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Southland Times, Issue 1683, 31 December 1872, Page 2

The electors of Wailiopai will be pleased to , learn that a wvit has been issued for the election of a member to represent the disti i ;t- in the Provincial Council, in the room of John Blacklock, Esq , resigned. The writ, vre understand, i would have been published to-day, bat that it waa discovered that there is at present no 1 returning officer for the district. For New Year's Day tli9 programme of amusements ia as follows : — Caledonian Gathering in show grounds ; Horticultural Exhibition in the Theatre ; and excursion by railway from luvcrcargill to the Bluff. An excursion train will also be run from Win toil to Invercargill, and from the Bluff to Invercargill, to enable the resi lent* ' at theee places to be present at the games.

The immigrants by the Zaalandia arrived in town yesterday morning. There are 39 irarried couples, with 40 or 50 children ; and 83 single men, under engagement with Messrs Brogden and Sons. There are also 9 single women who have arrived ns nominated immigrants, and one or two families. On the arrival of the vessel being announced in Invercargill on Saturday afternoon, Messrs M'Oulloch and Monckton proceeded to the Bluff by special train, and a^ter proper inquiries, gave the certificate required by law to permit the larsdihs? of the passengers. The train which conveyed the passengers to town left Invercargill at 5.33 on Monday morning ; the landing of the passengers from the ship however was not completed till nearly 3 o'clock, and the train reached Invereargill at half— past nine, when the station for an hour thereafter presented a very busy scene. They were ultimately accommodated in the barracks and the iron building opposite the station. Tents were also erected in the open ground adjoining the Q-jvernment olSeas. The members of the Southland Coal Prospecting Association having become aware that Dr Hector was likely to paas the Bluff on his way to Preservation Inlet, to examine the coal deposits there, entered into communication with that gentleman, with the result of inducing him to visit the site of the late ooal discoveries at Seaward Downs. Dr Hector will come overland from Duaedin, and will be joined at Seaward Downs by Mr Brown, Secretary of the -Association, accompanied by Mr T; J. Thompson. A communication from Messrs Brogden and Sons, which appears in to-day'a issue, calls attention to the fact that many of the immigrants brought out at their expense, and under engagement to them, have been employed by other parties without their sanction. The impropriety of this practice is so obvious as to require no comment. We observe that two of Messrs Brogden's laborers in Wellington, who attempted to leave their employment without previously discharging their liabilities to the firm, were ordered by the Resident Magistrate to pay the amount due, about £20 in each case, with costs, by instalments of 5s per week. We understand that a memorial to the Governor has been numerously signed by the settlers on the Mataura, pointing out that there is no Resident Magistrate's Court withi-i thirty miles of the district, and praying that John Turnbull, Esq., JP., who has lonz acted as chair miu of the Mataura Petty Sessions Court, but now proposes to leave the neighborhood, may be appointed Resident Magistrate — aei appointment which, the memorialists declare, would afford them high satisfaction. The Educati »n Committee met on Fri lay, 27th instant, with seven members present. The appointment of second mastership to the Grammar School was bestowed on Mr B. Webber, a teacher now holding efSce at Macrae's Flat. The Secretary reported the receipt of £7c5 10j from the Government, and was instructed to pay the contractors the balance due to them on the contract. Mr Fleming, the Head Master, was pre3jnt, advising with the Committee, and it was agreed that a scad of fees, prepared by a subcommittee, should be submitted on Monday evening, to which time the committe3 adjourned. On Monday evening, all the members except Mr Calder being present, the report was brough* up and adopted. It was resolved tliat the scale o. 1 ' fees be advertised, and also that the school be op?ned on 27th January next. The Chairman of the Committee was requested to prepare a report far presentation to the annual meeting on 13th January, and a sub-committee di.-octed to enquire fur it suitable buil lin^ ior master's residence, and to report thureon. From notifi -ati?