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Southland Times, Issue 1563, 12 April 1872, Page 2

The next sittings of the Supreme Court are to be held on 22nd May. The calendar is unusually heavy, comprising upwards of fourteen cases, several of them of a serious character. The Liverpool, London, and Globe Insurance Company have had to pay upwards of £600,000 for losses in the great Chicago fire. This is the largest amount that'Tias ever been paid by one company on account of one fire. It is said that Sic David Monro has consented to allow himself to be placed in nomination as a I candidate for the vacant seat for Waikouniti in the Ifuuse of Representatives. Messrs Preston and Hutcheson are the local candidates, and it is thought the contest will be between them. Yesterday, being the half-yearly fast day of the Presbyterian Church, was observed as a holiday. The Banks and Provincial Government offices, as well a3 private places of business, were closed throughout the day. This holiday not being recognised by the General Government, their offices were open as usual. The Illustrated New Zealand Herald for this month contains a portrait of Sir Hercules Robinson, the newly-appointed Governor of New South Wales ; several sketches of Australian scenery ; engravings of Mawhera Quay, Greymouth, the morning after the great flood ; the site of the Richmond Quiy, Greymouth, now the bed of the river ; and the Auckland annual regatta, 30th January, 1872. The Otago Daily Times says : — " That no misapprehension may exist regarding the real cause of the delay in the arrival of the San Francisco mail this month, we may state the following facts. The mail ought to have left San Francisco on February 28th ; it actually did leave next day, so that its arrival twelve days late in New Zjaland was no more attributable to the snow block, ade than it was to the late drought in this colony. After this, we hope we shall hear no more such nonsense as that the mail was delayed by the snow. The truth is that it wa3 delayed solely through the excessive slowness of the steamers conveying it." At the annual dinner of the Oamaru Lodge of Oddfellows, Mr Steward, M.H.R., in replying to the toast of " His Excellency,, the Executive Council, and the Parliament of the Colony," gave a sketch of the personnel of the Cabinet, and avowed his belief that no better could be formed from the materials presented by the present House. He then allu led to a statement that had gone the round of the papers, extracted from the Evening Post, as to his having been appointed an Immigration Agent for the Colony in England, and said that he had ha i no offici il intimation of I the matter ; indeed, he was in the same position as themselves — he had only seen it in the papers. j We understand that the Scandinavian immigrants who have landed from the ship England make no complaint of their treatment on board that vessel, except as to the medical attendance, but it appears the reports of the hardships to which they were subjected on their passages by steamers from the various ports in Norway and Denmark to London ha?e not been exaggerated. They were in some instances compelled to remain on deck during the whole passage, ex posed to sleet and haii, alt'iou-jh they had been promised accommodation b&low ; and food, which they had been lei to suppose they would bo supplied with, was not provided. Nothing certain has transpired as to the origin of the small-pox, but we are gla 1 to learn that the Government purpose to hold a iudicial enquiry as soon as the remaining passengers are landed, at which it is expected full details of the facts will be elicited. We had an opportunity the other day of i inspecting the collection of objects of natural history formed by Mr Andrew M'Kenzie, of Deestreet. It comprises a large variety of our native fishes, birds, and insects, all stuffed wiih gVeat faithfulness, and arranged in glass cases in a most artistic manner. During his recent visit to Southland, Captain Hutton, the Government Assistant Geologist, was a frequent visitor to Mr M'Kenzie's museum, and took away several specimens from tho collection in order that they might be placed in the Colonial museum at j Wellington, in exchange for which Mr M'Kenzie has received a variety of birds indigenous to the North Island. la addition to the objects of natural history, samples of the kauri gum of Auckland, and the copper ore of Nelson, with blocks of our own native timber, may bo seen. Altogether tho collection is highly creditable to tho proprietor (who is evidently a devoted nnturulist), and forms the nucleus of a very interesting museum. A contributor of " Free and Easy Notes" to the TuapeJca Times discourses as follows : — " The estimation in which Donald Reid is now held may be cited as an apt illustration of tho fickleness of popular favor. A few short months ago ha was worshipped as the saviour of Otago. Men Bpared neither time nor money in endeavoring to get him elcctod as Superintendent. Multitudes followed him about, eagerly listening to the words that fell from his lips, and almost every tongue praised him. Note the difference now. TIIO3O who formerly lauloi him to the skic>s are now the loulest in condernaing himHis only frienJa are the miimbers of a small but faithful band who wero elected on his ticket, and some old identities, who behove him for no other reason than that he is Donald Reid, the Taieri settler. If he were to stand for the representai tion of any of the constituencies which polled | most votes for him during the Superinten.lental contest, ho would not receive one vote for every fifty he did then. His present melancholy political position is entirely due to himself. He attempted something providence never intended him to accomplish successfully — to govern the province. Opposition is his forte, and if he had kept in opposition, ho would have still retained a large measure of public favor. I was strolling up tho street of a country town the other day, when I met an individual whom I hai known previously us a fierce partisan of Reid's. As a matter of course, after shaking hands, wo adjournod to the nearest hostelry. There we proceeded to discuss polhic3, provincial and general. Wo conversed for some time, and just as I was about leaving, my friend remarked, 'Yes, I did a good deal for Reid. I canvassed tho country far and wide, and secured a good many votes for him. Bu . it' I knew as much then as I do now, I would have voted and used my influence for the. other man. I did think, judging from his speeches, he was capable of managing the affairs of an empire, but I have been awfully deceived. I don't think, judging by his actions, he possesses sufficient business ability to manage a retail wood aud coal yard !' "