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Southland Times, Issue 1674, 10 December 1872, Page 2

We are indebted to A. J. Smyth, Esq., for copies of the Dunedin morning papers of Saturday last. A sitting of the District Court will be opened in the Council Hall to day. The railway traffic returns for the month of November present a satisfactory comparison with the corresponding month of last year. The number of passengers last month was 1700, as against 709 in November, 1871 ; the tonnage of goods, 2)01, as against 505; and the receipts £763 6s Bd, as against £356 8s 3.1. Tha great reduction in the tariff of charges during the two periods accounts for the seeming want of proportionate increase in the cash receipte. A well-known and respected citizen of old standing in Inverc irgill, Mr F. H. Gtisow, is about to leave Southland for the West Coas^, where he has been appointed to the important post of General Government Engineer. Mr Geiaow was one of the earliest InvercargiU settlers, and during a residence of over thirteen years has gained the well-deserved respect and esteem of the community. His departure will be felt as a loss particular! y by the Presbyterian congregation, of which he is an elder, and in the prosperity of which he always took a warm and active interest. As an officer of the Invercargill Rifle Volunteers, Mr Gn?isow has long taken an active part in promoting the welfare of the corps, and it is understood that his services in this respect have been well appreciated. In leaving for his new sphere of action, Mr Geisow will carry with him the good wishes of a very large circle of friends. An entertainment is announced to be given in the Theatre Royal to-morrow evening, by the Invercargill Amateur Dramatic Club. The programme will comprise the farces of "' Catch a Weasel," and " Box and Cos." The mueic is to be provided by the Stringed Band, and the prices of admission are exceedingly liberal. Visitors to town for the next day's gathering need have no difficulty in deciding how to spend the evening, as they may safely rely on securing a night's amusement by visiting the Theatre. Austin, the renowned Australian pedestrian, whose credentials from the sporting journals of the neighboring colonies are of a very satisfactory character, has arrived in Invercargill, and announces that he will perform, on Boxing Day, his celebrated feat of running ten miles in an hour, in the Agricultural and Pastoral Society's yards, when it is also proposed to get up a complete programme of sports for the occasion. An opportunity of witnessing the style of the champion runner is to be afforded on the day after the show (Friday next) , when a 75 yards' race 13 to come off, entries for which are to be sent in to Mr George Smith before 8 o'clock this evening, Complaints have reached U3 regarding the short notice given for changing twopenny receipt stamps into penny ones, country settlers especially having felt the inconvenience. The Government should extend the tima a little longer. The attention of the authorities is directei to a brothel in Leren street which is a nuisance to the neighborhood. Last night quite a crowd of children had collected to witness the drunken orgies of the miserable wretches of women who inhabit the place. The rooting out of such a moral pestilence is highly necessary for the well— being of the community. The late seasonable rain has produced a material effect on the aspect of the country. In the districts north and north-east of Invercargill, the crops are giving a very favorable appearance. The district of the West Plain at this season maintains ita character of advance on the surrounding country, and the harvest there promises to be somewhat earlier, as well as more prolific than elsewhere. Present indications point to the conclusion that in respect both of quality and quantity the incoming gathering will be at least an average, although it appears somewhat early to make a prediction. The warm genial rains still falling at intervals will quickly bring forward the late sown crops, and the harvesting will probably not be unusually protracted. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Friday, James M/Laren appeare I (on remand) to answer the charge of stabbing Malcolm Shaw, at the Railway Camp at Oteramikn, on 11th November last. Mr Wade appeared for accused, and several witnesses were examined for the defence ; the only certainty guaranteed by the evidence being, that on the night of the occurrence a considerable amount of drinking and drunkenness had taken place. His Worship ultimately committed accused for trial, bail being granted as before. During the hearing of the case, a witness named John Milne, fell from the witness-box in a fit ; but being removed into the open air was soon restored, and was able to complete his evidence.' »

