The Southland Times. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1870.

Southland Times, Issue 1347, 13 December 1870, Page 2

The Southland Times. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1870.

In consequence of a great pressure on our space, we are compelled to hold over our usual leader, also several local reports. Telegraphic communication with Auckland is being pushed forward. The lines are now open as far as Botorua. We have received from the Hon. W. Gisborne a pamphlet containing revised and extended regulations and tables, under "The Government Annuities Act, 1869," and " The New Zealand Government Insurance and Annuities Act, 1870." It contains every information necessary for effect* ing insurances, and a summary of the provisions of the Acts. H.B.H. the Duke of Edinburgh will arrive at Auckland next week. In January he sails for England, via the Falkland Islands. It is not out of place to state that he no longer commands the Galatea. That ship is now flying the flag of Commodore Stirling, the Duke being condemned (for after the Galatea any change is for the worse) i to the Clio. In accordance with a resolution passed by the Provincial Council, the Superintendent has been requested to introduce into the General Assembly during its next session, a Bill to enable him to alienate a portion of the Public Garden Beserve situate in the town of Invercargill, .namely, All that area, containing by admeasurement two acres and thirty-two "pole* (more or less), bounded towards the. north by Tay-street, east byNithstreet, wrath by Beserve for Public Gardens, and west by Clyde-street. Mr James Wilson, M.P.C;, has forwarded the following information to us by telegram :— Acting upon the announcement received in Dunedin i that the creditors of the late province were dis- | satisfied at the delay which was taking place in i settling their claims, I placed myself in communication with his Honor the Superintendent, and have just received the following announcement by letter :— The hon. the Colonial Treasurer, who is just now in Dunedin, has agreed to make the i necessary arrangements ,to pay the claims of the I Southland creditors forthwith. We are indebted to the Evening Star for the following :— Special sessions are beginning to be : very expensive things. That of 1869 cost £1220, and the one just terminated, £1800. No wonder complaints are made of the folly of Provincial Councils, and one can sympathise with Mr Wood when bewailing that so much money should have been spent in "useless wrangling," while the large and important district of Southland could not get one. sixpence more for necessary works. A man whose name is supposed to be King, and who resided at South Biverton, was accidentally drowned in the Orefa river, at the old Elbow, on the afternoon of Monday, the sth inst. Deceased, it appears, was met in the vicinity of the ford, about 4 p.m., by three men named Bodgers, Cross, and Jones. A conversation took place about the state of the river, and deceased was advised not to attempt the ford in its then swollen state. This advice was disregarded, and shortly after going into the water he lost his footing, but appeared to regain it again, Imme^iateljrafterwarda he slipped out of sight, having apparently stumbled into a deep hole. Not again appearing, an alarm was raised, and The river was" searched. About 6 p.m. the body was found on a sandspit some distance below the ford. A magisterial enquiry was held the following day by (ho. Webster, Esq., J.P., and a jury, and on the above facts being proved a verdict of accidental drowning was returned. The supposed identity of the body rests on the fact that an envelope was found in one of the pockets bearing the address " Mrs King, South Biverton/' and the description of the body corresponds with the husband of the Mrs King referred to. In the hurry of getting up a full report of the ■ late agricultural show for the next morning's paper, it Will not be surprising that a slight error crept into the prize list. In the sheep department; classes 11 and 12 were incorrectly stated, and should have read — Class 11. Best pen of Leicester ewes (hot less than three) that nursed lambs this season — Ist prize, silver medal, value £3, New Zealand and Australian Land Company ; 2nd do, £1, J. Dalgliesh. Class 12. Best pen of two-tooth Leicester ewes (not less than three) — Ist prize, £2, Alex. Smith, One Tree Point ; 2nd do, £1, B. Hamilton ; 3rd do, N. Z. and A. Land Co. We also omitted to notice the award of an honorary certificate each to the entire horses Quicksilver and Topsail, which were shown under the head of extra stock, but not in competition, the first being Mr Evans's superb little hackney sire, and the other a leggy coacher. The following notice of motion by Capt. MKenzie is reported to have been received in the Provincial Council with much laughter and cries of " hear, hear ; " — " That this Council regrets as much as your Honor can do the present , unhappy differences which exist between the Provincial Executive and his Honor the Superinten- . dent of the Province. That this Council sincerely trusts that after the next general elections the opinions of the Superintendent and his Executive may be more in unison than they appear to be at the present time. That in the meantime, as it does not appear to be the intention of the General Government to delay the prosecution of preliminary surveys of proposed lines of railway, and investigations relative to water supply on goldfields, notwithstanding the resolution of this House not to recommend any of theseworks; this Hou3e fails to see how the action already taken by it can in any way retard the successful carrying out of the Immigration and Public Works Act, 1870." Our Biverton correspondent, writing on the 9th inst., says:— H. M'Culloch, Esq., 8.M., assisted by T. Daniel, Esq., J.P., opened Court here on Wednesday hut, when Mrs A. Crisp applied for a license to sell beer, 4c., but on account of some defect in the accommodation of the house the case was adjourned for a month in order to allow her an opportunity of complying with the conditions of the Act. Of two minor civil cases, one was settledoat of court, and in the other the defendant was ordered to pay five shillings per week. — The extreme variableness of the climate has been fully demonstrated here -dnring the past fortnight— hot winds* scorching up everything, followed by hail-storms, which appeared, determined to destroy anything . that was left. On Sunday the hail was most violent, and lay on the ground for a length of time. A fine ram iww "faffing, however, will soon .repair much of the .damage^dotie, ' 7 ; "'.."' ; :? I

A statement in Friday's issue respecting the rate of cartage from Dunedin to Queenstown having been impugned, we append our authority for making that statement, subject to the explanation that it first appeared in the columns of the ! Wakatipu Mail, and afterwards in the Otago Daily Times of date Nov. 23. It reada thus : — j " Teams are at a premium on the Invercargill line j of route. The teamsters are working almost i day and night. It is a good harvest for the farmers, but what with ploughing up new land, &c, they are in sore straits. This tells well for the advantages of the Winton Bush line. Merchantshere are sending their managers of departments., to Melbourne, to buy goods, and these generally come via the Bluff. The goods purchased in , Dunedin and landed here at £7 will beat the other, route. The market in Dunedin will be situated thus: — Present purchasers take the advantage of the wool season by contracts (back loading is, however, always available). Merchants, here lay in stock during this time — November and December. Otherwise purchases will come via Invercargill and the Bluff." The party by whom the statement was challenged, produced thefollowing telegram from awell-known Dunedin forwarding agent: — "Last price paid was £14 ; carriers not eager to load at that price." The discrepancy is something extraordinary; however, we shall make it a point to ascertain the true facts of the caae. .