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Southland Times, Issue 1620, 16 August 1872, Page 2

The San Francisco mail was due at Auckland on the 12th insfc. The mails from Kingston, due in Invercargill on Wednesday morning, and from Dunedin, due on Wednesday evening, had not arrived up to the time of our going to press, having been detained, it is supposed, by the flooded state of the rivers. It is notified elsewhere that a meeting of the Volunteers will be held to-night, at the Drill Shed, for the purpose of presenting a, testimonial to Sergeant-Major Paxton, who has been ordered to proceed to Dunedin. After a loig residence in this part of the Province, Sorgeaat Paxton takes with him the esteem and goodvill of all the officers and men of the various «orps with which he has been connected, and hie removal from the districf will be felt; to be a loss. Owing to the severity of the weather the Winton and Forest Hill Farmers' Club ploughing match is postponed from to-day till Tuesday first, the 20th insfc., when it ia t? be hoped the skies may be more propitious. The .Railway Manager has kindly consented to run a special train on the occasion, leaving Invercargill at 10.30 a.m., and Winton at 5 p.m., the price of a return ticket being only two ajilling3. We understand that Mr M' Arthur's meeting with the electors will also be postponed till Tuesday. Although a vigilant search has bsea kept up for the escaped prisoner Christie by the police and gaol officials, up to the time ye went to press they had not succeeded in capturing him. It is believed that they are on his trail, and that he is concealed in the Seaward Bush, in the neighborhood of the sawmills. The following is a personal description of Christie : — About 24 yearß of age ; height, 5 feet 8i inches ; medium make ; very active ; fresh complexion ; dark brown hair ; hazel eyes ; tatooed on right arm with shamrock, rose, and thistle ; on left arm with JC, encircled with two fern leaves j native of Caithness, Scotland. The application for a re-hearing of the case of Simpson v. Watson, heard at Riverton by the Resident Magistrate on the 7th inst.j has been refused. At the monthly committee meeting of the Southland Acclimatisation Society, on Wednesday, 14th, eight members were, present. The Secretary reported that from 20,000 to 30,000 trout ova would probably be available for disposal from the present spawning at the Society's ponds. The Nelson Society having requested to be supplied with about 500 ova, at a cost of sixpence each, the requeit was complied with. It was resolved to place 1000 ova under the charge of Mr A. Campbell for the purpose of stocking the Otainete river. It was also agreed that ova might be supplied to private individuals, up to an amount not exceeding in the whole, 10 per cent, of the ascertained total season's spawning, at a cost to subscribers to the Society of 6d each, and to non-subscribera of la each, some applications haying been received by the Secretary for purchase. The special meeting of shareholders in the Old Wakatipu Q-old Mining Company, called for Tuesday, the 13th inst., was adjourned to Wednesday evening to enable the committee to bring up tEe manager's report, expected by Wednesday's post, but the mail not arriving owing to the flooded state of the rivers, the meeting was again adjourned until receipt of the manager's report. The election of members of the Invercargill Road District Board commenced on Tueeday, when the ratepayers of the Waihopai Subdivision, to the number of eight individuals, pat in an appearanre at the place of election, the Resident Magistrate's Court-house. The result was that Messrs J. Hare, E. D. Butts, and R. Gilmour were declared duly elected, no other candidates being proposed. On Wednesday the election for the Appleby Subdivision took place, when, according to an arrangement previously made at a meeting of the ratepayers, Messrs P. Dalrymple, J. Angus, and J". Brown were duly nominated. Mr W. R. Perkins entered his protest against so many members being chosen from one corner of the Subdivision, which extends to Mr Coupland's on the East Road, and proposed Mr W. Lawrence, which was seconded by Mr J. Phillips. The show of hands was in favor of the three first-named candidates, and no poll being demanded, Messrs Dalrymple, Angus, and Brown were declared duly elected. Our Bluff correspondent writes : — The election of three members of the Invercargill District Road Board, to represent the Campbelltown Subdivision, took place in the Court-house at Campbelltown on Thursday. Mr Nutter, the Returning Officer, opened the proceedings at noon. There was a very fair attendance of (

I electors. In reply to an elector, Mr Nutter very j courteously answered a number of questions relating to .the formation and powers of Road Boards. Nine candidates were duly proposed and seconded. A show of hands having been taken, it was found to be in 'favor of Messrs J, Waddel, James Smith, and G. E. Tucker. No poll being demanded, these gentlemen were declared duly elected. We regret that the residents in Sylvan Bank, M' Mister's Estate, Barwheys, Richmond Grove, and Clinton, did not take some steps to secure representation on the Invercargill District Road Board, as these localities all form part of the Waihopai Subdivision, and the three members chosen all resile at Harris rille, within a stone's throw of each other. Without the slightest desire to impute any unfair intentions to this friendly trio of neighbors, we think it might have been better if the populous districts we have enumerated had been represented by residents, who might be supposed to have more practical acquaintance with the wants of their