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Southland Times, Issue 1587, 4 June 1872, Page 2

The outward English mail via San Francisco, announced to close at 9 p.m. tbis evening, was closed last night at the same hour. The reason we believe to be that the steamer is hencefoi'ward to leave Port Chalmers every fourth Thursday instead of Friday, as heretofore. The additional twenty-four hours thus lost might not perhaps be grudged, if there is any good reason in the nature of the mail arrangements why they should be required. But it seems to indicate gross neglect of the public- interests that our local postal authorities were not made aware of the change in time to make it more generally known. It is understood that the alteration was decided on at headquarters a week ov ten days ago. There must be great carelessness somewhere, and the matter ought certainly to be inquired into by the responsible head of the department; It is with a feeling of deep regret that we have to chronicle the rather sudden demise of a muchrespected citizen of Invercargill, Mr David Webster, painter and decorator, who departed this life at an early hour on Friday morning, after an illness lasting some two months. Mr Webster had beon a resident of Invei'carsill for the past ten years, during which time he had taken an active share of the duties of citizenship. He was a leading and zealous member of the Masonic and Oddfellows bodies, and was always ready to give good advice or substantial assistance to tha grieved or needy. He leaves behind him a large circle of friends to deplore his death, while the sjmpathy of the community is extended to the family of the deceased in their sad bereavement. The funeral took place on Sunday last, and the esteem in which the deceased had been held was manifested by the Tery large attendance thei'eat. Indeed, we do not remember to have witnessed, on any similar occasion, such a long cortege. The procession was formed by the local members of the order of Freemasons preceding the hearse. After the latter followed the members of the two local lodges of Oddfellows, the brethren of each fraternity being attired in full regalia. Those unconnected with either of the above bodies brought up the rear. At the cemetery, the exceedingly beautiful and impressive Masonic funeral service was read by the chaplain of the Southern Cross Lodge, Bro. W. P. Tanner, at the conclusion of which the brethren assembled each dropped a sprig of acacia into the grave, and afterwards paid the last tribute of respect to their departed brother by giving the salute appropriate to the occasion.

An inquest on the late fire at Messrs Cross & M'William'B store, Winton, was to be commenced there last night, under the direction of the Coroner, Dr Hodgkinson The wretched state of the east road was unpleasantly demonstrated to a number of people on' Sunday last. In the absence of any prospect of a. permanent improvement being made on this I road^the question arises, seeing that the Municipal*" Corporation lias taken over the management 'of the cemetery, as to whether that body could not take steps to get a footpath constructed as far as our necropolis. We throw out the hint for the consideration of Councillors, and trust they will endeavor to do something in the matter. The Bank of Otago yesterday entered into occupation of the new premises in Smith's brick buildings. The hon. treasurer to the Provincial Hospital requests us to acknowledge his receipt of £6 8s i 6d from Mr Christopher Basstiin, being collecj tions on that gentleman's station on behalf of the Hospital funds. A meeting of the settlers residing in the Jacob's River and Waimatuku Districts was held on the 31st alt., at the house of Mr James Hamilton, with the view of promoting the project of a railway from Riverton to Otautau. Mr J. L. M'Donald was voted to the chair. Mr M'GilJivray, M.H.R., addressed the meeting, and described the General G-overnment scheme for the construction of railways. He said that before 1874 the colony would be indebted to the extent of £12,000,000, and, as the district would have to pay a share of. the interest, it was entitled to an equitable portion of the expenditure. This, it was thought, could best be employed in the construction of a line of railway from Riverton to the Yellow Bluff, thence traversing the fertile tract of country between Jacob's River and the Oreti, and joining the Kingston line near Winton. The district, he said, offered great facilities for the construction of a railway, the country being almost level. Such a work would be a great boon to the district, by reviving trade from its present state of stagnation, and encouraging settlement. Mr James Mackintosh, of Strathmore, addressed the meeting at considerable j length, advocating the claims of the district to a fair share of the railway expenditure. There had | been very little spent in the district by the Proi vincial Governments, either of Southland or Otago; they only asked for what they were fairly entitled to, and he hoped the settlers would unite, hand in hand, to obtain it. The following resolution, proposed by Mr Boyd and seconded by Mr H. Howella, was carried unanimously : —" That it is highly expedient to have a railway constructed from Riverton to join the Kingston line near Winton, via the Yellow Bluff, in order to open up the resources of the district." It was then proposed by Mr Jame3 Mackintosh, and seconded by Mr John M'lntyre: —" That a committee be formed for the purpose of forwarding the views of the meeting, comprising the following gentlemen —Meßsrs John Gumming, P. M'Neill, J. L. M'Donald, W. Boyd, J. R. Stuck, H. Howells, D. Graham, W. A. Lyon, W. Hopcroft, John M'lntyre, and the mover," which was also carried unanimously. It was further resolved, on the motion of Mr Stuck, seconded by Mr Lyon : —" That a public meeting be held at tbe Courthouse, Riverton, on the 14th June next, at 12 o'clock, to consider the project of a lino of railway from Riverton to Winton via the Yellow Bluff." A vote of thanks to Mr M'Gillivray, as representative of the district, for the interest he had taken in the matter, and the usual vote of thanks to the chairman, closed the proceedings. j The Provincial Council was to be formally prorogued on Saturday last. The report of the Select Committee of the Provincial Council on the Wrey's Bush Coal Reserve states, in reference particularly to the coal fields of the Wairaki district, that valuable coal exists in sufficient quantity to justify the construction of a railway from Winton to the coal | field, by means of which not only the locomotives, but the t interprovincial and intercolonial steamers could be supplied at the Bluff, iustead of, as at present, from Australia. The coal, though uot equal to the true black coal in heating power, is described as of superior quality, similar to that known in Scotland as " cannel coal," and extensively used in that country for land and marine purposes. The CooiLnittee recommend thab the land along the proposed line should bo at once reserved from sale. Sir David Monro has issued a long address to the electors of the Waikouaiti district. He objects to the scale on which the Immigration and Public Works policy is being carried out on borrowed money, but would support the construction of railways if justified by fair expectations of traffic. He deprecates the introduction of large numbers of Scandinavian immigrants. He favors the system of land sales on deferred payments, and believes that wo must for the present be contented with a secular system of education. There is not a scabby sheep within the province of Taranaki. Little more than three years ago (says the Waikato Times) the fiat in front of our window was covered with the tents- of Imperial and Colonial troops. The steamers running on our rivers were the bearers of soldiei's and warlike stores. The sole topics of interest were the advance or retreat of our troops, the last engagement, and the number of our countrymen who had fallen victims to the obstinacy and ignorance of the natives. Cattle are now running peacej fully on the flat; the steamers are the bearers of articles of commerce ; the topics of conversation are principally —When will the railway be finished ? What crop is best to sow in order to realise a good profit P and the subjects suggested for discussion in our columns come in for a fair share of attention, in which can be found neither accounts of battles nor rumors-of war. All is peace. Every settler is looking hopefully forward to the time when he will be, if not a rich man, one well to do in (he world. We say, without fear of contradiction, that in no district in the Colony has the settler greater reason to look hopefully forward. We are blessed by nature with (he two finest rivers in New Zealand, and our land only requires labor bestowed on it to grow almost anything . the settlers may desire.