-n3 i>i our advertising C)lurn!i3 it will be observed that ten.iers for the lr'ase of the Invercargill j -tty are to be received tiil the 9th January ; an 1 that wholesale, bottle, general, and brewers' licenses must be paiJ this day. Sheading operations appear to be progressing satisfactorily. Our latest iiitelligasioe from the '■ o 'Uitry districts is to the effect thut the following s ations have finit-hed this mo3t important work of the year: — Dipton, G-lunqurich, and Wtintw >od. At Benmore, Castle Kock, and Fairlight, shearing will be finishel this week; while at LongriJ^e, K lapJale, and Waimea Plains, work is still briskly going on. In the Miriroa and To Anau ditstr ct3 wivh the exception of SurwooJ, shearing his barely cjm noticed. The clip generally is reported to be turning out adu.irably, owing no doubt to the fine weather which has so long prevailed. Where ths appliances for hot-water washing are available, the wool is being su jected to that process. The riv6rs upcountry are extraordinarily low. At Captain Howell's station, water ia scarcely visible in tho Mataura . 'Hie orJinary weekly meeting of thj Municipal Council was held on tho evening "of tho 2.7 th' in 3 fc., when the May_or,_and Councillors Pratt, ..GhrcTirsrinte; EumiJen, and GooTTwitrio were present. A report ("rani the Finance Oainrnittee, containing conditions for leasing the invarcA'-giU Jetty, with the proposed wharfage rates, was adopted. The ofEoar in charge of tho Municipil Fire Brigade reported that the engines ara in good working order, and that tha various street wells contained a depth of ware? in each of from seven to fifteen feet. Leave was asked to postpone for a week the report upon certain irregularities which had been observed at the fire in the Exchange Hall. Several reports from the Town Surveyor were also read The following tenders wera accepted :— F_>r metalling Tayetrcat, R. Powell, £5 12 4s ; for gravelling and kerbing footpath in Kak-atrcet. J. Bxivd an i Co., £15 10s ; for tho formation of S.jey-itreet, £195 ; and for the drainage of the same street, £553 Tho works in Spay -street waro let, cju.libion.illy upon the Council agreeing to proceed with them, after arran^emente hud been mule with regard to borrowing m )ney ; it being explained that several meetings called for lh«s latter purpose had lapsed through want of attendance. A correspondent inform? ua that the crop? in the Mataura district this season promise an early aad prolific harvest. The wheat in particular is very fine, and the 6ame may bo paid of tho oats> of which a considerable breadth has been sown. Our informant augurs from tho rich dark green color, and rank appearance of these crops, a heavy return, both of grain and straw. Wheat and oats over the distibt generally are in ear, tlio outs being well forward. Since the establishment of a fl ur mill in the district, the cultivation of wheat has greatly extende 1. Last season the production of Hour considerably exceeded tke local consumption, aad this year it

ia anticipated that the surplus for sale will be much larger. A great stimulus to more extensive cultivation will be given bj the increased facilities for conveyance to market which will be % afforded by the Mataura railway, now in progress, and the construction of the new bridge over the Mataura at Wyndham, for which tenders ore now invited. Considering the large extent of arable land, of such quality that the usual aver* \ ago return of ~ oats varies from 40 to 50 bushels per acre, and upon which some of the settler* last year had a return of over 60 bushels of well sifted wheat to the acre, we may not unreasonably expect to have from this part of the country a very large and rapidly increasing export of grain. Messrs Yogel an 1 Reynolds being passenger* to Melbourne in the Bangitoto, which called at the Bluff on Friday, availed themselves of the opportunity of paying a short visit to Invercargill. They were waited on by several members of the Railway Committee, viz., Messrs Lumsden, M'Ewan, Mitchell, Wade, Black woo 1, and ll' Arthur, headed by the Major, as a deputation Ito bring under their notice as members of the Government various matters of importance to the district. The claims of the WintonKingston Railway wore duly urged, and Mr Yogel replied that it would be pushed forward as speedi'y as possible. With regard to the Mataura lino, the Woodlands section of which ia expected to be completed before the rolling stock can arrive in the Colony, a suggestion that some of the rolling stock now in Dunedin for the Ounedin and Clutha line, and which will not bo required till a still later period, might be transferred' to the Woodlands line, was noted by Mr Yogel, who promised to communicate with the Minister of Public Works on the subject. The deficiencies of the public buildings in Invercargill were also brought under the notice of the Ministers, and it was promised that a report