respective neighborhoods. We would suggest that one at least of the trio might gracefully retire, to give the unrepresented localities the opportunity of returning a member. At the meeting of the Town Council last night there was a full attendance. A letter was read from the solicitor, in reply to questions addressed to him, stating that there was no limitation plaoed upon the amount which the Corporation might borrow by way of overdraft, inasmuch as that method of borrowing was not contemplated by the Acts and Ordinances affecting the Corporation j and that, under the Ordinance of 1865, the Council may borrow on the credit of the rates to the extent of £10,000. In view of possible complications arising in event of an overdraft being obtained, Councillor Lumsden moved, and Councillor Garthwaite seconded, " That the Mayor be requested to arrange with the banker that the Reserves Fund may be kept separate from the general account, and arrange for the overdraft previously passed." The motion was lost on a division, there voting for it Councillors Lumsden, Garthwaite, and Goodwillie, and against it, Councillors Ross, Tapper, Pratt, Blackwood, and Jaggers. In reply to an enquiry made by the Mayor, at the instance of the Railway Committee, a telegram from Mr A. J. Smyth was read, to the effect that he was instructed to commence the Edendale cutting on the Mataura railway at once, being a heavy part of the line, and also to start the town end. The tender of Jamos Hay for cutting the Puni Creek, 24 chains at £10 per chain, was accepted on a division, by the casting vote of the Mayor, there voting against it — Councillors Pratt, Blackwood, Tapper, and Jaggers, and for it Councillors Lumsden, Garthwaite, Goodwillie, and Ross. The tender of P. Hogan, for tussacking the Gardens Reserve at 19s per acre was accepted. A week's notice having been given to the wages-men in the service of the Corporation, it was decided by ballot that their services should be dispensed with at the end of the week, with the exception of Henderson, Webb, Thomson, and the foreman. It was resolved that a valuator be appointed for the current year, and that the valuation be sent in to the Council not later than the Ist November, and subsequently Mr Scandrett was appointed to perform that duty. The Council then adjourned. The barometer has been unusually low for a month past, and during the early part of the week we experienced weather of unusual severity for the time of year. On Sunday the town and neighborhood were visited with a severe storm of snow, haii, and rain, in turns, and sometimes all three together. These storms continued at intervals till Thursday varied occasionally by bursts of bright sunshine in the day, and a few hours of hard frost at some time or other during every night. The wind has now settled down in the south-west, and the weather looks more favorable, although the cold is still intense. From the country districts, the reports to hand state that the storm has been little short in severity of that experienced in the middle of June last. It is generally hoped that this may be the last of the winter, and if we were to have a spring storm, all our country readers will admit that it is better to have it and be done with it [now, than to have even a less serious one at a later period, ihe snow is stated to have been six inches deep at Winton, and still lies to a considerable depth in the eastern and western districts. The Thames Guardian says : — Whilst we have been all talking of finds of coal at a distance from this district, it has been found quite close to , Shortland. The man who found the seam reports that, where struck, it was a large body pi coal, over 9ft thick. A landslip, however, during the late wet weather, came down and completely covered up the place where the seam was first found. He, however, found the run of it in the bed of a creek, and brought a sample down to town. It is reported that Mr Yogel, in retaliation for the Provincial authorities of Wellington moving in the matter of Provincial administration of Public Works and Immigration, is trying to secure the removal of the seat of Government to Christchurch, and intends placing a sum of £50,000 on the Estimates for the purpose. The correspondent of the Dunedin Evening Star saye :— There has been a large meeting of Otago members of both Houses in reference to the Reserves set aside by the Provincial Council, at which three propositions were made by the Government so as to settle this question. There can be no doubt that Ministers have every desire to act fairly, but assert they cannot comply with the whole demands, on account of their magnitude — covering as they do, one-sixth of the lands of the whole Province. The Lords last year proclaimed against it, and were a Bill again brought into the Assembly, I have no doubt it would be defeated. It was proposed that a deputation should meet with the Government, asking them to reconsider their decision, although it was Btated that the propositions were final. An amendment was proposed to accept of the offer of the Crown grants, &c, for 500,000 acres, and so settla the matter, which was lost. I need not state that these large pastoral reserves will give a real monied value to the holders of the runs so set aside ; but that the Province will not derive any additional income from them until the leases are run out. There is also i fear that much of the land so set aside may prove to be auriferous, and unless power is taken these lands might be shut up from the operation of gold mining. Vaccination ia reported to proceed apace in all the Nutive districts of the .North Island, many , Natives having learnt to perform the operation.

