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Southland Times, Issue 1614, 2 August 1872, Page 2

From a telegram which appears in our columns! tliis morning, it would seem that the Suez mail, due on Ist August, had arrived in Melbourne on the 261h ult., in which case it may be expected to reach the Bluff by the Albion either to-day or to-morrow. Mr Anthony Trollope, the celebrated novelist, who is at present making a tour of the Australasian colonies, is expected to arrive at the Bluff in the Albion, due on Saturday. It is said that Mr W. H. Pearson, Commissioner of Crown Lands, has been requested by the Government to accompany Mr Trollope as far as Queenatown, should he decide on proceeding northward overland. We have received some further samples of stone from the Seaward Downs, which may be aeen at our office. A singular accident, fortunately unattended with serious consequences, occurred on Wednesday Mr Turnbull, of Tuturau, was driving a buggy and pair in Dee- street, when one of the clips fastening the pole to the axle gave way, and the horses, getting frightened, started off at a furious speed, dragging the vehicle by the remaining fastening, and defying the utmost efforts of the driver to pull them up. The draught being all on one side, the swaying and jolting of the vehicle become so violont that it was with the utmost difficulty the remaining occupants, three ladies, could keep their Beats. A serious accident seemed inevitable, when fortunately the second clip g;ive way also, and the horses went away with the pole, leaving the buggy in the road, the passengers covered with mud, and thoroughly frightened, but unhurt. The horses were brought up by a telegraph post, which they attempted to pass, one on each side. But for the pluck and determination with which Mr Turnbull held on to the reins, and steered his unmanageable craft amongst the carts and waggons on the street, the affair would probably have had a mucb more serious termination. A post mortem examination on the body of a patient named John Simmons, who died yesterday in the Provincial Hospital, was made by Dr Grigor, assisted by Dr M'Clure. The deceased was admittel into the Hospital on Saturday last, having been brought into town by the police from Benmore. He was then almost insensible, and suffering from paralysis of the leftside. An inquest is to be held as to the cause of death to-morrow. The deceased was recently employed at tho Meat Preserving Company's Works, Winton. In the New Z -aland Gazette of the 20th ult. the folio wing Volunteer appointments are notified : — In the Artillery, William Henderson to be SubLieutenant ; date of commission, 25th January, 1872. In the Invercargill Rifles, Frederick Wentworth Wade to be captain ; date of commission, 14th June, 1872. In the Riverton Ufles, Joseph Schmidt to be Sub-Lieutenant ; date of commission, 15th February, 1872. We call the aftention of our readers to an announcement in our advertising columns, to the effect that the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Company is about to establish an agency io Invercargill. Messrs Gillies and Street have charge of the business in Dunedin. A special meeting of the Committee of the Acclimatisation Society was held on 4th July, and a , short account of the proceedings, which appeared in our columns, has been called in question by Dr Menzies. On making enquiry we find that the statement that the action taken by on c of the trustees would prevent all further effort for the introduction of salmon, was to some extent founded on a misconception, the object of the trustee in question being to secure that the mpney arising from the 2000-acre grant should be solely applied to that purpose. " We have to acknowledge the receipt of a batch of Parliamentary papers, and the two first numbers of this session's Hansard. At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, James M'lntosh, ,of Limestone Plains, was brought up on remand, charged under subsection 3 of section 302 of the Bankruptcy Act, 1867, with having, within two months before adjudication, concealed a debt due to him by J. L. M'Dunali, of Siverton. Mr Macdonald, instructed by Mr Harvey, appeared for the prosecution, and Mr Wade for the defence. Mrs Ann Macdonald, mother-in-law of the accused, proved that she lent him the aura of £6" 8s at the commencement of the harvest ; that since then her daughter had been in his service for nine weeks, and she herself for eight weeks, nursing Mrs M'lntosh, for which she expected to be paid at the usual rate of 40s per week ; that the order drawja by M'lntosh on J. L. M'Donald in her favor was in payment of her claim. His Worship stated that for him to decide whether the order was given in satisfaction of a bona file cJaim oi Mrs Maedonald's, or with a view of defrauding the creditors, woul.l virtually amount to trying the case. He, however, thought that it would have been better if the information had been laid under the 4th subsection, and he would commit the prisoner for trial under that subsection, for having, with intent to defraud, omitted property from his statement of affairs. Committed accordingly. Bail was accepted, the I prisoner for £50, and two sureties of £25 each.

A t;--ner:il trade directory of New Zcaluni is a •...■■•• w l ii"h has been felt by the public for the a 'ears. This requirement is now about to lie met by Mr Wise, of Dunedin, whose agent, \lr Robert Seward, is now in Invercargiil, collect >nu; the necessary information relating to this district. The Illustrated New Zealand Heral ! for thi? month contains a view of the township of Cromwell, and a number of very interesting Australian sketches. A question having been asked in the Assembly as to whether the Government intended to bring in a Bill to provide for the repression of " larrikinism," Mr Gisborne said that the Go- ' vernment had not beeD advised that the law was at till inadequate to the punishment of the class of offence alluded to by the hon. member. It was a matter for very grave consideration whether it would be advisable to place in the hands of any two Justices of the Peace the power to order whipping. Tb.B tendency of the i age was to abolish whipping except in very i serious ca3es. , According to the " Scientific American," the French and Austrian Governments have succeeded in the propagation and cultivation of sponge, and the experiments have proved commercially valuable. By advices received from the Agent- General, it seems that 2000 immigrants have sailed for . the colony. Of this number the greater proportion are from the United Kingdom, only about one-fourth being Scandinavians. The Real Estate Bill, introduced into the Legislative Council by the Hon. John Hall, provides that real estate shall descend and be distributed as personal estate, and deviso3 are to be treated as legacies. Should real estate or interest under the Act come to a married woman, in the event of her death the estate is to be treated as if she died a widow. In a memorandum for the Agent-General, dated Christchurch, April 16tb, the Resident Minister for the Middle Island says : — " It is my intention to prepare a scheme of labor exchange throughout this island, with the view of distributing the incoming stream of population with as little delay as possible, so as to meet the wants of employers and preventing possible accumulation of surplus labor." At a special meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, held to consider the proposed new Bankruptcy Bill, certain alterations were suggested to throw the management of estates more into the haods of creditors. The following contracts have been entered into between the Government and Messrs Brogden : — The construction of the line of railway from Napier to Port Napier, of two miles and ten chains, £13,732 ; and from Napier to Pakipaki, sixteen miles and ten chains, £37,075. A strange definition was lately given in the Police Court, Wellington, by a witness -who was asked to describe the state of intoxication a certain person was in at the time he saw him. " Was he drunk ?" " No. He was full of grog, but not incapable." It appears that on the 6th July the Minister of Public Works addressed a despatch to the Agent-General in London, instructing him to ship Scotch emigrants in future from the Clyde, and recommending that the Scotch agency hitherto in existence should be utilised in connection with the general scheme. The despatch further insists on the importance of securing colonists possessed of capital, as well as ordinary emigrants. The total amount of gold exported from New Z aland from Ist April, 1857, to 30th June, 1872, was 6,560,555 oza., of the value of £25.463,199. The births and deaths in the various provinces du-ing the year 1871 were as follows : —

, The births and deaths of the aboriginal population are not included in the above return.

Births. Deaths. Auckland 24R5 659 Taranaki 19') 47 Wellington 1025 254 Hawke'sßay 2iS 50 Nelson 710 171 Maryborough 220 41 Canterbury 2141 433 Westlmd 517 147 Otago 3074 809 Chathams 2 1