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Southland Times, Issue 1737, 6 May 1873, Page 2

The writ for the return of a member to represent the town of Invercargill in the Assembly has at length arrived, and from our advertising columns it will be seen that the 20th is fixed as the day of nomination, and the 22nd as the , polling day. Mr Cuthbertßon elsewhere announces that he will address the electors iv the Theatre to-morrow evening at 8 o'clock. When Sir Francis Dillon Bell visited his constituents at the Bluff, a deputation waited j upon him to urge the necessity of fencing the railway line, for the protection of the settlers' j cattle. Sir Francis promised to look into the matter on his arrival in Dunedin, and has forwarded a copy of an opinion by the Provincial Solicitor to the effect that in the present state of the law no obligation rests upon the Government to fence railway lines, but by the Railway Offences Act, 1865, the obligation to k ep cattle from straying on the line is imposed on the owners of cattle, who are liable to a penalty of £50 for every breach of this provision. The subject is one which seems to demand further consideration by the Legislature, and in correspondence which has taken place between Sir F. D. Bell and the Superintendent, the latter says : — " The subject has been repeatedly under the consideration of the Provincial Government. The question is one which involves a very important principle as well as serious pecuniary outlay, so much bo that the Executive Government feels it to be one for the Legislature to deal with. lam not aware as to what obligation, if any, the late Government of Southland came under on the subject. Without venturing to pronounce any opinion as to the question ot

fencing railway line* generally on the p<rt of the State, it may perhaps be a question low fur it may be expedient for the Government to be compellet to fence these, any more tuui ordinary rouds " Sir Francis state? thut he will t-rin^ the matter under the notice of the Council at an early date. Mr L. Rodgers has placed in our handa a copy of the first number of the Australasian SlLtcher, a new monthly illustrated paper publiflbd in Melbou rne, for which he is agent in Invercargill. Th c Sketcher is got up in highclass Style, the illustrations being equal to any. thing produced in London, and the literary part of the undertaking being evidently in experienced handa. The annual meeting of the Horticultural Society was held in Colyer's Princess Hotel on the 2nd inst., Mr W. P. Porter in the chair. The report of the retiring committee referred to the increased number of exhibits at the late shows, and the greater variety of articles shown, and recommended that the new committee should consider whether two exhibitions should be held next year, the increased number of prize-takers — in every other respect a highly sstiafactory result — having proved a serious drain on the resources of the Society. The report was adopted, and a vote of thanks accorded to the retiring committee. Mr W. H. Cdlder was elected president, Messrß T. M. Macdonald and W. P. Porter vice-presidents, R. Erskine treasurer, and W. B. Scandrett secretary. It was decided that the committee should be chosen equally from the representatives of gardeners and amateurs, and the following members were duly elected : — Messrs Waugh, Brandford, Sangwell, Birrell, Cooper, and Pert (gardeners) ; and Messrs Harvey, Blackwood, Goodwillie, Macarthur, Joyce, and M'Ewan (amateurs). Mr Eobert Hamilton, the chairman of the deputation which waited upon Sir F. D. Belj regarding the repairing of the East road for the ensuing winter, has received a communication from that gentleman, enclosing a letter from His Honor the Superintendent, to the effect that, in his opinion, no amount of money that could now be expended would render the road passable for the coming winter, and informing him that in anticipation of this difficulty he had not ceased to urge the General Government to press forward the construction of the railway to Woodland?, which, he was informed by the engineer, would be in actual working order within about two months. Sir F. D. Bell further says that he wiil bring the matter of repairing the road before the Council as soon as it assembles. At the meeting of the Land Board on Fri lay 2nd May, there were present Messrs Pearson, Baker, and M' Arthur. The following applications were granted : — J. G. Grieve, 400 acres, New River hundred ; D. B. M'Rae, 100 acres, Forest Hill hundred ; Neil M'Leod, 31 a,creß, Forest Hill hundred ; David Henderson, 40 acres, New River hnndred ; Donald M' Arthur, 85 acres, Jacob's River hundred ; J. H. Baker, 450 acres, Oteramika hundred. The applications of James Shand, for 1600 acres, Hokanui district, and James and John Shand I for 800 acres, Oreti hundred, being land withdrawn from sale under the Bluff Jetty contract, were granted, the Government having determined to pay the contractors in cash. At the request of the original applicants, it was resolved to substitute the name of Mr Joseph Stock for those of Messrs William Egerton and Alexander Nicholson, in application for land at Halfmoon Bay, Stewart's Island. We have to acknowledge the receipt from the Director, Dr Hector, of Reports of Geological Explorations during 1871-2, catalogue of the Echinodermata of New Zealand, and the sixth and seventh annual reports on the Colonial Museum and Laboratory. The Wellington Provincial Council was opened on the 30th ult. The Superintendent in his address stated that the territorial revenue for last year was £26,748, and "the estimated territorial revenue for the current year £45,000. The Council will be asked to assent to a bill authorising the borrowing of £210,000. A Christchurch paper says it is expected that the Great South line of railway will be open for traffic as far as the south bank of the Rakaia about the first of June next. The first thirteen miles of the next section — Rakaia to Ashburton — are ready for the rails The Council of the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society have been considering the desirability of importing deer into that province. One of the speakers at a recent meeting said that " fallow deer could be obtained in plenitude from Tasmania, where, according to a gentleman he had recen'ly spoken to, they had become a nuisance." The traffic returns for the month of March show that the Canterbury railways earned the sum of £8870 18s during that period. A German settler recently went home from Napier, intending to return with several families of beet»root sugar manufacturers. The Superintendent gave him a letter to Dr Feathevston to, if necessary, advance money for the purchase of the requisite plant, the Provincial Government becoming responsible. Mr Green, a clerk in the Bank of New Zealand, Auckland, was examining one of Tranter's revolvers in the bank on the 28th ult., when it went off, lodging the bullet in his left breast. The average price obtained for land in the province of Auckland is 3s 5 J per acre ; in Otago it is £1 Is ; and in Canterbury, £2. Low fever is said to be prevalent in Wanganui. The Provincial Council of Nelson was opened on the 29th April. The revenue is £32,000 below the estimate, and shows a decrease of £7000 on the previous year. Destructive floods are reported from the North Island. In the Bay of Islands houses have been washed away, and upwards of forty families rendered homeless. The Northern Wairoa river rose 30 feet, a settler's house was carried away, crops destroyed, and cattle drowned. 5255 tons ot quartz were crushed at the Thames from March 19 to April 10, and 6471 o«s of gold extracted therefrom.

The Municipal Corporation elsewhere invites tenderß for erecting a buildiDg in the public gardens, and for the supply of manure and quicks. It is announced that the Claud Hamilton will leave the Bluff for Melbourne to-morrow. We have been requested to state that, owing to the non -completion of the flooring of the drill-ahed, the soiree of the Sons of Temperance, announced for Thursday evening, has been postponed until Wednesday, 14th met.