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Southland Times, Issue 1785, 26 August 1873, Page 2

Surveying operations were in progress yesterday, the ultimate result of which, if the design of their originator be carried out, will be the mutilation of the site for the proposed Government buildings, as well as the destruction of the symmetry of the town. We allude to the folly sought to be perpetrated by the erection of the crescent, and as a matter of duty strongly remonstrate against its execution. We have already pointed out the impolicy of the step proposed to be taken, and urged several reasons against it, none of which have yet been answered. We now mention that, in pursuance of the intention of the General Government to erect suitable buildings in Invercargill for the transaction of the public business, a plan has been submitted by Mr W. Bbunton for the concentration of the various departments in a block of building at once comprehensive, commodious, and ornamental. This block of building it is proposed by Mr Bbttnton's plan to locate in the centre of the land at present occupied by the Provincial Government. To any one caring at all for even the creditable appearance of the town, such a plan as that which Mr Bhunton has submitted will commend itself. If the crescent, as originated by Mr Lttmsdeit, be carried out, a large portion of the site will be taken up by it, and the general effect of buildings of the class of those intended to be erected will be wholly destroyed. If any advantage could be shown at all counterbalancing the sacrifice to be made by the surrender of the land for the crescent, consideration of the matter might be entertained, but there really is none. We cannot gain as a community anything by the alienation of the land in question, but are certain to lose that of which we shall ever regret the loss should this foolish project be carried into effect. We have not much fear that such will be the case, but the matter in the meantime ia in the hands of the inhabitants. Since Mr Lumsden neglected in this matter to treat his constituents with the decent courtesy of asking their opinion on a case in which their interests are so deeply involved, they have no alternative but by petition to express their objection, and thus prevent the sale of the land.

Considerable disappointment was expressed yesterday when it was announced that the Albambra, which was hourly expected at the Bluff, had arrived at Hokitika. The local agents request us to state that in all probability another Tesael will reach here from Melbourne somewhere about the end of the week. We learnt yesterday that Mr A.. Fleming, Rector of the Invercargill Grammar School, whose illness we have already noticed, still oon« tinues without improvement, being somewhat easier, but without amendment of the dangerous symptoms. The committee of arrangement for the public dinner to Mr Wood, having forwarded an invitation to that gentleman, have received a reply in Whioh he declines the honor, on the ground that the price fixed for admission is too high and would make the recognition exclusive. The dinner has therefore been abandoned. | At the meeting of the Waste Lands Board on Friday, the Commissioner and Messrs M'Culloch and Baker were present. A letter from Mr A. W. Traill, of Stewart's Island, asking to be placed on the same footing as other immigrants with regard to free grants of land, was referred to the Sup jrintendent with a recommendation that Mr TrailPa application shou'd be granted. A letter from Mr C. Cowan to the Secretary for Grown Lands, complaini ing of the action of the Board in refusing i his application for 900 acres of land, reserved on his run No. 207 b, having been read, it was resolved that the land having been legally reserved, in terms of clause 16 of the Southland

Waste Lunda Act, 1*65, the Board had no power to interfere in tho matter. The resolution of the Provincial Council that the extension of Taystreet westward towards the railway station should be surveyed in the form of a crescent having been read, the matter was referred to the Chief Surveyor. A complaint from Messrs Casaela and M'Donald regarding tho grant of a firewood license to Messrs Concher and Co. in the area reserved for them, was ordered to stand over until the survey was completed and the Banger's report obtained.

The quarterly statement of the financial transactions of the Provinoe during the quarter ended 30th June last, is published in the Provincial Government Gazette. The receipts during the period stated amounted to £138 912 3s lOd, and the expenditure to £54,439 8s 7d, the excess in favor of the receipts thus being £84,472 15a 3d. The receipts from the sale of Crown lands during the quarter amounted to £107,080 18s 6d.

The Clifton and Sara Concert Company made their first appearance before an Invercargill audience on tbe evening of Saturday last. As a rule, Saturday evening entertainments are not -tery liberally patronised in Invercargill. The company may therefore consider themselves exceptionally honored, for the Theatre was very fairly attended on the occasion. It was soon made evident that the artistes possessed more than the average amount of ability, and the audience consequently became very enthusiastic, demanding an encore after every song, Mr Clifton and Miss Sara, with the greatest good humor, complying in nearly every instance. Miss Sara sings with much taste and feeling, her ' ' Bonnie Prince Charlie" being much admired ; while her " X.0.8.," having much of the comic element, was capitally performed. Mr Clifton is very geod in his own particular line. His " Old Sarah Walker" elicited rapturous applause, and " Silly Bill and Father" was an immense success. " Silly Bill" has made up his mind that he won't walk until he is "as big as father," and clings to the old man's back most tenaciously. The make-up is so good that a large proportion of the audience were under the impression that two individuals were before them, Mr Clifton's ventriloquial powers assisting in a great measure to strengthen 1 the deception. Mr Speedy's performance on the pianoforte materially contributed to the success of the entertainment, which we can confidently recommend, there being nothing in the programme calculated in the slightest dogree to I offend the most scrupulous taste. — We were i pleased to see a good attendance last evening, the programme being a good one, cai ried through with spirit, and evidently enjoyed by the audience. A change ia arraonnced for thi9 evening; and we trust the company will meet with an amount of patronage commensurate with the merits of the entertainment. At the meeting of the Otago Waste Lands Board, held iv Danedin on the 2Lst inst., a letter was read from G. H. Attwood, recommending the removal of the Cemetery Reserve, Toi Tois, to another place ; and the survey and sale of Fortrose township. The letter was referred to the District Surveyor. Mr Joseph Preston ap- j plied to have the decision on his application for section 3, block 2, Toi Tois, postponed until the adjoining section 4 has been sold by auction. The application was granted. A letter was read from Mr D. Macrorie, referring to his tender for conducting sales in the Invercargill Land District. Messrs G. F. Martin and Co. also sent a letter referring to their tender for the same. Mr Macrorie's tender was accepted, at the rate of 2\ per cent, commission. The Otago Times says :— An enquiry into the recent accident on the Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway was instituted on the 2lst inst., by Mr Bastings, Secretary for Goldfields, and concluded the following day. The employe's examined were Me33rs G. Williamson, station master at, Dunedin ; G. M'Gregor, inspector of rolling stock ; John Thomas, engine driver ; David Watson, John Simpson, and James Loslie. The evidence went to show that the divergence of the train on to the engine-shed siding was owing to a stone being placed under the lever point to enable a carriage to be shunted, and not being removed before the arrival of the train ; because, had there been no obstruction the lever handle would have fallen back to its original position. Mr Bastings was of opinion that the practice of placing sfcomea under levers on the line was common, and such a practice was oertainly most reprehensible. Ho directed that instructions be given to have the face points always locked, except where shunting often takes place, and to have them looked ia such places on tho main liae ton minutes before the arrival of irataa. An order also wa3 made tlvit the man whose duty it was to examine the point before the arri val of the train should be discharged.

