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Southland Times, Issue 1228, 25 March 1870, Page 2

Some of the Wanganui natives (says a Northern paper) evidently have a keen relish for a joke — always provided that the aforesaid joke is perpetrated at the expense of somebody else. There is a very rich joke indeed being played just now, at the expense of the colonial hard-working taxpayer. Several hundred Kupapas, or friendly natives, are in the field under Messrs Topi, Kemp, and Co.; and each of them gets ss. a day, besides rations and other things. These fellows were engaged by Mr Fox to catch Te Koiti, and vowed they would do it forthwith. Well, they have drawn their pay and eaten their' rations with exemplary punctuality ; but they haven't caught Te Kooti. In the meantime, the other loyal natives -of the Wanganui tribes are terribly annoyed that they also are not enjoying ss. a-day and plenty of " tucker," while playing at soldiers. We are not joking. In sober truth, Mete Kingi, an influential Wanganui chief, has demanded that the Q-overnment should at once employ a few ' htradredmoro natives, or he, the aforesaid " Mete," will com* up North and take back the Wanganui -jopntingent now in the field. - This, no doubt, is »an excellent joke to the Maori mind; bat the taxfpayers .vill scarcely, appreciate it. We have surely spent enough on tmsfarce>of a Wanganui expedition, without throwing more money needlessly awty. The bridge over the Shotove* is now nearly completed, and is expected to be open for traffic in about, a month. The last piles were to be driven lwt week. The opening of the bridge will be haffedwitb satisfaction by all who are compelled to cross this dangerous stream, as the present crossing-place is in a very unsafe^conditidn, owing t4 the backing-up of the water of the river by the deposit of silt at ita confluence with the Kawarau'. The bridge itself is said to assist in the formation of this bar. An inquiry having been held into the cause of ths late fire in Christchurch, .the jury returned tte following verdict :— " We, the jurors, sworn toenquire into the origin of the fire which occuWed in Cashel-streeton the morning of the 10th March instant, do, upon our oath, say that Margaret Paterson, and Emily Jane Williams, did, feloniously, wilfully, and maliciously, , set fire to a certain house in the occupation of the said MargaretiPaterspn, with intent, then and there, to defraud certain insurance companies, called the Royat, anoTlEe AustraKsn/Trad Alliance."At the Besident Magistrate's Court on the 18th inst., a man named M'ffinnis was charged with being a dangerous lunatic. From the evidence of Mr Grieve, it appeared that M'Kinnis, who was a shepherd, and known to witness, had come to his house the, previous day, and after being hospitably entertained, ' suddenly became outrageous. Witness had always suspected him of being a little " touched," but never saw him violent before. The police had ultimately been summoned, and the man secured. Mr Inspector Chapman applied font warrant of commitment. The man was then in gaol, where he had been most ferocious in his conduct, so mad, in fact, that he could not be brought into court. His Worship withheld the warrant until he had satisfied himself on the point. Mr Boyd, bricklayer, sued Mr Fielder for £8, contract price for certain cementing performed by plaintiff. The defence was that. the work was not executed in the manner stipulated, both workmanship and material being defective^' Mr Fielder had paid into court 30s, ■the comparative value of what had been done. Experts were produced on both sides, but the [balance/of evidence appeared .to lie with the defendant— for whom Mr Wade acted— -and judgment was given for the sum paid in only, costs 'divided.' Cooper v. Myers, in which Mr Wade appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr Macdonald for the defendant, was a trespass case. Plaintiff sought to recover £10, assessed damages, - sustained through cattle belonging to defendant trespassing upon his nursery. The trespass and damage was not denied, but liability was, on the ground that the nursery was not properly fenced, and on this 'plea plaintiff was non-suited on his own evidence. On Monday, a man named G-eorge Meredith, alias- John Jones, was brought -up oharged with forging and uttering a cheque for £3 10s. On being arrested, prisoner had at first denied haying ever been at the station of the gentleman whose signature had been counterfeited, but afterwards admitted that he had. He was remanded for eight days for the production of witnesses. A civil case against the same_ party, a claim for board and lodging, was also adjourned for the same purpose. J. Sbiels got judgment for £5, lent cash, against R. Frederick, by default. Cooper and Myers again came before his Worship to have the terms on which they should erect the boundary., fence between them . decided. Mr Macdonald, on behalf of Myers, advised delay in issuing, an order of the court for the erection of the fence until the boundary line had first been clearly defined. It was thiß question which had t hitherto prevented Myers from joining Cooper in 'putting up the fence, and which had led to all the trespass and annoyance. Mr Cooper handed in a certificate from Hately and Scott, surveyors, to the effect that the present imperfect fence was correctly placed, but this Myers would not accept, as it did not run in a line with the back boundary peg, which Cooper said had been shifted. The parties left the Court with the advice to agree upon having the sections surveyed, and to abide by that survey, and also to agree between themselves as to the fencing. A warrant was subsequently granted in the case of the lunatic M'Kinnis. According to the Returns of the Collector of Agricultural Statistics, published in the Daily Times of the 22nd inst., the following are the aggregates, of