary, on the 15th inst., informing you that one hundred pounds will be paid on above account, to 30th June last, and an annual sum in future of fifty pounds, paid quarterly. — W. Gisborne." This appears to be a very satisfactory arrangement. Our Timaru contemporary states that heavy rain has fallen there, and that there iB every prospect of its continuance for some time. The benefit. to crops of this rain'all is such as to inspire all with tne most sanguine hopes of a bountiful harvest. The Greymouth Star mentions tbat Mr T. Z,. Bright, bo long the vety able editor of the West Coast Times, has quite recovered from his protracted sickness, and is now the editor of the Sobart Town Mercury. No assurance (says the Oippt Land Times) could banish the panic occasioned in the sea board districts by the Saxby prediction of a tidal wave. The following paragraph occurs in the speech of his Excellency the Governor of New South Wales on the late opening of Parliament : — " The controversy between Victoria and this colony, as to the ownership of Pental Island, has been the subject of further correspondence ; and a proposition has been submitted, by the Government of this colony, which is likely to lead to an early and satisfactory settlement of this vexed question." In speaking of the expense of the County Council, the West Coast Times says :— " There iB bo doubt that at present the honorarium of 30b per day for country members actually constitutes an income in itself, for there are two sittings a year in which, on an average! four months are consumed, which at £9 per week," amounts to about £150. As there are eight members, besides the Chairman at £600 per annum, the total cost of County legislation is something under £2000 per annum. Out of this, by the way, we may omit the Hokitika members, who only receive committee money ; but, at the same time, if alii costs and charges were set down, £2000 would) not be far from the fact. Such a sum in a County! like Westland is really outrageous, and it is high) time that some public expression of opinion was given in reference to it. A little girl on Ballarat picked up lately a 6dwt. nugget in one of the Lydiard street channels ; it had evidently 'been washed down from Soldier's Hill by the recent rains. • i Among the measures to be introduced by the; Government of New South Wales daring <W present session of Parliament, is one for aiding and facilitating an artificial supply of water.

The Melbourne Daily Telegraph of the 6th ingt. aays :— " The tidal wave which has been i predicted for some time past to take place yesterday, did not " come off," as the sporting phrase runs. St. Kilda, Bandridge, and WUliamstown still ] retain their respective positions,, and not even a rat has been drowned in a cellar, sd'far as we can v understand. The residents by the Bay exhibited a aoruewhat unimpressionable demeanour on the occasion, and pursued their amphibious and domestic avocations as tranquilly as usual. This was the more remarkable inasmuch as in town the impending catastrophe was the absorbing fopic of every tongue ; -and, indeed, the atmospheric appearances for some time previous: \o the anticipated period of the inundation were < .■: pf a somewhat ominous nature. Thunder, lightning, and rain, were experienced only a ; couple of days previously, and the sky waß over-" : cast and gloomy in aspect. To complete the i threatening indications, a perfect downpour of ! rain descended all through Monday night and ! yesterday forenoon, and the Yarra rolled in a ' rapid and turbid current between its banks I towards the sea. Notwithstanding all these facts, however, the Ides of March have come and gone, and Csfcsar is still alive and kicking. Or, dropping metaphor, the sth of October has passed, and nothing particular has occurred in the way of a deluge." The return of several Ballarat gentlemen from a visit to the Thames River quartz mines, New Zealand, (says a Melbourne paper) affords a good opportunity of getting some viva voce accounts of that celebrated region and com par-, ing them with the printed accounts furnished by the local papers. Of the party who proceeded together a month or two back, three have returned by tho City of Adelaide steamer, via Sydney, and arrived in Ballarat by the last train on Saturday — Messrs. Morey, Oolvin, and Ham. All concur in describing the Thames goldfield as a really permanent and first-class one, and that in twelve months' time it will be acknowledged as the most wonderful gold-pioducing place in the world. Some little int erest, and even excitement (says the Telegraph of the 4th inst.) was shown amongst a certain section of the community on Saturday morning, in consequence of the arriral of twentyfive of the Irish political prisoners, including Mr Kenealy, who were on boar 3 the Bahgatira, which vessel arrived from Adelaide en rotite from King Greorge's Sound. They all had permission given them to land with the exception of Mr Kenealyj.' but they declined to avail themselves of the' privilege, not, as it was reported, because the police would not let Mr Kenealy land (as they did not know until arriving in Hobson's Bay he would not be permitted to come oa shore like themselves), but as the Victorian Government had treated them like ordinary convicts, and not as " political prisoners." During the day a large j number of persona visited the steamer and gratified their curiosity. A few of the pardoned men intimated an intention of settling in Sydney if permitted to do so, whilst others will proceed to America and Ireland. Shortly before 