A special meeting of the Town Council, called for last evening at the Oddfellows' Hall (the Council Hali beins^ occupied by the preparation for the District Court) lapsed for want of a quorum. A meeting of the Mafearewa Road Board was held at the Junction Hotel on Saturday last> when all the members were present. The applications from parties willing to fill the offices required by the Board were considered, when Mr W. "Russell, |of Ryal Bush, was appointed clerk, valuator, and collector, at a salary of £40. As no application ha 1 been received for the office of engineer, it was resolved to re-advertise for applications. At tjie Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, James Doran was charged by the Inspector of , Nuisances with allowing the chimney of his house in Spey Btreet to take fire on the Ist inst. Defondant said that he had only lately come to the ' house, and had the chimneys examined not long j ago, when they were pronounced clean. He was fined 5s and 6s costs, with an intimation from the Bench that the full penalty of 40s would probably be inflicted in all future esses. John Kevany was fined 5s and 5s 6d costs, for allowing a horse to stray in Tay street. j We hear that two miles of land on each side of i the railway line between Win ton and Kingston, has been reserved from sale in the meantime, by order of the Superintendent. The contribution to the Southland News of Saturday last, from " An Amused Citizen," would have been more appropriately signed " A Political Failure," as the writer, thanks to his own childish vanity, is perfectly well known. We observe he is not above the paltry dishonesty of misquoting — while pretending 1 to quote — ( paragraphs from other papers, with the view of giving a color to the insinuations he is in the habit of making, knowing them to be untrue, and aware that facts will not bear out a bold | assertion — a contemptible trick, as old as the ' hills, but often resorted to by mean and jealous dispositions. The last Suez mail brought us a copy of the ' Pocket Diary issued by Letts, Son, and Co. (limited), of London. This is a colonial edition, and besides an almanac, it contains a large amount of useful information, which will make the book a handy reference to carry in tbe'poeket. In an appendix to the diary, the publishers state that " the serious diminution in the hours of labor recently agitated through the printing, in common with nearly all other trades, has rendered the timely production of our annuals for the colonies a matter of somo difficulty — neither the quality nor the quantity of our work being up to the standard we desire to attain ; and the public may readily understand that a reduction of six hours per week per raan, viz., from 63 to 54 hours per week (equivalent to 1200 hours per week in an establishment employing 200 hands), is a very serious matter, when multiplied by the number of months our diaries must necessarily be in hand, to enable them to be exported in July." The Waste Land Board met on Friday, the Chief Commissioner and Messrs Dundas, M'Arthur, and Baker being present. Hugh Rogers applied to be allowed to exchange four acres of land in the Waianiwa Bush, (advertised for sale but not purchased,) for four acres which he had purchased by mistake. The exchange was allowed. Certain timber regulations wore submitted and parsed, and ordered to be published in the Gazette. A few additional particulars regarding the rush to the Rock and Pillar are supplied by the Hyde correspondent of the Waikouaiti Herald, w!io, writing under date tlie 2nd inst., saj-s = " The greatest excitement prevails here, in consequence of the opening up of a rich gully about three miles from Hyde. I visited the ground last week, and found between twenty and thirty men at work and several prospecting. Gold was first discovered there by Messrs Jackson and Caspar, ot this place, about four or five weeks ago, but they had managed to keep it quiet up to last week, when some of the Hyde sluicers, who were prospecting on the ranges, dropped on them. The ground is very shallow, and the gold is coarse. I saw several nuggets, weighing from 2iwts. to Joz. Without doubt a rush will set in, and thus adjacent gullies will get a fair trial, but, in justice to outsiders, I might state that all the available ground in Jackson's Gully is taken up, and any newcomers will have to discover fresh ground." The experiment; of employing Chinese day labor has not ( r he Bruce Herald states) proved satisfactory, and in consequence thoy have been discharged from the works ou the D^nediu and Clutha line, Brogden's contract. They have been offered contract work, but only a few, we believe, have accepted as yet. Mr D. L. Simpson, C.E., has been appointed Provincial Engineer, vice Mr Q. M. Barr, resigned. Starling 3 are said to be very numerous throughout the Taieri district. During the day they are to be found along the river banks, to which they apparently are attracted by the flax blossom. At night a Tery large, number rooat in Mr John Kirkland's bush. So numerous are they that, when flushed, the sky was almost darkened as if by a cloud. The motion proposed in the Christchurch City Council, that the salary of future ilayor3 be £3 JO, was negatived by the casting vote of the Mayor. A motion has been tabled in the Canterbury Provincial Council lo the effect that £20,000 should be appropriated for the introduction into that province of families and single women from Great Britain. The Taranaki News says : — " A marked feature in many of the Maoris at this time is their utter contempt of Sunday observance — ploughing, harrowing, kuinera planting, and horsebreaking being performed by them on that day more zealously than on any other." The Provincial Council of Canterbury has decided that in consequence of the increase I population, a schema bo prepared for dealing with drainage and sanitary ODutrol in the country districts in a comprehensive manner, with the object of throwing the responsibility on land owners ; and that the Colonial Government be requested to introduce a general Drainage Act next session. It was also resolved by 22 votes to 10, that in districts containing 25 children between 6 and 13 years of age, it is expedient for educational districts to be formed. All grants to denominational schools in such districts will therefore be stopped, in order to force the people to establish educa- > tional districts.

It is stated by tho Nelson Examiner that the Colonial Government have agreed to giye the Collingwood Company the sum of £503, to assist them in opening up their mine by the new drive recommended to be made some time since by Dr Hector. The Ballarat Star says that a company is being formed to carry out pearl fishing, trepan g collecting, and gold prospecting in New Guinea. The Sydney Herald states that a package of 100 lbs of beef has been preserved in pipeolay for six months with such success that a portion is to be cooked and eaten. A Tasmanian paper says a gentleman from Melbourne, who has been resident in Hobart Town for some months, is about to establish iron ore smelting works there, and has for that purpose rented land for a term of 5 years £ro« the owners, Messrs Degr&ves. He has also leased Bereral lots of ground, where iron ore of remarkj ably pure quality has been found, and which on being tested has given very satisfactory results. The enterprise is being carried on by the promoter entirely on his own account, and he has secured the right of using Mr W. H. Harrison's patent smelting furnace. During the debate on the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill in Melbourne, a Mr Eiddell opposed | the measure, because if a man on the death of hi§ wife did not follow it up by proposing to her sisters, one after another, he would be called a i shabby fellow. This expression of opinion was received with roars of laughter from all parts of the House. The population of the colony is 302,211, of which 36,359 are Maoris. Taking Europeans and Maoris together, Auckland leads with 87,56 k i Otago rankl next with 74,873 ; Canterbury third, with 49,513 ; Wellington fourth, with 30,337 ; Nelson fifth, 23,545 ; Westland sixth, I 15,449; Hawke's Bay seventh, 9,314 ; Taranaki eighth, 6,954 ; Marlborough ninth, 5,753. The Maoris are most numerous in Auckland, where there are 23,227 ; Wellington has 5,322 ; Hawke's Bay, 3,102 ; Taranaki, 2,355. The remainder, 2,353, are located in the Middle and Stewart's Islands, and of their number 826 are in the province of Otago. Excluding the Maori population, Otago ranks first, with 73,956 ; \ Auckland next, with 64,337 ; Canterbury, 48,906 ; Wellington, 25,015 ; Nelson, 23,062 ; Westland, 15,331 ; Hawke's Bay, 6,312 ; Marlborough, 5,384 ; Taranaki, 4,599.