the different crops grown in Otago during the' year 1869-70, with the number of Holdings, 'and area cultivated, viz. :— Number oi holdings, 2,703 ; land- broken up, but not under crop; 28,112 acres; in wheat, 20,958 do, estimated to yield 615,697 bushels ; in oats, for green food or bay, 5,178 acres— for grain, 43,400 do, estimated to produce 1,520,233 bushels ; in barley, 5,743 acres, yield, 202,113 bushels; in sown grasses, hay, 4,312 acres, expected produce, 6,228 tons ; in "permanent pasture (including the 4,312 acres in hay), 91,557 acres; in potatoes, 2,981 aores, estimated produce, 16,402 tons ; in othet crops, 3,020 acres ; total number of acres under crop, 171,837. These figures show an increase in the number of acres. for all crops cultivated except potatoes, in which there iB a falling off of 52 acres. In wheat also there is a noticeable die crepanoy, for while there are 816 acres more under this crop than there were last year, there is a

decrease in the gross yield of 22,661 bushels. The gfrosß totals, however, give 19 269 acres as having been added to the area of cultivated land within the province by the year's agricultural operations. Bendigo G-ully seems to be in a prosperous condition, socially as well as financially. Marriages and temperance are both said to be greatly on ths increase, and as a natural consequence there is a .corresponding decrease j a rowdyism. A monster public meeting in connection with thetemperance movement is to b 9 held in the * Duke of Edinburgh Theatre, Auckland, iv a few days. Mr Fox has promised to preside. The Wellington correspondent of the Oamnru Times makes the following appeal ai mheri~. cordiam on behalf of the seat of Government bein? retained at Wellington :—" I really think the other provinces might let poor little Wellington have its seat of Q-overnment. Other" have their goldfielis, their ' canny ' Superintendents, their railways, their large public works, or th<nr monster public ' G-old ' Companies to keeo them alive, but poor Wellington has none of them. If you take her ' all * away, she must sink back into the insignificance from which Mr Weld and the J directors of the Panama Company rescued her." . The Wellington Independent concludes an article on the proposal of the Canterbury Government to borrow £30,000. to be expended on immigration, as follows .:— lt may be that until peace is more fully established, the Northern TBiand will not be able to find work for any large number of immigrants; if so, let the neflda: of Canterbury and Otago first occupy the attention of the colony; but by all moans let any future immigration, whether on a large or small scale, be made a colonial and not a provincial matter, and let the distribution of the immigrants be made to depend upon the varying power of the different parts of the colony to absorb the incoming population. . In the neighboring colony of New South Wale* (says the Wellington Independent of the 19th inst.) it is no uncommon thing for a distriot to be thrown into terror and kept in excitement by the presence and exploits of a bushranger. Something of this kind has occurred lately in the Tinakori and -Wadflstown district, the ranker in this instance, however, being a four-footed one, in the shape of a gazelle. Now gazelles are popularly associated with sentimental poetry, and supposed to be animals of the most gentle character. Modern colonial bushrangers arej however, by no means the ronrmtw characters which the old knights of the road were, and it wouH seem that even gazelles, have been infected with the prosaic spirit of the age, and have abandoned the task of gladdening young ladies with their soft black, eyes, to assume a combative attitude towards all comers. A pretty little gazelle was some years ago" sent to Di? Featherston from | Panama, and as he found it rather a troublesome pet it was given to a lady at Karori, and, until a few days ago, browsed contentedly in a paddock j there. ' Tired of inglorious ease, however, it on Monday last sallied forth in search of adventures, and in its progress down the Tinakori road met his Honor Mr Justice Johnston coming out of his garden, 1 accompanied by a lady. ■•-- The gazelle instantly charged them, and the attack was as successful as it was sudden his Honor and the lady bsing both knocked down. Entirely oblivious of any chivalrous feeling, the little creature turned on its imagined foes and attacked them when down, tearing the lady's .dress, and wounding his Honor severely in the arm and thigh. Fortunately assistance was at hand, and the gazelle was driven off. The lady was a good deal braised, but j not seriously hurt. His~Honor, however, had .fared worse, and although able to take his seat on the bench next day, he has Brace been very unwell, and is still Buffering. On "Wednesday morning Mr O. Wakefield, while walking on the Wadestown hills, encountered the gazelle, which j at once attacked him. He tried to beat it off, but j on seizing its horns the sharp edges cut his hands dreadfully, arid he was obliged to let it go. %The wicked little creature oharged him several times, and although he threw it once or twice, it renewed its attacks so fiercely that he was obliged to seek safety in a furze bush; where he remained some time, until he found a large stone, with which he beat off hi 3 antagonist and secured his retreat, minus a considerable portion of his clothing, however. The following day an armed policeman was sent in search of the gazelle, and he managed to shoot it. The animal was skinned yesterday, and it is hoped that the skin may be stuffed and placed in the museum. The Timaru Herald learns that the temporary bridge over the Rakaia is nearly finished, only & chain or two remaining to complete ifc. This bridge is supported entirely by clusters of common gas-pipes well braced together and driven into the shingle. The purpose of this