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Southland Times, Issue 1308, 16 September 1870, Page 2

Eepqrta from Hokitika state that both the Haast and Okarito rivers are completely blocked up. The Walea Maori, a newspaper for circulation amongst the Maories, ia again about to be published. The Canterbury papers report that the Buccleugh station, Aahburton, comprising 20,000 acres, with 15,000 sheep, has been sold for £15,000.

A telegram in the Dunedin evening paper, from Wellington, states that a grant of £50,000 has been made as a loan to Otago to pay off Southland's debt. The Westport Max Company made their first shipment of flax, consisting of 14 bales, by the schooner 10, to Melbourne. For the scutcliings or loose ends of the flax a ready local market was obtained. The Melbourne papers say that the export of preserved meats i 3 assuming proportions which, considering the comparative infancy of the meatpreserving industry, are wonderful. The Superb left recently with 486 1 cases and 80 casks of preserved mutton and beef, since which the Asia cleared out with a shipment amounting to 2350 cases. The prize offered by the Long Bush Ploughing Association for the best essay on ploughing, has been won by Mr Andrew Christie, Long Bush. The essays, six in number, and all from ploughmen, were opened by the judges, Messrs Robert Hamilton, John Morton, and James Kennedy, yesterday, 15th, the decision being given as above. „...-.. The sowing of flax in Ireland this year is represented by an Irish paper to be considerably less than that of last year, if we are to judge from the arrival of seed. For a number of years past the arrivals have not been so small as at present, only two cargoes having arrived at Belfast this year, while that coming by the cross Channel steamers has been extremely small as compared with that of previous years. The following journalistic amenity comes from Wanganui :— It is stated that a telegram has been received in Wanganui conveying intelligence of the institution of a new chair in the Dunedin University, and that the professorship has been offered to a gentleman connected with fche editorial chair of the Wanganui Chronicle. The professorship is that of " Billingsgate." The endowment is a cod's head and a case of square gin. The chair of Belles lettres has been suppressed. Proceedings have been taken against five of the men employed in the Whau claim who took part in the tarring and assaulting of the specimen , informer, Geo. Preston, on the 10th ult. The men, James Craig, James Kinlin, Michael Hogan, James Donelly, and John Saltoun, were brought up at the Police . Court in custody of SubInspector Bullen, to answer the charge. Mr Bullen stated that the prosecutor was unable to leave the hospital on account of his eyes being in a very bad state, and therefore he would ask for a remand, which his Worship granted. Bail was fixed at £20 each. At a meeting of the Western District Farmers' Club, held in the Gummy's Bush School-room on the 9th inst., Mr James Mackiatosh, President, in the chair, Mr Potts, chairman of committee for drawing up a prospectus, read the report of the committee, which was adopted. The prospectus was then submitted to the meeting, and passed with one amendment. Messrs John Potts, John M'lntyre, Albert Cassels, Win. Hopcroft, Wm. Calder, W. A. Lyon, James Mackintosh, Ross Robertson, John Allison, and John Cutnming, were unanimously elected a provisional committee, and a few shares were taken up at once. After the enrolment of 12 new members, the meeting terminate! with a vote of thanks to the chairman. „,._.....-.. ...--. We take the following from the telegraphic intelligence in the Dunedin Star :—A villainous attempt was made by some parties unknown to shelve the Traquair Hundred Bill, by requiring compensation to be given to the squatters. A Bill similar in all respects to the one passed in the Lower House was put before the Legislative Council, with Mr Maciindrew's name printed on it, but containing the compensation clauses he had defeated. The Bill was printed, which, on Mr Macandrew learning from a private source, he indignantly walked straight into the House, raised the question of privilege, and got a Committee appointed, which met, and summoned several persons and the Clerk to the Council for examination. The Council refused to allow them to give evidence without a message from the House of Representatives, and raised other difficulties. They passed the Bill with these obnoxious clauses, and a Conference of both Houses was appointed to meet on the 10th. Mr Macandrew had a fierce passage of arms with Messrs Driver and Mervyn in the House, but defeated them by a great majority. He is indignant at the attempt of the squatting interest, and vehemently denounces it. The process of paying our native allies (says a Wanganui contemporary) still drags its slow length along, and Major Kemp must long ere this have become tired of investigating the claims of Borne 6000 people, and handing over his quota to each man. The other day he paid away in this manner a sum of £6000, over at the Putiki pah. The money is paid in New Zealand Bank notes, whereof there is a pile which made our very mouth water. Striking an average, and allowing for previous payments made, each man now finds himself in possession of something like £30, while the officers get about £100. This money they have been knocking down pretty freely in town. Black ' Belltoppers ' of the orthodox pattern seem to be in favor with one or two ex-warriors, while there has been a perfect run upon gaudy colora, in the shape of rugs, blankets, handkerchiefs, and cotton prints. Packs of cards appear to be in demand, while the juveniles invest largely in * alley — tors' and ' commoneys.' Drinkables also appear to be largely patronised, the favorite beverages consisting of alternate ' goes ' of rum and colonial beer. The Maories about the public houses seem to take pleasure somewhat sadly. .They don't dance, in our sense of the word, but they sit on the benches, • and chant lugubrious ditties, ever and anon embracing lovingly and having another ' big drink.' We believe that this process of paying is likely to go on for some time yet. The newly-organised Light Horse Volunteer Company have met on several evenings for drill, when the muster has been pretty full. We have no wish whatever to disparage the movement, still a sad change has taken place in the general aspect of affairs since the formation of the corps was first projected. Warfare, from being a remote probability, has now come to be a probable contingency, and the most effective means of defence has now been rendered a matter of pressing importance. So far as New Zealand is concerned, outward aggression is the only form of danger we have to guard against, and the eooner steps are taken to repel such aggression the i