on th« subject should be prepared, the whole question of public building* throughout the Colony being likely to engage the attenti>n of the Assembly next session. With regard to the coal at the Nightcap hills, Mr Yogel, in reply to Mr M c Arthur, said that if a company were established with which the (Jo-^ vernment could treat, and if the Government were satisfied that a branch line to the coal*fiald would pay interest on the outlay, they would undertake the construction of such a line under the Public Works scheme. Tue proposed sutmariae cable was also adverted to, Mr Yogel avowing his preference for a direct line by the shortest route to the coast of Australia, instead i of via Tasmania. The subject of direct shipments of immigrants to the Bluff was discussed, Mr Reynolds staling that the Provincial Government were very anxious on the subject, and that the Superintendent would have no objection that every immigrant ship should touch at the Bluff fir9t before going on to Dunedin. In reply to Mr M' Arthur, Mr Yogel said that a signal-man would be appointed for tha Bluff as formerly. There was no meeting of the Waste Lands Board on Friday. In the Resident Migistrate's Court on F.iday, before H. M'Oullo;h, Esq , R.M., the cisc of White v. Fra3er (adjourned from previous day) was called on, being a eliim for £IS 2* 21, loss on a piano and music damaged on board the s.». Storm Bird. Mr Wadofor plaintiff, Mr Matthewa for the defence. The cost o" the piano and muni.: was eot down at .£74, and bsiasj sjM after survey, realized £11 Hi 101. Puintiff prare 1 purchase of the piano, and its shipment by Mr B : 'gg. of Dunedin. properly packe lin a zinc-lined cisc, on the S.orm Bird, for Invercar^ill. The cas» was not soldereJ, anJ on anival at Invercargill, piano and music were much danaijei by w*ter. Mr F»a9er, master of the Storm Bir.l, wts called in to look at th.3 damys. P^intiiT ha I been offered £52 for the piano in Dunedin, and expected £63 fjr it. John Scead, a carman, sail th».t on his t kng tho piano from the railw iv truck, water ran out of the etise. Messrs liar* an i Mitchell surveyed the piano, at request of plainlilF, and ga»e e^i lance of the damage, an I slated it was not customary to re-solder package* r -shipped coastwise. Mr Hume gave evidence of damage. Mr Wi.de intirn »te i that a witness who had been siibpoo mad t > prore the position of the piano on board the vessel, b ing a mail contractor, was not present, and that he might probably have to a.-k for an adjournment. For tha defendant-, Mr Houghton, part owner of the S orin Bird, dsposel that it was usual to re-solder cases re shipped coastwise. Captain Fraser received the pi.mo on board. Plaintiff whs present at the stowing. There was no salt stowed near the piano. The mate gave similar testimony, but could not swear there was no salt touching the piano. The Magistrate reserved his decision till . Monday. On IWnnHiiy His Worship giro judgment, remarking that the receipt which had" been producod appeared to have heea^aAa*i**Gr i ~~fty~~fioui parties as containing the conditions of a contract between them. The damage did not appear to have arisen from any of the causes exrepted in the receipt (tho weather being described as " modfivitely baJ"), bat from water oozing out of the salt bag*, assisted probably by so ue leakage through the decks. There was no proof that tho piano hal been insufficiently packed. Judgment for plaintiff, £3 t 2s 2J, with cost*, £6 Us. At tho exhibition of the Orago Agricultural and Pastoril Association, held near Danedin on the 26th inst., ilr Robert Hamilton, of R >zelle, Ling Bush, was a prize taker for Leicester* ; and Messrs Sutton 8.-oa., of the New River, carried oflf honors with their Lincoln sheep. Mr G-. M. Ball, of Waimea Plains, took the first prize for the best short-horned bull "calved after Ist August, 1870, an-l aUo for tho best short-'.iorn in the yard. Mr nmilto:i sold all the shejp he exhibited at satisfactory prices; and Ikiessrs S ltton 8.-os., we are informed, realised gone £3JO from the Bile of 43 of their famous rams, the p -ices obtained varying from £6 to £40 per sheep. The Dunedin Morning Star says that the Government of New Sj-tli Wales have offorei to pay half the expense of laying a telegraphic cable to conuect New Zialand with Australia In a tunnelling claim on the Arrow Rive?, the local paper says the party ie> averaging from £3J to £50 a man per week. The Oamaru paper loaras hat Mr M'Master, of Waikoura, commenced cutting barley (of the Cape variety) on tho 23rd. " This is tha earliest crop this season, and promises a magnificent jield — at any rate, a few sample heads handed to us indicate I hat result, being full corned, plump and heavy."