temporary bridge will be to serve as a scaffold for the erection of the permanent structure, but when finished it will also serve as a viaduct over the river, being strongly enough constructed to carry a light truck to convey wool and other produce. The gas-pipes seem to answer the purpose for supporting .the light bridge, and lately their stability has been severely tried by a very heavy fresh in the river. The piles which were propsrly braced withstood well the force of the current, and only a few of those which were unbraced yielded. For the permanent bridge, a large quantity of material is already collected, chiefly heavy iron-bark piles. . : The Provincial Council of Canterbury was opened by His Honor the Superintendent of that province on Friday last. In his opening address, which was a brief one, Mr Rolleston dealt chiefly with the necessity of some comprehensive scheme of immigration being entered upon. In the course of his remarks on this subject, he said: — "The experience of the late harvest renders unnecessary any argument to show that unless more labor is introduced into the province, the area of cultivated ground will be contracted instead of enlarged 1 , and our trade and commerce be brought to a stand-still.'; I have it on reliable information that the breadth of cultivated ground, including English grasses, this year, will be 218,680 acres against 145,000 acres of the last year, and the estimated amount of grain this year is 3.276.45S bushels, as against 1,499,682 bushels of last year, being more than double last year's produce. I must therefore again press upon your consideration the necessity of making a provision, which shall extend over a period of years, for the introduction of population into the province. Nothing but stagnation can be the result of neglecting our duty in this respect. I believe that there is a very common feeling in favor of the General Government undertaking this work. I will not here speculate as to the probability of the councils of the colony issuing in any immediately, satisfactory results in the promotion of immigration. I trust they may. Under any circumstances I believe that the colony will not refuse to help those who have the means of selecting a good class of immigrants to' carry on the colonisation which alone can enable it to struggle with the terrible incubus of debt resulting from Native disturbances in the North Island. I accordingly propose, with yqur consent, to ask the Colonial Q-overnment to borrow for the province the sum of £30,000, ; to be expended solely in- immigration over a period of three years, the interest and sinking fund of the loan to be paid by the province." There iB no real foundation (says the Lyttelion Times) for .the report which has gained some currency that considerable consternation has been caused in Kaiapoi in consequence of a gentleman from Wellington claiming as his property certain sections on which valuable buildings have been erected. It appears that Mr W. Bowler was the owner of a certain block of land in Kaiapoi, part of which he sold; and mortgaged the remainder to a gentleman in Wellington. By some mistake the sold portion (a section at present owned,' we believe, by Mr Matthews) was included in the mortgage deed, but the mistake has not at all im. paired the title of the sold portion, the deed having been registered some length of time prior to the registration of the mortgage deed. The mortgagee was in Kaiapoi lately, and mentioned the circumstance to a resident by way of a passing remark, which originated in the exaggerated, sen- , sational report of " considerable joonsternatiqn," j with reference to " sections and buildings." j

s That terrible disease, diphtheria, (says the » Melbourne Daily Telegraph of the 10th inst) i is making sad ravages in -some of the <XMJKry j^, ■ districts ; and to change a word in DarwinY line coupleb: ..■>-. . , "FeU Diphtheria's sufficatin?; breath ■■/'" " -; Loads the dank pinto as of the gale with death." v The resultant of dirty habits, h\\ \r\\-\\*\, ..,.;-_.•,. and noxious exhalations, this malignant di«OTder v comes upon us as a punishment for> oar wilful ■ violation- of sanitary laws. Melbourne, ani its :•/ suburbs, invite the destroyer ta^take up ft T>-?r-.. A manent DOsition in bur midst, and- wa. m*y \ awaken to-morrow to the. "hastily fast that the epidemic from which San Ihurat is now suffering. - * has actually reached our own doors. In a city of foul gutters like this, — in a spot given over to ap* palling odours, and disease- creating filth— -w» i cannot hope to escape from the consequences -of municipal neglect ; and it appears to be a hopa- ' less task to argue the point any further with the ' authorities. If a stranger, holding his nose and ' gasping for breath, directs attention to the thous* 1 and and one sources of abomination that exist v in every street, he is told to — look at the Town--1 hall, and forget the smells. The Town-hall is the 1 municipal answer to all awkward questions about , the' infamous drainage nuisance ; but a glance at I the Town-hall will not keep the sufferer from .| malignant diphtheria out of the hands of the i i undertaker next do"»r. Without desiring to court I ' the sneers of the medical profession, we m*y hint, i while on this subject, that the permanganate of , potash, best known in the form of " Condj's F Fluid," has been used in bad cases of diphtheria, i in the mother country, with wondarful success. i Given in doses of one-twelfch of a grain in water, at intervals of an hour, it is credited with brilliant resaUs. The hint may be of value both in ! districts where doctors are scarce, and inj those , where they are not only plentiful but disposed to try a safe experiment. - . " ,'■: '-.:'■'.'?< It is estimated that from 133,000 to 140,000 bushels of grain have been grown in Marlborbugh T this year. . ■'- : . ■ ' .-.. '"- s,T