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Southland Times, Issue 1157, 1 November 1869, Page 2

We observe that workmen have commenced to. effect some alterations in the Messrs Sloan's premises, which, when completed, will add another to the many improvements which have recently been made in Dee-street. For some time past, as is well known, the premises to which we allude, formerly Morrison, Law & Co.'s, have been occupied exclusively by the Union Bank of Australia. Recently, however, the tenement has been divided, one half beiug apportioned to the bank. The remaining half is now undergoing such changes as are requisite to transform it into % first-class shop, to be occupied, we believe, w a boot and shoe warehouse by the proprietors. A meeting of the committee of the Acclimatisation Society was held at the Government buildings on Friday last, 29th ult., at which were present Messrs J. P. Taylor (chair), M'Culloch, M'Arthur, Shearer, Conyers, Blacklock, and Butts, (secretary). The minutes of former meeting having been read and confirmed, the Secretary read a letter from lit Carrick ot the sister society in Dunedin, regarding the transport of trout fry now hatching there to the ponds at Wallacetown. Mr Carrick advised the Bending round of Mr Howard eariy this month, as the fish, would by that time be ready for removal. An account for £15 3s 9d, the expense of fetching the ova alluded to from Tasmania to Dunedin, was passed, as was also the thanks of the committee to the Dunedin Society for its courtesy and liberality, and to Mr Clifford for his personal solicitude, in connection therewith — the Dunedin Society had charged nothing but the bare cost, exclusive of Mr Clifford's services, of packing and carriage. The name of Mr J. M'Pherson was added to the list of trustees previously appointed, it having been found requisite to have two resident in town, for convenience' sake, when documents require signature. Mr Carrick spoke encouragingly in bis letter regarding the hatching now in process in the Dunedin boxes, bo that the venture is Likely to turn out much better: than was at one time anticipated. A unicycle velocipede of curious construction :ias been made in Uokifika, and is expected shortly to make a " public appearance." It is at present- being improved after some private trials.

of the Committee of the , Southland Prospecting Association was held on Saturday last, when it was resolved to convene a meeting of subscribers to receive a progress report. It will viake place on Wednesday' first in the Masonic ■Hall, afcthe rear otfthe^Prince of^sWales Hotel, at 3\j>An. Members ofytho Association aKould make it their duty to attend. We are glad to learn that our citizens are •becomingalive txrthe necessity" for" tftVln^f' l sdm«' action to secure the benefits which a municipality would undoubtedly cdrfer upon Invercargill. A ' prelTminainp'mee^l^ is "to be held at an early t?ate for the purpose of initiating the necessary steps, and from thelickriowledged energy of those who are interesting themselves ia the matter, we may - confidently predict that the boon will not bo much longer withheld. •* " At one of the native meetings held during the stay of the Hon. Native Minister, (says the TaranaJci Herald) Mahau enquired of Mr. McLean if he might bring William King &nd Tito Kowaru in without danger of being molested. To this, we believe, the Native Minister replied that he might bring in Wi Kingi, but if Tito Kowaru came ia, it would be at his own risk, for he would have to be tried aa a murderer like anyone else. The Jewish Record states that at a synod of Babbis lately held in Germany, the principles of individual authority in religious belief and the importance of unfettered scientific investigation were recognised. They renounced the expectation of the return of Israel, and recommended choral services, the use of the. organ, in synagogues, and . musical performances on Sabbatus anU .festivals. The Wairarapa Mercury says : — " We jail know that the Colony has been laboring under a period of unexampled depression, and that many people who have hitherto been luxuriating in wealth, have suddenly found it difficult to make both ends meet. We confess that we turned with, curiosity to see if these so called ' hard times,' this stagnation, had any effect upon the quantity of spirits, wine, and beer imbibed by the colonists. We allow our readers to judge for themselves from the following figures what the effect has been. The value of alcoholic beverages consumed in the Colony for the two years, 1867 and 1868, is as follows :—