la his annual report on the working of the Land Transfer Act, the Registrar General of Land says : — The total vote for the year* expenditure was £8614 15s. The total actual expenditure for the same period, including the cost of very extensive advertisements, has, by the exercise of a vigilant economy, been kept within the vote l)y about £500. The business done shows a return, in cash, of £4539 17s lid. Credit, under the new Kegulations, whioh came into operation on the Ist January, 1872, has been giren for £266 10s, which two sums taken together amount to £4806 7s lid, or £193 12s Id below the estimate of reveauo I had the honor to submit in my report of last year, and this notwithstanding that regulations were, with the Governor's sanction, promulgated in January which materially reduced the fees payable for registration. During the year the Assurance Fund has been increased by £1500 14s 7d ; and credit has been given for a further sum of £152 17s. ! Bacon-curing is carried on pretty extensively j |in Canterbury. At one establishment alone it is estimated that 1000 pigs will be operated upon 1 during the present season, which began about April, and will end about September. The Geelong Advertiser has been shown the account sales of 100 casks of butter which were shipped home by a firm in that town, which, it says, to a very great extent explain one of the reasons why butter will not pay to export. The prices realised were 37s 6d and 40s per cwt., the gross sum being £151 3s 4d. Before leaving England this sum was reduced by interest, freight, dock charges and lighterage, railway carriage to Liverpooli Cartage, porterage on samples, opening and showing, &c, warehousing and showing, warehouse rent, fire insurance, advertising, sale expenses, commission, guarantee, &c, to £103 19a 7d, the expenses in England being £47 3s 9d. But this is not all. The butter was shipped by a colonial firm, and their chargeß for putting the butter on board, &c, amounted to £17 6* 6d, so that all the unfortunate shippers received for their £151 3s 4d worth of butter was £86 13s Id. As if wishing to add insult to injury, the English firm adds — " Character of butter irregular, quite dry, rough in mouth, sold for greasing sheep." The Wellington correspondent of a contemporary, referring to the Hon. John Hall, and his receat illness, says : — He looks very much shaken, and scarcely fit for the hard work of the Lower House, so that the translation will be of service to him. A publican in Christchurch has been fined £6 for supplying a man with liquor while in a state of intoxication, the magistrate remarking that when the friends of a man were trying to keep him from ruinous drinking, it was very wrong that publicans should supply him with drink, and encourage him as it were. It seems that the publican had been repeatedly warned by the- police not to supply the individual in question, who appears to be a dipsomaniac, with liquor. A company has been formed for the purpose of working the Wharekawa coal seams in the province of Auckland, which occupy ootae 7000 acres of limestone land lying between the Surrey and Miranda redoubts, and adjacent both to Upper Waikato and the Thames ; the seams are of easy dip, and one seam is 10 feet thick. The Whare r kawa coal is almost quite free of sulphur, iand burns well, leaving but little ash. Wharekawa district is hilly, timbered fairly, and well watered, the land also contains ironstone and fire-clay, interspersed with coal. The company expect to raise the necessary capital, £50,000, in London. The Natives of Taupo have agreed among themselves to give a block of land for a township, which will be formed in proximity to the natural wonders of the district ; these people are poor, and expect to benefit by an influx of tourists.