better. An artillery corps, capable of working harbor fortifications, would provide infinitely more security to Southland than a Light Horse Brigade. It would be a step towards meeting the only real danger wo have to apprehend, no less than a proper appreciation of the military maxim, "to be forearmed is to be forewarned." That measures for fortifying the ports will be adopted by the Government is more than probable, and this opinion suggests a question of some importance with regard to the railway communication. The current lease of the line expires in the course of a few weeks, and it woull be well for the authorities to see that provision is made for the free conveyance of volunteers for practice. This is a very important provision.. No matter what the' result of the present struggle may be, it ou<*ht to bo made a standing reservation in all future negociations regarding the working of the line, as we have no doubt the suggestion thrown out will be acted upon, and an artillery company will shortly be in existence. A week or' two ago, Mr Scott, ropetnaker, invited the attention of flax-dre3sers to an improvement he had effected in the preparation of the fibre, and his suggestion led to the appointment of a committee to investigate and report upon the process. The committee consisted of Messrs Mentiplay, John Blacklock, John Kingsland, and Conyers. These gentlemen, after due inquiry and observation, drew up a report upon the matter, which was submitted to a meeting of those interested in the fl*x trade, held at the Government Buildings on Wednesday last, 14th inst. There were present Messrs J. W. Mitchell (in the chair), Lockhart, Shearer, Angus, Mentiplay, John Blacklock, John Kingsland, and Conyers. The report stated briefly that, after having 'seen and carefully examined Mr Scott's process, the committee had not been able to certify that it was altogether new. The chief improvement claimed by Mr Scott, however, the' softening of fche fibre, was admitted, but a doubt expressed whether the extra value gained iv this direction was not counterbalanced by the handling and labor requisite to effect it! Several ' samples of fibre, prepared, in the committee's presence, were submitted, along with the report, for comparison with Mr Scott's. Some of those hanks had been dressed in the ordinary way, and others by a process similar to Mr Scott's. The report was adopted. The meeting afterwards resolved itself into "The Southland Flax Association," with the object of fostering the ; industry. Mr Buchanan was elected hon. sec, and Messrs Kingaland, Blacklock, and Conyers were appointed a sub-committee to arrange with the Government for the use of a room where samples, might be exhibited, information, received and given, draw up rules, and otherwise put the association into operation. The inhabitants of the Buff and it 3 neighborhood were called together on Wednesday evening last in another of those pleasant social gatherings' for which Campbelltown his become remarkable. On this occasion the whole community mustered in full force, the wonder being from whence the crowd filling the trysting- place — the school-house — at the appointed hour, had sprung. All the outlying spots were represented, and throughout the whole the enjoyment was thorough and hearty. The evening's entertainment took the form of a vocal and instrumental concert, interspersed with readings, which, with the exception of the assistance kindly afforded by Mr M'Kellar, of Invercargill, waa effectively carried through by amateurs trained on the spot. It is difficult to come to a conclusion as to whether the perfect success of the evening was mainly attributable to the selection of thoroughly enjoyable pieces and readings, or to the manner of. their rendering. Be that as it may, flic storms of applause with which performers and readers were favored, testified the appreciation of the audience. The feature of the evening was the presentation of an address and testimonial to Mr and Mrs Stevens, the present master and mistress of the public school at Campbelltown, on the occasion of Mr Stevens's resignation of his charge on account of ill- health. The address, beautifully engrossed, and accompanied by a very neat and tasieful purse of gold, was presented to Mr Stevens by C. F. O'Toole, Esq., in the name of the parents of the Bluff and neighborhood, being signed by the Inspector of Schools, the Chairman of the Local Board, and others. Mr O'Toole very warmly and feelingly expressed tho hearty thanks of the community to Mr and. Mrs Stevens, and the deep ; - regret universally felt at their removal. Mr Stevens, in few words, responded, thanking his kind friends for the favors of the past, crowned by the demonstration of tho evening. It is thought that as thore appears a difficulty in the way of supplying immediately Mr Stevens's place in the school, he may be' induced to defer his departure for a period. Of one thing he may however rest assured, that, as expressed in the presentation address, he and Mrs Stevens will long be held in affectionate remembrance by tne parents and families of the Bluff and its neighborhood. On Wednesday evening, 11th, about 9 o'clock, as two respectable girls, residing at Appleby, were proceeding homeward from town, by the footpath across the flat, they were roughly and indecently assaulted by some blackguard who had evidently i followed them. The young women had just crossed .the bridge over the Puni Creek, when they heard a man's step cross after them. They halted to let him .pass on, when he came up and caught hold of one of them. The girls, of course, screamed, and the one seized struggled to get clear, her hat and net being torn off in the scuffle. The one at liberty cried there was a man coming, on which their assailant let them escape, and .they ran to the nearest house, which they had only reached when the one assaulted- fel down in a fit of hysteria. On being questioned by the occupier of the house, the girls stated what had occurred, and also mentioned the name of the person they thought had assaulted them. The police were then informed, and a youth who has bofore figured in court was taken into custody charged with the offence. On Thursday he was brought before the Magistrate, and the facts given above elicited, when at the request of the Inspector of Police a remand was granted until this morning. !