; Now these figures show an increase in every kind , of imported alcoholic drink, with the exception of the two milder kinds of beverages, viz., wine and beer ; of the decrease of the latter we know the reason, the beer of Colonial manufacture has entirely superseded the imported article." The.. Mercury adds, that if the * consumption of Colonial beer is considered, the total expenditure • by the settlers of this country in alcoholic drinks , in 1863, amounted to one million and a half sterling. A somewhat curious phenomenon, says the Timaru Herald, was witnessed on Tuesday and Wednesday last, in the well opposite the Royal' Hotel. On those-days the water in the well ; wa» violently agitated and was whirled round the well with great velocity, the water at times rieiifg several feet above its normal level on to the platform on which the gear of the force pump rests. The next day, Thursday, the water was quiet and nothing unusual observed. The Lawrence correspondent of the Bruce Herald, writing on the 27th ult, says : — " The Deep Shaft, Weatheretones, is being vigorously worked. I understand they have driven a tunnel about 100 feet, in a S.E. direction from the main shaft, at the end of which it is proposed to sink another shaft. In cutting the tunnel the workmen have come across many large boulders, which is considered a hopeful sign. T trust, for the sake of all concerned, it may be so." The Lake correspondent of the Dunstan Times, writing on the 22nd ult. says : — It is reported that a regularly denned lead of gold ha 9 been struck at Moke Creek. Those who have struck the "run "are said to be making from £50 to £70 per week. During the present month no less than eight applications for leases have been made along the supposed direction of lead. At the head of the Lake a number of mining parties are at work and reported ' to be doing well. The squatters on the Lake have set a worthy example. They supply the miners with beef at 4d. and mutton at 2d. per pound. If this practice was only followed out throughout the entire there would unquestionably follow a large increase of the mining population. It has always been my impression that cheap living woul i do more towards populating the goldfields than any other measure that could possibly be put in practice. The correctness of this, I. think, is borne out by the increasing population of this district. During the last twelve months the escort returns have nearly doubled themselves. With respect to the goldfieltis in the neighborhood of the Gulf of Carpentaria, we find the following information in the Brisbane Courier, derived from its correspondent at Norman : — " There is no doubt this will prove a wonderfully rich mineral country when time has elapsed to allow it to be properly prospected. Prospectors are out in every direction, and we frequently hear of fresh finds of gold.. Copper, I believe, is also very plentiful. The two known goldfields ape the Gilbert and the Cloncurry. The latter is situated exactly 300 miles from town, on the Cloncurry River. There is a good road the whole, of the way. At present the road is welL watered, but towards the end of the dry season there is a dry stage of 40 miles, and another of 35 miles. TJp to the present time there has been little better than gully-raking carried on. The gold is found in large rough nuggets ; in fact, the finds of half-an-ounce nugsrets are of daily occurrence. There are about 35 men on the ground, and most of them seem satisded. Most of the gold found is not at all waterworn, and appears to have dropped from reefs in the immediate vicinity. A great portion has been got by ' dry panning.' The most pleasing feature I have heard is that an old experienced digger lately sank a hole on a flat, and bottomed at ten feet ; he took eight ounces out. The other diggers immediately took up the ground, and commenced sinking ; I have not yet heard with what success. It is impossible to estimate what quantity of gold is in the

digger's hands,, as they keep it dark, and of course will not part with 450W for cheques. The great drawback to' the Qlbncurry -is the scarcity of water ; there is but one permanent waterhole in the "immediate vicinity, and even this has to -be stinkitowarda the'end of the.se^ison."^- '*' .^ •/*' " v The Dunfdin Evening Star of the 23rd ulifc. say* : — " Welare now in a position to s^ate, on authority, that Mr T. K. W. Won, of Southland, "Has ■"been appointed Commissioner" of Police for this Province, iHeisto be here next week. Mr Weldon, has long been known as one of the most efficient police officers in ihe Colony."

Ajiew usejbr "rooting" hogs has been found out by Mr Hodsman, Mr Hutton's well-known overseer, »>.t the Phoenix Mills, Tarrengower. The son of, Mi* .Hodsmitn was walking near the slaughter- yards oC Garrctt Brothers, in the wake of a rooting jold hog, when his eye caught a glistening object. The hog had unearthed a nugget of pure gold, which was found to weigh 3ozs lldwts. A small rush to the ground hut taken place.

We understand that a system of gratuities for the conveyance of the English mail will be adopted after 'this month, and that the route via the Bluff will bare the - preference in any arrangements that may be made.