5 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, the Eangatira sailed, amidst the cheers of a number of the friends and sympathisers of those on board. The total amount subscribed in the colonies for the benefit of the men is about £4,500, and it is said that provision is to be made for those still undergoing sentence. Mr. Selby, says the Geelong Advertiser, has given up the smoked kangaroo ham business, whic hhe carried on a year or two ago in company with Mr. Louis Niftnecker, and has established himself as an acclimatiser on a small farm on Black's River, about nine miles beyond Camperdown. Hitherto he has chiefly devoted his attention to the acclimatisation of English wild duck and mallard, but he intends shortly starting with hares and pheasants. His property is fifty-four acres in extent, is of fine soil, and being well watered, is admirably adapted for the purpose to which it is at present being put, and shelter, is being provided for its future denizens by the planting of hundreds of English elms, Scotch spruce, sycamores, and other imported trees: Mr; Selby believes that his English wild duck and mallards will be the means of improving the colonial birds, and has at present some four or five hundred of them. They go away five or six miles sometimes, but have invariably returned to their comfortable quarters. Mr. Selby is thinning the kangaroo that abound in his district, and has shot no less than 150 of these in a day. The Guardian states that Dr Selwyn, Bishop of Lichfield, who has cut so many G-ordian knots by the solvitur ambulando process, has given over Perbysbire to the care of Bishop Hobhouse, late of Kelson, New Zealand, making that prelate virtually " Bishop .of Derbyshire," and thus solving to a great extent the increase of the episcopate difficulty. The West Coast Times announces that Mr C. S. Button, solicitor, is about to return to and settle in Tasmania. Captain Brown, of the Isabella Brown, one of the Melbourne tea clippers, which lately arrived in that port from Foo-chow, reports a singular incident concerning the voyage. His statement is to the effect that about half- past 8 o'clock on the night of 28th August, whe n the ship was crossing the Banea Sea, half-way between the Manipa Strait and the Strait of Ombai, he observed a very singular appearance on the water. The sea, as far as the eye could reach, was as white as snow, and in fact the aspect presented by the water was that of a vast plain of snow, with undulating ridges caused by the waves. This phenomenon lasted until about 10 p.m., when the ship passed out of the apparently snowcovered plain all at once, and on looking astern the horizon from east to west was brilliantly lit up. On drawing a buckefcfall of the water it showed numerous globules of light, but when the weter in the bucket was agitated with the hand the light was not increased $ hence Captain Brown infers that this was somewhat different from the usual phosphorescent appearances to be met ' with at sea. This is the second time he has, witnessed the same thing in the same place, and, in the same month. , Mysterious rumors (says the Tuapeka Times of the 9th inst.) concerning the discovery ol a quartz j reef in this neighborhood have been current for! the past few days. A more welcome event could hardly happen, and we have reason to believe; that there is some truth in the report. Unfortunately, the present Goldfields Act makes so, small & provision for securing the rights of! original discoverers, that a good deal of delay occurs before a man, having secured his right, can safely make his discovery public.

The number of arrivals in the colony of Vie. toria by sea during the month of August were 3,452, and departures 1,647. The nominees sent | for from the United Kingdom from Ist January to 14th August were 3,021, classified as follows. — From England and Wales, 1,381; from Scotland, 298 ; from Ireland, 1.342. X"'K "' An old shearer, writing to a New 3outh Wales paper, gives the following as the proper method of shearing aheap : — " A clean shearer commences by clipping the wool jfF the brisket, then open 3 the belly, then tha neck, goes down one side, turns the sheep and goes down the other, and never breaks the fleece. Thoso who shear jthus can generally do about sixty a day, with Credit to themselves and satisfaction to their jemployer, ani are sure to be employed where ; lthey have been before." ~\ The 32nd se33ioa of tho Provincial Council of 'Canterbury was opened afc Chrisfcchurch on the •Bth inst. The Superintendent's opening speech— ia very lengthy one — referred more particularly to ithe subjects of railways and immigration. With iregard to the former, Mr Rolleston said that the from this source hal been larger than ■were expected, the excess of receipts over expend. Iture having amounted, in nine months, to '£12,263 16s 7d, or £3,560 0* lid more than the estimated net returns for th^ whole peria.i of a year. About £35,000 would be available for exipenditure on public works, and this amount it was proposed to appropriate in the following (manner :— £15,000 to the Northern Railway, i£15,000 to the Southern Railway, and [£5,000 for a tramway from Selwyn through jthe Leeston jdistrict to Southbridgo. For immigration, Mr Rolleston stated that it would be proposed to appropriate the sum of £10,000. The remainder of his address referred chiefly to the question of the adjustment of the accounts of Canterbury and Westland. As was generally expected, Mr Steuart, the former member, has been returned, unopposed, for the Waiau district.