From the local paper wo learn that the Shotover Gold Mining Company's claim, Pleasant Creek Terrace, when in full working operation, employs thirty six hands. Three relays of men are employed working eight hour shifts. It is proposed, however, to resort to the ten hour shift, paying the men £i per week until suoh period as wood and water for sluicing purposes can be more readily obtained. The former is difficult to get out of the bush at present, owing to the frost rendering the tracks ice-bouad, and therefore dangerous for pack horses. The workings ara excellently timbered, aud the tramways well laid down. The wash dirt varies from three to five feet thick. Nearly two hundred trucks, or about 180 tons, are taken out daily ; but lately, owing to want of timber, and the races being frozen up, many hands have been discharged. The washdirt averages about sdwts to the truck. A crab hole, yielding two truckfuls, was last week cleaned out and gave 36 ounces. The late discovery of a fresh bottom under the false one that wasbeiag firsfc worked arose through putting down a prop on to the rock bottom. It adds largely to the value of the claim.

A return of the estates placed in the hands of the Public Trustee, shows a balance of unliquidated estates at the end of June to have been £22,099. Total cost of Public Trustee to end of June, £144.

The National Agricultural Society of Victoria has appointed a committee to take the initiatory steps to import veterinary instruction, and to make application to the jGovernment to establish a veterinary hospital where stock could be treated and training afforded to students.

The municipal corporation of Lawrenoe has borrowed £2000, at 6 per cent, interest, for the purpose of erecting a town hall.

We learn from a Dunedin contemporary tbat an influential meeting of merchants and others, favorable to the formation of a new Insurance Company, was held on the 22Dd. The meeting unanimously affirmed the desirability of forming a new company, and resolved that the name of the company should be " The National Fire and Marine Insurance Company of New Zealand." The capital was fixed at £500,000, in 50,000 shares of £10 each, with power to increase tc €1,000,000. The following gentlemen were appointed Provisional Directors :— Messrs G . Gray Russell, John Cargilll, J. L. Butterworth, R. Oliver, James Smith, D. Proudfoot, R. A. Low, W. J. M. Larnach, E. PrOß3er, H. Driver, R. Wilson, C. R. Howden, A. Burt, C. S. Reeves, and G. C. Matheson. Messrs Smith and Ander- ; son were appointed solicitors ; the National Bank of New Zealand bankers ; and Mr R. H. Leary interim secretary. One-fourth of the capital was subscribed by those present. The Oaraaru paper regrets that both in Timaru . and Oamaru whooping cough and bronchitis are very prevalent at present. | According to the Evening Post, the business places of Wellington continue to multiply fast. The Lyttelton Times Bays : — lt ia gratifying to hear of the success of the experiments in oyster culture at Akaroa. Messrs Morey and Co., of German Bay, and the Canterbury Oyster Fishery Company, of Barry's Bay, have each a large quantity of healthy spat and young oysters in their breeding beda. It is announced that Mr Alexander Kennedy, at one time General Manager of the Bank of New Zealand, is about to publish a book on the Colony. The Canterbury Philosophical Institute has resolved that some of its members shall write a history of the Province. The Wakatip Mail congratulates that district on having obtained in Mr Pyke a representative of no mean ability, thoroughly acquainted with Parliamentary proceedings, and capable of much usefulness. We cannot say much (says a Wellington paper) for the good tasta of the Auckland pulpit and press, as exemplified in the case of the man Eppwright who was recently executed for murder. There was a time in England when an execution was regarded as a windfall by hun* dreds of ragged denizens of St. Giles's and Seven Dials, who picked up innumerable pennies by crying the " last dying speech and confession of the culprit" through the streets. Something like this took place in Auckland on the occasion alluded to, the Southern Cross actually i ssuing the dying speech of Eppwright as an extra, and having it hawked and cried through the streets for one penny per copy, altno3t bafore the breath was out of the criminal's body. The Auckland pulpit was just as bad in trying to make capital out of the execution, for we find it announced in the papers that on the Sunday after the execution one rev. gentleman was to preach on " the sin and folly of hanging men," while another chose as his subject " the murderer's contrition.' '

We hare to acknowledge receipt of a pamphlet on " Protection to Native Industries," beinij a paper read before the Colonists' Protection League Society, Auckland. A meeting of those interested in forming a Quoiting Ciub is to be hold in the Athol Arms Hotel to-morrow evening at 8 o'clock.