The Tuapefca Times thus explains how Mr Basringi joined the new Exeintive : — lt seems pretty clear that Mr Bastings, in taking office was actuated by a sense of duty. The Reid party banded firmly together to thwwt any endeavors to form a Ministry. For the sake of the selfish personal ambition of their leader, they were content to see the whole machinery of the Government disorganised ; to gratify his vindictive feeling* towards his Honor the Superintendent, they were prepared to force on a political dead lock. which would paralyse all departments of the public service, and bring the public business of tbe province to a standstill. But fortunately for tbe province, they overreached themselves. The utter selfishness of the end they had in view rendered it«e^ painfully apparent to several members oftthe Provincial Council, and these gentlemen pressed Mr Bastingß to bring the crisis to a termination by joining the TolaiieTurnbull Executive. The esoort service to Switzers has been abolished. In an uncultivated paddock abutting on Lan-caster-street (says the Tuapeka paper) m&y be *een the true Irish flax in bloom, and growing in great profusion, showing adaptability of the soil , and climate of Tuapeka to this useful plant. How it came there no person can tell, but it can scarcely be supposed to be indigenous, and therefore we must premise that herein nature has been in advance of Acclimatisation Societies. A Chinese leper has been so far successfully treated by Dr Stewart, of Tuapeka, that he has been enabled to resume his ordinary avocation of mining. A letter from a correspondent at Chicago, pub - lisbed by a Melbourne contemporary, gives an account of the extraordinary rapidity with which the city has been rebuilt since its destruction by fire on 9th October, 1871. Property worth 250,000,000 of dollars was then destroyed, and upwards of 109,000 persons were reduced to beggary. Yet during the 200 working days of eight hours between April 15 last, when the frost ended, and Ist December, it is calculated . that substantial buildings of from four to six storeys high will have been erected at the rate of one for every hour of that period. The architecture, too, of ths new city is principally noticeable for its massireuess and grandeur, and the business premises are generally of larger size than those which were burnt down. The London correspondent of the Melbourne Argus writes: — Mr Anthony Trollope's antipodean letters have appeared at more frequent intervals in the Daily Telegraph during the past month. Like most of the earlier sketches of the •cries, they are mainly historical, statistical, aad utilitarian — not the character and style of articles we hare bee* taught to look for from the graphic j pen of the great novelist. la it that the I Australian climate has abstracted from his mind all its poetry and ideality, or that he is hoarding j all his humor, raciness, and smartness for the j great work which he is understood to be preparing ? We shall see. Meanwhile, we are tonic-ed by such dry bark as " Origin of South Australia," ' South Australia and its Resources," "An Overland Ride to Swan Biver," " Northern Australia," and " Fiscal Confusioa in Australia." Mr Trollope, however, sees clearly enough that a protectionist policy is paralysing the prosperity of the colonies, and strongly advocates a customs union as the most effective measure for unification and for the gradual creation of a patriotic Australian sentiment — the core and kernel of real national life. At present, the colonists are • lot of jealous, quarrelling provincials.