It is gratifying to find that the ruaholders of this Province are never behindhand when an opportunity offers of purchasing really first-class stock. Mr Hill, of Croydon, Hokanui, has jast imported from one of the celebrated breeders ;in the Mudgee district, New South Wales, four merino rams, as we are given to understand, at tko loi-gA prica nf -P.inn «nnh : also, about 150 choice ewes, bought at an extremely high figure from the flocks of those well-known breeders, Or. H. and £. King Cox. Prices such as these cannot fail to convince our wool-growers that it really has become absolutely necessary to pay attention to the improvements in their flocks, as the only means to make this important industry remunerative. Wool from the stations where these sheep were bred fetched 3s 8d per lb in the London market last year. We have no hesitation in saying that, in point of quality, nothing approaching them has ever been imported to this colony, and they will doubtless prove a great acquisition to the Province. We may with all truthfulness remark that few gentlemen in the colony have done more, or taken greater interest in the introduction, not only of first-class stock of all kinds, but pheasants, partrides, Californian quail, &c.,ic, than Mr Hill, to whom all credit is due for the spirited and disinterested way he has carried out not only an " acclimatisation society " of his own, but in using every endeavor to make the value of the wool increase so far a» quality is concerned — in which he has considered money no object.

From opinions expressed by the Hon Mr D. M'Lean in the House of Representatives, says the Wanganui Times, we think it very likely that during his present tour he will initiate a

movement that may eventuate in the deposition of the Maori King. It is now a notorious fact that all the leading chiefs of this island begin to feel that the al'egiance and respect of their respective tribes have been alienated from them, selves and transferred to the Maori King. The leading chief of a kingite tribe is no longer what he used to be, the man whose orders were to be obeyed, and the man to whom the tribe looked up with feelings of confidence, submission, and unbounded respect. If those chiefs could be induced to deal firmly with Tawhiao on their own account, a great object would be gained as regards the permanent pacification of the country. Their co-operation would effect a more complete revolution in the present etafe of native affairs than the most powerful army our Government could send against them could do. The grievances of each tribe, whether real or ima^iiary, could afterwards be dealt with through their respective chiefs ; the native race be allowed to die out in peace, and the material prosperity of the colony very greatly advanced. This is a consummation devoutly to be wished, and we earnestly hope that Mr M'Lean is now successfully endeavoring to carry out the policy indicated ia his speech in" the House of when bo showed the evil effects of detriba ising the natives, and depriving the chiefs of the influence which they once held over their respective tribes. As they seem to have discovered their mistake, it now rests with themselves io undo what they have done, and compel his Maori Majesty to take rank with the other leading chiefs of Waikato.

The employes at Flax Mills (says the Lyttelton Times of the 25th ult.) are paying heavy penalties for their carelessness in managing the machinery. Accidents of a more or less serious nature are constantly occurring, but by far the larger number are never made public, and in many cases it is only some time after the mishap that they are heard of. Last week affords an instance of this, and the particulars may perhaps tend to induce a greater degree of caution amongst our inexperienced machine "tenters." No less than three most serious accidents came to our knowledge by accidental enquiry at the hospital, and we are told that this class of patient is rapidly becoming the principal feature of the establishment. Tiie latest arrival was a man named Joyce Morse, who was brought from the Selwyn flax mill on Saturday afternoon. His right hand and fore arm bad been accidentally caught in the machine he was attending, and smashed in such a fright, ful manner as to render amputation necessary. This was successfully performed by Dr Turnbull and Dr Prins, a little below the elbow, and every hope is entertained of a satisfactory recovery. The other two sufferers, who were taken to the Hospital earlier in the week, were William Thomas, from Stacey's flax mill, on the Ferry Road, and Ernest Edward Edmonds, from the Leithfield mill. The former had slipped with bis left leg into the scutching machine, and the injuries sustained were a compound fracture of the leg, severe injury to the knee cap, and a fracture of the thigh. Happily, his case was met without resorting to amputation, and he also is doing well. Edmonds, it would appear, fell with his left thigh against some " cog wheels," which tore away the flesh almost to the bone before he could be rescued. He is now doing well and showing every sign of a favorable recovery.

1867. 1868. £ £ Brandy 108,662 118,461 ; Condipla ... ... 2,009 .„... 1,562 Genera 24,487 $2,096 t - Gin (sweetened)... 9,201 6,772 Rum ... ... .11,127 22,712 Whiskey 27,397 38,626 1 Wine 110,715 87,257 Beer, bottled and !■.,-_.. draught 160,467 ...... 85,263